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Apple releases iOS 13.7 with Exposure Notifications Express framework
It includes an update for Apple's COVID-19 contact tracing efforts.
Test shows dark mode really can save battery life on OLED iPhones
Dark mode is a key feature on iOS 13, but can it really extend your iPhone's battery life? If it's an OLED model, the answer seems to be a firm yes, according to tests done by PhoneBuff. They used robotic devices to perform identical tasks on two iPhone XS test devices, one in light and one in dark mode. That included watching a YouTube video, using Twitter, navigating with Google Maps and chatting on the Messages app.
Siri can now play Spotify tracks on iOS 13
With Spotify's latest release for iOS 13, you can finally ask Siri to play albums, songs and playlists, confirming a rumor that the two companies were working together. To use it, you simply install the update and ask Siri to play a track "with Spotify." The new integration also works with CarPlay, giving you hands-free control over Spotify tunes while you drive.
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.
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's iOS 13.1 and iPadOS are now available
Apple's only just released iOS 13, but there's already a new kid in town. Alongside iPadOS, the company has released iOS 13.1 -- both a week ahead of the originally scheduled September 30th debuts.
Leaked screenshots show how Apple's tracker tags might work
New screen shots have revealed more evidence of Apple's possible tracking tag system and how it might work. iOS 13 might feature a tab called "Items" within the "Find My" app that will display a map and list of items you've set up to track, according to MacRumors. When opened, the tab declares you can use the app to "Tag your everyday items with B389 and never lose them again."
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 will be available on September 19th
As usual, a new version of iOS will come along with the next iPhone. iOS 13 was introduced back at WWDC in June, but now we know that it'll arrive on September 19th, one day before Apple releases its latest iPhones, the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Apple is trying to save my hearing after I spent years ruining it
My love affair with loud music started in earnest in my sophomore year of high school, when I got an iPod for my birthday and immediately started blasting Black Mages albums and anime theme songs. Fast forward fifteen years, and my morning commute neatly illustrates just how bad my hearing has gotten. I get dressed, walk to the subway, pop in my AirPods and crank up the volume to 100 percent. That's the only way I can really hear my podcasts over the cacophony of the Q train as it winds through Brooklyn and chugs along over the Manhattan Bridge.
iOS 13 isn't coming to the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 or iPad Air
Bad news if you're still rocking an iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and hoped to install iOS 13 -- Apple won't support the latest version of the OS on those devices. Owners of the original iPad Air, iPad Mini2 and iPad Mini 3 will miss out on the swanky new iPadOS as well.
The iPad is getting its own OS
Apple showed off a slew of updated iOS 13 features and a spiffy dedicated branch of its mobile operating system for the iPad during the WWDC 2019 event in San Jose on Monday.
iOS 13 focuses on speed and embraces the darkness
iOS is Apple's most important piece of software, and as such the company is kicking off WWDC 2019 with a first look at iOS 13. Apple's senior VP of software engineering Craig Federighi is taking us through the new software -- and while last year's update focused largely on performance, it sounds like iOS 13 will include a ton of user-facing features and updates to Apple's own apps.
iOS 13 may include system-wide dark mode and undo gesture
With Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference less than two months away, more details about what iOS 13 might have in store are emerging. It could add a system-wide dark mode, deeper multitasking options, an undo gesture and updates for the likes of Safari and Mail, according to 9to5 Mac.
Apple's 2020 iPhones may use laser-assisted 3D cameras
Apple's plans to improve iPhone photography might go well beyond adding a third rear camera. Bloomberg sources say the tech giant is developing a 3D camera system that uses a laser scanner to capture depth information at distances much greater than the dot projection system used in Face ID on current iPhones. Augmented reality is reportedly the main focus, since this would help gauge dimensions, but it would also help with portrait mode photos that currently have to rely on software to detect foreground objects.
