A battery replacement on the iPhone 14 will cost you $30 more than previous models (via 9to5Mac). The cost estimator on Apple’s iPhone battery service page says replacing the battery on any iPhone 14 model runs $99, a fairly steep increase from the $69 price for past generations (except the iPhone SE, which has battery replacement priced at $49 across the board).

Apple still hasn’t revealed the battery capacity in the iPhone 14, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max models but vaguely touts that it comes with the company’s “longest battery life ever.” However, we do get a glimpse of what to expect in a filing on the hazardous materials database, Chemtrec, spotted by 9to5Mac.

Image: Emma Roth / The Verge

The filing lists the watt-hour capacity on the iPhone 14 at 12.68Wh when compared to 12.41Wh on the iPhone 13. It looks like the Pro Max’s watt-hour capacity is similar to its iPhone 13 predecessor as well, sitting at 16.68Wh and 16.75Wh, respectively. With relatively similar numbers to the iPhone 13, it’s not clear what triggered the price hike. Apple didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

If you preordered an iPhone 14, you probably won’t have to worry about replacing the battery anytime soon. Apple will only replace your battery under its AppleCare program when it holds less than 80 percent of its original capacity, and its iPhone batteries are advertised as capable of retaining up to 80 percent of their original capacity after 500 complete charge cycles. The $99 repair price only applies if you need the repair done out of Apple’s one-year warranty that comes with most of its products. Battery replacements are also covered by AppleCare Plus, which just started offering unlimited repairs.

Carrot Weather — an app known for its humorous, antagonistic approach to weather updates — is introducing some new features that take advantage of Apple’s iOS 16 release for iPhones today, including lock screen widgets and Apple Weather data integration. There’s also a new multi-column redesign for the iPad.

Some of the features listed will only be available to members of the Premium Club, which costs $4.99 per month or $19.99 per year. The Carrot App is otherwise free to download for iOS and Android devices.

Image: Carrot

Weather updates on Carrot version 5.8 will now be available as customizable lock screen widgets. There are over 20 to select from, including hourly and daily forecast charts and weather-based jokes laced with Carrot’s usual snark, as well as small widgets for specific data points. Automatic background updates for this feature will require a premium membership.

Another feature for Carrot app users with a premium membership is the option to get forecasts straight from Apple Weather in addition to other sources. This is made possible by Apple WeatherKit announced at WWDC 2022, which replaces the Dark Sky API. (Apple purchased Dark Sky in 2020.) Carrot typically defaults to using Foreca forecasts, but Premium Club members have also been able to switch to Dark Sky, AccuWeather, ClimaCell, MeteoGroup, or AerisWeather as alternate data sources, as well as regional-specific ones if they choose.

Image: Carrot

Ten new sections will be available to add to your layout within the app. These sections include various line and bar graphs that display weather data, in addition to some that are designed to help you make the most of various hobbies or interests. For example, golden hour and blue hour (periods of the day noted by photographers for beautiful lighting conditions) will have their AM and PM times listed, and the app can even tell you when the best stargazing conditions will be for that night.

Image: Carrot

And finally, Carrot is getting a major redesign for iPad users. Soon, you’ll be able to display up to three columns of weather data on iPad, converting the tablet into a detailed weather station. This new layout is also a preview of what we can expect from the upcoming Carrot app redesign coming to Mac, though sadly, no date has been provided regarding the desktop updates.

For some reason, people like to take sides on things that really don’t need to have sides at all. You’re a fan of iPhones? Cool. You’re more comfortable with Android phones? Use it in good health.

But we live in a competitive society, and so the one company that produces iOS-based phones and the myriad brands that make Android-based phones always feel that they need to explain why their product is more spectacular, more flexible, more secure, more fun, and more whatever than the ones powered by the other OS. As a result, whenever a company introduces a feature that’s new to its OS, it proclaims it as innovative, wonderful, and never seen before. Anyone who has attended or watched a product introduction — from Apple, Google, or Samsung — knows what I’m talking about.

Apple is arguably the biggest offender here, with a history of taking its time to develop a feature that other companies were quick to jump on as effectively beta-testers. You can almost set your watch to the Twitter takes and memes about how iPhone users are always late to the party of ideas they might think are wholly new if taking Apple at its word.

And here we are again. Apple is introducing its latest phone line, the iPhone 14, and the latest version of its operating system, iOS 16. There are a lot of improvements and new features that will be either useful, fun, or both. And in fact, many of these features are coming to older iPhone models, while some are limited to the new iPhone 14 hardware.

But while Apple touts all of them as all new and all great, some of them are — either completely or in some fashion — already familiar to Android users. Here’s a list of at least some of the features that Apple is now offering but that Android has had for a while.

