Apple News
Apple TV+’s mind-bending series ‘Severance’ is in the running for a bunch of Emmys on Sunday
In “Severance,” Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work … and of himself. In season two, Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.
Voters for the Emmys, the highest honors in television, have embraced the mind-bending tale. “Severance” racked up 27 Emmy nominations and won six trophies at an Emmys ceremony last week for technical awards.
The sci-fi series is in the running for more Emmys on Sunday including the top prize of best drama. Competitors include “Star Wars” series “Andor,” emergency room tale “The Pitt” and murder mystery “The White Lotus.” Winners will be announced at a red-carpet ceremony televised live on CBS.
“Severance” offers a philosophical take on the work-life balance and the power of corporations, while “poking a stick at it with an absurdist light,” said Chris Rice, co-CEO of Fifth Season, the production company behind the show.
Supporting actor nominee John Turturro, who plays loyal Lumon employee Irving, said the show “poses questions without giving all the answers.”
“I think people find that really participatory,” he added. Plus, “people have to navigate work life and personal life, and that is an eternal conundrum that people go through.”
Britt Lower, who plays the stubborn Helly, said the show has earned fans among high school and college students who have not yet entered the workforce. She believes the series is prompting people to ask deep questions, such as “what makes us human?”
“To me, that is kind of the most exciting part,” Lower said. “Are the innies human? Are they full humans? And what makes them that?”
MacDailyNews Take: If there’s any justice in this world, “Severance” should take home a truckload of Emmy’s on Sunday night in another awards haul for the top-quality streaming service, Apple TV+.
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Ultra-thin iPhone Air could be a design win for Apple – analysts
Apple introduced the iPhone Air, its thinnest smartphone to date, marking the most significant update to its lineup in eight years, addressing complaints from fans and analysts about stagnation. At its annual product launch in Cupertino, California, Apple opened with a Steve Jobs quote: “For us, design is more than just appearance or feel — it’s how it functions.”
Stephen Nellis and Aditya Soni for Reuters:
Inside its 5.6-millimeter-thick (0.22 inch) frame – thinner than Samsung Electronics’ S25 Edge at 5.8 mm – the iPhone Air’s circuitry has been shrunk to the size of a few postage stamps, clearing the way for as much battery capacity as possible.
Going into the event, many analysts had predicted a ho-hum reception to the product launches, but on Tuesday some said the four new iPhones – iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max – offered a lineup likely to appeal to customers with varied budgets.
It will have Apple’s best and newest A19 Pro processor chip, which is tuned to handle artificial intelligence tasks, and two new custom Apple communications chips.
The iPhone Air, which borrows its name and design language from the laptop, may be what Apple fans have wanted for years: A device that looks different from others on the market and is packed with feats of hardware engineering in every square millimeter.
“I think in an era where we’ve seen a large degree of sameness, it’s great to see Apple bring a new product to the market. It kind of reinvigorates the whole segment of iPhone,” said PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore…
[A]nalysts said the iPhone Air, especially, was likely to spur many upgrades, boosting Apple’s sales in the crucial holiday shopping season… “It’s miniaturization at its finest in a phone,” Bajarin said.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote yesterday when iPhone Air was unveiled, “iPhone Air is significantly more compelling than we’d expected it would be!”
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Apple unveils iPhone 17 Pro and flagship iPhone 17 Pro Max, the most powerful iPhones ever
Apple today introduced iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max with a striking new design that delivers a dramatic leap in performance. Both models feature A19 Pro, the most powerful and efficient chip for iPhone yet, enabling the advanced camera systems, next-level mobile gaming, and Apple Intelligence. Built with an Apple-designed vapor chamber that is laser-welded into a strong, light, and thermally conductive aluminum unibody, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max deliver Apple’s best-ever performance and an enormous leap in battery life. Three 48MP Fusion cameras — Main, Ultra Wide, and an all-new Telephoto — offer the equivalent of eight lenses, including the longest optical-quality zoom ever on iPhone at 8x, and the innovative 18MP Center Stage front camera takes selfies to the next level. With new industry-first video features built for pro filmmakers and content creators, including ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, and genlock, iPhone integrates even more seamlessly into the largest and smallest of productions. Both models feature the Ceramic Shield 2 front cover with 3x better scratch resistance, and for the first time, Ceramic Shield protects the back of iPhone.
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are available in three beautiful new finishes — deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver. Pre-orders begin Friday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 19.
“iPhone 17 Pro is by far the most powerful iPhone we’ve ever made, with a stunning new design rebuilt from the inside out to maximize performance and deliver an enormous leap in battery life,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, in a statement. “With three 48MP Fusion cameras, a new Center Stage front camera experience, and pro-level video features, the creative opportunities are endless. iPhone 17 Pro sets a new standard for the smartphone industry and is a massive upgrade for our most demanding users.”
Three 48MP Fusion cameras — Main, Ultra Wide, and an all-new Telephoto — offer the equivalent of eight lenses. iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available in three stunning finishes: an elegant deep blue, a bold cosmic orange, and a refined silver.
A New Design for Higher Sustained Performance
The new brushed aluminum unibody design is crafted with a lightweight aerospace-grade 7000-series aluminum alloy to deliver the best-ever thermal performance in an iPhone. On the back, the plateau creates additional space for internal components — making room for a larger battery. The antennas are integrated around the perimeter for the highest-performing antenna system ever in an iPhone.
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The forged plateau creates extra space for components — making room for a larger battery.
The new internal architecture features an Apple-designed vapor chamber to enhance heat dissipation and performance. Deionized water is sealed inside the vapor chamber, which is laser-welded into the aluminum chassis to move heat away from the powerful A19 Pro, allowing it to operate at even higher performance levels. The heat is carried into the forged aluminum unibody, where it is distributed evenly through the system, managing power and surface temperatures to deliver incredible performance while remaining comfortable to hold. The unibody design creates space for a larger battery, and with the efficiency of A19 Pro and advanced power management of iOS 26, iPhone 17 Pro Max offers the best battery life ever in an iPhone. And, both models can charge 50 percent in 20 minutes with an optional high-wattage USB-C power adapter like Apple’s new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max.
A Gorgeous Display and Industry-Leading Durability
Available in 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch sizes, the Super Retina XDR display is protected by Ceramic Shield 2, tougher than any smartphone glass or glass-ceramic, with a new Apple-designed coating for 3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection to reduce glare. The gorgeous displays feature ProMotion up to 120Hz, Always-On, and 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness — the highest ever on iPhone — and 2x better outdoor contrast. For the first time, Ceramic Shield protects the back of the devices, delivering 4x better resistance to cracks than the back glass on previous models.
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For the first time, Ceramic Shield protects the back of iPhone, and Ceramic Shield 2 has a new Apple-designed coating for 3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection to reduce glare.
A19 Pro: The Most Powerful and Efficient iPhone Chip Ever
A19 Pro is Apple’s most capable iPhone chip yet. When paired with the Apple-designed vapor chamber, A19 Pro enables iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max to deliver up to 40 percent better sustained performance than the previous generation — ideal for gaming, video editing, and running large local language models. The 6-core CPU is the fastest CPU in any smartphone, and the 6-core GPU architecture includes Neural Accelerators built into each GPU core, a larger cache, and more memory than A18 Pro. The GPU works in tandem with the new 16-core Neural Engine to power Al models, stunning graphics, and AAA gaming titles like Arknights: Endfield, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and higher frame rates.
The iPhone 17 lineup also introduces N1, a new Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. In addition to powering the latest generation of wireless technologies, N1 improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.
A Pro Camera System for More Creative Possibilities
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max feature Apple’s best-ever camera systems with higher-resolution sensors front and back — equivalent to having eight pro lenses in a user’s pocket. Three 48MP Fusion cameras capture sharper and more detailed images. A new 48MP Telephoto camera has a next-generation tetraprism design with a sensor that is 56 percent larger than the previous generation to improve sharpness in bright light and bring more detail to darker shots. The new 4x optical zoom at 100mm offers a classic lens for portraiture, while the 8x optical zoom at 200mm, the longest ever on iPhone, provides longer reach and more creative choice. With the updated Photonic Engine, the image pipeline uses more machine learning to preserve natural detail, reduce noise, and provide significantly improved color accuracy. Digital zoom also increases up to 40x for photos, and users have even more options for customizing their photos with next-generation Photographic Styles, including a new Bright style available in iOS 26 that brightens skin tones and applies a pop of vibrance across the image.
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max introduce a brand-new Center Stage front camera that advances the photo and video experience. The Center Stage front camera features the first square front camera sensor on iPhone, offering a wider field of view and higher resolution — up to 18MP for photos — to capture more detail. Users can now take photos and videos in portrait or landscape while holding their iPhone vertically. For group selfies, Center Stage for photos uses AI to automatically expand the field of view and can rotate from portrait to landscape to include everyone in the frame. The Center Stage front camera also enables ultra-stabilized video in 4K HDR, and users can now record on the front and rear cameras simultaneously with Dual Capture — perfect for speaking directly to camera while documenting behind-the-scenes action. During calls over FaceTime or third-party apps, Center Stage for video calls keeps users stable and positioned in frame.
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The Center Stage front camera features a larger, square sensor that allows for high-resolution photos and videos in any orientation — users no longer have to rotate their iPhone to take a landscape selfie.
Industry-Leading Video Capabilities
With powerful features like Dolby Vision HDR recording, 4K120 fps, ProRes Log, and support for ACES, iPhone already leads the industry in smartphone video capture. iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max unlock even more creative possibilities as the first smartphones to support ProRes RAW, Log 2, and genlock, a technique used to precisely synchronize video across multiple cameras and inputs. This helps creatives achieve accurate, professional-looking transitions and advanced creative techniques without hours of manual frame-by-frame alignment. Genlock is supported by the new Blackmagic Design Camera ProDock, and ProRes RAW is supported by Final Cut Camera and Blackmagic Camera, with APIs available to developers.
eSIM: A Flexible, Convenient, and Secure Connection
eSIM is a digital SIM that offers greater flexibility, better security, and seamless connectivity compared to traditional physical SIM cards. An industry standard, eSIM is supported by over 500 carriers worldwide, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and more. eSIM-only models of iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available in Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the U.S., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These models feature an even larger battery, taking advantage of the space formerly occupied by the physical SIM to provide two additional hours of video playback, getting up to 39 hours. eSIM also makes staying connected while traveling even more convenient, allowing continued connectivity through affordable international roaming plans from users’ home carriers or local prepaid options available with more than 200 carriers. For better security, eSIM cannot be physically removed if an iPhone is lost or stolen, and managing travel eSIMs is even easier with a new streamlined setup in iOS 26.
https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/250909_Apple-iPhone-17-Pro-esim-larger-battery-250909.mp4Featuring iOS 26 with New Apple Intelligence Capabilities
iOS 26 elevates the iPhone experience with a beautiful new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, and meaningful improvements to the apps users rely on every day. The new design with Liquid Glass makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, bringing greater focus to content while keeping iOS instantly familiar. Apple Intelligence now translates text and audio on the go with Live Translation, helping users communicate across languages in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. Updates to visual intelligence allow users to capture a screenshot and easily search or take action on anything they are viewing on their iPhone screen. The on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence is available to all developers, with apps already offering new intelligent, privacy-protected experiences that can even be used when offline. New screening tools for calls and messages help eliminate distractions so users can focus on the conversations that matter most. iOS 26 also introduces new features in CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet, as well as Apple Games, a brand-new app that gives players a single destination for all their games.
Beautiful New Accessories
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max introduce new accessories:
• The TechWoven Case has a new technical woven fabric that uses multiple colored yarns, creating a dimensional texture and rich depth of color, while a protective coating provides resistance to scratches and stains. TechWoven cases will be available in five colors: black, blue, purple, sienna, and green.
• The iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case with MagSafe is crafted with a blend of clear polycarbonate and flexible materials with scratch-resistant coating on the interior and exterior.
• The Silicone Case with MagSafe will be available in six beautiful colors: orange, terra cotta, neon yellow, purple fog, midnight, and black.
• The new Crossbody Strap can be paired with the TechWoven Case and Silicone Case, giving users a hands-free way to wear iPhone. Crafted from 100 percent recycled yarn, the smooth strap drapes comfortably, with embedded flexible magnets and stainless steel sliding mechanisms to easily adjust the length and keep both straps securely aligned. The Crossbody Strap will be available in 10 colors: black, light gray, blue, light blue, purple, sienna, green, neon yellow, tan, and orange.
The iPhone 17 Pro lineup introduces a range of new cases with MagSafe, including a TechWoven Case, Clear Case, and Silicone Case. The beautiful and effortless Crossbody Strap can be paired with the TechWoven Case and Silicone Case to wear the iPhone 17 Pro lineup hands-free.
iPhone 17 Pro and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are made with 30 percent recycled content, including 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery and 100 percent recycled gold plating in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards. Both models are manufactured with 40 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain. They are also designed to be durable, repairable, and offer industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Pricing and Availability
• iPhone 17 Pro will be available in double the entry storage, 256GB, as well as 512GB and 1TB. iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and for the first time, 2TB storage capacities. Available in cosmic orange, deep blue, and silver, iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 (U.S.) or $45.79 (U.S.) per month, and iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 (U.S.) or $49.95 (U.S.) per month.
• Apple offers great ways to save and upgrade to the latest iPhone models. With Apple Trade In, customers can get $200 to $700 (U.S.) in credits when they trade in iPhone 13 or newer. Apple also partners with select carriers to offer incredible deals, and customers can get up to $1,100 (U.S.) in credits when they trade in iPhone 13 or newer — in any condition — to put toward iPhone 17 Pro. Customers can take advantage of carrier deals by visiting the Apple Store online or an Apple Store location. For carrier deal eligibility requirements and more details, see apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/carrier-offers. To see what their device is worth and for trade-in terms and conditions, customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in.
• Customers in more than 63 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, the U.S., and Vietnam, will be able to pre-order iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max beginning at 5 a.m. PDT this Friday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 19. iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available in 22 other countries and regions beginning Friday, September 26.
• iOS 26 will be available as a free software update on Monday, September 15. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.
