Apple today began sending out emails to iTunes and Apple TV customers who have purchased a Disney movie in the past, letting them know that their titles have been upgraded to 4K HDR at no cost.
Several MacRumors readers have received the emails, which come a week after Disney titles in the iTunes Store began showing up as 4K in the United States and Canada.
Many Disney titles are now showing up in the iTunes Store as 4K HDR, including Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars movies. 4K support for Disney movies has been a long awaited feature and it has been notably absent for years following the debut of 4K iTunes content in 2017.
Until recently, Disney movies purchased from the iTunes Store were only available in HD.
Apple's new iPhone 12 models are equipped with a ring of magnets in the back that allows them to work with a range of new accessories, including a new magnet-based MagSafe charger that snaps right onto the back of the device.
Apple is creating a line of magnetic accessories, and third-party companies are also working on useful new accessories that will be able to take advantage of the magnetic system. One company that plans to make use of that magnet ring in the iPhone 12 models is PopSocket.
PopSocket, which makes a super popular line of Grip accessories that attach to the back with adhesive, told TechCrunch that it is working on PopSocket products for the new iPhones.
PopSockets will support Apple’s MagSafe technology, TechCrunch has confirmed — meaning you’ll soon be able to pop on and off these ubiquitous iPhone accessories without worrying about the sticker on the back losing its adhesiveness over time and needing a rinse.
Though PopSockets confirmed it has MagSafe products in the works, there's no additional detail available at this time nor do we know when the first MagSafe-based PopSockets might launch.
Apple today announced the upcoming debut of Reigns: Beyond and The Pathless, two new Apple Arcade titles that are coming to the gaming service in the near future.
Reigns: Beyond is the fourth game in the Reigns series, which includes the original Reigns title, Reigns: Her Majesty, and Reigns: Game of Thrones. A card-based game, Reigns: Beyond will ask players to take on the role of an intergalactic indie rock band, using decision cards to chart a path to stardom.
As an intergalactic indie rockband, plot your rise to "stardom," traveling from planet to planet and gig to gig on your quest for fame and fortune. Play local (and not-so-local) clubs throughout the galaxy, recruiting alien band members along the way, and rock out across the cosmos! But make sure you're managing your ship's resources and keeping your crew in check while on this stellar tour because one wrong decision may leave you lost in space!
According to our sister site Touch Arcade, Reigns: Beyond is set to launch on November 6, and it will be an Apple Arcade exclusive. Apple Arcade subscribers interested in the title can sign up to get a notification when it launches.
The Pathless, another new game coming to Apple Arcade, comes from Annapurna Interactive and it's a game that's been in development for some time. Pathless was one of the first games to be announced for Apple Arcade, but as noted by TouchArcade, there were launch delays.
The Pathless is now set to launch on November 12. It's an open world puzzle adventure game where players take on the role of an archer with an eagle companion and fight battles to eliminate a dark curse.
Become the Hunter, a master of archery who travels to a mystical island to dispel a curse of darkness that grips the world. Forge a connection with your eagle companion and soar through the air. Perform fluid acrobatics and execute awesome trick shots with a unique archery system that allows effortless shooting while moving at high speeds.
Apple Arcade subscribers who want to be alerted when The Pathless launches can sign up for notifications through the App Store link.
Apple Arcade is priced at $4.99 per month, and customers who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV can get a free three month trial to test it out. The promotion will begin on October 22 and coincides with the launch of new iPhones.
In 2020, Apple unveiled the iPhone 12 as the successor to the popular iPhone 11, with a new squared-off industrial design, the A14 Bionic chip, an OLED display, and MagSafe. As devices that are more affordable than the Pro models, but more fully-featured than the low-cost iPhone SE or the now-discontinued iPhone XR, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will likely be the most popular options for consumers.
The previous iPhone 11 continues to be sold by Apple. As it is a year older than the most recent iPhone 12, it starts at $499, while the iPhone 12 mini starts at $599. As the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 share a large number of features, should you consider purchasing the older model to save money? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhones is best for you, but overall the iPhone 12 is a moderate upgrade over the iPhone 11.
