Apple today added Guided Meditations and Pilates to Apple Fitness+, expanding the existing catalog of workout types already available on the service ahead of a significant expansion of 15+ additional countries later this year.
During the last Apple event earlier this month, Apple announced it would be expanding Fitness+ with Guided Meditations. This new workout type builds on the current Mindful Cooldowns workout, allowing Fitness+ users to "reduce everyday stress, develop a greater sense of awareness, and build resilience to face life's challenges." Guided Meditations sessions in 10 and 20 minute lengths will be available.
Alongside Strength, Core, and Yoga workouts, Fitness+ today also gained Pilates, a new low-impact workout that focuses on improving strength and flexibility. Pilates sessions will be guided and headed by Marimba Gold-Watts and Darryl Whiting, both professionals in fitness. Fitness+ is also gaining a new "Workouts to Get Ready for Snow Season" guide with workouts to improve skiers' and snowboarders' performance ahead of the winter.
Later this fall, Apple Fitness+ will be expanding to 15 additional countries, including Austria, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, and the UAE. Fitness+ will also be gaining group workouts powered by SharePlay later this year.
Now that new iPad mini 6 owners have had a couple of days with Apple's latest redesigned tablet, some users are noticing an issue being referred to as "jelly scroll" when viewing the screen in portrait mode.
The term refers to a noticeable effect when scrolling vertically through text-based content like a webpage or document, where each line of text appears to tilt down towards the left of the screen as it passes by. The effect makes it look as though one side of the display is responding faster than the other when a finger drags to scroll the page.
Several MacRumors readers have noted the issue, which seems to affect users to a variable degree. Some iPad mini 6 owners claim they noticed the effect despite being ignorant of similar reports in the wild, while others see it only after having been made aware that it was even a thing.
Moreover, some users, having seen it, claim to be unable to "unsee" it, after which it becomes irritating to witness and can even induce eye strain. The issue was first brought to wider attention in a tweet by The Verge's Dieter Bohn, who demonstrated the effect in a slo-mo video.
Here is is slow-mo video of scrolling on the iPad Min i slowed down EVEN MORE in a frame-by-frame step through. Notice how the right moves up faster than the left.
In normal usage you barely see it, but every now and then it become noticeable. In landscape it goes away entirely pic.twitter.com/iq9LGJzsDI
— Dieter Bohn (@backlon) September 22, 2021
MacRumors has independently confirmed that the effect can be seen by different people on the same sixth-generation iPad mini unit. MacRumors can also confirm that the issue was evident on all iPad mini 6 models on display in a local UK Apple Store. The issue wasn't reproducible in landscape orientation when scrolling, indicating this is a vertical refresh issue.
It's currently unclear if this is a hardware issue affecting only a certain batch of iPad mini units, a more widespread hardware problem, or something that could be fixed with a software update. We've reached out to Apple for comment.
Shipments of Apple Silicon MacBooks will be cut in the first half of next year due to component shortages, a decline in working from home demand, and the introduction of a redesigned MacBook Air in the third quarter of 2022, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's latest investor note, seen by MacRumors.
From the note:
We forecast that the shipment of Apple Silicon processor-based MacBook models will be cut by approximately 15% in 1H22 and attribute it to three reasons: 1) component shortages, 2) structural demand change in the post- COVID-19 era, and 3) product transition between legacy and new models.
According to Kuo, the shortage of components relates primarily to a continuing lack of power management integrated circuits, for which delivery times currently extend as far out as 52 weeks.
This shortage will hit all PC brands, but is said to coincide with the capacity expansion of Unimicron, one of the main IC providers in Taiwan and the sole supplier for the Apple silicon ABF substrate. As a result, Unimicron is expected to aggressively secure non-Apple ABF substrate orders to cut risk.
MacBook shipments are also expected to be impacted by the change in demand structure in the post-COVID-19 era will, with the number of people working from home declining and purchasing power falling due to inflation.
Kuo believes a new redesigned MacBook Air powered by next-generation Apple Silicon will enter mass production in the early third quarter of 2022, making the second half of next year a product transition period that will have an impact on MacBook orders.
Apple is still expected to launch redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models before the end of this year, likely to be announced via a digital event in October or November.
