Apple’s new iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max both come with 6GB of RAM – 2GB more than the previous generation iPhone XS series – while the iPhone 11 features 4GB, up from 3GB in the iPhone XR, according to new details leaked today.

The specs come from reliable mobile leaker Steve Hommersteffer (@OnLeaks), whose tweet today also claims to reveal the battery capacities for Apple’s latest iPhone lineup, as follows.

The iPhone 11 Pro is said to come with a 3,190mAh capacity battery, compared to the 2,658mAh one in the iPhone XS, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max boasts 3,500mAh (the iPhone XS Max had 3,174mAh). The base iPhone 11 is said to include a 3,110 mAh battery, up from the 2,942mAh in the iPhone XR.

For those who care about these details #Apple never share officially, seems like:

– #iPhone11 = 4GB RAM + 3110mAh battery (Xr = 3GB + 2942mAh)
– #iPhone11Pro = 6GB RAM + 3190mAh battery (Xs = 4GB RAM + 2658mAh)
– #iPhone11ProMax = 6GB RAM + 3500mAh (Xs Max = 4GB RAM + 3174mAh)

— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) September 12, 2019

However, the above RAM specs contradict some recent Geekbench results. One that appeared last night (shared by MacRumors forum member EugW) is for an alleged iPhone 11 Pro showing a device with 4GB of RAM – with an A13 processor benchmarking around 10-15 percent faster than the A12 processor in the iPhone XS series. The other, reported last week, is allegedly for a base iPhone 11, also with 4GB.

Hemmerstoffer’s specs are sourced from a Chinese certification platform, so they aren’t officially confirmed. But then Geekbench scores can also be faked, so it’s best to take these sources with a pinch of salt until something more definitive comes along.

If the iPhone 11 series does indeed feature 4GB RAM across the board, then it could be that Apple’s proprietary off-chip enhancements also bring greater working memory optimizations, but that’s something we can’t know for sure based on raw CPU scores.

Apple is taking online pre-orders for the all-new iPhone 11 series models from Friday, September 13 and will start shipping the devices the following Friday, September 20.

This article, “Reports Conflict on iPhone 11 Pro Models Having 4GB or 6GB of RAM” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Mozilla this week began piloting its own browser-based VPN service, and if you’re located in the U.S. you can start testing it for free right away.

Called the Firefox Private Network, the service promises Firefox users a more secure, encrypted path to the web that prevents eavesdroppers from spying on your browsing activity and hides your location from websites and ad trackers.

In that respect, it won’t protect any internet traffic outside of your web browser, but it’s a good option if you want to use an encrypted connection on the fly when you’re using Firefox on a public Wi-Fi network, for example.

As a time-limited beta, the Firefox Private Network is currently free to try, although this does suggest it may become a paid service in the future. You also need to be a U.S. resident logged into your Firefox account using Firefox desktop browser.

If you can fulfill those pre-requisites, you can install the private network by navigating to this page, clicking the blue + Add to Firefox button, then granting permission for the network to be added to the browser.

Click the door hanger icon that appears at the top-right corner of the toolbar, and you’ll see a switch that you can use to toggle the VPN on and off. A green tick in the icon indicates the secure network is active and your browsing activity is being encrypted.

Opera browser offers a similar free VPN service that cloaks your web browsing, but with the added benefit that it lets you choose the continent that you want your connection to reside. So if you’re looking to access a location-restricted service (Netflix, say) from abroad, you might have better luck using it instead.

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Following the release of iOS 12.4.1 on August 26, Apple has stopped signing iOS 12.4, the previous version of iOS that was available to consumers.

iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners who have upgraded to iOS 12.4.1 will no longer be able to downgrade to iOS 12.4.

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date, but iOS 12.4.1 was released because iOS 12.4 had a major vulnerability.

The vulnerability allowed hackers to create a jailbreak for iOS 12.4 and left devices vulnerable to hacking attempts. Apple fixed the bug in iOS 12.4.1, and the iOS 12.4 jailbreak will not work after upgrading.

iOS 12.4.1 is now the only version of iOS that can be installed on iPhones and iPads, but developers and public beta testers can download iOS 13, an upcoming update that’s currently being beta tested and is set to be released next week.

This article, “Apple Stops Signing iOS 12.4, Downgrading From iOS 12.4.1 No Longer Possible” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today asked developers to begin building, testing, and submitting watchOS 6 apps for inclusion in the new standalone Apple Watch App Store.

Starting with watchOS 6, developers are able to distribute apps built solely for the Apple Watch without a companion app on iOS. Apple was not previously accepting standalone Apple Watch submissions and has also updated its watchOS site for developers.