Comparing the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 12
The iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 share a large number of key features, such as display size and battery life. Apple lists these same features of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12:
Similarities
6.1-inch Retina display with True Tone, P3 wide color, Haptic Touch, and a max brightness of 625 nits
A-Series Bionic chip
Dual 12MP Ultra Wide and Wide cameras with two times optical zoom range, Night mode, Deep Fusion, and optical image stabilisation
Battery life with up to 17 hours of video playback
Aerospace-grade aluminum
Lightning connector
4GB of memory
Available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB
Available in White, Black, Green, (PRODUCT)RED, and Purple
Apple's breakdown shows that the iPhones share a number of notable key features. Even so, there are meaningful differences between the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12, including display technology, the processor, and 5G connectivity.
Differences
iPhone 11
LCD Liquid Retina HD display with 1792-by-828-pixel resolution at 326 ppi and 1,400:1 contrast ratio
4G LTE cellular
A13 Bionic chip
Wide Lens f/1.8
Next-generation Smart HDR for photos
Water resistant to a depth of two metres for up to 30 minutes
Qi wireless charging
Available in White, Black, Green, Yellow, Purple, and (PRODUCT)RED
iPhone 12
OLED Super Retina XDR display with 2532-by-1170-pixel resolution at 460 ppi, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and HDR
5G connectivity
A14 Bionic chip
Wide Lens f/1.6
Smart HDR 3 for photos
Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 30 fps and Night mode Time-lapse
Front-facing Night mode and Deep Fusion
Ceramic Shield front
Water resistant to a depth of six metres for up to 30 minutes
MagSafe and Qi wireless charging
Available in White, Black, Blue, Green, and (PRODUCT)RED
Note that the iPhone 12 Pro provides a few improvements to the iPhone 12 in the areas of camera quality, LiDAR, RAM, and material design. Meanwhile, besides the size of screen and battery, the iPhone 12 mini is otherwise identical to the iPhone 12.
Read on for a closer look at each of these aspects, and see what exactly both iPhones have to offer.
Design and Colors
The iPhone 12 has a new squared-off industrial design with a flat aluminum band around the sides. Both iPhones use aerospace-grade aluminum on the edges and a single piece of polished glass on the rear.
iPhone 11 vs iPhone 12
The designs are actually fairly similar, but with the iPhone 12's edges being flat and the iPhone 11's being convex. The iPhone 12 represents a refinement, or what Apple calls an "elevation," of the iPhone 11's design rather than a complete overhaul, but it does feel markedly more modern, and may well be more secure to hold in the hand. The iPhone 12 is also 0.9mm thinner and 32 grams lighter than the iPhone 11.
Both are available in White, Black, Green, (PRODUCT)RED, and Purple but each generation has some exclusive colors. The iPhone 11 is also available in Yellow, while the iPhone 12 is available in Blue.
Display
The display is an area of major improvement for the iPhone 12. The latest model has an OLED Super Retina XDR display, compared to the iPhone 11's LCD Liquid Retina HD display. The OLED display offers nearly twice the peak brightness of iPhone 11, significantly higher contrast and true blacks, HDR for richer colors, and systemwide color management for industry-leading color accuracy.
The new OLED display also features reduced bezels compared to the previous LCD model. By pushing the display further to the edges, the overall footprint of the device is slightly smaller. iPhone 12 also features stronger Ceramic Shield front glass, with up to four times improved drop performance.
The display improvements of the iPhone 12 are one of the main reasons to get the newer model. The iPhone 11's LCD Liquid Retina display is good but slightly dated. There is no doubt that the advances made with the iPhone 12 and OLED make for a much more attractive device.
A13 vs A14
At the time of its launch, Apple said that the A14 was "the fastest chip in a smartphone" and the first commercial processor to be built on a five-nanometer process. The iPhone 12 is roughly expected to be 18.4% faster in single-core performance and 17.6% faster overall in multi-core scoring than the iPhone 11. For machine learning, the A14 Bionic features a 16-core Neural Engine, resulting in an 80 percent increase in performance.
A13 Bionic is still up to 20 percent faster than the A12, and the performance improvements of the A14 are not so drastic as to make the A13 feel slow by comparison. The A13 in the iPhone 11 remains a very powerful processor that is capable of completing all day-to-day tasks fluidly.
