With iOS 13 and tvOS 13, Apple users are now able to connect their favorite console controllers to an iPhone or Apple TV. In this guide, we’ve provided a quick rundown of how to go about pairing the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller and Xbox Wireless Controller to both iOS and tvOS devices.

Previously, MFi controllers were the only solution to playing games on iPhone, iPad, and ‌Apple TV‌. With the new update, console players don’t need to spend extra money on another controller to play iOS and tvOS games. PS4 players also have a reason to look into DualShock 4 pairing since Sony’s Remote Play iOS app provides streaming of compatible games to the iPhone or ‌iPad‌, which can now be controlled by a DualShock 4.

How to connect the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller to iPhone or ‌iPad‌

1. Press and hold the PS logo and Share buttons simultaneously on your DualShock 4 controller until the light bar flashes.
   
2. Open your iOS device’s Settings app and navigate to Bluetooth.
   
3. Under “Other Devices,” tap on your DualShock 4 wireless controller.

How to connect the Xbox Wireless Controller to iPhone or ‌iPad‌

1. Press the Xbox button to turn on the Xbox Wireless Controller.
   
2. Press and hold the Connect button for a few seconds.
   
3. Open your iOS device’s Settings app and navigate to Bluetooth.
   
4. Under “Other Devices,” tap on your Xbox Wireless Controller.

Sony’s Remote Play iOS app controlled via DualShock 4

The steps for pairing controllers with an ‌Apple TV‌ are largely similar to the ones for iOS devices. You can find this information below.

How to connect the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller to ‌Apple TV‌

1. Press and hold the PS logo and Share buttons simultaneously on your DualShock 4 controller until the light bar flashes.
   
2. Open the Settings app on ‌Apple TV‌ > click Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth.
   
3. Select the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller to pair it, which will be confirmed with a notification on tvOS.

How to connect the Xbox Wireless Controller to ‌Apple TV‌

1. Press the Xbox button to turn on the Xbox Wireless Controller.
   
2. Press and hold the Connect button for a few seconds.
   
3. Open the Settings app on ‌Apple TV‌ > click Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth.
   
4. Select the Xbox Wireless Controller to pair it, which will be confirmed with a notification on tvOS.

It should be noted that for the DualShock 4, some controller functions will not be functional while connected to an iPhone, ‌iPad‌, or ‌Apple TV‌. These include the touchpad, the central PS button, rumble, motion sensor, and the headphone jack. The light bar will also remain one color and can not be changed.

Both the PS4 and Xbox controllers will stay connected to the iOS/tvOS device you’ve paired them with until you repair them with your console. To reconnect a DualShock 4 with a PS4, you’ll need to manually connect the controller with the console via the micro-USB to USB cable each controller comes with. For Xbox, you can press the connect button on the controller and the console at the same time, or use a micro-USB to USB cable.

This article, “How to Pair a DualShock 4 or Xbox Wireless Controller With iPhone and Apple TV” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Amazon has a few sales surrounding Apple’s 11-inch iPad Pro this week, including a few accessories that are compatible with the tablet. Some of the prices listed below are the lowest seen for the products, and we’ve designated each discount as such, so be sure to browse the new sales before they expire.

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.

11-Inch iPad Pro

Shoppers should note that the 256GB model’s $799 discount price will not be reflected until you get to the checkout screen.

• Wi-Fi, 1TB – $1,099.97, down from $1,349.00 ($249 off, lowest ever)
  
• Wi-Fi, 256GB – $799.00, down from $949.00 ($150 off)
  
• Wi-Fi, 64GB – $674.00, down from $799.00 ($125 off)

11-Inch iPad Pro Smart Keyboard Folio

Amazon has Apple’s Smart Keyboard Folio for the 11-inch iPad Pro priced at $169.99, down from $179.00 ($9 off).

The Smart Keyboard Folio allows you to gain access to a full-size keyboard on the iPad Pro, without need for batteries or Bluetooth pairing thanks to Apple’s Smart Connector. When closed, the folio also doubles as display protection for the iPad Pro.

Apple Pencil Second Generation

You can also save a little money on the second generation of the Apple Pencil this week. Amazon has the accessory priced at $120.00, down from its regular price of $129.00 ($9 off).

The Apple Pencil 2 hasn’t seen many discounts since it launched last fall, and this price is one of the lowest that we’ve tracked among Apple’s major resellers like Amazon and Best Buy. This version of the Apple Pencil is only compatible with the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro from 2018.

