Nine years ago today, Steve Jobs passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 56, one day after Apple executives introduced the iPhone 4s at a media event on the company's Infinite Loop headquarters campus.

In the days following his passing, Apple started posting comments from fans on its "Remembering Steve" webpage. Apple continues to maintain the page highlighting a few of the over one million submissions from people around the world who "shared their memories, thoughts, and feelings about Steve."

The company marked the first anniversary of his passing with a photo and audio slideshow on its website, and on this day Tim Cook traditionally shares words of remembrance with Apple staff and on social media.

Apple VP of Product Marketing Bob Borchers and VP of Hardware Engineering John Ternus are featured in the latest episode of YouTubers iJustine and Jenna Ezarik's Same Brain podcast where they discuss several aspects of the current iPad lineup and part of the development process that went into the latest fourth-generation ‌iPad‌ Air.

Speaking on the new ‌iPad‌ Air, Borchers says that implementing the Touch ID sensor into the top button in a much smaller form factor was "an incredible feat of engineering." Ternus explains that the narrow aspect ratio of the sensor made it quite challenging to implement. The sensor needed to be "incredibly sensitive" and would have to capture a broader view of the fingerprint in the initial enrollment process and over time.

In the cellular model of the ‌iPad‌ Air, Ternus notes that the top portion of the enclosure is simply the antenna, and much work was conducted to ensure that the ‌Touch ID‌ sensor and antenna didn't interfere with one another since both are highly sensitive instruments. He adds that much "hardcore silicon and engineering" went into ensuring that the sensor could deliver the same level of security offered by its previous iteration.

With the introduction of the Neural Engine in the ‌iPad‌ Air, Borchers notes that an increase in on-device processing brings more powerful capabilities to ‌iPad‌ and offers a greater level of privacy to users.

The current iPad Pro lineup features the A12Z Bionic processor, and notably, the new ‌iPad‌ Air is the first device to implement Apple's latest A14 Bionic processor. Borchers mentions that A12Z is "optimized for pro workflows and experiences, especially those that may be more graphics-intensive." Speaking on the differences between the two, he notes that the A12Z has an advantage on "things that may be more graphically intensive," while the A14 offers "all-around amazing capabilities."

Check out the full nearly 40-minute podcast for more from Borchers and Ternus.

Several rumors have indicated that Apple is working on a refreshed Apple TV, and Fudge, a leaker who goes by @choco_bit on Twitter, today shared some new information on what we can expect.

In a tweet, Fudge claims that Apple is preparing multiple new Apple TV set-top boxes, with a model featuring a variant of the A12 chip and one with an "A14X-like" chip. Fudge also mentions that a new controller is in the works, but it is unclear if the tweet is referencing an updated Siri Remote or a new, Apple-designed game controller.

Apple Arcade is getting BIG money poured into it. There are currently titles in the works that are aiming to rival the likes of Breath of the Wild, which is why new A12X/Z AppleTV, "A14X-like" AppleTV, and Controller are in the works. Some games will require A13 and up to run 💁🏼‍♀️ — Fudge (@choco_bit) October 3, 2020

Fudge mentions that Apple is working with developers to bring console-level games to Apple Arcade as means of bolstering the gaming service. Notably, the tweet points out that some games would only be able to be run on the A13 Bionic chip or later, so an upgraded Apple TV would be necessary to access the new Apple Arcade additions.

Signs of a new Apple TV with an A12 bionic chip were uncovered in the iOS 13.4 beta in February. In addition to an updated processor and a "T1125" codename, previous rumors have indicated that the refreshed Apple TV may feature higher capacity 64 and 128GB storage options.

Leaker Jon Prosser had previously suggested the new Apple TV will be equipped with an A12X Bionic chip, while another rumor had indicated it will use an A14 chip, the same chip in the fourth-generation iPad Air that's expected in the 2020 iPhones.

Apple debuted its A14 Bionic chip alongside the redesigned iPad Air at its September "Time Flies" event, and new benchmarks indicate that the chip offers significant performance improvements over the previous A13 Bionic.

