Discounted $249 iPhone SE Once Again Back in Stock on Apple's Clearance Site

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4-inch iPhone enthusiasts who have been unable to take advantage of the $249 iPhone SE deal on Apple's clearance site can once again make a purchase, as Apple has restocked the website and has a limited supply of remaining iPhone SE models available.

The models available today are unlocked but have SIM cards from carriers that include TracFone, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. There are a range of colors available from each carrier, with 32GB models priced at $249 and 128GB models priced at $299.


Apple has been offering iPhone SE models on clearance since mid-January, but available stock often sells out quickly. Apple has done several restocks, however, giving those who prefer smaller devices one last chance to purchase a 4-inch iPhone on the cheap.

Apple originally discontinued the iPhone SE in September 2018 when the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR were announced. Apple's iPhone lineup now starts with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus as its entry level devices.

The iPhone SE, first announced in March 2016, was the last 4-inch smartphone that Apple offered, with the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models now the smallest that Apple officially sells in retail stores.

With these clearance sales, Apple seems to be getting rid of remaining iPhone SE stock, and it's clear that available supply is dwindling. Those who want to get an iPhone SE should do so soon because it's not known how many more restocks Apple will be offering.


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Apple Seeds Third Public Beta of macOS Mojave 10.14.4

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Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.4 update to its public beta testing group, one day after seeding the third beta to developers and two weeks after releasing the second macOS Mojave 10.14.4 public beta.

The macOS Mojave update can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store after downloading the appropriate profile from Apple's beta testing website. Apple's beta testing site gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.


macOS Mojave 10.14.4, along with iOS 12.2, introduces support for Apple News in Canada for the first time, allowing Canadian users to read the news in French or English.

The update also includes support for Touch ID-enabled Safari AutoFill and automatic Dark Mode themes in Safari. That means if you have Dark Mode enabled on macOS Mojave, when you visit a website with a dark theme, it will be activated automatically. You can see a demo of the feature here.

macOS Mojave 10.14.4 will likely be in beta testing for the next several weeks as Apple refines features and works out bugs. After that, it will see a release alongside iOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2, and tvOS 12.2.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave

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Apple Seeds Third Beta of Upcoming tvOS 12.2 Update to Developers

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Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 12.2 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the second beta and a month after releasing the tvOS 12.1.2 update.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 12.2 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode. Once the initial beta has been downloaded, subsequent betas can be installed over the air.


tvOS 12.2, paired with iOS 12.2, lets users ask Siri to play specific media on an Apple TV from an iOS device. You can, for example, ask Siri to play Modern Family on the TV in the living room, or Pitch Perfect on the TV in the bedroom. This works for music and TV shows, and movies.

No other new features were discovered in the tvOS 12.2 beta as of yet, and it can be difficult to determine what's new because Apple does not provide release notes for tvOS betas or releases. If additional features are discovered in tvOS 12.2, we'll update this post.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12

Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

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Apple Seeds Third Beta of watchOS 5.2 to Developers

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Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 5.2 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the second watchOS 5.2 beta and a month after releasing watchOS 5.1.3.

Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.


To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

The watchOS 5.2 update introduces a set of new Hermès watch faces, as discovered by French site WatchGeneration. The watch faces are available in pink and blue, and feature a gradient-style design that changes much like other Hermès watch faces. There are customizable numbers and an option for a single complication.


There were no other major changes discovered in watchOS with the release of the first two betas, but we'll update this post should we find new features or major tweaks worth noting in the third.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 5

Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

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Chrome OS 74 bringing audio support to Linux apps on Chromebooks

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Apple Wins Patent on Long-Delayed AirPods Wireless Charging Case and AirPower

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published a newly granted Apple patent related to an "inductively chargeable earbud case." While the AirPods and AirPower are not named in the patent, the illustrations clearly show an AirPods-like wireless charging case on an AirPower-like charging mat.


