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iPhone 8 and 8 Plus review: Change in small doses
It's no secret that smartphones have tended to get sleeker and less obtrusive over time. Screens are growing, but bezels are shrinking. In a very real way, the boundaries between us and our information -- our apps, our contacts, our very desires reproduced in pixels -- are melting away. Apple has sensed the industry shifting around it, and it made the iPhone X in response to that. But, in a bid to make the transition less jarring, Apple also made the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. They're familiar-looking phones that mostly operate the way people expect them to. They're conventional. But that doesn't mean they're inherently lacking -- far from it, in fact. While I suspect all iPhones will look like the iPhone X soon enough, the 8 and 8 Plus are expertly built, high-performance devices for people who want to ease into Apple's vision of the future. And who knows? These just might be the last conventional iPhones Apple makes.
Apple’s Venmo-like money transfers will arrive after iOS 11
A new payment service from Apple is set to launch sometime this fall through iOS 11 and watchOS 4 updates. Apple Pay Cash will allow Apple device users to transfer money between each other within Messages or through Siri.
Apple bans misleading apps on iOS
As soon as you get your shiny new iPhone 8, you'll probably want to download some apps. So Apple took the opportunity to update its developer app review guidelines to make sure the App Store is in tip top shape. According to 9to5 Mac, it's now officially cracking down on misleading apps. The App Store has already had policies against such apps already, but the recent update makes it more explicit. The ban is against apps "including content or services that it does not actually offer." As those fake antivirus apps don't actually work, they're definitely on this list. Apple has already removed a number of these apps from the App Store, but this new guideline makes the ban explicit so that they can't get on in the first place. In addition, the new guidelines also include clauses for ARKit and Face ID. Apple wants the ARKit apps you see in the App Store to be more than just one-note apps with single objects, adding that it needs to offer "rich and integrated augmented reality experiences." As for Face ID, Apple added that it must offer an alternate unlocking method for children under the age of 13. It'll also now be possible for apps to offer 100 percent of funds to be gifted from one person to another without using In-App Purchases, thus bypassing the need to give 30 percent of it to Apple. The caveat is that giving said money must be an optional choice. Last but not least, there is also a new clause that explicitly prohibits apps that "facilitate human trafficking and/or the exploitation of children." They've always been illegal anyway, but Apple is simply adding language to make it more explicit that it will take legal action if it finds such apps.
Apple's iTunes update removes the desktop iOS app store
While Apple expanded its iPhone lineup today, a software update delivered for iTunes on Windows and Mac PCs is slimming things down a bit. Once users install version 12.7 they will no longer have access to the App Store from the desktop. As described on Apple's support page, a focus toward "music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks" means that you'll usually need to use your iOS devices to manage the apps installed on them. What it adds in this update is the ability to sync with devices running iOS 11 and social music sharing for Apple Music subscribers.
iOS 11 comes to your iPhone and iPad on September 19th
Months after its initial unveiling at WWDC this year, iOS 11 is finally (almost) ready for public consumption. Come Sept 19, you'll be able to install Apple's latest software update -- should you choose to, anyway. The new iOS will ship with the newly announced iPhone 8 and 8 Plus when they arrive in stores on Sept 19, which is also most likely when the upgrade will roll out to the public. Those of us with aging iPhones (and iPads) will likely need to clear out old files and apps to make room for the update. But when you do eventually get iOS 11, you'll enjoy cool new tricks like Live Photo modes, a more-intelligent Siri and a customizable Control Center.
Apple's iPhone 8 and 8 Plus wrap more power in a glass-backed design
Today, Apple is likely to announce more phones than it has at any event in its history. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are two major parts of today's showcase, and after all those tantalizing leaks, we finally get to hear all about them. You won't have to wait much longer to handle one either: Both iPhone 8 models, which mark a return to glass-backed design, with a powerful-sounding new processor inside, will go on preorder September 15th, with a launch date of September 22nd. For the bigger handset, you'll get to pick storage configs with 64, 128 and 256GB options with prices start at $799, while iPhone 8 shoppers will get 64GB and 256GB options, with an entry-level price of $699. And yes, all three colors (silver, space gray and gold aluminum) will be coming to both phones. Let's take a look.
IKEA's Place app for iOS previews furniture in your home
Now that Apple's augmented reality platform is nearly here, developers are ready to show off what it can do... and one of the first examples will be particularly handy if you're updating your living room. IKEA has unveiled IKEA Place, an iOS app that uses ARKit to preview how furniture will look at home. As hinted at back in June, the software is smart enough to not only show off furniture at the proper scale (98 percent accuracy, IKEA says), but with the right kind of lighting and shadows. You'll know if that couch is too large for your apartment, or whether or not that reading chair would be too gauche for the room. Naturally, you can share images to ask for your friends' advice and jump straight to the IKEA website to buy your selections.
The next iPhone creates animated emoji from your facial expressions
You may already know that the next iPhone will use face detection for all kinds of clever tricks, but here's one you probably weren't expecting: customized emoji. The 9to5Mac crew has discovered that leaked "gold master" iOS 11 firmware includes references to 'Animoji,' or 3D emoji that you create using your facial expressions and voice. Pick one of the familiar non-human faces in the emoji library and it'll map your eye, mouth and cheek expressions to that character -- you can make a robot smile or have a dog raise its eyebrows. Even the poo emoji can be animated. This comes across as a gimmick (we can see many people dropping this once the novelty wears off), but it shows what's possible now that Apple has face tracking at its disposal. And there's more to the leak than just emoji.
iOS 11 leak reveals the LTE-enabled Apple Watch
A copy of iOS 11 in its final development stage has leaked online, and 9to5mac has dissected the software to reveal the secrets we're bound to hear during Apple's upcoming event. One of the publication's most notable discoveries is an image of what seems to be the LTE-enabled Apple Watch from within the wearable's app. It has a black Sport band, which indicates that the current bands will also fit the new model, and an eye-catching red Digital Crown. The most telling part of the image, though, is the watchface: it has a signal indicator in the middle that signifies cellular connection, as well as a phone and a navigation icon.