5G Connectivity
The iPhone 12 comes with sub-6Ghz 5G, as well as faster mmWave 5G in the United States. 5G will deliver improved internet speeds for faster downloads and uploads, higher quality video streaming, more responsive gaming, real-time interactivity in apps, FaceTime in high definition, and more. iPhone 12 models also feature a new "Smart Data mode," which extends battery life by intelligently assessing 5G needs and balancing data usage, speed, and power in real time.
The iPhone 11 has the normal 4G LTE cellular connectivity that has been present in smartphones for many years, with no ability to connect to 5G.
In spite of its merits, 5G is only worth it if have an eligible data plan and are in an area with 5G coverage. If you are in an area with good 5G coverage or you intend to keep your iPhone for some years, 5G connectivity with the iPhone 12 may be important to you. As 5G is still in its infancy, the iPhone 11 is still a good smartphone for its price without 5G.
Cameras Similar, Software Better
The cameras of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 are similar. Both feature rear a dual 12MP camera system with an Ultra Wide and a Wide lens. The Ultra Wide lenses have the same apertures, while the iPhone 12 Wide lens has a slightly larger aperture (f/1.6) which offers better low-light sensitivity. They also both share the same 12MP f/2.2 front facing camera.
Features such as Night mode, Deep Fusion, and optical image stabilization are shared between the devices on the Wide camera, but the iPhone 12 extends Night mode and Deep Fusion to the Ultra Wide and front-facing camera as well.
For video, the iPhone 12 can record HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps and time-lapses with Night mode.
For more significant camera improvements, you'll need to step up to the iPhone 12 Pro, which adds a third camera lens for telephoto capabilities, as well as a LiDAR scanner for improved autofocus and other features that rely on depth perception.
Battery and Charging
Both iPhones have a battery life allowing for up to 17 hours of video playback and can charge up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes with a 20W power adapter. Apple says that the iPhone 12 can achieve up to 11 hours of streaming video playback, instead of the ten hours of the iPhone 11, but both models will generally perform similarly when it comes to battery life.
iPhone 12 offers a unique charging feature, however. MagSafe improves wireless charging by easily aligning the charger with the internal coil via an array of magnets. MagSafe chargers can provide up to 15W of power while still accommodating existing Qi-enabled devices.
While the iPhone XR has now been discontinued, it is still available from many third-party stores for prices below $499. The iPhone XR shares the design and display of iPhone 11, but uses an older chip, cannot use camera features such as Night mode, and has a single rear camera only. If you are on a budget or don't need some of the iPhone 11's features such as the dual-camera setup, the iPhone XR may be a better option for you.
If you feel that iPhone 11 or iPhone 12 does not offer enough high-end features, and are interested in more advanced photography and videography, improved AR experiences, and more premium materials, you may wish to consider the iPhone 12 Pro or the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the iPhone 12 offers some clear improvements over the iPhone 11 when it comes to the design, camera software, display, 5G, and MagSafe. While the improvements with regards to the camera hardware, processor, and battery life are relatively small, the addition of Night mode and Deep Fusion to the Ultra Wide and front-facing camera of the Phone 12 could be significant for some customers.
5G connectivity, the OLED Super Retina XDR display, refreshed design, improved night photos of the iPhone 12 are the key features that differentiate it from the iPhone 11. While the typical day-to-day experience of the device is probably not significantly different, the overall improvements push us to recommend an iPhone 12 over the iPhone 11, budget permitting.
Apple yesterday introduced several new accessories for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models, including MagSafe cases in both Silicone and Leather along with other MagSafe-based accessories. Apple added several of the new cases to its online store, but leather cases are missing at the current time.
A leather iPhone 12 case shown off during the event
The new Leather Sleeve coming for iPhone 12 and 12 Pro
Apple showed off leather cases during the keynote, including a new Leather Sleeve, and in the fine print on the iPhone 12 announcement page, it says that leather cases for the new iPhone models will be available starting on November 6.
MagSafe Charger, Leather Wallet with MagSafe, and iPhone 12 Silicone Case and Clear Case will be available beginning Friday, October 16. iPhone 12 Leather Case will be available beginning Friday, November 6. MagSafe Duo Charger and Leather Sleeve will be available at a later date.
