MacRumors

Last year, Apple debuted support for digital car keys, which let users lock, unlock, and start their vehicles using a pass stored in the Wallet app on the iPhone. And with iOS 15, there's now Ultra Wideband support on the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and later that will let the feature work without having to remove your ‌iPhone‌ from your pocket.

Car manufacturers need to add the NFC technology to their vehicles to support digital car keys, and so far BMW has been the only manufacturer to do so with Apple's platforms.

It appears as if that's about to change, however, as an Apple configuration file specifying various compatibility criteria for Apple Pay NFC functionality has been updated today to add mention of Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis.

We noted earlier this year that BMW was preparing to support the Ultra Wideband version of Apple's digital car key feature and that Hyundai was reportedly moving to adopt digital car keys on ‌iPhone‌ as well, and that now appears to be coming to fruition.

We've yet to see an official announcement from Hyundai or Genesis about launching digital car key support on iOS, but the manufacturer debuted the feature on Android with its 2021 GV80 and G80 models and indicated that it was working with Apple on iOS support.

With iOS 15, Apple expanded the Do Not Disturb feature from iOS 14 into a full Focus Mode option that's designed to allow users to set up different scenarios to manage their incoming notifications.

Focus Mode is handy because it lets you decide exactly what alerts and apps you want to see at home, while at work, when sleeping, when exercising, and in other situations, but as Reddit users have pointed out, Apple has dropped a key Do Not Disturb feature.

Do Not Disturb in iOS 14 had a setting that allowed incoming calls and notifications to be silenced at all times, or only when the iPhone was locked. With this setting, you could turn on Do Not Disturb but still get all of your calls and notifications if you unlocked your phone and were actively using it.

Some people used this setting to have Do Not Disturb active at all times during the day so the ‌iPhone‌ was silenced when it was locked, but they weren't missing alerts when the ‌iPhone‌ was in use. From Reddit:

Really surprised they've done this, but it appears there is no longer an option in iOS 15 to still show notifications when in Do Not Disturb but unlocked.

My phone basically lived on Do Not Disturb mode up until now but I'll have to stop using it now which is really annoying.

Like, I don't want notifications when my phone is locked, but while I'm actively using it I still need them to pop up.

There is no equivalent setting in Focus Mode, so there's no longer an option to receive notifications when the ‌iPhone‌ is unlocked and silence them when it's not in use. With Focus Mode, it's an all or nothing experience - notifications are being received, or they're silenced in all situations.

Many Reddit users are unhappy with the change and are hoping that Apple will reintroduce a similar feature in a future iOS 15 update.

Alongside the iOS 15.1 beta, Apple has also introduced a HomePod 15.1 beta that brings Lossless and Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio support to the ‌HomePod‌ and the HomePod mini.

The ‌HomePod‌ beta software is invite only and is not provided to developers for testing purposes, but 9to5Mac was able to confirm that Lossless and Spatial Audio support are included in the beta.

Apple added Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio and Lossless support to iOS and Mac devices in May, but promised that the feature would be coming to the ‌HomePod‌ and ‌HomePod mini‌ at a later time.

Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos can be enabled through the Home app. Open up Home Settings, tap on your profile, and then under Media, tap on Apple Music. From there, toggle on Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos. Note that these options appear in the iOS 15.1 beta, but the ‌HomePod‌ 15.1 beta seems to be needed to actually use the features on the ‌HomePod‌.

If all goes well, these features should launch with the ‌HomePod‌ 15.1 software that is set to be released alongside iOS 15.1. Since the iOS 15.1 was just provided to developers today, we likely have several weeks of testing to go.

Just a day after releasing the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 updates, Apple has already seeded the first betas of iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.1. The new updates reintroduce features like SharePlay, and below, we have a list of what's new.

SharePlay

SharePlay is enabled in the iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, and tvOS 15.1 betas to allow Apple to further work out bugs to get the feature ready to launch. Apple decided to pull SharePlay from the iOS 15 launch because it was not properly functioning and was still riddled with issues.

Available in FaceTime, SharePlay is designed to let users call up their friends and family and then watch TV, watch movies, and listen to music together using neat features like shared playlists and TV show syncing for all users. SharePlay also allows for screen sharing.

If testing goes well, SharePlay could see an official launch in iOS 15.1.

Announce Calls

In the Settings for the Phone app, there's a new icon for the "Announce Calls" setting.