Benchmarks supposedly for Apple's A14 Bionic processor in the iPad Air 4, first spotted by Twitter user "Ice Universe," reveal that the A14 offers significant performance improvements over the iPhone 11's A13 Bionic.

A GeekBench benchmark for an "iPad13,2" with the motherboard number J308AP was uploaded yesterday. According to leaker known as "L0vetodream," J308AP is the iPad Air 4 with cellular, and J307AP is the ‌iPad‌ Air 4 with Wi-Fi only.

The 6-core chip reportedly has a base frequency of 2.99GHz and 3.66GB of memory, achieving a score of 1,583 in single-core and 4,198 for multi-core.

This is markedly higher than the 1,336 in single-core and 3,569 in multi-core for the A13 Bionic. Compared to the A12Z chip from the 2020 iPad Pro, the A14 does better than the A12Z in single-core at 1,118 and slightly lower than in multi-core at 4,564. The A12Z has a extra GPU core compared to the A12x.

While Apple reported during the announcement of the fourth-generation ‌iPad‌ Air that the A14 offers 40 percent faster performance and up to 30 percent faster graphics than the previous ‌iPad‌ Air with the A12 Bionic, these benchmarks provide a more tangible point of comparison. They also offer the best look yet at what performance improvements will likely be seen across the iPhone 12 lineup.

The ‌iPad‌ Air 4 with the A14 Bionic is due to go on sale at some point this month, and as marketing materials arrive at Apple Stores, the launch does not seem to be far away.

The iPhone 12 is almost upon us, and we're continuing to hear rumors about what to expect from Apple's biggest product line. And don't forget about the new iPad Air that will also begin shipping this month.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Other news this week included fresh rumors about Apple's plans for mini-LED display technology, details on the upcoming iOS 14.2 update, some Apple Watch tips and how-tos, and more, so check out our video above and read on below for more!

Leaker: iPhone 12 mini to Start at 64GB, Pro Models at 128GB

We're likely just a few weeks away from Apple unveiling its iPhone 12 lineup, and last-minute rumors continue to surface. The latest word comes from leaker Jon Prosser, who recently claimed that the so-called "iPhone 12 mini" will start with 64GB of storage, while higher-end iPhone 12 Pro models will apparently come with a minimum of 128GB of storage.

Multiple sources have indicated that the next Apple event will likely take place on Tuesday, October 13, with pre-orders for at least some iPhone 12 models expected to begin on Friday, October 16. The devices would then begin arriving to customers on Friday, October 23.

Four new iPhone 12 models are expected, including one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model, all with OLED displays, 5G support, and a new flat-edged design. Rumors have suggested that Apple may opt for a staggered launch, with some models launching later than others, but the exact order of the rollout remains to be seen.

New iPad Air Marketing Materials Hit Retail Stores, Suggesting Imminent Launch

Last month, Apple unveiled a new iPad Air with slimmer bezels, allowing for a larger 10.9-inch display. The device also features a faster A14 Bionic chip, Touch ID integrated in the power button, a USB-C port instead of Lightning, and an improved 12-megapixel rear camera.

Apple says the new iPad Air will be available to order in October, but it has yet to announce a specific release date. However, there are signs that a launch may be imminent, as Apple Stores are reportedly beginning to receive marketing materials for the device. Pricing will start at $599 in the United States for 64GB of storage. Two all-new color options will be available, including Green and Sky Blue.

12.9-Inch Mini-LED iPad Pro Expected in Early 2021, With Mini-LED MacBook Coming Later

Apple plans to launch a new iPad Pro with a Mini-LED backlit display in the first half of 2021, followed by a new high-end MacBook with Mini-LEDs in the second half of the year, according to DigiTimes.

In early 2020, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was developing up to six Mini-LED products, including a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an A14X chip for release in the third quarter of the year. This was before the global health crisis began, however, so it would be understandable if the timeframe has been pushed back due to supply chain disruptions and Apple engineers working from home.

Mini-LED displays, which use on the order of 1,000 to 10,000 individual LEDs, can offer deeper, darker blacks, brighter brights, richer colors, and better contrast compared to traditional LED-based displays, though the technology comes at a significant increase in cost for the time being.

iOS 14.2 Beta 2 Released With Music Recognition Toggle for Control Center and More

Apple this week seeded the second betas of iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 to developers and public beta testers, with a key new feature being a Shazam-powered music recognition tool built into Control Center.