Multiple stops in maps

You are on your way home after visiting your Aunt Bea, and you suddenly realize that if you take a short side trip, you can stop in at one of your favorite bookstores. Don’t want to get lost? Now, in iOS 16, you can quickly add the address of the bookstore to your trip agenda and get directions that will let you stop there and then find your way back home.

It’s a very handy feature that Android has had since around 2017. Apple Maps has certainly come a long way since its disastrous launch 10 years ago, but the potholes in the path along its development have been like this example — requiring a long-overdue filling at each update.

Email: schedule, undo, remind later, and follow-up

In iOS 16, if you hit “Send” on an email and suddenly realize you put the wrong person’s name on it, you now have 10 seconds to change your mind and undo the send (assuming the other person is also using iOS 16). You can also schedule an email to be sent anytime you like or use Remind Later to remind yourself of an email you don’t want to deal with immediately.

Gmail has had an unsend since about 2018, but you get a choice of 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds to change your mind (you can set the time in Gmail’s web app). You can also Snooze an email so it will pop up later and schedule an email to be sent when you want it.

Apple Live Captions

iOS 16 has added Live Captions, which offer real-time transcription for videos, audio, and conversation. This is an extremely useful feature, not only for people with hearing disabilities but for anyone who needs to track a conversation.

In fact, Android has had a Live Caption function since 2019 and currently provides immediate translations for those captions in several languages (although the accuracy of those translations will probably not live up to those of a human translator). But hey, even if Apple is once again late on this, it’s certainly a win for accessibility — and for watching videos with your phone muted when you’re too lazy to pick up your earbuds.

Haptic feedback on keyboard

Typing on a phone still mostly sucks in 2022, and part of that is from the lack of feedback you get while tapping. Not every input device needs to have the feedback of a mechanical keyboard, but it’s nice to know when you’ve actually typed a letter on an onscreen board. As a result, iOS 16 has now introduced haptic feedback on its onscreen keyboard. Android has had it for pretty much as long as we can remember.

The main difference here is that you have to enable haptic feedback in iOS 16; in Android, it is automatically enabled on most phones (but you can disable it if you want to). Let’s chalk this one up to the “How has it taken this long?” tally of features, and we’ll be sure to sing from the rafters that iPhone users now thankfully have this basic functionality.

Shared libraries

iOS 16 will soon let you create shared photo libraries — called the iCloud Shared Photo Library — based either on a date or on who is in the photos. You can share your photo library with up to five people. (Apparently, this feature won’t immediately ship when iOS 16 does, so you may need to wait a bit.) Google Photos lets you share your entire library — based on a starting date or on who is in the photos — with a single partner.

Always-on display

Okay, this one’s a biggie. One of the many features introduced at the recent Apple event is an always-on display, which will only be available on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Always-on displays let you glance at the time and widgets and get other helpful info even when the phone is asleep. It’s something Apple Watch users have had access to since the Series 5, but Apple is only putting it in the iPhone now — and gating it to the fancier Pro models.

This is something that Android phones have had for the better part of 10 years. It’s a feature that Google really put in the forefront with Android 12, where it made the always-on display show a huge digital clock by default when the phone’s screen sits at rest. Meanwhile, all this time, every iPhone has just been a lifeless black rectangle until it’s touched or when a notification comes in.

That being said, at this point, Apple’s new always-on display on iPhone is more customizable and info dense than what you see on Android phones, with widgets, images, and lots of color. And sure, an always-on display is going to drain a little more battery than keeping the screen entirely off, but in most phones, it’s a trivial amount. We’re happy that we’ll soon see a few less black mirrors sitting on desks and tables, devoid of life and character.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Phone fitness app

The Apple Watch is a popular way to measure your fitness — but if you were an iPhone user who didn’t have a watch, you couldn’t use the official Apple Fitness Plus app (although you could, of course, use any of the third-party apps out there). Now you can use the Apple Fitness Plus app whether or not you are using an Apple Watch.

Google’s official Fit fitness app has pretty much always been available for Android phones, whether you use a watch or not. (Of course, you could argue that there are few Android-compatible watches that are worth worrying about unless you’re a Samsung enthusiast…) It comes bundled with Pixels, while Samsung includes its own Health app. And while a phone will not track your heart rate or temperature without the assistance of a wearable, it’s still good for anyone to be able to get a basic estimation of steps walked, calories burned, etc.

Lock screen widgets

This is actually a rather weird one. iOS 16 now allows you to add up to four widgets to your lock screen (provided the app developer offers one).

Android 4.2 offered lock screen widgets about 10 years ago but, for whatever reason, decided to take them away again in Android 5.0. So whether we should count this or not is up to you.

