MacRumors

Otter Products, maker of the popular Otterbox mobile accessories, has announced a "strategic investment" in Brydge, in a move that is set to support future collaboration and product development.

The new agreement between the companies will allow Otter and Brydge to leverage each other's supply and distribution networks. Most interestingly, the companies seem intent on developing new products and "innovations" collaboratively under the OtterBox brand.

"Our company has always been dedicated to innovating in ways that will enable our customers to get more from their mobile technology," said Otter Products CEO Jim Parke. "Brydge has the same philosophy, and we recognize that we can tap into the strengths of each organization to be even more effective in achieving this goal, especially as all of our relationships between home, school and work are evolving."

Brydge is known for its MacBook-like iPad keyboard accessories, docks, and hubs, while Otter is known for its portfolio of protective cases and screen protectors.

"Brydge has always admired OtterBox. From modest roots to what is now a global brand and leader, we have always felt there is a natural synergy with our values, vision and products," said Nick Smith, Co-CEO & Founder of Brydge. "This partnership represents a huge opportunity for both brands to continue to drive growth and success in the market."

While the companies are yet to announce any specific new products, this early announcement represents a notable event in the technology accessories industry and loyal customers of both brands will likely follow new developments with interest.

HomeKit's new Adaptive Lighting feature has appeared for Philips Hue beta testers in Germany, according to iphone-ticker.

At WWDC earlier this year, Apple announced a new HomeKit feature called Adaptive Lighting, which allows smart lighting to dynamically adapt according to the time of day, with warm hues fading in around sunset, and cooler hues fading in around midday.

At any given time of day, the color of smart lights with Adaptive Lighting would be slightly different and change as time passes, similar to Apple's Night Shift feature on iOS, iPad OS, and macOS. Although this behavior was theoretically possible before, albeit not as effectively, via complex automations, the Adaptive Lighting feature offers a single button to turn the feature on or off.

Adaptive Lighting was not present in any of the iOS 14 betas before its public release, and was instead promised to arrive later in the year as smart lighting manufacturers such as Philips Hue implement it. Adaptive Lighting will only be available where manufacturers actively support the feature via a firmware update, so its absence in the iOS 14 betas does not seem to be due to a delay at Apple's end.

Philips Hue has now reportedly rolled out a bridge firmware update to support Adaptive Lighting to its own beta testers in Germany. Only White and Color Ambiance bulbs support the feature at this time, according to Philips Hue.

Not much has been known about how Adaptive Lighting will work in practice until now, and it seems that users simply need to tap and hold on the specified light in the Home app, and in the color picker, one of the six saved colors has been replaced by an icon to activate Adaptive Lighting.

A number of other ‌HomeKit‌ features were announced alongside Adaptive Lighting, such as activity zones and face recognition for cameras, doorbell announcements, and camera feeds on Apple TV.

It is unclear when Adaptive Lighting will be publicly released for Philips Hue users, but the news of a firmware update for beta testers in Germany suggests that the company is on track to deliver the feature as planned.

The Gmail app is set to get a new icon as part of a broader rebrand of Google's G Suite software, which includes Gmail, Docs, Meet, Sheets, and Calendar.

Replacing the classic Gmail envelope logo is an M made out of Google's blue, red, yellow, and green brand colors. The new design aligns Gmail with Google's core brand as well as Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Chrome, and other Google products.

According to Fast Company, Google considered dropping the M altogether or fully removing the red color from the Gmail icon, but user research studies showed that people weren't happy with those changes.

Instagram is ten years old today, and the photo-based social platform is celebrating by introducing an easier way to find old Stories, custom icons, and new tools to prevent online harassment.

As reported by TechCrunch, a new private Stories Map and calendar offers users a retrospective of the Stories and photos they've shared over the last three years so they can look back at their favorite moments and re-share them if desired.

Users can access the new Stories Map and monthly calendar view from the "archive" menu under their profile.

Instagram has also announced new anti-bullying features that aim to automatically hide potentially abusive comments. Hidden comments aren't completely deleted, however, and can still be viewed by tapping a "View Hidden Comments" button.

