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iOS 13.2 arrives with Deep Fusion photography
Apple has just released iOS 13.2. If you own a new iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro, you'll want to download this update as soon as possible as it includes Apple's new Deep Fusion photography feature. In short, the feature is Apple's response to recent advancements made by Google in computational photography. In the words of Phil Schiller, the feature uses "computational photography mad science" to process photos in a way that makes them look more natural, with less noise and better detail. The "mad science," as it were, is that the feature takes advantage of machine learning and image stacking to render each pixel of a photo optimally. You'll likely see the benefits of Apple's new approach most in less than ideal lighting conditions, but it should help to improve all your photos.
Apple confirms 50 percent of iPhones have upgraded to iOS 13
Despite a slightly staggered rollout, half of iPhone users have updated their devices to Apple's iOS 13 in the month since its release. With features like Apple Arcade and system-wide dark mode, users are upgrading to the new OS despite some frustrating quirks.
Safari in iOS sends some Safe Browsing data to Tencent (updated)
Apple's Safari browser has long sent data to Google Safe Browsing to help protect against phishing scams using its Fraudulent Website Warning feature, but it now appears Chinese tech giant Tencent gets some information as well. Users have discovered that iOS 13 (and possibly versions starting from iOS 12.2) sends some data to Tencent Safe Browsing in addition to Google's system. It's not clear at this stage whether Tencent collects any information outside of China -- you'll see mention of the collection in the US disclaimer, but that doesn't mean it's scooping up info from American web surfers.
Apple adds five new Arcade games as its free trial draws to a close
Not sure what to make of Apple Arcade, the company's $5 a month gaming service? It didn't really matter, as the service landed in September (or earlier if you were on the beta) with a free month trial on iOS and iPadOS and MacOS. But it's a few weeks on, and in a bid to keep you playing (and start paying), Apple Arcade's latest update lands today, adding to the 75 games already on board.
iOS 13.2 beta gives you more control over Siri recordings
Apple is acting on its promise to offer more Siri privacy controls in the wake of reports that quality control contractors were listening to sensitive info. The second beta of iOS 13.2 adds options to not only opt out of sharing Siri and Dictation audio, but to delete the entire history of interactions associated with your device. You can't scrub recordings that have already been used to improve Siri, but those are already disassociated from your hardware.
Apple is selling Microsoft's Xbox controller in its online store
Now that Apple's mobile and living room devices support console game controllers, the company is doing something that would have been unimaginable even a few years ago -- it's selling the Xbox Wireless Controller through its online store. Spend $60 and you can use Microsoft's official gamepad to play supporting titles on your Apple TV, iPad or iPhone. While Apple is certainly no stranger to selling Microsoft products (Office has been available for years), it's still an odd sight when the company is positioning the Apple TV as a pseudo-competitor to the Xbox One.
iOS 13.2 beta may shed light on Apple's new AirPods design
Besides a look at the company's upcoming Deep Fusion photography mode, the latest iOS 13 beta includes another preview Apple might not have intended people to see just yet. Digging into the 13.2 developer beta, 9to5Mac discovered an icon that may depict the company's next-generation AirPods.
Apple's improved Maps expand across the northeast US
Apple is starting to roll out its major Maps update more broadly across the US. It overhauled the app for iOS 13 with revamped maps for parts of California and Texas, and now it's expanding its new and improved Maps across the northeast US.
Apple iPadOS review: More like a laptop than ever
For the first few years of the iPad's life, Apple basically treated it like an overgrown iPhone. Yes, its bigger screen meant people would want to use it differently, and third-party developers did a fine job retooling their software to make full use of that extra screen space. It wasn't until iOS 9 when Apple really invested in tablet-specific features like Split View and Slide Over, and it was that subtle shift in priorities led us directly to the present -- and to iPadOS. Don't be fooled by the name, though: iOS and iPadOS are still mostly the same thing. Nearly every feature I've discussed in our iOS 13.1 review is present here, along with a series of changes that are helping to slowly close the gap between iPads and more traditional computers. To get a sense of iPadOS's progress, I vowed to put as much of this review together on an iPad Pro, and honestly, I'm pretty pleased with the results. I couldn't do everything, but the fact that I could write the copy, edit and watermark my photos, address fixes in Google Docs and lay out almost everything for the site speaks to how much more capable iPads can be after an update. We're still not at the point where iPadOS turns iPads into full-blown computer replacements for most people, but the update is a big step down that path.
Apple's latest iOS 13 update fixes camera glitch and other issues
Apple already has another iOS 13 update, iOS 13.1.2. The company released the update to the public today. It fixes a bug that affected the progress bar for iCloud Backup, an issue with the Camera and another with the flashlight, glitches with HomePod shortcuts and more.
