Apple introduced the super thin iPhone Air today, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera was able to test it out after Apple's event. He shared some initial thoughts, giving us a first look at the device in the real world.


Unsurprisingly, the ‌iPhone‌ Air is indeed "Awe Dropping" at first touch just because it's so lightweight and thin in the hand despite the 6.5-inch display. Even though it's light, it still feels like a premium device, which is expected at the $999 price point. The ‌iPhone‌ Air is 5.6mm thick, which makes it the thinnest ‌iPhone‌ to date, and it weighs 165 grams.

Apple added a new 18-megapixel front-facing camera that has a square sensor, so you can get more into the field of view. It's useful for group selfies and video calls.

There's a camera "plateau" at the back of the ‌iPhone‌ Air for the single-lens 48-megapixel rear camera. According to Apple, that area holds the front-facing camera, rear-facing camera, and some other hardware, enabling the thin design. The frame is titanium, and Apple says it won't bend. The OLED display offers 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates.

Other features include Face ID, Camera Control, and an Action button.

Apple added a custom N1 networking chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a new C1X modem, and the A19 Pro chip to optimize battery life. The ‌iPhone‌ Air battery lasts for up to 27 hours when watching videos, and you can extend that if you pay another $99 for a MagSafe battery pack. The other iPhone 17 models have longer battery life, but the ‌iPhone‌ Air does have a better battery than the prior-generation iPhone 16.

The ‌iPhone‌ Air will be available for pre-order this Friday, and it'll launch on the 19th.
This article, "iPhone Air First Look: Apple's Thinnest iPhone Feels Premium" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The iPhone 17 Pro models include an Accessibility setting to disable pulse width modulation (PWM), according to information found in the iOS 26 release candidate.


There will be a toggle located in the Display and Text Size section of the Accessibility settings on the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌. Users will be able to turn PWM on, or turn it off. A description:

Disables pulse width modulation to provide a different way to dim the OLED display, which can create a smoother display output at low brightness levels. Disabling PWM may affect low brightness display performance under certain conditions.

It is possible that the PWM toggle will be available on all iPhone 17 models, but we can only confirm that it's an option on the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌.

Pulse width modulation is used for adjusting the brightness of a display. PWM is designed to quickly switch LED or OLED pixels on or off to control the brightness that people perceive. Some users are bothered by PWM and can see a flickering at lower brightness levels.

Affected users often complain of eye strain, headaches, and other symptoms, but it is a technology that display makers use because it is energy efficient. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and perhaps other ‌iPhone 17‌ models could provide those who are bothered by PWM with a fix.
This article, "iPhone 17 Pro Has Toggle to Disable Screen Flickering (PWM)" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The new iPhone Air is Apple's thinnest ‌iPhone‌ to date, which means it's also lighter than the standard ‌iPhone‌ models. Apple also switched from titanium to aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro models, resulting in some weight differences. Given these changes, Here's how the iPhone 17 weights compare to the iPhone 16 weights.

• iPhone Air - 5.82 ounces (165 grams)


• iPhone 17 - 6.24 ounces (177 grams)


• iPhone 17 Pro - 7.27 ounces (206 grams)


• iPhone 17 Pro Max - 8.22 ounces (233 grams)


• iPhone 16 - 6 ounces (170 grams)


• iPhone 16 Plus - 7.03 ounces (199 grams)


• iPhone 16 Pro - 7.03 ounces (199 grams)


• iPhone 16 Pro Max - 7.99 ounces (227 grams)

The ‌iPhone‌ Air is seven percent lighter than the ‌iPhone 17‌, and 34 percent lighter than the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max. The thin design will make the device feel even lighter than its weight suggests, and it should be easier to hold for extended periods. While it is close in weight to the ‌iPhone 17‌, it has a larger display.