The latest macOS Monterey beta references two new built-in display resolutions that likely correspond to the upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. The new display resolutions are listed as "3456 x 2234 Retina" and "3024 x 1964 Retina," which would represent an increase in pixel density for a sharper image if the displays are the expected sizes.
Update: According to the video mentioned below, even if an iPhone 13 display is replaced with a genuine and original iPhone 13 screen, Face ID will stop working. In the video, the repair provider swapped two original iPhone 13 screens and in both cases, Face ID was inoperative after the new screens were installed. It seems to be the case that if the original screen is put back with the original iPhone 13, Face ID returns, ruling out the possibility of an improper installation.
If a customer gets their iPhone 13 display replaced by a third-party repair store or provider, such as those not licensed or affiliated with Apple through its Independent Repair Program, Face ID on the iPhone will no longer be useable.
Apple has long faced criticism for making it difficult for third-party repair stores and providers to fix and repair their products. Apple already displays a prompt for customers inside Settings that informs them that their display is a "non-genuine display," and a similar prompt for "non-genuine cameras" was introduced earlier this year.
Apple claims these prompts help inform customers that they aren't using genuine Apple parts and is part of its more comprehensive plan to ensure customer devices are only repaired and diagnosed by certified Apple technicians.
With the iPhone 13 this year, Apple further makes it more difficult for customers to get repairs from third-party stores and providers. As discovered in a repair video, the iPhone 13 screen includes no components for Face ID to function, as all the parts for the TrueDepth system are housed in the iPhone itself.
Despite this, if an iPhone 13 display is replaced with a "non-genuine" or even a genuine, original iPhone 13 display, Face ID stops working, despite there seemingly being no hardware within the display itself needed for Face ID to function.
Important Display Message Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple display.
Apple runs its own Independent iPhone Repair Program, which is designed to allow any company or third-party repair center to become an authorized Apple service provider only if they meet the requirements and go through the process.
Apple has expanded the program to more countries worldwide, but compared to fully independent third-party repair providers, authorized Apple outlets often have higher prices, longer wait times, and poor customer service. Companies and stores certified through Apple get access to genuine Apple parts, manuals, and device instructions, including information not available to third-party repair stores.
Given the lack of hardware reasoning for the iPhone 13's Face ID to no longer be usable after a third-party screen is installed, Apple could patch this via an iOS update if it's a simple iOS 15 bug. Keeping in mind its past efforts to consolidate iPhone repairs to only stores and centers it chooses to consider "authorized," however, this is unlikely to be a mistake and will only further fuel the Right to Repair movement. We've reached out to Apple for comment.
Apple plans to begin mass production of an upcoming redesigned MacBook Air featuring an updated, more powerful Apple silicon processor in the third quarter of 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a research note obtained by MacRumors.
Kuo has previously stated that the new MacBook Air will feature an entirely new design, including a mini-LED display and a more powerful Apple silicon processor. Kuo had earlier pinpointed a launch around the middle of 2022, now providing a more specific timeline for the late second quarter or early third quarter of 2022 for mass production getting underway.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that the new MacBook Air will feature a "thinner and lighter" enclosure, two USB 4 ports, and a MagSafe charging connector. Apple leaker and YouTube personality Jon Prosser shared renders for the alleged upcoming MacBook Air earlier this year, showing most notably of all that Apple plans to release the new laptop in a range of colors, similar to the 24-inch M1 iMac.
Apple last updated its MacBook Air with the M1 chip last November, which maintained the previous MacBook Air design. Despite the expectation that Apple will update several Macs in its lineup with Apple silicon before the end of this year, the MacBook Air doesn't seem like it'll be one of them.
In a support document, Apple said affected users can turn off Unlock with Apple Watch and use their passcode to unlock their iPhone 13 until the software update is released. The feature, which is designed to let you unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask or ski goggles, can be toggled off in the Settings app under Face ID & Passcode.
Apple did not specify which software update will include a fix, nor did it provide a timeframe. The first beta of iOS 15.1 was released five days ago, but Apple could also choose to release a minor iOS 15.0.1 update with bug fixes.