Apple Watch apps can be installed from the Apple Watch App Store directly on the wrist even when an iPhone isn’t available.

With watchOS 6, customers around the world can use the new App Store on Apple Watch to easily discover, browse, search, and install apps directly on their wrist. And for the first time, you can distribute an app just for Apple Watch, without a companion app on iOS. Build your watchOS apps using Xcode 11 GM seed, test them on devices running the latest watchOS 6 GM seed, and submit them for review.

Apple says that starting in April 2020, all new watchOS apps and app updates submitted to the App Store will need to be built with the watchOS 6 SDK and support the Apple Watch Series 4 or later.

watchOS 6 with standalone App Store is set to launch on the Series 3 and Series 4 Apple Watch models on Thursday, September 19. It will be available for Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watch models later in the year.

The Apple Watch Series 5, which launches on Friday, September 20, will come with watchOS 6 installed.

This article, “Apple Asks Developers to Submit watchOS Apps to Apple Watch App Store” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple this week unveiled the iPhone 11, the successor to the iPhone XR. At first glance, the two devices have quite a few similarities, but the iPhone 11 takes a step forward in regards to cameras, battery life, and more.

Just the Tech Specs

Design

The iPhone 11 has a very similar glass-and-aluminum design as the iPhone XR, with one major visual difference being its new dual-lens rear camera system housed in a large, square camera bump. On the back of the iPhone 11, the Apple logo has been centered, and the “iPhone” brand name is no longer shown.

Otherwise, much is the same, including the display, bezels, notch, antenna bands, volume and side buttons, mute switch, speaker grilles, and microphones. The iPhone 11 also sticks with the Lightning connector.

The iPhone 11 comes in six colors, including all-new green and purple and slightly tweaked white, black, yellow, and (PRODUCT)RED options.

Both devices weigh in at just under half a pound and have identical dimensions.

Display

The iPhone 11 has the same 6.1-inch LCD as the iPhone XR, including a resolution of 1792×828 pixels for 326 pixels per inch, 625 nits max brightness, and True Tone and P3 wide color gamut support. The LCD panel keeps costs down compared to the OLED display in the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Like the iPhone XR, the iPhone 11 relies on software-based Haptic Touch for contextual menus and shortcuts. Unlike older iPhones, there is no pressure-sensitive 3D Touch layer built into the iPhone 11‘s display.

Performance

The iPhone 11 is powered by Apple’s latest A13 Bionic chip, which it says is the fastest CPU in any smartphone ever.

Based on 7-nanometer architecture, the A13 Bionic features four high-efficiency cores that are up to 20 percent faster and consume 40 percent less power than the A12 Bionic, and two high-performance cores that are up to 20 percent faster and 30 percent more efficient than the previous chip.

Battery Life

Apple says the iPhone 11 has up to one hour longer battery life than the iPhone XR overall. Based on Apple’s internal testing, the iPhone 11 is rated for up to 17 hours of offline video playback, up to 10 hours of streaming video over Wi-Fi, and up to 65 hours of audio playback per charge.

Like the iPhone XR, the iPhone 11 supports Qi-based wireless charging, as well as fast charging for up to a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes with an 18W or higher USB-C charger. Unfortunately, Apple still includes the same-old 5W charger and Lightning to USB-A cable with the iPhone 11.

Cameras

The rear camera system is easily the iPhone 11‘s biggest upgrade over the iPhone XR. The wide-angle ƒ/1.8 lens is now accompanied by an ultra-wide-angle ƒ/2.4 lens for a 120° field of view. The ultra-wide-angle lens allows users to “zoom out” to “0.5x” and capture four times more scene, according to Apple.

The wide-angle lens also has an updated sensor that enables Night Mode for markedly improved low-light photos that are brighter and have less noise. This feature is similar to Night Sight on Google’s latest Pixel smartphones.

The iPhone 11‘s third-generation Neural Engine enables next-generation Smart HDR for more natural-looking photos. And coming later this fall, it will enable a new Deep Fusion system that uses advanced machine learning for pixel-by-pixel processing of photos, including texture, details, and noise.

Portrait Mode on the iPhone 11 works with not only human faces, but also objects and pets. While this was already possible on the iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, Portrait Mode on the iPhone XR is only able to detect humans, although some third-party camera apps like Halide work with objects and pets too.

There are also six Portrait Lighting effects available on the iPhone 11, including Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, and High‑Key Mono. This is up from three on the iPhone XR: Natural, Studio, and Contour.

