New iPhones to Debut on September 10 According to File Found in iOS 13 Beta 7

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Apple today released the seventh beta of iOS 13, and an image hidden within the update suggest Apple is going to hold an event to show off new iPhones on Tuesday, September 10.

An iOS 13 screenshot in the beta, covertly named "HoldForRelease," features the Calendar app with the date set to Tuesday the 10th.


The screenshot was originally found by iHelpBR, and the site points out that a similar screenshot was found last year ahead of the September 12 iPhone event with a September 12 date.

September 10 is a very likely date for the iPhone event based on the dates of past iPhone events, and we would be surprised were it not held on that date. Almost all iPhone events in recent history have been held during the second week of September, and generally on Tuesdays.

Last week's Wednesday, September 12 event was an anomaly because September 11 fell on a Tuesday and Apple prefers Tuesday or Wednesday to Monday in order to give members of the media time to travel.

We've also heard the September 10 date bandied about from multiple sources that have contacted us. All three new iPhones are expected to debut at the event and see a release shortly after. Last year, the iPhone XS and XS Max were released in September ahead of the iPhone XR, which came in October.

With the iPhone event likely to be held on September 10, pre-orders for the new devices could take place on September 13 with a launch to follow on September 20. Apple often releases iOS updates two days ahead of when new iPhones become available, so iOS 13 could be released on September 18.

Related Roundups: 2019 iPhones, iOS 13, iPadOS

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Siri Answers 83% of Questions Correctly in Test, Beating Alexa But Trailing Google Assistant

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In an annual test comparing Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa on smartphones, Loup Ventures' Gene Munster found that Siri was able to correctly answer 83 percent of questions, beating Alexa but trailing behind Google Assistant.

Munster asked each digital assistant 800 questions during the test to compare how each one responded. Alexa answered 79.8 percent of questions correctly, while Google Assistant answered 92.9 percent of questions correctly.


Compared to last year, Siri has seen improvement. During the July 2018 test, Siri answered 79 percent of questions correctly compared to the 83 percent of questions answered right this time around. Alexa last year was at 61 percent while Google Assistant was at 86, so there have been digital voice assistant improvements across the board.


This test covered smartphones specifically, comparing iPhones and Android devices. Munster says that smartphones were isolated from smart speakers because while underlying technology is similar, "use cases vary." Siri was tested on an iPhone running iOS 12.4, Google Assistant on a Pixel XL, and Alexa in the iOS app.

Questions were based on five categories and all assistants were asked the same 800 questions. Each question set was designed to "comprehensively test a digital assistant's ability and utility." Some of the sample questions across each of the categories:

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• Local - Where is the nearest coffee shop?
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• Commerce - Order me more paper towels.
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• Navigation - How do I get to Uptown on the bus?
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• Information - Who do the Twins play tonight?
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• Command - Remind me to call Jerome at 2 pm today
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Siri did best in the command, local, and navigation categories, faring less well in the information and commerce categories. Siri actually won out in the command category, but trailed behind Google Assistant in other categories.

Siri continues to prove more useful with phone-related functions like calling, texting, emailing, calendar, and music. Both Siri and Google Assistant, which are baked into the OS of the phone, far outperformed Alexa in the Command section.

Munster says that the continued rate of improvement "continues to surprise" based on the notable improvements that each voice assistant has demonstrated over the course of the last few years.

In the future, Loup Ventures expects to see further improvements from extending the feature sets of each voice assistant.


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What's New in iOS 13 Beta 7

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Apple today released the seventh beta of iOS 13 to developers, bringing new bug fixes and refining iOS 13 and iPadOS features introduced in previous betas.

Now that we're up to the seventh beta, changes and tweaks are getting much more minor, but there are still a few new things worth noting.

- Folders - Folder backgrounds are once again gray, with changes made in the previous beta reverted.

- Dark Mode - The Dark Mode Control Center widget wording has been tweaked. Instead of saying Light Appearance or Dark Appearance, it now says Light Mode or Dark Mode.