The second beta introduces dozens of new emoji, including a smiling face with a tear, a ninja, people hugging, a black cat, a bison, a fly, a polar bear, blueberries, fondue, bubble tea, a bell pepper, and more.

The second beta of iOS 14.2 also provides further clues that iPhone 12 models will not ship with EarPods in the box, and introduces a yearly spending activity overview for Apple Card holders.

Apple has also seeded the ninth beta of macOS Big Sur, and the second betas of watchOS 7.1 and tvOS 14.2.

watchOS 7 Tips: Force Touch is Dead, Now What? [Video]

With the release of watchOS 7 last month, Apple added several new features to compatible Apple Watch models, such as new watch faces and sleep tracking, but it also dropped support for the Force Touch gesture that had become second nature for some users.

On our YouTube channel this week, we've shared a video that highlights 10 ways to access some hidden controls that used to be displayed using the Force Touch gesture.

We also shared a few other Apple Watch guides and how-tos this week:

• How to Make a Memoji on Apple Watch
• How to Set a Memoji or Animoji as Your Watch Face on Apple Watch
• How to Share Watch Faces
• How to Use and Troubleshoot Blood Oxygen Monitoring on Apple Watch Series 6

Apple Suggests Restoring iPhone and Apple Watch to Fix Excess Battery Drain or Missing GPS Data

Apple this week shared a new support document with various solutions for users who may be missing Workout GPS routes or Health data after updating their devices to iOS 14 and watchOS 7.

Apple said users might notice any of the following issues after updating to iOS 14 and watchOS 7:

• Your workout route maps are missing in the Fitness app on iPhone for previous GPS-enabled workouts from your Apple Watch.
• The Activity, Heart Rate, or other health-related apps fail to launch or load data on your Apple Watch.
• The Fitness app or Health app fail to launch or load data on your iPhone.
• The Health app or Fitness app is reporting an inaccurate amount of data storage on your iPhone.
• The Activity app is reporting an inaccurate amount of data storage on your Apple Watch.
• Your environmental sound levels data or headphone audio levels data from Apple Watch is missing in the Health app on iPhone.
• Increased battery drain on your iPhone or Apple Watch.

Apple's support document is a helpful troubleshooting resource for these issues.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

With the arrival of watchOS 7, Apple introduced headline features for Apple Watch like Sleep Tracking and Handwashing Detection, but it also snuck in a bunch of lesser changes and improvements to the interface that are more likely to have gone under the radar, so we've collected some of our favorites here.

To make the most of them, you'll need to make sure your Apple Watch is up to date with the latest software. You can do that by opening the Watch app on iPhone and selecting General -> Software Update. (Note that you'll also need your ‌iPhone‌ to be running iOS 14 before you can update your watch to ‌watchOS 7‌).

‌watchOS 7‌ is available for Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, and Series 5, and comes pre-installed on Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 6. Note that Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 owners are not able to update to ‌watchOS 7‌.

1. Change Activity Goals

If you want to make your activity goals more challenging or more realistic, now you can. In ‌watchOS 7‌, you can customize all of the activity goals on Apple Watch, including the stand goal.

Open the Activity app and scroll down to the bottom where you'll find a new Change Goals option. Tap that, and you'll be able to change your calorie, exercise, and stand goals using the plus and minus buttons.

2. Get Siri Translations

Apple improved the translation capabilities of ‌iOS 14‌ with the new Translate app, and now you can ask Siri for spoken translations right on your Apple Watch.

Raise your wrist and say "Hey ‌Siri‌," or press and hold the Digital Crown to let ‌Siri‌ know you have a query, then say something like "How do you say 'How are you?' in Chinese?" Your answer will be shown on the screen and ‌Siri‌ will also say it to you. ‌Siri‌ can translate 10 languages including Spanish, English, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.

3. Use Multiple Third-Party Complications

In previous versions of watchOS, Apple only allowed native apps like the Weather app to show more than one complication on the same watch face.

