Looking for ‘buds with exceptional sound quality? Need earbuds for working out? Beats makes some of the best wireless earbuds out there. The company is owned by Apple, however, and that means Beats products have the same drawback as all Apple offerings: They’re expensive, and it can be hard to find discounts. But right now Amazon has slashed prices on a variety of Beats earbuds, with discounts of up to 43%. There’s no clear-cut expiration date on these deals, but discounts on ‘buds this popular rarely last for long. We’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if you’re hoping to grab a pair at this price.
CNET reviewer David Carnoy compared the Beats Studio Buds to a stemless version of Apple’s popular AirPods, and they’re a great pick if you want a pair of earbuds for everyday use. They have active noise canceling and a transparency mode when you need to be aware of your surroundings, an IPX4 water-resistance rating and a battery life of up to 24 hours on a single charge. Right now, you can grab several colors on sale for $100, which is 33% off the usual price.
Or if you’re looking for some earbuds that are a little more advanced, you can grab a pair of Beats Fit Pros — our overall favorite pair of earbuds for working out in. They have the same IPX4 water- and sweat-resistance as the Studio Buds above, but also feature flexible wingtips that help them fit in your ears more securely so you can use them on runs or at the gym. They also support active noise canceling and spatial audio, and are equipped with the same H1 chip as the AirPods Pro for seamless connectivity with Apple devices. They list for $200, but right now you can a variety of colors are discounted to $160, including the recently-released yellow, blue and pink options.
And if you need earbuds that can handle even your most extreme adventures, you can save up to $100 on a pair of Powerbeats Pro, dropping the price down as low as $150. They’re one of our favorite pairs of earbuds with ear hooks, which will keep them in place even during intense activities like mountain biking or trail running where you’re getting jostled around quite a bit. They don’t have noise-canceling capabilities like the two pairs above, but they do boast spatial audio support, an auto play/pause feature that can detect when you remove an earbud and built-in voice-activated Siri assistance. They also have the same H1 chip as the Beats Fit Pros, and have a battery life of up to 24 hours with the charging case.
On the cheaper end, the Beats Flex earbuds are 43% off, down to their best price of the year at $40. These neckband-style earbuds pack in a ton of great AirPods-like features, plus some unique capabilities enabled by the neckband design like in-line controls and auto-pausing when the earbuds are removed. You’ll get up to 12 hours per charge with the Beats Flex, and the built-in USB-C port allows for fast charging that can get you 90 minutes of playback from just 10 minutes on the charger.
If you’ve ever wondered how well your coworker slept last night, now you can know for sure as long as you’re connected with them through Circles, a new feature Oura announced Thursday for its app.
Oura, the health-tracking ring that collects data such as temperature, heart rate, blood oxygen readings, summarizes that information into Readiness, Sleep and Activity scores. With Circles, you’ll be able to share those scores with up to 10 groups of people or “Circles,” with a maximum of 20 people in each group.
You’ll be able to choose which kind of data or scores you share with each group, so one circle can get more of your wellness information than another. While only three scores are available to share through Circles now, Oura said it plans on expanding sharable information in the future.
To start a circle, open the Oura app, scroll down the main menu and select “Circles.” Then you can name a circle, decide what scores you want to share and also decide whether you want that data to be daily or weekly averages. To invite people into the circle (they have to be fellow Oura users), you’ll send them a one-time link.
Once you’ve started your circle, you can view their scores and “react” with emojis, if you choose. Everyone has to sync their rings to keep the scores visible.
What it looks like to react to your friend in Circles.
Oura
For people who enjoy collecting health data (and maybe boasting about a good health week), Oura’s Circles features is a good way to do that with other Oura wearers. According to a press release, though, the company is positioning Circles as another way to check in and connect with each other — an increasingly important public health goal amid a loneliness epidemic, which has impacts on sleep, mental health and physical illness.
“Our mission at Oura has always been to improve the lives of our members by taking a compassionate approach to health, and this new feature is just the next step in delivering a personalized experience that allows our members to connect with not only their bodies, but also their friends and family,” Oura CEO Tom Hale said in a statement.
