All of Thursday’s Apple best deals are going live ahead of Labor Day weekend. Second-best prices are the name of the game with Apple Watch Series 8 starting from $310 to go alongside AirPods Pro 2 at $49 off. Plus, Level’s invisible Bolt HomeKit smart lock is at its lowest price of the year following a drop to $141. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

Apple has been granted a patent for a retractable steering wheel and pedals in a car, when it is being used in self-driving mode.

The patent document describes a car which is capable of driving itself in some situations, but not in others – which seems a likely interim stage for both the technology and the law …

Apple has quietly ended a long-running new customer free trial offer for its streaming service, Apple TV+, in the UK. UK marketing pages for TV+ have today removed all mentions of the seven day free trial from ad copy.

New customers can still subscribe for one month and then cancel, but they now must immediately start a subscription – whereas before you could quit within the seven day window and pay nothing at all.

We’re less than a fortnight away from the September Apple event, and by this point we’re reasonably sure we know which iPhone colors to expect in this year’s line-up.

Many of you have already reached at least a tentative decision for the Pro models, based on our renders, with Dark Blue the most popular choice. But does it really matter much … ?

Anker today at IFA 2023 is debuting a new collection of chargers and accessories. In its typical fall refresh, there’s 13 new release hitting store shelves this fall. Fit for iPhone 15, the new MagGo series has been refreshed with seven magnetic chargers and Qi2 tech to go alongside a refreshed lineup of Nano USB-C accessories.

Market intelligence company IDC says that the global smartphone market is worsening, and that the decline in shipments this year will be even lower than previously expected.

However, it says that Apple will buck the trend in a dramatic fashion, predicting that iPhone market share will reach an all-time high this year …

Ever wish you could AirPlay audio from your iPhone to your amp or powered speakers? Smart home solutions firm Eve is launching a new audio streaming interface that lets you hook up Hi-Fi components to Apple’s Home app and AirPlay 2.

Philips Hue is out with a slew of announcements today, headlined by the launch of its first-ever Philips Hue Secure cameras and a Matter update for its Hue Bridge. There are also new Festavia string lights, updates to the Philips Hue app, and more.

Earlier this year, the developers behind the class management tool “Subjects” released an iPad version of the app. Now, Subjects is officially coming to the Mac with all the same features of the iOS app to help students keep track of their classes at school or college.

Wireless adapters for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have become incredibly common, but options that can handle both platforms are pretty rare. Now, AAWireless is adding support for wireless Apple CarPlay alongside wireless Android Auto through a new beta.

Apple on Wednesday released macOS Sonoma beta 7 to developers. As the company has been refining the new version of the Mac operating system ahead of its official release this fall, users running macOS 14 beta may notice that the system now has multiple new animated wallpapers.

A year and a half after Apple launched its Studio Display, Samsung released a direct competitor with its ViewFinity S9 5K monitor. With many of the same features as Studio Display plus some beyond, it’s an interesting alternative. Follow along for how Studio Display vs Samsung ViewFinity S9 stack up.

Update 5/24: The ($705 discount) for a limited time – making it a tempting pick over Studio Display.

SHARGE (formerly Shargeek) is not only rebranding, but today also launching the first-ever actively cooled MagSafe power bank. The new ICEMAG Power Bank from SHARGE arrives with a 10,000mAh internal capacity to complement its built-in fan and transparent design. It’s seeing a launch discount, too, which we break down below the fold.

Just under a year ago, Apple launched a new Security Research hub along with an upgraded bug bounty program, updates to the Security Research Device Program, and more. Starting today for a limited time, Apple has opened up applications for next year’s Security Research Device Program. Here’s how to apply.

David Sparks, also known as the one-and-only MacSparky, is back with another in-depth Field Guide. This time, David focuses on Obsidian, which is an increasingly popular and capable note-taking app used by Apple fans across iPhone, iPad, and Mac – including yours truly.

Microsoft has announced plans to discontinue Visual Studio for Mac. The latest version of the company’s IDE (integrated development environment) for Mac will continue to be supported by Microsoft through August 2024.