In ‌watchOS 7‌, Apple has made it so that you can have multiple complications from the same third-party app on the same watch face. That means you can use a face like Infograph Modular to present multiple information streams from an app like Heart Analyzer, for example, for a data-rich live health readout.

4. Use the New Workout Types

In ‌watchOS 7‌, Apple has added four new workout types. Now you can accurately track fitness metrics for Dance, Functional Strength Training, Core Training, and post-workout Cooldown.

Like other workout types, Apple Watch applies unique algorithms to the data gathered by the onboard accelerometer, gyroscope, and the heart rate monitor to accurately measure your exertion.

5. Show Two Time Zones Simultaneously

‌watchOS 7‌ brings some new watch faces to the party, one of which is GMT. The watch face has two dials: A 12-hour inner dial that displays local time, and a 24-hour outer dial that lets you track a second time zone.

Just tap the watch face to select the time zone you want to display on the outer dial. This watch face is available only on ‌Apple Watch SE‌ and Apple Watch Series 4 and later.

6. Get Cycling Directions in Maps

In ‌watchOS 7‌, you can now see cycling directions on your Apple Watch. The Maps app presents the desired route along with information such as elevation, traffic, and the availability of bike lanes.

Cycling directions include options to be taken along the quickest route, the most direct path, or routes that avoid steep hills (Fastest, Shortest, and Suggested.) Note that at the time of writing, cycling directions in ‌Apple Maps‌ are limited to New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Shanghai, and Beijing.

7. Use Siri Shortcuts on Apple Watch

The Shortcuts app is now available on Apple Watch, so you can trigger custom tasks with just a tap on the wrist.

By creating shortcuts on your ‌iPhone‌, you can quickly get directions home, create a top 25 playlist, control HomeKit accessories, and more. Shortcuts can be run from the Shortcuts app or you can add them as complications to your watch face.

8. Access Camera Remote From Watch Face

Apple has introduced a new complication for the Camera Remote app, so now you can control your ‌iPhone‌'s camera with a quick tap on your watch face.

There's also a new three-second countdown in the Camera Remote app, should you need it.

9. Track Elapsed Time

The new Count Up watch face can be used to track elapsed time. Tap the main 12-hour dial to align the marker on the outer bezel with the minute hand. Turn the Digital Crown to set the length of time, then tap the dial again to start timing.

When you're finished, you can return the face to its default state by tapping the red elapsed time button, or by pressing the Digital Crown.

10. Delete Control Center Buttons

In ‌watchOS 7‌, you can delete buttons in the Control Center that you don't find useful. To bring up the Control Center on a watch face, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, then tap the Edit button at the bottom.

To remove a button, simply tap the red minus icon attached to it. Any buttons you remove can be reinstated by tapping the Edit button again.

11. Get an Extra Big Complication

If all you're interested in is the time and a single data point, you're in luck – the X-Large face now includes the option to add a rich complication.

It's the biggest complication yet, but it's the only one you get – so choose wisely.

12. Turn Off Blood Oxygen Sensors During Sleep

The ‌Apple Watch Series 6‌ can occasionally measure your blood oxygen levels in the background and will usually do this when you're not moving. It uses a bright red light that shines against your wrist, which you might find distracting in dark environments.

Happily, Apple includes options to disable these measurements in Sleep Mode and Theater Mode. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch, tap Blood Oxygen, then scroll down and turn off In Sleep Mode and/or In Theater Mode.

13. Show Your Stripes

Stripes, another new watch face that's unique, lets you select the number of stripes you want (up to 9), choose your colors, and rotate the angle, allowing you to re-create your favorite sports team's colors or your nation's flag.

You can also switch between a full-screen face or a circular face with space for up to four complications. This watch face is available only on ‌‌Apple Watch SE‌‌ and Apple Watch Series 4 and later.

14. Eliminate Distractions

An associated feature of Family Setup, "Schooltime," can help make your Apple Watch less of a distraction when you want to focus on something. It's a useful alternative to Do Not Disturb or Theater Mode because it silences notifications and blocks apps, but still lets you check the time.