Oura’s Circles announcements comes as the company is advancing its new sleep staging algorithm out of beta mode, which means everyone tracking sleep stages with Oura will get data from the improved algorithm. Shyamal Patel, the company’s head of science, calls the new algorithm a “massive improvements of accuracy” in sleep data. The new algorithm has 79% agreement with polysomnography sleep tests done in a clinic, Patel told CNET.
Compared to Oura’s older sleep-tracking algorithm, ring wearers might experience slight changes in the amount of time Oura tells you you’re spending in deep sleep versus light sleep versus REM sleep.
“Those numbers are likely to shift a little bit,” Patel said.
The iPhone 12 and subsequent iPhone models lack a headphone jack, so you’ll need to invest in an adapter to use a wired headset with any of Apple’s newer models. But you don’t need to bother with any of that if you opt for an entirely wireless option. The best earbuds for iPhone tend to be wireless, anyway, so if you haven’t already made the leap, now is a great time to pick up a pair of wireless earbuds.
Apple offers buds and headphones under both its own brand and its Beats brand (yes, Apple owns Beats), and we’ve included the AirPods 3, AirPods Pro 2 and Beats Fit Pro on this list, but there are plenty of non-Apple-branded Bluetooth headphones and earbuds that offer a great listening experience and work really well with iPhones, as well as other Apple devices and non-Apple devices, including Android smartphones and tablets.
Battery Life Rated up to 6 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (ANC)Multipoint NoHeadphone Type Wireless earbudsWater-Resistant Yes (IPX4 — splash-proof)
The new AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are powered by Apple’s new H2 chip, which delivers more processing power while being more energy efficient, according to Apple. The new chip, combined with new low-distortion drivers, allows for improved sound that offers better clarity and depth. The noise canceling is also improved — Apple says the new AirPods have “double” the noise canceling of the original AirPods Pro. Additionally, the new AirPods add an extra hour of battery life, up from five to six hours with noise canceling on. Plus, a speaker in the case that emits a sound that helps locate your buds via Find My should they decide to hide from you.
You’re receiving price alerts for Earfun Air Pro 3
Earfun has put out a series of wireless earbuds over the last couple of years with one important commonality: They’re very good values, made more so by frequent discounts. The company’s new-for-2023 Earfun Air Pro 3 earbuds feature the latest Qualcomm QCC3071 system-on-a-chip with AptX Adaptive for Android and other devices that support the new LE Audio standard and LC3 audio codec, which is superior to the SBC codec (they also support AAC for Apple devices).
Lightweight and comfortable to wear — I got a good seal with the largest ear tip size — these aren’t a huge upgrade over the Earfun Air S, but they are better. They have slightly larger wool-composite drivers (11mm versus 10mm), slightly improved noise canceling and better battery life (up to seven hours with noise canceling on, according to Earfun).
In short, the Earfun Air 3 deliver strong performance for their modest price, with robust bass, good clarity and a relatively wide soundstage. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and “multidevice” connectivity. (I could pair them to two devices simultaneously but had to pause the music on one device and hit play on the other for the audio to switch.) They’re IPX5 splash-proof and also work well (though not exceptionally well) as a headset for making calls.
While the Beats Fit Pro (on sale for $160) technically aren’t AirPods, they’re built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro (yes, Apple owns Beats). Unlike Beats’ earlier and less expensive Studio Buds, the Beats Fit Pro include Apple’s H1 chip and have most of the AirPods Pro’s features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I’d venture to call them the sports AirPods you’ve always wanted. And for some people, they might just be better than the AirPods Pro.
Battery Life Rated up to 10 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (Adaptive)Multipoint YesHeadphone Type Wireless earbudsWater-Resistant Yes (IPX5 — protection against low-pressure water streams)
Over the years, JBL has put out some decent true-wireless earbuds, but nothing that really got me too excited. That’s finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand’s new Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 buds. Both sets of buds — the Live Pro 2 have stems while the Live Free 2 have a pill-shaped design — offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance, plus a robust set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging.
The Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 are equipped with the same 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicon tips. Aside from the design, the biggest difference between the two buds is battery life; the stemless Live Free 2 is rated for up to seven hours, while the Live Pro 2 is rated for 10 hours. The Live Pro 2 is available in four color options.
Battery Life Rated up to 9 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (ANC)Multipoint NoHeadphone Type Wireless EarbudsWater-Resistant Yes (IPX4 — splash-proof)
Unlike the “open” LinkBuds, the LinkBuds S are traditional noise-isolating earbuds with tips you jam in your ears. They’re more compact and lighter than Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM4 and also feature Sony’s V1 processor. While their sound and noise canceling don’t quite measure up to the XM4’s, they’re close and cost less. They’re the Sony buds for people who can deal with larger buds like the XM4 but want 80 to 85% of those buds’ features and performance for $80 less.
Battery Life Rated up to 12 hoursNoise Canceling NoMultipoint NoHeadphone Type Wireless earbudsWater-Resistant No IP rating
I didn’t think I’d ever see a version 2.0 of Beats’ once-popular BeatsX neckband-style wireless earphones, but it’s arrived with a new name — the Beats Flex — and a much-cheaper $50 price tag, which is half of what its predecessor had been selling for.
The Flex instantly becomes an affordable, Apple-friendly wireless alternative to the AirPods, which start around $100 for the standard version with a wired charging case (but will be selling for as low as $99 this holiday season). The good news is they sound better than both the original BeatsX and standard AirPods. They also work well for making calls and have better battery life than the original. The bad news? The design is passe in a world now dominated by true wireless earbuds.
Battery Life Rated up to 32 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (ANC)Multipoint YesHeadphone Type Over-ear wireless headphonesWater-Resistant No IP rating
When you have a product that a lot of people love, change can be risky. Such is the case for Sony’s WH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of the 1000X series headphones, which were first released in 2016 as the MDR-1000X Wireless and have become increasingly popular as they’ve improved with each generation. Over the years, Sony has made some tweaks to the design, but nothing as dramatic as what it’s done with the WH-1000XM5. Other than the higher $349 price tag most of those changes are good, and Sony’s made some dramatic improvements with voice-calling performance as well as even better noise canceling and more refined sound.
Battery Life Rated up to 20 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (ANC)Multipoint NoHeadphone Type Over-ear wireless headphonesWater-Resistant No IP rating
Yes, they’re expensive, but the AirPods Max deliver richer, more detailed sound than lower-priced competitors from Bose and Sony. They also feature arguably the best noise canceling on the market along with premium build quality and Apple’s virtual surround spatial audio feature for video watching. While they’re heavy, they manage to be surprisingly comfortable, though I did have to adjust the mesh canopy headband to sit a little more forward on my head to get a comfortable secure fit when I was out walking with them. They should fit most heads well, but there will be exceptions.
Battery Life Rated up to 25 hoursMultipoint YesHeadphone Type Over-ear wireless headphonesWater-Resistant No IP rating
The QuietComfort 45 has virtually the same design as its predecessor, the QuietComfort QC35 II, which many people considered one of the most comfortable over-ear headphones — if not the most comfortable. It has the same drivers, according to Bose, and the buttons are in the same place. However, there are small but notable changes. First off, these thankfully have USB-C instead of Micro-USB.
Secondly, the microphone configuration is different. Not only have the mics been shifted on the headphones, but there’s now an extra external microphone for voice pick-up, which means the QC45 has a total of six microphones, four of which are beamforming and used for voice. By contrast, the QC35 II has a total of four, two of which are used for voice. (The Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 also have six microphones total.)
These headphones are excellent for making calls. They’re similar to the Bose Headphones 700 in that regard. They also include top-notch noise canceling and multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously. Read our Bose QuietComfort 45 review.
You’re receiving price alerts for Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
Featuring excellent sound, improved noise canceling and voice-calling performance as well a smaller, more refined design that includes stabilizing fins (so the earbuds stay in your ears more securely), the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 were among the best new true-wireless earbuds last year. They’re also one of the best true-wireless earbuds overall, giving the Sony WF-1000XM4 a run for the money.