As we reported, affected users might see an "Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch" error message if they try to unlock their iPhone 13 while wearing a face mask, or they might not be able to set up Unlock with Apple Watch.
Following Apple's big media event last week, this week saw users able to get their hands on much of the new hardware and software, headlined by the iPhone 13 lineup and iOS 15.
This week also saw some new rumors, including a fresh report about next year's iPhone 14 Pro and our own discovery of what are likely to be the display resolutions for Apple's upcoming redesigned MacBook Pro models, so read on for all of the details!
First Impressions From New iPhone 13 and 13 Pro Owners
All four iPhone 13 models are now available, and we've had just a short bit of time with them to put together our initial thoughts on the new devices, so stay tuned for more as we spend additional time with them.
For a more thorough look right now, check out some of the early media iPhone 13 reviews and iPhone 13 Pro reviews that were published online earlier this week.
Key features across the iPhone 13 lineup include a faster A15 Bionic chip, camera improvements, longer battery life, and a smaller notch. The two Pro models also feature a ProMotion display with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz and additional camera features like Night mode portraits and ProRes video recording.
The Ultimate iOS 15 Walkthrough: Guides and How Tos for Every New Feature
First Look Inside iPhone 13 Reveals Face ID Changes, Smaller Taptic Engine, and Larger Battery
With customers around the world finally getting their hands on the iPhone 13 lineup, some users are starting to open up their devices to see what's inside. Sonny Dickson from Australia was one of the first to share photos that provided an early look inside the devices.
The photos reveal changes that Apple made to the TrueDepth sensor system for Face ID to accommodate for the iPhone 13's smaller notch, in addition to a smaller Taptic Engine, a larger battery, and more.
Kuo also said that the first iPhone with under-screen Touch ID has been delayed until the second half of 2023, and that the first foldable iPhone has been delayed until 2024.
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.
After developers discovered that their apps are not currently able to use 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates for all animations, there was confusion over whether it was a limitation imposed for battery life or a bug. Apple has now provided clarification.
Apple told MacRumors that all third-party apps can take full advantage of 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates, but developers will need to declare that their apps use higher frame rates by adding an entry to their app's plist. Documentation on the required plist entry will be made available to developers soon.
Apple is requiring this opt-in step to provide higher fresh rates only to apps that will benefit from the technology, which will optimize battery life on iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max devices.
It's worth noting that this opt-in process is designed for apps that need full ProMotion support. Standard UI animations in all third-party apps automatically get the benefits of the the higher and lower frame rates available with ProMotion without developers having to change anything.
There is also a bug that is affecting some animations built using Core Animation that Apple says will be fixed in an upcoming software update.
As developers have discovered, standard UI animations within third-party apps work with ProMotion display technology automatically, and that's true for all apps. Apps that will be able to benefit from the faster frame rates will be able to add that support and will be on par with Apple's own apps.
At the current time, with support limited to standard animations, there can be a noticeable difference between an interaction like scrolling and another interaction like closing a popup. If you're scrolling through Twitter on an iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max, for example, you'll see the smooth scrolling experience, but the animations that have not yet been updated to 120Hz are limited to 60Hz, and these animations are noticeably less smooth. This problem will be ironed out as developers adopt full support for the ProMotion feature in the future.
ProMotion display technology is designed to provide an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 10Hz to 120Hz. The iPhone's refresh rate shifts based on what's on the screen in order to preserve battery life, as the 120Hz refresh rate eats up battery quicker. If you're looking at a static page on the web for example, the refresh rate will slow down, but it will speed back up as you scroll. ProMotion functionality is available on the iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, and iPad Pro models.
Update: Apple has shared documentation that explains how developers can fully enable faster ProMotion refresh rates for their apps on iPhone 13 Pro models. Specifically, the documentation provides a key that developers can add to an app's Info.plist file to enable the full range of refresh rates for custom animations.
The new iPhone 13 Pro models that launched today are equipped with ProMotion display technology, which allows for adaptive refresh rates ranging from 10Hz all the way to 120Hz, which is ideal for scrolling through content, gaming, and more, because it makes for a smoother viewing experience.
