Apple will unveil the next iPhone at its September 10th at its annual hardware event. Actually, we expect it to show off three new iPhone models.
If they’re anything like the rumors have indicated, Apple’s core iPhone upgrades will carry the new “Pro” moniker. They’ll probably have a Lightning port, and they might have a three-lens camera array on the back, widening the camera bump. (Much like Google confirmed is coming on the Google Pixel 4.) The majority of the other changes will likely be made to the inside of the phone, so let’s come back to that name for a moment.
iPhone 11 Pro sounds okay, but do you believe Apple would truly call its other phones the iPhone 11 Pro Plus or iPhone 11 Pro Max? Last year, we pondered where Apple might go next with its iPhone names, because choosing to call last year’s phones the XS and XS Max left the company in a bit of a bind this time. If the rumors are true, 2019 might go down as the year when Apple officially ran out of good ideas for phone names.
Apple will likely also announce a successor to its popular iPhone XR, and rumors indicate it might be called the iPhone 11R. Compared to the iPhone 11 Pro, this model is rumored to feature a dual-lens camera system, but if you like colorful phones, we may see a new green color option.
We’re likely to hear more about iOS 13 and macOS Catalina at the event, including their respective release dates, and perhaps we’ll see the launch of Apple’s TV Plus and Apple Arcade services. If past hardware events are any indication, Apple probably has some other surprise announcements in store, too.
Apple may also release a few new Apple Watch models. A recent leak shows that two new varieties, ceramic and titanium, were supposedly referenced in the watchOS 6 beta, and might be a hint to new hardware coming soon. There could be iPads, too, including refreshes for the iPad Pro lineup and the entry-level iPad. Finally, rumors have been swirling for some time about a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Bloomberg’s report says that it could release later this year. Whether the September 10th event is a stage for these announcements, we’ll have to wait and see.
Sep 20, 2019
Here’s where you can buy the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max
Apple’s iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max are now available. If you placed a preorder within the last week, you’ll hopefully receive your new phone today. If not, there’s still a good chance that your local retailer or carrier store has some in stock, but call ahead first.
Read Article >If you’re still debating it, check out our reviews of all three phones below. Nilay Patel reviewed them, and alongside our video and photo team, they got some amazing sample photos and footage that illustrate how each iPhone 11 device stacks up against the competition.
Sep 19, 2019
How to rearrange and delete your apps in iOS 13
I’ve been using an iPhone since the iPhone 2G, and one of my all-time favorite iOS gestures is what my colleague Dieter Bohn calls “jiggly mode,” which is when you press and hold an app and all of the apps on your screen start wiggling. This means you can move them around and, if you need to, delete them. That behavior hasn’t really changed since it was first introduced in January 2008, but iOS 13 is going to shake it up a bit.
Read Article >In iOS 12 and older, if you press and hold on an app (without using 3D Touch), it only takes a second before all of your apps start dancing, and you can move or delete them as you please. But in iOS 13, when you long-press on an app, a contextual menu will pop up, like this:
Sep 19, 2019
iOS 13 review: join the dark side
iOS 13 is here. Apple is bringing a very different sort of update to last year’s iOS 12, which was built around performance improvements and rethinking how much we use our phones. iOS 13 is big and flashy. It’s looking to wow users with a slick dark mode; striking updates to apps like Apple Maps, Photos, and even Reminders; and long-overdue additions like a swiping keyboard and UI improvements.
Read Article >The changes are largely on the iterative or cosmetic side, though. At this point, iOS feels like it’s started to crystalize. For better or worse, what we have now is Apple’s vision of what a smartphone OS should be. (That’s even truer now that the iPad has been forked off into its own iPadOS, meaning that future iOS versions should be even more tailored to iPhones.)
Sep 19, 2019
iOS 13 is now available to download
Apple’s new iOS 13 update is now available to download on compatible iPhones today, with an iPhone 6S release to follow soon. The biggest new addition is Dark Mode, which allows everything from iMessage, Photos, and Settings to switch to a much darker theme throughout the operating system.
Read Article >Third-party apps will be able to take advantage of Dark Mode to automatically switch to darker themes when it’s enabled in iOS 13, and there’s even a switch that can be toggled in the Control Center if you want to adjust from the default white to black at nighttime. The second-biggest noticeable feature is a new swipe mode on the keyboard, which allows you to swipe words for faster typing.
Sep 18, 2019
The first iPhone 11 Pro Max teardown confirms a 25 percent bigger battery
The first teardown of the iPhone 11 Pro Max is officially out, courtesy of DChannel on YouTube, and it reveals the inner workings of the newest extra-large iPhone. The most interesting part: the 11 Pro Max has a 15.04 watt-hour battery, nearly 25 percent larger than the iPhone XS Max’s 12.06 watt-hour cells — suggesting the size of the battery, and not any software optimization, is likely the main reason for the new device’s greatly improved battery life.