Battery Life Rated up to 6 hoursNoise Canceling NoMultipoint NoHeadphone Type Wireless earbudsWater-Resistant Yes (IPX4 — splash-proof)
Take one look at the new design of the third-gen AirPods ($179), and the first thing you’ll probably think is: “Those look like the AirPods Pro without ear tips.” You wouldn’t be wrong. While they’re more fraternal than identical twins, the AirPods 3 are shaped like the AirPods Pro, with the same shorter stems and same pinch controls as those of the Pro. Aside from the design change, which should fit most ears better than the AirPods 2nd Generation (though not very small ears), the biggest change is to the sound quality: It’s much improved. Also, battery life is better, and the AirPods 3 are officially water-resistant.
At its WWDC 2023 keynote event Monday, Apple took the wraps off MacOS 14 Sonoma, the latest operating system for the company’s line of Mac desktops and MacBooks. MacOS 14 Sonoma comes with a number of new features, including new video screensavers and more customizable widgets. The new software will be available as a public beta in July with a full release slated for the fall.
Named after the Northern California winemaking region, MacOS Sonoma offers some key upgrades over MacOS 13 Ventura. Widgets are more customizable now. They can be placed anywhere on the desktop and resized, depending on how prominent you want them to look. They’re interactive, too, allowing you to pause music, reply to messages or access smart home controls right from your desktop. You can now also drag over any widgets you have on your iPhone and use them on your desktop.
Apple also introduced a new game mode that prioritizes CPU and GPU usage for whatever game you’re playing to increase frame rates. Gamers will also appreciate the lower latency for both Bluetooth audio with AirPods and inputs from Bluetooth game controllers.
Sonoma also brings a neat new video-conferencing feature that displays you as the presenter on top of your shared screen. It allows you to make your presentations a bit more immersive, almost as though you were in front of a white board in a meeting room giving the talk in person. It’s a small tweak, but I can see this being helpful for those of us still working via Zoom calls.
Other features include new video screensavers showing drone footage over various landscapes (much like we’ve seen on the Apple TV), updates to private browsing in Safari and a host of overall tweaks to messaging, interface and security.
The company showed off the new software alongside updates to iOS 17, a new 15-inch MacBook Air, an updated Mac Studio and a new performance-focused chip, the M2 Ultra. Apple’s top-end desktop, the Mac Pro, also got a big update that now includes the new M2 Ultra chip, rather than being based on Intel chips.
New features are coming to Apple’s Messages, but you’ll have to wait to get your hands on them (unless you’re a developer). Apple revealed its iOS 17 software update Monday. The iOS 17 update makes some major changes to Messages, adding abilities like turning pictures into stickers, transcribing voice memos, keeping your friends and family notified on your way home and more.
News about the iOS 17 Messages update came during the keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Apple traditionally uses the annual event to give developers a preview of updates to its desktop and mobile software, and sometimes it introduces new hardware too. On Monday, the company unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro.
The update to Messages will be part of iOS 17, which will arrive this fall. With the new features, people will be able to take their photos and turn them into stickers they use in text conversations, alongside standard emoji, which can also be used as stickers. People can customize their stickers with effects — like shiny, puffy, comic and outline — and keep them in a new drawer in the keyboard for streamlined access, Apple said in a press release. Stickers will be available systemwide, including in third-party apps.
To make a photo into a sticker, you’ll touch and hold an object in a photo. Then you can style your object with various effects, outline it or create animated Live Stickers with Live Photos. To use the sticker in Messages, you’ll add them in the bubble from the Tapback menu.
Watch this: Apple Reveals iOS 17
16:43
Search in Messages, Check In and more
Also coming is a refined search feature. People will be able to apply additional filters to their Messages search to more quickly find the exact conversation they’re looking for. Plus, when you’ve received lots of texts in a group chat, you’ll be able to use the catch-up arrow to locate where the conversation left off last.
iOS 17 Messages will also transcribe voice memos you receive, if you don’t have the time to listen to them. Apple also announced a new feature that will let you keep track of your friends by viewing their location in your text conversation.