Instagram is also expanding its comment warnings when people repeatedly attempt to post potentially offensive comments.

The platform already has a feature that notifies users when their comment may be considered offensive by giving them a chance to reflect and make changes before posting it. Now this feature will target repeat offenders and suggest that they take a moment to step back and reflect on their words and the potential consequences of posting them.

Lastly, to celebrate 10 years, Instagram is allowing users to switch up the app's icon on their Home Screen. Users can choose between a range of new and classic icons in shades of orange, yellow, green, purple, black, white and more.

To access the new icons, open the settings section within the app and do a long swipe down on the screen. A column of emojis should appear at the top of the menu, after which the icons will be revealed.

To get the new features, make sure you've updated to the latest version. Instagram is a free download for iPhone on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Intel Macs that use Apple's T2 Security Chip are vulnerable to an exploit that could allow a hacker to circumvent disk encryption, firmware passwords and the whole T2 security verification chain, according to team of software jailbreakers.

Apple's custom-silicon T2 co-processor is present in newer Macs and handles encrypted storage and secure boot capabilities, as well as several other controller features. In a blog post, however, security researcher Niels Hofmans notes that because the chip is based on an A10 processor it's vulnerable to the same checkm8 exploit that is used to jailbreak iOS devices.

This vulnerability is reportedly able to hijack the boot process of the T2's SepOS operating system to gain access to the hardware. Normally the T2 chip exits with a fatal error if it is in Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode and it detects a decryption call, but by using another vulnerability developed by team Pangu, Hofmans claims it is possible for a hacker to circumvent this check and gain access to the T2 chip.

Once access is gained, the hacker has full root access and kernel execution privileges, although they can't directly decrypt files stored using FileVault 2 encryption. However, because the T2 chip manages keyboard access, the hacker could inject a keylogger and steal the password used for decryption.

According to Hofmans, the exploit can also bypass the remote device locking function (Activation Lock) that's used by services like MDM and FindMy. A firmware password won't help prevent this either because it requires keyboard access, which requires the T2 chip to run first.

For security reasons, SepOS is stored in the T2 chip’s read-only memory (ROM), but this also prevents the exploit from being patched by Apple with a software update. On the plus side, however, it also means the vulnerability isn't persistent, so it requires a "hardware insert or other attached component such as a malicious USB-C cable" to work.

Hofmans says he has reached out to Apple about the exploit but is still awaiting a response. In the meantime, average users can protect themselves by keeping their machines physically secure and by avoiding plugging in untrusted USB-C cables and devices.

Lastly, the researcher notes that upcoming Apple Silicon Macs use a different boot system, so it's possible that they won't be impacted by the vulnerability, although this is still being actively investigated.

Update: The original report incorrectly referred to Niels Hofmans as the cybersecurity expert who carried out the research. Hofmans is in fact an industry consultant who provided impact analysis of the T2 and checkm8. This has now been corrected.

Spotify users can now search for songs by lyrics, following an update to the streaming service's mobile app (via 9to5Mac). Spotify designer Lina shared the news on Twitter.

The ability to search by lyrics is a welcome addition to the service, especially for times when you know a phrase or chorus line but don't know the name of the song. Spotify is late to the game though – Apple Music subscribers have been able to search by lyrics since 2018.

Earlier this year, Spotify also introduced a real-time lyrics feature, thanks to an agreement with lyrics provider Musixmatch. The feature allows listeners to follow the lyrics to a song or sing along in real time.

Japanese smart payment system PASMO today announced that it has launched support for Apple Pay, allowing users to pay for transit fares and other transactions using their iPhone or Apple Watch. Express Transit is also supported, which allows users to quickly pass through transit gates without having to wake or unlock their devices or authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID.

PASMO is similar to and interoperable with Suica, a transit system that has been compatible with Apple Pay and Express Transit mode for several years. PASMO is accepted on a number of train lines and bus lines in numerous areas of Japan, although it is most prevalent in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

(Thanks, JKAussieSkater!)

