Mac Rumors: Apple Mac iOS Rumors and News You Care About

Apple Drops 2TB iCloud Storage Price to $9.99, Eliminates 1TB Option

Monday June 5, 2017 9:21 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Following today's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote that saw the debut of new software and hardware products, Apple has updated and simplified its iCloud storage pricing tiers.

The 1TB storage option has been eliminated, while the 2TB storage option has dropped in price to $9.99, which is what 1TB of storage was previously priced at. Essentially, at the highest data tiers, customers are getting more storage space for less money. Pricing for Apple's 50GB and 200GB iCloud storage plans remains unchanged.

The new pricing tiers in the United States:

- 50GB: $0.99
- 200GB: $2.99
- 2TB: $9.99

While U.S. prices are listed above, the same changes have been made in all countries where iCloud storage is available. 1TB storage options have been eliminated across the board, while 2TBs of storage is now available at the lower 1TB cost.

Many users have been hoping Apple will increase the free iCloud storage option, but following today's update, free iCloud space continues to cap out at 5GB.

The new storage plans are available immediately on all iOS devices.

(Thanks, Michael!)

Tag: iCloud

Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2017 in 7 Minutes

Monday June 5, 2017 4:23 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Today's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote featured more than two hours of non-stop announcements and product unveilings, resulting in the most eventful and jam-packed WWDC we've had in years.

We've condensed Apple's multi-hour keynote into just seven minutes, so if you don't have time to watch the full range of announcements, you can get a quick recap.

Along with new versions of iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS, Apple also used today's event to launch a number of products. Starting today, Apple is selling refreshed iPad Pro models, new iMacs, new MacBooks, new MacBook Pro models, new Apple Watch bands, and updated MacBook Air machines.

That wasn't the end of the event, though. Apple also shared details on two upcoming products, the pro-oriented $4,999 "iMac Pro" and the $349 "HomePod," the company's much-rumored Siri-powered speaker that's designed to compete with products like the Amazon Echo while also offering up amazing sound quality. Both the iMac Pro and the HomePod are launching in December.

For a full recap of our coverage today, and more detail on what was announced, check out our extensive event recap post.

Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors.com this week, because we're going to be sharing in-depth videos highlighting the new features in iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, watchOS 4, and tvOS, and we'll be publishing detailed roundups on everything you need to know about Apple's upcoming software updates and new products.

Related Roundup: WWDC 2017

iOS 11 Tidbits: Customizable Control Center, One-Handed Keyboard, Type to Siri and More

Monday June 5, 2017 3:42 pm PDT by Juli Clover

iOS 11 introduces a huge number of major changes to the operating system, ranging from a redesigned Control Center experience to a host of new features specific to the iPad, but along with all of these major changes, outlined in our iOS 11 announcement post, there are also dozens of smaller changes that have been added to the beta.

Below, we've outlined some of the smaller but still significant tweaks that went unmentioned during Apple's whirlwind keynote announcement.

- Lock Screen - The Lock screen has a new look with a bolder font for the passcode numbers and lighter circles that don't feature a white outline.

- One-handed keyboard - On the iPhone, there's a new option for a one-sided keyboard that can be enabled by pressing down on the globe keyboard button. It moves the keyboard to either the left or right side of the device.

- Type to Siri - There's an Accessibility feature that enables Type to Siri. With this option toggled on, when Siri is accessed via a Home button press, it brings up a keyboard where you can type something to Siri.

- iPad keyboard changes - On the iPad, symbols and numbers accessible via the shift key are visible on the keys themselves. The alternate symbols and numbers are accessed by pulling down on the key and releasing.

➜ Click here to read rest of article...

Related Roundup: iOS 11

Here's How Apple's New HomePod Speaker and iMac Pro Look in Person

Monday June 5, 2017 3:21 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol

Following the WWDC 2017 keynote today in San Jose, Apple invited members of the media for some hands on time with HomePod, its new Siri-enabled smart speaker and hub for controlling HomeKit accessories.