Though there's a 120Hz maximum refresh rate, App Store developers have found that most app animations are limited to 60Hz, which results in an uneven viewing experience for users. As noted by 9to5Mac, ProMotion works at the full 120Hz for scrolling and full-screen transitions, but animations are limited to 60Hz.
So when you're scrolling through your Twitter timeline, for example, you'll see the smooth ProMotion experience, but animations at 60Hz mean other interactions are noticeably less smooth. Apollo developer Christian Selig has already seen complaints from customers.
Am I correct in seeing that UIView.animateWithDuration APIs aren't clocked at 120Hz on iPhone 13? On UIScrollView, system ones, and Metal by the looks of it, rest is still 60Hz? pic.twitter.com/t3MeM9cj0E
— Christian Selig (@ChristianSelig) September 24, 2021
Selig speculates that Apple added the 60Hz limitation to preserve battery life on the iPhone models because on the iPad Pro models that also support ProMotion technology, there is no limit and all animations run at 120Hz.
Note that this isn't the case on iPad Pros, those do use 120 Hz for all animations. See attached.
I assume this is a purposeful battery life optimization choice on iPhones. 🔋 pic.twitter.com/Utg0oaDzdi
— Christian Selig (@ChristianSelig) September 24, 2021
Apple's own apps appear to run at up to 120Hz at all times, so there's also a possibility that this is a bug or an issue that Apple plans to address in a future update.
Update: Apple says that there is a special declaration developers need to use in order for their apps to take advantage of the higher frame rates, but that there is also a Core Animation bug that will be addressed in an upcoming update.
With the launch of the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, Apple introduced Macro mode, a new camera feature that's exclusive to the Pro models and brings the immensely detailed world of close-up macro photography to iPhones for the first time. Keep reading to learn how it works.
With Macro mode enabled, you can take pictures or video of subjects that are as close as 2cm to your iPhone's camera lens, which means you can now take shots of flowers, textures, insects, or pretty much anything small or at close distance, with accurate focus, rich detail, and no blurring.
Here's how to use the Macro mode feature on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Bear in mind that Macro mode is exclusive to these models and isn't supported on iPhone 13 mini or iPhone 13.
Launch the Camera app on your iPhone 13 Pro.
Make sure Photo mode is highlighted in the camera mode menu. If you're shooting video, swipe to Video mode instead.
Line up your close-up subject in the viewfinder and allow the camera to switch to the wide-angle lens. Move in closer – the subject can be as close as 2cm away from the lens (you can use the zoom if necessary).
Hold the phone steady. Once the lens has focused on the subject, tap the shutter to take the shot or begin capturing video. If you're shooting video, tap the shutter button again to finish.
When you're experimenting with Macro mode, you'll likely notice that your iPhone 13 Pro switches automatically to the new mode as soon as it detects an object that's within 14cm away from the lens. This can cause the viewfinder to jitter as it switches between the wide-angle lens to ultra-wide angle, which can be quite jarring and distracting.
As of writing, there's no way to prevent this behavior when taking macro photos. If you're shooting macro video, however, you can prevent it by enabling the Lock Camera option under Settings -> Camera -> Record Video.
Apple says that a forthcoming update, due in the fall, will allow users to specifically turn off automatic camera switching when shooting macro photography at close distances.
Have you taken a cool macro shot on your iPhone 13 Pro? Show it off in the comments below!
It's iPhone 13 launch day, and customers around the world are receiving their iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max orders, plus the new devices are also in Apple retail locations. We picked up one of the new iPhone 13 models and both of the iPhone 13 Pro models for a quick unboxing and an honest overview of the feature set.
Apple's iPhone 13 models have more environmentally friendly packaging, so you just need to pop open the box and your iPhone is right there with no more protective plastic. There are a few papers, a SIM ejection tool, and a Lightning to USB-C cable. No charger or EarPods, of course, because Apple dropped those last year.
The iPhone 13 models are heavier than the iPhone 12 models, and it's definitely noticeable with the Pro Max. We have the Silver iPhone 13 Pro Max, and the Sierra Blue iPhone 13 Pro, which is a much lighter blue than last year.
As for the iPhone 13, we have the Starlight color, which is meant to be a silver/gold hybrid, and on the iPhone, it's nearly white. It's quite attractive. Unsurprisingly, the camera bumps are massive, and the notch is smaller, a feature that's mostly obvious when putting the iPhone 13 next to an iPhone 12.
