MacRumors

Starting with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS 8, Apple will cut back on integration between Siri and third-party apps, drastically reducing the type and number of commands users will be able to invoke through the virtual assistant for third-party apps.

On a developer support page, Apple says that a number of SiriKit intents and commands will no longer be supported with the public release of all of its upcoming operating systems this fall. Apple lists a total of 22 SiriKit commands that will no longer be supported, with the most notable one being that users will no longer be able to book a ride, such as with Uber.

Alongside removing support for ride-booking apps to integrate with ‌Siri‌, Apple is also cutting back on ‌Siri‌'s ability to integrate with to-do apps. With the new changes, users of popular to-do and note apps, such as Things 3 or Todoist, will no longer be able to create a new task list, delete a task, or amend a note by simply asking ‌Siri‌. The ability to create new tasks, however, will remain.

Additional changes include the deprecation of SiriKit intents that allow users to make bill payments with third-party apps, search for bills, or transfer money between two accounts within a specific app. Apple is also cutting back on several CarPlay intents, removing the ability for users to use ‌Siri‌ to set an audio source in a car, adjust climate, seat, or defroster settings.

Ahead of when these changes go into effect, Apple advises that developers update their apps to remove any marketing material, such as graphics or instructional material, that informs users of the ability to use ‌Siri‌ to conduct certain tasks. Apple further notes that developers will not need to remove the soon to be deprecated SiriKit APIs from their apps code but will receive warnings when attempting to compile their apps with Xcode.

Make plans to update any promotional activities that highlight the functionality provided by these APIs in your app. Please note that the symbols will remain in the SDK, so you don't need to remove the API calls from your app. However, you'll receive compile-time warnings alerting you to the deprecation going forward.

Apple is rather quiet on why it's deciding to suddenly limit ‌Siri‌'s integration with third-party apps, especially as the company is in the midst of growing concerns around anti-competitive conduct. Several developers, companies, and governments are investigating Apple regarding alleged actions that stifle competition from third-party developers, and at the same time, further promote first-party apps and services.

The latest round of changes to SiriKit may spark additional concerns, as some large developers will no longer be offered features that are available to first-party apps made by Apple.

Alternatively, the latest move by Apple may be part of its plan to consolidate users and developers into using Shortcuts. Shortcuts allow users to create a custom phrase that triggers a specific task for a third-party app. Developers can expose a specific task, such as sending a message through Instagram to Shortcuts, allowing users to create a specific phrase that triggers the task when invoked through ‌Siri‌.

With the new updates, if a user attempts to make a command not supported for third-party apps, ‌Siri‌ will respond by saying that the command cannot be completed. iOS 15, alongside iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS 8, are all set to be released this fall and are currently in beta testing with developers and public beta testers.

During today's earnings call for the third fiscal quarter of 2021 (second calendar quarter), Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked how Apple decides what components to purchase and what components to develop, and Cook said that Apple asks if it can be done better.

We ask ourselves if we can do something better. If we can deliver a better product. If we can buy something in the market and it's great and it's as good as what we can do, we're going to buy it. We'll only enter where we have an ability to do something better and therefore make a better product for the user.

Cook went on to explain that the M1 chip is a great example of that. "We have the ability within our silicon team to make a product that's appreciably better than what we could buy," he said.

Response to the ‌M1‌ chip has been "unbelievable," and has been powering Mac and iPad sales that are constrained. "That's how we look at that and whether we should enter a market or not," said Cook.

The ‌M1‌ chip has allowed Apple to cut ties with Intel, and Apple is no longer reliant on Intel technology or Intel release timelines. In the future, Apple is also planning to come out with its own modem chips, reducing its reliance on Qualcomm.

Apple experienced "strong double digit growth" in the number of iPhone users who were upgrading an older device or swapping to an ‌iPhone‌ from an Android device, Apple CEO Tim Cook said during today's earnings call covering the third fiscal quarter of 2021.

Cook said that it was the largest upgrade quarter for Q3 ever, and that the ‌iPhone‌ 12 upgrade cycle on the whole was "very strong." Sales of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max were "particularly strong."

Going forward, Cook said that Apple feels "really good" about the future of the ‌iPhone‌ because 5G penetration remains "very low" and there's a lot of opportunity for sales growth in the 5G market. "We're in the very early innings of 5G," Cook said. "There are only a couple countries that are in the double digits."