CNET has shared a gallery of HomePod pictures that provides a close-up look at the speaker, which looks somewhat like a smaller Mac Pro covered in a seamless mesh fabric. It'll be available in White and Space Gray.

The top of the HomePod has a glossy finish with Siri colors glowing in the center. Since it's designed for home use, the HomePod doesn't have a battery, so it must be plugged into a wall outlet or other power source at all times.

Meanwhile, Engadget has shared a gallery of iMac Pro pictures that show the all-in-one desktop computer in its stealthy new Space Gray finish, accompanied by a color-matched Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad.

Apple said both the HomePod and iMac Pro will be available in December for $349 and $4,999 respectively.

Related Roundups: iMac, HomePod
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Buy Now)

Apple Shares Full Video of Today's WWDC Keynote on its Website

Monday June 5, 2017 3:10 pm PDT by Mitchel Broussard

As Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote has wrapped up for another year, the company this afternoon posted a full video of the event on its website. The video lets anyone who might have missed the event catch up with all of the reveals on their own time. As is customary, Apple is expected to upload the WWDC 2017 keynote to YouTube and iTunes at sometime today as well.

Apple has also shared the videos that debuted during the keynote to its YouTube channel, including the humorous look at a world without apps, called "The Appocalypse," and a few new iPad Pro commercials. Check out the full list of videos below:

- Introducing iMac Pro
- iMac Pro — Power to the pro
- The New iPad Pro — On Any Given Wednesday
- Introducing HomePod
- iPad Pro — A whole new kind of computer
- iPad Pro — So many things to love
- WWDC 2017 — APPOCALYPSE

In addition to the videos posted online, you can catch up with all of the WWDC 2017 coverage by checking out our list of keynote highlights below, which encompass all of MacRumors' event coverage shared today. Articles range from Apple's all-new OS announcements, like iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, new hardware refreshes of the MacBook and iMac with brighter displays, refinements coming to Siri, AppleCare+ Mac support, and the all-new HomePod.

Related Roundups: iOS 11, WWDC 2017
Tag: macOS

First Beta of iOS 11 Now Available for Developers

Monday June 5, 2017 12:53 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Following the conclusion of today's keynote event where Apple introduced new versions of its iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS software, Apple has provided the first beta to developers, kicking off the iOS 11 beta testing period.

Registered developers can download the iOS 11 beta from Apple's Developer Center, or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed.

Apple is calling iOS 11 its biggest software release ever for the iPad, thanks to the myriad iPad features it includes, like a new dock that supports improved multitasking, a Files app for better managing files, improved Apple Pencil support, a new App Switcher, and system-wide drag and drop.

iOS 11 also includes many features for both the iPhone and the iPad. There's an incredible ARKit API that's going to let developers build all kinds of new augmented reality apps, and there's also a CoreML machine learning API that's going to allow apps to become a whole lot smarter.

Peer-to-peer Apple Pay payments are being introduced, Messages is gaining a new App Drawer that makes it easier to access apps and stickers, a Do Not Disturb feature that mutes notifications will make it easier for drivers to stay focused on the road, and Siri, Photos, and the Camera app are gaining huge improvements.

The iOS 11 beta is only available for registered developers at this time. As it has done in the past, Apple will provide a public beta for public beta testers later this summer, and the software will see an official release in the fall alongside new iPhones.

Related Roundup: iOS 11

Apple Store Back Online, New iMacs, Mac Notebooks, and iPads Available for Purchase

Monday June 5, 2017 12:44 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Following today's keynote event that saw Apple introduce a whole host of new hardware including new iMacs, new Mac notebooks, and new iPads, the Apple online store has come back online and all of the new products are now available for purchase.