• Apple Intelligence is available in beta with support for these languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Japanese, and Korean. More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
• Apple is extending free access to satellite features for an additional year for existing iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users. The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Apple’s satellite features prior to 12 a.m. PT on September 9, 2025. For satellite feature availability, visit support.apple.com/en-us/105097.
• A TechWoven Case with MagSafe will be available for $59 (U.S.), a Clear Case will be available for $49 (U.S.), a Silicone Case with MagSafe will be available for $49 (U.S.), and a Crossbody Strap will be available for $59 (U.S.). A FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe will also be available for $59 (U.S.) in black, navy, midnight, purple, fox orange, and moss.
• The Apple-designed 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max will be available for $39 (U.S.), and a Qi2 25W-certified MagSafe Charger will be available in a 1-meter length for $39 (U.S.) or a 2-meter length for $49 (U.S.).
• AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new iPhone, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple Experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
• iCloud+ plans start at just $0.99 (U.S.) per month, providing additional storage to keep photos, videos, files, and more safe in the cloud and accessible across devices. iCloud+ also gives access to premium features such as event creation in the Apple Invites app, as well as Private Relay, Hide My Email, Custom Email Domains, and HomeKit Secure Video. With Family Sharing, users can share their subscription with five other family members at no extra cost.
• Customers who purchase iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max may receive three free months of Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, and Apple TV+ with a new subscription. Offer and services availability varies by region. See apple.com/promo for details.
MacDailyNews Note: An iPhone 17 Pro Max with 2TB storage costs $1999.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ll be ordering iPhone 17 Pro Max units, but not with 2TB storage!
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Apple reveals ultra-thin iPhone Air powered by A19 Pro chip
Apple today debuted the all-new iPhone Air, the thinnest iPhone ever made, with pro performance. iPhone Air features a breakthrough titanium design that is elegant and light yet strong, with an innovative internal architecture that enables the latest iPhone experiences. The back of iPhone Air is now protected with Ceramic Shield, and the front cover uses Ceramic Shield 2, delivering 3x better scratch resistance, making iPhone Air more durable than any previous iPhone. iPhone Air also features a stunning 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120Hz. With the most Apple-designed chips in an iPhone — the powerhouse A19 Pro, N1, and C1X — iPhone Air is the most power-efficient iPhone ever made. Paired with the redesigned internal architecture and software optimizations, iPhone Air has fantastic all-day battery life. A powerful 48MP Fusion Main camera enables the equivalent of four lenses with incredible image quality, and the innovative 18MP Center Stage front camera takes selfies to the next level.
iPhone Air will be available in four gorgeous finishes: space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue. Pre-orders begin Friday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 19.
“The all-new iPhone Air is so powerful, yet impossibly thin and light, that you really have to hold it to believe it’s real. This huge leap in design and engineering is only made possible through Apple innovation, especially Apple silicon,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, in a statement. “iPhone Air is a brand-new member of the iPhone family that delivers advanced features our users will love, like pro performance, a versatile 48MP Fusion camera system, our innovative Center Stage front camera, and great all-day battery life — all in a breakthrough design that feels like you’re holding the future.”
Available in four beautiful colors, the new polished titanium on iPhone Air has an elegant mirrored finish. iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone ever made, packing pro performance into a breakthrough design.
A Breakthrough Design
Featuring a breakthrough design with pro performance, iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone ever made at 5.6mm, and it is incredibly light, with a large, stunning display. The grade 5 titanium frame is strong, with an elegant high-gloss mirror finish, and a new plateau on the back that is precision-milled on both sides to house the cameras, speaker, and Apple silicon. This maximizes space for the battery to deliver remarkable all-day battery life. The thin design also features the Action button, so users can easily access a variety of functions with just a press, and Camera Control, to quickly launch the camera or enable visual intelligence.
https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/250909_Apple-iPhone-Air-plateau-250909.mp4The plateau on iPhone Air is sculpted to fit the custom cameras, speaker, and Apple silicon, dedicating more space to the battery.
The stunning 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display features ProMotion, with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and stunning graphics. The Always-On display shows important information at a glance, and when not in use, it efficiently adjusts down to 1Hz. iPhone Air is easy to use outside with 3000 nits peak outdoor brightness — the highest ever on iPhone — and 2x better outdoor contrast.
iPhone Air also introduces the Ceramic Shield 2 front cover, which is tougher than any smartphone glass or glass-ceramic with a new Apple-designed coating, providing 3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection to reduce glare. For the very first time, Ceramic Shield now protects the back of iPhone, including the plateau, delivering 4x better resistance to cracks than the back glass on previous models. And with the strong titanium frame, iPhone Air exceeds Apple’s stringent bend strength requirements. This design makes iPhone Air more durable than any previous iPhone.
https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/250909_Apple-iPhone-Air-plateau-250909-1.mp4Ceramic Shield 2 has a new Apple-designed coating for 3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection to reduce glare.
Powerful Camera Systems
iPhone Air introduces an all-new Center Stage front camera that advances the photo and video experience. The Center Stage front camera features the first square front camera sensor on iPhone, offering a wide field of view and capturing photos up to 18MP. Users no longer have to rotate their iPhone to take a landscape selfie — they can take photos and videos in portrait or landscape while holding their iPhone vertically. For group shots, Center Stage for photos uses AI to automatically expand the field of view and can rotate from portrait to landscape to include everyone in the frame. The Center Stage front camera enables ultra-stabilized video in 4K HDR, and users can record on the front and rear cameras simultaneously with Dual Capture — perfect for documenting themselves and the world around them. During calls over FaceTime or third-party apps, Center Stage for video calls keeps users stable and positioned in frame.
A versatile new 48MP Fusion camera system gives users the equivalent of four lenses in their pocket. The custom main lens enables the popular 28mm and 35mm focal lengths, so users have more options to frame their shot, and the large 2.0µm quad-pixel sensor with sensor-shift OlS excels in low light. Users can also get closer to their subject with the optical-quality 2x Telephoto, which features an updated Photonic Engine that captures more lifelike details and color.
A new image pipeline built for iPhone Air enables next-generation portraits with Focus Control at the same level as multicamera systems, automatically capturing depth information so users can turn photos into portraits later in the Photos app. iPhone Air also supports the latest generation of Photographic Styles, including a new Bright style that brightens skin tones and applies a pop of vibrance across the image.
iPhone Air captures stunning video, with the ability to record in 4K60 fps Dolby Vision, and supports Action mode. Video is captured with Spatial Audio for immersive listening; Audio Mix lets users adjust sound after capture to boost voices and reduce ambient noise; and wind noise reduction minimizes unwanted noise.
Powered by Apple Silicon
The design of iPhone Air is only possible with Apple silicon. The high-performance A19 Pro, N1, and C1X chips make it the most power-efficient iPhone ever made.
The powerhouse A19 Pro features a new 6-core CPU that improves performance and efficiency for the tasks users do every day, delivering the fastest CPU in any smartphone. The 5-core GPU has an upgraded architecture, delivering next-level mobile gaming, including AAA titles. Neural Accelerators are built into each GPU core, bringing up to 3x the peak GPU compute over the previous generation, excellent for powering generative AI models running on device.
iPhone Air features N1, a new Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. In addition to powering the latest generation of wireless technologies, N1 improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. iPhone Air also features C1X, a new cellular modem designed by Apple. C1X is up to 2x faster than C1, and for the same cellular technologies, it is even faster than the modem in iPhone 16 Pro, while using 30 percent less energy overall. This makes C1X the most power-efficient modem in an iPhone.
Remarkable All-Day Battery Life
Featuring advanced Apple silicon, an internal architecture that maximizes space for the battery, and software optimizations, iPhone Air delivers fantastic all-day battery life. The new Adaptive Power Mode in iOS 26 also gets to know a user’s typical battery consumption and anticipates when they might run low, intelligently conserving power to help get them through the day.
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The internal architecture of iPhone Air has been designed to maximize battery space.
eSIM: A Flexible, Convenient, and Secure Connection
iPhone Air features an eSIM-only design that saves space internally, helping enable the unbelievably light and thin form factor. eSIM offers greater flexibility, better security, and seamless connectivity compared to traditional physical SIM cards. An industry standard, eSIM is supported by over 500 carriers worldwide, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and more. eSIM also makes staying connected while traveling even more convenient, allowing continued connectivity through affordable international roaming plans from users’ home carriers or local prepaid options available with more than 200 carriers. For better security, eSIM cannot be physically removed if an iPhone is lost or stolen, and managing travel eSIMs is even easier with a new streamlined setup in iOS 26.
Featuring iOS 26 with New Apple Intelligence Capabilities
iOS 26 elevates the iPhone experience with a beautiful new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, and meaningful improvements to the apps users rely on every day. The new design with Liquid Glass makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, bringing greater focus to content while keeping iOS instantly familiar. Apple Intelligence now translates text and audio on the go with Live Translation, helping users communicate across languages in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. Updates to visual intelligence allow users to capture a screenshot and easily search or take action on anything they are viewing on their iPhone screen. The on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence is available to all developers, with apps already offering new intelligent, privacy-protected experiences that can even be used when offline. New screening tools for calls and messages help eliminate distractions so users can focus on the conversations that matter most. iOS 26 also introduces new features in CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet, as well as Apple Games, a brand-new app that gives players a single destination for all their games.
Beautiful New Accessories
Apple is introducing a new ecosystem of accessories to complement the breakthrough design of iPhone Air:
• The iPhone Air Case with MagSafe — available in frost and shadow — has an ultra-thin translucent design with a lightly frosted interior, a high-gloss outer surface, and a reinforced polycarbonate frame to protect iPhone Air from scratches and drops.
• The slim and lightweight iPhone Air Bumper — available in four matching colors — perfectly frames iPhone Air with a reinforced polycarbonate design for added edge protection.
• Crafted from 100 percent recycled yarns, the Crossbody Strap drapes comfortably, with embedded flexible magnets and stainless steel sliding mechanisms to easily adjust the length and keep both straps securely aligned. The Crossbody Strap will be available in 10 colors: black, light gray, blue, light blue, purple, sienna, green, neon yellow, tan, and orange.
• The iPhone Air MagSafe Battery has a thin and light design that seamlessly attaches to the back of the device. The MagSafe Battery quickly charges iPhone Air when the battery is low, and maximizes battery life when connected throughout the day, delivering up to 40 hours of video playback when used together.
The ultra-thin translucent iPhone Air Case with MagSafe has a back panel that is less than 1mm thin, and is designed to provide great drop protection. The lightweight iPhone Air Bumper is made from a reinforced polycarbonate and perfectly frames iPhone Air. Both cases can be paired with the beautiful and effortless Crossbody Strap. The new iPhone Air MagSafe Battery has a thin and light design that magnetically attaches to the back of iPhone Air to extend battery life during busier days.
iPhone Air and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. iPhone Air is made with 35 percent recycled content, including 80 percent recycled titanium, the highest ever for an iPhone, and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. A new titanium USB-C port is 3D-printed to be thinner and stronger, fitting into the slim design while using 33 percent less material than a conventional forging process. iPhone Air is manufactured with 45 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain. It is designed to be durable, repairable, and offer industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Pricing and Availability
• iPhone Air will be available in space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue, starting with 256GB storage, as well as 512GB and 1TB options. iPhone Air starts at $999 (U.S.) or $41.62 (U.S.) per month.
• Apple offers great ways to save and upgrade to the latest iPhone models. With Apple Trade In, customers can get $200 to $700 (U.S.) in credits when they trade in iPhone 13 or newer. Apple also partners with select carriers to offer incredible deals, and customers can get up to $1,100 (U.S.) in credits when they trade in iPhone 13 or newer — in any condition — to put toward iPhone 17 Pro. Customers can take advantage of carrier deals by visiting the Apple Store online or an Apple Store location. For carrier deal eligibility requirements and more details, see apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/carrier-offers. To see what their device is worth and for trade-in terms and conditions, customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in.
• Customers in more than 63 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, the U.S., and Vietnam, will be able to pre-order iPhone Air beginning at 5 a.m. PDT this Friday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 19. iPhone Air will be available in 22 other countries and regions beginning Friday, September 26.
• iOS 26 will be available as a free software update on Monday, September 15. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.
• Apple Intelligence is available in beta with support for these languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Japanese, and Korean. More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
• Apple is extending free access to satellite features for an additional year for existing iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users. The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Apple’s satellite features prior to 12 a.m. PT on September 9, 2025. For satellite feature availability, visit support.apple.com/en-us/105097.
• iPhone Air MagSafe Battery will be available for $99 (U.S.). iPhone Air Case with MagSafe is available for $49 (U.S.), iPhone Air Bumper will be available for $39 (U.S.), and a Crossbody Strap will be available for $59 (U.S.). FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe will be available for $59 (U.S.) in black, navy, midnight, purple, fox orange, and moss.
• The Apple-designed 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max will be available for $39 (U.S.), and a Qi2 25W-certified MagSafe Charger will be available in a 1-meter length for $39 (U.S.) or a 2-meter length for $49 (U.S.).
• AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new iPhone, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
• iCloud+ plans start at just $0.99 (U.S.) per month, providing additional storage to keep photos, videos, files, and more safe in the cloud and accessible across devices. iCloud+ also gives access to premium features such as event creation in the Apple Invites app, as well as Private Relay, Hide My Email, custom email domains, and HomeKit Secure Video. With Family Sharing, users can share their subscription with five other family members at no extra cost.
• Customers who purchase iPhone Air may receive three free months of Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, and Apple TV+ with a new subscription. Offer and services availability varies by region. See apple.com/promo for details.
MacDailyNews Take: iPhone Air is significantly more compelling than we’d expected it would be!