Perhaps Apple’s mostly clean track record of sitting on ideas until they are fully baked (Siri and original HomePod, notwithstanding) will pan out here, and lock screen widgets will become a key mainstay of most iPhone users’ habits. Or, maybe it will just be another odd quirk only used and beloved by some of us weirdos — you know, like how regular widgets are in the first place.

Crash detection

Apple’s presentation on September 7th sometimes felt like a lesson in “Why you should be scared,” with its seeming emphasis on features that would summon help if you were lost in the wilderness, tell you if you were having a heart attack, or call emergency services if you were in a major car crash. This last feature — car crash detection — is now available in the new iPhone 14 phones as well as in the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8.

Pixel phones have car crash detection as well; Google added it to the built-in Personal Safety app back in 2019.

High-megapixel camera sensor with pixel binning

A better camera is the reason many people choose to upgrade to a newer phone model, and for years, many manufacturers were dead-set on using 12-megapixel sensors while performing as many software tricks as computational photography could allow. Major players like Google and Samsung have recently started upping the resolution of their main camera sensors to around 40 or 50 megapixels — not because we all need massive image files, but because capturing all that information and sizing it down to a “normal” image around something like 12 megapixels helps with artifacts like low-light noise. It’s part of the latest software tactics being utilized to make our tiny smartphone sensors over-perform and rival what some dedicated cameras can do (in the right scenario).

This technique is called pixel binning: taking nearby pixels on a high-resolution sensor and combining them to improve image quality at a lower resolution. It’s a genuinely beneficial feature if you don’t need the native resolution of the high-megapixel sensor, though it’s far from new tech. Even the Nokia 808 PureView did this to some degree back in 2012. It’s also not a magic trick that fixes everything — you’re still reliant on the quality of the image sensor and the processing pipeline.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Now Apple has this feature in the 48-megapixel main camera of its new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max — confidently throwing around terms like Quad-pixel and Photonic Engine. It sounds exciting because Apple is very good at making things sound exciting, and it may very well be a significant generational improvement. Though we should keep in mind that, once again, others were here first — Huawei, Samsung, and many others dabbled with high-res sensors for years. We’ll see if Apple and its knack for slow-burn development really set it apart from the pack.

At its “Far Out” event on Wednesday, Apple introduced a new pair of AirPods Pro alongside the upcoming iPhone 14 lineup and long-rumored Apple Watch Ultra. The second-gen AirPods Pro are set to arrive on September 23rd, bringing with them a new H2 chip that Apple claims should cancel “up to twice as much noise” as its predecessor, as well as swipe-based controls and a number of other features.

This means that, as of this week, the official AirPods lineup consists of the following models: the second-gen AirPods, the third-gen AirPods, the second-gen AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Max. Also, while Apple no longer sells them, you can also still buy the first-gen AirPods Pro from a number of retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, and Target.

The second-gen AirPods Pro offer a number of improvements over their predecessor, but are they worth the $249 sticker price? With such a wide range of AirPods available at various price points, that’s a tough question to answer. Lucky for you, we’ve compared each AirPods model below to help you decide which might be the best fit for you. We have yet to review the new AirPods Pro, however, we have published our initial hands-on take on the earbuds, which you can check out here.

Design and build quality

With the exception of the AirPods Max, all of the AirPods in Apple’s current lineup are in-ear, true wireless earbuds. In comparison to the second-gen AirPods, the third-gen model and both generations of the AirPods Pro offer shorter stems that are slightly heavier and wider. If a comfortable fit matters a lot to you, look also to the first and second-gen AirPods Pro. The latter also feature replaceable silicone ear tips in various sizes, though only the second-gen AirPods Pro sport the extra-small sizing. In addition, if you intend to use the earbuds during intense workout sessions, it may be wise to avoid the second-gen AirPods and AirPods Max, as neither of them offer any form of sweat and water resistance.

In contrast to the plastic AirPods, the AirPods Max are a large pair of over-ear headphones that offers stainless steel earcups with a curvy mesh headband. Thus, naturally, they’re the heaviest and biggest in the lineup. They also offer more color options; the earbuds only come in white, but you can buy the Max in silver, space grey, blue, pink, and green.

Charging cases (MagSafe, Lightning, etc.)

Apple sells two cases with its earbuds: a wired charging case that charges via a standard Lightning cable and a MagSafe-compatible model that can also charge via Lightning. All of the MagSafe charging cases are compatible with Apple’s MagSafe technology, as well as other Qi-compatible wireless chargers.