The ‌iPhone 17‌ and 17 Pro feature 6.3-inch displays, while the ‌iPhone‌ Air has a 6.5-inch display and the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max has a 6.9-inch display.
This article, "iPhone Air Weight: How Apple's Thinnest iPhone Compares" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple introduced A19 and A19 Pro chips for the iPhone 17 lineup, with a total of three chip variants. The ‌iPhone 17‌ uses the regular A19 chip, while the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models have the A19 Pro. All of the chips are built on a more advanced 3-nanometer process.


The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and Pro Max have a higher-end A19 Pro chip with a 6-core GPU, and the ‌iPhone‌ Air has an A19 Pro chip with one less GPU core. Here are all the differences, according to Apple:

• A19 - 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU


• A19 Pro (iPhone Air) - 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU


• A19 Pro (iPhone 17 Pro) - 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU

All of the A19 chips have "Neural Accelerators" for each GPU core that boost daily workflows and the performance of local AI models, such as on-device Siri. There's also an updated 16-core Neural Engine, an updated display engine, and an updated image signal processor.

Apple says that the A19 Pro chip has the fastest CPU in any smartphone and the most advanced GPU yet. The CPU includes 50 percent larger last-level cache size, improved front-end bandwidth and improved branch prediction. The GPU features increased math rates, unified image compression, and second-generation dynamic caching. The Neural Accelerators offer 4x the peak compute of the A18 Pro.

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models have an updated thermal architecture that uses vapor chamber cooling, further enhancing the performance of the A19 Pro chip. With the new chip and the updated thermal design, the CPU and GPU in the A19 Pro deliver 40 percent better sustained performance than the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 models.

Apple also included 12GB RAM in the ‌iPhone‌ Air and the ‌iPhone 17‌ models, while the ‌iPhone 17‌ has 8GB.
This article, "A19 vs. A19 Pro: iPhone 17 Chip Differences" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Two of the best AirPods Pro 3 announcements from earlier today weren’t exactly about performance improvements or new sensors, but comfort and further customization. Here are the details.

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Apple today introduced the iPhone Air, and it is the thinnest and lightest ‌iPhone‌ to date. With a 5.6mm thick chassis, the ‌iPhone‌ Air doesn't have as much internal space as other iPhones for a battery.


There have been rumors suggesting the ‌iPhone‌ Air would have worse battery life than the standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro models, but there were also rumors indicating that Apple had workarounds, like denser battery technology.

The ‌iPhone‌ Air's battery will last for up to 27 hours when watching videos and up to 22 hours when streaming videos.

It has the lowest battery life of the four ‌iPhone 17‌ models, but Apple is using high-density battery technology to improve battery life. Apple did not provide information on the watt-hours of the ‌iPhone‌ Air battery, but information published on Apple's European site indicates that it has a 3,149 mAh battery inside. 3,149 mAh is most comparable to the 3,227 mAh battery that was in the ‌iPhone‌ 13.

For comparison, the ‌iPhone 17‌ has a 3,692 mAh battery, the 17 Pro has a 4,252 mAh battery, and the 17 Pro Max has a 5,088 mAh battery.

Apple introduced a MagSafe battery pack to go along with the ‌iPhone‌ Air, plus iOS 26 has an Adaptive Power mode that's meant to extend battery life when ‌iPhone‌ activity is above a normal day-to-day baseline.
This article, "iPhone Air Battery: What You're Trading for the Thinnest iPhone Ever" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The release candidate version of iOS 26 includes a new feature that lets you set an icon tint color that matches your iPhone case or your ‌iPhone‌.


When you long press on the Home Screen and then choose the customize option, there's a new ‌iPhone‌ case icon at the bottom of the "Tinted" menu. Tapping it will automatically change the color of ‌Home Screen‌ icons to the color of the case that you're using.

Of course, this requires a MagSafe case that the ‌iPhone‌ recognizes, so it is essentially a feature designed to work with Apple cases. If you don't see a colorful ‌MagSafe‌ ring that matches your case color when you put your case on your ‌iPhone‌, it's probably not going to work with icon tinting. You can also opt to change your icon colors to the color of your ‌iPhone‌ by tapping on the ‌iPhone‌ icon.