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The post Apple reveals ultra-thin iPhone Air powered by A19 Pro chip appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple debuts iPhone 17 with A19 chip
Apple today announced iPhone 17, featuring the new Center Stage front camera that takes selfies to the next level; a powerful 48MP Fusion Main camera with an optical-quality 2x Telephoto; and a new 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera that captures expansive scenes and macro photography in more detail. The 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion is bigger and brighter, enabling supersmooth scrolling, immersive gaming, and improved efficiency. And with the new Ceramic Shield 2, the front cover is tougher than any smartphone glass or glass-ceramic, with 3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation and reduced glare. It is all powered by the latest-generation A19 chip for higher performance and longevity.
iPhone 17 will now be available starting with 256GB of storage — double the entry storage from the previous generation — and a 512GB option, in five beautiful colors: black, lavender, mist blue, sage, and white. Pre-orders begin Friday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 19.
“iPhone 17 is a big upgrade with powerful features that make iPhone even more useful in your day-to-day life, from the bigger and brighter ProMotion display with 3x better scratch resistance, to all-day battery life with faster charging, the A19 chip for powerful performance, a fantastic 48MP Dual Fusion camera system, and the innovative Center Stage front camera — our best front camera yet,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, in a statement. “iPhone 17 is a fantastic choice for customers looking for the latest features and the confidence in knowing their iPhone is built to last.”
Available in five gorgeous colors — black, lavender, mist blue, sage, and white — iPhone 17 has a beautiful, more durable design.
A Powerful Camera System for Next-Level Selfies and High-Resolution Captures
iPhone 17 introduces an all-new Center Stage front camera that advances the photo and video experience. The Center Stage front camera features the first square front camera sensor on iPhone, offering a wider field of view and higher resolution — up to 18MP for photos — to capture more detail. Users no longer have to rotate their iPhone to take a landscape selfie — they can now take photos and videos in portrait or landscape while holding their iPhone vertically, enabling a more comfortable, secure grip and centered gaze. For group shots, Center Stage for photos uses AI to automatically expand the field of view and can rotate from portrait to landscape to include everyone in the frame. The Center Stage front camera enables ultra-stabilized video in 4K HDR, and users can now record on the front and rear cameras simultaneously with Dual Capture — perfect for capturing themselves and the world around them. During calls over FaceTime or third-party apps, Center Stage for video calls keeps users stable and positioned in frame.
iPhone 17 features all 48MP rear cameras for the first time, to capture impressive photos and videos. A 48MP Fusion Main camera shoots sharp detail, and with an integrated optical-quality 2x Telephoto — it is like having two cameras in one. A new 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera captures up to 4x the resolution compared to the previous generation, so users get even more detail for uniquely framed, wider-angle shots or macro photography. Next-generation Photographic Styles help users customize their photos by adjusting color, highlights, and shadows in real time with a better understanding of skin tones, and a new Bright style will be available with iOS 26 to brighten skin tones and apply a pop of vibrance across the image.
iPhone 17 records stunning video in 4K60 fps Dolby Vision with creative features, such as Cinematic mode and Action mode. Video is captured with Spatial Audio for immersive listening; Audio Mix lets users adjust sound after capture to boost voices and reduce ambient noise; and wind noise reduction minimizes unwanted noise. iPhone 17 can also take spatial photos and videos to help users relive memories with remarkable depth on Apple Vision Pro.
A Beautiful and Durable Design with a Pro Display
iPhone 17 introduces major display improvements with a sleek contoured edge design. Available in one 6.3-inch size, iPhone 17 has thinner borders than the previous generation and a stunning Super Retina XDR display, featuring ProMotion with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz for a smooth and power-efficient experience. The Always-On display shows the time, widgets, and Live Activities at a glance, and when not in use, the display efficiently adjusts down to 1Hz.
iPhone 17 introduces Ceramic Shield 2 with a new Apple-designed coating for 3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection to reduce glare. It is also easy to use iPhone 17 outside thanks to 3000 nits peak outdoor brightness — the highest ever on iPhone — and 2x better outdoor contrast.
https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/250909_Apple-iPhone-17-Ceramic-Shield-2-250909.mp4
Ceramic Shield 2 has a new Apple-designed coating for 3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection to reduce glare.
A19: Next-Level Performance and All-Day Battery Life
Built on third-generation 3-nanometer technology, A19 delivers powerful performance, efficiency, and a huge boost in speed. An updated display engine, ISP, and Apple Neural Engine power features like Apple Intelligence and the latest-generation Photographic Styles. The 6-core CPU is 1.5x faster than the A15 Bionic chip in iPhone 13, and the 5-core GPU is more than 2x faster than A15 Bionic, unlocking stunning graphics and next-level mobile gaming. Neural Accelerators are also built into each GPU core to help run powerful generative AI models on device.
The efficiency of A19 and the advanced power management of iOS 26 deliver all-day battery life, and with ProMotion, iPhone 17 gets up to 30 hours of video playback — eight more hours than the previous generation. The new Adaptive Power Mode in iOS 26 also gets to know a user’s typical battery consumption and anticipates when they might run low, intelligently conserving power to help get them through the day. And, iPhone 17 can charge up to 50 percent in 20 minutes with an optional high-wattage USB-C power adapter like Apple’s new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max.
iPhone 17 introduces N1, a new Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. In addition to the latest generation of wireless technologies, N1 improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.
eSIM: A Flexible, Convenient, and Secure Connection
eSIM is a digital SIM that offers greater flexibility, better security, and seamless connectivity compared to traditional physical SIM cards. An industry standard, eSIM is supported by over 500 global carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and more. An eSIM-only iPhone 17 model will be available in Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the U.S., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. eSIM also makes staying connected while traveling even more convenient, allowing continued connectivity through affordable international roaming plans from users’ home carriers or local prepaid options available with more than 200 carriers. For better security, eSIM cannot be physically removed if an iPhone is lost or stolen, and managing travel eSIMs is even easier with a new streamlined setup in iOS 26.
Featuring iOS 26 with New Apple Intelligence Capabilities
iOS 26 elevates the iPhone experience with a beautiful new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, and meaningful improvements to the apps users rely on every day. The new design with Liquid Glass makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, bringing greater focus to content while keeping iOS instantly familiar. Apple Intelligence now translates text and audio on the go with Live Translation, helping users communicate across languages in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. Updates to visual intelligence allow users to capture a screenshot and easily search or take action on anything they’re viewing on their iPhone screen. The on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence is available to all developers, with apps already offering new intelligent, privacy-protected experiences that can even be used when offline. New screening tools for calls and messages help eliminate distractions so users can focus on the conversations that matter most. iOS 26 also introduces new features in CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet, as well as Apple Games, a brand-new app that gives players a single destination for all their games.
Beautiful New Accessories
In addition to the iPhone 17 Clear Case with MagSafe, a Silicone Case with MagSafe will be available in five colors: black, neon yellow, light moss, anchor blue, and purple fog. The Silicone Case with MagSafe can be paired with the new Crossbody Strap, giving users a hands-free way to wear iPhone. Crafted from 100 percent recycled yarns, the smooth strap drapes comfortably, with embedded flexible magnets and stainless steel sliding mechanisms to easily adjust the length and keep both straps securely aligned. The Crossbody Strap will be available in 10 colors: black, light gray, blue, light blue, purple, sienna, green, neon yellow, tan, and orange.
Designed to complement iPhone 17, the Silicone Case with MagSafe is a delightful way to protect iPhone. A new iPhone 17 Clear Case provides great drop protection. The beautiful and effortless Crossbody Strap can be paired with the Silicone Case with MagSafe to wear iPhone 17 hands-free.
iPhone 17 and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. iPhone 17 is made with 30 percent recycled content, including 85 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. It is manufactured with 35 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain. iPhone 17 is also designed to be durable, repairable, and offers industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Pricing and Availability
• iPhone 17 will be available in lavender, mist blue, sage, white, and black in 256GB and 512GB storage capacities. iPhone 17 starts at $799 (U.S.) or $33.29 (U.S.) per month.
• Apple offers great ways to save and upgrade to the latest iPhone models. With Apple Trade In, customers can get $200 to $700 (U.S.) in credits when they trade in iPhone 13 or newer.8 Apple also partners with select carriers to offer incredible deals, and customers can get up to $1,100 (U.S.) in credits when they trade in iPhone 13 or newer — in any condition — to put toward iPhone 17 Pro. Customers can take advantage of carrier deals by visiting the Apple Store online or an Apple Store location. For carrier deal eligibility requirements and more details, see apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/carrier-offers. To see what their device is worth and for trade-in terms and conditions, customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in.
• Customers in more than 63 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, the U.S., and Vietnam, will be able to pre-order iPhone 17 beginning at 5 a.m. PDT this Friday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 19. iPhone 17 will be available in 22 other countries and regions beginning Friday, September 26.
• iOS 26 will be available as a free software update on Monday, September 15. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.
• Apple Intelligence is available in beta with support for these languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Japanese, and Korean. More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
• Apple is extending free access to satellite features for an additional year for existing iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users. The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Apple’s satellite features prior to 12 a.m. PT on September 9, 2025. For satellite feature availability, visit support.apple.com/en-us/105097.
• In addition to an iPhone 17 Clear Case, available for $49 (U.S.), a Silicone Case with MagSafe will be available for $49 (U.S.) and a Crossbody Strap will be available for $59 (U.S.). FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe will be available for $59 (U.S.) in black, navy, midnight, purple, fox orange, and moss.
• The Apple-designed 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max will be available for $39 (U.S.), and a Qi2 25W-certified MagSafe Charger will be available in a 1-meter length for $39 (U.S.) or a 2-meter length for $49 (U.S.).
• AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new iPhone, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple Experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
• iCloud+ plans start at just $0.99 (U.S.) per month, providing additional storage to keep photos, videos, files, and more safe in the cloud and accessible across devices. iCloud+ also gives access to premium features such as event creation in the Apple Invites app, as well as Private Relay, Hide My Email, Custom Email Domains, and HomeKit Secure Video. With Family Sharing, users can share their subscription with five other family members at no extra cost.
• Customers who purchase iPhone 17 may receive three free months of Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, and Apple TV+, with a new subscription. Offer and services availability varies by region. See apple.com/promo for details.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple will sell a ton of these! More Pro models will sell upfront, but over the course of its first year, iPhone 17 will eventually take over as the bestselling new iPhone.
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The post Apple debuts iPhone 17 with A19 chip appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple unveils stunning Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple today introduced Apple Watch Ultra 3 — the most advanced Apple Watch — delivering expanded health, fitness, safety, and connectivity features, and seamlessly shifting between a powerful sports watch, an elegant smartwatch, and a comprehensive health companion.
Designed to keep users more connected and safer wherever they are with built-in satellite communications, Apple Watch Ultra 3 allows users to text emergency services, message friends and family, and share their location, all while they’re off the grid. The ultimate sports and adventure watch now features the largest screen of any Apple Watch, a display with a 1Hz always-on refresh rate, 5G cellular capabilities, the most accurate GPS in a sports watch, and up to 42 hours of battery life — with up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode. Notifications for signs of chronic high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, offer a groundbreaking new health insight, and sleep score helps users understand the quality of their sleep. Updates to the Workout app, including Workout Buddy — a first-of-its-kind fitness experience powered by Apple Intelligence — add to a robust suite of advanced fitness features.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 can be pre-ordered today, with availability beginning Friday, September 19.
“Apple Watch Ultra is our most advanced Apple Watch, designed to take users from sports and adventure to the rest of their life, and help them stay active, healthy, connected, and safe, wherever they are,” said Eugene Kim, Apple’s vice president of Apple Watch Hardware Engineering, in a statement. “Apple Watch Ultra 3 debuts innovative satellite communications that will offer users more safety and connectivity when they’re off the grid, plus longer battery life, 5G, powerful health insights, and all the advanced fitness features our users love.”
A Larger Screen, 42 Hours of Battery Life, and 5G Cellular
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 display incorporates Apple’s most advanced display technology with LTPO3 and wide-angle OLEDs, making it the largest screen of any Apple Watch ever, and brighter when viewed from an angle. LTPO3 is a high-performance, low-power display technology that enables the display borders to be 24 percent thinner, increasing the active screen area without any changes to the case size. The wide-angle OLED display optimizes each pixel to emit more light at wider angles, making it easier to read at a glance.
The display on Apple Watch Ultra 3 incorporates Apple’s most advanced display technology with LTPO3 and wide-angle OLEDs, making it the largest screen of any Apple Watch ever.
LTPO3 is also more power efficient, enabling a faster refresh rate when Apple Watch Ultra 3 is in always-on mode, going from once a minute to once a second, so it’s possible to see a ticking seconds hand without raising the wrist. Stopwatch, Timer, and over 20 watch faces are updated with support for this refresh rate. In addition, a new Waypoint watch face can help users navigate with a live compass, easily access satellite communications with a new complication, and quickly turn on Night Mode to help preserve night vision.
The power efficiency of the LTPO3-enhanced display, 5G modem, and larger battery deliver longer battery life. For daily use, Apple Watch Ultra 3 features up to 42 hours to support users while they are training, racing, or going about their day. In Low Power Mode, it continues to offer up to 72 hours of battery life. For continuous outdoor workout tracking, Apple Watch Ultra 3 now gets 20 hours of battery life in Low Power Mode with full GPS and heart rate readings. With fast charging, 15 minutes provides up to 12 hours of battery life.
With a cellular plan, Apple Watch users can take calls, send messages, and even get help with emergency services when their iPhone isn’t with them. When users are on the grid, Apple Watch Ultra 3 now offers 5G cellular capabilities, which provide better performance with greater throughput, so music, podcasts, and apps download faster. To boost reception in areas with weak coverage, Apple Watch Ultra 3 also uses an advanced algorithm that simultaneously engages the two system antennas when needed, significantly increasing the signal strength.
Satellite Communications
Apple Watch Ultra 3 features built-in, two-way satellite communications, so users can feel safer and more connected when they are off the grid, whether they’re backcountry skiing, trail running, or camping in the wilderness.
When users do not have cellular or Wi-Fi coverage, they can now text emergency services, message friends and family, and share their location. Apple Watch Ultra 3 offers Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services and notify emergency contacts with a few simple taps. If Apple Watch Ultra 3 detects a severe car crash or a hard fall, and the user is unresponsive while off the grid, it can automatically send situation and location information to emergency services and emergency contacts, when in line of sight of a satellite.