Apple's iPhone 12 Pro announcement article says the same thing, confirming Leather Cases for the new Pro models do indeed exist.
MagSafe Charger, Leather Wallet with MagSafe, and iPhone 12 Pro Silicone Case and Clear Case will be available beginning Friday, October 16. iPhone 12 Pro Leather Case will be available beginning Friday, November 6. MagSafe Duo Charger and Leather Sleeve will be available at a later date.
With the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro launching on Friday, October 23 (with pre-orders to take place this Friday), customers who buy one of those devices but want a leather case will need to wait a few weeks for them to become available.
Apple's Silicone and Clear cases will presumably be available for order this Friday when the first iPhone models go on sale, and all of Apple's cases created for the new iPhones support the MagSafe charging accessory that's able to charge iPhone 12 models at 15W.
One of the key new camera-related features of the iPhone 12 lineup is support for Dolby Vision, a professional HDR video format that provides more accurate, lifelike color along with brighter highlights and darker shadows.
Shot on iPhone 12 Pro in Dolby Vision by Academy Award winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki
Apple says iPhone 12 models are the world's first devices capable of real-time Dolby Vision video recording — up to 4K at 30 FPS on iPhone 12 models and up to 4K at 60 FPS on Pro models. To achieve this, the devices have a new image signal processor that can take two exposures, create a histogram, and generate Dolby Vision metadata based on that histogram.
Apple demonstrated Dolby Vision on the iPhone 12 Pro during its event this week with a video shot by Academy Award winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and it has since shared behind-the-scenes footage of the video on YouTube.
Dolby Vision support is end-to-end across the iPhone 12 lineup, meaning that users can capture, edit, and play back video in Dolby Vision directly on the devices. Dolby Vision grading is processed live and sustained during editing, which can be done in the Photos, iMovie, or Clips apps on the iPhone, or in Final Cut Pro on the Mac starting later this year.
Apple today seeded the tenth beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the ninth beta and nearly four months after the new update was unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
The macOS Big Sur beta can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, subsequent betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.
macOS Big Sur introduces a refreshed design to the Mac operating system, overhauling the entire look from the curvature of the window corners to the dock icons to the system sounds. Everything features a lighter and more modern appearance. There's a new customizable Control Center that mirrors the Control Center on iOS devices, putting key system controls right at your fingertips.
The Notification Center has been redesigned with iOS-style widgets that are available in multiple sizes, plus there are more interactive notifications that are now grouped by app to make it easier to see what's going on. Safari is faster and more battery efficient, plus there's a new start page that can be customized with wallpapers and sections that include Reading List and iCloud Tabs, which makes Safari more tailored to your individual usage needs.
Tabs now support webpage previews, there's a built-in language translation feature, Chrome and Firefox Extensions can be ported to Safari, and YouTube supports 4K video playback. There's also an option to choose which sites an extension works with for greater privacy. Speaking of privacy, a new Privacy Report feature lets users know the trackers Safari is blocking when you visit websites.
Messages has been brought in line with the Messages app on iOS with support for pinned conversations, mentions, inline replies, and Memoji creation, plus the built-in search feature has been overhauled to make it easier to find links, photos, and conversations in the app.
Apple redesigned the Maps app to add support for Look Around, indoor maps, and Guides, which are lists of notable attractions, restaurants, and more created by trusted sources. Maps can also be used to generate directions for cycling routes and electric vehicle trips that can be sent to iPhone, and shared ETA updates are now viewable on the Mac.
For more on everything that's new in macOS Big Sur, make sure to check out our roundup.
Update October 15: The update has also been released to members of the public beta program.
Apple today seeded the third public betas of upcoming iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 updates to its public beta testing group, two weeks after releasing the second betas and a day after providing the third betas to developers.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the iOS and iPadOS 14.2 updates over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website on an iOS device.
Apple in iOS and iPadOS 14.2 is adding new Emoji 13 emoji characters, with options that include smiling face with tear, ninja, pinched fingers, anatomical heart, black cat, mammoth, polar bear, dodo, fly, bell pepper, tamale, bubble tea, potted plant, piñata, plunger, wand, feather, hut, and more, with a full list available here.
iOS 14.2 introduces a new Music Recognition control for the Control Center, deepening the integration of the Apple-owned Shazam app in the iOS operating system. Music Recognition lets you discover music playing around you and it can recognize music playing in apps even when you're wearing AirPods.