Tinted icons in ‌iOS 26‌ have a new Liquid Glass look with added translucency. Tints are applied to all icons and widgets on the ‌Home Screen‌.

You can still manually change the color of the tint, or choose a color from your wallpaper. ‌iOS 26‌ is set to come out on Monday, September 15.
This article, "iOS 26 Will Let You Match Your Home Screen Icons to Your iPhone Case" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Following the debut of the new iPhone 17 models, the iPhone Air, updated Apple Watch models, and the AirPods Pro 3, Apple updated trade-in values for older devices and assigned a value to the iPhone 16 models that people may be replacing.


Trade-in prices have been lowered for the iPhone 15 and older, while the ‌iPhone 16‌ models are worth up to $700 when trading them in.

‌iPhone‌ Model	New Values	Old Values
iPhone 16 Pro Max	Up to $700	N/A
‌iPhone 16 Pro‌	Up to $580	N/A
‌iPhone 16‌ Plus	Up to $470	N/A
‌iPhone 16‌	Up to $450	N/A
‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max	Up to $520	Up to $630
‌iPhone 15‌ Pro	Up to $420	Up to $500
‌iPhone 15‌ Plus	Up to $370	Up to $440
‌iPhone 15‌	Up to $320	Up to $400
‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max	Up to $400	Up to $455
‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro	Up to $320	Up to $380
‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus	Up to $240	Up to $300
‌iPhone‌ 14	Up to $220	Up to $290
‌iPhone‌ SE (3rd generation)	Up to $90	Up to $100
‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max	Up to $320	Up to $370
‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro	Up to $250	Up to $300
‌iPhone‌ 13	Up to $200	Up to $250
‌iPhone‌ 13 mini	Up to $170	Up to $200
iPhone 12 Pro Max	Up to $230	Up to $280
‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro	Up to $170	Up to $220
‌iPhone‌ 12	Up to $140	Up to $170
iPhone 12 mini	Up to $100	Up to $120
‌iPhone‌ SE (2nd generation)	Up to $50	Up to $50
iPhone 11 Pro Max	Up to $160	Up to $180
‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro	Up to $130	Up to $150
‌iPhone‌ 11	Up to $100	Up to $130
‌iPhone‌ XS Max	Up to $100	Up to $120
‌iPhone‌ XS	Up to $70	Up to $90
‌iPhone‌ XR	Up to $80	Up to $100
‌iPhone‌ X	Up to $60	Up to $60
‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus	Up to $50	Up to $60
‌iPhone‌ 8	Up to $40	Up to $45

Trade-in prices have been lowered for all devices down to the ‌iPhone‌ 8, which is the oldest ‌iPhone‌ that Apple accepts.

Apple has also updated trade-in values for the Apple Watch models, MacBooks, iPads, and Android devices. The Apple Watch Series 10 is worth $175 if trading it in for a new model, and trade-in values have been lowered for all other Apple Watch models.

Apple is now offering up to $710 for the iPad Pro, $435 for the iPad Air, $190 for the iPad, and $190 for the iPad mini. Ypou can get up to $875 for the MacBook Pro, $550 for the MacBook Air, $490 for the iMac, and $2,520 for the Mac Pro, with a full list of prices available on Apple's trade-in website.

Android users can get up to $405 when trading in a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, with lower amounts available for other Samsung and Pixel devices.

‌iPhone‌ trade-ins can be initiated when purchasing a new ‌iPhone‌ model from Apple's website, or at an Apple Store.
This article, "Apple Updates Trade-In Values Following iPhone 17 Event" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models can be charged up to 50% in around 20 minutes with a compatible USB-C power adapter, according to Apple's website.


That means iPhone 17 models offer faster USB-C charging compared to iPhone 16 models, which can be charged up to 50% in around 30 minutes with a compatible adapter.

