Top Stories

This week’s top stories: Apple event recap, iOS 14 features, Apple Watch Series 6, and more

Chance Miller | Sep 20 2020 - 6:40 am PT

In this week’s top stories: Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE announcement, new iPad Air, iOS 14 released to everyone, and more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

Apple this week officially held its September “Time Flies” event. During the virtual event, the company announced new Apple Watch hardware, new iPad hardware, and more details about its fall software releases.

Apple Watch announcements

For the Apple Watch Series 6, one of the tentpole features is the addition of a new Blood Oxygen sensor. On the Apple Watch itself, there is a new Blood Oxygen sensor, which works through a new Blood Oxygen app in watchOS as well. In terms of performance, the Apple Watch Series 6 is powered by Apple’s newest S6 processor, which is up to 20% faster than the Series 5. Apple says that the Apple Watch Series 6 features the same 18-hour battery life as before.

The new Apple Watch is available to order now and it starts at $399.

Apple also unveiled the all-new Apple Watch SE, which sits at $279 as a lower-cost alternative to the Series 6. The Apple Watch SE does not feature an always-on display, nor does it support ECG or blood oxygen features, but there is support for fall detection and Emergency SOS. It features the same physical design as the Series 4.

Interestingly, the Series 3 is still available in Apple’s lineup for $199. This means the Apple Watch lineup starts at $199 for the Series 3, $279 for the Apple Watch SE, and $399 for the Apple Watch Series 5.

iPad updates

For the iPad lineup, Apple had two announcements this week: a more powerful 8th generation iPad and an all-new iPad Air.

The new iPad Air features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with P3 wide color, True Tone, and a laminate coating. Touch ID is located in the power button, so while it is similar to the iPad Pro in terms of design, you do miss out on Face ID. The new iPad Air also features a “huge leap in performance” thanks to the newest A14 Bionic processor. You can learn more about the iPad lineup in our full comparison right here.

Services

Apple continued its focus on the Apple Watch and fitness with the introduction of its newest subscription service, Apple Fitness+. Apple Fitness+ will integrate with the Apple Watch and the Fitness app on the iPhone. Fitness+ costs $9.99 per month, or $79.99 per year.

Users can watch fitness classes hosted by Apple, with health workout metrics shown over the top of the video, synced from Apple Watch. The data can then be automatically saved to the Health app. Apple Fitness+ classes can be viewed on iPhone through the Fitness app, or through an all-new fitness app on iPad and Apple TV. Fitness+ will debut before the end of the year.

Alongside the introduction of Apple Fitness+, Apple also introduced its long-awaited bundle of Services, branded as Apple One.

Apple One starts at $15 per month for Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and 50 GB of iCloud storage for individuals. The Family version of the plan will run $20 per month with 200GB of storage. For $30 per month, you can upgrade to the Premiere Apple One bundle, which includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, 2TB of iCloud storage, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+.

The Apple One bundle will be available later this fall.

iOS 14 release

Finally, Apple this week released its latest round of software updates to the general public.

One of the leading features of iOS 14 is the ability to add widgets to your Home screen for the first time. This includes widgets for official Apple applications, such as Music, Calendar, and Fitness, as well as widgets for third-party applications. We have a full roundup of countless third-party widgets for iOS 14 at the link in the show notes below.

watchOS 7 includes a variety of new features, such as support for sleep tracking capabilities, the ability to share watch faces with other people, and new built-in watch faces to choose from. watchOS 7 also enables Family Setup to let parents pair a new Apple Watch on their own iPhones instead of using another device. Apple has also made improvements to Siri, Maps, and even included handwashing detection.

Elsewhere, tvOS 14 imposed integration with accessories like cameras and smart doorbells, support for 4K videos in YouTube for the first time, improved multi-user and Picture-in-Picture video across the system.

And finally, iPadOS 14 also includes support for new widgets, though you can’t add them to the home screen itself. Instead, iPadOS 14 widgets can only be added to the Today view. Other iPadOS 14 enhancements include a new sidebar design, Apple Pencil improvements, and much more.

These and the rest of this week’s top stories below.

iOS 14 |

iPhone |

Apple Watch |

iPad |

Mac

Safari 14 is now available as a standalone update for macOS Catalina and Mojave users

Apps |

Apple TV |

Apple Services

Subscribe to 9to5Mac’s YouTube channel for more videos.

This week’s top videos |

Hands-on: iOS 14.2 beta 1 changes and features [Video]

9to5Mac Daily |

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by DEVONthink: Manage your documents the smart way on Mac and iOS. Get 10% off with code 9to5mac-2020.

iPhone 18 and Apple display rumors – 9to5Mac Daily

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Stuff: Stuff helps you get everything out of your head and into a simple, elegant system—closing open loops and reducing mental stress. Use code 9TO5 at checkout for 50% off your first year. New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as they’re available. Stories discussed in this episode: Verizon will give you $20 credit for mass outage, here’s how to get it New Apple external display appears in regulatory filing Leaker details iPhone 18 lineup screen sizes, Dynamic Island plans Apple will pay billions for Gemini after OpenAI declined Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast RSS Spotify TuneIn Google Podcasts Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock: Ad-free versions of every episode Bonus content Catch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes! Don’t miss out on our other daily podcasts: Quick Charge 9to5Toys Daily Share your thoughts! Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.

