Apple today released the newest version of its operating system for Macs, macOS Catalina, to the public. macOS Catalina comes after several rounds of beta testing and months of refinements.

macOS Catalina can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free, and it is available to anyone who has a compatible Mac.

macOS Catalina brings some major changes to the Mac, eliminating the iTunes app in favor of new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps. The three apps offer similar functionality to iTunes, but are split up by feature.

iOS device management is still available on the Mac, but it’s done through the Finder instead of iTunes, and accessing your Apple ID is now done through the new profile setting in System Preferences.

The TV app offers up access to TV and movies with support for 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos, the Music app offers access to Apple Music and your iTunes library, and the Podcasts app offers up the Podcasts library with features for browsing, viewing top charts, and more.

A new Sidecar feature lets you turn your iPad into a secondary display for your Mac with just the click of a button, and you can even use your Apple Pencil to turn the iPad into a drawing tablet when using apps like Photoshop and Illustrator.

With macOS Catalina, the Apple Watch can be used to approve security prompts for passwords, and Macs with a T2 chip now support Activation Lock, making them more secure.

A new Find My app is available on the Mac for the first time, and it lets you track your devices even when they’re offline, or in the case of notebooks, closed.

Screen Time is available on the Mac in addition to iPhones and iPads in macOS Catalina, so you can track your device usage across all of your devices for a better picture of how you’re spending your time.

Project Catalyst, a new Apple initiative, is designed to let developers easily port their iPad apps over to the Mac to increase the number of Mac apps available.

A new Photos interface surfaces your best photos organized by day, month, or year, there’s a new start page in Safari, Mail has new tools for muting email threads and blocking senders, and the Reminders app has been overhauled.

Security has been enhanced in macOS Catalina and Gatekeeper, Apple’s security protocol, checks all of your apps for known security issues. New data protections require apps to get your permission before accessing your documents.

The update also supports Apple Arcade, Apple’s new subscription-based gaming service that first began rolling out on the Mac last week. With macOS Catalina, Mac users can access Apple Arcade games on their Mac, as well as on iOS devices and the Apple TV.

Prior to installing macOS Catalina, Mac users should be aware that 32-bit apps no longer work, so some older apps may no longer work after installing the update.

For more on what’s new in macOS Catalina, make sure to check out our macOS Catalina roundup.

This article, “Apple Releases macOS Catalina With Find My, Screen Time, and No More iTunes” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today shared a trailer for the film “The Elephant Queen” ahead of its November 1 debut on Apple TV+.

Acquired by Apple at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, “The Elephant Queen” centers upon Athena, a matriarch of an elephant herd, as she is forced to lead her family across the African savanna in search of water:

Embark on an epic journey of love, courage and coming home. Join Athena, the majestic matriarch of an elephant herd, as she is forced to lead her family across the unforgiving African savanna in search of water. This family-friendly adventure is a cinematic love letter to a threatened species. Narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, The Lion King), The Elephant Queen won the Cinema for Peace International Green Film Award of the Year.

The trailer was shared on Apple TV+’s official YouTube channel:

Apple TV+ is Apple’s upcoming subscription-based streaming video service, launching November 1 in over 100 countries and regions. The platform will eventually offer dozens of original TV shows and movies, such as “The Morning Show,” “Dickinson,” “See,” “For All Mankind” and “The Elephant Queen.”

Apple TV+ will be available on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and other platforms, including online at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. Since September 10, customers who purchase any iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, or Mac can get one year of Apple TV+ for free.

The trailer can also be watched on tv.apple.com.

This article, “Apple Releases Trailer for ‘The Elephant Queen’ Ahead of Movie’s November 1 Debut on Apple TV+” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is in early discussions with record labels about bundling Apple Music and Apple TV+ as part of a “super-bundle of media content” for one flat monthly rate, according to a report from the Financial Times.

While some record labels are said to be open to the idea, the report claims at least one big label has voiced concerns, adding that the industry is growing more wary about its relationship with Apple. In particular, the report claims record labels are worried that the bundle would lead to lost revenue.

The report adds that the two sides have not yet discussed a pricing formula, so it is unclear what Apple would charge for its Apple Music and Apple TV+ bundle. It is also unclear if the bundle would extend to Apple’s other subscription-based offerings like Apple News+, Apple Arcade, AppleCare+, and iCloud storage.

