Alongside the iPhone 13, Apple has revealed several new accessories for its flagship smartphone line, including a refreshed line of cases and a new Leather Wallet with MagSafe accessory that’s compatible with its ‘Find My’ app.
This means that if you accidentally lose the magnetic wallet attachment — which can happen given it’s only stuck to the back of the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 — iOS’ Find My app will be able to find its location, just like Apple’s Bluetooth tracking AirTags accessory.
However, the MagSafe Leather Wallet can only notify users about its last known location following being separated from the iPhone rather than real-time tracking. Strangely, the fine print of the accessory notes that Find My functionality doesn’t work with the Clear Case with MagSafe, indicating that the case likely blocks the connection with the iPhone.
Like most Apple accessories, the iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe is somewhat expensive at $79. Colours include ‘Golden Brown,’ ‘Dark Cherry,’ ‘Sequoia Green,’ ‘Midnight’ and ‘Wisteria.’
After more than four years on the market, the Nintendo Switch is finally getting Bluetooth audio support.
On Twitter, Nintendo of America confirmed that a new system update (version 13.0.0) has rolled out with adds the ability to pair Bluetooth audio devices to your Switch. This means that you can now use any of your favourite Bluetooth headphones, like Apple’s AirPods.
The latest #NintendoSwitch update is now available, including the ability to pair Bluetooth devices for audio output.
Until now, the Switch has only supported wired headphones.
To pair Bluetooth headphones, go to the Switch’s Home menu, open ‘System Settings’ and scroll down to the new ‘Bluetooth Audio’ section. From here, select ‘Pair’ to search for any Bluetooth audio devices in range.
Other additions in version 13.0.0 include an ‘Update Dock’ option in System Settings to allow for Switch docks to be updated via LAN port and the ability to maintain an internet connection while the Switch is in Sleep Mode.
Bell’s pure fibre internet service is now available to residents and businesses in New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula.
The carrier announced on September 14th that it was expanding its high-speed broadband offerings in the communities of Lamèque, Miscou Centre, Saint-Raphäel-sur-Mer, Haut-Shippagan, Le Goulet, and Pigeon Hill.
On the same day, Bell also announced that 10,000 locations in Oshawa, Ontario, would also be gaining access to the carrier’s fibre internet service.
Both expansions are part of a national capital investment of $1.7 billion from Bell, aimed at accelerating the company’s rollout of broadband fibre across the country over the next two years.
Shortly after Apple’s iPhone 13 reveal event, the tech giant confirmed that iPhone users can expect the release of iOS 15 on September 20th.
iOS 15 includes a new ‘Focus Mode,’ a refreshed Safari design and a subtle revamp to how notifications work. iPad users will also receive the same updates with iPadOS 15, plus they can now move Widgets anywhere on the Home Screen and access quick notes with an Apple Pencil. iPad users can also take advantage of the App Library that debuted on the iPhone last year with iPadOS 15.
However, features like SharePlay and the new ProRes Video file type won’t be part of the first iOS 15 update and will release later. The company released the ProRaw photo file type last fall a few months after the release of iOS 14.
You can read more about iOS 15 here, iPadOS 15 here, and you can see a full list of what devices are compatible with the new software here.
For example, while both the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max measure in at the same size as last year, 6.1-inches and 6.7-inches, respectively, they now feature 120Hz refresh rate displays.
This year’s Pro and Pro Max colours include ‘Graphite,’ ‘Gold,’ ‘Silver,’ and the new aqua blue-like ‘Sierra Blue.’
Furthermore, the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 look similar to their predecessors, including the squared-off sides, a visible notch on the display, and a sizable camera bump. Both smartphones also still come in at 5.4-inches and 6.1-inches, respectively.
Colours for the iPhone 13 include ‘Pink,’ ‘Blue,’ ‘Starlight,’ ‘Midnight’ and ‘(Product)Red.’
Additionally, Apple has added a ‘Cinematic Mode’ video mode that utilizes AI to recognize when a person enters the frame or when your subject is facing the camera and blurs and focuses the background accordingly.
Overall, unlike last year, the iPhone 13 series is a relatively expected update to Apple’s smartphone line. With that in mind are you planning to buy an iPhone 13?
The Xbox app on Windows 10 now allows you to stream games from either your home console or via the cloud.
PC game streaming had been in beta for the past several weeks but is now rolling out officially to everyone. However, this is the first time that Microsoft is making Remote Play on PC available for Xbox Series X/S.
In order to stream, you’ll need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which costs $16.99 CAD/month, as well as a compatible controller. You’ll then find a ‘cloud gaming’ option in the Xbox app which will let you stream hundreds of Game Pass titles.
For more on Game Pass, find out what’s coming to the service later this month.
Instead of 12 or 24-month payment plans, bringing the cost of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, for example, down to $65.54 per month, now the only payment term option is six months.
