Month: March 2019

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming iOS 12.2 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fourth beta of iOS 12.2 and more than a month after the release of iOS 12.1.4.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.2 beta from Apple’s Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.

iOS 12.2 expands Apple News to Canada for the first time, with Canadian iPhone and iPad users able to read news stories in English, French, or both. Apple says that during the beta, content will be more limited than it will be when the update is released.

There are four new Animoji included the iOS 12.2 beta, including a boar, a shark, a giraffe, and an owl. Animoji can be used within the Messages and FaceTime apps.

The software introduces support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit on third-party TVs in light of recent AirPlay 2 announcements, with a new option for limiting TV access joining the speaker access option in the Home app. There’s also a redesigned TV remote in Control Center, and when paired with tvOS 12.2, you can ask Siri to play specific TV shows, movies, and music on your HomeKit devices like the Apple TV.

For some AT&T users, there’s a new “5G E” icon for the cellular signal, replacing the standard LTE icon. This is a bit misleading of AT&T, because the iPhone does not support 5G, nor is the network AT&T calls 5G E actual 5G. Instead, it’s an upgraded version of LTE, with more info available here.

The Wallet app’s interface has been streamlined and tweaked, there’s a new interface for Apple Pay Cash, and the Downtime feature in Screen Time now allows you to customize by day. Apple has also made minor changes to some icons (including Apple News, AirPlay, and Remote in Control Center) and has introduced new Safari features, with a full list of changes introduced throughout the beta testing period available in our iOS 12.2 tidbits post.

Apple is improving Safari’s privacy in iOS 12.2 through a new Motion & Orientation toggle located under Settings > Safari > Privacy >Security, which is disabled by default. The setting needs to be enabled on to allow websites to display content that relies on motion data from the accelerometer and gyroscope in the iPhone and iPad.

iOS 12.2 confirms that Apple is planning to release second-generation AirPods with “Hey Siri” support, thanks to a hidden “Hey Siri” AirPods setup screen in the beta. The inclusion of the AirPods setup option in the beta indicates that Apple could perhaps be planning to release new AirPods when iOS 12.2 is released.

The update also features hints of an upcoming Apple News subscription service, which could see a Texture-like magazine service added to Apple News. The Apple News subscription service is expected to be introduced at an upcoming March 25 event, and we could see iOS 12.2 released shortly afterwards.

What’s new in iOS 12.2 beta 5: In iOS 12.2, when setting up a new Apple Watch, Apple is using location to make sure the ECG feature is available in a particular region, suggesting the company may be planning to geofence ECG functionality and limit it to the United States.

This would potentially prevent customers who purchased a U.S. Apple Watch but live in another country from using the ECG feature. Location is verified via SIM card and can’t be bypassed during Apple Watch setup. 9to5Mac says there are also hints of upcoming changes to Wallet to support the integration of a new Goldman Sachs credit card and indications that work on AirPower is continuing.

Source: www.macrumors.com

In an average year, Apple holds three to four events. There’s usually a spring event in March, the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, a September event that’s focused on iPhone and Apple Watch, and sometimes an October event if there are iPads or Macs expected in the fall.

In this guide, we’re keeping track of all of the Apple events that are on the horizon and what we’re expecting to see at each one, so make sure to check back in regularly.

March 25 Event

Apple’s first event of the year will take place on Monday, March 25. According to rumors, Apple plans to focus on services at this event, introducing both a new Apple News service and a TV service. Here’s what we’re expecting to see:

Apple News Service

Apple is working on a $9.99 per month subscription news service that would give Apple News users unlimited access to stories from paywalled sites like The New York Times and the Washington Post.

This service is also expected to include a magazine element, similar to the service offered by Texture, the magazine app that Apple bought in 2018. The same $9.99 fee for accessing news services may also provide access to unlimited magazines from participating publishers, but it’s not yet clear if that will all fall under a single fee.

Not all news sites are on board yet because Apple wants 50 percent of all subscription revenue, but magazine publishers are embracing Apple’s plan. Regardless of how the services are presented, expect to see Apple announce Apple News subscriptions for paywalled news and magazines.

Streaming TV Service

Apple is also working on a streaming TV service that will include the more than two dozen TV shows and movies that it has in the works, along with access to subscription content from other cable providers.

There’s no word on what this service will cost, but Apple will introduce it at the March event before launching it later in the year, perhaps in summer or fall. Multiple celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, and Jennifer Garner – who are starring in Apple’s original television shows – have been invited to the event and are expected to attend.

iOS 12.2

The iOS 12.2 beta that’s being tested right now already has hints of the Apple News service in it, and Apple is going to release the iOS 12.2 update right after the event takes place to give people access to the new Apple News subscription service.

Along with access to this subscription service, iOS 12.2 brings Apple News to Canada, offers new Animoji characters, includes HomeKit TV support for third-party TVs, and has dozens of other smaller tweaks and changes outlined in our iOS 12.2 tidbits post.

Hardware

We’re expecting minor updates for a number of Apple products, including the iPad mini, iPad, AirPods, and iPod touch, and the launch of the AirPower is rumored to be on the horizon.

Rumors have said that Apple won’t include these announcements in the event because of its focus on services, but it’s still possible we’ll hear a few words about them, and if not, Apple could choose to release all of these updates shortly after the event via press release.

Event Details

The March 25 event will take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (1:00 p.m. Eastern Time) at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus. Apple plans to live stream the event on its website and through the Events app on the Apple TV.

Source: www.macrumors.com