Apple’s Check In feature through iOS 17.
Screenshot by CNET
Another new location sharing feature is Check In. If you want to keep a friend or family member updated on your journey home, for example, you’ll be able to use Check In, which notifies the person of your whereabouts and lets them know if you’re having trouble getting home. “If they are not making progress toward their destination, useful information will be temporarily shared with the selected contact, such as the device’s location, battery level, and cell service status,” Apple said in the press release. Check In will be end-to-end encrypted, so only you and the person you’re sharing this information with is privy to your location.
The iOS 17 updates don’t stop at Messages. Apple also introduced Live Voicemail, which will give people the ability to see the message a person is leaving you as it is being recorded. This could help with deciphering between important calls that unknown numbers leave and spam.
The iOS 17 update for FaceTime includes audio and video messages, so people can leave their friends and families a FaceTime voicemail of sorts.
Also, if people want to share a contact with one another, they can use the new feature NameDrop. By bringing two iPhones or one iPhone and one Apple Watch close together, contact information can be transferred from one device to the next.
After years of carriers failing to agree on a universal rich communications service, or RCS, text messaging standard that supports advanced chat features between networks, Google says AT&T is on board to use its Jibe RCS platform.
Google Senior Vice President Hiroshi Lockheimer tweeted the news late Friday that AT&T’s default Android messaging will use Jibe “so their users will get the latest RCS features instantly.”
Today I’m excited to share that we’re working with AT&T to accelerate adoption of the RCS standard, and that AT&T’s default Android messaging will now be via the Jibe platform, so their users will get the latest RCS features instantly.
Unlike SMS and MMS, which send messages over cellular networks, the RCS standard uses data networks to send long messages, uncompressed photos and large group chats without a hitch.
Apple’s iMessage and chat apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger already use data to get those features, but it’s been a struggle to get these advanced text features on basic messaging for Android devices.
Though carriers had tried instituting their own separate RCS standards and support rich text features on each other’s networks via a collaborative initiative in 2019, Google bought the Jibe platform in the same year to start its own efforts at RCS multinetwork support.
In 2020 for T-Mobile and by 2021 for AT&T and Verizon, all three major carriers agreed to have Google’s RCS-packing Messages app preloaded on phones to give users access to an app with rich texting features. Friday’s news means AT&T’s default messaging system will now use Jibe, however.
Google has been introducing more RCS smart texting features in its Messages app, like adding emojis to replies, in efforts to catch up to Apple’s iMessage. Despite jabs from Google, Apple has been in no rush to adopt the messaging standard — and at Vox Media’s Code Conference last year, CEO Tim Cook even told an attendee that if he wanted to have seamless messaging when chatting with family, “buy your mom an iPhone.”
Lockheimer also noted that at Google I/O 2023 last month, the company announced that over 800 million people currently use RCS, which it expects to grow to 1 billion users by the end of 2023.
Hundreds of thousands of people have signed up for new Netflix subscriptions in the days since the streaming giant started charging people extra if they have other users on their account.
That’s according to stats from streaming data analyst Antenna, as reported earlier Friday by The Wall Street Journal. Antenna says Netflix has seen “the four single largest days of US user acquisition” since Antenna started recording subscriptions on the service four and a half years ago.
“Based on the most current data available, Netflix saw nearly 100,000 daily signups on both May 26 and May 27,” Antenna said in a post. “These exceed the spikes in signups Antenna observed during the initial US COVID-19 lockdowns in March and April 2020.”
Cancellations have also gone up since Netflix changed its policy on who you can have on your account, but not as much as new signups.
Netflix didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
How much extra does Netflix password sharing cost?
Netflix introduced the extra charge for password sharing late last month, and it now costs you an additional $8 on top of your subscription fee to have someone not from your household share your account.
If you pay for Netflix’s Premium tier at $20 a month, you can add two more people to your account. If you’re on the standard plan for $15.50, you can have only one extra member. The $10 basic plan doesn’t allow for extra members, and if you’re on Netflix’s new ad-supported plan — which already has 5 million subscribers — and pay just $7 a month for the streaming service, you also can’t add extra members.