To add it to Control Center, press the Edit button and tap the green plus symbol on the Schooltime icon. Next time you want to eliminate distractions on your wrist, simply bring up Control Center and tap the Schooltime button to turn it on. When you want to exit Schooltime, just turn the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch, then tap Exit to confirm.

Apple today updated its leadership page to add Greg Joswiak, who is taking over for Phil Schiller as Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. ‌Phil Schiller‌'s position on the page has also been moved to reflect his new role as "Apple Fellow."

Apple in August announced that ‌Phil Schiller‌ would be transitioning out of his role as Apple's marketing chief, with Greg Joswiak planning to take on the position instead. At the time, Apple gave no timeline for the leadership shift, but it appears to have taken place recently.

As an "Apple Fellow," Schiller will continue to lead the App Store and Apple Events, but he will no longer be in charge of Apple's marketing decisions. According to Schiller, he decided to step down from his marketing role in order to "make some time" for family, friends, and personal projects.

Schiller is not leaving Apple and has confirmed that he will remain with the company "as long as they will have me." When the transition was announced, Cook said that he was "thrilled" to have Joswiak, also known as "Joz" on the marketing team.

"Phil has helped make Apple the company it is today and his contributions are broad, vast, and run deep. In this new role he will continue to provide the incredible thought partnership, and guidance that have defined his decades at Apple," said ‌Tim Cook‌, Apple's CEO. "Joz's many years of leadership in the Product Marketing organization make him perfectly suited to this new role and will ensure a seamless transition at a moment when the team is engaged in such important and exciting work. I'm thrilled that the whole executive team will benefit from his collaboration, ideas, and energy."

Joswiak is now in charge of Apple's product management and product marketing, developer relations, market research, business management, and education, enterprise, and international marketing. He will report to Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌.

Prior to taking over from Schiller, Joswiak served as vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing and he has been at Apple for more than 20 years.

One of the new tvOS 14 features highlighted by Apple was support for watching 4K videos in the YouTube app, but when ‌tvOS 14‌ launched, Apple TV 4K users quickly noticed that support wasn't available.

That appears to be changing, as there are reports on Reddit (via FlatpanelsHD) that support for 4K YouTube videos is starting to roll out. Multiple users have reported seeing 4K playback options in the YouTube app on ‌tvOS 14‌, tvOS 14.0.1, and tvOS 14.2.

4K support has not yet rolled out to all users, however, as in our tests, we were not able to access 4K YouTube content and continued to have a 1080p limitation. While 4K content appears to be available, those with access are still not able to enable HDR, and 4K videos are limited to 30 frames per second.

It's unclear if the lack of HDR is temporary or a limitation on the 4K ‌Apple TV‌, and it's also not known when 4K content will be available for all. It seems to be rolling out though, so there may not be too much longer to wait. YouTube in September said that ‌Apple TV‌ 4K would support 4K YouTube playback "soon."

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Ampere to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a UV sanitizer and wireless charger called Cell, which is designed to kill the germs on the surface of a smartphone within a minute.

Priced at $80, Cell features a Qi-enabled wireless charging base that can charge your iPhone up when needed, but the top pops off and there's an expandable silver-infused antimicrobial shell with UV lights inside that are able to sterilize germs on your ‌iPhone‌ and other small accessories like the AirPods, Apple Pencil, and more.

To use it, you just pull the top off, expand the sides, place your items inside, and let the light do its work. When done, you can collapse it back down into a wireless charger that's also portable enough to go anywhere. The expandable portion of the charger is made from a flexible silicone that can partially expand in landscape mode to create an ideal viewing angle for watching videos, or in portrait mode for FaceTime calls.

There are two 15W wireless chargers in the Cell that offer a large charging surface regardless of placement, and the design of the Cell allows it to charge a smartphone of any size. It will charge the ‌iPhone‌ at 7.5W and Samsung devices at 15W, with a grippy silicone surface keeping the smartphone in place. There's a USB-C output port on the Cell so you can attach a cable to charge a secondary device like an Apple Watch or an ‌iPhone‌ with the appropriate USB-C cable.