- Deleting Attachments in Messages - You can once again delete photo and other attachments from Messages. In a conversation, tap on the "i" and long press on a photo, link, or document to bring up a menu to delete it.


- Blocked Senders in Mail - There are new options to determine what to do with messages from blocked senders. You can move them to the trash or mark as blocked and leave them in the inbox (the default option).


- Silence Unknown Callers - When toggling on Silence Unknown Callers, there's new text in the Phone app that lets you know incoming calls will continue to ring from people in your contacts, recent outgoing calls, and Siri Suggestions.


- All Photos View - When viewing "All Photos" in the main Photos tab in iOS 13, Photos are displayed in a grid three across instead of the smaller thumbnails that were available before.


- Find My - Notify When Found is now working in the Find My app in this beta.

- Do Not Disturb - Do Not Disturb settings now sync properly between iPhone and Apple Watch.

Know of a feature that's new in iOS 13 beta 7 that we left out? Make sure to let us know in the comments and we'll update this article. For more on what's new in iOS 13, make sure to check out our iOS 13 roundup.

Related Roundups: iOS 13, iPadOS

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Apple Seeds Seventh Beta of watchOS 6 to Developers

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Apple today seeded the seventh beta of watchOS 6, the software that runs on the Apple Watch. The new beta comes a week after the sixth beta and two months after Apple first unveiled the new watchOS update at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

To install the watchOS 6 beta, you'll need the proper configuration profile, which can be obtained through the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the beta can be downloaded using the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.


Installing the software requires the Apple Watch to have 50 percent battery. It also needs to be put on a charger and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS 6 is a major update that offers up a long list of new features. First and foremost, there's an App Store right on the Apple Watch, so you can find and download new Apple Watch apps on your wrist.

Apple Watch apps no longer need to have an iPhone component, which means developers can create standalone Apple Watch apps for the first time. Apps are able to take advantage of new APIs so you'll be able to do things like follow along with a workout or listen to streaming music from third-party services.


Since Apple Watch apps are now independent of apps on the iPhone, you can now remove some built-in apps from the Apple Watch, a feature that was enabled in beta 3.

There are several new watch faces in watchOS 6, including Numerals Mono and Duo with huge numbers, Modular Compact, a Gradient watch face that shifts over the course of a day, a Solar Dial watch face that visualizes the sun in a 24 hour path around the dial, and the California watch face with a mix of standard numbers and roman numerals.


A new Taptic Chimes feature provides a silent touch on the wrist at every hour, and if sound is turned on, you'll hear an audible chime. You can also hold two fingers on the Apple Watch's display to hear the time spoken out loud.

There are new Audiobooks, Voice Memos, and Calculator apps, along with a new Noise app that warns you if you're exposed to sound that's too loud and a new Cycle Tracking app for period tracking. Activity Trends, visible on the iPhone, are also available to chart your fitness progress and make sure your fitness trends are improving.


New complications are available for wind speed, chance of rain, and the new Noise app, plus there's a Voice Memos complication for recording a memo quickly, a cellular strength complication, and a complication for the Calculator that opens up the app.

Siri can now provide full web search results right on the watch when asked a question, and for Mac users, the Apple Watch can now approve Mac security prompts.

When it launches in the fall, watchOS 6 will be available on all Apple Watch models with the exception of the original Apple Watch, released in 2015. For more on what's new in watchOS 6, make sure to check out our watchOS 6 roundup.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 5, watchOS 6

Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

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Apple Seeds Seventh Beta of Upcoming tvOS 13 Update to Developers

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Apple today seeded seventh beta of an upcoming tvOS 13 update to developers, one week after seeding the sixth beta and two months after unveiling the tvOS 13 software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the new tvOS 13 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.


tvOS 13 introduces an updated Home screen aimed at making it easier to discover new content. Apps are now able to play full-screen video previews right on the Home screen, similar to Netflix.

