The first big iPhone and iPad update of 2017 has finally arrived.
Apple finally released iOS 10.3 to the public today after months of beta testing the new software. iOS 10.3 can be downloaded now as an over-the-air update, or installed via iTunes. iPhone and iPad owners can expect a rash of new features that not only make iPhone and iPad easier to use, but also more secure.
Here’s everything that’s new:
Mazda has confirmed that it is bringing Apple’s CarPlay platform (and Android Auto) to new and existing vehicles.
The Japanese company made the announcement during its launch for the redesigned 2017 CX-5, but it is yet to confirm which vehicle will offer CarPlay first.
Three new beta software updates have been seeded to developers by Apple today, adding a bunch of bug fixes and performance improvements to Apple’s platforms.
The new builds come one day after Apple seeded a new build of macOS 10.12.4 to developers. The fifth beta builds of iOS 10.3, tvOS 10.2 and watchOS 3.2 can be downloaded by registered developers directly from the Apple’s dev portal.
Registered Apple developers received some new beta software from Apple today with the release of macOS 10.12.4 beta 5.
The new beta comes one week after Apple released macOS 10.12.4 beta 5, bringing a number of new bug fixes and performance improvements to the Mac.
The second beta of iOS 10.3 is now available for download. Apple seeded the new software update to developers this morning, alongside watchOS 3.2 beta 2 and tvOS 10.2 beta 2.
All three updates contain under-the-hood improvements as well as new features, including Theater Mode for Apple Watch, Find My AirPods and some UI tweaks for Apple TV.
Apple gave developers their first look at the next big update for iOS 10 yesterday, and it packs a surprising number of new features.
The public will have to wait a few weeks (or months) to get their hands on the new goodies packed inside iOS 10.3, which brings improvements for AirPods, iPads and more.
Here are all the new additions coming soon to iOS devices near you.
CarPlay hasn’t taken off quite as quickly as Apple hoped for, but if you’re in the market for a brand-new BMW, you can finally get Apple’s car infotainment system on pretty much any new model.
But it’ll cost you.
Ford today confirmed plans to put CarPlay and Android Auto into all of its 2017 cars, SUVs, electric vehicles, and light trucks. The platforms will become part of the company’s own Sync 3 system, allowing drivers to connect their iPhone or Android device.
Kia is offering free CarPlay or Android Auto upgrades for some of its latest vehicles, allowing drivers to get their hands on the smartest in-car platforms. Cars equipped with the AVN 4.0 navigation system or the UVO3 dash interface are eligible.
With all the recent rumors that Apple will build an electric car within the next few years, obviously Cupertino is going to be compared to the big electric car company of the moment, Tesla Motors.
Tesla sold more than 50,000 model S sedans in 2015, so I’m taking a look at four Apple Car lessons that Tim Cook and Jony Ive should learn from Tesla.
Check out the video below.
Hyundai car owners can now get Apple’s CarPlay technology on their dashboard thanks to a new Do-It-Yourself update that has been made available for 2015, 2016, and 2017 car models.
The free update doesn’t even require a trip to the dealer to be installed, and if you want Android Auto, the software can add that too.
Evolution, not revolution, was the tone of today’s low-key Apple event. Smaller is better, says Apple, with two big product “reveals” that show off compact new devices with impressive internals.
While most of the announcements today have already been discussed and dissected, like the 4-inch iPhone SE, new Apple Watch bands and a smaller 9.7-inch iPad Pro, there were a couple of surprises.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Apple’s oddly low-key “Let us loop you in” event.
Apple’s finally getting specific about how well adoption of its CarPlay protocol is going.
A list appeared on the company’s website today confirming that over half of the manufacturers it has partnered with have announced specific models of vehicles that will receive the functionality.
If you’re wondering which cars have CarPlay, you have over a hundred to choose from. Here’s what we know so far.
Apple released the developer beta for iOS 9.3 today. To the surprise of many, it actually includes quite a few brand new and useful features whether you’re in the classroom or trying to sleep — or both. There are so many new features that we can actually dedicate an entire post to explaining all of them. So here we are doing exactly that.