However, Apple only sells the second-gen AirPods with the Lightning Charging Case, which only gives your AirPods up to 24 hours of listening time instead of the 30 hours the other cases offer. Unlike the other charging cases in the AirPods lineup, Apple’s Lighting Charging Case also isn’t sweat- or water-resistant. In contrast, you can buy the third-gen AirPods with either a MagSafe Charging Case for $179 or a Lightning Charging Case for $169, though, we’d suggest that you forgo the latter if you can afford to.

The first-gen AirPods Pro came with a Lightning-only charging case when they launched in 2019, but it’s become harder to find that model in stock. Now both generations of the AirPods Pro come with a MagSafe charging case, though, the case for the newer model differs from its predecessor and the third-gen AirPods in that it features a built-in speaker and Find My support, which allows you to keep tabs on it more easily. Apple also outfitted it with a built-in loop, allowing you to attach the case to a lanyard.

As for the AirPods Max, they come with their own Smart Case, which is designed to preserve battery life by putting the headphones into a very low power state. Sadly, as noted in our AirPods Max review, Apple’s Smart Case is not particularly great, mainly because it does a bad job of protecting your headphones. The case also gets dirty too easily and has too many slits, which makes it easy for the ear cups to get scratched. Unlike Apple’s latest MagSafe Charging Case, it’s also not water-resistant.

Noise cancellation, spatial audio, and other features

When it comes to sound quality, we can safely say that all of Apple’s AirPods — with the exception of the second-gen AirPods Pro, which we have yet to test — do a great job. Yet each model offers a different set of features, some of which make for a better listening experience.

If you’re looking for a pair of noise-canceling earbuds, you’ll want to check out the AirPods Max or either generation of the AirPods Pro. All three offer active noise cancellation, which silences background noise so you can better focus on what you’re listening to. They also offer a helpful transparency mode, so you can hear ambient sounds around you while listening to music and other audio content.

However, where they differ is chips. The AirPods Max and the bulk of Apple’s AirPods lineup, including the first-gen AirPods Pro, are powered by Apple’s H1 chip, while the second-gen AirPods Pro uses Apple’s new H2 chip. As a result, the second-gen AirPods Pro offer an improved Adaptive Transparency mode that should help reduce harsh noises in your environment, along with better acoustics. Apple also says the new AirPods Pro can cancel up to twice the amount of noise as the first-gen AirPods Pro, a claim we’ve yet to test.

With the exception of the entry-level AirPods, each pair of AirPods offer personalized spatial audio support with dynamic head tracking across all Apple devices. As a result, the more recent AirPods models offer a more immersive, theater-like sound quality experience than the second-gen model, which lacks said feature. The second-gen model also lacks adaptive EQ, which supposedly adjusts output based on your ear shape, and custom high-excursion Apple drivers, which deliver more powerful bass. All except for the AirPods Max also include a custom high dynamic range amplifier that offers clear sound and lengthens battery life.

Finally, while the second-gen AirPods, first-gen AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max all offer dual optical sensors that help detect when they’re in (or on) your ears, the third-gen AirPods and second-gen AirPods Pro do not. Instead, the newer models use a skin detection sensor to more accurately gauge whether your AirPods are in your ears or not and, thus, whether they should play or pause audio.

Microphones

All of Apple’s in-ear AirPods offer two beamforming mics in each ear cup, with technology that should reduce outside noise and help better focus on your voice. However, unlike the other earbuds, the second-gen AirPods lack inward-facing microphones, so they’re unable to listen inside of your ear to reduce internal sounds. The AirPods Max, meanwhile, feature nine microphones: eight for active noise cancellation and three for voice pickup.

Battery life

The AirPods Max are, unsurprisingly, the clear winner in terms of battery life. Apple says they offer up to 20 hours of listening time on a single charge with active noise cancellation or the transparency mode on. With spatial audio enabled, the AirPods Max offer up to 20 hours of video playback on a single charge. Moreover, Apple claims a mere five minutes of charging can provide around 1.5 hours of listening time.

Interestingly, despite being more expensive than the third-gen AirPods, the second-gen AirPods Pro offer about the same battery life, while the first-gen AirPods Pro offer even less. Apple says both the third-gen AirPods and second-gen AirPods Pro offer a maximum of six hours of listening time and up to 30 hours with the included charging case; however, the new AirPods Pro offer up to 5.5 hours of battery life with spatial audio and head tracking turned on, whereas the third-gen AirPods offer a maximum of five hours.

In contrast, the first-gen AirPods Pro offered only a maximum of 4.5 hours of listening time with active noise cancellation on and five hours with it off, and up to 24 hours of listening time with the included charging case. If you were to charge any of the three models for five minutes, however, you should be able to get around an hour of listening time.

Naturally, the second-gen AirPods offer the least amount of battery life in the lineup. Apple claims the older AirPods offer up to five hours of listening time on a single charge, and over 24 hours of listening time with the included charging case. On paper, the second-gen AirPods need to be in the case for 15 minutes to achieve up to three hours of listening time.