Aside from the notch tweak and the camera bumps, the iPhone 13 design is on the boring side because it's basically identical to the iPhone 12 design.
The iPhone 13 Pro models have a ProMotion display, and that's definitely a noticeable improvement. Scrolling is super smooth, and it looks great. ProMotion will definitely be the standout feature for people who pick a Pro model.
There are new camera capabilities, including a Macro mode. It's fun to play around with, but will have limited use in the real world. As other reviews have pointed out, there's an irritating quirk with macro mode -- if you get too close to the subject, the camera switches to another lens, and you have to reset the shot to get back to macro mode.
Apple added a new Cinematic Mode, which is more or less Portrait Mode for video. It works okay, but it's a little bit buggy and it's not super fantastic. You're also getting Photographic Styles, which apply filters to just part of your image, which is kind of useful.
Make sure to check out our video to see all the camera features in action, and we'll have more in-depth camera coverage coming up next week.
Battery life should be significantly improved based on what Apple has boasted for the new iPhones, but we'll need some more time to test that out. In a nutshell, these are basically iPhone 12 models with a few new bells and whistles. There's nothing earth shattering here, so you don't need to upgrade if you've already got one an iPhone 12 or 12 Pro, but there are some solid features for those coming from an older device.
Let us know what you think of the new iPhone 13 models in the comments.
Apple this week opened its newest Apple Store in New York City, Apple The Mall at Bay Plaza, which also happens to be the first Apple retail location in the Bronx.
Apple Store aficionado Michael Steeberteamed up with Storeteller for a virtual 360-degree walkthrough of the new location, giving us an in-depth look at the features and improvements that Apple has brought to its latest Apple Store.
Apple The Mall at Bay Plaza may look similar to most other Apple retail locations, but it has a unique feature - a dedicated Pickup Zone. The Pickup Zone is a permanent installation within the store, featuring a dedicated table where customers can get their new devices from employees and more interestingly, a wall of built-in drawers where all the pickup orders are housed.
In most Apple retail locations, employees must go to the back to retrieve orders that have been placed for in-store pickup, but that won't be the case with Apple The Mall at Bay Plaza, and it is the first store with this setup rather than a Forum area.
Along with the Pickup Zone, the store also features an area with round tables for training, and a series of Forum displays. There are leather seats along the walls for those waiting for Genius Bar appointments, and the front of the store is outfitted with sliding glass doors.
iFixit is gearing up for one of traditional teardowns of the new iPhone 13 models, but ahead of that full teardown, iFixit has done a live event to give us a first glimpse inside the refreshed devices.
As we've seen in prior inside looks, the new iPhones have smaller, square-shaped Taptic Engines, and the iPhone 13 Pro has a smaller, denser logic board than the iPhone 13 along with an L-shaped battery and a larger internal camera module.
Battery capacities were unveiled earlier today, and iPhone 13 models have larger batteries across the board. The iPhone 13 mini has a 2,406 mAh battery, the iPhone 13 has a 3,227 mAh battery, the iPhone 13 Pro has a 3,095 mAh battery, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 4,352 mAh battery.
iFixit's live teardown is interesting for those who want to see a step-by-step deconstruction of the device, but there's not a lot of new information to learn at this point. iFixit plans to publish a more in-depth teardown next week, which should give us some more insight on the internal components.
As the name suggests, the Urban iPad Stand has a strong built-in magnet that's designed to attach to a compatible iPad. Like the iPhone and a MagSafe charger, the iPad and the stand automatically align with one another.
Once on the stand, the iPad is at an ideal height to provide an ergonomic viewing experience, and with the adjustable hinge at the back, it can be rotated around 360 degrees to any viewing angle that works best for you. It's useful for watching movies, working with a keyboard and mouse, drawing, and more.
Available in either silver or space gray, the iPad Stand matches well with Apple's devices, and it is made from a hard, durable aluminum material that will last for years to come. It's priced at $70.
The Urban Magnetic Stand is compatible with all of Apple's modern iPad,s including the third, fourth, and fifth-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, the first, second, and third-generation 11-inch iPad Pro models, and the fourth-generation MacBook Air.
