Currently, if you want to use HomePod to make a phone call you have to either dial or answer a call on your iPhone, then select your HomePod as the audio output device for the call, you can’t initiate or answer a call using HomePod.
Apple didn’t announce any new features for HomePod during its WWDC keynote this year, but the audio accessory is likely to gain some new features when iOS 12 is released to everyone in September.
We have posted before about Apple’s new pride face for the Apple Watch, with strings found on a beta version of iOS 11.3. After that release, Apple removed all assets related to the new face from iOS and watchOS. That, however, has changed today with the release of iOS 11.4 and watchOS 4.3.1.
Accessory makers in Apple’s Made-for-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) licensing program now have the ability to create new types of products as the company adds specs for a Lightning to 3.5mm output cable and USB-C ports. The new specs were detailed in Apple’s recently updated materials for manufacturers in the MFi program, according to sources.
tvOS 11 firmware for the upcoming Apple TV 4K appears to be out in the wild ahead of the anticipated unveil tomorrow during Apple’s keynote at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, CA. Here is a first look at the device’s 4K-enabled default screensaver.
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Here we go. We’re digging through the iOS 11 GM we received this evening to unpack what we can learn about the D22 ‘iPhone X’ and the rest of the lineup ahead of Apple’s big unveiling on Tuesday. It looks like the infamous HomePod leak left a few surprises for us after all.
The first discovery is a stunning set of new wallpapers coming with iOS 11 and the first look at the LTE Apple Watch. Next up: new and confirmed features coming to the OLED iPhone…
We’re still digging through the new iOS 11 GM firmware, and we’ve unearthed what we believe is the new LTE Apple Watch Series 3 that will be announced on Tuesday. The new Apple Watch makes a brief appearance in the Watch app sporting a red-accented digital crown, a signal meter, and complications that further hint at wireless LTE connectivity.
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We’re only a few days from Apple’s big fall iPhone event, but the big news tonight is the leaked iOS 11 GM firmware that we received this evening. The iOS 11 GM firmware, which should be pushed next week to developers, includes several brand new wallpapers, three exclusive to the upcoming iPhone, including seven sure-to-be-popular retro-styled versions and an all-black wallpaper fit for OLED displays. Have a look at all of the new wallpapers inside…
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Apple Music Connect, a social interaction feature between artists and listeners that was a cornerstone of the Apple Music launch last summer, will be demoted in an iOS 10 overhaul this fall. Apple Music Connect was designed as a major component of the Apple Music service that would spur usage by allowing artists to share photos, videos, and audio while on tour in addition to allowing Apple Music listeners to comment and like posts. Instead, the feature has been lightly used in comparison to other Apple Music features, and some users have even discovered ways to disable the Connect feature.
Bob Kupbens, the Vice President in charge of Apple’s growing online retail business, resigned from the company last week to take on a new position elsewhere, according to multiple sources. Kupbens joined Apple in 2014 and has been in charge of all online-based Apple retail initiatives, ranging from the recently redesigned online store, its integration into the main Apple website, the online iPhone upgrade program and newfound connectivity with Apple’s physical retail stores.
In January, we reported that Apple would be launching a new 4-inch iPhone in March with a design “nearly identical” to that of the iPhone 5s from 2013. Since then, several rumors and teases from various case makers have teased that the new 4-inch iPhone may have a design that looks a bit closer to the iPhone 6 in both shape and look. Checks with additional sources indicate that the iPhone SE, to be launched at Apple’s March 21st event next week, will look “almost exactly the same” as the iPhone 5s…
Apple currently plans to use its next major release of the Mac operating system, known as OS X 10.12, this fall to continue to expand Siri across its product lines. Last year, Apple implemented Siri as cornerstone features of both the Apple Watch and new Apple TV, and for 2016, Siri is planned to finally make its way to the Mac.
Apple is currently on target to start selling its next iPhone and iPad models the same week that the new products are introduced in March. Apple is currently planning to introduce a new 4-inch iPhone dubbed the “iPhone 5se” and a new iPad Air at an event on Tuesday, March 15th, then put the products up for sale online and in retail stores as early as Friday, March 18th, according to sources. Apple is unlikely to offer pre-orders for the new devices, according to sources who cautioned that the plans could still change.
In January, we reported that the upcoming 4-inch iPhone 5se would be released in the same colors as the iPhone 6s: Silver, Space Gray, Gold, and Rose Gold. That is still the case, according to sources. This weekend, reports have emerged with claims that the new device will be offered in a new “bright” or “hot” pink color option, but sources say that the iPhone 5se’s coloring is identical to the iPhone 6s’s in appearance.