Apple is no longer selling headphones and wireless speakers from companies like Sonos, Bose, and Logitech, as it prepares to launch a new, lower-cost HomePod and AirPods Studio headphones.

According to checks performed by Bloomberg, Apple removed headphones and speakers from Bose, speakers from Logitech's Ultimate Ears brand, and Sonos speakers from its online Apple Store at the end of September. Searching for these products, which were previously sold online and in retail stores, brings up no results.

Employees at Apple retail locations have also allegedly been asked to pull third-party audio products from shelves over the course of the last few days. Retail stores and the online store continue to offer Beats-branded headphones and speakers alongside Apple's AirPods and ‌HomePod‌.

Apple has made similar moves in the past, eliminating stock of fitness trackers ahead of the launch Apple Watch. Apple told Bloomberg that it regularly makes changes to the products that it offers as new third-party accessories are released and the needs of customers change.

Rumors indicate Apple is working on several new audio products, including a smaller, lower-cost HomePod and high-end over-ear Apple-branded headphones that could be called "AirPods Studio," to be sold alongside the AirPods and AirPods Pro.

Both of these new products are expected to launch before the end of the year, and the removal of the third-party audio products from the online store suggests we could be seeing Apple's new audio devices soon, perhaps as soon as the iPhone-centric October event that's rumored to be in the works.

Current rumors indicate that Apple has an event planned for October 13, and if that's the case, we could see an Apple announcement as soon as tomorrow.

Alongside the launch of the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE, and the new watchOS 7 software update, Apple introduced a Family Setup feature that's designed to allow parents to set up Apple Watches for their children, letting an Apple Watch be used without an iPhone.

While Family Setup is primarily aimed at families with children, it's also useful for setting up an Apple Watch for an older adult or anyone else who doesn't have an ‌iPhone‌ available but wants to take advantage of the fitness and health benefits provided by Apple's wrist-worn wearable.

This guide covers getting started with Family Setup and outlines the available Family Setup features.

Family Setup Requirements

Family Setup is designed to work with a GPS and Cellular enabled Apple Watch Series 4 or later that's running watchOS 7. It is not compatible with earlier Apple Watch models nor with those that do not have a cellular connection.

Cellular Apple Watch models require an accompanying cellular plan, which is generally priced at $10 per month with most carriers in the United States. Note that while a cellular Apple Watch is required to set up a watch under Family Setup, it can be activated without using a cellular plan.

The main person setting up Family Setup must have an ‌iPhone‌ 6s or later with iOS 14 installed, and all participants will need an Apple ID and will need to be part of a Family Sharing setup, though these last two requirements can be worked out during the setup process.

Setting Up Family Setup on iPhone

Prior to launching the Family Setup process, it's best to make sure that each child or older adult that will participate has an ‌Apple ID‌. We have how tos for creating an ‌Apple ID‌ on iPhone or iPad or on a Mac, as well as a tutorial on using Family Sharing. Two-factor authentication is also a requirement for each ‌Apple ID‌, so make sure that's turned on as well.

If you don't have an ‌Apple ID‌ set up for each member in the family and Family Sharing isn't enabled these can be activated during Family Setup, but it will be a faster, smoother process if the prerequisites are completed ahead of time.