Read Article >Apple claims the iPhone 11 Pro Max will get five hours more battery life than the iPhone XS Max, and while it’s difficult to exactly replicate Apple’s internal battery tests, Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel found his iPhone 11 Pro Max review unit lasted for 12 to 14 hours on a single charge, up from roughly eight to 10 hours on his XS Max. Some of the battery gains may also be due to the A13 Bionic chip, which Apple claims is the most power efficient chip it’s ever made.
Sep 18, 2019
Apple is trying to trademark ‘Slofie’
It seemed like “slofies” could have been a one-off joke when Apple mentioned them during its iPhone event last week, but the company is clearly pleased with the made-up term. On Friday, Apple applied for a US trademark on “Slofie,” potentially giving the company control over the word’s usage.
Read Article >Slofies are Apple’s name for slow-motion selfies, a feature that’s new to the iPhone 11 models. The phones’ front camera can now record video at 120 frames per second, which when slowed down, results in a crisp slow-motion effect. The results are neat, though I’m not convinced they’ll turn into the Animoji-like phenomenon Apple may be hoping for.
Sep 18, 2019
The 10 Apple Arcade launch games you have to play
Let’s just get this out of the way: if you’re at all interested in high-quality mobile games and you own an iOS device, Apple Arcade is a no-brainer. The subscription service launches tomorrow for $4.99 a month, and it’s making its debut with a huge range of excellent games from renowned studios like Ustwo, Simogo, and Capy Games. If there are even two titles that pique your interest, that’s worth the price of admission.
Read Article >The biggest problem with the service right now, though, is that it can be overwhelming. There’s just so much. It can make figuring out where to start almost paralyzing. For the past few days I’ve been digging through the Apple Arcade lineup to pick out the 10 games I’d recommend most, spanning a number of genres and play styles. (It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it.)
Sep 18, 2019
Apple Watch Series 5 review: the best smartwatch
The highest praise I can give the new Apple Watch Series 5 is simply this: it’s an Apple Watch.
Read Article >There’s a running joke in my recent iPad reviews: I just get to say “it’s an iPad,” and everybody knows what that means. It’s a sign that the product isn’t changing year over year, sure. But more importantly, it’s a promise that it’s good, that it will do what you expect it to do, and that you don’t need to overthink how it will fit into your life.
Sep 17, 2019
Apple iPhone 11 review: the phone most people should buy
This is one of the simplest reviews I’ve ever had to write: the iPhone 11 is the phone most people who are upgrading to a new iPhone this year should get. It’s an excellent phone, with one of the best cameras I’ve ever seen on a smartphone and terrific battery life. Apple’s also dropped the price by 50 bucks: the iPhone XR started at $749, but the iPhone 11 starts at $699.
Read Article >None of this means the iPhone 11 is a perfect phone or that it has all of the best specs and features you can get. It doesn’t. But it’s great where it counts, and it’s totally fine everywhere else. If you want to live on the bleeding edge of tech, you can spend $300 more and get an iPhone 11 Pro, which I also reviewed this week, or look at one of the many high-end Android options available. But most people don’t need to overthink it: just get an iPhone 11. You’ll be happy.
Sep 17, 2019
Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max review: the battery life is real
The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max did not arrive at the splashiest Apple event ever. Like their sibling the iPhone 11, they were mostly seen as iterative updates to Apple’s existing iPhone XS and XS Max: relatively sedate changes to already winning devices. They now have three cameras, with an ultra-wide lens joining the standard wide angle and telephoto lenses on the rear. The displays are brighter. There’s a new processor and a new version of iOS, both in their 13th iterations. And they come in a matte finish on the back, with a new midnight green option. It’s not exactly an earth-shattering list of updates.
Read Article >But after using an iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max for the past week, I think they’re more than the sum of several lightly updated parts. These are some of the most well-balanced, most capable phones Apple — or anyone — has ever made. They have excellent battery life, processors that should keep them relevant for years to come, absolutely beautiful displays, and a new camera system that generally outperforms every other phone, which should get even better with a promised software update later this fall.
Sep 13, 2019
Hear The Verge’s first impressions of the iPhone 11
This week on The Vergecast, as you can imagine, Dieter Bohn, Nilay Patel, and Paul Miller discuss what was announced at Apple’s hardware event on Tuesday.
Read Article >Both Nilay and Dieter were able to attend the event and demo the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, Apple Watch Series 5, and new iPad in person. Listen to this week’s episode of The Vergecast to hear their first impressions.