Apple Music costs $9.99 per month for individuals in the United States, with a $4.99 tier for students. Apple TV+ will cost $4.99 per month, with a free one-year subscription available to customers who purchase any iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, or Mac as of September 10 and later.

The total cost of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, and Apple Arcade rounds to $30 per month, so the bundle would presumably undercut that amount to incentivize customers to subscribe to all of the services.

Apple TV+ launches November 1.

This article, “Apple Looking to Bundle Services Like Apple Music and Apple TV+ for One Flat Monthly Rate” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to hear the University of Wisconsin’s appeal in its patent fight with Apple, according to Reuters.

In July 2017, a U.S. district court ordered Apple to pay $506 million to the University of Wisconsin’s Alumni Research Foundation for infringing on a patent related to computer processing technology with its A7, A8, and A8X chips.

In September 2018, however, the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the damages that Apple had been ordered to pay, ruling that no reasonable juror could have been able to find infringement based on the evidence that was presented in the liability phase of the original 2015 trial.

The decision comes on the first day of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2019 term.

This article, “U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear University of Wisconsin’s Appeal in Patent Lawsuit Against Apple” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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New deals out today include low prices on Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad and Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS, as well as one of the first major discounts we’ve seen on the new Powerbeats Pro wireless headphones.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Powerbeats Pro

Amazon has introduced a discount on the Powerbeats Pro, which you can purchase for $199.95, down from $249.95 ($50 off). This 20 percent off sale on Apple’s new wireless headphones is one of the first notable discounts for the Powerbeats Pro that we’ve tracked online.

The retailer has every color on sale, so you can get the Powerbeats Pro in Black, Ivory, Moss, or Navy at the new discounted price of $199.95. These models are shipped and sold by Amazon and are brand new, and you can opt to include AppleCare+ for headphones at $29.00 to your order.

Additionally, Apple itself has marked down the Powerbeats Pro to $199.95 on its website.

2018 9.7-Inch iPad

Amazon has Apple’s previous generation 32GB cellular 9.7-inch iPad from 2018 at the low price of $349.00, down from $459.00. At $110 off, this matches the lowest price we previously tracked for this model across the major Apple resellers online.

Only the Gold color is on sale at this price. If you’re looking for a little more storage, Amazon also has the 128GB cellular model of this iPad at $449.00, down from $559.00 ($110 off). All three colors are available on sale for the 128GB model.

iPhone XS Smart Battery Case

To round out the Amazon deals kicking off the week, the retailer also has Apple’s Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS and XS Max at $102.00, down from $129.00 ($27 off). The iPhone XS version is only on sale in Black, while the iPhone XS Max version is on sale in both Black and White colorways.

While we’ve seen slightly lower prices on the iPhone XS Max Smart Battery Case, today’s deal matches previous low prices on the accessory for the iPhone XS model. The Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XR has not been discounted this week on Amazon.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to stay updated on all of the latest Apple-related sales and offers.

This article, “Deals: Powerbeats Pro Discounted to $199.95 ($50 Off), Plus Low Prices on 2018 9.7-Inch iPad and More” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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MacRumors reader Daniel Marcinkowski has uncovered a reference to an unreleased Sleep app for the Apple Watch.

In the App Store listing for Apple’s preinstalled Alarms app on the Apple Watch, there is a screenshot of an unreleased version of the Alarms app with a “Sleep” label and fine print that reads “set your Bedtime and wake up in the Sleep app.”

Similar functionality is available on the iPhone through the Bedtime tab of the Clocks app.

There is no Sleep app or references to a Sleep app in the Alarms app on watchOS 6.0.1 or watchOS 6.1 beta, but MacRumors uncovered evidence of Apple working on a Sleep app for the Apple Watch in an internal build of iOS 13 last month, so Apple likely shared this screenshot too early by accident.

The new Sleep app on the Apple Watch will provide users with an overview of their sleeping patterns, as well as send users bedtime and battery charging reminders. Apple Watch users will be recommended to have at least 30 percent of battery life to wear it to sleep, according to an iOS 13 string seen by MacRumors.

Apple’s sleep tracking functionality is referred to as “Time in Bed tracking” based on internal iOS 13 code, with one string noting that “you can also track your sleep and get woken up silently by wearing your watch to bed.”

When released, the Sleep app may have a dedicated watch face available, according to the internal iOS 13 build.

Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman was first to report that Apple was testing sleep tracking on the Apple Watch. Back in February, he said Apple plans to roll out the feature by 2020 if the testing is deemed successful. This follows Apple’s acquisition of the iPhone-connected sleep tracking accessory Beddit in 2017.

