Benjamin Mayo

iOS 10 includes a lot of new stuff, from a revamped Messages app to a redesigned Apple Music experience. While most of it is superior to iOS 9, there are some choices that are more questionable. iOS 10 updates the lock screen with a new widgets view, but it also removes the iconic Slide to Unlock feature.

Unlocking an iPhone now requires a physical press on the Home Button by default. However, there is a nifty setting to make the iPhone act more like iOS 9 if you have Touch ID, called “Rest Finger to Open”. This trick works with any iPhone or iPad that has a Touch ID Home button …

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The iPhone 7 goes on sale this Friday, September 16. Apple is starting up its marketing machine ahead of the launch of the new phone with a teaser TV commercial, embedded after the jump. The ad is atmospheric, featuring vague disparate shots of lightning bolts, owls and deer … as well as some subtle imagery of the phone itself.

There are som quick shots of the iPhone 7 chassis behind rain drops, teasing its IPX7 waterproofing rating. The iPhone 7 Plus dual-camera system is also briefly visible. Watch the 30 second spot in full below …

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Update: Apple has released a statement saying that the following iOS 10 update issues should now be resolved:

We experienced a brief issue with the software update process, affecting a small number of users during the first hour of availability. The problem was quickly resolved and we apologize to those customers. Anyone who was affected should connect to iTunes to complete the update or contact AppleCare for help.

iOS 10 has just dropped but it seems like it is not smooth sailing for everyone. We have received many reports that users are finding their iPhone and iPad devices ‘bricked’ after attempting the over-the-air iOS 10 update. To restore, affected users must then plug their devices into iTunes on Mac or PC to restore the device.

Details are sparse at this time but the issue appears to be related to the fact that the OTA attempts to download iOS 10.0 and then iTunes updates to iOS 10.0.1. We are tracking the story and will update if we hear any more details about this issue.

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iOS 10 is now available to the public for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Most iOS 9 devices can update to iOS 9, but what benefits are there to running Software Update? A lot actually. Apple has redesigned many of the core apps like Music and News, added third-party app integration into Siri, automatic people and object tagging in Photos, a whole new Lock Screen and much more. They’ve also updated Messages with new animated bubble effects, stickers, iMessage apps, Digital Touch, handwriting input and new emoji features.

This just scratches the surface. There’s a lot of new stuff to explore — read our walkthrough of the best new features and enhancements in iOS 10 after the break …

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Apple has now released iOS 10 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to the public. The free update adds many new features to iOS including a new Messages app with enhanced emoji, stickers, Digital Touch and iMessage apps; third-party app integration with Siri voice queries; redesigned Music and Maps apps with a new visual style and simpler user interfaces; automatic face and object tagging in Photos and much more.

Read below to find out how to update (and if your device is compatible) then check out our walkthrough of everything new.

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Following a feature from Sports Illustrated earlier today which used the iPhone 7 Plus courtside at the NFL, ESPN has posted its own exclusive hands-on with the iPhone 7 Plus’ camera. They equipped professional photographer Landon Nordeman with an unreleased iPhone 7 Plus unit at the Tennis US Open. The results are stunning, showing off the new iPhone’s improved camera system.

We’ve included a few of the shots below…

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Apple deprecated what it called “ancient” technology yesterday, with the iPhone 7 lacking a 3.5mm headphone jack. The company is encouraging Bluetooth wireless headphones for audio playback (heralding its new AirPods) or using wired headphones via Lightning. However, with just one port, people who want to listen to music and charge their iPhone 7 at the same time are left with a conundrum.

Apple’s answer to this problem appears to be the $39-49 Lightning Dock which adds a 3.5mm headphone jack when docked.

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Even with the deluge of leaks that defines modern Apple reporting, Apple usually shows things at their event that I don’t anticipate or expect. This time, that didn’t really happen. Apple’s 2016 September event was straightforward because Apple’s announcements were straightforward and almost obvious.

The new iPhone 7 and Apple Watch 2 are good updates, adding features people wanted and improving things that already exist, don’t get me wrong. They are iterative, though. It is disappointing that both of Apple’s flagship hardware announcements look almost identical to their predecessors.