Netflix with ads is missing some shows and movies, but on the other hand, ads don’t play over everything, CNET’s review of the service found.
What to do if you’re being booted from a Netflix account
If you’ve been sharing someone else’s account for the past few years, your run of letting them foot the bill for your streaming service may be over. If they’ve said they’re planning to send you packing, one thing you can do is transfer your existing profile to a new membership you pay for yourself.
If you decide Netflix is no longer worth it, other streaming services, like Max, Disney Plus, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, don’t currently have an extra charge for password sharing.
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Apple is allowing anyone with a compatible phone to install the iOS 17 developer beta — for free.
The company first announced iOS 17 at WWDC on Monday. Shortly after the keynote event, Apple released the first developer beta version of iOS 17. Typically, you have to pay $99 to officially download and install any Apple developer beta software, but this year the company is letting anyone get a crack at iOS 17 — as long as they join the Apple Developer Program.
Before you go on and install iOS 17, you should know that developer beta versions like this aren’t intended for general use, especially because they may have unfinished features and issues that can make the iPhone difficult to use. These early beta releases are, instead, for developers, to help them keep their apps up to date and get early access to the upcoming features.
In short, you probably shouldn’t install the developer beta on your primary iPhone. If you really want to get iOS 17 right now, try to find a spare iPhone that is new enough (iPhone XS or later) to work with the latest software.
For folks who still want to dive in, we’ll show you how to install the iOS 17 developer version on your iPhone, as well as what to do in case you want to revert to iOS 16.
Want to learn more about the stuff unveiled at WWDC? Here’s what you need to know about Vision Pro, Apple’s new augmented reality headset. And here’s all the dope on the new 15-inch MacBook Air and MacOS Sonoma.
Watch this: Apple Reveals iOS 17
16:43
What to know before you download the iOS 17 developer beta
Because the iOS 17 developer beta is an early prerelease version, the software could have bugs and other issues.
Again, if you’re thinking about downloading iOS 17, do it on a backup or secondary phone, if available. The iOS 17 developer beta’s issues could cripple your iPhone and make it difficult to use, disabling phone calls or text messages or making it extremely laggy. However, if you only have your main phone or tablet available, make sure toback up your iPhone on iOS 16.5 (the latest version of iOS 16) before updating to iOS 17. That way you have the option to return to iOS 16 if there are too many issues on the new OS.
Also, you must have an iPhone XS or later to run iOS 17. iOS 17 is not supported on the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X, all of which supported the iOS 16 developer beta last year.
And most importantly, to download the iOS 17 developer beta, you must be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program. The full membership is $99 a year, but as mentioned above, Apple is now offering a free membership option, with limited tools and resources, that allows pretty much anyone to download and install the iOS 17 developer beta for free.
You can also wait to join the Apple Beta Software program next month, which will provide a more stable iOS 17 upgrade than the developer version.
You can download iOS 17 on the iPhone XS and later.
Sarah Tew/CNET
How to enroll in the Apple Developer Program, for free
If you’re only interested in testing out the iOS 17 developer beta for fun, you don’t need to pay for an Apple Developer Program membership. You can easily use your existing Apple ID to sign up for the developer program and download developer software onto your iPhone.
3. Read through the Apple Developer Agreement, check the boxes at the bottom and then hit Submit.
You now have a free Apple Developer Program account. You can skip the next step to download and install the iOS 17 developer beta on your iPhone.
You can then scroll to Software Downloads to check out everything you can install, including the iOS 17 developer beta.
Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
How to enroll in the paid Apple Developer Program
If you’re a developer, and want full access to development tools and the ability to distribute apps on the App Store, then you’ll want to pay for the Apple Developer Program. On your iPhone, here’s how you can enroll:
1. Download the Apple Developer app from the App Store, launch the app, go to Account and tap Enroll Now.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID credentials, read through the various benefits and instructions, enter your personal information and scan your ID to verify your identity.