Controls

The second-gen AirPods Pro are Apple’s first earbuds to offer swipe-based controls. This means you can swipe up or down on the stem to adjust the volume. However, like their predecessor and the in-ear AirPods, they still rely on tactile buttons for other settings. For example, you’ll need to click the stem to pause, play, or answer a call on the third-gen AirPods and both generations of the AirPods Pro. No matter which AirPods model you buy, however, you’ll be able to launch Siri using a simple voice command.

In contrast, the over-ear AirPods Max offer physical controls. Each pair features a Digital Crown — a larger version than the dial on the Apple Watch — as well as a secondary button you can use to alternate between active noise cancellation and transparency modes. However, there is no power button. Rather, they turn on when placed on your head.

Compatibility (and connectivity)

No matter which AirPods you buy, you’ll be able to automatically switch between your various Apple devices. All of the AirPods are also compatible with the latest iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs. However, the second-gen AirPods also work with older devices, like the iPhone 6 and the second-generation iPad Mini.

Pricing and availability

The most obvious difference between each AirPods model is the price. The $129 second-gen AirPods start at $129, although we often see third-party retailers like Amazon sell them for $99. The third-gen AirPods, meanwhile, vary in price depending upon which one you buy. Apple sells the version with a Lightning Charging Case for $169, while the model with the MagSafe charging case goes for $179. However, we regularly see the third-gen earbuds sell for anywhere between $149.99 and $169.99 at Amazon, Target, and elsewhere.

While Apple no longer sells them, you can also still buy the first-gen AirPods Pro on sale normally for around $174 instead of $249 from various retailers, including Walmart. The newest AirPods Pros, aka the second-gen model, are currently available for preorder for $249, but will likely go on sale as we approach Black Friday. Finally, the most expensive pair of AirPods, the AirPods Max, are listed at $549 but are often on sale for around $479.

Which should you buy?

Each model in the current AirPods lineup offers good sound quality, reliability, and great ease of use. But which you should buy depends upon your needs and budget.

If you want noise-canceling, over-ear headphones, it’s an easy choice: you should buy the AirPods Max. Yet things get a little more complex if you’re on the market for a pair of true wireless earbuds. If you want active noise cancellation, you’ll want to consider the AirPods Pro, as they’re the only earbuds in the current AirPods lineup that offer it. You may also want to consider the AirPods Pro (or even the third-gen AirPods) if you often engage in workouts, as they offer IPX4 sweat and water resistance. Plus, both the first- and second-gen AirPods Pro come with replaceable ear tips, which allow for a more secure, comfortable fit.

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

If you want the model with the best noise cancellation, though, that’s likely to be the second-gen AirPods Pro. While we haven’t yet tested these claims, Apple says they will be able to cancel out twice as much noise as their predecessor, while offering an improved Adaptive Transparency mode. If you have very small ears, you may want to opt for the second-gen AirPods Pro, as they come with a pair of extra-small ear tips.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, the first-gen AirPods Pro are often on sale for around $179.99. That’s roughly the same price as third-gen AirPods, and only $50 more than the entry-level, second-gen AirPods. Yet they offer active noise cancellation, too, as well as three replaceable sets of customizable ear tips. They also offer features the third-gen AirPods boast over the second-gen AirPods, like sweat and water resistance, a MagSafe charging case, and greater spatial audio support.

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One of the new features of iOS 16, and something that was again highlighted during Apple’s event on Wednesday, is personalized spatial audio. Once you’ve installed the latest iOS release on your iPhone beginning September 12th, you’ll be able to create a custom sound profile that should improve the sense of immersion and overall spatial audio experience you get from AirPods.

To produce this personalized tuning, Apple uses the iPhone’s front-facing TrueDepth camera to scan your ears. The process, which involves holding your iPhone about 10 to 20 centimeters from the side of your head, takes under a minute, and the resulting data is then used to optimize spatial audio for your unique ear shape. “The way we all perceive sound is unique, based on the size and shape of our head and ears,” Apple’s Mary-Ann Rau said during the keynote. “Personalized spatial audio will deliver the most immersive listening experience by precisely placing sounds in space that are tuned just for you.”

But Apple isn’t the first company to go down this path. Sony has offered “personalized 360 Reality Audio” since 2019 for supported music services like Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, and Nugs.net. Conceptually, it’s very similar: both Sony and Apple are trying to determine your ear structure and adjust spatial audio processing to account for the unique folds and contours of your ears. The goal is to maintain that 3D audio experience and eliminate any audio quirks that lessen the sensation.