The Shazam Music Recognition feature can be added to Control Center through the Control Center options in the Settings app. To use the feature, open up Control Center and then tap on the Shazam icon to initiate a single recognition.
The update brings a redesigned Now Playing widget for the Control Center that lists recently played albums that you might want to listen to when you have no music playing. There's also a redesigned interface for AirPlay, making it easier to play music across multiple AirPlay 2-enabled devices in the home.
For those who have low vision, Apple added a "People Detection" feature in the Magnifier app that uses the camera to let iPhone users know how far away other people are, which can be useful for social distancing purposes.
For Apple Card users, the iOS 14.2 update adds a yearly spending history option so Apple Card holders can see how much they've spent in the current calendar year and how much Daily Cash they've earned. Prior to iOS 14.2, Apple Card offered spending activity information in a weekly or monthly summary.
As for smaller but interesting tweaks, iOS 14.2 brings a new icon for the Apple Watch app, with the watch now sporting one of Apple's new Solo Loop bands.
The new iOS 14.2 beta will likely be in testing for some time as Apple works on releasing new iPhones, with the new iPhones debuting starting next Friday.
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models are equipped with 6GB of RAM, while the lower-end iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini models have 4GB of RAM, according to plist files in the Xcode 12.1 beta viewed by MacRumors.
These plist files have accurately revealed the amount of RAM in several generations of iPhones, and for good measure, a seemingly legitimate Geekbench result for the iPhone 12 Pro also lists 6GB of RAM for that device. By comparison, the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max are all equipped with 4GB of RAM.
With the increased RAM and a faster A14 Bionic chip, iPhone 12 Pro models should have significant performance improvements. The benchmark result for the iPhone 12 Pro shows that the A14 chip has roughly the same single-core performance as in the new iPad Air, although its multi-core score is significantly lower. This could be due to Geekbench being run on the iPhone shortly after it was set up, which can result in temporarily lower scores, but we'll have to wait for further benchmark results to know for certain.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders begin Friday, October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, with shipments starting Friday, October 23. The smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and larger 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max are launching later, with pre-orders beginning Friday, November 6 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time and shipments starting Friday, November 13.
Amazon Prime Day 2020 is now in its final day, and as the event nears its conclusion we're tracking a collection of solid deals on Apple-related accessories. This includes portable chargers, Bluetooth headphones, smart home products, and much more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
If you're still shopping for Apple products, many of the deals that we posted yesterday are still live. We'll share a few of those below, but be sure to check out our full Day 1 post to see all the sales on AirPods, Mac notebooks, iPads, and more.
Many of the Prime Day deals we'll be sharing below are time sensitive, so if you're interested be sure to browse and purchase quickly. As usual, you'll also need an Amazon Prime membership to gain access to the sales.
Headphones
AirPods - $114.99, down from $159.00 ($44 off, lowest price)
AirPods Pro - $199.00, down from $249.00 ($50 off)
Belkin today shared details on its first two accessories that are compatible with Apple's new MagSafe charging system. Both of the devices, a 3-in-1 charger for iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, and a car vent mount, were briefly shown during the MagSafe portion of Apple's event yesterday.
As with other MagSafe chargers, up to 15 watts of power can be delivered to an iPhone, twice what is supported through regular Qi charging. Belkin says the 3-in-1 charger will be available "winter 2020" for $149.99, and it will come in black and white versions.
For traveling in your car, Belkin is introducing MagSafe Car Vent PRO, which offers a slim profile and multiple orientations to easily snap your iPhone into place.
The Car Vent PRO is simply a mount and does not have any charging capabilities of its own, but Belkin says it offers convenient cable management in the back so your charging cable can be kept close at hand. As with the 3-in-1 desktop charger, the car mount will be available this winter, and it will be priced at $39.95.
Finally, Belkin has one non-MagSafe iPhone 12 accessory to announce, which is a set of UltraGlass screen protectors made of lithium aluminosilicate glass for impact and scratch resistance. There are both regular and privacy versions available, with the privacy versions limiting the viewability of the screen from the side.