With Find My via satellite, users can send their location once every 15 minutes to contacts previously added to Find My. In addition, with Messages via satellite, users can send and receive texts, emoji, and Tapbacks to friends and family — including anyone they’ve been in touch with over the last 30 days — while keeping the messages end-to-end encrypted. Users can also send SMS messages via satellite.
To enable satellite connectivity in a device as small as Apple Watch Ultra 3, the device’s radio was reengineered to cover more frequencies, and the antenna was redesigned to double the signal strength, allowing communication with satellites as far as 800 miles above Earth and that are moving at 15,000 mph. Apple also continues to invest in crucial emergency infrastructure, including 24/7 relay centers staffed by safety professionals trained to the highest standards, and prioritizes emergency and safety features in the event of natural disasters.
Connection with a satellite will automatically be presented as an option when a user is off the grid, and Connection Assistant provides onscreen guidance to help users access satellite features when needed. All satellite communication features are free for two years with Apple Watch Ultra 3. Emergency SOS via satellite is included with Apple Watch Ultra 3 without a cellular plan, and with an active cellular plan, users can also send messages and share their location with Find My.
With Messages via satellite, users can send and receive texts, emoji, and Tapbacks to friends and family — including anyone they’ve been in touch with over the last 30 days — while keeping the messages end-to-end encrypted. With Find My via satellite, users can send their location once every 15 minutes to contacts previously added to Find My.
Hypertension Notifications
Building on the advanced health features that allow Apple Watch to serve as an intelligent guardian for users’ health, Apple Watch Ultra 3 introduces groundbreaking hypertension notifications, which can alert users if signs of chronic high blood pressure — or hypertension — are detected. Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease, and impacts approximately 1.3 billion adults globally. It is frequently undiagnosed because it often has no symptoms, many people do not see a doctor regularly, and even during a clinical visit, it can be easily missed with a single measurement.
Hypertension notifications on Apple Watch use data from the optical heart sensor to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart. The algorithm works passively in the background reviewing data over 30-day periods, and will notify users if it detects consistent signs of hypertension. These notifications provide users with impactful insights into their health as it relates to this widespread condition simply by wearing their Apple Watch, so they can begin making potentially lifesaving behavioral changes or start treatment to reduce their risk of serious, long-term health events.
Like all of the health features on Apple Watch, hypertension notifications are grounded in rigorous scientific validation. The feature was developed with advanced machine learning and training data from multiple studies totaling over 100,000 participants. Its performance was then validated in a clinical study of over 2,000 participants. While hypertension notifications will not detect all instances of hypertension, with the reach of Apple Watch, the feature is expected to notify over 1 million people with undiagnosed hypertension within the first year.
Hypertension notifications on Apple Watch Ultra 3 can alert users if signs of chronic high blood pressure, or hypertension, are detected.
If users receive a hypertension notification, it is recommended that they log their blood pressure for seven days using a third-party blood pressure cuff and share the results with their provider at their next visit, which is consistent with the latest American Heart Association guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypertension.
Clearance for hypertension notifications from the FDA and other regulators is expected soon, and the feature will be available in more than 150 countries and regions — including the U.S. and the EU — this month. Hypertension notifications will be available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, with watchOS 26.
Sleep Score
Sleep is fundamental to a person’s health and critical to daily restoration. Apple Watch allows users to track sleep; measure important health metrics during sleep like heart rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and respiratory rate; and even discover possible sleep apnea. Now, with watchOS 26, Apple Watch can help users understand the quality of their sleep and how to make it more restorative with a new sleep score feature.
Sleep quality is influenced by several factors, such as duration, bedtime consistency, how often a person wakes up, and how much time is spent in each sleep stage. With sleep score, Apple Watch helps track each of these categories to assign transparent and easy-to-understand metrics for a user’s overall sleep quality. After each night, sleep score provides an overall score and classification in the Sleep app on Apple Watch, plus a clear breakdown of the most critical components, so users know what to prioritize to improve their sleep. Users can also choose to easily access their sleep score in a watch face complication or in the Smart Stack, and they can track their sleep scores over time in the Health app on iPhone.
The scoring approach and prioritization algorithm of sleep score is informed by the latest guidance published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Sleep Foundation, and World Sleep Society. Over 5 million nights of sleep data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study were used to develop and test the scoring algorithms.
Hypertension notifications and sleep score join a powerful set of health features available on Apple Watch, including irregular rhythm notifications, high and low heart rate notifications, the ECG app, Blood Oxygen, sleep apnea notifications, and retrospective ovulation estimates.
Sleep score is a new feature that can help Apple Watch users understand the quality of their sleep and how to make it more restorative.
Advanced Fitness Features
With watchOS 26, Apple Watch Ultra 3 features Workout Buddy, a first-of-its-kind fitness experience powered by Apple Intelligence that analyzes a user’s workout data and fitness history to deliver personalized, spoken motivation throughout their session, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more. Workout Buddy will be available starting in English across some of the most popular workout types, and is available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby.
Additionally, the new layout of the Workout app makes it easier to customize workouts with Workout Views, custom workouts, Pacer, Race Route, and more. Apple Watch users can now conveniently view and create workouts in the Fitness app on iPhone, including custom workouts, and then easily access them in the Workout app on Apple Watch.
To add inspiration, users can set up music and podcasts right in the Workout app to automatically play when they start a workout. For convenience, Apple Music can now select the best music for a user’s workout based on the workout type and their personal tastes, or users can see suggestions for music or podcasts based on what they’ve recently listened to during that particular workout type.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 supports athletes and adventurers of all kinds as the ultimate sports watch:
• Runners get the most accurate GPS in a sports watch; a customizable Action button that can be used for Precision Start or to mark segments; advanced metrics including vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and stride length; customizable Workout Views including Heart Rate Zones; Race Route; Pacer; an industry-first automatic track-running detection feature; custom workouts; training load; and more for workouts and races. Users can also benefit from third-party experiences like Nike Run Club; the updated Strava app that includes Live Segments; and custom workouts from apps like Runna and TrainingPeaks.
• Cyclists can easily view a workout started on Apple Watch as a Live Activity on iPhone and see metrics on the full screen — or connect a Bluetooth-enabled power meter or other cycling accessories to Apple Watch Ultra 3 — giving them more metrics and experiences, including cadence, an automatic estimate of functional threshold power, and Power Zones. Users can also track distance, speed, elevation, and heart rate.
• Swimmers can make use of automatic stroke detection, lap count, and a SWOLF score — a stroke count combined with the time it takes to swim one length of the pool, displayed in seconds — plus take advantage of custom workouts and view water temperature directly within the Workout app. Apple Watch Ultra 3 is certified to WR100.
• Hikers can enjoy offline maps on the trail — complete with turn-by-turn directions — as well as features like Waypoints and Backtrack GPS data in the Compass app.
• Divers can take advantage of the Oceanic+ app — developed in partnership with Huish Outdoors — which turns Apple Watch Ultra 3 into a dive computer for recreational scuba diving.
• Golfers benefit from the bright display and long battery life of Apple Watch Ultra 3. With a suite of third-party apps, including Golfshot, Arccos, and 18Birdies, users can access course information or tools and insights utilizing the high-frequency motion API to help improve their game.
With watchOS 26, the Workout app features a new layout that makes it easier to customize workouts with Workout Views, custom workouts, Pacer, Race Route, and more. Workout Views feature different metrics users can choose from, like heart rate, average pace, and more. Runners get the most accurate GPS in a sports watch, a customizable Action button that can be used for Precision Start or to mark segments, advanced metrics, custom workouts, training load, and more.
Additional watchOS 26 Features
watchOS 26 features a new design and fresh look with Liquid Glass; makes everyday interactions even more convenient with Smart Stack hints and updates to Messages, including Live Translation and intelligent suggestions based on the conversation; and introduces a new one-handed wrist flick gesture to easily dismiss notifications.
Lineup and Bands
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 is available in natural or black titanium.
• A new collection of bands includes a Trail Loop design with reflective yarn along the edges, in addition to new colors for the Ocean Band and Alpine Loop. The Hermès collection also gets two new colors for the En Mer band and a new Scub’H Diving band in rubber with a titanium buckle — perfect for an active lifestyle.
A new collection of bands includes a Trail Loop designed with reflective yarn along the edges, along with new colors for the Ocean Band and Alpine Loop. The Hermès collection gets two new colors for the En Mer band. The Hermès collection also adds a new Scub’H Diving band in rubber with a titanium buckle — perfect for an active lifestyle.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. Apple Watch Ultra 3 is made with 40 percent recycled content, including 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery and 100 percent recycled titanium in the case, and the case is made using an innovative 3D printing process that uses just half the raw material as previous generations. It is manufactured with 100 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain. Apple Watch Ultra 3 is designed to be durable and repairable, and also offers industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Apple 2030 goes beyond products — today, Apple is carbon neutral for its global corporate operations, and all Apple facilities run on 100 percent renewable electricity, including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence. Collectively, these efforts have reduced Apple’s global greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 percent since 2015.
Pricing and Availability
• Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the U.S., and more than 50 other countries and regions can pre-order Apple Watch Ultra 3 today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 19.
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at $799 (U.S.), and is available in natural and black titanium.
• New bands will be available to order today from apple.com/store and on the Apple Store app, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 19.
• watchOS 26 will be available for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) and later, and all Apple Watch Ultra models on Monday, September 15, and requires iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26. Not all features are available on all devices or in all regions. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.
• Apple Intelligence is available in beta. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
• New subscribers may get three months of Apple Fitness+ and Apple Music with the purchase of Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, or Apple Watch Ultra 3. Offer and services availability varies by region. See apple.com/promo for details.
• Clearance for hypertension notifications from the FDA and other regulators is expected soon, with availability in over 150 countries and regions — including the U.S. and the EU — this month.
• AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new Apple Watch, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
MacDailyNews Take: Ordering.
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Apple Watch Series 11 features the most comprehensive set of health features ever
Apple today introduced Apple Watch Series 11, offering the most comprehensive set of health features yet, longer battery life, an even more durable cover glass, and 5G cellular capabilities, all in its thinnest and most comfortable design. Apple Watch Series 11 is the ultimate health and fitness companion, empowering users with notifications for signs of chronic high blood pressure — also known as hypertension — plus new insights into sleep quality with sleep score, adding to the robust suite of health features included in the device. Featuring up to 24 hours of battery life and Ion-X glass that’s 2x more scratch-resistant, Apple Watch is more convenient than ever to wear throughout the day and night. watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active, healthy, and connected with Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence, the wrist flick gesture, new watch faces, and more.
Apple Watch Series 11 can be pre-ordered today, with availability beginning Friday, September 19. Apple Watch Series 11 is available in aluminum in a new space gray, as well as jet black, rose gold, and silver, and also in polished titanium in natural, gold, and slate.
“Apple Watch is the world’s most popular watch, using advanced sensing capabilities to empower millions of people around the world to better understand their health simply by wearing it, while also serving as a fitness coach, message center, mobile wallet, and beautiful timepiece,” said Stan Ng, Apple’s vice president of Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing, in a statement. “With powerful new health features — hypertension notifications and sleep score — plus longer battery life, a more scratch-resistant glass display, and 5G cellular, all in a thin and comfortable design users love, Apple Watch Series 11 is an indispensable companion that supports users’ health, fitness, safety, and connectivity throughout the day and night.”
Apple Watch Series 11 is the ultimate health and fitness companion, empowering users with new insights into sleep quality with sleep score, plus notifications for signs of hypertension.
Longer Battery Life, More Durable Ion-X Glass, and 5G Cellular
Apple Watch Series 11 now offers up to 24 hours of battery life with its thin and comfortable design, so it’s more convenient than ever to wear Apple Watch to sleep after a full day of use. Apple Watch Series 11 also supports fast charging, with just 15 minutes providing up to eight hours of battery life.
The thin, elegant design of Apple Watch is also incredibly durable, made to accompany users throughout the day, whether they are at the gym, running, or swimming. The cover glass of aluminum models of Apple Watch Series 11 offers 2x more scratch resistance.2
Made from a unique Ion-X (ion-exchanged strengthened) glass — a custom, proprietary glass that is already the toughest in the industry — the display is now treated with a breakthrough Apple-designed ceramic coating that bonds to the glass at an atomic level through a physical vapor deposition process, significantly hardening the surface. The titanium models will continue to have a sapphire front crystal, the most scratch-resistant and crack-resistant material covering a display.
With a cellular plan, Apple Watch users can take calls, send messages, and even get help from emergency services when their iPhone isn’t with them.3 Apple Watch now offers 5G cellular capabilities, which provide better performance with greater throughput, so music, podcasts, and apps download faster.4 To boost reception in areas with weak coverage, Apple Watch Series 11 also features a redesigned cellular antenna to cover more bands, and simultaneously engages the two system antennas when needed, significantly increasing the signal strength.
Hypertension Notifications
Building on its suite of advanced health features, Apple Watch Series 11 introduces groundbreaking hypertension notifications, which can alert users if signs of chronic high blood pressure — or hypertension — are detected. Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease, and impacts approximately 1.3 billion adults globally. It is frequently undiagnosed because it often has no symptoms, many people do not see a doctor regularly, and even during a clinical visit, it can be easily missed with a single measurement.
Hypertension notifications on Apple Watch use data from the optical heart sensor to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart. The algorithm works passively in the background reviewing data over 30-day periods, and will notify users if it detects consistent signs of hypertension. These notifications provide users with valuable insights into their health as it relates to this widespread condition simply by wearing their Apple Watch, so they can begin making potentially lifesaving behavioral changes, or start treatment to reduce their risk of serious, long-term health events.
https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/250909_Apple-Watch-Series-11-hypertension-notifications-250909.mp4Like all of Apple’s health features, hypertension notifications are grounded in rigorous scientific validation. The feature was developed with advanced machine learning and training data from multiple studies totaling over 100,000 participants. Its performance was then validated in a clinical study of over 2,000 participants. While hypertension notifications will not detect all instances of hypertension, with the reach of Apple Watch, the feature is expected to notify over 1 million people with undiagnosed hypertension within the first year.