This drastically increases the monthly cost and makes financing the iPhone 13 series far more pricey. For example, the iPhone 13 Pro costs $233.16 per month on a six-month repayment plan, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max costs $258 on a six-month repayment plan. Apple’s iPads, including the new iPad mini and entry-level iPad, are also only available on six-month payment plans.
On the Mac side of things, 12 monthly payments are still an option.
Paybright by Affirm remains the provider of Apple’s payment plans, so it’s unclear why the company opted for this change. It’s worth noting that previous monthly payments on a 24-month plan were more in line with what Canadian carriers typically charge to finance devices through plans.
All payment plans are available with zero percent APR “on approved credit for iPhone purchases over $99, and iPad and Mac purchases over $199,” according to the fine print. It’s likely that Apple’s zero percent APR option is only available for a “limited time.”
The phones being discontinued isn’t exactly surprising, given that Apple regularly does this when it introduces new models, particularly the Pro. The XR was also introduced in October 2018, so it’s nearly three years old at this point.
However, you can still order refurbished units of the 12 Pro and XR.
The iPhone 11, 12 and SE will continue to be sold, making them the lowest-cost options.
In other relevant news, check out our Canadian pricing breakdown of Apple’s recently revealed products. As well, stay tuned to MobileSyrup for more on these devices in the coming days.
Apple is releasing watchOS 8 on September 20th with new watch faces, workouts and the distraction reducing ‘Focus mode.’
You can learn more about the smartwatch system by reading our prior coverage, but the coolest update, in my opinion, is a new watch face that uses Portrait mode depth data to tuck the time slightly behind the subject in a photo.
If you get a new Apple Watch, you can also use a new on-screen keyboard with watchOS 8 to send messages with more accuracy and less hassle than people with smaller watches.
The new version of the software is set to work on Apple Watch Series 3 devices and newer.
You can read about the new Apple Watch Series 7 here and all of the other recent Apple news here.
Make sure to keep refreshing MobileSyrup over the next few days to stay on top of all the current Apple news.
Apple also started the presentation off with a musical performance of California Soul by Marlena Shaw, so if you want to really relive the event as you read this recap, check out the video below (you can thank our telecom reporter Alyssa Tremblay for digging the song up).
iPad mini — USB-C port that plugs into my heart
The iPad mini has been in a weird spot in the Apple tablet landscape for the last few years. It wasn’t really as cool or as powerful as an iPad Air or iPad Pro, but it cost more than a base-model iPad and had a smaller screen.
This new iPad mini is basically a tiny version of the iPad Air with an Apple A15 Bionic chipset, no home button, and fun colours. It also features a Touch ID sensor embedded in the power button on the top of the device.
Apple says that the new iPad mini is 80 percent faster than its 2019 predecessor, but the most important addition is its new USB-C port. This allows it to connect to far more accessories and makes it a more useful tool for people in professional workspaces.
Across the board, the iPhone 13 series features a smaller notch, and Apple says the new Ceramic Shield glass is the toughest smartphone glass around, making the new iPhones even more resistant to breaking. There are also new colours like ‘Sierra Blue,’ but overall the phone looks very similar to last year’s iPhone 12.
The only real change comes in the cameras, which have been updated to perform better under low-light. The new ultrawide sensor in the iPhone 13 Pro can also be used as a macro shooter, a fun mode I’ve utilized with Android devices. The Pro camera systems also feature a 77mm equivalent zoom lens offering 6x the zoom from being fully zoomed out with the ultrawide. Both phones also get access to a new ‘Cinematic Mode’ that I’ll explain in more detail below.
Vloggers and TikTokers are going to get a kick out of this, I think. Apple’s new camera feature allows users to rack focus automatically based on what their head is doing in the frame. You can also manually enable this feature after you capture the file, suggesting that Apple is using software-based bokeh.
In Apple’s demos, the depth-of-field effect looked pretty effective in some scenes, and it will be interesting to see how it performs when the feature is available.
The Apple Watch Series 7 includes features like a slightly larger screen and a more curved design, but overall, there aren’t that many changes to Apple’ssmartwatch this year.
Apple did show off some new interface features that take better advantage of the larger screen with minimized bezels, including a a swipe-based keyboard that lets you type messages. The Series 7 can also charge 33 percent faster, which is a nice addition to the wearable since it’s designed to be worn all the time.
Overall, this likely won’t be anything that will sway Series 6 owners, but it might be tempting for people with older Apple Watches.
You can learn even more about it in our announcement post here.
Where were the new AirPods?
The tech world was anxiously awaiting to see if Apple would release new AirPods at this event, but curiously, the company must be saving them for another day.
There are rumours of one or maybe two other Apple product reveal events scheduled for this fall, so we still might see them this year. Still, new AirPods new being revealed alongside a new iPads and iPhones was peculiar, to say the least.