Apple's new iPhone 12 models come with new Ceramic Shield displays, which are hardened with ceramic crystals that Apple says provide four times greater drop protection, but some users may still be interested in supplemental screen protection. Belkin's UltraGlass screen protectors will be launching this Friday through Apple and will be priced between $39.95 and $44.95.
Sony today announced that the Apple TV app is launching on select 2018 and newer smart TV models, starting with the X900H series through a free software update that will begin rolling out today in the United States.
Sony says the Apple TV app will launch on select 2018 models and most 2019 and 2020 models by the end of the year in multiple regions.
The Apple TV app allows users to stream TV shows and movies from Apple TV+, access à-la-carte Apple TV Channels and their iTunes libraries, as well as buy or rent more than 100,000 shows and movies from the iTunes Store.
The Apple TV app is also available on select Samsung, LG, and Vizio TVs, and it can be accessed through select Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices.
Following a brief beta testing period, Spotify today updated its iPhone and iPad app with a new Home Screen widget that provides quick access to recently played playlists, artists, albums, or podcasts. The widget is available in small and medium sizes.
To access the widget, update the Spotify app to version 8.5.80 or later and open the app. Then, tap and hold a widget or an empty area of the Home Screen until the app icons jiggle, tap the plus sign in the top-left corner, tap on Spotify in the list, and select the size of the widget. Home Screen widgets require iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 or later.
As with other Home Screen widgets, this one only serves as a shortcut to various parts of the Spotify app, as Apple does not allow Home Screen widgets to offer playback controls or toggles due to battery life considerations.
Apple has posted promotional ads on its YouTube channel for all the new products that were announced during Tuesday's Apple event, including the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and HomePod mini. Check out the embedded videos below.
Hello 5G. A14 Bionic, the fastest smartphone chip ever. Night mode on all cameras. Super Retina XDR display. The first camera ever to record in Dolby Vision. Ceramic Shield that’s tougher than any other smartphone glass. A whole new way to connect accessories with MagSafe. And the world’s smallest 5G phone, iPhone 12 mini.
5G. A14 Bionic, the fastest chip in a smartphone. An all-new design. A Ceramic Shield front cover that’s tougher than any smartphone glass. A custom LiDAR Scanner. The first camera ever to record in Dolby Vision. An advanced Pro camera system for next-level low-light photography. And connect accessories in a whole new way with MagSafe. iPhone 12 Pro, the most powerful iPhone ever.
Room-filling sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home control. All private and secure. Order 11.6. Available starting 11.16
Apple announced that the 6.1-inch models of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will be available to pre-order beginning this Friday, October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, with deliveries and in-store availability beginning one week later on Friday, October 23.
The smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and larger 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max are launching later, with pre-orders beginning Friday, November 6 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time and shipments beginning one week later on Friday, November 13. iPhone 12 Pro pricing starts at $999, while the iPhone 12 starts at $799 and the iPhone 12 mini starts at $699.
The HomePod mini is priced at $99, and pre-orders begin on November 6, with deliveries beginning on November 16.
Below, we've recapped all of the announcements in just seven minutes for our readers who want a no-frills but thorough overview of all the announcements.
Apple added an Apple Pay landing page to its regional Mexico website late on Tuesday, indicating the mobile payment system could launch in the country imminently.
Way back in March there were suggestions that Apple Pay could be coming to Mexico, after reports that some iPhone users in the country had been able to add their Banregio cards to the Wallet app, with only the verification process failing.
Cards from banks other than Banregio were not able to be added to the Wallet app on the iPhone, suggesting Apple Pay in Mexico could be limited to Banregio at launch.
That's still uncertain, since the Apple Pay page on Apple's Mexican website offers no launch date and doesn't list any banks that will integrate with the service. All it says is Apple Pay will be compatible with "credit and debit cards of the most important payment networks, issued by various banks," which sounds a lot like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.
When Apple Pay launches in Mexico, it will be the second country in Latin America to support the payments service. Apple launched Apple Pay in Brazil in 2018, but has not expanded it to other Latin America countries. Apple Pay has also been available in the United States and Canada for years.