New 10.5 and 12.9 inch iPad Pro models are available, with prices that start at $649. The 10.5-inch model is a new design with slimmer bezels that allow for a larger display. Storage starts at 64GB and goes up to 512GB, and orders placed today will arrive next week.

Updated MacBook and MacBook Pro models include 7th-generation Kaby Lake chips, improved graphics, and faster storage. MacBook Pro pricing starts at $1,299 for the 13-inch model and $2,399 for the 15-inch model, while MacBook pricing starts at $1,299.

Apple has also refreshed the MacBook Air with a new faster processor, and pricing remains the same at $999 for the entry-level 13-inch model. All new notebooks will ship out starting next week, but are available for order today.

Finally, there are new 21.5 and 27-inch iMac models available for purchase, with upgraded Kaby Lake processors, much-improved displays, faster storage options, and advanced GPUs. For the first time, there are dedicated graphics options for the 21.5-inch iMac, which has been limited to integrated graphics in the past.

Pricing on the iMac starts at $1,099 for a 21.5-inch version without a 4K display, while the 4K model starts at $1,299, and the 27-inch 5K model starts at $1,799. New iMacs deliver as soon as this week.

Later this year, in December, Apple plans to introduce a new iMac Pro that will start at $4,999.

Apple Announces New 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro Models With Advanced Displays

Monday June 5, 2017 12:44 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple today announced a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro and a redesigned 12.9-inch iPad Pro at its WWDC keynote on Monday in San Jose, California.

The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro has a 20 percent larger display, made possible by reducing the tablet's borders by 40 percent, yet it still weighs just 1 pound. It allows the display of a full size onscreen keyboard and enables users to attach a full size Smart Keyboard. Apple will offer the new Smart Keyboards in 30 more languages.

Both new iPad models come with new displays, featuring True tone, wide color gamut, ultralow reflectivity, 600 nits brightness, and HDR video support.

“These are by far the most powerful iPads we’ve ever created with the world’s most advanced displays featuring ProMotion, the powerful new A10X Fusion chip and the advanced camera system of iPhone 7,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Product Marketing. “Together with iOS 11 these new iPad Pro models will radically change what users can do with iPad.”

A new screen technology called ProMotion also brings dramatically improved display performance, doubling the display refresh rate to 120Hz, making for smother, more responsive content. It also works more accurately with the Apple Pencil, offering an industry-leading 20 milliseconds.

A dynamically adjusting refresh rate also features on the new displays, which adjust depending on the content being viewed, with intelligent energy saving. Apple says the new iPads have the same 10 hours of battery life. An A10X six-core Fusion CPU, with a twelve core GPU powers the new models, offering over 40 percent faster graphics performance.

The 10.5-inch iPad Pro will start at $649 with 64GB storage and Wi-Fi only, and $779 for 64GB storage and cellular capabilities. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 for 64GB and Wi-Fi only, and $929 for 64GB with cellular. 256GB and 512GB storage capacities are available for both models, which all come in silver, space gray, gold and rose gold. Both tablets can be ordered today and are available next week.

Related Roundup: WWDC 2017
Buyer's Guide: 9.7" iPad Pro (Buy Now), 12.9" iPad Pro (Buy Now)

Apple Refreshes 21.5-Inch and 27-Inch iMacs With Brighter Displays, Kaby Lake Processors, and Faster Storage

Monday June 5, 2017 12:43 pm PDT by Mitchel Broussard

Apple has announced a few new iMac models at WWDC today, which the company said include the best Mac displays ever with 500 nits of brightness and support for 1 billion colors, resulting in displays that are 43% brighter than previous models.

The new iMacs have up to three times more powerful graphics abilities in comparison to previous generations, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3, and faster storage options. Apple said that the updates, along with refreshes of the MacBook, represent a lineup of Mac devices that are "stronger than ever."