Many current inductive charging mats require precisely aligning a smartphone or other device with the coils inside the mat for the most efficient power transfer. As noted by AppleInsider, however, Apple's patent describes a method that would allow the AirPods case to be placed anywhere on the AirPower.

Apple's solution is to use a pair of small charging coils in the case, occupying the bottom left and right hand corners of the rear section, typically the side that would make contact with a charging pad. Both coils would be capable of receiving a charge from a charging pad, effectively doubling its chances of being in an optimal charging position.

Apple first previewed the AirPower and optional AirPods wireless charging case at its September 2017 event. At the time, Apple promised that the AirPower was coming in 2018, but the year came and went without any release.


Last year, a report suggested that Apple faced technical difficulties with the AirPower that likely delayed its release. Recent reports claim that Apple has since overcome those issues and instructed its suppliers to begin mass production of the AirPower, with several rumors hinting at an imminent release.

Just a few days ago, for example, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the AirPower and AirPods case will launch in the first half of 2019.

Multiple sources claim Apple will host a special event at Steve Jobs Theater on Monday, March 25, but Apple's widely expected subscription-based news and video services are expected to be the focus of the keynote. By the sounds of it, there may be few to no hardware announcements at the event.

AirPower already had stage time, so a press release could be appropriate for its release, potentially alongside embargoed reviews. Rumored updates to the iPad, iPad mini, and iPod touch also sound minor, with few changes expected beyond faster processors and a slightly larger screen for the 9.7-inch iPad, so they could be press release worthy too.

Related Roundup: AirPods 2

Tags: patent, AirPower

Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution)

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Apple Releasing Third Developer Beta of iOS 12.2 Today

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Apple will today seed the third beta of an upcoming iOS 12.2 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the second beta of iOS 12.2 and a month since the release of iOS 12.1.3.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.2 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center. The update will be available right around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time or 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.


iOS 12.2 expands Apple News to Canada for the first time, with Canadian iPhone and iPad users able to read news stories in English, French, or both. Apple says that during the beta, content will be more limited than it will when the update is released.


There are new Animoji in the iOS 12.2 beta, including a boar, a shark, a giraffe, and an owl. Animoji can be used within the Messages and FaceTime apps.


The software introduces support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit on third-party TVs in light of recent AirPlay 2 announcements, with a new option for limiting TV access joining the speaker access option in the Home app. There's also a redesigned TV remote in Control Center, and when paired with tvOS 12.2, you can ask Siri to play specific TV shows, movies, and music on your HomeKit devices like the Apple TV.


For some AT&T users, there's a new "5G E" icon for the cellular signal, replacing the standard LTE icon. This is a bit misleading of AT&T, because the iPhone does not support 5G, nor is the network AT&T calls 5G E actual 5G. Instead, it's an upgraded version of LTE, with more info available here.

The Wallet app's interface has been streamlined and tweaked, there's a new interface for Apple Pay Cash, and the Downtime feature in Screen Time now allows you to customize by day. Apple has also made minor changes to some icons, including the AirPlay icon, and introduced new Safari features, with a full list available in in our iOS 12.2 tidbits post.


Apple is improving Safari's privacy in iOS 12.2 through a new Motion & Orientation toggle located under Settings > Safari > Privacy > Security, which is disabled by default. The setting needs to be enabled on to allow websites to display content that relies on motion data from the accelerometer and gyroscope in the iPhone and iPad.

iOS 12.2 confirms that Apple is planning to release second-generation AirPods with "Hey Siri" support, thanks to a hidden "Hey Siri" AirPods setup screen in the beta. The inclusion of the AirPods setup option in the beta indicates that Apple could perhaps be planning to release new AirPods when iOS 12.2 is released.

The update also features hints of an upcoming Apple News subscription service, which could see a Texture-like magazine service added to Apple News.

The iOS 12.2 is likely to see several rounds of beta testing before it launches to the public.

Related Roundup: iOS 12

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