Multi-user support is available for the first time, letting more than one profile exist on the Apple TV so each family member can have their own customized Apple TV interface with separate recommendations, music playlists, and Watch Now lists.

Switching between profiles can be done with the new Control Center, which offers up profiles, the time and date, search, a Now Playing widget, AirPlay controls, and a sleep option.

tvOS 13 gets the Apple TV ready for Apple Arcade, Apple's new gaming service that's coming to the Apple TV, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later this year. Apple Arcade will offer unlimited access to more than 100 new and exclusive games, for one subscription fee.

As part of the Apple Arcade preparations, Apple has implemented support for the Xbox Wireless Bluetooth Controller and the PlayStation DualShock 4 Controller, both of which can be connected to an Apple TV over Bluetooth.

There are new under the sea themed screensavers created in partnership with the BBC Natural History Unit, which also created "Blue Planet." There's also a new Picture-in-Picture feature. Picture-in-Picture lets you continue to watch TV shows or movies while using a different app, adjusting settings, or otherwise navigating through the tvOS 13 operating system.


tvOS 13 is available to registered developers and public beta testers at this time and will see an official public launch this fall alongside iOS 13, iPadOS, macOS Catalina, and watchOS 6.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12, tvOS 13

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

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Apple Seeds Seventh Betas of iOS 13 and iPadOS to Developers

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Apple today seeded the seventh betas of iOS 13 and iPadOS to developers for testing purposes, a week after releasing the sixth betas and two months after unveiling the new operating system at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Registered developers will need to download the profile for the iOS 13 and iPadOS betas from Apple's Developer Center. This beta, like earlier betas, can be downloaded over-the-air once the proper profile has been installed.


Apple split iOS 13 and iPadOS into separate updates in 2019, one designed for iPhone and one designed for iPad. iPadOS is identical to iOS 13 in almost every way, though there are some iPad-specific features such as new multitasking capabilities. For the most part, the two operating systems share the same features.

iOS 13 is a huge update with a long list of new features. Perhaps the most noticeable outward-facing change is a systemwide Dark Mode that changes the entire look of the operating system from light to dark, darkening everything from system elements to apps.


Apple overhauled the Photos app, introducing a new Photos tab that curates your entire Photos library and shows you a selection of highlights organized by day, month, or year, and there are revamped Photo editing tools.


For the first time, you can edit video right in the Photos app, cropping, rotating, applying filters, and adjusting lighting and color. There's a new High-Key Mono lighting effect, and for Portrait Lighting in general, intensity can be adjusted.

There's a less obtrusive volume HUD, a new Find My app that combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends and lets you track your devices even with they don't have an LTE or WiFi connection.


A Sign In with Apple feature (not yet active) gives you a convenient and data safe way to sign into apps and websites, providing an alternative to Facebook and Google sign in options. Apple's even able to generate single-use randomized email addresses so you don't have to give your real info to apps and websites.


Maps features a new street-level "Look Around" mode and a Collections feature for making lists of places, Reminders has been entirely overhauled to make it more functional, there's a profile option in Messages along with new Memoji and Animoji stickers, and Siri has a new voice.


CarPlay in iOS 13 has been overhauled with a new look, multiple sets of AirPods (or Powerbeats Pro) can be connected to the same phone so you can share music with a friend, Siri on HomePod can detect multiple voices for multi-user support, and HomePod also supports Handoff.


There are a ton of additional new features and changes coming in iOS 13, and for a full rundown of what you can expect, you should check out our iOS 13 roundup.

Each new beta brings new features and changes to iOS 13, and the sixth beta added a Dark Mode toggle to Control Center, changes to folder transparency, updates to some privacy warnings, new splash screens, and more.

Related Roundups: iOS 13, iPadOS

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iPhone X review

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Find out whether the iPhone X is the phone you always wanted, notch and all, in our full review of Apple's original all-screen handset. Here's our full in-depth review.

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