Note that since today marks iOS 9.3’s release only for developers, it might be a while before the rest of us see the final version show up in the Settings app. But without further ado, here is everything you can look forward to in iOS 9.3.
Volkswagen is the first car maker to offer wireless CarPlay, but Apple doesn’t want them to show you how cool it is.
This isn’t a new feature; if you have an iPhone running iOS 9, it’s in there. But all CarPlay-compatible vehicles currently available go the wired route, making you plug your handset into your ride’s console to use the protocol. Volkswagen has managed to make the feature wireless, but Apple has forbidden the company from giving demos at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.
Ford has announced that both Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto are set to be available for all its 2017 vehicles equipped with SYNC 3, beginning with the new Ford Escape.
Ford owners with a second-generation Sync infotainment system can now get Apple’s Siri Eyes Free feature for iPhone on the car dashboard, thanks to a new Sync 3.8 update.
The second-gen Sync system is found on Ford vehicles made since 2011 and earlier, but the company is just now making Siri Eyes Free available on its vehicles, even though Apple rolled out the feature with iOS 6 back in 2012.
Apple’s “We don’t want to know” non-snooping data protection policy may not be making it too many friends in government, but it’s certainly won over Porsche.
According to a new report, Porsche opted to go with Apple’s CarPlay platform over Google’s Android Auto for its new 911 Carrera and Carrera S models. The reason? The massive disparity in data the two companies demand.
We’ve all seen the adorably hilarious videos of kids making us feel old by responding with general bafflement to ancient technologies like, erm, the original iPod. But you’d hope for the good of our future that people of driving age are a little bit more educated than that.
Not according to a photo that’s currently going viral on Facebook, showing what’s claimed to be the work of a young driver who has mistaken the cassette deck in their car for an iPhone dock — with disastrous results.
Maybe your Apple Watch doesn’t always do its best work on your wrist. There are functions and situations that need rapt attention, making looking down at your wrist inconvenient, or even risky.
For those moments, the Apple accessory manufacturer Satechi has come up with an Apple Watch grip mount, ideal for bike and motorcycle handlebars, steering wheels and treadmills.
Instead of using Apple’s CarPlay infotainment system or Android Auto in its 2016 vehicles, Toyota has decided to use a company you’ve probably never heard of to provide navigation and phone connectivity.
Volkswagen is planning to put CarPlay in nearly all of its 2016 vehicles in the United States, thanks to its all-new MIB II infotainment system that will be available later this year.
CarPlay and Android Auto are Apple and Google’s first attempts to slowly invade the automobile, but finding a car that supports them hasn’t been easy the past year. If you’ve been curious what it’s like to drive around with either system, the folks at Consumer Reports put the two systems head-to-head during a morning drive to get coffee.
Each interface has its promises, but the report also highlights a lot of areas that need to be worked on — like how you can’t change your car’s FM radio while using Apple Maps. Unlike your car system though, CarPlay and Android Auto will probably be upgraded every year, giving you new features each year, just like your smartphone
Here’s what it’s like to ride with CarPlay and Android :
With the Worldwide Developers Conference less than a week away, we’ve already got a pretty good idea about what Apple will reveal at this year’s conference.
The company focuses on developer-related products at the conference, but there are plenty of goodies that normals will go crazy for too, like the bevy of improvements coming to iOS 9, a new Apple TV and maybe even a new music streaming service.
Here’s what to expect from WWDC 2015, which runs June 8 to 12 at Moscone Center in San Francisco. (Cult of Mac will be liveblogging the Apple keynote, which starts at 10 a.m. Pacific next Monday, so be sure to check back then for news and instant analysis.)
Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto are the two hottest options right now for car infotainment systems, but if you’re hoping that Ford will give you a pure CarPlay experience in one of their upcoming vehicles, you might as well keep on waiting for the mythical Apple Car.
Ford currently supports both CarPlay and Android in a limited capacity, but for now its CEO says the company will only allow the two systems to serve as secondary interfaces to its primary navigation system, SYNC.