Sep 13, 2019
The awkward days of the Apple Watch are over
If you’ve ever owned an Apple Watch or sat across from someone wearing one, you’re likely familiar with the inescapable social faux pas that is checking the time.
Read Article >The first five generations of the Apple Watch, due to screen technology and battery constraints, could not display an active watchface at every moment, and so raise to wake was born. You raise your arm, the Apple Watch comes alive, and you lower your arm to set back to its off position.
Sep 12, 2019
Apple’s iPhone 11 doesn't have 5G because 5G isn’t ready for the iPhone
As expected, Apple’s 2019 iPhone lineup does not include 5G technology, leaving the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 without the next-generation leap in mobile data speeds we’ve seen on recent smartphones from Samsung, LG, and OnePlus.
Read Article >But Apple is wise in waiting another year before building 5G into the iPhone, and it’s got nothing to do with safety. 5G networks still feel like they’re very much in a preliminary stage, and only now are carriers starting to build any real momentum by bringing 5G to more cities across the US. But there are other obstacles and snags that led to Apple holding off another year — hopefully just one more — before integrating 5G into the iPhone.
Sep 12, 2019
With the iPhone 11 Pro, what does it even mean for a phone to be ‘pro’?
Apple announced three new iPhones for 2019, and for the first time in over a decade, it’s switched up the naming scheme: the XR model is now the “mainline” iPhone 11, and the more premium OLED duo is now the iPhone 11 Pro line, the first phones from Apple to get the suffix.
Read Article >Apple isn’t the first phone maker to slap a “pro” moniker on a phone — OnePlus, Huawei, Xiaomi, and others have all done the same — nor is the iPhone 11 Pro the company’s first product to have the “pro” title, with its numerous MacBook Pros, iPad Pros, Mac Pros, and even an iMac Pro.
Sep 12, 2019
I don’t have to wake up at 3AM on iPhone preorder day anymore
Anyone who’s tried to preorder an iPhone while living near the East Coast of the United States knows this frustration: being online at 3AM ET in order to make one of the very first purchases, guaranteeing that your phone gets delivered on day one. That usually meant waking up shortly before 3AM, commiserating with a bunch of other nerds on Twitter, and then going back to bed 30 or so minutes later.
Read Article >Finally, those days are over.
Sep 11, 2019
What we’re still waiting for after Apple’s iPhone 11 event
The rumor mill was remarkably right. On Tuesday, Apple revealed practically everything we expected it to reveal at its “By Innovation Only” iPhone 11 event. You can watch our supercut (above), read our recap, or skim through our detailed live blog for all the highlights, but arguably the only true surprises were these:
Read Article >But what about all the things Apple didn’t announce? These are the biggest surprises we’re still waiting for — and if history’s any guide, you’ll see some of them at a follow-up Apple event as soon as next month.
Sep 11, 2019
Apple’s HomePod will soon let you play ocean waves, birdsong, or rainstorms while you sleep
Apple yesterday managed to sneak in a few updates to its HomePod speaker in between iPhone-related announcements, including the addition of a brand-new feature.
Read Article >Later this fall, the HomePod will be able to help you relax by playing “the soothing sounds of ocean waves, forest birds, rainstorms, and more,” or what Apple calls Ambient Sounds. Apple hasn’t provided any other details, but we’d assume you’ll just need to ask Siri to play ambient noises to make your room feel like an oceanside villa. The feature was first spotted by 9to5Mac.
Sep 11, 2019
Apple TV Plus will launch in India for $1.40 a month
Apple’s upcoming streaming service, Apple TV Plus, will launch in India for 99 rupees, or $1.40 a month, Bloomberg reports. The subscription fee is cheaper than the plans that services like Netflix and Amazon offer in India, which are also competing to capture the growing market. With over 500 million users on the internet, India has more of its population online than any other country except China.
Read Article >Apple TV Plus, which costs $4.99 a month in the US, will launch November 1st in over 100 countries — including India. Users will get a week-long free trial, and Apple will throw in an entire year’s subscription for customers that purchase an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod touch. The streaming service will begin by offering nine original series including The Morning Show and Jason Momoa’s See, along with other movies, documentaries, and TV shows.
Sep 11, 2019
Apple TV Plus is trying to be HBO, not Netflix
In a blowout event in March, Apple announced its plans for TV Plus, its standalone streaming service to stand alongside the growing number of offerings from Netflix, HBO, Disney, and others. At the company’s iPhone event on Tuesday, it gave us a fuller picture of the service, which is set to launch on November 1st. It will cost $4.99 a month — less than half of a standard Netflix subscription — and come free (for a year) with most Apple device purchases. Apple knows it needs to price low and lean into its hardware strength in order to draw in subscribers and compete with other companies.