The high number of new ‌iPhone‌ users and ‌iPhone‌ users upgrading to new models drove record sales momentum, with the ‌iPhone‌ ultimately bringing in $39.6 billion during the quarter.

During today's earnings call covering the third fiscal quarter of 2021 (second calendar quarter), Apple CFO Luca Maesteri said that Apple is expecting supply constraints to affect the iPhone and the iPad in the coming quarter.

"The supply constraints that we've seen in the June quarter will be higher in the September quarter," said Maestri. The constraints will impact ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ sales in particular.

It is not clear if these predicted supply constraints will affect the ‌iPhone‌ 13 models that are expected to launch in September.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked whether the supply constraints will continue into the holiday quarter, but Cook said that he doesn't want to predict that. "We're going to take it one quarter at a time," he said. "We will do everything we can to mitigate whatever set of circumstances we're dealt." Cook went on to say that the constraints that Apple is seeing are the same constraints that are impacting other companies as well.

The majority of the constraints are of the variety that others are seeing. I would classify it as industry shortage. We do have some shortages in addition to that where the demand has been so great and so beyond our own expectation that it's difficult to get the entire set of parts within the lead times that we try to get those. It's a little bit of that as well. As I said before, the latest nodes, which we use in several of our products, have not been as much of an issue. The legacy nodes are where the supply constraints have been, on silicon.

Cook also said that though Apple is expecting supply constraints, component costs in the aggregate have declined, but Apple is currently paying out more for freight than it would like.

Apple's Wearables, Home, and Accessories category saw strong growth during the third fiscal quarter of 2021, Apple CEO Tim Cook said during today's earnings call.

The category brought in $8.8 billion, up 36 percent from $6.5 billion in the year-ago quarter. According to Cook, the category set a new all-time June quarter revenue record.

Wearables, Home, and Accessories includes the Apple Watch, AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, HomePod, Beats headphones, and more. AirTags is in this category, and Cook said that the response to AirTag has been "enthusiastic" and "very strong."

Nearly 75 percent of customers who purchased an Apple Watch during the quarter were new to the Apple Watch, and Apple Watch is one of the main drivers of wearables revenue.

Apple's services category, which includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, AppleCare, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, and more, saw another quarter of incredible growth according to Apple's earnings results for the third fiscal quarter of 2021 (second calendar quarter).

Services brought in $17.5 billion during the quarter, up 33 percent from $13.2 billion in the year-ago quarter and up from $16.9 billion last quarter.

Cloud services, ‌Apple Music‌, advertising, video, and payments saw all-time revenue records, while the ‌App Store‌ saw a new June quarter revenue record.

During the earnings call announcing the results, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that Apple's install base of devices hit a new all-time high as well, which helps drive services growth.

Apple now has more than 700 million paid subscriptions, which is up 150 million from last year, and is four times the number of subscriptions that Apple had four years ago.

Paid accounts on digital content stores reached a new all-time high across each geographic segment, and paid accounts increased by double digits.

Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the 35 Emmy nominations that ‌Apple TV‌+ shows have received, and he said that ‌Apple TV‌+ viewers are loving shows like "Ted Lasso" and "Mythic Quest."

Macs and iPads are selling in record numbers as people continue to work and learn from home. According to Apple's latest earnings report for the third fiscal quarter of 2021 (second calendar quarter), Apple's Mac category brought in $8.8 billion, up from $6.5 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Sales were just a bit down from the second fiscal quarter of 2021, when Apple's Macs brought in $9.1 billion in revenue. iPad revenue was at $7.4 billion, up from $6.6 billion in the year-ago quarter and again, just barely trailing Apple's second quarter earnings results.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the ‌iPad‌ had its best June quarter in nearly a decade, while the Mac set a new June quarter revenue record. Apple CFO Luca Maestri said the last four quarters have been the Mac's best four quarters ever.

The earnings report covers sales of the M1 Mac and ‌iPad‌ machines, including the ‌M1‌ 24-inch iMac and the ‌M1‌ iPad Pro models that were released earlier this year.

Apple today announced financial results for the third fiscal quarter of 2021, which corresponds to the second calendar quarter of the year.

For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $81.4 billion and net quarterly profit of $21.7 billion, or $1.30 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $59.7 billion and net quarterly profit of $11.25 billion, or $0.65 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Apple's top-line numbers shattered June quarter records for the company.