Did I just find a mention of the unannounced Sleep app for the Apple Watch? 🤔 https://t.co/J41JlCIyPI pic.twitter.com/4gor3I8AuL

— Daniel Marcinkowski (@dmarcinkowski_) October 7, 2019

This article, “Apple References Unreleased Sleep App for Apple Watch” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The official Twitch app for Apple TV has just dropped. The live game-streaming service has offered iOS and Mac apps for some time, but a version for Apple’s set-top box has only been in testing over the last month. From today though, gamers can watch their favorite streams on the big screen.

The Twitch app for Apple TV offers the same features found on the iOS and Mac apps, so users can watch live streams, clips, and video on demand, as well as get involved in on-screen chat. Twitch also hosts a slew of additional broadcasts, including live Thursday Night NFL Games, so this news isn’t necessarily just for videogame fans.

The Apple TV app rollout is currently underway. If the Twitch app isn’t showing up for you in the tvOS App Store, launch the Settings app on your set-top box and enable Apps -> Automatically Install Apps, then download the iOS app to your iPhone or iPad (or remove it and then install it again), and it should appear on your Apple TV‘s Home screen.

This article, “Official Twitch App for Apple TV Now Available” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Spotify today updated its mobile app to include Siri support, which means iPhone and iPad users running iOS 13 can now use Siri to control their favorite music streaming service, just like Apple Music subscribers.

After updating the app, users simply need to invoke Siri on their device and ask the voice assistant to play an album or song “with Spotify.” Commands for playing playlists work the same way.

According to Spotify’s release notes, Siri support is compatible over connected AirPods and also extends to CarPlay and HomePod via AirPlay. On iPhones and iPads running iOS 13, Spotify will also now turn on its Data Saver feature when a device has Low Data Mode enabled.

In addition, the streaming service says Spotify is “now available on Apple TV,” although it isn’t showing up in the tvOS App Store as of writing, so rollout is likely scheduled for later in the day.

This article, “Spotify Gains Siri Support on iOS 13 and CarPlay, Apple TV App Launching Later Today” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple will sell around 10 percent more iPhones in the first quarter of 2020, thanks to strong replacement demand for its iPhone 11 series devices and next year’s launch of the “iPhone SE 2,” claims Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in his latest research note, seen by MacRumors.

We expect that combined iPhone shipments in 1Q20 will grow around 10% YoY thanks to the iPhone 11‘s replacement demand boosted by more affordable prices and iPhone SE2’s shipments starting in 1Q20. We estimate that iPhone shipment in 1Q20 will be 45–50mn units (iPhone 11 Pro series and iPhone 11 to be 13–15 and 22–24mn units, respectively), which is better than around 42mn units of iPhone shipments in 1Q19 (iPhone XS series and iPhone XR to be around 12 and 14mn units, respectively).

The TFI Securities analyst estimates that iPhone 11 series shipments will reach between 70 and 75 million units in 2019, and he believes that figure may have been higher but for supply constraints. Kuo has previously indicated Apple may have upped orders from suppliers after stronger-than-expected demand for its latest flagship phones.

Specifically, Kuo estimates that shipments of the iPhone 11 Pro in 2019 will be around 37-40 million units, and shipments of the iPhone 11 will be around 36 to 40 million units.

If those figures are accurate, Kuo says Pro series shipments will be lower than last year’s equivalent iPhone XS shipments, but only because of a tighter supply caused by “increased production difficulties” of specific iPhone 11 Pro components. Meanwhile, shipments of iPhone 11 will be higher than 2018’s iPhone XR, mainly because the iPhone XR didn’t start shipping until the middle of the fourth quarter.

Kuo says Apple has increased some suppliers’ shipment forecasts or capacity requirements in the fourth quarter to ensure that shipments going into next year meet demand. Boosted by more affordable prices, the high replacement demand for the iPhone 11 could run into the first quarter of 2020, the analyst believes. As a result, Kuo estimates that “iPhone 11 shipments in 1Q20 (22–24mn units) will be better than those of iPhone XR in 1Q19 (14mn units) significantly.”

Kuo has previously claimed that Apple plans to release a lower-priced “iPhone SE 2” in the first quarter of 2020. Earlier this month, he said the device will feature a similar form factor design and specifications as the iPhone 8, with a faster A13 chip and 3GB of RAM.