And exclusive to the entire iPhone 11 lineup, there is now front-facing slo-mo video recording at 120 FPS.

Connectivity

With both 802.11ax Wi-Fi and Gigabit-class LTE, the iPhone 11 theoretically has faster download speeds, but real-world performance is typically limited by multiple factors such as location and network congestion.

The iPhone 11 also features a new Apple-designed U1 chip that enables ultra-wideband support for improved spatial awareness. The chip enables the iPhone 11 to precisely locate other U1‑equipped Apple devices, such as other iPhone 11 models and reportedly Apple’s rumored Tile-like item tracking tags.

Apple says the U1 chip will “lead to amazing new capabilities.” When iOS 13.1 is released September 30, for example, users will be able to point their iPhone 11 at another iPhone user to AirDrop that person a file.

Storage and Pricing

The iPhone 11 is available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage capacities for $699, $749, and $849 respectively in the United States. That’s $50 cheaper than the iPhone XR, which at launch was also available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage capacities for $749, $799, and $899 respectively.

Apple continues to sell the iPhone XR, which now starts at $599, but the 256GB model has been discontinued.

Conclusion

While the iPhone 11 is a rather iterative update to the iPhone XR, users who take lots of photos may find the camera advancements worth spending an extra $100 on. Overall, however, the iPhone XR probably remains the best iPhone for most people, especially at its reduced price of $599.

This article, “iPhone 11 vs. iPhone XR” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the golden master version of watchOS 6, the software that runs on the Apple Watch. The new update comes two weeks after the ninth beta and over three months after Apple first unveiled the new watchOS update at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

To install the watchOS 6 beta, you’ll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. The golden master version of watchOS 6 represents the final version of the software that will be released to the public.

Installing the software requires the Apple Watch to have 50 percent battery. It also needs to be put on a charger and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS 6 is a major update that offers up a long list of new features. First and foremost, there’s an App Store right on the Apple Watch, so you can find and download new Apple Watch apps on your wrist.

Apple Watch apps no longer need to have an iPhone component, which means developers can create standalone Apple Watch apps for the first time. Apps are able to take advantage of new APIs so you’ll be able to do things like follow along with a workout or listen to streaming music from third-party services.

Since Apple Watch apps are now independent of apps on the iPhone, you can now remove some built-in apps from the Apple Watch, a feature that was enabled in beta 3.

There are several new watch faces in watchOS 6, including Numerals Mono and Duo with huge numbers, Modular Compact, a Gradient watch face that shifts over the course of a day, a Solar Dial watch face that visualizes the sun in a 24 hour path around the dial, and the California watch face with a mix of standard numbers and roman numerals.

A new Taptic Chimes feature provides a silent touch on the wrist at every hour, and if sound is turned on, you’ll hear an audible chime. You can also hold two fingers on the Apple Watch‘s display to hear the time spoken out loud.

There are new Audiobooks, Voice Memos, and Calculator apps, along with a new Noise app that warns you if you’re exposed to sound that’s too loud and a new Cycle Tracking app for period tracking. Activity Trends, visible on the iPhone, are also available to chart your fitness progress and make sure your fitness trends are improving.

New complications are available for wind speed, chance of rain, and the new Noise app, plus there’s a Voice Memos complication for recording a memo quickly, a cellular strength complication, and a complication for the Calculator that opens up the app.

Siri can now provide full web search results right on the watch when asked a question, and for Mac users, the Apple Watch can now approve Mac security prompts.

When it launches on September 19, watchOS 6 will be available on the Series 3 and Series 4 Apple Watch models. It will come out for Series 1 and Series 2 models later this year. For more on what’s new in watchOS 6, make sure to check out our watchOS 6 roundup.

This article, “Apple Seeds watchOS 6 Golden Master to Developers” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Following yesterday’s iPhone event that saw the launch of new iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad models, Apple has tweaked the pricing of its 11 and 12.9-inch 1TB iPad Pro models, dropping the cost by $200 in the United States.

Pricing for the 1TB 11-inch iPad Pro now starts at $1,349, while pricing for the 1TB 12.9-inch iPad Pro now starts at $1,549.

When the new iPad Pro models were introduced in October 2018, the 1TB 11-inch iPad Pro model was priced at $1,549, while the 1TB 12.9-inch model was priced at $1,749.

When flash storage prices drop, Apple often passes those savings on to consumers, and has dropped the price of higher tier Mac storage options in recent months as well.

Pricing on the 64, 256, and 512GB iPad Pro storage tiers has not changed.

It’s been almost a year since Apple refreshed the iPad Pro, and rumors have suggested we may be getting a new iPad Pro model before the end of 2019.

