Apple has released iOS 18 as a software update for all iPhone users, after a summer of beta testing the new system software.

While iOS 18 isn’t a revolutionary software update, it does offer many new customization options and features for iPhone and iPad users, including the ability to color hue icons and widgets, new Dark Mode icons, an option to make icons larger on the Home Screen, the ability to customize the redesigned Control Center, a dedicated Passwords app, a Calculator app on iPad, new Safari features like Distraction Control which lets you select obnoxious areas on a webpage to hide, a redesigned Photos app that will confuse some users, the ability to schedule Messages, along with many smaller changes to apps like Notes and Mail. Later, starting with iOS 18.1, users with compatible devices will also find Apple Intelligence AI features throughout the operating system.

iOS 18 for iPhone arrives alongside iPadOS 18 for iPad, as well as watchOS 11 for Apple Watch, macOS Sequoia for Mac, and tvOS 18 for Apple TV.

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Apple has released watchOS 11 for Apple Watch. The new software update includes a variety of new features and changes for Apple Watch, including new fitness and health features and insights, improvements to Smart Stacks, sleep apnea notifications on eligible devices, new watch face options, a Translate app, and more.

Apple Watch users will also need to make sure they are running iOS 18 on iPhone that is paired with their device.

Separate from watchOS 11, Apple has also released iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia 15.0, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2.

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macOS Sequoia has been officially released by Apple, and is now available to all Mac users. Versioned as MacOS 15.0, Sequoia takes its name from the famous big trees and national park in Apple’s home state of California.

macOS Sequoia brings some exciting new features to the Mac, most notable being iPhone Mirroring, an intriguing feature that allows you to control an iPhone from your Mac using the cursor and drag and drop files and photos easily between the devices. You’ll find a variety of other new features too, including a dedicated Passwords app, easier window tiling, new wallpapers, new screensavers, Highlights and Distraction Control in Safari, scheduling in Messages, live audio transcription in Notes app, and more. Later in the year, macOS Sequoia will also gain Apple Intelligence AI features that do things like help you write, summarize text, rewrite text into different tones or styles, and ChatGPT integration.

All Mac users with a compatible Mac can download and install macOS Sequoia right now.

Separately, Apple has also released iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2.

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iOS 18 will become available as a software update for iPhone on Monday, September 16, alongside iPadOS 18 for iPad. With some fun new features, customization options, and capabilities, it’s easy to see why people are excited about installing the new software update on their iPhone or iPad.

Before you dive into updating your iPhone to iOS 18, or iPad to ipadOS 18, consider taking a few steps to prepare your device.

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Apple has bestowed upon us some wonderful weekend reading, in the form of all new iCloud Terms and Conditions, which are required to accept if you wish to continue to use iCloud on your Apple devices. It’s iCloud, it’s Terms, and it’s Conditions… iCloud. Terms. Conditions… are you getting it yet? This is not three separate documents!

It’s a page turner from the very beginning where Apple welcomes you – and you do feel that welcome, don’t you? – to the very end where they provide a URL for the web version of the document, the full new iCloud Terms and Conditions comes in at a soothing 10,437 words. That’s roughly 21 pages of a single-spaced text document, or 42 pages double-spaced for all you students out there, making the new iCloud Terms and Conditions roughly the length of a healthy college dissertation.

The writing style is effortless and riveting, and it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat like a Jack Carr novel, rising to a thrilling crescendo once it reaches the section on how you’re not allowed to use any of the Apple software or services to participate in the “development, design, manufacture or production of missiles, nuclear, chemical or biological weapons” (seriously, it says that, so don’t do any of that).

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In all of the hubbub about the new iPhone 16 series and release candidate builds for macOS Sequoia, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18, you might have missed when Apple announced what the official release dates will be for all of their new operating systems.

Let’s clear that up right now so that you can be ready to download the install the iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and tvOS 18 onto your eligible devices.

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Apple has issued the macOS Sequoia 15 release candidate build for Mac users participating in the beta testing programs, for both developer and public beta testers.

Separately, you’ll find downloads for iOS 18 release candidate, iPadOS 18 release candidate, watchOS 11 release candidate, tvOS 18 release candidate, and visionOS 2 release candidate, for those eligible devices as well.

If you’ve been waiting for the RC build or want to jump ahead of the broader public release date next Monday, you can install macOS Seqouia release candidate through the developer beta or public beta program right now. All other users will gain access to macOS Sequoia on September 16, according to Apple, assuming they have a Mac compatible with macOS Sequoia.

The full release notes for macOS Sequoia RC, as well as IPSW and package installer links, are further below.