iOS 13.1 review: A necessary update after a rough start
Major iOS updates tend to come like clockwork, but this year — well, this year has been a little weird. Earlier this month, Apple officially released iOS 13 for iPhones, iPod touches and the like, and all of its new iPhones came with the software already installed. Less than a week later, though, the company released iOS 13.1 and iPadOS, updates that bucked another trend by being shipped a few days ahead of schedule. As a result, many people who installed the first iOS 13 release build probably — hopefully — aren't using it anymore. I say "hopefully" because the standard iOS 13 release was a... a bit of a mess. I ran into a handful of bugs while testing the iPhone 11, Pro and Pro Max that, while hardly dealbreakers, seemed seriously out of place for a release as big as this one. Sometimes the camera app wouldn't correctly launch. Sometimes iOS thought the flashlight was on when it wasn't. Others have run into more considerable issues, so it's no wonder Apple wanted to release the iOS 13.1 update ahead of schedule to fix these problems. That left us in the peculiar position of deciding which version to officially review: The release that set this whole thing in motion, or the release that most people would actually wind up using. Because of Apple's timing we ultimately decided to wait for 13.1 for completeness's sake. From what I've been able to tell over the past few days, 13.1 has mostly done the trick. The bugs I ran into during my iPhone 11 testing have been ironed out, plus a bunch of others I was lucky enough to avoid. Just check out this changelog: Apple made no fewer than 24 bug fixes, enough to make you wonder if the company would have been better off pushing back the iPhone 11 ship dates. Between iOS 13's core features and 13.1's fixes and additions, Apple's new smartphone software is finally ready to embrace — though no one could blame you for being wary.
Apple releases fix for iOS 13's battery drain and Siri issues
Apple is still racing to fix iOS bugs days after the release of its latest iPhones. The tech giant has released an iOS 13.1.1 update (plus a corresponding iPadOS 13.1.1 version) that tackles a number of glaring problems. The most notable is a fix for a battery drain issue plaguing users across the board, but there's also a solution for Siri's problems recognizing requests on the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. This addresses issues with restoring your device from a backup, too, so you won't want to skip this if you're interested in safeguarding your data.
You'll soon be able to ask Siri to play songs on Spotify
It's been a long time coming, but it looks like you'll soon be able to queue up songs on Spotify with the help of Siri. If you own an iPhone, the lastest Spotify beta allows you to ask Apple's digital assistant to play songs, albums and playlists, says The Verge, which was among the first to spot the new functionality.
Apple reschedules iOS 13.1 and iPadOS releases for September 24th
Apple has barely released iOS 13, but you might be getting another significant revision mere days later. The company has told Engadget it's moving the releases of iPadOS and iOS 13.1 to September 24th, or nearly a week before the originally scheduled September 30th debut. While there's no mention of just why Apple is stepping up the pace, it might be due to software stability. Some iPhone 11 reviewers (including Engadget) have noticed buggy behavior in iOS 13.0, and this could iron out the kinks before there's been too much opportunity to complain.
iOS 13 with Apple Arcade and watchOS 6 are now available
If you've been holding on patiently for Apple Arcade, system-wide dark mode on your iPhone, the Sign in with Apple feature and better Maps and Siri, your wait is over: Apple has released iOS 13 and watchOS 6. You might need to be a little patient before the update shows up on your iPhone or Apple Watch -- the company's servers typically get slammed whenever a major OS update drops.
Apple Arcade is available early for some iOS 13 beta users
Apple Arcade won't officially arrive until this Thursday, but some folks are reporting on Twitter they already have access to it. As confirmed by Engadget, people who are using the iOS 13 beta on iPhone are seeing Arcade pop up on a tab in the App Store.
iOS 13 file confirms Apple is testing an augmented reality headset
Hints pulled from iOS 13 code have already shown signs of the rumored AR headset that Apple is supposedly working on, but now there's clearer proof than ever. Developer Steve Troughton-Smith points out a readme in a new release that explains to employees how they can run the augmented reality apps on an iPhone without using the actual headset. 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo showed how the iOS 13.0 gold master and iOS 13.1 beta releases contain Apple's "StarBoard" system shell to run AR apps as well. According to Smith, the code suggests that rendering could be handled on the iPhone itself, and the use of an additional gamepad/motion control device. Apple's plans for augmented or virtual reality went unmentioned during today's iPhone event, along with other rumored announcements like a new Apple TV or ultra-wideband location Tags. Still, the leftover notes suggest that it could've been a late scratch, or perhaps that something new is, as rumored, around the corner for next year.
Watch Apple's 2019 iPhone launch in under 15 minutes
On Tuesday, Apple held its annual fall hardware launch. With it came the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, as well as the Apple Watch Series 5 with an always-on display. A new $329 iPad with 10.2-inch display is on the way as well. The company also shared further details on Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade, revealing they'll launch on November 1st and September 19th respectively. Even more exciting is the fact that both services will cost only $4.99 per month for the entire family. Per usual, Apple also revealed launch dates for its operating system updates. Both iOS 13 and watchOS 6 will launch on September 19th, with iPadOS coming slightly later on September 30th. Compared to some past Apple events, Tuesday's keynote was blissfully short. Still, we've managed to condense the entire presentation to just 13 minutes.
We're live at Apple's 2019 iPhone event!
We've finally made our way to California, and just in time, too — Apple Day is finally upon us. It won't be long now before the company reveals its trio of new iPhones, and if nothing else, we're dying to know what Apple actually plans to call these things. The iPhone 11 series? iPhone XI? Are we getting an iPhone 11 Pro Max? Why does it sound like we're talking about a late-90's graphics card? When it comes to nomenclature, the answers can't come soon enough.
Watch Apple's 2019 iPhone event here at 1PM ET
It's time for Apple's customary iPhone event, but there are a few twists this time around -- including how you can watch it. The proceedings at the Steve Jobs Theater will still be available on Apple's website and its event app for Apple TV starting at 1PM Eastern, but you can also watch on YouTube (embedded below) for the first time. Yes, it's now more a question of where you'd like to stream the show than whether you can stream it at all. We'll also have a live blog direct from the event if you'd like a blow-by-blow account.