The ultra-thin iPhone Air has similar USB-C charging speeds as the iPhone 16 series.

One power adapter that supports the iPhone 17's faster wired charging capabilities is Apple's new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max. It is available to order starting today, with pricing set at $39 in the United States.

As its Dynamic Power name implies, this charger can dynamically deliver up to 60W of power, despite having a smaller form factor. However, due to the thermal limitations of its compact design, the charger can only reach that 60W peak in short bursts. A larger 60W-or-higher charger does not face that limitation.

Know that you do not need to use this specific new Apple power adapter to unlock the iPhone 17's faster charging — most higher-wattage chargers should do the trick.

Also, remember that Apple sells USB-C charging cables separately.

iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models can be pre-ordered starting this Friday at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, and the devices launch on Friday, September 19.
This article, "iPhone 17 Models Feature Faster USB-C Charging With Apple's New 'Dynamic' Power Adapter" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the iOS 26 Release Candidate, and the update represents the final version of ‌iOS 26‌ that will be provided to the public if no additional bugs are found that need fixing.


Release Candidates include release notes, so we have Apple's full ‌iOS 26‌ release notes for the first time. There's nothing we didn't know about, but it's useful to see all of the features listed in one place.

Design

• Liquid Glass makes interactions across iOS more delightful, refracts and reflects content in real time, and brings even more focus to what you're viewing on your screen


• Adaptive time on the Lock Screen fluidly resizes to the available space on your Lock Screen, complementing the subjects of your photos and adapting as notifications and Live Activities appear


• Spatial scenes let you add a new 3D effect to your photo wallpapers, bringing them to life when you move your iPhone


• App icons get a fresh new look with Liquid Glass, and there are more ways to customize them with updated light or dark appearances, new color-tinted icons, and a new clear look


• Animated album art makes music playback more immersive, with full screen artist-designed animations on supported albums

Apple Intelligence
Visual Intelligence

• Learn more about the content in any app by pressing the same buttons you use to take a screenshot


• Highlight to search for something specific on your screen


• Jump into Google search results based on the content on your screen, find related items from your most-used third-party apps, or ask ChatGPT about what you're looking at

Live Translation

• In Messages, automatically translate incoming texts, including group messages, and send a response in your preferred language -- it'll be translated when it's delivered


• In FaceTime, live translated captions appear on screen during the call


• In Phone, audio is translated and spoken out loud in real time, and you can follow along with a transcription when the call is on speaker


• With AirPods, hear a translation hands-free when someone nearby speaks to you in a different language

Shortcuts

• Intelligent actions let you take advantage of Writing Tools, Image Playground, and other Apple Intelligence features within your shortcut


• "Use model" is a new action that lets you tap directly into ‌Apple Intelligence‌ models to get responses that feed into the rest of your shortcut, or use ChatGPT if you want to tap into its broad world knowledge and expertise

Genmoji & Image Playground

• Make Genmoji by mixing two emoji together, or by combining an emoji with a description to create what you have in mind


• Choose expressions for your ‌Genmoji‌ of people, making characters look happy, shocked, and more


• Personal attributes like hairstyle and facial hair can be modified for the ‌Genmoji‌ that are inspired by people from your Photos library


• More styles with ChatGPT lets you explore additional styles like Oil Painting and Anime, or you can tap Any Style to describe the image and style you want

Camera

• Streamlined design makes it even easier to access the Photo and Video capture modes, with other modes still just a swipe away


• Lens cleaning hints alert you when your lens is smudged so you can capture the clearest possible photo (iPhone 15 and later)


• New AirPods gesture lets you take a photo or start recording video just by pressing the stem on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 and later

Photos

• Separate tabs for Library and Collections offers easier navigation, and you can access Search in every view


• Collections view can be customized with three different layout options, and it's easy to collapse and reorder the collections


• Recognition for events like concerts and sports lets you see the details of an event and access related content

Phone

• New unified layout option brings together your Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails


• Call Screening lets you screen incoming calls from unknown numbers, getting you the caller's name and reason for the call before the phone rings


• Screened calls from unknown numbers can be placed in a new area of your call list so they're out of your way


• Hold Assist keeps your spot in line while you wait to speak to a live agent, and rings you to return to the call when the live agent is there

Messages

• Screening for unknown senders helps you to stay in control of who can reach you, and puts screened messages in a new area of your conversation list so they're out of your way


• Backgrounds can be added to conversations to make them more personal, with the option to use built-in backgrounds, your own photos, or images made with ‌Image Playground‌


• Polls can help you find out everyone's availability for an upcoming dinner plan or decide on a group gift


• Typing indicators in groups make it easy to know exactly who is about to chime in

CarPlay

• A new design with Liquid Glass helps make each interaction area of the Dashboard distinct, and provides a new tab bar design for easy navigation in apps


• Compact design for incoming calls makes it easy to keep your eyes on the upcoming turn in your favorite navigation app


• Tapbacks in Messages gives you a simple way to react to messages while driving, like with a thumbs up or a heart


• Pinned conversations appear at the top of Messages, making it easy to get to your most frequent conversations


• Widgets stacks can be found to the left of the Dashboard, so you can stay on top of your favorite apps at a glance


• Live Activities appear automatically on the Dashboard, making it easy to keep track of real time events on the go

Maps

• Visited Places gives you the option to allow your ‌iPhone‌ to detect the places you visit, like a restaurant or shop, so you can easily find them again in the Maps library and share them easily


• Preferred routes improve your frequent drives by learning the routes you take between places you regularly visit, like your commute from home to work

Music

• Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation help you understand the meaning behind your favorite songs and makes it easy to sing along, even if you don't know the language


• AutoMix transitions one song into the next like a DJ does, time stretching and beatmatching to deliver a continuous playback experience


• Pin songs, albums, playlists, and more at the top of Library for quick, easy playback

Wallet

• Updated boarding passes give you more access to timely and relevant information about your flights and airports, as well as quick access to airline app features


• Order tracking (beta) uses ‌Apple Intelligence‌ to find emails sent by either merchants or delivery carriers and brings your full order details, progress notifications, and more into one place in the Wallet app


• Installment financing options from your bank or card provider for your credit and debit card purchases are accessible when you pay with Apple Pay in-store on ‌iPhone‌

Apple Games

• New app is the all-in-one destination for gaming on your ‌iPhone‌, helping you jump back into the games you love, discover new favorites, and play with friends in new ways


• Challenge friends, track scores in real time, and see what else your friends are playing


• Access your entire game library, including new and past downloads from the App Store and Apple Arcade, and launch when you are ready to play


• Recommendations for new games are based on the games you love to play

Protecting Kids Online

• Communication Requests give kids the ability to send requests to their parents when there are new phone numbers they want to be able to communicate with


• Convert existing accounts to Child Accounts easily to take full advantage of all available child safety protections


• Age-appropriate experiences in apps gives parents the option to enable kids to share their age range with third-party apps, so they can access content and features suited to their age group


• Communication Safety expands to intervene when nudity is detected on live ‌FaceTime‌ calls, and to blur out nudity in Shared Albums in ‌Photos‌

Accessibility

• Accessibility Nutrition Labels in ‌App Store‌ product pages tell you if accessibility features like VoiceOver, Voice Control, and Captions are available within apps and games before you download them


• Accessibility Reader makes text in any app easier to read by giving you new ways to customize text with extensive options for font, color, and spacing, as well as support for Spoken Content


• Braille Access helps you take notes, read documents, access Live Captions, launch apps, and perform various other tasks effortlessly with your connected braille display

Other

• Preview is a new app on ‌iPhone‌ dedicated to viewing and editing PDFs, with powerful features like AutoFill, a document scanner, and export options


• ‌FaceTime‌ has a reimagined landing page that features personalized Contact Posters for your recent callers and video messages that play as you scroll