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Apple has issued the Release Candidate build for iOS 18 for iPhone, alongside iPadOS 18 Release Candidate. The RC, or Release Candidate, build is typically the final version that will match the public release, and is available now labeled simply as iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 for any iPhone or iPad user that is enrolled in the public or developer beta testing programs.

Separately, macOS Sequoia Release Candidate has also been made available, alongside Release Candidate builds for WatchOS 11 and tvOS 18.

If you’ve been on the sidelines and have a iOS 18 compatible iPhone model, you can install iOS 18 RC through the beta program or iPadOS 18 RC as well. Presumably this RC build will match the final version of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, which are set to launch for all users on September 16.

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Apple has announced the all new iPhone 16 series, including iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Each new iPhone supports Apple Intelligence, the upcoming AI feature suite debuting in October.

As is expected with the annual iPhone update cycle, each new iPhone offers faster performance with improved cameras, and include a variety of other marginal improvements to things like the microphone and power efficiency, compared to the prior model iPhones they are replacing.

We watched the keynote and waded through all the aggressive Apple marketing language and buzzwords, and the gist of the new iPhone 16 series is as follows:

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Apple has announced the all new Apple Watch Series 10, with a slight redesign that is a little thinner, larger screens, sleep apnea detection features, temperature sensors for the wrist and water, a water depth sensor, a slightly lighter weight, and faster charging.

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WatchOS 11 features some intriguing new capabilities for Apple Watch, particularly for health and fitness. With a new Vitals app, training load feature, customizations for and the ability to pause Activity rings, Translate app for Apple Watch, Cycle Tracking app, Smart Stack, customizations to the Photos face, and more, it’s easy to see why Apple Watch users are excited about the watchOS 11 software update.

But will your Apple Watch run watchOS 11? What are the supported Apple Watch models, and what are the requirements? Let’s dive in and find out.

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iPadOS 18 for iPad includes some exciting new features for iPad users, from more interface customization options like Dark Mode icons and widgets, color hued icons and widgets, a customizable Control Center, the debut of a Calculator app for iPad, Passwords app, a Photos redesign, improvements to Notes app, new features in Safari like Distraction Control, and tons of AI Apple Intelligence features throughout the operating system, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy and productive.

Like every new major system software release, iPadOS 18 has specific system requirements, however, and not every iPad model is compatible with the new operating system. And even if the iPad can run iPadOS 18, that doesn’t mean it will gain all features, because some features like Apple Intelligence AI have even stricter system requirements and compatibility.

Read along to discover which iPad models support iPadOS 18, and if the iPad supports Apple Intelligence AI features, too. This article will focus on iPad, but if you’re curious about what iPhone models support iOS 18 or which Macs support macOS Sequoia, you can check out those lists too.

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The classic science fiction FPS (First Person Shooter) game “Marathon Infinity” is now available to play for free from Steam, for Mac and Windows.

Marathon Infinity, originally released in 1996, is the third game in the Marathon series, and continues the theme of battling hostile aliens in unusual settings. Marathon Infinity introduced some intriguing and innovative gameplay ideas that were certainly unique for its time, like time travel and non-linear storytelling. The first two Marathon games are also available free to play on Steam, and you can get them all free here from the Aleph One project if you’d rather not use Steam too.

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Labor Day Weekend continues and so do the sweet deals from Amazon on select Apple products. Many of these Labor Day deals are some of the best prices of all time on these products, so if you’re shopping around for new Apple hardware anyway you might as well enjoy the hefty discounts from Amazon.

iPad 9th gen for $199!

The iPad 9th gen might be the best Apple deal of Labor Day Weekend, coming in at just $199, down from the $329 retail price. The 9th gen iPad is also the last model with a Home button, making it a particularly valuable product for users who are accustomed to that method of interaction. Amazon is also offering a decent discount on the 13″ iPad Air M2 model, if you’d rather have a larger screen and more powerful processor.

• iPad 10″ 9th generation – $199 (down from $329)
• M2 iPad Air 13″ – $735 (down from $799)

15″ M3 MacBook Air 16GB / 512GB for $250 Off

The M3 MacBook Air with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD is available at a $250 discount on Amazon in both the 13″ and 15″ display sizes. This is a great price for a great Apple laptop:

• 15″ MacBook Air M3 – 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD – $1449 (down $250 from $1699)
• 13″ MacBook Air M3 – 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD – $1249 (down $250 from $1499)

The upgraded models offer better performance than the base models, with double the RAM and storage space, making these particularly great deals.