We have 10 of the Urban Magnetic iPad Stands to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, use the Gleam.io 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.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (September 24) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 1. The winners will be chosen randomly on October 1 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
In 2019, Apple opened its Security Bounty Program to the public, offering payouts up to $1 million to researchers who share critical iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS security vulnerabilities with Apple, including the techniques used to exploit them. The program is designed to help Apple keep its software platforms as safe as possible.
In the time since, reports have surfaced indicating that some security researchers are unhappy with the program, and now a security researcher who uses the pseudonym "illusionofchaos" has shared their similarly "frustrating experience."
In a blog post highlighted by Kosta Eleftheriou, the unnamed security researcher said they reported four zero-day vulnerabilities to Apple between March and May of this year, but they said that three of the vulnerabilities are still present in iOS 15 and that one was fixed in iOS 14.7 without Apple giving them any credit.
I want to share my frustrating experience participating in Apple Security Bounty program. I've reported four 0-day vulnerabilities this year between March 10 and May 4, as of now three of them are still present in the latest iOS version (15.0) and one was fixed in 14.7, but Apple decided to cover it up and not list it on the security content page. When I confronted them, they apologized, assured me it happened due to a processing issue and promised to list it on the security content page of the next update. There were three releases since then and they broke their promise each time.
The person said that, last week, they warned Apple that they would make their research public if they didn't receive a response. However, they said Apple ignored the request, leading them to publicly disclose the vulnerabilities.
One of the zero-day vulnerabilities relates to Game Center and allegedly allows any app installed from the App Store to access some user data:
- Apple ID email and full name associated with it
- Apple ID authentication token which allows to access at least one of the endpoints on *.apple.com on behalf of the user
- Complete file system read access to the Core Duet database (contains a list of contacts from Mail, SMS, iMessage, 3rd-party messaging apps and metadata about all user's interaction with these contacts (including timestamps and statistics), also some attachments (like URLs and texts)
- Complete file system read access to the Speed Dial database and the Address Book database including contact pictures and other metadata like creation and modification dates (I've just checked on iOS 15 and this one inaccessible, so that one must have been quietly fixed recently)
The other two zero-day vulnerabilities that are apparently still present in iOS 15, as well as the one patched in iOS 14.7, are also detailed in the blog post.
Click through to see the Game Center exploit in particular. It’s rough.
Things like this should almost never slip through the cracks with a functioning security program.
Instead, with Apple, it’s commonplace.
That’s so deeply broken, yet nothing changes.
What will it take?
— Marco Arment (@marcoarment) September 24, 2021
Apple has not yet commented on the blog post. We'll update this story if the company responds.
Arun Maini today shared a new iPhone battery life test on his YouTube channel Mrwhosetheboss, timing how long all four iPhone 13 models last on a single charge compared to older iPhone models. Maini said all of the iPhones had 100% battery health and were set to an equivalent brightness, and each iPhone was subjected to the same usage.
While the test is not scientific, and might not perfectly reflect real-world usage, the video still provides us with a good idea of how the new iPhone 13 models stack up to previous generations in terms of battery life.
The winning device in the test was the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which achieved an impressive 9 hours and 52 minutes of battery life with continuous usage. Maini said this is the longest battery life of any iPhone that he has ever tested.
The complete results were as follows:
iPhone 13 Pro Max: 9 hours and 52 minutes
iPhone 13 Pro: 8 hours and 17 minutes
iPhone 13: 7 hours and 45 minutes
iPhone 13 mini: 6 hours and 26 minutes
iPhone 12: 5 hours and 54 minutes
iPhone 11: 4 hours and 20 minutes
iPhone SE (2020): 3 hours and 38 minutes
All four iPhone 13 models feature larger battery capacities compared to the previous generation, and the devices are also equipped with a more power efficient A15 Bionic chip. In addition, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max feature a new ProMotion display with an adaptive refresh rate that can drop as low as a power-preserving 10Hz or ramp up to a buttery smooth 120Hz depending on the content displayed on the screen.