Apple maintains a complete list of the countries where Apple Pay is available on its support site, and we have a detailed Apple Pay roundup with everything you need to know about Apple's payments service.
HomePod can be used as an alarm clock replacement to wake you up in the morning or remind you of something, and soon HomePod owners with an Apple Music subscription should be able to set alarms on the smart speaker that play their favorite songs instead of the default alarm sound.
Prior to the original HomePod's release, there were rumors suggesting users would be able to set songs as custom ringtones for the alarm feature of the HomePod, but that is not possible without resorting to automations. There is currently no option to change the default sound on the HomePod when setting up an alarm.
However, changes uncovered by MacRumors in the latest HomePod beta software reveal that Apple Music subscribers will soon be able to do just that.
The beta software includes a revised interface for adding alarms to HomePod in the Home app that provides a choice of playing a tone or media as the alarm sound.
As long as you have an active Apple Music subscription, tapping "Play Media" lets you choose a song from your music library. If you don't have a subscription you'll be prompted to get one, or revert to the default alarm tone.
During the unveiling of HomePod mini at Tuesday's Apple event, Apple introduced an upcoming new feature called Intercom that works across all Apple devices with the exception, it would seem, of Mac.
Intercom will enable family members to communicate with each other wherever they are in the home, with the ability to send and receive spoken messages via HomePod speakers. If a family member is in the garden or away from home, they can still use Intercom on their iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and even CarPlay. Apple explains:
A new Intercom feature offers a quick and easy way for family members to connect with each other at home. One person can send an Intercom message from one HomePod to another — whether in a different room, a specific zone, or multiple rooms throughout the home — and their voice will automatically play on the designated HomePod speaker. Intercom works with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay, so everyone in the household can get Intercom notifications and send Intercom messages from the backyard or on their way home.
In the latest HomePod beta software, the setup process explains that users can say "Hey Siri, Intercom," followed by their message, and then choose which HomePods and/or personal devices the message should be sent to. Other options include "Hey Siri, tell everyone," and "Hey Siri, reply..." to respond to a message.
On personal devices, Intercom messages appear as notifications with the option to listen to the audio message. Users can also choose when Intercom notifications are delivered to their iPhone (Never / When I'm Home / Anywhere), and can select who can use Intercom via the Home app if they have remote access. Apple is also including an accessibility option that transcribes spoken messages on personal devices.
The Intercom feature will arrive in upcoming software updates, which are likely to roll out in step with the launch of HomePod mini on November 16.
Following the HomePod miniannouncement at Tuesday's Apple event, The Loop's Jim Dalrymple has answered a key question many people have been asking: Can you pair a HomePod mini with an original HomePod to make a stereo pair?
"The short answer is no," explains Dalrymple. "You can't make a stereo pair of a HomePod and a HomePod mini. You can make a stereo pair of two HomePods or two HomePod minis, but you can't mix and match the two products."
That's not to say the two devices can't be used together at all, however. Dalrymple goes on to explain that if you have a HomePod and HomePod mini in the home, they can be used to play your music in different rooms. Apple's new Intercom feature will also work on both devices.
Dalrymple says an update is on the way for the original HomePod that will add many features that are coming with the HomePod mini, including Intercom, personal update, Maps continuity, multiuser support for Podcasts, and support for third-party music services like Pandora and Amazon music.
In another notable tidbit, he says an additional upcoming feature exclusive to the original HomePod will add "an immersive home theater experience when paired with an Apple TV 4K."
To get the 5.1, 7.1 surround, and Dolby Atmos, you need to pair one or two HomePod speakers to the Apple TV. This feature requires the spatial sound support of HomePod, so it isn’t available for the HomePod mini.
It's understood that this ability to select HomePods as home theater speakers for Apple TV will also fix the lingering issue of Apple TV often forgetting that HomePods are the preferred speakers for audio output.
Lastly, Dalrymple notes that a HomePod and HomePod mini can't be connected to Apple TV at the same time, but two HomePod minis connected to Apple TV will provide stereo sound.
The HomePod mini costs $99 and is available in both White and Space Gray. Pre-orders begin on November 6, and deliveries begin on November 16.
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