1. Turn on the Apple Watch and erase it so it can be set up as new if it hasn't been erased already and isn't already a fresh out of the box device.
2. Open up the Apple Watch app, go to the Apple Watch setup screen, and choose Set Up For Family Member.
3. Pair the Apple Watch with the ‌iPhone‌ by lining up the graphic on the watch's display with the appropriate area on the ‌iPhone‌ using the ‌iPhone‌'s camera. watchOS 7 is required.
4. Tap Set Up Apple Watch.
5. Agree to the Terms and Conditions, select a wrist preference, choose a text size for the Apple Watch, and then select a passcode.
6. Select a family member from your Family Sharing setup that you prepared prior to the Apple Watch setup process. If the person is not a part of the Family Sharing group, you can choose to Add New Family Member and enter their ‌Apple ID‌.
7. If you chose the ‌Apple ID‌ route, you will need to go through some verification steps and enable two-factor authentication if it's not turned on. If you already had Family Sharing set up, enter the family member's ‌Apple ID‌ password to continue.
8. Opt to turn on Ask to Buy or Location Sharing.
9. Set up cellular and WiFi access. Setting up cellular access will require going through your carrier, such as Verizon or AT&T. This is a process that varies by carrier and can't be specifically demonstrated, but Apple and your carrier will walk you through the process on screen.
10. You can also opt to set up cellular access at a later time and rely on WiFi, but cellular is required for continual connectivity without an ‌iPhone‌. After setting up cellular or skipping it until later, tap to share your WiFi password with the Apple Watch.
11. Go through the additional setup screens for Location Sharing, Siri, analytics, and more.
12. Choose whether to set up Apple Cash Family, the feature that lets parents provide small amounts of cash to kids that can be used with Apple Pay for purchases. Parents can choose who their kids can send money to and receive money from. Agree to the Terms and Services, and confirm the legal name of your child.
13. Continue through the setup process, enabling or disabling additional services such Messages in iCloud, Emergency SOS, Medical ID, Activity and route tracking options, Photos, trusted Contacts, Screen Time limits, Schooltime for limiting access during school hours, and a feature that lets parents view their children's health data, so daily activity can be monitored.
14. After all of these settings are figured out, the Apple Watch will be ready to use and it will be listed under "Family Watches" in the Apple Watch app that belongs to the parent.

Available Features

There are a lot of steps necessary to get Family Setup ready to use because Apple offers parents quite a lot of control over what's enabled and how the Apple Watch functions.

Parents can choose to add Medical ID information, control ‌Siri‌ access, set an activity goal for daily movement, provide an allowance on Apple Watch, monitor their kids' location, control who kids can contact, and more, so plan to spend a good half hour to hour walking through all of the steps.

Apple added some unique Family Setup features that can be activated for kids, and we've outlined some of the most notable options you'll want to be aware of below. For the most part, all Apple Watch functionality is available and Apple Watches for kids work like Apple Watches for adults, but parents have more management options.

Screen Time and Contacts Monitoring

Parents are able to limit Apple Watch usage and the apps that can be accessed on the Apple Watch. Screen Time limits on Apple Watch are identical to Screen Time limits on iPhones and other devices, and can be managed by opening up the Settings app, choosing Screen Time, and selecting the child's name from the list.

For a more in-depth tutorial, check out our how tos for setting up Screen Time on an iPhone or on a Mac.

Parents can set up shared Contacts that will provide a set list of people that children can communicate with, which originate from the parent's own Contacts list.

Screen Time also includes a Communications Limits feature that lets parents dictate who a child can contact from their Contacts list and the times that those contacts can be interacted with on Apple Watch. This too is controlled through the Screen Time settings, with more info available here.

Schooltime

Schooltime is an Apple Watch-specific feature that was introduced with Family Setup. It lets parents lock down the Apple Watch during school hours with the aim of encouraging children to focus on their schoolwork.

Schooltime is different from Screen Time in that it can be deactivated by the child when the child turns the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch, which is useful for emergencies, but parents are notified in that situation.

Initiating Family Setup allows for Schooltime to be activated during the setup process, but parents can access and edit Schooltime features in the Apple Watch app on ‌iPhone‌.

Schooltime can be set for specific times during school, and breaks during recess and lunchtime can be scheduled, which will let kids access their Apple Watches when school is not in session. When enabled, Schooltime blocks all apps and complications, as well as activating Do Not Disturb. Emergency calls and Notifications are able to break through the Do Not Disturb limitations, however.

• watchOS 7: How to Eliminate Distractions Using Schooltime on Apple Watch
• How to Set a Schooltime Schedule on Apple Watch

Apple Cash Family

Parents can give their children "allowances" on the Apple Watch using the ‌Apple Pay‌ Cash feature, and kids can then use those funds to make ‌Apple Pay‌ purchases in stores that accept ‌Apple Pay‌ payments.