Lossless Audio for HomePod

The HomePod 15.1 beta that accompanies the iOS 15.1 beta adds Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio support to the HomePod and HomePod mini.

Vaccine Cards in Wallet

In iOS 15, verifiable health records can be downloaded and stored in the Health app, and this includes COVID-19 vaccination records and health results. In iOS 15.1, vaccination records are able to be added to the Wallet app so a vaccine card can be provided to businesses, restaurants, venues, and more where vaccines are required for entry.

See our previous article for more details and discussion. Discussion should be limited to the iOS 15 update and political comments will be immediately removed.

Other Features

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

The iOS 15.1 beta that was introduced today allows iPhone users to upload their COVID-19 vaccination status to the Health app and then generate a vaccination card in Apple Wallet.

The Apple Wallet vaccination card can be shown to businesses, venues, restaurants, and more that are requiring vaccines for entry.

As outlined in an announcement to developers, verifiable health records are based on the SMART Health Cards specification. California is using SMART Health Cards, so users in California can add their vaccination records to the Wallet app after installing iOS 15.1.

Other states and health organizations that use the SMART Health Cards will be able to use a button to let users know that they can download and store their vaccination information in the Health app and in the Wallet app.

California, Louisiana, New York, Virginia, Hawaii, and some Maryland counties support Smart Health Cards, as do Walmart, Sam's Club, and CVS Health. So those in the specific supported states should be able to look up their information in state databases, but those who were vaccinated through companies like Walmart and CVS will also be able to add their information to the Health and Wallet apps because it's the same system.

Note that some apps like the one used by the NHS in the UK allowed users to add their vaccination records to the Wallet app, but the new solution is a universal standard that will work for all healthcare providers/states that implement it.

Discussion should be limited to the app and implementation, and not politics.

The new betas of iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, and tvOS 15.1 reintroduce SharePlay, the feature that Apple pulled from the iOS 15.0 updates because it was not yet ready to be released.

Testing SharePlay no longer requires the SharePlay Development Profile to get it to work, but those who want to use it on macOS Monterey will still need to use the SharePlay profile and will need to update to the newly released macOS Monterey beta.

SharePlay is a FaceTime feature that's designed to allow users to watch movies and listen to music with their friends and family on ‌FaceTime‌ calls, and it also has a screensharing component.

SharePlay was functional for the early part of iOS 15 testing prior to iOS 15's release, but Apple ended up pulling it because it was buggy and there wasn't time to get it ready for release. Apple said it would be released in a future update.

Apple today seeded the seventh developer beta of macOS Monterey, the newest version of the macOS operating system. The seventh beta comes three weeks after Apple released the sixth 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.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 15.1 update to developers just a day after releasing iOS 15 to the public.

iOS 15.1 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

There's no word yet on what's included in the update, but there are a number of features in iOS 15 that have yet to be released, such as SharePlay, so we could see these introduced in the new software for testing purposes. We'll update this article when we download the beta and find out what's new.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 8.1 beta to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming just a day after watchOS 8 was released to the public.

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.

There's no word yet on what's new in watchOS 8.1, but we'll update this article when we know more.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max reviews were published today, with the devices receiving praise for their smoother ProMotion displays, longer battery life, and improved cameras, but there was one consistent complaint among the reviews.

On the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, a new feature is the ability to take macro photos. As noted by Input's Raymond Wong, however, this new capability results in the device automatically switching from the Wide lens to the Ultra Wide lens when you place an object or a subject within 5.5 inches of the rear camera. (The viewfinder still shows "1x" framing, but the camera relies on the Ultra Wide lens for autofocus.)

The automatic camera switching is easily noticeable in the iPhone's viewfinder, as Wong demonstrated in the video below.

"The viewfinder keeps jittering as it tries to choose between a regular wide or wide-macro shot," he said. In his review, he expressed his opinion that "the framing should never change from what you compose and never automatically."

Apple initially told Wong that the automatic camera switching is intentional to help users better capture close-up details, according to his review, but the company has since issued a statement to Wong and others that says iPhone 13 Pro users will gain the option to turn off the switching in an iOS update that will be released later this fall.

"A new setting will be added in a software update this fall to turn off automatic camera switching when shooting at close distances for macro photography and video," said Apple.

Apple said the ability to turn off the automatic camera switching will apply to macro video recording as well, but as Wong noted, there is a "Lock Camera" option under Settings > Camera that appears to prevent the switching for video already.