Visit our full Deals Roundup for a deeper dive into the latest Apple-related bargains.

This article, “Deals: Save on Apple’s 11-Inch iPad Pro (Up to $249 off), Along With Compatible Smart Keyboard Folio and Apple Pencil 2” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple’s widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro will be available by the end of October, suggesting that an announcement is imminent, according to supply chain sources cited by hit-or-miss industry publication DigiTimes.

16-inch MacBook Pro concept by MacRumors

The report claims Taiwanese manufacturer Quanta Computer has already begun volume shipments of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which the supply chain sources expect to feature a more reliable scissor keyboard, an “ultra-thin bezel design,” and Intel’s latest Coffee Lake Refresh or Ice Lake processors, although Intel has yet to announce Ice Lake chips appropriate for a high-end MacBook Pro.

The slimmer bezels would result in the 16-inch MacBook Pro being around the same size as the existing 15-inch model despite having a larger display. IHS Markit analyst Jeff Lin said the notebook’s resolution will be 3,072×1,920 pixels.

Last week, icons depicting a MacBook Pro with slimmer bezels in Silver and Space Gray were uncovered in the macOS Catalina 10.15.1 beta, lending credence to an upcoming release. Both icons were created just over a week ago, have “16” in the filename, and reference an unreleased MacBookPro16,1 model.

15-inch MacBook Pro icon on left, possible 16-inch MacBook Pro icon on right via MacGeneration

Apple’s plans to release a 16-inch MacBook Pro were first revealed by Ming-Chi Kuo, who back in February said the notebook would be released in 2019. Kuo later said the notebook would be equipped with a scissor keyboard. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has also reported that the notebook is coming in 2019.

Apple is expected to position the 16-inch MacBook Pro at the high end of its notebook lineup, with existing 15-inch and 13-inch MacBook Pro models remaining available and following suit with scissor keyboards in 2020, according to Kuo.

This article, “DigiTimes: 16-Inch MacBook Pro to Launch by End of October With Ultra-Slim Bezels and Scissor Keyboard” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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WIRED has published a lengthy feature about Apple’s foray into streaming video, and while many of the details are known, the article serves as a nice primer ahead of the launch of Apple TV+ on November 1.

In an interview, Apple TV+ co-chief Zack Van Amburg said Apple is focused on quality rather than demographic programming. “No one here is sitting around saying we need to find the next show for males 18 to 34, or the next show for females older than 32. We’re defining our programming by quality.”

While TV shows on traditional networks are often aimed at capturing viewers between the ages of 18 and 49, a key demographic for advertising, Apple TV+ can avoid this since the subscription-based service has no commercials.

One of Apple TV+’s first series will be Ronald D. Moore’s space-race drama “For All Mankind,” with the article noting that Moore pitched the series with an impressive level of detail spanning up to seven seasons:

On the wall, a series of timelines and character profiles helped illustrate how the show might progress over the seven seasons that Moore and his writers had broken down. “The level of detail was overwhelming,” Erlicht says. “Every aspect of the butterfly effect that would happen from the slightest change in that event.” The executives walked out into the hallway, grinned at each other, and negotiated which one of them was going to give Moore the good news.

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.

Full Article: Inside Apple’s High-Flying Bid to Become a Streaming Giant

This article, “Apple TV+ Executive: ‘We’re Not Doing Demographic Programming’” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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When Dark Mode was marketed as a headline feature in iOS 13, Apple promoted it as an alternative new look that was easier on the eyes when viewed in dark environments. Oddly though, Apple never mentioned that it also potentially offers energy-saving benefits – particularly for OLED iPhones, since pixels on an OLED panel are individually powered and true black pixels remain inactive.

That potential battery saving has now been put to the test. In an experiment shared on YouTube, PhoneBuff used robotic arms to interact with two fully charged iPhones running ‌iOS 13‌, with one running in ‌Dark Mode‌ and the other in Light mode. The robots worked their way through various native and third-party apps, all of which support both iOS display modes, until the iPhones died.

The results are pretty conclusive: The test found that an iPhone XS Max using ‌Dark Mode‌ uses up significantly less battery than an ‌iPhone XS‌ Max using Light Mode. When the Light Mode-enabled ‌iPhone XS‌ Max died, the ‌Dark Mode‌ ‌iPhone XS‌ Max still had 30 percent battery life remaining.