Here’s how Sony explained the benefits to me back in June, courtesy of Kaz Makiyama, vice president of video and sound at Sony Electronics:

Humans are able to recognize spatial sound sources by the subtle shifts in the intensity and time of sound entering the left and right ears from the sound source. Plus, the sound may depend on our head and ear shape. So, by analyzing and reproducing the characteristics of both ears by taking pictures of the ears, this technology enables reproduction of the sound field while using headphones.

Sony’s approach, however, is slightly more awkward than Apple’s. The AirPods technique is built right into iOS settings. But to build a personalized sound field with Sony’s products, you have to snap an actual photo of each ear with the Headphones Connect app and your phone’s camera.

These images are uploaded to Sony’s servers for analysis — and then Sony holds on to them for 30 additional days so they can be used for internal research and feature improvements. The company says the ear pics are not personally associated with you during this window.

That’s not to say that Apple has completely nailed the ear-scanning procedure, either. Throughout the iOS 16 beta period, some across social media and Reddit have mentioned that the process can feel tedious and sometimes fails to detect an ear. I think the truth of the matter is there’s no dead simple way to pull this off while also getting a good, accurate read of your ear shape.

The consensus seems to be that it’s worth the effort: these personalized profiles often make a noticeable difference and can improve our perception of spatial audio. And Apple isn’t taking actual photos: the TrueDepth camera captures a depth map of your head and ear, much in the same way that Face ID learns your facial features.

Apple’s website notes that once you’ve created a personalized spatial audio profile from an iPhone, it will be synced across your other Apple devices, including Macs and iPads, to maintain a consistent experience. That’ll be true starting in October at least: you’ll need upcoming updates to macOS and iPadOS for the syncing to work. Personalized spatial audio will be supported on the third-generation AirPods, both generations of AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Max.

Apple has never claimed to be pulling off any firsts with personalized spatial audio. The company’s executives have routinely stated that their goal is to come up with the best execution of meaningful features, even if others — in this case, Sony — were already pushing in that direction.

Every Wednesday and Friday, The Verge publishes our flagship podcast, The Vergecast, where our editors make sense of the week’s most important technology news. On Fridays, Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel, editor-at-large David Pierce, and managing editor Alex Cranz discuss the week in tech news with the reporters and editors covering the biggest stories.

This week, Apple held its annual hardware event at the Steve Jobs Theater, debuting new iPhones, new Apple Watches, and new AirPods Pro. Nilay and David were able to attend the event in person and get a hands-on look at the new products. The crew discussed everything that happened at the event, first impressions of the phones and watches, and their expectations for Apple’s features in the next year.

Listen to the full discussion here or in your preferred podcast player.

Further reading:

Apple is delaying the release of iOS 16’s iCloud Shared Photo Library feature, saying it’s “coming later this year” instead of when the mobile operating system refresh launches on September 12th (via AppleInsider). An archived version of the iOS 16 webpage shows the notice about the delay was added sometime this week.

When it does launch, the feature will let you and up to five other people automatically share a collection of photos, with the option of including all the photos in your personal library, photos from after a specific date, or that include specific people.

It’s not particularly unusual for Apple to withhold features from the initial release — last year, iOS 15 launched without SharePlay, Universal Control, and better Find My support for AirPods. The features then trickled out over the next few months in point releases. iOS 16 doesn’t seem to have as many features that are getting pushed back, though the iPadOS 16 update for Apple’s tablets is delayed and will instead launch as iPadOS 16.1.

It’s possible that Apple putting iPadOS 16 on its own release schedule has something to do with the feature’s delay — it’s easy to imagine people setting it up on their phones, then being confused about why it’s not showing up on their iPad or Mac (macOS Ventura’s release date will be sometime in October, according to Apple’s site). Or, the company could just be exercising some extra caution, given that the feature deals with photos that people wouldn’t want to lose. Apple didn’t immediately reply to The Verge’s request for comment on its change in plans for the Shared Photo Library.

Apple introduced the rugged Apple Watch Ultra this week — with a bigger, brighter 49mm screen, an additional hardware button, a bigger battery, and better speakers — made for more extreme outdoor conditions. But I believe the $800 smartwatch can be used another way: to watch TV.

Wait, wait, wait, hear me out; it’s not a new idea. In 1982, Japanese watchmaker Seiko debuted a wristwatch that could receive UHF and VHF channels, albeit the actual receiver was in a huge belt pack you had to connect to the LCD screen on your wrist. The idea never really caught on (besides in the James Bond film Octopussy), but it introduced an exciting and futuristic television experience we still haven’t nailed yet.