Gross margin for the quarter was 43.3 percent, compared to 38.0 percent in the year-ago quarter. Apple also declared a quarterly dividend payment of $0.22 per share, payable on August 12 to shareholders of record as of August 9.

“This quarter, our teams built on a period of unmatched innovation by sharing powerful new products with our users, at a time when using technology to connect people everywhere has never been more important,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re continuing to press forward in our work to infuse everything we make with the values that define us — by inspiring a new generation of developers to learn to code, moving closer to our 2030 environment goal, and engaging in the urgent work of building a more equitable future.”

As has been the case for over a year now, Apple is once again not issuing guidance for the current quarter ending in September.

Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q3 2021 financial results conference call at 2:00 pm Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.

Apple earnings call recap ahead...

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Apple today released the fourth betas of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, introducing additional refinements to the new features that are coming in the software updates. In these betas, Apple has introduced changes for Safari, Notifications, Focus mode, and more.

Safari Updates

Apple is continuing to refine the design of Safari on the iPhone, and in iOS 15, there are tweaks to improve usability.

Share Button

The dedicated Share button for sending an article to someone has been relocated to the tab bar again, replacing the prior info button.

Reload

There's once again a reload button available next to the domain name for quick access to reloading a page. Apple had removed this in a prior beta and made it a long press gesture. Reload can also be accessed through the Share button.

Show Bookmarks

When you long press on the URL bar, there's now an option to "Show Bookmarks," which makes it much easier to get to your bookmarks.

Reader Mode

When Reader Mode is available on a website, there's now a little icon that can be tapped to enter into it. Reader mode is also accessible through the Share interface.

iPadOS 15

Apple has also updated the design of Safari on the iPad, bringing it in line with the macOS Monterey Safari design. macOS Monterey on Safari now includes a separate tab bar option.

MagSafe Battery Pack Support

Support for the MagSafe Battery Pack has been added in iOS 15 beta 4, so if you have one of the new accessories, it now shows up in the Battery widget and in the Settings app.

Lock Screen Camera Icon

Apple has very slightly tweaked the design of the Lock Screen Camera icon, removing the button on the left side and increasing the size of the flash and the lens ring. The Settings icon has also been updated.

Shortcuts

Shortcuts has gained a "Return to Home Screen" action that can be used in automations.

Notifications

The Notifications icon in the Settings app has been updated with a new look.

Apple has also added a new toggle for disabling notifications when Screen Sharing or Screen Mirroring.

Share Focus Status

In the Messages app, you can tap on a contact's name and choose whether or not to share your Focus status with them.

App Store Account Design

Apple is now using its new settings layout in for the App Store account section, with rounded edges and separate sections for each account option.

Photos Memory Sharing

There's now a functional interface for sharing Memories in Photos, with an option to choose a song that's appropriate for sharing if an Apple Music song is not available to be shared for copyright reasons.

More Features

Know of a feature that we left out? Let us know in the comments.

The next-generation iPad Air will feature a design that's similar to the third-generation iPad Pro, according to Japanese site Mac Otakara.

Citing a Chinese supplier, the site says that the fifth-generation ‌iPad Air‌ will continue to feature a 10.9-inch display and a Touch ID button on the side, but it will gain a dual-lens camera system with Wide and Ultra Wide cameras.

A LiDAR Scanner is also a possibility for the ‌iPad Air‌, though it is not guaranteed and the supplier did not know for sure. Additional features include a four speaker audio system and a 5G mmWave chip.

Mac Otakara expects the fifth-generation ‌iPad Air‌ to feature an A15 chip, and while today's rumor includes no detail on a release date, prior information has suggested an early 2022 launch.

There's also no mention of an OLED display, and multiple other rumors have suggested that Apple is working on an iPad Air-sized ‌iPad‌ with an OLED display. The ‌iPad Air‌ is expected to use OLED technology while the ‌iPad Pro‌ line will stick with mini-LED technology.

‌Mac Otakara‌ also says that its "latest information" indicates the upcoming ninth-generation low-cost ‌iPad‌ and the iPad mini 6 "do not seem to be any different" from the existing eighth-generation ‌iPad‌ and ‌iPad mini‌ 5.

The site suggests that it's possible that the only update will be an update to the A14 chip, with a design change not coming until 2022 or later.