“Hypertension is the leading preventable cause of heart attack and stroke, yet millions remain undiagnosed,” said Harlan Krumholz, MD, SM, cardiologist and scientist at Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital, in a statement. “Making accurate detection easy and part of daily life can help people get care earlier and prevent avoidable harm.”
Hypertension notifications were developed with advanced machine learning and training data from multiple studies totaling over 100,000 participants.
If users receive a hypertension notification, it is recommended that they log their blood pressure for seven days using a third-party blood pressure cuff and share the results with their provider at their next visit, which is consistent with the latest American Heart Association guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypertension.
Clearance for hypertension notifications from the FDA and other regulators is expected soon, and the feature will be available in more than 150 countries and regions — including the U.S. and the EU — this month. Hypertension notifications will be available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, with watchOS 26.
Sleep Score
Sleep is fundamental to a person’s health and critical to daily restoration. Apple Watch allows users to track sleep, and its powerful sensors capture data during sleep like heart rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and respiratory rate, and even discover possible sleep apnea. Now, with watchOS 26, Apple Watch can help users understand the quality of their sleep and how to make it more restorative with a new sleep score feature.
Sleep score is a new feature that can help Apple Watch users understand the quality of their sleep and how to make it more restorative.
Sleep quality is influenced by several factors, such as duration, bedtime consistency, how often a person wakes up, and how much time is spent in each sleep stage. With sleep score, Apple Watch helps track each of these categories to assign transparent and easy-to-understand metrics for a user’s overall sleep quality. After each night, sleep score provides an overall score and classification in the Sleep app on Apple Watch, plus a clear breakdown of the most critical components, so users know what to prioritize to improve their sleep. Users can also choose to easily access their sleep score in a watch face complication or in the Smart Stack, and they can track their sleep scores over time in the Health app on iPhone.
Apple Watch users can choose to easily access their sleep score in the Smart Stack.
The scoring approach and prioritization algorithm of sleep score is informed by the latest guidance published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Sleep Foundation, and World Sleep Society. Over 5 million nights of sleep data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study were used to develop and test the scoring algorithms.
Hypertension notifications and sleep score join a powerful set of health features available on Apple Watch, including irregular rhythm notifications, high and low heart rate notifications, the ECG app, Blood Oxygen, sleep apnea notifications, and retrospective ovulation estimates.
Updates to the Workout Experience
With watchOS 26, Apple Watch Series 11 features Workout Buddy, a first-of-its-kind fitness experience powered by Apple Intelligence that analyzes a user’s workout data and fitness history to deliver personalized, spoken motivation throughout their session, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more.8 Workout Buddy will be available starting in English across some of the most popular workout types, and is available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby.
Additionally, the new layout of the Workout app makes it easier to customize workouts with Workout Views, custom workouts, Pacer, Race Route, and more. Apple Watch users can now conveniently view and create workouts in the Fitness app on iPhone, including custom workouts, and then easily access them in the Workout app on Apple Watch.
With watchOS 26, the Workout app features a new layout that makes it easier to customize workouts with Workout Views, custom workouts, Pacer, Race Route, and more. The Activity app encourages users to close their three Activity rings — Move, Exercise, and Stand — by hitting personal, customizable daily goals.
To add inspiration, users can set up music and podcasts right in the Workout app to automatically play when they start a workout. For convenience, Apple Music can now select the best music for a user’s workout based on the workout type and their personal tastes, or users can see suggestions for music or podcasts based on what they’ve recently listened to during that particular workout type.
Featuring watchOS 26
In addition to hypertension notifications, sleep score, and Workout Buddy, with watchOS 26, Apple Watch Series 11 offers a fresh look, additional intelligence, and more personalized ways to stay active, healthy, and connected, including:
• A gorgeous new software design with Liquid Glass, enabling a vibrant and expressive experience across the Photos watch face, Smart Stack widgets, Smart Stack hints, notifications, Control Center, and in-app controls and navigation.
• A redesigned watch face gallery with two new watch faces: Flow, which uses Liquid Glass numerals that beautifully refract swirls of color that also respond to the movement of a user’s wrist, and Exactograph, a modern reinterpretation of a traditional regulator clock that separates the hours, minutes, and seconds for precise timekeeping. In addition, over 20 watch faces are updated so users can see a ticking seconds hand without raising their wrist.
• A new one-handed wrist flick gesture to easily dismiss notifications, stop a timer, or silence an alarm, joining the double tap gesture to allow users to do even more on Apple Watch when their other hand is occupied.
• Smart Stack hints, proactive prompts that provide actionable, immediately useful suggestions based on contextual data, sensor data, and data from a user’s routine.
• Live Translation in Messages with Apple Intelligence, allowing incoming texts to be automatically translated into a user’s preferred language, right on their wrist, when Apple Watch is paired with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone. Additionally, for users whose device language is set to English, Apple Watch will intelligently suggest relevant actions using the context of a conversation in the Messages app, like starting a Check In when a friend asks a user to share when they arrive home, or using Apple Cash when a user is asked to contribute to a group gift.
• The Notes app, which allows users to create or access notes right on their wrist.
• Hold Assist and Call Screening, which come to the Phone app when iPhone is nearby. When a user is waiting for a live agent, Hold Assist recognizes once a live agent is available and notifies the user to return to the call. Call Screening helps users manage incoming phone calls from unknown numbers more efficiently by collecting a name and reason for the call before their phone rings, so they can make an informed decision on whether to pick up, decline the call, or ask for more information.
Lineup
• Apple Watch Series 11 is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes in jet black, rose gold, silver, and new space gray aluminum cases. Apple Watch Series 11 is also available in polished titanium in natural, gold, and slate.
• Apple Watch Hermès is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes in silver titanium.
Bands
This fall, the band lineup features a beautiful new palette of colors, including forest, neon yellow, anchor blue, purple fog, and more.
This fall’s Apple Watch band lineup features a beautiful palette of new colors, including forest, neon yellow, anchor blue, purple fog, and more, shown here with the new Exactograph watch face.
In addition, the Nike Sport Band and Nike Sport Loop feature a new set of colors, and the Nike Sport Loop now has reflective yarn seamlessly woven into the fabric.
The Nike Sport Band and Nike Sport Loop feature a new set of colors, and the Nike Sport Loop now has reflective yarn seamlessly woven into the fabric.
The Apple Watch Hermès collection includes the new Faubourg Party knit band, along with a matching, whimsical animated watch face set in the house’s iconic Paris flagship building, available for 42mm and 46mm sizes. Additionally, a new elegant narrow Grand H metal link band is designed for the 42mm case. The Apple Watch Hermès collection features new colors across the range of bands.
The Apple Watch Hermès collection includes the new Faubourg Party knit band, along with a whimsical animated watch face set in the house’s iconic Paris flagship. The Apple Watch Hermès collection also features a new elegant narrow Grand H metal link band.
Apple Watch Series 11 and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. Apple Watch Series 11 is now made with 40 percent recycled content, which includes 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery, and 100 percent recycled titanium or aluminum in the case, and titanium cases are made using an innovative 3D printing process that uses just half the raw material as previous generations. It is manufactured with 100 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain.
Apple Watch Series 11 is designed to be durable and repairable, and also offers industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Apple 2030 goes beyond products — today, Apple is carbon neutral for its global corporate operations, and all Apple facilities run on 100 percent renewable electricity, including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence. Collectively, these efforts have reduced Apple’s global greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 percent since 2015.
Pricing and Availability
• Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the U.S., and more than 50 other countries and regions can pre-order Apple Watch Series 11 today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 19.
• Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399 (U.S.).
• New Apple Watch bands will be available to order today from apple.com/store and on the Apple Store app, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 19.
• watchOS 26 will be available for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) or later, and all Apple Watch Ultra models on Monday, September 15, and requires iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26. Not all features are available on all devices or in all regions. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.
• New subscribers may get three months of Apple Fitness+ and Apple Music with the purchase of Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, or Apple Watch Ultra 3. Offer and service availability varies by region. See apple.com/promo for details.
• Clearance for hypertension notifications from the FDA and other regulators is expected soon, with availability in over 150 countries and regions — including the U.S. and the EU — this month.
• Apple Intelligence is available in beta. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
• AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new Apple Watch, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
MacDailyNews Take: Those wearing Apple Watch Series 9 or older units should be intrigued.
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Apple debuts Apple Watch SE 3
Apple today introduced the next generation of Apple Watch SE, offering remarkable health, fitness, connectivity, and safety features, and the powerful capabilities of the S10 chip, at an incredible value. Apple Watch SE 3 delivers a more advanced set of health features than the previous generation — including sleep score, retrospective ovulation estimates, sleep apnea notifications, and wrist temperature sensing for richer Vitals app data — plus a robust set of fitness features to provide daily motivation. The S10 chip powers an Always-On display, the double tap and wrist flick gestures, on-device Siri, and fast charging.
Apple Watch SE 3 also offers 5G cellular capabilities and a cover glass that is more durable than ever. watchOS 26 introduces a fresh look with Liquid Glass, Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence, new watch faces, and more.
Apple Watch SE 3 can be pre-ordered today, with availability beginning Friday, September 19.
“Apple Watch SE offers a great way for users to start their Apple Watch journey, delivering outstanding health, fitness, safety, and connectivity features at an incredible value,” said Stan Ng, Apple’s vice president of Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing, in a statement. “With even more health features, an Always-On display, and fast charging, we’re excited to see the ways Apple Watch SE 3 supports more people around the world to live a healthier and more active life.”
Always-On Display, Fast Charging, and 5G Cellular
The display on Apple Watch is central to every interaction, from viewing a notification, to taking a quick glance at workout metrics. With the S10 chip, Apple Watch SE 3 now features an Always-On display, allowing users to conveniently view the time and glance at notifications without raising their wrist or tapping the display. The cover glass is 4x more resistant to cracks than the previous generation, featuring a custom, proprietary grade of Ion-X (ion-exchanged strengthened) glass, the toughest glass available in a smartwatch.
Apple Watch SE 3 features an Always-On display, allowing users to conveniently view the time and glance at notifications without raising their wrist or tapping the display.
Even with the addition of the Always-On display, Apple Watch SE 3 offers all-day, 18-hour battery life, and also features fast charging for the first time. Apple Watch SE 3 now charges up to 2x faster than the previous generation; charging for 15 minutes can add up to eight hours of battery for daily use, and it can charge to about 80 percent in 45 minutes.
With a cellular plan, Apple Watch allows users to take calls, send messages, and even get help with emergency services when their iPhone isn’t with them. Apple Watch now offers 5G cellular capabilities that provide better performance with greater throughput, so music, podcasts, and apps download faster. The new 5G modem is more power efficient, using less battery for cellular.
Meaningful Health Insights
Building on its powerful suite of core health features, Apple Watch SE 3 introduces sleep score, which helps users understand the quality of their sleep and how to make it more restorative.3 Fast charging makes it even easier for users to wear Apple Watch overnight to track their sleep, and sleep score adds to sleep insights including sleep duration, sleep stages, and other Vitals app data.
Sleep quality is influenced by several factors, such as sleep duration, bedtime consistency, how often a person wakes up, and how much time is spent in each sleep stage. With sleep score, Apple Watch helps track each of these categories to offer users a transparent and easy-to-understand metric for their overall sleep quality. After each night, sleep score provides an overall score and classification in the Sleep app on Apple Watch, plus a clear breakdown of the most critical components so users know what to prioritize to improve their sleep.
The scoring approach and prioritization algorithm of sleep score is informed by the latest guidance published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Sleep Foundation, and World Sleep Society. Over 5 million nights of sleep data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study were used to develop and test the scoring algorithms.
Apple Watch SE 3 features sleep score, which can help users understand the quality of their sleep and how to make it more restorative.
Additionally, Apple Watch SE 3 offers:
• Wrist temperature sensing, which can provide insight into overall wellbeing and adds to the other key health metrics available in the Vitals app. Apple Watch uses two temperature sensors and an advanced algorithm to compensate for the temperature of a user’s environment.
• Retrospective ovulation estimates, which use wrist temperature data to estimate the likely day of ovulation after it has occurred and improve period predictions, which can be helpful for family planning.
• Sleep apnea notifications, which alert users if they show consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea over a 30-day period. The algorithm analyzes accelerometer data to detect interruptions in regular respiratory patterns that are associated with sleep apnea.
Wrist temperature sensing can provide insight into overall wellbeing and adds to the other key health metrics available in the Vitals app. Retrospective ovulation estimates use wrist temperature data to estimate the likely day of ovulation after it has occurred and improve period predictions. Sleep apnea notifications alert users if they show consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea over a 30-day period.
These features add to the core set of health features available on Apple Watch SE 3, including heart health notifications, Cycle Tracking, and cardio fitness, plus safety features like Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and Check In.
Fitness Tracking and Motivation
Apple Watch offers daily fitness motivation, along with powerful insights into workouts, training, and more, across a variety of activities. The Activity app encourages users to close their three Activity rings — Move, Exercise, and Stand — by hitting personal, customizable daily goals. Users can also track a wide range of workouts with validated custom heart rate and calorie algorithms using the Workout app; stay motivated with Activity challenges and sharing; keep an eye on their progress with weekly summaries and trends; and monitor key fitness metrics like training load, cardio fitness, and cardio recovery.
Apple Watch offers daily fitness motivation, along with powerful insights into workouts, training, and more, across a variety of activities.
With watchOS 26, Apple Watch SE 3 features Workout Buddy, a first-of-its-kind fitness experience powered by Apple Intelligence that analyzes a user’s workout data and fitness history to deliver personalized, spoken motivation throughout their session, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more. Workout Buddy will be available starting in English across some of the most popular workout types, and is available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby.
Additionally, the new layout of the Workout app makes it easier to customize workouts with Workout Views, custom workouts, Pacer, Race Route, and more. Apple Watch users can now conveniently view and create workouts in the Fitness app on iPhone, including custom workouts, and then easily access them in the Workout app on Apple Watch.
To add inspiration, users can set up music and podcasts right in the Workout app to automatically play when they start a workout. For convenience, Apple Music can now select the best music for a user’s workout based on the workout type and their personal tastes, or users can see suggestions for music or podcasts based on what they’ve recently listened to during that particular workout type.