“With major updates to iMac, and a refresh of our MacBook and MacBook Pro lines, the Mac is stronger than ever,” said John Ternus, Apple’s vice president of Hardware Engineering. “Today iMac gets a huge graphics performance increase, faster CPU performance, Thunderbolt 3 and a brighter Retina display with support for 1 billion colors. We’re also increasing CPU and SSD speed on MacBook, adding faster processors and making faster graphics standard on our 15-inch MacBook Pro and introducing a new $1,299 (US) 13-inch MacBook Pro.”

With the refresh, a Retina 4K display is also coming to the 21.5-inch iMac. Both the 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs feature faster Kaby Lake processors up to 4.2 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 4.5 GHz. The computers support twice the memory as the previous generation, and Fusion Drive will now be standard on all 27-inch iMac configurations, as well as on the top-end 21.5-inch iMac.

SSD storage will become 50 percent faster on the refreshed iMacs, and graphics on the computers are more powerful thanks to new Radeon Pro 500-series cards with up to 8GB of vRAM. In terms of faster performance, the 21.5-inch model delivers up to three times faster speeds in comparison to the previous iMacs, while the 27-inch model is up to 50 percent faster.

The models start at $1,099 for the 21.5-inch iMac, $1,299 for the 4K 21.5-inch iMac, and $1,799 for the 5K 27-inch iMac. Users can find more information on tech specs and pricing for each tier of the 21.5-inch model and 27-inch model on Apple's website, and both are available to purchase today.

Related Roundups: iMac, WWDC 2017
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Buy Now)

Apple Unveils $349 HomePod Smart Speaker to be Available in December

Monday June 5, 2017 12:43 pm PDT by Mitchel Broussard

Apple today announced its plans to "reinvent home music" with the unveiling of its newest product, HomePod, a wireless speaker powered by Apple's A8 chip with Siri integration that's just under 7 inches tall.

Apple reinvented portable music with iPod and now HomePod will reinvent how we enjoy music wirelessly throughout our homes,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “HomePod packs powerful speaker technology, Siri intelligence and wireless access to the entire Apple Music library into a beautiful speaker that is less than 7 inches tall, can rock most any room with distortion free music and be a helpful assistant around your home.

HomePod is a combination of high quality music playback speakers and smart speaker systems that are on the market today. The HomePod can intelligently detect the space it is in with "spatial awareness," which the company said provides better quality audio playback than its competitors.

HomePod has an upward-facing woofer and an array of seven beam-forming tweeters. It has a six-microphone array that can detect commands even when music is playing loudly. When there are two HomePods in a room, they will automatically detect each other and optimize music playback complementarily. Setting up a new HomePod works similarly to AirPods set up--simply holding an iPhone near a HomePod will pair it.

HomePod automatically works with an Apple Music subscription and can play back playlists, radio stations, and more content found within Apple Music. Siri commands will let users direct the HomePod to play music, add songs to playlists, and even answer music trivia questions.

Siri will also act as a home assistant and include support for News, Messages, Podcasts, Stocks, Weather, Reminders, alarms, timers, sports and traffic. HomePod will also be a HomeKit hub and let users control lights, blinds, locks, and other accessories by voice, even when users are away from home.

The HomePod will launch in December for $349 and will be available in white and space gray in the US, UK, and Australia to start.

Related Roundups: HomePod, WWDC 2017

iOS 11 Preview: Enhanced Siri, Voice Translation, Unified Control Center & More

Monday June 5, 2017 12:42 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple's senior VP of software, Craig Federighi, took to the stage at WWDC today to give a preview of iOS 11, showing off new features like a smarter Photo Library and a redesigned Control Center.

Messages is set to receive a redesigned app drawer that makes it easier to use apps and stickers, while a more optimized device storage system will make Messages backups smaller and faster, with messages stored and synced across devices over iCloud. Beginning iOS 11, for the first time, Apple Pay is also integrated into the Messages app.

Siri is will become more naturally spoken, with a new voice powered by deep learning techniques. Also set to feature is a beta translation feature that will allow users to get live translations between English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. More languages are promised by Apple in the months to come.