That is not in line with previous rumors, especially about the ‌iPad mini‌ 6. We've heard reports from reliable sources like Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that have suggested the next ‌iPad mini‌ will have a larger display and possibly no Home button.

The ‌iPad mini‌ 6 is expected to come out this fall, so we don't have too much longer to wait to find out which rumor set is true. We're either getting a small refresh that does not tweak the design, or a larger refresh that brings the ‌iPad mini‌ in line with the ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌iPad Air‌.

As for the low-cost ‌iPad‌, ‌Mac Otakara‌ earlier this year said that it would look similar to the iPad Air 3, but it's no longer clear if that's accurate.

The latest beta update of macOS Monterey, released to developers today, has brought Live Text functionality to Intel-based Mac computers, removing the requirement for users to use an M1 Apple silicon Mac to utilize the feature, according to Rene Ritchie.

Live Text, included in the forthcoming macOS Monterey, iOS 15, and iPadOS 15 updates, allows users to interact with text within images, such as phone numbers, addresses, and more. With Live Text, text inside images also becomes selectable, allowing users to cut and copy the text into apps.

Apple at first stated that an ‌M1‌ Apple silicon Mac is a requirement for Live Text on macOS Monterey, but with the latest beta, it's been expanded to Intel-based Mac computers.

macOS Monterey, alongside iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8, will be released to all users this coming fall. Learn more about macOS Monterey and all of it's new features using our guide.

The fourth beta of iPadOS 15 that was released today introduces tweaks to Safari, with the Safari layout now mirroring the updated layout that was introduced in macOS Monterey Beta 3.

Prior to this beta, Safari on iPad was similar to Safari on iOS with no dedicated tab bar, but after the update, Apple has added a dedicated tab bar that's activated by default, which is the same layout that's now used in macOS Monterey.

While the separate tab bar is enabled automatically when updating, in the Safari section of Settings, there is an option to toggle on the original compact tab bar that merged everything together.

Apple in iOS and iPadOS 15 introduced a compact and unified Safari design that did away with the dedicated URL and search interface, instead letting any individual tab be used for navigation input.

This design has not been popular with users, which has led to Apple making some changes during the beta testing period. As of now, Safari on iPadOS mirrors Safari on macOS Monterey, though additional design tweaks could come in the future.

Apple today seeded the fourth developer beta of macOS Monterey, the newest version of the macOS operating system. The fourth beta comes two weeks after Apple released the third macOS Monterey beta.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.

As with all new betas, Apple recommends not installing the new macOS update on a primary machine because it is early release software and could have bugs.

macOS Monterey introduces Universal Control, a feature that lets a single mouse, trackpad, and keyboard be used across multiple Mac or iPad devices, plus there's a new AirPlay to Mac feature.

Safari has been redesigned with a new tab bar (with a toggle for two different designs as of the third beta) and support for Tab Groups, and FaceTime has gained spatial audio, a Portrait Mode on M1 Macs, and Voice Isolation for cutting out background noise. There's also a new SharePlay ‌FaceTime‌ feature that lets Apple users watch TV, listen to music, and share their screens with one another.

Shared With You, a separate feature, keeps track of the music, links, podcasts, news, and photos that people are sent in Messages, highlighting it in the relevant apps. Notes has a new Quick Note feature for jotting down thoughts, and collaboration is easier with mentions and an Activity View.

The Shortcuts app from iOS is now available on the Mac, and Focus helps people stay on task by cutting out background distractions. There's an updated Maps app with a whole slew of new features, and with Live Text, Macs can now detect text in photos or provide details on animals, art, landmarks, plants, and more in images.

Mail Privacy Protection hides IP and prevents tracking through invisible pixels, and iCloud Private Relay keeps Safari browsing protected. There are many other new features in macOS Monterey, with a full rundown available in our macOS Monterey roundup.

In the last macOS Monterey Beta, Apple changed the default design of the Safari tab bar following multiple usability complaints. There's now a dedicated address bar at the top of the Safari window, with tabs arranged below it, rather than an all-in-one integrated design. Those who preferred the original design can use the View menu to toggle off "Show Separate Tab Bar."

Apple today seeded the fourth betas of iOS and iPadOS 15 to developers for testing purposes, with the updates coming two weeks after Apple released the third betas.