S10 Chip Brings On-Device Siri, One-Handed Gestures, Voice Isolation, and Media Playback
In addition to an Always-On display, the power of the S10 chip allows for faster on-device Siri, now with the ability to access and log health data. For requests that do not require information from the internet, such as starting a workout or setting a timer, results are delivered more quickly and with more reliable responses. On-device processing is private and secure, and now Siri can be used to access data from the Health app for health- and fitness-related queries.
The S10 chip also brings the double tap and wrist flick gestures to Apple Watch SE 3, allowing users to do even more on Apple Watch with one hand. With the double tap gesture, users can simply tap their thumb and index finger together twice to select the primary action in a wide variety of apps and notifications, including opening the Smart Stack, answering and ending calls, viewing and sending a message, pausing or ending a timer, snoozing an alarm, and more. When a user raises their wrist to check a notification or call but isn’t ready to respond, the new wrist flick gesture allows them to quickly turn their wrist over and back to dismiss the notification.
https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/250909_Apple-Watch-SE-3-wrist-flick-250909.mp4
When a user raises their wrist to check a notification or call but isn’t ready to respond, the wrist flick gesture on Apple Watch SE 3 allows them to quickly turn their wrist over and back to dismiss the notification.
Apple Watch SE 3 allows users to play media, like music or podcasts, directly through its speaker. For Phone or FaceTime audio calls, the S10 chip also powers Voice Isolation to suppress background noise, so a user’s voice sounds crisp and clear on the other end of the line — even in noisy environments.
Apple Watch For Your Kids
Apple Watch For Your Kids brings the connectivity, fitness, health, and safety features of Apple Watch to kids who do not have their own iPhone, so parents can have peace of mind while their kids gain more independence.
Apple Watch For Your Kids makes it possible for parents to reach their child and identify their location via Find My, while kids also have access to powerful safety tools like Emergency SOS. Kids can also connect with family and friends through phone calls and messages, stay motivated to reach personalized Activity goals, express themselves through Memoji, download apps from the App Store, and enjoy features that give them more independence like Maps, Siri, and Alarms.
Featuring a cover glass made of the toughest glass in the industry, the ability to play media directly through the speakers, 5G cellular, and fast charging, Apple Watch SE 3 is an excellent option for Apple Watch For Your Kids. Apple Watch SE 3 can be set up with Apple Watch For Your Kids through a parent’s iPhone, and kids using Apple Watch For Your Kids will have their own Apple Account and phone number.
Apple Watch SE 3 can be set up with Apple Watch For Your Kids through a parent’s iPhone, so kids can connect with family and friends through phone calls and messages, stay motivated to reach personalized Activity goals, express themselves through Memoji, and enjoy features that give them more independence.
Featuring watchOS 26
With watchOS 26, Apple Watch SE 3 offers a fresh look, additional intelligence, and more personalized ways to stay active, healthy, and connected, including:
• A gorgeous new software design with Liquid Glass, enabling a vibrant and expressive experience across the Photos watch face, Smart Stack widgets, Smart Stack hints, notifications, Control Center, and in-app controls and navigation.
• A redesigned watch face gallery with two new watch faces: Flow, which uses Liquid Glass numerals that beautifully refract swirls of color that also respond to the movement of a user’s wrist, and Exactograph, a modern reinterpretation of a traditional regulator clock that separates the hours, minutes, and seconds for precise timekeeping. In addition, over 20 watch faces are updated so users can see a ticking seconds hand without raising their wrist.
• Smart Stack hints, proactive prompts that provide actionable, immediately useful suggestions based on contextual data, sensor data, and data from a user’s routine.
• Live Translation in Messages with Apple Intelligence, allowing incoming texts to be automatically translated into a user’s preferred language, right on their wrist, when Apple Watch is paired with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone. Additionally, for users whose device language is set to English, Apple Watch will intelligently suggest relevant actions using the context of a conversation in the Messages app, like starting a Check In when a friend asks a user to share when they arrive home, or using Apple Cash when a user is asked to contribute to a group gift.
• The Notes app, which allows users to create or access notes right on their wrist.
• Hold Assist and Call Screening, which come to the Phone app when iPhone is nearby. When a user is waiting for a live agent, Hold Assist recognizes once a live agent is available and notifies the user to return to the call. Call Screening helps users manage incoming phone calls from unknown numbers more efficiently by collecting a name and reason for the call before their phone rings, so they can make an informed decision on whether to pick up, decline the call, or ask for more information.
Lineup
Apple Watch SE 3 is available in 40mm and 44mm sizes in midnight and starlight aluminum cases.
Apple Watch SE 3 and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. Apple Watch SE 3 is made with 40 percent recycled content, including 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery and 100 percent recycled aluminum in the case. It is manufactured with 100 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain. Apple Watch SE 3 is designed to be durable and repairable, and also offers industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Apple 2030 goes beyond products — today, Apple is carbon neutral for its global corporate operations, and all Apple facilities run on 100 percent renewable electricity, including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence. Collectively, these efforts have reduced Apple’s global greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 percent since 2015.
Pricing and Availability
• Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the U.S., and more than 50 other countries and regions can pre-order Apple Watch SE 3 today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 19.
• Apple Watch SE 3 starts at $249 (U.S.).
• watchOS 26 will be available for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) or later, and all Apple Watch Ultra models on Monday, September 15, and requires iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26. Not all features are available on all devices or in all regions. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.
• Apple Intelligence is available in beta. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
• New subscribers may get three months of Apple Fitness+ and Apple Music with the purchase of Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, or Apple Watch Ultra 3. Offer and services availability varies by region. See apple.com/promo for details.
• AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new Apple Watch, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple Experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
MacDailyNews Take: Strong!
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Apple announces Final Cut Camera 2.0
Final Cut Camera, available for free on the App Store, leverages the powerful camera system of iPhone to bring professional filmmaking tools into the hands of even more people. For professional or aspiring filmmakers, content creators, or journalists, Final Cut Camera allows further customization of video recordings with access to settings like white balance and manual focus. Final Cut Camera 2.0 builds on these features by introducing game-changing support for ProRes RAW and genlock on the all-new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The update also adds intuitive new manual adjustments for the Center Stage front camera available on the new iPhone family for complete creative control, as well as seamless integration with Live Multicam in Final Cut Pro for iPad.
Final Cut Camera 2.0 unlocks unprecedented recording capabilities on iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the first smartphones capable of capturing ProRes RAW. This allows users to record pristine RAW data directly from the camera sensor for maximum creative freedom in post-production. The update also introduces open gate recording, which uses the full camera sensor to capture a wider field of view at resolutions greater than DCI 4K. This gives editors ultimate flexibility to reframe shots, stabilize footage, and set final aspect ratios, all without compromising image quality or performance.
ProRes RAW addresses the substantial technical demands of high-resolution video by unifying professional workflows with a single, industry-standard format that delivers RAW flexibility with the renowned performance of ProRes. By leveraging the dedicated Media Engine in Apple silicon, ProRes RAW achieves both faster exports and smaller, more flexible files than other RAW formats, delivering an unparalleled post-production experience. In the upcoming releases of Final Cut Pro 11.2 and Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.3, editors gain precise control over iPhone ProRes RAW footage, with direct adjustments for exposure, color temperature, tint, and demosaicing.
Final Cut Camera 2.0 also supports genlock, allowing creators to precisely synchronize iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max with other recording devices to the same reference signal, ensuring each frame is perfectly in sync. This technique lets creatives achieve professional, frame-accurate edits without hours of manual frame-by-frame alignment. Genlock API support is available to third parties and is already being used with the new Blackmagic Design Camera ProDock.
Leveraging the all-new Center Stage front camera available on iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Final Cut Camera 2.0 also allows users to capture horizontal or vertical orientation without rotating their iPhone. The Center Stage front camera is the largest and first square front camera sensor on iPhone with a wider field of view and higher resolution.
https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/250909_Apple-Final-Cut-Camera-2-0-hero-250909.mp4
Final Cut Camera 2.0 provides precision control for video recordings on iPhone with the ability to adjust settings like white balance, shutter speed, and ISO.
Additional new features for Final Cut Camera 2.0 include:
• Support for Apple Log 2, giving users the ability to record in an even wider color gamut in ProRes or HEVC with iPhone 17 Pro.
• Users can apply the Log 2 LUT in Final Cut Pro for iPad and Mac to view and edit their footage with the vibrancy of the original scene.
• The ability to enable Timecode with options like Time of Day, Record Run, or external timecode for precise identification of footage during post-production.
• Support for video capture using the new 200 mm Telephoto camera using ProRes up to 4K60 fps on iPhone 17 Pro for even more framing options.
MacDailyNews Note: Final Cut Camera 2.0 will be available later this month as a free download or update on the App Store. Final Cut Camera 2.0 requires iPhone Xs or later running iOS 18.6 or later, with some features requiring iOS 26 or iPhone 17 Pro.
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Apple introduces AirPods Pro 3, the ultimate audio experience with the world’s best Active Noise Cancellation
Apple today announced AirPods Pro 3, taking the most popular headphones in the world to an entirely new level. AirPods Pro 3 deliver unbelievable sound quality and the world’s best in-ear Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) — removing up to 2x more noise than the previous-generation AirPods Pro, and 4x more than the original AirPods Pro. The updated design helps AirPods Pro 3 fit even better and provides greater in-ear stability during activities like running, HIIT, yoga, and more. For the first time, users can utilize AirPods Pro 3 to measure heart rate and track over 50 workout types with the new experience in the Fitness app on iPhone. Live Translation also comes to AirPods, making face-to-face conversations easier by helping users connect even if they don’t speak the same language.
AirPods Pro 3 can be pre-ordered today, with availability beginning Friday, September 19.
“With AirPods Pro 3, the most popular headphones take a massive leap forward, providing fantastic sound quality and the world’s best ANC of any in-ear wireless headphones,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, in a statement. “Combined with an improved fit that provides greater stability for even more people, heart rate sensing, extended battery life, and Live Translation enabled by Apple Intelligence, AirPods Pro 3 take personal audio to the next level.”
During workouts, AirPods Pro 3 users can measure their heart rate and track workouts with a new experience in the Fitness app on iPhone, while enjoying an upgraded in-ear fit and added durability with IP57 during activities like running, HIIT, yoga, and more.
World’s Best Active Noise Cancellation
AirPods Pro 3 feature a new multiport acoustic architecture that precisely controls the airflow that carries sound into the ear, helping deliver an exceptional spatial listening experience. With next-generation Adaptive EQ, the new architecture transforms the bass response, widens the soundstage so users hear every instrument, and brings vivid vocal clarity to higher frequencies across music, shows, and calls. With a more personalized Transparency, a user’s own voice — and the people speaking to them — sounds more natural than ever, helping them stay connected to their surroundings without missing a beat.
https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Apple-AirPods-Pro-3-internal-architecture-250909.mp4AirPods Pro 3 also deliver the world’s best ANC of any in-ear wireless headphones.1 This is made possible with ultra-low noise microphones and advanced computational audio combined with new foam-infused ear tips for greater passive noise isolation. AirPods Pro 3 deliver a dramatically more immersive listening experience whether users are in transit, at the office, or winding down at home, offering ANC that’s up to 2x more effective than AirPods Pro 2, with 4x more noise removed compared to the original AirPods Pro. In addition, while listening to music with ANC enabled, AirPods Pro 3 now provide up to eight hours of music playback — a 33 percent increase over the previous generation.
AirPods Pro 3 deliver a more immersive listening experience and the world’s best ANC of any in-ear wireless headphones, whether users are in transit, at the office, or winding down at home.
AirPods Pro 3 deliver a more immersive listening experience and the world’s best ANC of any in-ear wireless headphones, whether users are in transit, at the office, or winding down at home.
New In-Ear Design Fits More People than Ever
Utilizing over 10,000 ear scans with more than 100,000 hours of user research, AirPods Pro 3 are the most secure and best-fitting AirPods ever. To deliver this improved fit for even more people, the internal architecture was completely re-engineered to make each AirPod smaller, while the external geometry of the ear tip was aligned to the center of the body for increased stability — a design informed by an unparalleled dataset of more than 300 million points. And with new foam-infused ear tips that now come in five sizes — including a new XXS size — AirPods Pro 3 deliver an exceptional in-ear fit. Designed for increased durability with an IP57 sweat and water resistance, AirPods Pro 3 are built to handle tough workouts and unpredictable weather.
https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Apple-AirPods-Pro-3-ear-tips-250909.mp4
AirPods Pro 3 are the most secure and best-fitting AirPods ever, featuring entirely new ear tips that now come in five sizes.
Workout-Ready Performance
More people exercise with AirPods Pro than any other headphones in the world, and AirPods Pro 3 take workouts to the next level with Apple’s smallest custom-built heart rate sensor and integrated workout experience. AirPods Pro 3 introduce a custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that shines invisible infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow. Combined with sensor fusion from the AirPods Pro accelerometers, gyroscope, GPS, and a new on-device AI model on iPhone, users can start up to 50 different workout types, track their heart rate and calories burned, close their Move ring, and earn awards in the Fitness app. With just AirPods Pro 3 and iPhone, users will also have access to Workout Buddy, a first-of-its-kind fitness experience powered by Apple Intelligence that incorporates a user’s workout data and their fitness history to generate personalized, motivational insights during their session.
https://macdailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Apple-AirPods-Pro-3-heart-rate-sensor-250909.mp4
AirPods Pro 3 feature a new heart rate sensor that shines invisible infrared light pulsed 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow during workouts.
For added motivation, Apple Fitness+ users with AirPods Pro 3 can now view real-time performance metrics directly onscreen, such as heart rate, calories burned, progress on their Move ring, and the Burn Bar.
AirPods Pro 3 take workouts to the next level with a new integrated workout experience. Users can start up to 50 different workout types, track their heart rate and calories burned, close their Move ring, and earn awards in the Fitness app.