For UV sanitizing, the Cell features four 250-280nm UV lights that are able to remove most germs at the DNA level within a minute, which is useful at a time when we're all concerned about sanitation and the cleanliness of the objects we touch on a regular basis. Smartphones can be rife with germs because we touch them so often, and it's not always easy to get iPhones and other small accessories like ‌AirPods‌ clean.

Though designed with its tent-like expanding design to sanitize iPhones and other small objects, the light inside the Cell can also be used while held over larger objects like MacBooks. Cell is available in black, red, or a unique glow-in-the-dark material.

Cell is accompanied by several antimicrobial accessories, including an 18W PD mini adapter for charging, a USB-C to USB-C cable, and a Made for iPhone-certified USB-C to Lightning cable for charging the ‌iPhone‌ with the extra port, plus there are optional add-ons like a travel case, antimicrobial cable organizer, and UV self-cleaning water bottle. Pre-orders are available now, with orders expected to ship out in late October.

We have seven Cell wireless charger and sanitizers to give away to MacRumors readers, with each prize pack to include all of the above listed accessories. To enter to win our ‌giveaway‌, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the ‌giveaway‌ restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

Ampere

The contest will run from today (October 2) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 9. The winners will be chosen randomly on October 9 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Throwboy is best known for its line of plush, huggable pillows modeled after classic Apple devices, but Throwboy also makes a line of palm-sized Pocket Pillows perfect for tossing around or decorating a desktop.

There are three Mac-themed Pocket Pillows perfect for Apple fans - the 1984 Pocket Pillow, the 1998 Pocket Pillow, and the Icon Pocket Pillow. Of these, the Icon Pocket Pillow is the smallest and similar to a bean bag, while the two Mac pillows are bulkier and heavier.

In terms of specific sizing, the Icon Pocket Pillow is close to 4 inches wide, 4 inches long, and 2 inches thick, while the 1998 iMac Pocket Pillow is about 4 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 2.5 inches thick. The 1984 Classic Mac pillow is about the same size as the ‌iMac‌ version, but a bit more square and a little thicker.

Pocket Pillows are priced at $14.99, and each one is made from a super soft, plush material that's similar to the material Throwboy uses for its larger pillows, which we reviewed last year. The mini pillows have a 3D design and intricate satin embroidery for details, so they really look like little mini Macs.

The ‌iMac‌, for example, is made from a blue plush to mimic the Bondi Blue ‌iMac‌, and it has embroidery for the display, speakers, CD drive, power button, and carrying handle at the back. The 1984 pillow is a beige color like the Classic Macintosh and it has an embroidered disk drive, vents, display area, and mimicked rainbow Apple logo, while the Icon pillow has the two-toned color scheme and embroidered smile.

While the pillows are plush and have a soft exterior with a squishy poly filling interior, there are a good amount of pellets inside to give the pillows some heft. Throwboy did not skimp on the pellets and despite their small size, these little pillows are heavy. If you threw them at someone or something, you could do some damage, but the weight also makes them feel nice in the hand.

The pellets inside also ensure these stand upright on a desk or table, making them ideal decor for Mac fans. They masquerade as a desk decoration, but in reality, they're fun to fidget with and they make a great desk toy.

Over the last few weeks of having the Pocket Pillows decorating my workspace, I've enjoyed tossing them up in the air and catching them, tossing them from hand to hand, and squashing them when I'm feeling stressed. The Icon in particular is my favorite to toss around because it's a bit smaller and less heavy, and the 1984 is best for squashing because of its square shape and plushness.

There's not much else to say about the Pocket Pillows, but if you're looking for a gift for an Apple fan or something to spruce up your desk or office decor, these are fun, inexpensive accessory worth checking out.

How to Buy

Pocket Pillows can be purchased from the Throwboy website for $14.99 each. MacRumors readers can get a 15 percent discount on Throwboy purchases with the promo code "rumors15."

Note: Throwboy provided MacRumors with Pocket Pillows for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

MacRumors readers can save 25% on the 1Password Family subscription in October, bringing the price of the service down to $44.88 per year, from an original price of $59.85. On a monthly basis, this means that the service will cost $3.75 per month (originally $4.99 per month).