3. Once this information is submitted, you must choose your entity (individual for most people) and agree to the program license agreement.
4. Finally, pay the Apple Developer membership fee (with Apple Pay), which is $99 (about 80 or AU$140) a year.
After you successfully make the payment, you’ll be redirected to your Account page in the Apple Developer app. Here you can verify that you’re now enrolled, and you can also check out the date of your membership’s expiration next year.
The Apple Developer app is free to download from the App Store.
Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
You can install iOS 17 with an over-the-air update on your iPhone
The easiest way to download the iOS 17 developer beta is with an over-the-air update — the way you would update to any other new software release on your device. Once you’re a member of the Apple Developer Program, free or paid, you’ll automatically have the option to install iOS 17 from your settings. Here’s how:
1. On your iPhone or iPad, go to the Settings > General > Software Update.
2. Next, go into Beta Updates and tap iOS 17 Developer Beta.
3. Go back and tap Download and Install under the new “iOS 17 Developer Beta option” that appears.
You’ll need to then enter your passcode, agree to the terms and conditions and wait for the update to be installed. The process can take over 20 minutes, depending on your internet connection. Once your phone reboots, you should have access to the iOS 17 developer beta.
All subsequent iOS 17 developer beta updates will appear as over-the-air updates here on your iPhone.
Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Or download the iOS 17 developer beta using your Mac
Over-the-air updates require a certain amount of storage, and if you don’t have that available, your computer is really the only way to update to iOS 17 beta without manually clearing out space.
1. On your Mac, go to the Apple Developer Program download page, find “iOS 17 beta,” click Download Restore Images and download the iOS beta software restore image for your specific device.
2. Connect your device to your computer and enter your device passcode or hit Trust This Computer if prompted.
3. Next, open Finder, click your device in the sidebar under Locations.
4. Hold down the Option key, click Check forUpdate and choose the iOS 17 beta software restore image you just downloaded from the Apple Developer page.
The iOS 17 beta software will install on your device. Wait for a few minutes and when your phone reboots, you should have access.
If you don’t have space on your iPhone, download and install the iOS 17 developer beta from your Mac.
Bold Moves Plus, a mix between a puzzle and a word game, joined the Apple Arcade library Friday. If you subscribe to Apple Arcade ($5, 5 or AU$8 a month), you can play this game free of cost, ads or in-app purchases.
Developed by Red Games, the studio behind family-friendly game Crayola Create and Play, Bold Moves Plus is a mashup of popular match-three games, like Candy Crush, and the perennial evening TV show Wheel of Fortune (sadly, Pat Sajak and Vanna White aren’t in the game).
Your objective is to solve for the inspirational phrase at the top of your screen. You unlock letters for the puzzle by grouping shapes together on the bottom half of the screen. You have only a certain number of moves per stage, so matching lettered shapes should be your priority.
The game is what you’d expect from a match-three game. It isn’t too difficult, but you still have to strategize about which shapes to reposition so you don’t run out of moves. Overall, it’s a pleasant game to play if you’re trying to unwind from a busy day.
You can access this game, and others, in Apple Arcade for $5 a month, or $60 annually. You can also try Apple Arcade for free for one month with your first signup, or you can get a three-month free trial when you buy a new Apple device. To access Apple Arcade, open the App Store on your iOS device and tap the joystick in the menu bar.
Apple’s latest software is coming to iPhones this fall, and many exciting changes are coming with it. Apple previewed iOS 17 at its WWDC event on June 5, noting that it’ll be available to download this fall, but not all iPhone users will have access. As with all of the major Apple software updates, several iPhones are getting left behind, including the iPhone X from 2017.
If you’re not sure which iPhone you’ve got, a quick check in your settings can show you. Open your Settings app and tap General > About. Next to Model Name, you’ll see which iPhone you have.
What if your iPhone isn’t on the compatibility list?
If your iPhone isn’t listed above, it won’t support iOS 17 and you won’t get a notification to download the newest software. For instance, if you have an iPhone X or older, the latest software you’ll ever be able to use on that phone is iOS 16.