Apple has been rumored to be considering 3D printing as part of its product design process, and a new report details how and when that change will happen. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reports that Apple will deploy its first use of 3D printing as a test run of sorts with certain models of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 9.

There’s a new version of macOS Sonoma beta out today. Apple just released macOS 14 Sonoma beta 7 for developer beta testers. Public beta 6 is also out today.

A new all-time low is taking $200 off the latest 13-inch M2 MacBook Air at $899. That’s joined by the new Beats Studio Buds+ on sale from $115, to go alongside the recently-released Anker Prime 6-in-1 GaN charging station at $93. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Backblaze: Don’t be “THAT” person that forgot to back up their important files. Backblaze makes backing up and accessing your data astonishingly easy. Get started with a free 15-day trial today.

Frankly, we’re torn between this being bad knockoff text or Apple’s newest marketing lingo. iPhone 15 Pro Max cases (or at least clones of cases) have surfaced online, and the non-leather, non-silicon material is branded as “FineWoven” with no space.

Earlier this week, we shared new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro renders that offered our closest and most accurate look yet at the color options for each model. Now, new dummy units have surfaced that once again showcase the new colors…and they’re even more boring than we expected.

During the pandemic, Apple saw a notable increase in customers buying iPhones directly from the company instead of going through a mobile carrier or other retailer. Now a new report says that the trend has flipped as US iPhone purchases at Apple are at a new low with carriers taking almost 80% of the sales.

The third round of the Apple Impact Accelerator program – which provides a range of assistance to tech startups – has just been announced. Applications opened back in April.

This time, 12 business owned by Black and Brown entrepreneurs have been selected for an enviable level of support by Apple, including a 12-week training program, one-to-one mentorship, access to Apple experts across the business, networking opportunities, and the chance to become an Apple supplier …

Apple Watch sleep tracking is the reason I decided to hold onto my old Series 4 model when I bought a Series 5. It was worth so little that I figured I’d hang onto it and simply swap watches when I got into bed to use the S4 as a dedicated sleep tracker.

Monitoring my reported sleep patterns in the Health app, however, has revealed that the Apple Watch isn’t actually very good at the finer details – like telling when I’m in bed, when I’m asleep, and when I’m asleep in bed …

Apple yesterday officially announced its iPhone 15 event for September 12, teasing the tagline “Wonderlust.” In a report today, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has some updates on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro production and some of the challenges Apple has faced thus far.

Update: Engadget reports that Tinder Select is now live for ‘selected’ users, and does indeed cost $500/month or $6k/year.

The companies behind popular dating apps like Tinder, Grindr, Match, and Bumble are planning to offer premium tiers, with subscription costs as high as $500 per month …

The social network formerly known as Twitter has very quietly announced that it will allow paid political ads on X, reversing the ban imposed by founder Jack Dorsey.

Dorsey said in 2019 that “political message reach should be earned, not bought” and said that it was not credible for a social network to claim to be fighting disinformation while allowing political parties to buy ads to make unchecked claims …

Apple on Tuesday launched visionOS beta 3 to developers. Although the update is focused on people who have already got their hands on a Vision Pro Developer Kit, it’s also available for Vision Pro Simulator as part of the SDK. Read on as we detail what’s new with visionOS beta 3.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Backblaze: Don’t be “THAT” person that forgot to back up their important files. Backblaze makes backing up and accessing your data astonishingly easy. Get started with a free 15-day trial today.

Roborock was founded in 2014, so this year, it’s celebrating its anniversary! The intelligent robot vacuum innovator is celebrating by offering its best sales ever. Check out some of the highlights below, and don’t wait, as these incredible deals are only available from August 29 to September 2.

Apple has officially set a date for its annual iPhone special event. This year, the festivities commence on September 12 and the iPhone 15 is expected to be the star of the show. Head below as we round up all of the announcements we expect at the Apple event, including new software and hardware.

The iPhone 15 event is officially slated for September 12 and along with the invites that went out is a slick new Apple logo. Check out the fresh “Wonderlust” iPhone 15 event wallpapers thanks to Basic Apple Guy.