Registered developers can download the profile for the iOS and iPadOS betas from the Apple Developer Center, and once the profile is installed, beta updates will be available over the air.

iOS 15 is a major update that introduces a slew of new features focused on cutting down on distractions and spending more time with friends and family.

FaceTime has a revamped interface with new SharePlay features for listening to music, watching videos, and sharing your screen with your friends and family members, and in Messages, if something like a url, photo, news article, or song is shared with you, you can see the content in Apple's dedicated apps.

Focus lets you create custom notification modes that hide irrelevant apps and notifications when you're doing things like working or spending time with your family so you can better focus on the activity at hand, and there's a new notification summary that de-prioritizes less important notifications so you're not constantly inundated with information.

Maps has a new 3D view in select cities that lets you see 3D landmarks, there are immersive AR directions when walking, and driving directions are better than ever, especially at complex interchanges.

Safari now supports Tab Groups for improved organization, and extensions can be used in Safari for iOS devices for the first time. Later this year you'll be able to add your ID card to the Wallet app in some U.S. states, and Apple is making it easier to add key cards for hotels, smart home locks, and more to the Wallet app.

Spotlight is better than ever and can bring up more tailored search results, and Photos has a "Live Text" feature that lets you take a photo of something with text like a receipt to translate it into typed text on your iPhone. ‌Photos‌ can also identify landmarks, books, plants, and pets, so you can snap a photo of a plant and get information on what it might be.

Apple has also added multiple privacy improvements, such as a new App Privacy report coming to the ‌iPhone‌ that will let you know how often apps access sensitive info like your location, a Mail feature that hides your IP address, and Siri processing that's done on device.

For a complete overview of everything that's new in iOS 15, we have a dedicated roundup that walks through all of the new features, and Apple has been adding feature refinements throughout the beta testing period. Beta 3, for example, introduced Safari refinements, updates to the Focus interface, and more.

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of the upcoming watchOS 8 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after Apple released the third watchOS 8 beta.

To install ‌watchOS 8‌, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, ‌watchOS 8‌ can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update.

To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌iPhone‌‌. It's not recommended to install ‌watchOS 8‌ on a main Apple Watch as the software may be unstable at this early date.

watchOS 8 has several new features that are extensions of new features introduced in iOS 15. There are improvements to Wallet that allow it to hold keys for unlocking hotel, car, and home doors, plus Apple will let U.S. users add their IDs to Wallet later this year.

Apple overhauled the Home app, and for the Workout app, there are new Tai Chi and Pilates workout types, and the Breathe app has been renamed to Mindfulness thanks to a new Reflect session that invites users to get into a positive state of mind. When sleeping, the Apple Watch now measures respiratory rate.

Focus mode from iOS 15 syncs to the watch so users can stay on task, and in the Messages app, Scribble, dictation, and emojis can be combined within the same message, making it easier to communicate. Dictated text can be edited, and GIFs can be sent right from the watch.

There's a new Portrait watch face, and the Photos app has been updated with support for Memories and Featured ‌Photos‌. A new Find My app lets items be located right on the wrist, and there are also new updates for Music, Weather, Timers, and more, along with a new Contacts app.

Apple today announced two games that are coming soon to Apple Arcade, including the classic racing game "Asphalt 8: Airborne" from Gameloft and a new Zelda-inspired roleplaying game "Baldo" from Italian game studio NAPS team.

Originally released on the App Store in 2013, "Asphalt 8: Airborne" is coming to Apple Arcade, but no specific release date has been announced. The popular racing game features more than 240 real cars to select from automakers and brands such as Ferrari, Ducati, Lamborghini, McLaren, Bugatti, Mercedes, Audi, Ford, and Chevrolet.

"Baldo" is described as an action-adventure roleplaying game with puzzles, exploration, and combat, all set in a hand-drawn open world. Players will embark on a journey into a magical land full of mysteries to discover as they complete the main story quest and many side quests. The game will be available on Apple Arcade starting Friday, August 27.

Another racing game "Detonation Racing" launches on Apple Arcade this Friday, with players having to navigate an environment rigged to blow up, collapse, and burst into flames at the least convenient moments. The game hails from Electric Square, the creators of another popular racing game "Forza Street" and the "Hot Wheels id" racing system.

Priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, Apple Arcade provides access to a catalog of around 200 games without ads or in-app purchases across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, with additional titles added periodically.