While most rumors have indicated the changes will be minor, some rumors suggest the new tablets could gain the same triple-lens camera added to the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max.

(Thanks, Eugene!)

This article, “Apple Cuts Price of 1TB iPad Pro Models by $200” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iPadOS and iOS 13.1 updates to developers, one week after seeding the second public betas and a day after providing the third beta of iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1 to developers.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program will receive the iOS 13.1 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.

Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple’s beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.

iOS 13.1 includes multiple features that were announced at WWDC but were ultimately removed from iOS 13 over the beta testing period. Shortcuts Automations, for example, is back in iOS 13.1.

Shortcuts Automations allows Shortcuts users to create personal and home automations from the Shortcuts app to have actions performed automatically when specific conditions occur. Share ETA, a major maps feature, is also available in iOS 13.1. With Share ETA, you can share your estimated time of arrival to a location with a friend or family member.

Other new features include new icons on the volume indicator when headphones or speakers are connected (with icons for AirPods, Beats headphones, and HomePod), more detailed HomeKit icons in the Home app, and updates to Dynamic Wallpapers.

Mouse support, an accessibility option in iOS 13, has been improved in iOS 13.1 allowing a long press or 3D Touch to be mapped to the right click function of the mouse. Reading goals now include PDFs, Nike+ is now just Nike, and iOS 13.1 supports HEVC video encoding with alpha channels.

There are some other smaller changes in iOS 13.1, which we outlined in our iOS 13.1 tidbits article.

Apple plans to release iOS 13 to the public on Thursday, September 19, and iOS 13.1 will follow on Monday, September 30.

This article, “Apple Seeds Third Public Betas of iPadOS and iOS 13.1” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Following the launch of the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, accessory maker mophie has announced the upcoming launch of a series of battery cases for the new devices.

Apple unveiled several cases designed for its new iPhones yesterday, but did not provide an updated battery case that will accommodate the new square-shaped camera bump at the rear of the devices.

The Juice Pack Access Cases provide additional battery life to the new iPhones and can be charged using Qi-based wireless charging or a USB-C port. The Lightning port on the iPhone is left accessible for use with headphones and other Lightning-based accessories.

A Priority+ charging feature allows the iPhone to be recharged before the Juice Pack Access when charged wirelessly or over USB-C, and the cases are designed with rubberized support pads and raised corners for protective purposes. There’s also an on/off button for the battery cases and an LED status indicator for displaying charge level.

The Juice Pack Access Cases for iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro include 2,000 mAh batteries, while the Juice Pack Access Case for the iPhone 11 Pro Max includes a 2,200 mAh battery.

Apple’s newest iPhones offer more battery life than ever, which may be why Apple didn’t introduce its own battery case. The iPhone 11 features an hour more battery life than the XR, the iPhone 11 Pro offers four hours longer battery life than the XS, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max provides an impressive five hours longer battery life than the iPhone XS Max.

Mophie says that the new Juice Pack Access battery cases for Apple’s 2019 iPhone lineup will be available starting in October from Mophie.com. The cases will be priced at $99.95 and will be available in colors that include black, blush pink, and (PRODUCT)RED.

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

This article, “Mophie Debuts New Juice Pack Access Battery Cases for iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple this week quietly updated the HomePod’s product page on Apple.com, including a few release dates for upcoming features (via 9to5Mac). HomePod will gain the ability to tune into live radio stations through Siri controls on September 30, after this feature was first announced at WWDC in June (and made available to some users in Germany this July).

Additional HomePod features, including multi-user support and music handoff, will not launch until “later this fall.” With iOS 13, Siri on HomePod can recognize the voices of different HomePod users, queuing up each person’s favorite music on the speaker. Handoff lets any media you have playing on your iPhone or iPad be handed off to the HomePod.

One new feature has also been added to the HomePod page on Apple.com, called “Ambient Sounds.” Apple says that you’ll be able to relax to sounds like ocean waves, forest birds, rainstorms, and more with this feature, also coming in the fall.

It sounds like the company is working on making ambient noise a big new feature of the HomePod, after being requested by users since the speaker launched in early 2018. Although Apple Music has a multitude of ambient noise playlists, this should make it even easier to start playing relaxing sounds on HomePod.

There have been numerous announcements from Apple this week thanks to the iPhone event yesterday, including the all new iPhone 11 family, the new 10.2-inch iPad, and Apple Watch Series 5.

This article, “HomePod Gaining New ‘Ambient Sounds’ Siri Feature This Fall, Radio Station Support Launching September 30” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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