Apple is currently aiming to unveil the new 4-inch the iPhone 5se, the iPad Air 3, and new Apple Watch band options at an event on Tuesday, March 15th, according to sources. We previously reported that Apple was on track to launch the new products during the week of March 14th. As the scheduled event is still a month-and-a-half away, the date could conceivably still shift or turn into an online announcement. The media event would be Apple’s first since September, and much like the fall event, is planned to touch on three major product categories for the company.
Apple is planning to introduce new iPad hardware at an event in mid-March, according to sources, with the most likely device being a new iPad Air. This new iPad with a 9.7-inch screen, presumably to be called the “iPad Air 3,” will be launched alongside the a new 4-inch iPhone known as the “iPhone 5se” and a series of new Apple Watch models. Apple is currently planning to hold its keynote during the week of March 14th, but the final date is still in flux, according to sources.
With its resources from the 2014 acquisition of headphone maker Beats Electronics, Apple is prototyping a completely new set of Bluetooth earphones with the potential of launching the accessory alongside the iPhone 7 this fall. The new earphones are said to be completely wireless, which is to say that they do not even have a cable connecting the left and right ear pieces. Sources say that the headphones are similar in concept to the Motorola Hint headset (pictured above) and Bragi’s new Dash headphones that were shown at CES this week.
Apple is currently planning a March 2016 event to unveil the second-generation Apple Watch, according to sources with knowledge of the plans. The second version of the Apple Watch would then ship by April, nearly a year after the original model first went on sale. Apple has also been working on a new “iPhone 6c” with a 4-inch display, which also could appear at this event, according to the sources…
Apple plans to start selling the 12.9-inch iPad Pro on Wednesday, November 11th via both its physical retail and online stores, according to multiple sources. Apple previously only said that the large tablet would become available during the month of November, a couple of months after the introduction in early September. The iPad Pro’s marquee accessories, the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, will also become available for purchase on November 11th. The iPad Pro starts at $799 and comes in both 32GB and 128GB configurations with WiFi only. An LTE-compatible version comes exclusively in the 128GB configuration and costs upwards of $1000. We reported earlier this week that Apple’s support staff is scheduled to complete iPad Pro training by November 6th, less than a week prior to the launch.
In an effort to reduce wait times at Genius Bars within Apple Stores, Apple this week will launch a new repair program for the iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus and 6s Plus in select stores across the United States, Europe, and Japan, according to several employees. Rather than completing all repairs in store, the new program will allow Apple Store Genius Bars to determine that these phones should be shipped to an off-site repair center if the issue falls into one of three categories:
The revamped Apple TV set top box and iPad Pro will both begin showing up in Apple Retail Stores for sale during the first week of November after going on sale via Apple’s website in late October, according to reliable sources. It is also likely that the first online orders of both products will reach customers in early November.
With September’s iPhone release in the rearview and the iPad Pro set for an early November launch, Apple is ready to add some new Mac hardware into its fall product line. Apple is currently planning to announce new 21.5-inch iMacs with 4K screens next week, according to multiple reliable sources. While the new computers are likely ready to begin showing up in stores as soon as Tuesday, October 13th, Apple will ramp up larger quantities for November, according to the sources, so finding one early on may be a slight challenge.
Today we’re taking the first really deep look at Apple’s fourth-generation Apple TV, which will hit stores next month. In our exclusive video, we explore the upgraded hardware, the Siri Remote, and dig down into tvOS, the new UI that brings the entire experience to life.
Are there surprises? Oh yes. The new Apple TV actually supports Bluetooth headphones and Bluetooth speakers, a special Night Mode, and radically improved accessibility options inspired by iOS. You can learn about all of the great new features below…
Alongside the new iPhones, new Apple TV, new Apple Watch bands, and a gold anodized version of the Apple Watch Sport, Apple plans to debut a pair of new iPads on Wednesday: the larger iPad Pro and a new iPad mini. Since our report last week that the iPad Pro would be unveiled at this event, we’ve gathered a few more details about the device from several sources who have either used the iPad Pro or are familiar with the product.
Unlike earlier iPads, which have started at 16GB of capacity and been designed to appeal in both pricing and size to the masses, even the base model iPad Pro will have features fitting its name. We’re also hearing that it’s coming a little later than originally expected, but will still make it out by year’s end…
One of the cornerstone features of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, to be announced next Wednesday, is a screen based on the Force Touch technology from the latest MacBook trackpads and the Apple Watch. However, as we noted in previous articles such as our event expectations roundup from yesterday, the Force Touch feature in the new iPhones will actually be a next-generation version of the technology. According to sources familiar with the new iPhones, the new pressure-sensitive screen will likely be called the “3D Touch Display”…