When the original Apple Watch hit the market in 2015, references were made to the Seiko TV Watch. It was, after all, a futuristic Bond-esque wrist computer. But seven years later, barely any functionality around watching video has been added to the device. The two ways I have found to watch any sort of video is for someone to send me a clip via iMessage and then view it from my Apple Watch or to download a third-party app called WatchTube, which is a little buggy and lacks a lot of video playing features. Neither of these methods is very close to the experience of television. With the Apple Watch Ultra’s screen, speaker, and battery life upgrades, video support is now a more justifiable request.

I’m not sure viewing prestige TV like House of the Dragon or movies like Top Gun: Maverick would be a great experience on a watch, but what if we could watch something like… a baseball game straight from our wrists? An ambient yet active television pastime. It’s the future that the Seiko TV Watch promised: to have the most portable hands-free television live at a moment’s notice. I would absolutely love to go on a walk in my neighborhood with the Yankees game attached to my arm without having to constantly unlock my phone or take it out of my pocket to view what just happened. I just heard Aaron Judge hit a fly ball into left field; how fast can I check the screen to see if someone catches it?

I think one scenario is enough to warrant a software feature most times, but I will share a few more. What if you’re kneading dough for your outdoor pizza oven and you want to watch the gubernatorial debate? Perhaps you are shoveling asphalt during the Indy 500. You are running track in the morning and love The Drew Barrymore Show. The elevator is stuck and you need to call maintenance, but it’s late in the fourth quarter and the Giants are driving down by four. Scuba diving during the Olympics opening ceremony? Who needs picture-in-picture mode when you can watch The Tonight Show on your phone and The Late Show on your watch simultaneously? Oh my god, what if you get one of those little Apple Watch stands that looks like an old Macintosh and watch the US Open on your desk while you work? I would like to keep Emily in Paris playing on my portable TV while I am throwing a frisbee on the beach. Forget about the classic sitcom predicament about the father who has to go to church during the Big Game. Who’s to say, but perhaps having Quibi available to watch on your wrist would have saved the streaming service.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

The customizable action button on the Apple Watch Ultra would be great for changing channels on a linear TV app like Pluto TV or YouTube TV or rewinding a video back 30 seconds to replay a clip from Apple TV Plus’ Friday Night Baseball coverage. A hardware button makes play, pause, fast-forward, and closed captioning a little easier with a tiny screen. The brighter screen would make it easier to watch in bright outdoor environments, like tailgating at a concert. The upgraded speakers enable you to watch without your AirPods for family viewing.

Though the technology is here, the Apple Watch Ultra still won’t let you do this. Is it because it would diminish the already short battery life of the device for a feature only a few people would actually use? Is it because Apple wants you to think of the watch as a health device and not a television? Probably. But the dream is still alive. There’s a reason why someone made a third-party YouTube app for the watch, and I’ve seen a few weird tiny-screen gadgets people have been strapping to their wrists. As batteries are lasting longer and processors are getting faster, we’ve hit the point where TV can be watched anywhere. So it’s time to be able to watch TV on my watch.

After Apple’s announcement that the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro can send messages via satellite in emergency situations, it’s becoming clear that the company hasn’t just introduced a new feature. In typical fashion, it’s also practically overnight become a key player in a new industry by getting heavily involved with satellite communications by adding Emergency SOS via satellite.

Apple has partnered with Globalstar for its satellite operations, and it plans on using the company’s 24-satellite constellation to run its service, confirming the long-running rumors about its plans for the Band 53 / n53 communications. In practice, this means that Apple has joined the litany of companies attempting to “eliminate dead zones,” as T-Mobile put it when it announced a partnership with SpaceX last month to create its own emergency communications service. Like that service, Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite will initially only be available in the US and Canada. (Even there, there are a few caveats — it might be less reliable in northern parts of Alaska, and not all international travelers will be able to use the feature when visiting.)

Given how big a physical, financial, and regulatory endeavor launching satellites into space is, there’s a surprising number of players in the field. One company called Lynk Global is attempting to build a worldwide emergency communications network that works with unmodified phones, and it claims that it became the first to send a text from space during a 2020 test of its satellite. Meanwhile, a company called AST SpaceMobile hopes to use satellite-to-phone communications for 4G and even 5G internet and is planning on deploying a test satellite by the end of this week. Amazon’s even involved with its Project Kuiper, but so far the agreements we’ve heard about for that system involved beaming internet to cell towers rather than directly to phones.

During the “Far Out” iPhone 14 launch event on Wednesday, Apple made it clear that it’s going to be involved with the satellite emergency response system. “We’ve set up relay centers staffed with highly-trained emergency specialists ready to get your texts and call an emergency service provider on your behalf,” said Ashley Williams, the company’s manager of satellite modeling and simulation. And while the company hinted it was involved in “infrastructure innovation” for the feature over the past few years, that doesn’t quite capture the scale of its investment.