Live Translation Comes to AirPods
With AirPods Pro 3, Live Translation enables in-person communication across select languages and is available in beta. This transformational, hands-free capability is powered by computational audio and Apple Intelligence to help people easily connect — whether they’re traveling to a new place, collaborating at work or school, or simply catching up with the people who matter most. When enabled, Live Translation helps users understand another language and communicate with others by speaking naturally with AirPods. To interact with someone who doesn’t have this hands-free capability, there’s an option to use iPhone as a horizontal display, showing the live transcription of what the user is saying in the other person’s preferred language. When the other person responds, their speech is translated into the user’s preferred language with AirPods.
It’s even more useful for longer conversations when both users are wearing their own AirPods with Live Translation enabled from their iPhone. ANC on AirPods lowers the volume of the other person speaking so that it’s easier to focus on the translation while staying connected in the interaction.
Live Translation on AirPods is available in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, and will be coming to four more languages by the end of the year: Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified).
Improved Hearing Health Experience with Extended Battery Life
Continuing Apple’s dedication to hearing health, AirPods Pro 3 expand on the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience introduced last fall. With AirPods Pro, users benefit by minimizing exposure to loud environmental noise. To help even more people, Hearing Protection comes to EU and UK users, following certification for those regions.
The Hearing Test has already helped millions of people learn about their hearing with scientifically validated results from the comfort of their home. With next-level ANC removing even more background noise, it is easier than ever for users to take a Hearing Test and receive personalized assistance with AirPods Pro 3. To help Hearing Aid users in louder environments like restaurants, Conversation Boost is now automatic, adding powerful amplification with background noise reduction. AirPods Pro 3 also increase battery life in Transparency mode by 67 percent over the previous generation with up to 10 hours with a single charge.
To help Hearing Aid users in louder environments like restaurants, Conversation Boost is now automatic, adding powerful amplification with background noise reduction when enabled.
AirPods Pro 3 and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. AirPods Pro 3 are made with 40 percent recycled content, including 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery and 65 percent recycled plastic in the case. They are manufactured with 40 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain. AirPods Pro 3 are designed to last, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Pricing and Availability
• Customers in the U.S. and more than 50 other countries and regions can pre-order AirPods Pro 3 today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 19.
• AirPods Pro 3 start at $249 (U.S.).
• For full feature functionality, use AirPods Pro 3 paired with an Apple device running the latest operating system software.
• New subscribers may get Apple Music and Apple Fitness+ free for three months with the purchase of AirPods Pro 3. See apple.com/promo for details.
• AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new headphones, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple Experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
• Some hearing health features are not available in all regions. For more information about availability, visit apple.com/airpods-pro/feature-availability.
• Live Translation may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, visit support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
MacDailyNews Take: AirPods Pro 3 offer more than enough reasons for us to upgrade from our AirPods Pro 2. It’s an absolute no-brainer for anyone still using the original AirPods Pro!
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MacDailyNews presents live coverage of Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ special event
Apple CEO Tim Cook and a team of Apple executives are expected to host the company’s “Awe Dropping” special event today, Tuesday, September 9th, at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT.
Apple’s event will be webcast from the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.
During Apple’s event, MacDailyNews will offer live notes on this page below.
You can watch the event live right here:
Live notes from Apple’s “Awe Dropping” special event in reverse chronological order:
• Event ends.
• Cook: Thank you for joining us.
• Order today, available on September 19th
• 2TB available at iPhone 17 Pro Max flagship
• iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199
• iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099
• iPhone Air starts at $999
• iPhone 17: starts at $799
• All new iPhones start at 256GB storage
• iPhone 17 Pro commercial shown
• Apple Crossbody strap compatible
• New Apple clear case and silicon case
• New Apple TechWoven case
• Dolby Vision HDR
• 4K120
• Genlock
• ProRes RAW capture
• Video: 4K120
• Sample images shown
• Equivalent of 8 Pro lenses in your pocket
• 40X digital Zoom
• Telephoto: 4X at 100mm, 8X 200mm
• Telephoto: 56% larger camera sensor
• 8X Telephoto
• Best camera system on any iPhone ever
• All three rear cameras are 48MP for the first time; all 3 are Fusion cameras
• Patrick Carroll: 18MP Center stage front camera system
• Pro camera system
• Up to 39 hours video playback
• eSIM
• Best battery life ever in an iPhone
• Running local LLMs and high-end games can run hour after hour
• 40% better sustained performance than iPhone 16 Pro
• 6-Core CPU and 6-core GPU
• Highest perfoming antennae system in any iPhone ever
• 3 finishes: Silver, Deep Blue, Cosmic Orange
• Forges Aluminum alloy Unibody design offers outstanding thermal performance
• Apple-designed thermal vapor chamber cooling system
• Greg Joswiak: iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max – the most powerful iPhones ever
• Most advanced iPhone ever
• Ceramic Shield 2 front and Ceramin Sheild back glass
• All new thermal system
• A19 Pro
• Full-width plateau for Camera and other sensors
• Biggest battery in any iPhone
• First iPhone Unibody
• Precision-machined aircraft-grade aluminum
• iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max
• Design of iPhone Air seems impossible when you hold it
• New Apple crossbody strap
• Two custom cases – very thin and also a lightweight bumper case
• New accessories – low profile MagSafe Battery, offers up to 40 hours of video playback
• Offers all-day battery life
• eSIM: offers better security and great for travel; available worldwide
• Dolby Vision 4K60
• Center Stage camera – no need to rotate your phone – auto
• 4 lenses in your pocket
• 24MP default photos
• Sensor-shift OIS
• 2X Telephoto
• 48MP Fusion Main camera – works like multiple cameras in one
• The iPhone Air is the most power efficient ever made
• Apple C1X modem; Up to 2X faster than C1
• Apple N1 chip enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and
• MacBook Pro-level AI compute in a smartphone
• Neural accelerators in each GPU core
• 5-core GPU
• Tim Millet: A19 Pro inside – the fastest CPU in any smartphone
• Finishes: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky Blue
• Aircraft-grade aluminum – very durable; more durable than any iPhone ever
• Plateau holds camera, from camera, speaker, and Apple Silicon
• Ceramic Shield 2 on front and back glass
• 6.5-inch ProMtoion display, always-on, 3,000 nits peak brightness
• John Ternus: 5.6mm thin
• Thinnest iPhone ever with the power of “Pro” inside
• Remarkable battery life
• Apple’s most durable design ever
• 4 light finishes
• Grade 5 aircraft aluminum
• iPhone Air: No number!
• 256GB storage to start
• Hold iPhone 17 vertically to take selfies; no need to rotate iPhone into landscape
• Center Stage: AI will auto adjust for selfies
• Center Stage fron camera: widest field of view, larger square sensor: Take high res photos and videos with selfie camera
• 2X optical quality telephoto; 48 MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera
• Megan Nash: iPhone 17 cameras: 48MP dual fusion system, 24MP default resolution
• Faster charging
• Up to 8 more hours of video playback vs. iPhone 16
• All-day battery life
• Live translation
• Apple Intelligence-ready
• 20% faster than A18 chip
• A19 chip: 6-core CPU, 24-core Neural Engine, 5-core GPU
• Ceramic Shield 2, now 3X better scratch resistance – new Apple-designed coating, specialized ceramic
• 3,000 nits peak outdoor brightness
• Kaiann Drance: Always on ProMotion display
• iPhone 17 comes in 5 colors
• Cook: Today we have an all-new iPhone lineup
• Preorder today; avialable September 19th
• Apple Watch Ultra 3: $799
• Apple Watch Series 11: starts at $399
• Apple Watch SE 3: starts at $249
• New colors and new bands
• Up to 42 hours of battery life
• Signal strength for satellites doubled
• 5G cellular and satellite connectivity
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 gets new display, now brighter when viewed at an angle and thinner bezels, so th escreen is bigger in the same size case as Apple Watch Ultra 3
• Eugene Kim: The ultimate sports and adventure watch
• Apple Watch Ultra 3
• Always on display
• SE 3 comes in starlight and midnight colors
• SE 3 charges up to 2X faster
• Play podcasts directly through speaker when no AirPods are available
• SE 3 gets sleep score and sleep apnea notificatons
• SE 3 adds wrist temperture sensing
• Amanda Santangelo: Apple S10 chip – the compnay’s most pwereful
• Apple Watch SE 3
• New Hermès band
• New band colors
• Several new colors
• Series 11 now gets over 24 hours of battery life
• Over 5 million sleep nights used to develop the algorithms
• Apple Watch now offers Sleep score – to measure the quality of your sleep
• Apple expects to notify over 1 million people of possible hypertension in the first year alone
• Apple Watch will alert to possible hypertension
• Sumbul Desai: Apple Watch gets high blood pressure monitoring
• New Apple Watch faces
• New 5G modem and new antennae architecture for even better coverage
• 2X more durable glass
• Stan Ng: Best watch in the world gets even better; thinnest, most comfortable Apple Watch ever
• Apple Watch Series 11: Now even more essential
• Video package exploring how Apple Watch saves lives
• Fall detection, crash detection, monitors heart rate, and so much more
• Apple Watch saves lives
• Same price: $249, preorder today, available September 19th
• AirPods Pro 3 offer The World’s Best ANC
• Kate Bergeron: Longer battery life – from 6 to 8 hours on a single charge with ANC; 10 hours with transparency
• Apple Fitness+ workouts also give you heart-rate from AirPods Pro 3
• Track up to 50 different workout types
• Julz Areny: AirPods Pro 3 get heart-rate sensing during workouts
• Better water resistance – even work when running in a downpour
• AirPods Pro are smaller, with entirely new ear-tips that come in five (5) sizes
• When both people are wearing AirPods Pro, the live translation allows two people not speaking the same language to have a live conversation
• The meaning of each phrase is translated for you
• Live translation powered by Apple Intelligence
• Active Noise Cancelation combine with new foam infused ear-tips to deliver 2X better ANC that AirPods Pro2, 4X better ANC that original AirPods Pro
• Kate Bergeron: AirPods Pro 3 deliver breathtaking spatial audio; wider sound stage
• AirPods Pro 3: Breakthrough audio performance
• Cook highlights AirPods Pro hearing aids
• Today we have a huge range of announcements
• Liquid Glass bring fluidity, vitality and flexibility to the things you do every day
• Design is beyond how it looks or feels, extend to how it works
• Apple CEO Tim Cook: Good morning, Welcome to Apple Park
• Video highlighting the continuity throughout Apple’s robust ecosystem
• Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event videostream begins.
• “I will be surprised if there is a major announcement regarding Apple’s AI strategy,” Forrester analyst Thomas Husson wrote in a note to clients.
• AAPL: $236.52, -1.36, (-0.57%) @ 12:57:56 PM EDT
• AAPL: $236.27, -1.61, (-0.68%) @ 12:47:26 PM EDT
• AAPL: $237.57, -0.32, (-0.13%) @ 09:33:25 AM EDT
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Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ event set to unveil all-new iPhones, Apple Watches, and more
Apple is gearing up for its highly anticipated “Awe Dropping” event today in Cupertino, California at the Steve Jobs Theater, where the company is expected to showcase a slew of new products and innovations.
According to sources, the event will spotlight the iPhone 17 series, alongside updates to the Apple Watch and AirPods, promising groundbreaking advancements in design and technology.
The iPhone 17 series is rumored to include four models: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and a new iPhone 17 Air. The iPhone 17 Air, a sleek, ultra-thin addition, is expected to feature a thinner profile, positioning it as a mid-tier option between the standard and Pro models. All models are anticipated to boast 120Hz ProMotion displays, a significant upgrade for the base models, ensuring smoother scrolling and animations. The iPhone 17 and 17 Air are expected to be powered by the A19 chip, while the Pro and Pro Max will likely feature the more powerful A19 Pro chip, enhancing performance for demanding tasks like gaming and augmented reality.
Camera upgrades are a major highlight, with the iPhone 17 Pro models expected to sport a 48MP triple-lens system, including improved ultra-wide and telephoto lenses for enhanced low-light performance and zoom capabilities. The standard iPhone 17 and Air models may see a dual-camera setup with a 48MP main sensor, elevating photo quality across the lineup.
Additionally, Apple may preview advanced AI features under its Apple Intelligence suite, integrating deeper machine learning for personalized user experiences, such as smarter Siri responses and photo editing tools. These features would arrive in a software update in spring 2026.
Beyond iPhones, the event is expected to unveil the Apple Watch Series 11, featuring a larger display, thinner bezels, and advanced health sensors, including potential blood glucose monitoring. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 may also debut. The Ultra 3 is rumored to maintain its robust titanium construction while introducing a larger, brighter display with slimmer bezels for better visibility in challenging environments. It’s anticipated to include improved battery life to support extended outdoor use. Enhanced navigation tools, such as more accurate GPS and offline mapping capabilities, are also expected, catering to adventurers and athletes, making the Ultra 3 a standout in Apple’s wearable lineup.
A new Apple Watch SE is anticipated to debut with a more affordable price point and updated features, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious consumers.
Apple is also expected to unveil the AirPods Pro 3 whcih will likely have the same heart rate monitoring feature that Apple first introduced on its Beats subsidiary’s Powerbeats Pro 2 earlier this year, along with a smaller charging case, improved sound, better active noise cancellation, and more.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event livestream begins today at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT. You can watch and follow our live notes during the event here.
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Apple Store offline ahead of ‘Awe Dropping’ event
Apple has temporarily shut down its online Apple Store in preparation for the iPhone 17 launch event, dubbed “Awe Dropping,” scheduled for today, September 9, 2025, at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT.
Product listings and accessories remain visible, but all “Buy” buttons redirect to a holding page stating, “Be right back. We’re making updates to the Apple Store. Check back soon.”
The event is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup, including the standard iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and a new ultra-thin model, tentatively called the iPhone 17 Air. The iPhone 17 Air, rumored to be around 5.5mm thick, is anticipated to be the thinnest iPhone ever, featuring a 6.6-inch LTPO OLED display with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, a 24-megapixel selfie camera, and a single-lens 48-megapixel rear camera with a pill-shaped horizontal bump. All iPhone 17 models are expected to include upgraded A19 chips, improved battery life, and a custom Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip. The lineup will ship with iOS 26, featuring a new Liquid Glass UI previewed at WWDC 2025.