Apple Cash is sent through the Messages app on ‌iPhone‌, and parents can send cash by typing in their kids' ‌Apple ID‌ email address and then using the built-in ‌Apple Pay‌ Messages feature to make a payment. Money sent to kids is stored in Apple Cash and can be accessed in the Apple Cash card in the Wallet app, where it can be used to make payments in stores.

Money given to kids is limited to the amount provided, and kids cannot make charges on linked credit cards or in any other way without parental permission. Kids can, however, send their available ‌Apple Pay‌ Cash to others, which is something to be aware of.

Purchases that kids make are displayed to parents, and parents can see what kids have bought and how their money has been used through the Wallet app on ‌iPhone‌.

• iOS 14: How to Set Up and Use Apple Cash Family

Health and Activity

For younger children (age 13 and under), the Activity app on the Apple Watch will show move minutes rather than a calorie-based activity goal, while older kids will still see the standard calories burned metric. Activity works the same as it does for any other Apple Watch, and kids (or older adults) are able to meet Move, Exercise, and Stand goals that are initially set up by the parent.

Outdoor Walk, Outdoor Run, and Outdoor Cycle exercises have been updated with tuning for children, and coaching notifications are tailored to kids' reading levels and enhanced with emoji.

Parents can also view their kids' data in the Health app if the feature is enabled during the setup process, with the info listed in the Health app under "Shared Health Data."

Apps

Kids can download apps and games for the Apple Watch from the Apple Watch App Store. Parents will need to approve purchases before apps can be downloaded, including those that cost money. Kids will get a prompt to "Ask" their parents for permission to download an app, which can be approved or denied. "Ask to Buy" can be turned off using Family Sharing settings in the Settings app.

Content can be controlled through the Content Restrictions feature of Screen Time.

Other Available Features

Here are some of the other things that kids can do with an LTE Apple Watch that uses Family Setup.

• Communicate with Walkie-Talkie
• Make phone and FaceTime audio calls
• Send and receive Messages and emails
• Create Memoji with the Memoji app
• Access a family Calendar
• View photos synced from a parent's phone
• Access Reminders
• Listen to Apple Music with headphones
• Ask ‌Siri‌ questions
• Ask ‌Siri‌ for translations
• Use Maps for navigation
• Access the Workouts app and receive Activity awards
• Participate in Activity competitions with friends
• Access Emergency SOS with the Apple Watch side button

Managing Family Setup Apple Watches

Parents can manage Family Setup Apple Watches through the Apple Watch app on the ‌iPhone‌. Just open it up, tap on "All Watches" at the top, and then tap on the child's Apple Watch to get to the settings options and controls.

Cellular Connectivity

To initiate Family Setup and add a family member's watch to the ‌iPhone‌, the watch in question must be a Series 3 or later and it must have LTE connectivity. The LTE connection is required because GPS only Apple Watches without LTE rely on the ‌iPhone‌ for a connection, and with a standalone Apple Watch, there's no ‌iPhone‌ to connect to.

LTE Apple Watches can operate independently without any ‌iPhone‌, enabling the Family Setup feature. That said, you can set up a cellular Apple Watch with Family Setup and then decline to enable cellular connectivity when prompted, and it will still work when WiFi is available.

Be aware, though, that the Apple Watch will only work with the one known WiFi network used to set it up and it won't otherwise be able to connect for communication and connectivity purposes.

Features for Older Adults

Many of the Family Setup features are aimed at parents with children, but there are also settings for people who want to manage Apple Watches for older adults that do not have an ‌iPhone‌.

Older adults can take advantage of features like the X-Large watch face that's easy to see, fall detection, Emergency SOS, Medical ID, and irregular heart rhythm notifications.

Family Setup Limitations

Apple Watch Series 6 models that are set up with Family Setup are not able to access the Blood Oxygen app for blood oxygen measurements, a restriction that applies regardless of the Apple Watch owner's age.

Elderly relatives who have an Apple Watch Series 6 may want the Blood Oxygen app, so this is a limitation worth keeping in mind when deciding whether to use the Family Setup feature.

