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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.
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.
A brief first look at Apple's seventh-generation iPad
It didn't receive much lip service at today's keynote, but Apple has unveiled a new 10.2-inch iPad, the seventh generation in the company's long line of tablets. This also means Apple has axed the last 9.7-inch model, a size that once defined the iPad line. Like the device that it replaces, this new 10.2-inch tablet supports Apple Pencil input, though that writing implement continues to be sold separately. This time, though, the entry-level iPad also gets Apple's Smart Connector, allowing you to snap on Apple's $159 keyboard folio, also sold separately. In my brief demo, I was most struck by how bright the screen is. At 500 nits it doesn't compare to a new flagship iPhone (one device announced today tops out at 1,200 nits), but I'm old enough to remember when 500 nits was the spec on high-end notebooks. This is a $329 tablet, cheaper than even most low-end laptops. The new iPad is up for pre-order today, with shipments starting September 30th. As stated, it starts at $329, but if you want LTE too, then the base price goes up to $459. All told, built-in storage ranges from 32GB to 128GB.
iPadOS will arrive on September 30th
Apple's new entry-level iPad will come with iPadOS pre-installed. But what about the rest of us who have an existing iPad and want that new software goodness? Well, Apple noted in its iPad PR that iPadOS will roll out to older iPads on September 30th. As for what devices are supported: all iPad Pros, the iPad Air 2 from 2014 and later, the 5th-generation iPad from 2016 and later and the iPad mini 4 from 2015 and later.
Apple’s budget $329 iPad gets a 10.2-inch screen
Bloomberg's predictions proved accurate at Apple's September iPhone event held in Cupertino on Tuesday. The company announced on stage that the iPad's 9.7-inch base model will slightly increase in size, to 10.2 inches, for its 7th generation. This move follows April's revamping of the iPad Mini and iPad Air lines.
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.
Spotify adds long-overdue iPad multitasking
Spotify has been available on the iPad for several years, but it hasn't really evolved to take advantage of the Apple tablet's growing multitasking abilities. You've still had to switch to a full-screen view just to start a new playlist or see what friends are playing. At last, though, it's getting more respect. Spotify has stealthily updated its iPad app with support for multitasking modes like Slide Over and Split View. You can keep tabs on an album while you're reading the artist's bio on the web, or browse podcasts without disrupting your group chat.
Apple and Google show off their more inclusive emoji for 2019
The Unicode Consortium teased the next round of emoji additions for 2019, and now it's clear just what they'll look like when they reach your phone. Both Apple and Google are marking World Emoji Day (July 17th) by showing their adaptations of the dozens of emoji characters coming to their platforms later in the year -- you can find a few of Apple's examples above, and Google's below. In both cases, the focuses are on inclusivity and a bit of whimsy.
Apple tests iCloud.com sign-ins with your face or finger
The iCloud website is handy when you want to check info from an unfamiliar device or just prefer to use a browser, but the need to enter your password could be enough of a pain that you might just pull out your phone instead. Soon, though, it could be relatively effortless. The company is testing a beta iCloud site that uses Face ID or Touch ID to sign you in. You'll need a beta version of iOS 13, iPadOS or macOS Catalina, but after that it's just a matter of using your face or finger to sign in with compatible Apple gear.
Apple releases public betas of iOS 13, iPadOS and macOS Catalina
Now's your chance to peek at the future of Apple software without signing up for a developer account. Apple has released the first public betas of iOS 13, iPadOS and macOS Catalina, giving you a taste of what's to come in the fall if you're willing to live with bugs and compatibility issues. The highlight for many will be iOS 13, which brings the coveted dark mode as well as big updates to core apps like Mail, Maps, Notes and Reminders. You can expect smarter photo browsing, Memoji sticker packs, an improved Siri voice and speedier app loading.
iPadOS makes Apple's tablets feel like a priority again
When I reviewed the iPad Pro last year, I was torn. Here was one of the most impressive (not to mention expensive) tablets any company had ever made, and its software seemed caught between two goals: provide the classic, friendly iOS experience people were used to, and grow in a way that made it more meaningful to pro users shelling out for premium hardware.