M3 Pro MacBook Pro 14″ & 16″ Up to $500 Off

The M3 MacBook Pro in both 14″ and 16″ display sizes are available from Amazon with some huge discounts, taking up to $500 off the retail price:

• MacBook Pro 14″ 18GB / 512GB for $1699 (down from $1999
• MacBook Pro 16″ 18GB / 512GB for $1999 (down from $2499)
• MacBook Pro 16″ 36GB / 1TB for $2999 (down from $3499)

Apple Watch Series 9 for $299 (down $100)

Amazon is offering Apple Watch Series 9 for $299, taking $100 off the MSRP. You’ll find the big discounted price available for a variety of colors and band options, so explore to find the one that suits you best. Apple Watch 9 offers excellent fitness/activity tracking capabilities, and health monitoring tools like a heart rate monitor, ECG, ovulation tracking, GPS, and more.

• Apple Watch Series 9 – $299 (down $100 from $399, various colors)

AirPods from $89

Want some fancy AirPods or AirPods Pro? They’re available at nice discounts still:

• AirPods Pro 2nd gen with USB-C Charging for $199 (down from $249)
• AirPods 2nd gen at $89 (down from $129)

AirTags 4-pack for $79

AirTag personal trackers are available as a 4-pack for just $80:

• AirTags – 4-pack – $79 (down from $99)

FTC: OSXDaily is an affiliate partner with Amazon, meaning if you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment which goes towards keeping the site running.

Amazon is offering some fantastic deals on Apple products this Labor Day weekend, so if you’re in the market for some new Apple gear, whether it’s a swanky new MacBook or iPad, or just want a huge discount on an Apple Watch or AirPods, it’s a good time to be shopping for some new Apple kit.

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Apple has released MacOS Sequoia public beta 6, iOS 18 public beta 6, and iPadOS 18 public beta 6, to users enrolled in the public beta testing programs. The build numbers match the 8th developer betas of the same MacOS/iOS/iPadOS versions, which were just released as well. You’ll also find new betas for watchOS 11 and tvOS 18, if you’re interested in those too.

Apple has issued the 5th public beta of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. The 5th public beta build matches the 7th developer beta build, as is typically the case.

With an Apple event coming just around the corner on September 9 where release dates for the final versions are expected to be announced, these new versions of beta system software are getting awfully close to finalization, so if you’ve been thinking about installing iOS 18 public beta on iPhone, installing MacOS Sonoma public beta on Mac, or installing iPadOS 18 public beta on iPad, these builds should be significantly more stable than earlier beta releases. But of course they’re still betas, so you shouldn’t expect things to be perfect. You’ll want to make sure you have a MacOS Sequoia compatible Mac, or iOS 18 compatible iPhone, before jumping in, as well.

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Amazon is blowing out the iPad 9th gen at a huge 40% discount, taking the price to just $199, down from the $329 MSRP.

The 9th gen iPad features an A13 Bionic chip, a 10.2″ LCD Retina display, 64GB of storage, wi-fi, a 12MP front camera, 8MP rear camera, great battery life, and Touch ID with a Home button – this is the last iPad model to have a Home button so if you or a loved one favors the Home button models this is a particularly compelling option.

• iPad 9th gen for $199 (down from $329)

The 9th gen iPad is also compatible with iPadOS 18, which is due out soon, so you’ll be able to run the latest and greatest upcoming operating system from Apple with it’s snazzy new features too.

This is likely the best iPad deal for Labor Day weekend sales – if you find another iPad available at 40% or better discount, share it with us! – so if you’re in the market and shopping around for a new couch web browser, kid iPad, iPad for the grandparents, or whatever you can imagine, this sale price will be tough to beat.

FTC: OSXDaily is an affiliate partner with Amazon, meaning if you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment which goes towards keeping the site running.

The third beta versions of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and MacOS Sequoia 15.1, have been released by Apple. Each of these versions of beta system software support Apple Intelligence (assuming the iPhone, iPad, or Mac supports it too, anyway), whereas the iOS/ipadOS 18.0 and macOS 15.0 versions do not.

With the amount of betas that Apple is releasing these days, it’s pretty easy to get lost and wonder which is for what and why there are concurrent betas. To put it simply, it’s this; while Apple Intelligence AI features were announced at the same time as iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and MacOS Sequoia 15, Apple mentioned those AI features would be coming later. That “later” version that supports Apple Intelligence AI is iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and MacOS Sequoia 15.1.

While iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and MacOS Sequoia 15.1 will run on any compatible device, Apple Intelligence AI itself has very strict system requirements; for example, while there are many iOS 18 compatible iPhones, only iPhone 15 Pro or newer supports Apple Intelligence, and similarly, while there are more MacOS Sequoia compatible Macs, only Apple Silicon Macs will support Apple Intelligence. Assuming your device supports Apple Intelligence AI, you an opt into enabling Apple Intelligence on your device. If your device does not support Apple Intelligence, you can instead run the ChatGPT app on just about any iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and gain many of the same capabilities and features, except that it’s not embedded in the operating system

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