According to a report from Reuters, Apple is putting $450 million toward satellite infrastructure, with most of that investment going to Globalstar. Apple also agreed to pay for 95 percent of the costs for new satellites associated with the feature, according to an SEC filing.

Image: Apple

Based on Globalstar’s revenue estimates in the filing, Tim Farrar, an analyst at satellite and telecom-focused consulting and research firm Telecom, Media and Finance Associates, said that he expects those satellites to cost Apple up to $50 million by 2026. Farrar also noted that Apple seems to be paying a “relatively low price” for the service. “Globalstar had revenues of $124 million last year. This is scheduled to go up to $185-$230 million in 2023,” he said, saying that indicated Apple would be paying around $110 million to Globalstar next year. Apple has announced the service will be free to users for the first two years but hasn’t said how much it’ll cost after that.

That price could put pressure on other satellite operators. “T-Mobile might not be willing to pay more than $100 million per year,” Farrar said, referring to the carrier’s recent announcement that it was partnering with SpaceX to provide emergency text services in the US and planned to start testing the service next year. Lynk and AST already have some agreements in place with carriers around the world and have said they’re working on others — it’s hard to imagine that Apple’s official announcement won’t impact those conversations in some way.

That’s especially true given that Globalstar doesn’t seem interested in working solely with Apple. As analyst Harold Feld points out, the company’s filing includes a list of other partners that could potentially be interested in using its terrestrial spectrum. That list includes “cable companies, legacy or upstart wireless carriers, system integrators, utilities and other infrastructure operators.” (It also seems like other satellite operators are interested in that spectrum but not through a partnership with Globalstar. On September 6th, SpaceX filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission asking the regulator to allow it to share the Band 53 and n53 spectrum that Apple’s partner uses.)

Feld thinks that the inclusion of major carriers and their competitors indicates that “Globalstar hopes this will become a popular feature.” He does point out, though, that Apple’s agreement with the satellite provider gives it the right to “veto decisions that would negatively impact Globalstar’s ability to fulfill its obligations to Apple.” In other words, if Apple thinks an agreement with another carrier would put too much strain on the network, it could shut the proposal down.

That power creates an interesting regulatory situation. According to Feld, once a company has a high enough level of investment or control over a company that’s licensed to use spectrum, the FCC considers it as having “an attributable interest,” basically saying that it’s a part owner. So far, Feld says, Apple hasn’t reached this level — but if Apple wants to increase its investment in or control of Globalstar much more, it may have to get approval from regulators.

Apple introducing a satellite communications feature to the iPhone was always going to have a big impact on the market as a whole — and even more so for any company it works with to make that happen. We’ve seen it in fitness, fashion, entertainment, and other areas, and now, space is joining the list. The details show just how involved Apple now is with Globalstar and its satellites. Like with so many other things, it clearly isn’t content to just have a partner that does its own thing while providing a service.

Correction September 8th, 5:18PM ET: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Emergency SOS via satellite will only be available in the US. It’ll also be available in Canada. We regret the error.

Avid iPhone fans worldwide are reporting a tough time preordering Apple’s new products. The iPhone 14, 14 Pro, and AirPods Pro 2 all went up for preorder today, and people have had issues ranging from the Apple Store app and website not loading, financing not working, failure to verify phone numbers, and credit cards not working.

Just like with the iPhone 13 last year, Apple has a pre-preorder system that allows you to speed up the checkout process. You could select the iPhone you’re interested in, select accessories, and set up your payment and shipping. Then when preorders open, all you would have to do is check out. This system, however, apparently has failed at an abnormally high rate if you see the complaints online. For those that eventually put orders through, some reported their shipping dates had slipped by at least a week. Carrier sites seem to also be having similar issues.

Others are smooth sailing through the process, getting their orders in and delivery dates set for September 16th. Among Verge staff, senior editor Tom Warren had no hiccups checking out with Apple Pay, but some of us did hit walls. Reporter Jon Porter gave up trying after the store failed while trying to process his phone number, and managing editor Alex Cranz had delays before getting an order through — even with Apple Pay and a pre-preorder setup configured.

Last year, there were rumblings about iPhone 13 preorders not going through as well, especially for people attempting to use Apple Card or using carrier upgrades during checkout. The issue prevailed for at least around 30 minutes after preorders opened, and it eventually started going through — but not without shipping dates slipping by a few weeks.

Reports suggested Apple projected a flat iPhone production this year compared to 2021, as post-pandemic tech purchases peak, issues stemming from supply constraints, and smartphone evolutions stagnate. But iPhone revenue continued to grow earlier this year despite the lead-up to the iPhone 14 announcement — perhaps demand for the new models is higher than anticipated.