• Reminder Suggestions use ‌Apple Intelligence‌ to identify relevant tasks when you share an email, website, note, or other text to the Reminders app


• Local capture records the high-quality audio and video from your ‌iPhone‌ while on any video conferencing call, letting you produce an interview or podcast with the clearest recordings


• Audio input picker in Control Center makes it easy to choose the right microphone for each app, including on the web


• Estimated time to charge lets you know how long it will take for your ‌iPhone‌ to charge


• Adaptive power learns your typical battery usage and, on higher usage days, makes automatic adjustments to help you extend your battery life throughout the day (‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and later)


• Blood pressure logging experience in the Health app can send you reminders to measure your blood pressure using a third-party cuff and create a PDF report for your healthcare provider


• New Workout tab in the Fitness app brings workout tracking, so you can track metrics like pace and distance, and even more if you have a compatible heart rate monitor like AirPods Pro 3. If you have an Apple Watch, you can take advantage of the larger screen while using features like building a Custom Workout


• Adaptive Temperature automatically adjusts your thermostat to your preferred temperature when you're on your way home, and adjusts to save energy when you leave for the day or go on vacation


• Custom snooze options let you adjust how long you can snooze when your alarm goes off, with options between 1 and 15 minutes


• assword History provides a timeline of changes you've made to an account in Passwords, including a history of past passwords and generated strong passwords


• Notes lets you import and export Markdown formatted files

‌iOS 26‌ will be released on Monday, September 15.
This article, "Here Are the Full iOS 26 Release Notes" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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You know the drill: new iPhones, new wallpapers. And if you liked what you saw during the “Awe Dropping” event, we’ve got you covered. Download the new wallpapers below.

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Before the iPhone Air debuted, rumors suggested that it would adopt the C1 modem chip that Apple first introduced with the iPhone 16e. It turns out Apple had another idea in mind, and the ‌iPhone‌ Air is equipped with a new C1X chip.


Apple says the C1X modem is up to 2x faster than the C1, while using the same cellular technologies. It is apparently faster than the Qualcomm modem in the iPhone 16 Pro, while using 30 percent less energy. According to Apple, the C1X is the most power-efficient modem in an ‌iPhone‌.

Apple seems to be referring to sub-6GHz 5G speeds when it says the C1X is faster than the modem in the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌, because the chip still doesn't support mmWave 5G speeds.

The C1X is limited to sub-6GHz 5G bands, while the Qualcomm modem in the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave. Sub-6GHz is the more widespread version of 5G, while mmWave is more limited and is typically found in major cities and urban areas.

The ‌iPhone‌ Air has longer battery life than the iPhone 16 despite its thin size, and it also offers better battery life than the ‌iPhone 16e‌ with C1 modem. The ‌iPhone‌ Air lasts for up to 27 hours when watching videos, while the ‌iPhone 16e‌ lasts for up to 26 hours.
This article, "iPhone Air Gets Faster and More Efficient C1X 5G Modem, But No mmWave" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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For the past few years, Apple has featured real cases of users whose lives were saved or profoundly changed by the Apple Watch. Today, it was no different. Watch the heartfelt segment below.

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Apple today announced it is providing existing iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users with an additional year of free access to its suite of satellite features. The company revealed this extension in its press releases for the new iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models.


The free period will be extended for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who activated their device in a country that supports Apple's satellite features prior to 12 a.m. Pacific Time today, according to Apple. That means the features will continue to work for free on devices that are already activated until at least mid-September of 2026.

Free access to the satellite features on iPhone 15 models was set to end this month, prior to this extension. For the iPhone 14 models, free access to the features should have initially ended in September 2024, but Apple has extended the trial period twice now for those devices. The implication is that Apple will eventually charge a fee for the features, but it has yet to confirm such a plan, and it is unclear what pricing would look like.

It is possible that Apple will eventually decide to keep the satellite features free forever, given the life-saving potential, but only time will tell.

