Apple Watch

Apple is preparing to make significant changes to its stores to simplify the experience by relocating iPod stock to accessory shelves and removing iPad-based Smart Signs, according to several Apple Retail managers briefed today on the plans. Apple will begin rolling out these notable changes overnight on Tuesday of next week to stores in the United States so that customers who begin coming in on Wednesday see the refreshed look.

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Since the device was released, many concerns regarding appropriate and inappropriate times to use Apple Watch have come up, and here is yet another one. Major League Baseball gifted Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost an Apple Watch Sport for being the manager of the All Star Game last month, and now, MLB is telling Yost that he can’t use the device during games and while in the dugout, but he can wear it.

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Respected developer Hamza Sood, who earlier this month helped us discover hints at an upcoming more powerful iPad mini, today has shared his latest tweak: the ability to use custom watch faces on Apple Watch. Sood posted a video to Twitter, which can be seen below, showing two custom watch faces running on his stainless steel Apple Watch.

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“Bigger and better” has been a safe sequel strategy for years, but “smaller, lighter, and slightly more affordable” sequels began to take off when Apple debuted the iPod mini and iPod nano a decade ago. Anker relied upon “bigger and better” for its insanely powerful 25,600mAh Astro E7 battery, and now is using “smaller and lighter” with PowerCore 20100 ($40), a sequel with nearly 80% of Astro E7’s power. But Anker’s diverging from Apple’s formula on one key point: PowerCore 20100 sells for only 50% of Astro E7’s price. It’s still capable of recharging many iPads twice, which is more than enough portable energy for most people. Given its more manageable size and excellent price point, it’s likely to be an even bigger hit than its predecessor.

Anker has also released a “you’ll never need another USB charging port again” solution called PowerPort 10 ($40, shown above). PowerPort 10 steps up from Anker’s excellent 60W 6-Port USB Charger (reviewed here), which was recently renamed PowerPort 6. For only $4 more than PowerPort 6, PowerPort 10 gives you 4 additional USB ports for charging. Ten ports is enough for a family full of iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch users to simultaneously recharge all their devices. The only hitch: PowerPort 10 has the same 60W power output as PowerPort 6, the details of which I’ll explain further in the review below…

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Cash, the iPhone app that lets you easily send money from your bank account to anyone with email or text messages or even just nearby with a smartphone, is out with a new version today that puts Square’s cashing sending app right on the Apple Watch. Square Cash highlights three uses for its first Apple Watch app:
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A new survey of Apple Watch owners by Wristly found that 80% of those in the US and UK have already used Apple Pay, and suggests that this number could eventually hit 95%. The survey was limited to the two countries where Apple Pay is currently available.

The firm found that only 19% of Watch owners hadn’t yet tried Apple Pay, and of those only a quarter of them either had concerns or saw no benefits, suggesting that the rest were likely to try it at some later point.

The data also found that owning an Apple Watch dramatically increased the chances of using Apple Pay … 
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Just over four months since the Apple Watch began its Apple Retail Store debut for try-ons, Apple has started to tweak the process this week, according to Apple Retail employees. Until this week, a customer who walked into an Apple Store seeking to try on Apple Watch was required to make an appointment and provide details such as their name and Apple ID to an Apple Store employees.

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Apple plans to hold one of its annual fall media events on Wednesday, September 9th to introduce the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus with Force Touch, and after many fits and starts, it appears that the long-awaited next-generation Apple TV will also be unveiled. We’ve been reporting on this upcoming model since 2014, as Apple has been planning to update its set-top-box with support for an App Store for quite some time.

Earlier this year, Apple had locked in a June WWDC debut for both the new Apple TV hardware and software upgrades, but the company ultimately decided to delay the introduction until the fall. While some had speculated that the announcement was pushed back due to a lack of content deals, we are told that the delay was internally attributed to a concern over compromising iOS 9 engineering resources, as the latest OS release is focused at least as much on polish as on new features.

Why would the new Apple TV potentially take away resources from iOS 9? According to sources, this new Apple TV model, codenamed J34, will be the first model to run a full-blown iOS core. Specifically, the new Apple TV operating system will be a TV-optimized version of iOS 9. In addition to the new hardware inside, running iOS 9 will give the new Apple TV a series of benefits over the current model. Below, we explore what users can expect from Apple’s next-generation living room product.