Apple's Voice Control is important for accessibility, and you
"Open Photos. Scroll up. Show numbers. 13." Over the years, Apple has frequently highlighted its accessibility work in commercials, but the ad that ran for a minute and a half during game 5 of the NBA Finals was particularly powerful. In it, a man in a wheelchair — Ian Mackay, a disability advocate and outdoor enthusiast — issued the commands above to a waiting iMac. With hardly any delay, the computer did as it was told.
iOS 13 will show locations where apps have tracked you
Apple will be big on privacy in iOS 13, and that includes the data collected after you've granted permission. Beta testers at 9to5Mac and elsewhere have discovered the upcoming release (and iPadOS) will occasionally pop up detailed panels asking if you want to retain the level of location sharing you have for a given app, including a map of just where an app has been tracking you. There's also a description of just why an app needs that tracking data. If you're uncomfortable with either explanation, you can limit location gathering on the spot.
iPadOS first look: Desktop-class browsing, better multitasking and more
We knew Apple would make major changes to iOS on the iPad, but we didn't think the company would take things a step further and announce iPadOS. (Not until Apple quietly let the news slip ahead of its WWDC keynote, anyway.) Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of software engineering, says the process of using the iPad has become a "truly distinct" experience, one that requires special attention beyond that which goes into phone-centric versions of iOS. Needless to say, iPads stand to gain a lot when this new software becomes available later this year.
iPadOS won’t change your mind on the iPad
Apple's announcement of iPadOS yesterday wasn't a huge surprise, outside of the name. Rumors have suggested that iOS 13 would be a major step forward for the iPad, bringing multitasking improvements that would make using an iPad more like a "real computer." It's something the iPad definitely needs, particularly the $800-plus iPad Pro. If you're shelling out that kind of cash, it should be capable enough to be your main computer. The laundry list of improvements coming to the iPad this fall will undoubtedly make Apple's tablets more capable than ever before. But let's be clear: if you found the iPad and iOS too limiting before, these updates will likely not change your mind. At first glance, iPadOS seems like a major refinement to the existing iPad user experience -- but if you prefer using Windows or macOS, an iPad still might be more of a frustration than a revelation.
Apple’s new Files app makes iPads better laptop replacements
Apple has long insisted that iPads represent its vision for the future of computing, but they've always lacked one key feature that made them less than ideal for actual work: proper file management. You could never officially download files within Safari on the iPad, nor could you use iOS's Files app to create local folders on the iPad you could save things into. Thankfully, with the advent of iPadOS, neither of those are problems anymore.
We cut down Apple’s 2-hour WWDC keynote to under 30 minutes
To say Apple's WWDC 2019 keynote was jam-packed would be an understatement. Apple offered its usual previews of the next versions of iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS, but it also broke some new ground. The iPad now has its own operating system, for starters. There were also meaningful updates to the HomePod and a new privacy-focused sign-in. And of course, there's the not-so-small matter of the redesigned Mac Pro -- Apple has finally shown its long-in-the-making workstation. It's a lot to take in. Never fear, though, as we've boiled things down to a shorter video that gives you the gist of Apple's many, many announcements.
Apple finally brings mouse support to iPad with iPadOS
Apple has at long last answered the hopes and dreams of people hoping for mouse support on iPad. With the new iPadOS, you'll be able to hook up a USB mouse or the likes of Apple's Magic Trackpad, as iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith discovered once the developer beta went live.
WWDC 2019 by the numbers
Apple held its 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose on Monday and took the opportunity to show off its latest MacOS build, a bunch of new features for the iPad, a bonkers 6K display for its equally overpowered Mac Pro, and even a new way to get into Minecraft. Let's take a look.
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.