What to expect from Apple's iPhone event on September 12th
Another September, another iPhone event, right? Well, not exactly. Apple celebrated the iPhone's 10th anniversary earlier this year, and all of the rumors have pointed to a radically new and potentially very expensive smartphone to celebrate that milestone. It's all but certain we'll see this new phone, but that's hardly all that we expect Apple to reveal next Tuesday, at the first event in the company's brand-new headquarters. We could see two additional iPhones, Apple Watch updates, an upgraded Apple TV, details on the forthcoming HomePod speaker and possibly more. Apple often likes to surprise us, after all. Here's what we think Tim Cook and company will bring to the table on Tuesday.
Apple will unveil the next iPhone on September 12th at its new campus
To the surprise of almost no one, Apple has announced it'll be holding its annual iPhone event on Tuesday, September 12th. It'll be the first event hosted at Apple's new "spaceship" campus in Cupertino, California. Sure, Apple didn't say exactly what to expect, but given that the company has introduced a new iPhone around this timeframe for the last six years, it's a pretty safe bet we'll be seeing new mobile phones. That includes the "iPhone 8," a device that's expected to be radically different from its predecessors. Improvements rumored include an edge-to-edge OLED screen, face detection, wireless charging, a virtual home button and an updated dual-camera system.
The iPhone 8 reportedly swaps the home button for gesture controls
The folks over at Bloomberg got their hands on some images of the next iPhone as well as some information from people familiar with the new model. Some of the features confirmed in their report were already known or at least heavily suspected, but there are also some new details about how the phone will function without the home button.
Apple Watch will soon support a huge variety of workouts
Apple already mentioned that watchOS 4 will do more to accommodate fitness fans, but it's now clear that there's more coming for the exercise crowd... a lot more. Thanks to some sleuthing in the latest iOS 11 beta's code, iHelp BR has found assets hinting that the Apple Watch will support virtually every workout under the Sun. Some of them are common sports or fitness activities, such as boxing, football, core training and pilates, but others aren't what you'd normally expect in a fitness-savvy watch. Ever wanted to monitor your bowling or sailing? Your Apple Watch will help.
Apple demonstrates how the iPad Pro was made for iOS 11
Apple's iPad sales were surprisingly good last quarter, but a lot of critics (including us) thought there was still no way the iPad Pro could replace a proper PC. The release of iOS 11 next month will change some minds, however. A new series of Apple videos shows how to use the new features, including the Dock, Files app, multitasking, Apple Pencil and more. Suffice to say, it drastically improves productivity on the tablets, making it much easier to do multiple jobs concurrently.
An iOS 11 feature can quickly disable Touch ID
Law enforcement authorities have been at odds with the legal system and mobile companies when it comes to gaining access to citizens' phones. One of the more notable instances was the FBI's attempt to get Apple to unlock the San Bernardino suspect's iPhone, but there have been other similar incidents as well. And situations can get extra tricky when it comes to fingerprint unlocking, especially for those entering the US of late. However, with iOS 11, Apple is giving users an option to easily disable Touch ID, which could be very useful for those in sticky legal situations where they might be compelled to unlock their phone with their fingerprint.
Epic Games gives developers a taste of ARKit ahead of iOS 11
ARKit on iOS may blow up perhaps sooner than expected. That's because Epic Games have added experimental support for it to the latest version of Unreal Engine. The idea is to give developers an early look at the features before iOS 11 goes live later this fall.
iOS 11 camera features may include scene recognition
Smartphones may have effectively killed off dedicated point-and-shoot cameras, but Apple is looking to them for inspiration with iOS 11. Developers have dug through beta firmware for the HomePod, and tucked inside the code for Apple's smart speaker, there are hints that the next version of its mobile OS will feature something called "SmartCam."
Google Earth iOS update saves it from App Store removal
One of iOS 11's big changes (and there are many) is that it will no longer support 32-bit-only apps. This has left developers scrambling to make sure their apps will be able to launch on the software update arriving in September. It's understandable that smaller developers might make it just under the wire, but it's a little surprising that a company with the resources of Google would wait until the last minute. Today, the tech giant finally released a new version of Google Earth that has 64-bit support.
Take a peek at the new iOS emoji arriving later this year
If you've been not-so-patiently waiting for the 56 emoji approved by the Unicode Consortium last month to hit your iPhone . . . well, you have to wait a bit longer. But for World Emoji Day, Apple has hit us with a preview of what these emoji will look like when they finally arrive.
iOS 11 preview: Full of promise, especially on bigger screens
As always, Apple spent a considerable chunk of WWDC earlier this month hyping up iOS 11 and all of the new features it brings. Now it's your turn to take them for a spin. The first public release of the iOS 11 beta goes live today for people participating in Apple's testing program, and we've been playing with it for a few days to get a better sense of what it has to offer. Long story short, it's already shaping up to be a very valuable, very comprehensive release. In order to find out for yourself, you'll need the right hardware: an iPhone 5s or newer, an iPad mini 2 or newer or a sixth-generation iPod touch. Before you replace your iVessel's perfectly functional software with something that's still months away from being ready, keep reading for a primer on what to expect.