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iHome has spent years building a reputation for thoughtfully designed, value-packed Apple audio accessories. Beyond its annual releases of ever-improving speaker systems, it was the very first company to release an iPod alarm clock, and a day-one supporter of Apple’s AirPlay speaker standard. No audio company has focused as much on the practical needs of iPod, iPhone, and iPad users as iHome. And when it innovates, it always comes up with something cool.

Kineta K1 ($150) and Kineta K2 ($100) are iHome’s latest innovations: Bluetooth speakers with beautiful built-in battery charging docks and detachable USB battery packs. K2 is a nightstand- or desktop-friendly alarm clock radio with a large screen, stereo speakers, and speakerphone support for the iPhone. K1 is a completely portable stereo speaker with 13 hours of play time and speakerphone support. Each comes with iHome’s new K-CELL, a tube-shaped 2,600mAh battery that locks in place until you’re ready to go, then easily hides in your pocket or bag to refuel your iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Apple Watch anywhere.

Both Kinetas efficiently address two simple facts: Apple’s devices sound better through speakers and need extra power on-the-go. Read on for details on how they each combine two useful accessories into a single great package; you’ll also find a special discount inside!…

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It appears that the expansion of Apple Pay into Australia could be farther off than some had hoped. According to a report today from The Sydney Morning Herald, Apple is in negotiations with at least four of the largest banks in Australia in order to form partnerships for Apple Pay in in the region. However, the report claims Apple is having issues in negotiations centered around the fees it collects from the currently supported Apple Pay markets of the United States and United Kingdom.

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Apple and Best Buy have agreed to begin selling both the standard AppleCare protection plan for Macs and the more premium AppleCare+ for iPhones, iPads, and the Apple Watch through Best Buy stores, according to sources. The plans call for Best Buy to begin offering the AppleCare plans in its stores at checkout around the week of September 14th, just ahead of the iPhone 6S launch. This will mark a notable expansion of the Apple and Best Buy relationship, and Best Buy will become one of the only retailers, aside from select U.S. carriers, to offer AppleCare outside of an Apple Store.

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Apple today added two new accessories for Apple Watch that will make the wearable fit wrists as large as 245mm. The first accessory, simply called Link Bracelet Kit, costs $49 from Apple and includes six additional links to expand the Link Bracelet to fit wrists as large as 245mm. Apple also today introduced a new Sport band size in L/XL that also fits up to 245mm wrists. Previously, the Sport band only extended to 210mm.

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As regular readers will know, it took a little while for the Apple Watch to really grow on me. But even back when I wasn’t convinced I needed a smartwatch, I still had to admire the design. And the Digital Crown was a large part of how Apple got the smartwatch right when others hadn’t yet cracked it. A fundamental problem with a small touchscreen is that touching it covers up much of the content. The Digital Crown overcomes that, allowing us to scroll content without our thumb getting in the way.

But while today’s iPhone screens may be larger than they used to be, they are still pretty small in the scheme of things. Scrolling with a thumb still covers up a chunk of the content. Worse, it’s easy to accidentally tap on targets accidentally including ads. There have been numerous occasions since using Apple Watch when my thumb started absent-mindedly reaching for the non-existent Digital Crown on my iPhone … 
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Spigen already created one of the most minimal and affordable Apple Watch charging stands with the Apple Watch Stand S330 — a design that fits right in next to an iMac, and works with both open and closed bands. But then Apple announced watchOS 2 and Nightstand Mode, which will will turn the Apple Watch into a proper alarm clock during charging, but only when it’s positioned on its side with the Digital Crown and side button facing up. Spigen’s new Apple Watch Night Stand S350 ($20) offers an even more minimal design with Nightstand Mode support, and an especially budget-friendly price. Check out my impressions below…

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Every time Apple is expected to release an S-series iPhone — the 3GS, the 4S, the 5s, and now the 6S — pundits rush to discount the value of each anticipated new feature, claiming that it won’t be enough to boost iPhone sales. Yet historically, every prediction of iPhone sales peaks or declines has been wrong: each iPhone, whether a big “tick” or small “tock” on Apple’s upgrade schedule, has outsold its predecessors. Even without form factor or screen changes, speed sold the iPhone 3GS, Siri boosted the 4S, and Touch ID and camera improvements helped the 5s. (In S years, improved distribution, new color options, and price and capacity tweaks have made a big difference, too.)

