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iOS 12.3 is out now with overhauled TV app
Just seven weeks after rolling out iOS 12.2, Apple has released iOS 12.3. The biggest update this time around is a major refresh of the TV app ahead of the Apple TV+ streaming service debuting later this year. Through the new-look app, you can subscribe to various TV networks through Apple TV Channels and watch their shows all in one place.
Apple releases fix for the Group FaceTime bug
Apple has released iOS 12.1.4 which fixes the Group FaceTime bug that let you listen in on someone before they answered a call. Apple turned off the feature after reports of the bug emerged, and had said it would roll out a fix this week. You'll need to update to use Group FaceTime, which remains disabled for anyone running iOS 12.1.3 or earlier.
Apple's Group FaceTime is 'unavailable' after eavesdropping bug appears
Just in case you hadn't immediately disabled FaceTime after finding out about a bug that could allow callers to receive audio and even video before you picked up, it looks like Apple is trying to close the hole on its end. While the company already said a fix for the issue -- which affects iPhones, iPads and Macs -- is coming later this week, tonight its System Status page shows that Group FaceTime has been unavailable since 10:16 PM ET. When we tried to initiate a Group FaceTime call -- part of the issue behind the bug -- the calls just ended, although some have reported the bug is still active for them. Apple shut the service off for the time being, and based on our tests it should keep people from exploiting the issue Still, until everything has been addressed it's probably still a good idea to disable FaceTime so that people don't find out what you really say when their name pops up on Caller ID.
Apple's next low-cost iPads might skip Face ID
If the redesigned iPad Pro gave you hope that Apple would deliver a similar overhaul for lower-cost iPads, you might want to temper your expectations. Code sleuther Steve Troughton-Smith has discovered that the iOS 12.2 beta references four new iPad configurations that don't include Face ID, suggesting they'll stick to Touch ID and thus a more conventional design. This isn't shocking when Apple is likely sticking to a lower price point, but it does suggest that it could be a while before the company's depth-sensing camera tech is truly affordable.
China grants Qualcomm a ban on some iPhone sales, Apple files appeal
A Chinese court granted Qualcomm an injunction against Apple that halts sales and imports of most iPhone models in the country. The court ruled that several devices, including iPhone X, violated two Qualcomm patents related to resizing photos and managing apps. Shortly after this news broke, CNBC reported that Apple was mounting an appeal.
Death by push notification
Attention is the main prize of the internet. Everyone is fighting for it, and the phone is the prime battleground. The most potent of weapons in this war is the incessant, whining notification trying to pull your attention away from whatever you are actually doing and into some other app. The notification may also be a major source of modern technological madness, due to the harmful cognitive consequences of having one's focus continually shattered and reset. A recent study found that a majority of users who made a deliberate choice to turn their notifications down as part of an enforced break were not likely to turn them back on. This got me wondering: What would happen if I cranked them in the opposite direction? What might I learn about how phones are reshaping minds? What might I learn about my own mind?
iPhone X bug lets hackers snag deleted photos
Whether it's because they're unflattering, inappropriate or just plain terrible, we've all deleted photos for one reason or another. But the drunken 3AM selfies that you thought you scrubbed from your phone might not be totally gone, and two researchers have found a vulnerability in iPhone X that could let hackers access supposedly-deleted photos and files.
Volkswagen owners can use Siri Shortcuts to unlock their car
If you're a Volkswagen driver, you now have another way to lock and unlock your car, start and stop electric charging and check your remaining estimated mileage. That's because VW has added Siri integration to its Car-Net app.
iPad Pro 12.9 review (2018): The future of computing?
The iPad Pro line has been around for three years now, and Apple has been adamant that it embodies the company's vision for the "future of computing." That's as big a claim now as it was when Tim Cook first made it, but with the release of the new iPad Pro, it's finally starting to feel like Apple is making good on its word. Consider this: The 2018 iPad Pro is sleeker, faster and more flexible than any other tablet Apple has ever made. At first glance, this new generation of iPads is the first we've seen that actually comes close to being able to replace a traditional laptop. It's just that good. But is it good enough? Or, rather, is it good enough in the right ways? That really depends on your priorities: artists and other creative professionals will be utterly thrilled, but the rest of us may be in for some disappointment.
Apple will release iOS 12.1 with Group FaceTime tomorrow
You won't have to wait until Apple's big iPad event to find out when iOS 12.1 will arrive. Apple has confirmed that the update will be available on October 30th (the day of the event) for all existing iOS 12-compatible devices. For most, the highlight will be the delayed Group FaceTime feature -- up to 32 people can chat at once, complete with a system that surfaces video based on who's speaking. You'll also be happy if you're an emoji fan, since Apple is adding more than 70 characters that include more hairstyles, animals and food.
iOS icon provides clearest look yet at iPad Pro with Face ID
You don't have to rely on tiny icons or word-of-mouth leaks to know what the next iPad Pro will look like -- Apple has provided a good clue all on its own. The 9to5Mac team has discovered an iOS icon that shows the 2018 iPad Pro in much clearer detail, including the absence of a home button (and thus the presence of Face ID) and a not-quite-edge-to-edge display. It's unclear if everything is to scale, since Apple occasionally exaggerates icon details for the sake of clarity, but there's little doubt as to what the tablet will look like.