Lastly for Siri, a new on-device learning system will enable the virtual assistant to understand what a user is likely to want depending on circumstances and time of day. User data will be synced across all devices on a user's account with end-to-end encryption.

Control Center will be substantially redesigned to appear on a single screen and fill the bottom half of an iPhone's display, implementing 3D Touch for sub-options within buttons, and sliders to adjust volume and brightness. The Lock Screen and Notification Center will be unified on a single screen, with a swipe up or down from the Lock Screen offering immediate access to notifications.

Apple Maps will include detailed shopping floor plans for shopping malls in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, and London, with several other major cities also covered and additional ones to come. Major airports will also be included in the floor plans, while lane guidance and posted speed limits will be displayed during navigation.

Apple is introducing an optional Do Not Disturb While Driving feature in iOS 11 to prevent distracted driving. HomeKit will also support a new AirPlay 2 protocol for supporting speakers, with a Shared Up Next feature for the protocol where multiple connected users can edit a party playlist. A new MusicKit API will let third-party developers get full access to Apple Music in iOS 11.

iOS 11 will also bring several new features specifically to the iPad for its larger screen, including Drag-and-Drop, a new customizable Dock, a redesigned app switcher, and more.

Related Roundups: iOS 11, WWDC 2017

watchOS 4 Bringing New Watch Faces, Apple News, Updated Music App & Gym Equipment Support

Monday June 5, 2017 12:38 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple has announced new features for watchOS 4, including major updates coming to Workouts, Activity, Music, all-new watch faces, and "GymKit," which provides a seamless connection between Apple Watch and gym equipment.

New Activity upgrades will deliver intelligent coaching and tailored encouragement to each user, with Apple Watch notifying users every morning when they're close to earning an Achievement. Suggestions on how to improve to match the previous day's activity levels will also be surfaced.

The new Siri watch face, which provides 'the most relevant information throughout the day' As the day nears an end, Activity will also be able to tell users exactly how long they should walk to close their Activity Rings, and new unique Monthly Challenges will be designed directly for each user's goals.

“Apple Watch is the ultimate device for a healthy life and is now more intelligent than ever with watchOS 4,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “We’ve created a truly individualized experience with the smartest Activity and Workout apps, the Siri watch face that shows you the information you need when you need it and we’re seamlessly bringing users their favorite music right on the wrist.”

Apple has updated the Workout app to include auto-sets for pool swim workouts, as well as new motion and heart rate algorithms for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts. The company said that users doing back-to-back workouts, like anyone training for a triathlon, will be able to combine multiple workouts into one linked-together data set "to capture overall calorie and time measurements."

With GymKit, Apple said that customers will be able to use certain cardio equipment at Gyms to pair their Apple Watch directly to treadmills, ellipticals, indoor bikes, and stair steppers from brands like Life Fitness and Technogym. With a simple tap, the Apple Watch will speak with the equipment, and vice versa, including data on calories, distance, speed, floors climbed, incline, and pace.

A new Siri watch face will bring up information and will dynamically update based on time of day, daily routines, and showcase pertinent data from apps like Activity, Alarms, Breathe, Calendar, Maps, Reminders, Wallet, and Apple News, for which there is now an Apple Watch app. A redesigned Music app on Apple Watch will automatically sync to My New Music Mix, My Favorites Mix, and most listened to music, giving users a better music-listening experience with watchOS 4, particularly with AirPods.

Additionally, watchOS 4 will bring along new Toy Story watch faces and support for person-to-person payments in Apple Pay. For more information on watchOS 4 and its features, check out Apple's website.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3, WWDC 2017
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

May	JUN	Jul
	06
2016	2017	2018

Software Announcements

Hardware Announcements

Miscellaneous

Upcoming

More MacRumors Stories

Recent Comments

Our Staff

Links