This week, analysts and pundits have co-opted my colleague Mark Gurman’s scoop that Force Touch on the iPhone 6S will be used for shortcuts across iOS, suggesting that Force Touch isn’t going to be exciting enough to make people upgrade. That’s true, but also so obvious as to be ridiculous: Apple certainly won’t pitch a pressure-sensitive screen as the iPhone 6S’s marquee new feature. Force Touch debuted in the Apple Watch, but it’s not even mentioned on the first Apple Watch page on Apple.com, instead showing up in the fifth paragraph of the “Technology” page. It’s similarly found only paragraphs down on the page of the 12″ MacBook where it made its Mac debut.

With the notable exception of the iPad mini 3, Apple never releases new devices with only one new feature to hook customers. Even a month before it’s announced, it’s a virtual certainty that the iPhone 6S will arrive with camera improvements and faster processors, most likely a new color option, and Force Touch as one of many small but nice additions. So long as Apple gets distribution and international pricing right, the iPhone 6S is going to do just fine…

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While Force Touch on the Apple Watch allowed Apple to add an additional layer of buttons to a small display, the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus screens don’t lack for either real estate or buttons. So why would Force Touch be desirable on larger displays? Following up on our May report that Force Touch is coming to Apple’s next iPhones, sources who have used the iPhone 6S have provided new details on how Force Touch works and feels under iOS.

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Following last week’s leak of a substantially complete iPhone 6S display assembly, another screen has slipped out into the wild, where it has been placed alongside and compared against the same part from the iPhone 6 (shown above at left). European part and accessory vendor MacManiack shared this image, the photos in the gallery below, and a YouTube video contrasting the components.

While very few differences between the components are worth noting, the iPhone 6S part again appears to have a place for the much-rumored Force Touch/haptic feedback component introduced in the Apple Watch. MacManiack claims that at least part of the “Touch ID home button is integrated in the LCD and digitizer connector,” and points out that the connectors are different on the parts. Two galleries showing the parts in much greater detail follow…

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Early in the life of the Apple Watch, offering a single, nicely-designed stand was enough for most developers; our guide to the best Apple Watch Stands compiles many such options. Just Mobile’s first entry was the aluminum, tube-shaped TimeStand, which I reviewed last month, and now the company’s back with a second and entirely different stand called the Lounge Dock ($40). Lounge Dock addresses TimeStand’s most conspicuous omission, adding support for watchOS 2.0’s upcoming Nightstand Mode, while adapting Just Mobile’s classic iPhone and iPod stand Lounge for a smaller Apple device.

Unlike TimeStand, which machined a single piece of aluminum into a tube-like stand, Lounge Dock is a multi-piece design connecting a silver metal base to a silver metal arm and a black plastic Apple Watch holder. Just Mobile’s primary pitch is that the plastic holder pivots, letting you adjust the Apple Watch’s screen angle for easier viewing while charging. If that’s appealing to you, or you want to use your Apple Watch as a small bedside clock with Nightstand Mode, you might like this new design…

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While I wasn’t immediately convinced of the need to ever hide a beautiful Apple Watch under an arguably unattractive protective case, seeing my wife’s experience accidentally damaging the sapphire display solidified my spot in Apple Watch Case Camp in some contexts.

Because Apple Watch materials — aluminum, stainless steel, gold, Ion-X glass, and sapphire glass — are strong but not entirely resistant to scuffs, scratches, shatters, and all the same ailments that strike our iPhones in normal use, it makes sense that accessory makers want to apply the same formula used to produce iPhone cases when making protective solutions for Apple Watch.

But Apple Watch has to look good, so does porting that same formula actually work? That’s the question I’ll tackle with my hands-on experience with Speck’s $29 CandyShell Fit hard shell case for Apple Watch.

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