All four iPhone 13 models will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores this Friday, September 24 in the U.S. and over 30 other countries and regions.

A few days before they start arriving at customers, Apple has provided select media outlets and reviewers with models of the new iPhone 13 mini and ‌iPhone‌ 13, giving us a closer look at this year's new ‌iPhone‌ update.

Compared to their predecessors, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini feature a smaller notch, improved cameras, longer battery life, and better performance. Here's a brief summary of some of the reviews for this year's new handset.

Battery Life

Thanks to the efficiency of the new A15 Bionic chip and physically larger batteries, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini featured improved battery life. The Verge's Dieter Bohn says that battery life this year is "excellent," pointing to his real-world tests.

On one day of my testing, the regular iPhone 13 made it from 7am to midnight before it tuckered out. That was with some camera testing, watching some video, the usual doomscrolling, emails, work, and some games. It was an intense set of work for the five hours of screentime that day, so that's impressive. On another day with lighter usage, I didn't see the battery warning until the following morning. But the iPhone 13's battery isn't magic. When we had a day of a lot more 4K video testing, I was looking for a charger by 7 or 8.

On the smaller ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, Engadget says that while it is improved, it is "still shorter than the average smartphone." Generally speaking, CNET says that so far performance and battery life have been solid and that the ‌iPhone‌ 13 will be a reliable option for the majority of people.

In terms of the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini, it's been a good start but we have more in-depth testing to do with the batteries, durability and comparing its cameras against other phones. But right now, the iPhone 13 will be the reliable phone that most people will be more than happy to use for the next few years.

Cameras

Both the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini feature the same camera setup, meaning performance on both devices will be the same. Both models feature a larger camera sensor allowing more light to pass through into photos, improving low-light performance. The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern says that while the improvements are welcomed, they alone are not sufficient enough to convince an ‌iPhone‌ 12 user to upgrade.

"Details are sharp and accurate, colors are rich without being oversaturated, focusing is fast and reliable, portrait mode is good enough to use day to day, and low light and night sight are both exceptional," says The Verge's Dieter Bohn.

Across the entire lineup of ‌iPhone‌ 13 models, Apple is introducing Cinematic Mode, or portrait mode for videos, and we'll have more to share on that in our upcoming hands-on videos. Results in early reviews are mixed, however, with The Verge noting that it's "nowhere near as good as Apple’s own commercials would have you believe" and particularly struggles in low-light situations.

Design

Compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and iPhone 12 mini, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini feature very similar designs. Both handsets are thicker and slightly heavier to accommodate larger batteries, and they both have slightly larger camera bumps on the back. The Verge's Dieter Bohn writes, however, that the design is "still beautiful and modern," and the changes are unlikely to be noticeable in day-to-day use.

Video Reviews

Alongside written reviews, there are a number of video hands-ons and reviews for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, which we shared in a separate article. Note that some reviews of the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini are conjoined with the larger ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores this Friday, September 24, and ahead of time, reviews of the devices have now been shared by several tech websites and YouTube channels.

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, up to 1TB of storage, and additional camera features like Night mode portraits and ProRes video recording.

The only differences between the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max relate to their respective 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes, battery life, and the weight of the devices, as the Pro and Pro Max have identical camera systems this year.

We've already rounded up unboxing videos of the devices, and we've shared some highlights from written reviews below.

ProMotion

The Verge's Dieter Bohn said Apple did an "excellent job" with its implementation of a ProMotion display on iPhone 13 Pro models. While previous iPhones are limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, ProMotion enables iPhone 13 Pro models to have an adaptive refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz depending on the type of content that is displayed on the screen, resulting in smoother appearing content while watching videos, gaming, and scrolling text.

When I scroll on the iPhone 13 Pro, the text stays readable instead of turning into a blur. Things moving on the screen are smoother. It feels more like a direct interaction with my finger because the iPhone can literally change its refresh rate to match my movement.

Longer Battery Life

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern said all four iPhone 13 models last at least an hour longer than the equivalent iPhone 12 models.

In my daily use, all four of the models lasted at least an hour longer than their predecessors. The Pro Max could easily go until the next day. If you want to stretch battery life further, you can turn off 5G. (Power savings aside, it's a fun experiment to see how little 5G really adds to the smartphone experience right now.)