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with 1Password. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

To get the deal, head to 1Password's website and click "get started" on the landing page for the discount. It is billed annually, so you'll pay $44.88 upfront for an entire year of 1Password Families. The regular $4.99 per month price of 1Password Families will kick in after your first year ends.

This offer is only for new 1Password customers, and will expire on October 31, 2020.

25% OFF

1Password Families Annual Subscription

1Password is a password management app that is compatible across Apple devices, including iPhone and Mac. It allows you to create and store strong passwords across all of your most important online accounts, and alert you when your passwords are compromised.

1Password Families is built to support up to five family members, providing each person with access to the password management service. It supports 1GB of encrypted storage for documents, cross-platform sync, item history backup, 1Password Watchtower for compromised passwords, and more.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Experienced display analyst Ross Young has today shared a range of information from Mizuho Securities about the "iPhone 13," rumored to succeed the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup, and the third-generation iPhone SE.

The projected iPhone 13 lineup looks very similar to the expected iPhone 12 lineup, encompassing one 6.7-inch "Pro Max" model, one 6.1-inch "Pro" model, one 6.1-inch non-Pro model, and one 5.4-inch "mini" model. It follows therefore that the devices will not see significant changes to design or form-factor.

All iPhone 13 models are speculated to have integrated touch technology, and Chinese firm BOE Technology will join LG Display in producing displays for the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro. Samsung is believed to supply Apple with Y-Octa technology for all iPhone 13 displays.

Young says that the "most important development" on the iPhone 13 Pro models will be the adoption of 120Hz-capable ProMotion displays with variable refresh rates, accommodated by the adoption of LTPO display technology. After a range of mixed reports, rumors now seem to be largely in agreement that 120Hz displays will not come to the iPhone until 2021.

Most important development on the iPhone 13 models from my perspective will be ProMotion with variable refresh rates through LTPO adoption on the Pro models. — Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) October 2, 2020

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini will reportedly gain the same camera sensors as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, while the sensor size of both Pro models will increase. This means that there will be significant camera improvements on all models.

While Young expects both iPhone 13 Pro models to have a LiDAR Scanner on the rear, it is unknown whether the feature will come to the non-Pro models. For the iPhone 12, rumors have not been clear on whether LiDAR will come to all Pro-models or just the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.

All iPhone 13 models may get sub-6GHz 5G connectivity, but the Pro models will also have faster mmWave 5G in addition to the slower but more widespread connection. This year, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the only model rumored to offer mmWave 5G.

With LiDAR and mmWave on both iPhone 13 Pro models, it seems that if the iPhone 12 lineup reserves these high-end features for the Pro Max model only, 2021 will see a leveling-up of features among the Pro models.

There will also apparently not be a third-generation iPhone SE until Spring 2022. The third-generation iPhone SE is expected to have a 6.1-inch LCD display, Touch ID, sub-6GHz 5G, and the same dual cameras as the iPhone 11. This suggests it will mirror the design of 2019's iPhone 11, just as previous iPhone SE models have repeated the design of an older device with upgraded internals, and presumably have Touch ID integrated into the lock button like the iPad Air 4.

Amazon has introduced a new deal on the AirPods with Wireless Charging Case, now priced at $151.00, down from $199.00. This isn't quite the lowest price that we've ever tracked for the AirPods, but it is the first notable sale in a few weeks and the best price available right now.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This model of the AirPods includes the Wireless Charging Case, allowing you to charge the Bluetooth headphones with any Qi-supported wireless mat. You can buy the charging case separately for $69.00 right now on Amazon, down from $79.00.

$48 OFF

AirPods w/ Wireless Charging Case For $151.00

There are also a few ongoing sales on the other AirPods models. You can get the AirPods with Charging Case for $129.00, down from $159.00. The AirPods Pro are priced at $219.00, down from $249.00. Both of these Amazon discounts are among the best online.

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.

$29.3 billion was spent overall on Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store, with over 35.6 billion app installs, in the third quarter of 2020, according to a new report by Sensor Tower.

App stores have seen significant year-on-year growth, with customers spending 32 percent more than at the same time in 2019, with 23.3 percent more installs. This is a large growth compared to 24 percent increased spending and nine percent increased downloads last year.