The following limitations also apply:

• High and low heart rate notifications are only available for users aged 13 and older.
• Irregular heart rhythm notifications and ECG are not available.
• Sleep Tracking is not available.
• Fall detection is only available for users aged 18 and older.
• Apple Cash Family is limited to users under the age of 18.
• ‌Apple Pay‌ with a credit, debit, or transit card is not available with Family Setup.
• The Podcasts, Remote, News, Home, and Shortcuts apps are not available.

Battery Life

According to Apple, a watch controlled through Family Setup should last for approximately 14 hours before needing to be recharged. Apple bases that on the following estimated activities:

• 70 time checks
• 45 notifications
• 20 minutes of app use
• 5 minute phone call
• 30 minute workout with music playback

Battery life will, of course, vary based on usage and by each device. The battery life estimates take into account LTE connectivity and operation over a cellular connection.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about Family Setup on Apple Watch or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

The iPhone 12 mini is set to be the smallest iPhone in many years, with a screen size of just 5.4 inches and a body size smaller than anything we've seen since the original iPhone SE. While fans of smaller form-factor devices have craved a modern small ‌iPhone‌ for years, there are five notable features that you'll be giving up if you get the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌, if you believe the current rumors about the upcoming lineup.

Display Technology

The ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ is expected to have a flexible OLED display with Y-OCTA integrated touch, for richer colors and truer blacks than an LCD.

However, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌'s display is expected to have some slight drawbacks. The ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will reportedly have 10-bit color for more vibrant, true-to-life colors, and a richer variety of color gradations, as well as XDR classification.

In addition, although rumors have been highly mixed on some ‌iPhone‌ 12 models having a 120Hz ProMotion display, rumors about the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ not having a 120Hz display have been consistent. If the feature does appear for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, it is likely to be reserved for the Pro models or even the Pro Max model only.

LiDAR Scanner

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro models are rumored to have a LiDAR Scanner, the likes of which premiered on the iPad Pro earlier this year.

The LiDAR Scanner in the iPad Pro uses reflected light to measure the distance from the sensor to surrounding objects that are up to five meters away. It is essentially able to map the environment around you at the photon level in nanosecond speeds. The rumored LiDAR Scanner for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro is likely to work similarly, if not identically. As a smaller and lower-cost non-Pro model, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ is not expected to have the LiDAR scanner.

Telephoto Lens

Much like the ‌iPhone‌ 11, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ is expected to have two camera lenses on its rear; a wide-angle lens and an ultrawide-angle lens. However, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ misses out on the telephoto lens, which makes up the third lens on the higher-end Pro models.

The high-end 6.7-inch ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ is rumored to be getting sensor-shift image stabilization technology, which could potentially bring image stabilization to the ultra wide-angle lens on those devices. Sensor-shift technology allows the optical image stabilization to be applied to the camera sensor, rather than the individual lenses. This feature is not expected to trickle down to the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌.

The ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ may still benefit from Apple's new "high-end" lens arrays and improved Smart HDR for better low-light performance.

Battery Capacity

As the smallest device in the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ is also expected to have the smallest battery. Certifications have suggested that the battery capacity of the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ is 2,227mAh. Apple's current smallest flagship ‌iPhone‌, the 5.8-inch ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, has a battery capacity of 3,046mAh battery, making the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌'s capacity 819mAh smaller.

Although the A14 Bionic processor and OLED display are likely to improve energy efficiency, the fundamental limits of battery size in the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ are likely to result in an overall smaller battery life.

The 6.7-inch ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ is expected to have a much larger capacity of 3,687mAh, so users concerned about battery life would certainly benefit from getting a larger model.

Faster 5G

Rumors suggest that the ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ Pro Max will also be the only model to have faster mmWave 5G. Sub-6GHz 5G, which is the slower but more widespread form of 5G, is expected to be present on the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌. Only the largest ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌ in the lineup supposedly has the internal space to accommodate the antenna design needed to implement mmWave at this time, along with the larger battery needed for its higher power usage.