Stern did recommend that customers consider replacing the battery in their current iPhone if they are experiencing shorter battery life, as that would certainly be a more economical option than upgrading to a brand new iPhone.

Cameras

CNET's Patrick Holland was particularly impressed with the new Cinematic mode, which is available on all four iPhone 13 models.

All of the iPhones 13 get a new feature called Cinematic mode. It uses the rear cameras or the True Depth camera array to create a 1,080p video at 30fps. What makes the video compelling is that everything but your subject is out of focus. The iPhone can even execute a rack focus from one subject to another. The effect is dramatic and impressive.

Holland did note that Cinematic mode needs a good amount of light to work best. If conditions are too dark, users are notified to turn the iPhone's flash on.

A15 Bionic

As we saw in early benchmark results, the A15 Bionic chip in iPhone 13 models is around 10-15% faster compared to the A14 Bionic chip in the iPhone 12 lineup. CNET's Patrick Holland shared a chart with Geekbench 5 scores for comparison.

More Reviews

• Wired's Julian Chokkattu
• MobileSyrup's Patrick O'Rourke
• The New York Times' Brian X. Chen
• CNBC's Todd Haselton

MacRumors will have our own hands-on iPhone 13 review in an upcoming video, so be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Apple's embargo on reviews of the iPhone 13 mini, ‌iPhone‌ 13, ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max has now lifted ahead of the devices launching on Friday, giving the first hands-on looks at the company's latest smartphones. In addition to our detailed review roundups, we have gathered together a number of unboxing videos and reviews of the new devices.

The key new features of the devices include a 20 percent smaller notch, brighter displays with ProMotion for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, longer battery life, and various camera hardware upgrades, as well as new camera software features such as Cinematic mode, Photographic Styles, and Smart HDR 4.

Scroll down for the first ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro unboxing and reviews videos from a range of prominent YouTubers.

Videos

For more in-depth impressions, read our iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 review roundup, as well as our iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone Pro Max review roundup.

Apple has begun selling iPhones on its Certified Refurbished online store in Canada, offering residents in the country a more affordable way to purchase iPhones from Apple online.

Apple has been selling different refurbished iPhone models in the United States online since 2016. While Apple has long offered iPads and Macs in its Canadian refurbished store, this is the first time customers in the country have been able to benefit from the discounts that come with buying an Apple refurbished smartphone.

Previously, customers in Canada who wanted lower prices on iPhones had to wait for third-party deals or purchase refurbished/used devices from a third-party retailer, but with Apple's highly regarded refurbishment process now an option for iPhones too, this should come as a welcome development.

All of Apple's refurbished products, ‌iPhone‌ included, are tested, certified, cleaned, and guaranteed with a one-year warranty. iPhones also feature a brand new battery and a fresh outer shell, ensuring there are no scratches or other cosmetic damage.

Customers in Canada can currently choose from a variety of refurbished recent ‌iPhone‌ models in various finishes and capacities, including ‌iPhone‌ XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, with up to CAD$560 off the regular price currently on offer. With the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup about to drop into consumers' hands, expect ‌iPhone‌ 12 models to be included in Apple's refurbished listings soon.

(Thanks, Anthony!)

Apple is reportedly researching ways to use the cameras inside of the iPhone to detect childhood autism, aiming to use data from the camera to observe a child's behavior that could be used for early diagnosis, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

According to the report, which echoes previously announced research efforts, Apple wants to be able to use the camera inside of the ‌iPhone‌ to track a child's face and observe different facial behaviors, such as how often they look away, as potential factors for detecting childhood autism. From the report:

Apple has a third brain-related research partnership with Duke University that it hasn't disclosed. It aims to create an algorithm to help detect childhood autism, according to the documents and people familiar with the work. The research looks at using the iPhone's camera to observe how young children focus, how often they sway back and forth, and other measures, according to the documents.

Biogen, an American biotechnology company, had previously announced it was partnering with Apple to study ways to use the ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch to notice a cognitive decline in users or potential signs of depression.

Including that and Apple's early work in childhood autism detection, the Journal says that these features may never become a user-end feature, but notes that Apple had invested in multiple heart-focused studies before releasing a host of related features on the Apple Watch.

The report notes that as part of Apple's privacy push, the company would ultimately aim to run any algorithms, including those for early detection of childhood autism, locally on a user's device, without needing to send any data collected to the cloud for processing. The report adds that research is still in the early stages, but Apple executives are enthusiastic about its potential.