Additionally, Apple is expected to introduce the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra 3, with potential features like blood oxygen monitoring, a new chip, and satellite connectivity for the Ultra 3. The AirPods Pro 3 are also anticipated, possibly with heart-rate monitoring, built-in body temperature sensing, improved audio, and/or IR sensors for gesture control.
There’s speculation about other surprises, such as an updated Apple TV 4K or a new HomePod 3 smart home hub.
MacDailyNews Take: The store will remain offline until the event concludes, with no announced duration for the keynote. The livestream will be available here on MacDailyNews within our “Live Notes” article (coming later this morning), on Apple’s website, YouTube channel, and Apple TV app.
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MLS Commissioner Don Garber ‘very pleased’ with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
To watch their favorite MLS players, fans must subscribe to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Since 2023, Apple TV has held primary broadcasting rights, producing and airing every MLS, MLS Cup Playoff, and Leagues Cup match exclusively through the subscription service, placing the league largely behind a paywall.
“We’re very pleased with where we are. With Apple subscriptions, our ratings and audience are strong,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said at the Leagues Cup final between Miami and Seattle Sounders. “I know it’s frustrating for all of you that we can’t be comparative. Our ratings for the league scope have been off the charts. That’s indicative for us in a subscription paywall model.”
Ben Steiner for Sports Illustrated:
While some matches air on traditional cable channels such as Fox in the United States and TSN in Canada, the majority of clubs’ games are behind the Apple TV paywall, which retailed for a base rate of $129 at the start of the 2025 MLS season.
Additionally, the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV model allows for global consumption of the product without blackouts, making Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, LAFC’s Son and Vancouver’s Müller as easy to watch in Argentina, South Korea and Germany as it is in North America.
Earlier in the season, Garber revealed that games on the platform average 120,000 viewers, and that is an increase of 50% from the 2024 season. He suggested that boost was partially owed to fans being able to purchase the MLS Season Pass service through some TV providers, but did not offer further clarity.
“I like the fact that we have the ability to be anywhere in the world. I can watch games no matter where I am. I can go on my phone—an Apple phone or an Android device—or any computer or screen,” Garber added at the Leagues Cup. “I was on vacation up in Canada, and I was able to watch those games as if I were sitting in my living room in New York City.”
“That dynamic is the future,” Garber said. “We think of media consumption — it just has to be accessible, and we need to make sure we are getting the accessibility right, continuing into the future.”
MacDailyNews Take: MLS is the healthiest its’ ever been and that’s largely thanks to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV – and Lionel Messi, of course!
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Apple’s C1 modem inside iPhone 17 Air will be slower on some carriers
Apple has spent years developing its own mobile data modem to replace Qualcomm’s, which it has long depended on. The first Apple-designed modem, the C1 chip, debuted in the iPhone 16e and is expected to power the upcoming iPhone 17 Air. Performance comparisons with Qualcomm’s latest chip have been mixed, but a new Ookla study offers the most detailed analysis yet.
Comparing the performance achieved by the iPhone 16, which uses Qualcomm’s chip, with the iPhone 16e, which uses Apple’s own C1 chip, the company was see how each modem fared.
Ookla’s first study, published back in March, showed that the C1 chip beat Qualcomm in a number of key areas. That one showed that the C1 was better in areas of poor mobile coverage, but Qualcomm came out significantly ahead when it came to the areas with the fastest connections.
Performance doesn’t just depend on the chip, but also on the network on which it is used. That’s because different networks support different chip features, as noted in Ookla’s latest study.
For example, carrier aggregation is a technique used to combine different frequencies into a single mobile data connection so as to maximise the total bandwidth achieved. Qualcomm supports aggregation across four carriers, while the C1 modem only supports three. So if you’re on T-Mobile, then having a Qualcomm modem is an advantage.
MacDailyNews Take: For an iPhone, we’d much rather have a connected iPhone in poor coverage areas than a slightly faster connection in specific conditions.
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Apple’s backup plan for AI could be attractive, versatile, and thrifty
Apple doesn’t have to sink billions of dollars into its own artificial intelligence solutions when it can outsource by teaming up with partners.
Dave Lee for Bloomberg Opinion:
When all the top tech companies seem to moving in a pack toward artificial intelligence, Apple Inc. has stood startlingly apart…
There are two ways to look at this state of affairs. One is that Apple is in disarray, its AI products don’t work because it has been caught napping on the next great tech revolution and is hemorrhaging talent as a result. Another is that Cook is exercising restraint as others in Silicon Valley lose their heads.
This week’s Apple event in Cupertino, California, will be the usual affair of incremental changes to its core lineup, plus a new, thinner iPhone “Air.” The more interesting developments for the future of the iPhone are taking place behind closed doors as Apple seeks to reinvent Siri for the AI age. The company needs to reverse the virtual assistant’s status as a byword for dumb AI. No other Apple brand comes close to receiving this kind of mockery. When AI captured the world’s attention, Siri’s hopelessness became a serious problem.
Make no mistake, Apple’s first choice would have been to solve the matter in-house and use its own engineering talent to make Siri smarter. That hasn’t happened — or it hasn’t happened yet, at least. Instead, the company is now looking to outsource the task by bringing in a new tutor.
That tutor could be Google and its Gemini AI… A Google-made AI model might adequately suffice much in the way Apple used Intel chips in its Macs until it was happy its own designs were up to the task. As time goes on, and the AI market matures with new use cases, Apple can adapt as necessary.
As Plan B’s go, this outsourcing is an attractive and versatile way forward. In the current climate, you might even call it thrifty.
MacDailyNews Take: From “it’s better to be a pirate than to join the navy” to “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” is Tim Cook’s timid Apple in a nutshell.
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Apple celebrates world premiere of ‘The Lost Bus’ at the Toronto International Film Festival
Friday night at the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, Apple Original Films celebrated the world premiere of the high stakes thriller “The Lost Bus,” directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Greengrass and starring Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey and Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe Award winner America Ferrera. The compelling drama will debut in select theaters on Friday, September 19, 2025 and will premiere globally on Friday, October 3, 2025 on Apple TV+.
Writer/director Greengrass and stars McConaughey and Ferrera celebrated “The Lost Bus” at the premiere event alongside supporting cast members Yul Vazquez, Ashlie Atkinson, Levi McConaughey and Kay McConaughey, as well as writer/producer Brad Ingelsby, and producers Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Blum and Gregory Goodman. Kevin McKay, Mary Ludwig, Shaun McKay, John Messina and Ruby Hartwig, who inspired characters in the film, were also in attendance.
Directed by Greengrass and inspired by real events, “The Lost Bus” is a white-knuckle ride through one of America’s deadliest wildfires, as a wayward school bus driver (McConaughey) and a dedicated school teacher (Ferrera) battle to save 22 children from the terrifying inferno.
Written by Greengrass and Brad Ingelsby, who also serve as producers, “The Lost Bus” is produced by Gregory Goodman, Jason Blum for Blumhouse Productions, and Jamie Lee Curtis for Comet Pictures. The film is executive produced by Amy Lord and Lizzie Johnson, author of “‘Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire.’” In addition to McConaughey and Ferrera, Yul Vazquez, Ashlie Atkinson and Spencer Watson also star in the film.
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 596 wins and 2,798 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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Apple’s push to bring Apple Intelligence to China continues
Apple is advancing its efforts to launch Apple Intelligence in China by partnering with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Baidu Inc. to integrate its AI platform in the country.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
The idea is to use Alibaba as a “censorship engine” that can rein in Apple’s on-device AI models at the behest of the Chinese government (a requirement for any launch in the region). Baidu, meanwhile, will take the role that OpenAI and Google hold in the US, helping power the Siri chatbot and things like Visual Intelligence.
A launch was initially planned for the middle of the year as part of an update to iOS 18. But it’s hit snags related to Chinese regulations — as well as concerns from US government officials about the plan. Apple hasn’t given up, though. The company still has teams hard at work on bringing Apple Intelligence to China. It’s too big a market to ignore, and Apple risks seeing local rivals lure away customers with their own AI features.
While it’s certainly plausible that a release could get delayed again, the plan right now is to launch the functionality before the end of the year — with the software included in iOS 26.1 or iOS 26.2. The company is actively testing the features with employees in China, I’m told, and continues to work with Alibaba and other providers on the rollout. Keep in mind that Apple sees this as a critical selling point for the iPhone 17.
MacDailyNews Take: Who doesn’t love a nice “censorship engine?”
Apple Intelligence in China will be highly censored and rather limited; it will only spit back the approved narratives of the Chinese Communist Party. – MacDailyNews, November 26, 2024
“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself.” — Potter Stewart
Read more: Apple Intelligence likely to be highly censored in China, if it ever launches – November 26, 2024
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Apple scores 15 Creative Arts Emmy Awards as ‘Severance’ and ‘The Studio’ lead for comedy and drama
Apple TV+ on Saturday scored a record-breaking 15 wins at the first night of the 77th Creative Arts Emmy Awards, as this year’s most-nominated comedy “The Studio” dominated with the most wins for a comedy in Creative Arts Emmy history. “The Studio” nabbed nine wins, including Outstanding Guest Actor Bryan Cranston, and “Severance” — this year’s most-nominated series and tonight’s drama series with the most wins — landed six wins, including Outstanding Guest Actress Merritt Wever.
The winners were announced Saturday by the Television Academy, and additional categories will be unveiled at night two of the Creative Arts Emmy Award ceremony on Sunday, September 7, and the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on Sunday, September 14.
As the most Emmy-nominated freshman comedy in history, “The Studio” leads as the most-winning series to date for this year’s 77th Emmy Awards, with wins including Outstanding Guest Actor Bryan Cranston, for his celebrated performance as eccentric studio head ‘Griffin Mill,’ in addition to the honors of Outstanding Production Design, Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour), Outstanding Contemporary Costumes, Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series, Outstanding Music Supervision, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama (Half-Hour) and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama (Half-Hour).
In its extraordinary sophomore season, Apple’s global phenomenon “Severance” scored an Outstanding Guest Actress win for Merritt Wever for her acclaimed performance. In addition, “Severance” landed Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour), Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour), Outstanding Title Design, Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour).
This year, Apple’s record-breaking 81 nominations sweep across 14 hit Apple Original titles, with top category nominations including Outstanding Drama Series “Severance” and “Slow Horses,” and Outstanding Comedy Series “The Studio” and “Shrinking.” “Severance” is this year’s most-nominated series, with 27 nominations, and “The Studio” made history as the most-nominated freshman comedy series, with 23 nominations in total. Additionally, with top program nominations for drama “Slow Horses” and comedy “Shrinking,” Apple TV+ became the only network to have multiple titles nominated in the Outstanding Comedy and Drama Series categories.
To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have earned 612 wins and 2,799 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
In total, Apple earned 15 wins at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards tonight, including:
“The Studio”
• Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Bryan Cranston
• Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour)
• Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
• Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour)
• Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series
• Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single Camera Comedy Series
• Outstanding Music Supervision
• Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour)
• Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
“Severance”
• Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Merritt Wever
• Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)
• Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour)
• Outstanding Title Design
• Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
• Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
Apple’s additional nominations for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, which air on September 14, include Outstanding Drama Series “Severance” and “Slow Horses,” and Outstanding Comedy Series “The Studio” and “Shrinking,” among many others. Additional nominations on the second night of the Creative Arts Emmys include Outstanding Documentary “Deaf President Now!”
“Severance”
• Outstanding Drama Series
• Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: Ben Stiller
• Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: Jessica Lee Gagné
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Adam Scott
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Britt Lower
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Zach Cherry
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Tramell Tillman
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: John Turturro
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Patricia Arquette
• Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: Dan Erickson
“The Studio”
• Outstanding Comedy Series
• Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Seth Rogen
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Ike Barinholtz
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Catherine O’Hara
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Kathryn Hahn
• Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Frida Perez
“Shrinking”
• Outstanding Comedy Series
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Jason Segel
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Harrison Ford
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Michael Urie
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Jessica Williams
“Slow Horses”
• Outstanding Drama Series
• Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: Adam Randall
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Gary Oldman
• Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: Will Smith
“Presumed Innocent”
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Jake Gyllenhaal
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Peter Sarsgaard
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Bill Camp
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Ruth Negga
“Disclaimer”
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Cate Blanchett
“Bad Sisters”
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Sharon Horgan
“Dope Thief”
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Brian Tyree Henry
“Deaf President Now!”
• Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program: Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim
• Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
“Bono: Stories Of Surrender”
• Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special
Nominees for Outstanding Commercial
• “Heartstrings” — Apple AirPods Pro
• “Flock” — Apple Privacy
MacDailyNews Take: Congratulations to the casts and crews of “Severance” and “The Studio!”
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Apple’s iPhone 17 Air expected to wow, but come with drawbacks
Apple’s “iPhone 17 Air” is expected to feature a slimmer design with a large 6.6-inch display. However, it may come with notable downsides, including reduced battery life and a single rear camera, at a time when phones typically boast longer-lasting batteries and multiple lenses.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
It will also be sandwiched, pricing-wise, between two phones that are far superior in terms of specifications and day-to-day use. I expect the Air model to be substantially more expensive than the entry-level iPhone 17 (with more battery life and cameras) and only a couple hundred dollars cheaper than an iPhone 17 Pro (far superior in terms of performance, cameras and display technology).
So, yet again, [as with the original MacBook Air] consumers will be offered a device that has thinness as its main selling point. Such an idea might have been intriguing in 2008, when laptops could be bulky and inelegant. But it may be less of an asset with modern smartphone users.
Battery capacity and camera technology are the two big drivers of upgrades. And, unlike the MacBook and MacBook Pro 17 years ago, the regular and Pro versions of the iPhone aren’t especially unwieldy. Samsung Electronics Co. already has proof of this reality. It launched a 17 Air lookalike this past May called the S25 Edge and sales have been underwhelming.
MacDailyNews Take: We agree.
If anything, an “iPhone Air” will draw eyeballs and Apple Store visits and spur, if not sales itself, of other iPhone which will offer more in terms of battery life and camera capabilities. – MacDailyNews, about an hour ago
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