9to5Mac Watch Time |

Jeff Benjamin joins Zac Hall to give Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 5 an exit interview before new models are announced. 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives.

Sponsored by Pillow: Pillow is an all-in-one sleep tracking solution to help you get a better night’s sleep. Download it from the App Store today.

Sponsored by Fantastical Premium by Flexibits: Go to flexibits.com/watchtime to save 20% off your first year!

Week 6 – 9to5Mac Watch Time

This week on Watch Time join 9to5Mac's Zac Hall and Tempo developer Rahul Matta in the final episode of this podcast "season". 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives. Subscribe now to catch up with each episode and automatically hear new episodes as soon as they’re released every two weeks: 🟣 Apple Podcasts | 🟠 Overcast | 🟢 Spotify Follow Zac Instagram @apollozac Twitter @apollozac SpaceExplored.com Follow Rahul Matta Twitter @rmatta Twitter @TempoLog Blog indie.sh Follow 9to5Mac Instagram @9to5mac Twitter @9to5mac Facebook YouTube.com/9to5Mac Listen & Subscribe Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast RSS Read More Toning down the Apple Watch: Tips and feature requests to avoid being overwhelmed Apple releases watchOS 7.4.1 with security improvements Apple Watch blood sugar and blood pressure measurement could be a step closer watchOS 7.4 brings iPhone mask unlock feature for Apple Watch Enjoy the podcast? Shop Apple at Amazon to support 9to5Mac Watch Time!

9to5Mac Happy Hour Podcast |

9to5Mac Happy Hour is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Sun Basket: Save $35 off your order when you go to sunbasket.com/happyhour and use promo code happyhour.

Sponsored by Pillow: Pillow is an all-in-one sleep tracking solution to help you get a better night’s sleep. Download it from the App Store today.

Sponsored by LinkedIn Jobs: Go to LinkedIn.com/HAPPYHOUR and get $50 OFF toward your first job post!

Sponsored by DEVONthink: Manage your documents the smart way on Mac and iOS. Get 10% off with code 9to5mac-2020

Gemini Siri deal official, Apple Creator Studio, Vision Pro basketball – 9to5Mac Happy Hour

Benjamin and Chance discuss the implications for Siri and the wider Apple ecosystem now that the Gemini deal is officially signed, and guess when we’ll start seeing the first new features ship. Also, they weigh up the appeal of the new Apple Creator Studio bundle, and Chance got to watch basketball courtside through his Vision Pro. And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo discuss the dependability of iCloud as a backup of your data, and what other backup strategies they recommend to use. Join now and save 26% on annual plans with code HAPPY26. Sponsored by Copilot Money: The personal finance app to make your money yours. Until January 20, get 26% off your first year at try.copilot.money/9to5mac. Sponsored by Stamps.com: Send from your computer or phone 24/7. Try Stamps.com risk-free for sixty days with code happyhour. Sponsored by 1Password: Take the first step to better security by securing your team’s credentials. Find out more at 1password.com/happyhour and start securing every login. Hosts Chance Miller @ChanceHMiller on Twitter @ChanceHMiller on Instagram @ChanceHMiller on Threads Benjamin Mayo @bzamayo on Twitter @bzamayo@mastodon.social @bzamayo on Threads Subscribe, Rate, and Review Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus Subscribe to 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes: Ad-free versions of every episode Pre- and post-show content Bonus episodes Join for $5 per month or $50 a year at 9to5mac.com/join. Join now and save 26% on annual plans with code HAPPY26 until February 1. Feedback Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or Threads Email us feedback and questions to happyhour@9to5mac.com Links Apple confirms Google's Gemini will power new Siri features Apple to fine-tune Gemini independently, no Google branding on Siri, more Apple will pay billions for Gemini after OpenAI declined Will Apple-Google AI deal impact user privacy? Here’s what Apple says Eddy Cue touts ‘record-breaking year’ for Apple services, including TV, Music, more Apple debuts 'Apple Creator Studio' subscription, here's what you get Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and Freeform becoming freemium apps Apple announces Pixelmator Pro is coming to iPad Apple Creator Studio Icon History What it’s like to watch an NBA game courtside in Apple Vision Pro Apple gift card safety questioned after terrifying account lockout

Stacktrace Podcast |

Stacktrace by 9to5Mac is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by DEVONthink: Manage your documents the smart way on Mac and iOS. Get 10% off with code 9to5mac-2020.

Stacktrace has moved! – Stacktrace

As we've mentioned in the last episode, the Stacktrace podcast is no longer a part of the 9to5Mac network. If you're seeing this entry in your podcast player, then you probably need to unfollow Stacktrace and follow the podcast again. Start by unfollowing the show in your podcast player, then just search for "Stacktrace" and follow the show again. You'll notice that the updated show has a new artwork and that episode 179 has already been released there. To learn more about how to listen to Stacktrace, check out our new website. Thanks for listening!

Apple @ Work Podcast |

Apple @ Work by 9to5Mac is available on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and via RSS for other podcast players.

Assesing the most exciting features for IT with Apple's recent software ugprades – Apple @ Work

Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple. In this episode of Apple @ Work, Weldon Dodd joins the show to talk about Kandji becoming Iru, what he's looking forward to this year from Apple, and our "dream" features for IT admins from Apple. Links Download the report Listen and subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Pocket Casts Castro RSS Listen to Past Episodes