Apple's satellite features include Emergency SOS via satellite, Messages via satellite, Find My via satellite, and Roadside Assistance via satellite, with availability varying by country. These features work when you are in a supported area without Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity. Apple's satellite partner is currently Globalstar.
This article, "Apple Extends Free Access to Satellite Features Across iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 Models" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The new iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max have a new Apple-designed chip inside, the N1.


The N1 is a networking chip. It supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Because Apple was able to create the chip to integrate with other hardware and software in the ‌iPhone‌, it's more efficient and it offers improved reliability.

According to Apple, the N1 chip improves the performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. The N1 will replace networking chips that Apple previously sourced from suppliers like Broadcom.

The iPhone 16 models supported Wi-Fi 7 already so that's not new, but Bluetooth 6 is an upgrade over the previous Bluetooth 5.3 support. Bluetooth 6 brings less interference in crowded areas for improved reliability, lower latency, updated wake and sleep cycles for longer battery life, better multi-stream audio support for spatial audio and other features, and improved hearing aid support.

Thread was also a feature in the prior-generation ‌iPhone 16‌ models, but for those unfamiliar, a Thread radio allows the ‌iPhone 17‌ models to directly control Thread-enabled smart home products.

With the N1 and other optimizations, the ‌iPhone 17‌ models have some of the longest battery life in any ‌iPhone‌ to date. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ lasts for up to 39 hours when watching videos, for example.
This article, "iPhone 17 Lineup Features Apple's Custom N1 Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 Chip" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Beats today announced a new collection of cases for the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max.


The Beats ‌iPhone 17‌ Case with MagSafe & Camera Control is designed to be thin and light. It is available for the ‌iPhone 17‌, ‌iPhone‌ Air, ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max.

The Beats ‌iPhone 17‌ Kickstand Case with ‌MagSafe‌ & Camera Control comes with a removable lanyard that doubles as a kickstand for hands-free landscape viewing. To form the kickstand, an adapter at the end of the lanyard slides open and attaches to a magnetic point on the side of the case. It is available for ‌iPhone 17‌, ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max.

Both designs offer a double-shot hardshell case, an interior microfiber lining, and an outer matte finish that reduces scratches, smudges, and fingerprints. Both cases are available in Granite Gray, Bedrock Blue, Lime Stone, and Pebble Pink.

The Beats ‌iPhone 17‌ Case with ‌MagSafe‌ & Camera Control is available for $45, while the Beats ‌iPhone 17‌ Kickstand Case with ‌MagSafe‌ & Camera Control is available for $59.

In addition, the Beats ‌iPhone 17‌ Rugged Case with ‌MagSafe‌ & Camera Control provides extra protection. It features a rugged polymer backing with additional impact-absorbing sidewalls, an enclosed bottom for enhanced protection, and a grippy textured matte exterior.

The Beats ‌iPhone 17‌ Rugged Case with ‌MagSafe‌ & Camera Control is available for ‌iPhone 17‌, ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max in Everest Black, Rocky Blue, Alpine Gray, and Sierra Orange for $79. The new Beats cases are available to order starting today.
This article, "Beats Announces Three New iPhone Cases" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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For an event that lasted less than 1 hour and 20 minutes, Apple managed to pack quite a lot of new devices and features into its lineup. Still, some had been expecting a little bit more. Here’s what Apple decided not to include in today’s event, some of which may still come by the end of the year.

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Apple’s flagship iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are here, and the Pro Max includes a 2TB storage option for the first time ever. Before you start celebrating though, be sure to check the price tag.

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The new iPhone Air is limited to USB 2 transfer speeds and it does not support faster USB 3 transfer speeds like the iPhone 17 Pro models. Apple also didn't update the USB port that it's using for the iPhone 17, so USB 3 continues to be a Pro-only feature.


With USB 2 support, the ‌iPhone‌ Air and the ‌iPhone 17‌ support transfer speeds of up to 480Mb/s. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and Pro Max support transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, like the iPhone 16 Pro models.