This article, “Kuo: iPhone 11 Demand and Upcoming Launch of ‘iPhone SE 2’ to Boost Overall iPhone Sales Growth in Q1 2020” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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This week saw quite a few leaks and rumors, including Apple itself leaking an icon of what appears to be next-generation AirPods with ear tips that would presumably assist with rumored noise cancelation capabilities. We also heard rumors about an “iPhone SE 2” that would actually be more like an updated iPhone 8 and future high-end iPad and MacBook models equipped with Mini-LED displays.

Read on for a look at this week’s biggest news, including our thoughts on a potential October media event and what Apple might introduce at one.

iOS 13.2 Beta Released With Deep Fusion for iPhone 11 and 11 Pro

Apple’s wave of software updates continued this week with the release of the first iOS 13.2 beta for developers and public testers. With it brings Apple’s promised Deep Fusion camera feature for iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, which takes advantage of machine learning techniques for even better pixel-by-pixel optimization of photos.

Apple also seeded the Golden Master of macOS Catalina to developers, which is equivalent to the final version of the operating system that will be released for all compatible Macs soon, as well as the second beta of watchOS 6.1 and the first beta of tvOS 13.2.

For users who aren’t on the beta track, Apple has released iOS 13.1.2 with several bug fixes and improvements.

iOS 13.2 Beta Includes Icon Depicting New AirPods Design

In the first beta of iOS 13.2, MacRumors has discovered an icon depicting in-ear AirPods, lending credence to rumors that Apple plans to release a new version of the wireless earphones with active noise cancelation and a new design later this year.

We’ve also rounded up everything else that is new in the first iOS 13.2 beta, including the return of “Announce Messages with Siri” for AirPods and select Beats headphones, a new “Transfer to HomePod” feature for media, HomeKit grouping, and more.

‘iPhone SE 2’ With Similar Design as iPhone 8, A13 Chip, and 3GB RAM Expected in Early 2020

Apple plans to release a so-called “iPhone SE 2” with a similar design as the iPhone 8 in early 2020, but with a faster A13 chip and an extra, third GB of RAM, according to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo is at least the fourth source that expects a new lower-cost iPhone to launch early next year. Earlier reports claimed the device will have a 4.7-inch display like the iPhone 8, so it might not be the 4-inch smartphone that some are hoping for. Touch ID is also expected instead of Face ID.

High-End iPad and MacBook With Mini-LED Displays Said to Launch Between Late 2020 and Mid 2021

A new iPhone SE wasn’t the only prediction to come from Ming-Chi Kuo this week.

The well-known analyst also expects Apple to release high-end iPad and MacBook models with Mini-LED-backlit displays between the fourth quarter of 2020 and the second quarter of 2021.

Kuo believes one of Apple’s suppliers will be Epistar, the largest LED manufacturer in Taiwan. Just this week, without getting specific, Epistar’s president revealed that some of the company’s clients are working on products with Mini-LED backlighting systems. One of those clients could certainly be Apple.

Mini-LED displays would have many of the same advantages as OLED displays on the latest iPhones, such as high contrast.

iPadOS Tips and Tricks: Gestures, Home Screen Tweaks, Keyboard Options, and More

In one of our latest videos over on our YouTube channel, we go over some must-know iPadOS tips and tricks that are useful to those who have recently updated and want to get more familiar with the changes.

Tips and tricks range from quick screenshots and a floating keyboard to new gestures for selecting text and cutting, copying, and pasting.

We also went hands-on with an iPad Pro dummy unit this week, showing off what the next-generation version of the device might look like if equipped with a triple-lens rear camera like the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max as rumored. Rumors are rather unclear, however, on whether such a camera system could come in a refresh as soon as this month or if might not be until next year.

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Apple in October: 16-Inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro Refresh, New Apple TV, and More?

With last month’s iPhone 11 and Apple Watch Series 5 event in the rearview mirror, and several more Apple products in the rumor mill, we can now look ahead to what might come later this month.

There certainly appears to be enough on Apple’s slate for an October media event, with rumors of a 16-inch MacBook Pro, an iPad Pro refresh, a new Apple TV, new AirPods, and possibly even the “Apple Tags” if they are ready.

In our article, we explain why Tuesday, October 29 would be a fitting date for a potential Apple event this month.

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This article, “Top Stories: iOS 13.2 Beta, AirPods Leak, ‘iPhone SE 2’ in 2020, and More” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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