The updates Apple gave us this year are solid but nothing extraordinary. Nothing that compels me to preorder. I normally leave an Apple event unsatisfied with what I have, wanting the new thing and I really don’t feel that this time..

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Although the focus of today is on the iPhone 7 and the new Apple Watch, the company has refreshed its iPad lineup slightly. It is updating storage SKUs across all iPads to mirror the iPhone 7: with 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB tiers. This means all iPads have an effective price cut with further savings for the 9.7 inch and 12.9 inch iPad Pro.

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Apple has just dropped the iOS 10 GM seed for developers, including all the new features and changes that will be available to the public next week on September 13 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

The update weighs in at 1.7 GB. Apple calls it the biggest release of iOS ever.

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Apple has announced that macOS Sierra will be released to customers on September 20, as part of its media event currently going on. The update is (naturally) free and incorporates several new features, like Siri for Mac, Apple Pay for websites and more.

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Apple will release its latest iteration of the mobile operating system, iOS 10, next week for all. This means anyone with a compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch can upgrade for free to iOS 10 on September 13th. iOS 10 includes a revamped iMessage app with things like stickers and new emoji features, Siri SDK for third-party integration with the personal voice assistant, redesigned Maps app, Faces and object tagging in Photos, and much more.

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Alongside AirPods, Apple has announced Beats will be launching a range of new headphones with wireless Solo3 and wireless Powerbeats 3. They are also launching a new range called BeatsX, which is a cheaper collection that uses cables. All three use the Apple W1 chip for audio output.

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As part of the iPhone 7 event, Apple has announced brand new truly wireless AirPods, premium wireless headphones that work in concert with the iPhone 7. The AirPods are independent separate earbuds, that have sensors in the buds to know when they are actually inside your ear.

The AirPods automatically switch between output to your iPhone and Apple Watch, so its a seamless experience to listen to music across all your devices. The AirPods cost $159 and will be available in late October.

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Apple has announced that Super Mario is coming to the iPhone, as part of its iPhone 7 event. The company brought Shigeru Minamoto on stage to announce Apple bringing Nintendo’s top franchise to the iPhone.

Get the new Mario game app later this year in December, but you can go to the App Store today and get it to “Notify” you when the app launches. The game will have some free trial content and one in-app purchase to unlock everything.

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Apple will be announcing the iPhone 7 for real in just a few hours, but if you are itching for the latest, we have one set of purported new iPhone images for you before Apple’s event at 10 AM PT. The photos apparently show a working 4.7 inch iPhone 7 unit in high resolution.

The pictures feature close-up looks at the new larger camera, 4-LED camera flash, redesigned rubber gasket SIM tray and a shot of the new ‘dark black’ iPhone 7 color variant. More photos after the jump …

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As is typical with an Apple keynote day, the company has halted business from the Apple Online Store with its usual “Please check back soon” message. Apple takes down its website to build hype for imminent product launches. At 10 AM PST, Apple will kickoff its fall media event where it is expected to unveil its new iPhone 7 and a second-generation Apple Watch.

The site says: ‘We’ve got something special in store for you. And we can’t wait for you to see it’.

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A poster on a Vietnamese Apple website is claiming to have used a working iPhone 7 unit, ahead of the device’s official unveiling on Wednesday at Apple’s press media event. The writer shares his experience handling Apple’s iPhone 7 (not the Plus model) and most of what he says mirrors previous reports. Apply some skepticism here though: there are no photos for evidence.

There are few new alleged tidbits amongst the usual discussion of an iPhone 6s-esque design. One standout claim is that the iPhone 7 can record 4K video at 60 frames per second. This is up from 4k @ 30 fps on the current iPhone 6s and is a significant upgrade as no phone on the market today can do this …

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We have seen an alleged screenshot of a GeekBench report before for the iPhone 7 but that one turned out to be fake. Ahead of the official unveiling on Wednesday, another set of purported GeekBench results for iPhone 7 has surfaced although this one is a bit more convincing.

The results suggest a significant performance boost associated with the new Apple A10 chip in the iPhone 7, with a headline score of 3379 for single-core and 5495 for multi-core. This is about 35% higher than what a typical iPhone 6s unit reports.

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