PhoneBuff notes one important variable in his test that conditioned the results: The iPhones both had their displays set to 200 nits brightness. At 100 nits, which is what you’d expect indoors, two hours on Twitter saved just 5 percent more battery in ‌Dark Mode‌. The same test performed at 300 nits, which is closer to outdoors use, saw ‌Dark Mode‌ save 12 percent battery.

• How to Enable Dark Mode in iOS 13

Either way, the test appears to prove that ‌Dark Mode‌ is a significant battery saver for OLED iPhones, which include the iPhone X, ‌iPhone XS‌, and iPhone 11 Pro, but not the iPhone XR or iPhone 11. You can watch the video embedded above for the full lowdown.

This article, “iOS 13’s Dark Mode Extends OLED iPhone Battery Life, Test Confirms” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has targeted a 2020 release for its augmented reality headset, although the timeframe could be pushed back if the product needs more development, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.

Google Glasses

The report claims the glasses are expected to wirelessly pair with an iPhone to display information such as messages, emails, and maps over the wearer’s field of vision. It would also be possible to play games on the headset, with Apple reportedly considering having an App Store for the headset.

Apple has a few other releases planned for later in 2020, the report adds, including Apple Watch models with sleep tracking and Macs with custom Apple-designed processors that are expected to be ARM-based.

This article, “Bloomberg: Apple Targets 2020 for Release of AR Headset, Apple Watch Sleep Tracking, and ARM-Based Macs” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Google has said it will release a software update “in the coming months” that will let Pixel 4 owners require their eyes to be open for the phone’s Face Unlock security feature to work.

Image via NextRift

The acknowledgement follows last week’s discovery that the Pixel 4’s facial authentication system isn’t currently capable of distinguishing a face with eyes open versus eyes closed. The finding immediately sparked concerns that the phone could be opened by anyone simply by waving it in front of its sleeping / dead owner.

Google’s Pixel 4 Face Unlock feature replaces the fingerprint sensor and works similarly to Apple’s Face ID, which is found on iPhones and iPads that have a TrueDepth camera system. However, Face ID requires by default that the user’s eyes are open, although users can turn off this Attention Aware option in settings.

Previously, Google said that Face Unlock “is designed to get better over time with future software updates,” but stopped short of committing to deliver the “Require eyes to be open” toggle that was spotted in pre-launch leaks of the Pixel 4’s features. Now though, it wants customers to know that the setting is on its way. The company gave the following statement (via The Verge):

We’ve been working on an option for users to require their eyes to be open to unlock the phone, which will be delivered in a software update in the coming months. In the meantime, if any Pixel 4 users are concerned that someone may take their phone and try to unlock it while their eyes are closed, they can activate a security feature that requires a pin, pattern or password for the next unlock.

Despite the security implications of Face Unlock working even if your eyes are closed, Google still claims the feature “meets the security requirements as a strong biometric, and can be used for payments and app authentication, including banking apps. It is resilient against invalid unlock attempts via other means, like with masks.”

This article, “Google Working on Software Update to Bring Eye Detection to Pixel 4’s Face Unlock” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Google has said it will patch a “bug” in Google Photos that enables iPhone users to store pictures in the cloud in their original quality without counting toward their Google Drive storage limit.

Currently, the Google ‌Photos‌ iOS app happily uploads photos in Apple’s efficient HEIC format without requiring them to be converted from “Original Quality” to “High Quality JPEG.”

The reason is that the HEIC photos are already smaller than Google’s compressed JPEG format, so the ‌Photos‌ app doesn’t convert them during upload, meaning the pictures are essentially stored on Google’s servers for free in their original size. The quirk was uncovered by a Reddit user last week.

However, the unintentional perk for Apple device owners looks to be on borrowed time. Over the weekend, a Google spokesperson told Android Police: “We are aware of this bug and are working to fix it.”

The wording of the statement doesn’t exactly make it clear how, though. Google ‌Photos‌ may start converting HEIC photos to the less-efficient High Quality JPEG format during upload, which would result in an additional reduction in quality. Alternatively, Google could allow the pictures to be uploaded as-is but start counting them toward Google Drive usage. We’ll have to wait and see which course the search giant takes.

Under Google One plans, Google account holders are entitled to 15GB of free Google Drive cloud storage. Beyond the free allotment, Google charges $1.99 a month for 100GB storage, $2.99 for 200GB a month, and $9.99 a month for 2TB, with additional 10TB and 20TB storage options available.