Apple iPhone XR review: The best iPhone for most people
Everywhere I go, I see people hanging onto their old iPhones — those devices have usually seen better days, but there they are, still ticking away. Sometimes, as socially anxious as I am, I ask people about it. More often than not, their answers are the same: They don't want to spend $1,000 on a new phone. I get that, and apparently, Apple does too: That's why the iPhone XR exists. Apple hasn't shied away from selling cheaper smartphones: There was the 5c some years ago, and the SE after that. And let's not forget that Apple always sells the prior year's models for less once the shiny new stuff comes out. The iPhone XR is a step in a different direction. Instead of just repackaging old components, Apple took a lot of what makes the XS and XS Max great and built a brand new, more affordable frame around it. It's all about accessibility. A process like this is rife with compromises and, to be clear, Apple made quite a few of them in building the XR. To Apple's credit, though, the iPhone XR never really feels compromised. Sure, it's less flashy than its premium cousins — even so, the XR delivers everywhere it counts.
Half of all iOS devices are running iOS 12
More than half of all iPhones, iPads, and iPods are running iOS 12, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, just over three weeks after the OS was released. Folks are taking to iOS 12 way faster than its predecessor. It took 50 days—about twice as long—for iOS 11 to reach 50 percent of devices, as documented by ZDNet.
Apple issues update to fix iPhone XS charging and WiFi problems
It didn't take long for Apple to tackle some of the iPhone XS' teething troubles. The company has released an iOS 12.0.1 update that, most notably, fixes a glitch that prevented the XS and XS Max from charging over a wired connection until you woke the screen. This didn't affect everyone (yours truly was fine), but this could prove a relief to anyone worried they'd wake up to a low battery. It also fixes a WiFi reception problem where the device would rejoin a network on the slower 2.4GHz band instead of 5GHz.
Apple iPhone XS and XS Max review: Pricey but future-proof
When Apple introduced the iPhone X last year, it didn't just release a new phone -- it presented a new vision of what iPhones should be. The fact that the X became Apple's top-selling model quarter after quarter was proof that people were embracing change. Now, with the arrival of the new iPhone XS and XS Max, Apple's vision feels almost inescapable. That's not necessarily a bad thing for iOS fans. These new XS models represent Apple at the top of its hardware game, and if you buy either of them, you probably won't need to upgrade for quite a while. They're that good. The bigger question here is whether the iPhone XS and XS Max are must-own devices, and that's where things get complicated. Before we can divine an answer to that question, though, we need to understand what makes these iPhones as valuable as they are.
Apple iOS 12 review: Less mess
The wait is over: After a splashy announcement at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in June, iOS 12 is finally ready. And the best part? While it's far from the flashiest iPhone update ever -- there's no visual overhaul here or many hyped-up new features -- iOS 12 might be the most pleasant Apple software update I've ever used. Yes, "pleasant" -- not "feature-packed." As reported many, many times even before the announcement, Apple's developers focused on sanding down the software's rougher edges and making iOS as a whole faster and easier to use. That was no small feat, especially when you consider the number of issues that wound up plaguing last year's big software release. For once, Apple crafted a software update that feels just as valuable on old hardware as it does on the shiny new stuff.
Telegram's move to Swift on iOS promises a more battery-friendly app
Since January, Telegram has operated two versions of its messaging app on Android and iOS: the original and an experimental one called Telegram X. The app was rewritten from scratch for X; it's built on Apple's Swift programming language on iOS and the Telegram Database Library development tool on Android. Telegram is now set to replace its original iOS app with the Swift version within the next couple of weeks.
iOS 12.1 beta hints at a new iPad this year
If you were bummed that Apple didn't release a refreshed iPad Pro at this month's event, then code from the iOS 12.1 beta might brighten your day. According to 9to5Mac, there's a daemon embedded within the code that could contain the ability to sync Memoji via iCloud. There aren't a lot of reasons you'd need to store a Memoji in iCloud unless an iPad capable of supporting them was on the way.
Don't be afraid to upgrade your old iPhone to iOS 12
Apple was still selling 2015's iPhone 6s until last week. Then it announced three new phones and made the iPhone 7 its entry-level mobile device. There are likely tens of millions of iPhone 6s devices out there still, but last year's buggy iOS 11 update made the device, as well as other older iPhones, start showing their age. Fortunately, relief is here in the form of iOS 12. In years past, software updates on older devices were something to be wary of. But at WWDC this year, Apple said iOS 12 would deliver improved performance on devices as old as 2013's iPhone 5s. After spending the last day or so playing with iOS 12 on my iPhone 6s, I can say that Apple has definitely breathed new life into the device.
Google Maps works with Apple CarPlay following iOS 12 update
We've known since WWDC in June that iOS 12 would herald the arrival of Google Maps on CarPlay. Apple released the latest version of the iPhone and iPad software Monday, and after Google updated its app to support CarPlay, you can now use that navigation option on your car's infotainment system.