Spending on in-app purchases, subscriptions, and premium apps rose by 31 percent to $19 billion worldwide on Apple's ‌App Store‌ in the third quarter, up from $14.5 billion at the same time last year. This is almost twice the revenue earned by Google's Play Store, consistent with last year's split between the two platforms. However, of the 36.5 billion app installs, Apple's ‌App Store‌ only accounted for 8.2 billion, whereas the Google Play Store had over three times as many at 28.3 billion.

Short-form video social media app TikTok was the most downloaded app on both platforms, and it was also the highest-earning non-game app globally. This was its second consecutive quarter as the top-grossing non-game app. At this time last year, Tinder was the highest-grossing non-game app. As in previous quarters, Facebook's apps, including Instagram and WhatsApp, made up the majority of the top five non-game apps by global downloads, although none occupied the top spot.

Tencent took the first and second positions among the five top-grossing games in the third quarter with "Honor of Kings" and "PUBG Mobile." Together, the top five highest-grossing games made more than $2.4 billion, which is 12 percent of all consumer spending on mobile games last quarter. Game installs decreased year on year for Apple's ‌App Store‌ from 2.4 billion to 2.3 billion, with the vast majority of downloads instead being from Google Play, which saw growth of 36.8 percent.

Sensor Tower analysts believe that going into the fourth quarter, new trends will emerge, as will new standout apps, partly driven by platform innovations such as home screen customization on iOS. A full report on global app adoption with specific analyses of top publishers and trends for the third quarter is expected soon.

New York and New Jersey have launched COVID-19 contact tracing apps based on Apple and Google's Exposure Notification technology.

In a press release on the New York State website, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced the release of COVID Alert NY and COVID Alert NJ for iPhone and Android users.

Like other apps that take advantage of the ‌Exposure Notification‌ API from Apple and Google, the two apps are designed to track who people come into contact with each other using Bluetooth, providing a notification if one of those people later comes down with the coronavirus.

As well as launching their own state contact tracing apps, the New York and New Jersey governors said they would join Pennsylvania and Delaware in creating a regional network that will enable the apps to work across state lines.

In the United States, Virginia, North Dakota, Arizona, Delaware, Nevada, Alabama, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania have launched apps that use Apple's ‌‌Exposure Notification‌‌ API. Connecticut is also expected to launch an app in the next few weeks.

More information on Apple and Google's ‌‌Exposure Notification‌‌ API, such as how it works and where it's available, can be found in our guide.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Live View in Google Maps uses your iPhone's camera and GPS to provide augmented reality directions when you're walking somewhere, and this week Google announced that it's enhancing the feature and making it available in additional transit scenarios.

In Live View, arrows, directions, and distance markers are placed right on top of your surroundings to visualize your destination in the real world, and Google will soon bring landmarks to this AR mode, too. From The Keyword blog:

Soon, you’ll also be able to see nearby landmarks so you can quickly and easily orient yourself and understand your surroundings. Live View will show you how far away certain landmarks are from you and what direction you need to go to get there. These landmarks can include iconic places, like the Empire State Building in New York and the Pantheon in Rome, and easily recognizable places, like local parks and tourist attractions.

Landmarks will start rolling out soon on iOS in nearly 25 cities, including Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Dubai, Florence, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Kyoto, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Munich, New York, Osaka, Paris, Prague, Rome, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, and Vienna.

Live View is accessed from the transit tab in Google Maps, but previously, it would be unavailable if your directions involved a combination of transport types like walking, driving, cycling, and transit.

Now though, as long as your transit directions include a walking portion in the journey, you can use Live View to find your way, which should be useful when you exit a transit station and don’t know which way to go, for example.

In addition, Google said it will soon expand Live View to Location Sharing, so that when a friend chooses to share their location with you, you can tap their icon and then on Live View to see where and how far away they are, with overlaid arrows and directions to help you know where to go.

Google says it has made improvements to global localization, the underlying technology that powers its Live View features on Google Maps, so it's now better able to take the elevation of a place into account, which enables it to more accurately display the location of the destination pin in Live View.

Google Maps can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]