All four iPhone 13 models launched today after pre-orders opened last Friday, September 17. Depending on the configuration you're looking for, it may still be possible to get same-day Apple Store pickup if you didn't pre-order.
With the launch of the iPhone 13 series, Apple introduced several new camera features that take advantage of the A15 Bionic processor and advanced machine learning. One of these is called Cinematic Mode. This article explains what Cinematic Mode is and how to use it.
What is Cinematic Mode?
Cinematic Mode utilizes Dolby Vision HDR and a technique called "rack focus" to seamlessly shift the focus from one subject to another when you're shooting video. It does this by locking the focus on the subject in a scene and blurring the background to achieve depth of field. If you subsequently move the camera to center on a new subject or a new subject enters the scene, Cinematic mode automatically switches the focal point to this new subject and blurs out the background.
For example, if you're shooting video of someone and then a second person enters the scene, your iPhone will intelligently adjust the surrounding blur to focus-lock on the second person. It will even automatically switch back to the initial subject if the person's face looks away from the camera, effectively generating a sophisticated professional filmmaking effect on the fly.
On iPhone 13 series models, video in Cinematic Mode can be recorded in 1080p at 30fps. Apple improved Cinematic mode for the iPhone 14 series, which can record in 4K at 30fps and 4K at 24fps using the feature.
While impressive, Cinematic Mode isn't perfect, however Apple has also made the effect fully adjustable, thanks to a post-shoot editing mode that lets you alter focal points after you've captured video. Keep reading to learn how to use Cinematic Mode on iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models.
How to Use Cinematic Mode When Shooting Video
Launch the Camera app on your iPhone and swipe the camera mode menu so that "Cinematic" is highlighted.
Line up the viewfinder so that your initial subject is in shot and the focal target of the lens, then tap the Shutter button to begin recording video.
Allow another person or object at a different distance away from the camera lens to enter the shot – your iPhone will automatically refocus when it locks onto the new subject. Tap the Shutter button again when you're done capturing video.
That's all there is to it. You can also manually select the subjects that you want to be in focus, retroactively, after you've shot your video. Here's how.
How to Adjust Cinematic Mode Focus Post-Shoot
Launch the Photos app on your iPhone and select some video shot in Cinematic mode.
Tap Edit in the top-right corner of the screen.
Slide your finger along the clip reel at the bottom of the screen to find the part of the clip that you want to edit.
Tap a different area of the shot to switch the focal point to a new subject. Note that the icon in the top-left corner of the screen is now highlighted to indicate Manual Tracking is on.
The dotted yellow line below the clip reel indicates the amount of time in the clip that the currently selected subject is tracked. If you tap the circled dot in the line, a trash icon will appear – tap this and the tracking for this subject will be removed.
Tap Done once you're happy with your changes.
If you've picked up an iPhone 13 or are thinking of getting one, be sure to check out the Photography Styles feature that the iPhone 13 series brings to the Camera app.
Several iPhone 13 users have taken to online forums and social media to report that after receiving their brand new iPhones, they're experiencing a bug preventing it from communicating with their Apple Watch, making what's supposed to be a seamless experience an annoyance.
As outlined on Reddit, after receiving an iPhone 13, some customers cannot toggle on the "Unlock with Apple Watch" feature, allowing users to unlock their iPhones while wearing a mask thanks to their Apple Watch. When attempting to activate the feature, some customers are prompted with an "Unable to communicate with Apple Watch" prompt, with no clear solution.
Posts and comments on Reddit suggest that typical problem-solving solutions aren't working, such as restarting both devices and even unpairing and repairing the Apple Watch to the iPhone. Posts on Twitter and Reddit indicate that the issue is widespread amongst new iPhone 13 users, but at least so far, we aren't seeing reports of other iPhone models being impacted.
The iPhone 13 initially shipped with an outdated build of iOS 15, so customers experiencing the bug should first ensure they're running the latest iOS 15 and watchOS 8 version. Still, even then, reports suggest that does little to amend the issues.
Apple is currently testing iOS and iPadOS 15.1, but given the growing number of issues experienced by users, the company may decide to release iOS 15.0.1 before its first significant dot update for iOS and iPadOS 15. We've reached out to Apple for comment on the bug, and we'll update this if we hear back.