In spite of these missing features, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ is still expected to get the latest A14 Bionic processor, an OLED display, and a brand new squared-off design. For many fans of small phones, the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ will be the device that they have long been waiting for.

For more on what to expect from the 2020 ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌ models, be sure to see our dedicated roundup or read our quick summary of Ten Things to Know About the iPhone 12.

Update: Apple's production lines at Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory in China are said to be running "24 hours a day" in preparation for the ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ mini's launch.

Reports from mobile operators now seem to be pointing toward Tuesday, October 13 for the official unveiling of the ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ lineup. The rumor implies that pre-orders could begin on October 16, with the launch logically following on October 23.

If there is an October 13 event followed by an October 23 launch, we may not see all of the new ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ models at the same time. Rumors have suggested that we should expect a staggered launch with some ‌‌iPhone‌‌ models coming out in October and others coming out at a later date, perhaps in November.

It is likely that the 5.4 and 6.1-inch non-Pro iPhones will be available first in October, followed by the Pro models at a later date due to supply and production constraints. There is some confusion over this point, however, as DigiTimes has suggested Apple could release the two 6.1-inch ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌ models ahead of the 5.4-inch ‌‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌‌ mini and the 6.7-inch ‌‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌‌ Pro Max. In the latter instance, there may be a slightly longer wait for the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌.

Update: Apple has announced their October 2020 ‌iPhone‌ event. The ‌iPhone‌ 12 will be announced on October 13, 2020 at 10:0am Pacific time on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. We are relatively confident about the rumors above, so we do expect Apple to launch the ‌iPhone 12 mini‌ at that time.

Benchmarks leaked over the weekend gave us some insight into the performance of the A14 Bionic chip in the iPad Air that's set to launch soon, and also revealed another tidbit -- Apple's newest tablet has 4GB RAM.

That's 1GB over the prior-generation iPad Air that had an A12 Bionic processor, but less RAM than is available in the iPad Pro models. Apple's 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ models all have 6GB RAM.

With the jump in RAM and the impressive performance of the A14 chip, the new ‌iPad Air‌ is quite a bit speedier than the prior-generation model, plus it has the all-display design with Touch ID Power button, a first for Apple.

The A14 ‌iPad Air‌ Geekbench result that was leaked featured a single-core score of 1583 and a multi-core score of 4198, a solid improvement over the single-core score of 1112 and multi-core score of 2832 earned by the third-generation ‌iPad Air‌ with A12 Bionic.

Notably, the benchmark results suggest other devices equipped with the A14 chip, such as Apple's iPhone 12 lineup, will also see notable speed improvements. The A14 is a step up in terms of performance and efficiency because it is Apple's first chip built on a smaller 5-nanometer process. Reduced node sizes result in higher power chips that use less power, bringing gains in battery life and speed. The 5-nanometer A-series chips are also expected to be used in upcoming Macs with Apple Silicon, though the Macs may use an upgraded A14X variant that's even faster.

Apple is planning to release the new ‌iPad Air‌ with A14 chip at some point in October, though no launch date has been announced. It's reasonable to expect the new ‌iPad Air‌ to come after the debut of the new ‌iPhone‌ 12 models because the tablet does contain new technology (the A14 chip) that Apple may not want inspected thoroughly ahead of the debut of its flagship ‌iPhone‌ lineup, despite the benchmark leak.

A wide selection of Disney movies are showing as available in 4K on the iTunes Store as of today in the United States and Canada, including many Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars titles. However, not all movies are listed as 4K at this time.

iTunes Store content became available in 4K in 2017 in time for the launch of the Apple TV 4K box, but Disney movies were a notable exclusion.

This isn't the first time that the 4K label has showed up on Disney movies in the iTunes Store, with previous instances proving to be false alarms. In this case, however, the 4K label has shown up on a wider selection of Disney movies across multiple devices, including the iPhone, Apple TV, and even the Apple TV app on third-party platforms like Roku.

Disney movies are not showing up in 4K in all countries. In the United Kingdom and Australia, for example, users are still seeing playback limited to HD.

Disney movies are also available in 4K through Disney+ and Vudu.

(Thanks, Greg Celano!)