Read Article >But despite what you may have heard, Apple’s new service isn’t exactly a Netflix competitor. In fact, it may be more like HBO. Apple TV Plus is arriving within a few months of similar launches from Disney, WarnerMedia, and NBCUniversal, creating much more competition for the customer’s dollar. For years, Netflix and Amazon Prime have been competing mostly to prove that streaming could be a viable alternative to cable. But those days are over, and nearly every major content company is now getting in the game.
Sep 11, 2019
Apple’s new iPhone finally sacrifices thinness for battery life
Apple’s new iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max are oddities in a way for the technology company: they’re bigger, heavier, and thicker than last year’s models, bucking the usual trend where Apple tries to release increasingly thinner and lighter phones. Not coincidentally, the new heftier iPhones also promise markedly better battery life than the iPhone XS and XS Max: four hours better on the smaller phone, and five hours better on the larger one.
Read Article >For years, people have asked why companies won’t just make phones a little bigger and heavier in order to offer better battery life. And with the iPhone 11 Pro lineup, it looks like Apple is finally taking note.
Sep 11, 2019
The 3 best and worst features of the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple held its annual iPhone extravaganza at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino yesterday, and while there were some surprises, those of us privy to the Apple rumor mill saw mostly what we were expecting. There was a new “Pro” variant of the iPhone, as well as an always-on Apple Watch display, a new 10.2-inch iPad, and some much-needed pricing and release figures for Apple’s upcoming media services.
Read Article >But Apple’s showing was a familiar one, and nowhere was that more apparent than in its straightforward smartphone lineup. Last year, we saw Apple holding on to to the “X” naming scheme with the XS, XS Max, and XR. This year, it was back to numerics, with the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The Pro moniker may sound like a bold departure, but the structure of Apple’s lineup follows last year’s established pattern of a slightly cheaper model and two different-sized flagships.
Sep 11, 2019
Every iPad wants to be a Surface now
“Netbooks aren’t better at anything,” joked Steve Jobs when he stood on stage nearly 10 years ago to introduce the first iPad. Apple’s original vision for its tablet was for a new category of device that was focused on browsing, email, photos, video, music, games, and ebooks. “If there’s going to be a third category of device it’s going to have to be better at these kinds of tasks than a laptop or a smartphone, otherwise it has no reason for being,” said Jobs.
Read Article >It wasn’t a giant iPhone, nor was it a full laptop replacement. The iPad has always been something in-between for nearly a decade, but now every iPad wants to be a Surface.
Sep 11, 2019
How to choose between the iPhone 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, and 11
As is its habit, Apple has introduced its new 2019 phones with an appropriately high-visibility event. And as happens every year, the question many people are asking is: which one should I get?
Read Article >One thing, at least, should be easier than in the past: telling which phone is which. Apple has tweaked its naming convention somewhat, so last year’s lower-priced (but popular) iPhone XR is making way for the more reasonably named iPhone 11. The iPhone XS and XS Max have, in their turn, been replaced by the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.
Sep 11, 2019
Apple is playing catch-up with the iPhone 11 camera
“Customers love iPhone because we focus on technologies that matter in their lives,” Apple’s Kaiann Drance said when introducing the iPhone 11 yesterday. If that’s the case, then Apple’s competitors have been doing the same thing for even longer when it comes to the camera. What might previously have been dismissed as gimmicks are now headline features for Apple.
Read Article >The two biggest additions to the iPhone 11 camera system, the ultrawide lens and night mode, are commonplace on Android phones. That’s not really relevant for most iPhone buyers, who just want a phone that runs iOS and will enjoy the new capabilities. But since it’s impossible to know whether Apple has caught up to competitors in the area that matters most — basic image quality — the camera section of the presentation felt a little flat.
Sep 10, 2019
Apple Watch Studio lets you make the Apple Watch of your dreams
Today, coinciding with the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 5, Apple has launched Apple Watch Studio, a way to mix and match Watch casings and Watch straps to order the exact Apple Watch Series 5 that you want. It’s available right now on Apple’s website and in the Apple Store App, and will be coming to Apple’s retail stores in the future.
Read Article >Previously, Apple only let you customize your Watch by picking from Apple-selected sets of casings and straps, and by buying individual straps to add afterwards. Apple did offer a lot of different casing/strap combos, but if you wanted, say, the stainless steel watch with a link bracelet, you would have had to buy them separately. With Apple Watch Studio, you don’t have to buy anything extra.