This week brought some shocking news for iOS 16 beta testers, with Apple bringing back the iPhone battery percentage to the status bar after a number of years.
Other news and rumors this week included word that Apple has started recording portions of its media event planned for next month to introduce the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8, claims about iPhone 14 Pro pricing and Apple's plans for switching AirPods over to USB-C charging, and more, so read on for all the details on these stories and more!
iOS 16 Beta 5 Adds Battery Percentage to iPhone Status Bar
Five years after Apple introduced the iPhone X with a notch, and relegated the battery percentage indicator to Control Center, Apple has finally added the battery percentage back to the iPhone's status bar in the fifth developer beta of iOS 16 released earlier this week.
The new battery icon is available on most iPhone models with a notch. The battery percentage appears within the battery icon to save space, but not everyone is a fan of this design.
Check out our list of everything new in iOS 16 beta 5 for other new features and changes in the beta. Apple also released new betas for iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16.
Apple Reportedly Preparing Pre-Recorded iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 Event
It appears that Apple's annual iPhone event won't be a fully in-person event again this year, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week claimed that Apple has started to produce a pre-recorded video for the event. It's possible that Apple will still invite media to the event for in-person hands-on demos with new products.
Unsurprisingly, Apple will likely unveil its iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 product lineups at the September event, and at least five other products are expected to be announced this year.
iPhone 14 Pro Models Rumored to Be More Expensive
Apple plans to increase the prices of iPhone 14 Pro models compared to iPhone 13 Pro models, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
While higher prices would be disappointing for customers, research firm TrendForce predicted that iPhone 14 Pro models could start with 256GB of storage, compared to 128GB for iPhone 13 Pro models. Pricing for iPhone 13 Pro models currently starts at $999 in the United States.
Two New Connectors Rumored for Next-Generation iPad Pro
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature the same design as the current model, but with two new four-pin connectors on the top and bottom, according to a report from Japanese website Mac Otakara.
Apple is expected to release new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models with M2 chips and support for MagSafe wireless charging later this year — possibly alongside the delayed release of iPadOS 16 in October.
USB-C AirPods Expected to Launch in 2023
Apple plans to switch to USB-C charging cases for all AirPods models in 2023, but the second-generation AirPods Pro launching later this year may still have a Lightning charging case, according to a recent tweet from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo also expects the iPhone 15 to switch to USB-C in 2023, along with several accessories, such as the MagSafe Battery Pack and the Magic Mouse.
'It's Time for Apple to Fix Texting' Says New Android Website
Google's Android team has launched a new "Get the Message" website that again calls on Apple to adopt Rich Communication Services (RCS) alongside iMessage in the Messages app on iPhone.
Google has been pushing Apple to switch from SMS to RCS for months now, with no response from Apple. RCS would allow for read receipts, audio messages, and more for conversations between iPhones and Android smartphones.
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