It’s now a tradition: Every time Apple announces a special event, the company also launches a special hashmoji (also known as a hashflag) on X (formerly Twitter). And as Apple has just confirmed that it will be holding an event on September 12 to potentially announce the iPhone 15 lineup, there’s now a new Apple hashmoji live on X to promote the event.

In addition to iOS 17 developer beta 8, it appears Apple has issued new AirPods Pro 2 firmware.

We figured AirPods would go USB-C as soon as the iPhone does, and that’s what Bloomberg reports will happen. Mark Gurman drops this line in his coverage of Apple’s September event announcement: “To match the new iPhones, Apple will introduce updated AirPods at the event that include a USB-C charging port.”

In September 2020, Apple started a tradition of including an AR Easter egg in the announcement of its major events. Now after unveiling its Vision Pro headset at WWDC this year, the “Wonderlust” announcement is the first iPhone event in years to not include an AR surprise.

Following the release of iOS 17 beta 8 and other software updates to developers, Apple is also releasing visionOS beta 3. Although Apple Vision Pro won’t hit stores until 2024, there are a few developers who have been invited to try out the new device in advance.

Update: Public beta versions of today’s software releases are available now.

It’s not just iPhone 15 event announcement day. Fresh iOS 17 betas are here as well. Apple has released iOS 17 beta 8 for developers.

Apple has officially announced its next product event where it will announce the new iPhone 15 lineup alongside Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The event will take place on September 12. The tagline for the event reads “Wonderlust.” and features the rumored colors of the titanium iPhone 15 Pro lineup.

A Belkin Labor Day sale is headlining all of Tuesday’s best deals, which comes packed with iPhone and Mac essentials at some of the best prices of the year. That’s joined by Sony’s popular XM5 over-ear ANC headphones at $348, as well as Native Union’s 2-in-1 Belt Cable Duo that has you prepared for whatever port the new iPhone 15 comes with at $40. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

Our friends at Relay FM have once again launched their annual fundraiser in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Over the years, Relay FM has raised over $2 million in support of St. Jude, a Tennesee-based research hospital that treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

This year, 9to5Mac is proud to join in on the Relay FM fundraising efforts, giving you a way to support the life-saving work of St. Jude and earn some 9to5Mac swag at the same time. 

Marshall today is refreshing its flagship pair of true wireless earbuds. The vinyl-wrapped Motif first hit the scene back in 2021, and now two years later are being refreshed with the same iconic stylings in tow. Pairing with the company’s signature design, Marshall is now releasing the new Motif II with notably improved ANC, extra battery life, and a case made of recycled plastics. Not to mention, my favorite sound on the market.

Since its 2021 launch, the complaint that emerged with the Google Photos Locked Folder is people setting up new devices only to find that those images and videos didn’t transfer over. Google Photos is now addressing that with Locked Folder backup, with the broader feature also coming to iOS and the web.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman again indicated that 2024 will see a “major update” to the iPad Pro lineup. This follows his earlier report saying much the same thing, though with less detail.

He described this as a much-needed move, given that we’ve seen no significant since the redesign, which launched back in 2018 – but even this report isn’t tempting me to upgrade …

WhatsApp has sort of been on the Mac for a while now, but Meta’s 3.2 star-rated solution has been resource-hungry and clunky at best. Starting today, Meta is officially launching its new and improved native Mac app with group calling features and more.

Google Maps is said to be working on support for iOS’s Live Activities feature, just in time for the iPhone 15’s expansion of the Dynamic Island.

Apple Vision Pro faces a few challenges today. Apple can’t make as many as it would like, it costs a lot to build each unit, and that adds up to a $3500 product for consumers. The company is currently investigating what ultimately could be a solution to each of these issues.

Apple says that plans to increase the scope and powers of the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act is “a serious and direct threat to data security and information privacy” – not just to British citizens, but to all tech users worldwide.

The company says that the British government is trying to make itself “the de facto global arbiter of what level of data security and encryption are permissible” after a report last week noted that companies like Apple could be banned from issuing security updates without permission …

Earlier this year, Snapchat added integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT to let users get insights from an AI directly from the app. In another AI-related move, Snapchat is now rolling out a new “Dreams” feature that lets users generate photos using artificial intelligence.