This article, “Google to Fix ‘Bug’ That Lets iOS Photos App Users Upload HEIC Images for Free” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Over the weekend, MacRumors forum users noted that the most recent YouTube App update added HDR support for the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. YouTube has supported HDR on its iOS app since the iPhone X but has required updates to support new hardware.

To check to see if you are watching YouTube videos at their highest quality, you can simply press the three dots on the top right of the video, and you should see “HDR” options listed on supported videos. HDR options are also only be available on devices released since 2017 that have OLED displays (so that excludes all iPad models and the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR).

This article, “YouTube App Adds HDR Support for iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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This week saw a new addition to Apple’s Beats headphones lineup, while Apple appears to have leaked images of its upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro in the new macOS 10.15.1 betas.

Other top stories this week included rumored $399 pricing for the so-called “iPhone SE 2” coming early next year, the release of iOS 13.1.3, and more, so read on for all of the details!

Apple Introduces $300 Beats Solo Pro Headphones With Noise Cancellation, Unfold-to-Power, and More

Apple this week unveiled new Beats Solo Pro headphones with active noise cancelation, the Apple-designed H1 chip for hands-free “Hey Siri” support, redesigned on-ear cushions for improved comfort, an enhanced acoustic platform for improved sound delivery, the ability to power on the headphones by simply unfolding them, and more.

We’ve already had a chance to go hands-on with the new headphones, so be sure to check out our early impressions. Beats Solo Pro will be available October 30 in Black, Ivory, Gray, Dark Blue, Light Blue, and Red, with pre-orders available now on Apple.com. Pricing is set at $299.95 in the United States.

16-Inch MacBook Pro Referenced in macOS Catalina 10.15.1 Beta

Icons apparently depicting the widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro have been uncovered in the macOS Catalina version 10.15.1 beta, which has been in testing since last week.

The icon looks similar to the 15-inch MacBook Pro asset that is included in previous versions of macOS, but with slightly thinner bezels and perhaps a distinct escape key. The notebook is depicted in both Silver and Space Gray, with “16” in both filenames presumably referring to the larger 16-inch display expected for the rumored machine.

iPhone SE 2 Estimated to Start at $399 With Red Color Option

The rumored “iPhone SE 2” will feature an A13 Bionic chip, 3GB of RAM, and 64GB/128GB storage options, while 3D Touch will be removed, according to noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo believes the device will launch in the first quarter of 2020 in Space Gray, Silver, and Red colors, adding that pricing will likely start at $399.

Previous reports have suggested the device will resemble the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display and a Touch ID home button.

Apple Releases iOS 13.1.3 With Bug Fixes for Phone, Mail, Health, and More

The fourth update to iOS 13 arrived this week in the form of iOS 13.1.3, which includes bug fixes and improvements related to incoming calls, iCloud backups, Apple Watch pairing and notification syncing, Bluetooth connectivity in vehicles, and more.

Apple also released a companion iPadOS 13.1.3 update with bug fixes and improvements.

And for the Mac, there’s a new supplemental update for macOS Catalina that fixes an issue that prevented Setup Assistant from completing, improves installation reliability on Macs with low disk space, and more.

AirPlay 2 Speakers Compared: Sonos Move vs. Bose Portable Home Speaker

Bose and Sonos recently came out with new AirPlay 2-enabled speakers, providing alternatives to Apple’s own HomePod speaker.

In our latest video on our YouTube channel, we went hands-on with the Bose Portable Home Speaker and the Sonos Move to see what the speakers have to offer and how they compare to one another.

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PSA: Apple Mail Bugs Can Lead to Data Loss in macOS Catalina

macOS Catalina has suffered from its fair share of bugs and hiccups since its release earlier this month, including with Apple’s Mail app.

Specifically, a report this week claimed that when upgrading to macOS Catalina, there is a risk of a large number of emails being incomplete or missing entirely for reasons not entirely clear.

Samsung Admits Major Security Flaw in Galaxy S10 Under-Screen Fingerprint Sensor

A major flaw in Samsung’s latest Galaxy S10 and S10+ smartphones has been discovered that basically means any fingerprint can unlock the device with the help of a cheap screen protector.

Responding to the incident, Samsung said it was “aware of the case of S10’s malfunctioning fingerprint recognition and will soon issue a software patch.”

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we’ve covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

This article, “Top Stories: Beats Solo Pro Headphones, Apple Leaks 16-Inch MacBook Pro, $399 ‘iPhone SE 2’ and More” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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