480Mb/s is the same transfer speed that Lightning offered, so the ‌iPhone‌ Air and ‌iPhone 17‌ models are still limited to the speeds of the now-outdated Lightning technology.

Apple did not make any changes to USB-C transfer speeds this year, and it is a bit of a disappointment to see the $999 ‌iPhone‌ Air limited to USB 2.
This article, "iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Limited to USB 2" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple does not advertise RAM amounts in iPhones, but MacRumors has confirmed this information in the latest version of Apple's developer tool Xcode 26.


Here is how much RAM is in each new iPhone model:

• iPhone 17: 8GB


• iPhone Air: 12GB


• iPhone 17 Pro: 12GB


• iPhone 17 Pro Max: 12GB

This confirms the rumored RAM amounts for these devices.

Compared to the iPhone 16 series, RAM has increased in all models except for the base model.

Here is how much RAM is in the iPhone 16 models:

• iPhone 16: 8GB


• iPhone 16 Plus: 8GB


• iPhone 16 Pro: 8GB


• iPhone 16 Pro Max: 8GB

Xcode has accurately revealed RAM amounts for many iPhone generations.

All of the new iPhone models will be available to pre-order starting Friday, September 12 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time in the U.S. and many other countries and regions. The devices are set to launch one week later, on Friday, September 19.
This article, "iPhone 17, Air, and iPhone 17 Pro: Here's How Much RAM in Each Model" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple unveiled its flagship iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max earlier today at the ‘Awe dropping’ event alongside new AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and more. Here’s how the new iPhone 17 Pro compares to last year’s 16 Pro models.

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It’s September, and that means the new iPhones are now out! Whether you’re opting for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, or iPhone 17 Pro Max, Spigen is ready with all-new cases that make the new models—and their refreshed iPhone design—look even better.

If all you want to do is protect your iPhone, there are many cases to choose from. What makes Spigen stand out is its heritage as a design company, seeking not just to keep your iPhone safe, but to ensure it looks its absolute best.

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Last year Apple introduced Repair Assistant for iPhone and iPad, bringing first-party calibration software to the repair process for devices. Starting with macOS Tahoe 26, Apple will introduce Repair Assistant for the Mac as well.

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The thin and light iPhone Air does not have a physical SIM slot, and is limited to eSIM-only operation. That's something of a problem, because in China, carriers have not traditionally supported eSIM for the ‌iPhone‌ even though it's widely used around the world.


Until now, iPhones sold in China have always had a physical SIM slot, and that's still the case for the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. There wasn't space for a SIM tray in the ‌iPhone‌ Air, but China won't have to go without. Apple was able to work with China Unicom to bring the ‌iPhone‌ Air with eSIM to the Chinese market.

On its website in China, Apple says that customers will need an eSIM-supported carrier and mobile plan to use the ‌iPhone‌ Air. The company also clarifies that not all carriers support eSIM, and that customers who want to use the ‌iPhone‌ Air will need to sign up for a plan with China Unicom. As of right now, China Unicom is the only carrier that supports eSIM.

China has a requirement that links a user's ID to their cellular phone, something that's harder to do with an eSIM over a physical SIM. China Unicom customers who buy an ‌iPhone‌ Air will be required to visit a China Unicom retail store to verify their IDs with store staff and activate their device.

Apple has a support document on the ‌iPhone‌ Air in China that further says only the model A3518 ‌iPhone‌ Air will be able to be activated via eSIM in China. All other ‌iPhone‌ Air models, including those purchased outside of China, will not be able to install an eSIM profile from a China mainland carrier.

Chinese customers who have an eSIM-capable ‌iPhone‌ Air purchased in China will be able to activate an eSIM from a local carrier when traveling, but eSIMs from non-China mainland carriers cannot be installed while located in China mainland.
This article, "eSIM-Only iPhone Air Available in China Through China Unicom" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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