How And When You Can Try Apple's New Software For iPhone, iPad, Mac & More

Yesterday at Apple's WWDC, everyone's favorite fruit-related company unveiled software updates for just about every piece of hardware it currently offers, including macOS Sonoma, iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, tvOS 17 and HomePod Software 17. The announcements of the new software and what it's capable of are all well and good, but don't mean too much if you don't get to see the changes on your device anytime soon. 

Fortunately, the majority of Apple's announced new operating system updates follow the same release schedule. Starting yesterday, app and software developers are able to get their hands on the software right now and start tinkering away to either update their existing software portfolio to the new operating systems, or to start developing from scratch. For the public itching to have a taste early, Apple says that the public beta goes live in July. For everyone else waiting for a full stable release, the software updates roll out this fall, although Apple has not specified the actual date.

If you wanted to join the public beta for iOS 17, macOS Sonoma, iPadOS 17, or watchOS 10, Apple will let you sign up, provided you use your AppleID. Through the Apple Beta Software Program, as the company calls it, you'll not only be able to try out an early version of the software, but you can send Apple your comments, thoughts, and concerns through the Feedback Assistant app. Additionally, you can file reports on bugs in the operating system. As polished as Apple's general ecosystem is, there are bound to be glitches and imperfections in early versions of any major incremental operating system update. 

Additionally, if you want to get more granular and try out the software right here and right now, Apple's Developer Program. Although that requires a little more verification such as a photo ID or driver's license, depending on where you live. Closed betas of any of Apple's announced new operating systems also require a paid subscription to the Developer Program which costs $99.

Of course, it's also important to point out that beta-testing software like this on your primary device is not always a great idea. This software is in its very early stages of development and has the potential to be buggy, so keep that in mind before you sign up for anything.

Apple Unveils 15-Inch MacBook Air, Slashes Price On 13-Inch Model

MacBook Air lovers have a completely new, larger model to choose from starting today. At Apple's ongoing WWDC 2023 conference, the company introduced a 15-inch edition of the MacBook Air that sits above the standard 13-inch model. Apple touts this new MacBook Air as the world's thinnest 15-inch laptop, a claim made possible on account of its 11.5mm frame. As expected of a MacBook Air, the new model is also quite lightweight, weighing just 3.3 pounds. The 15-inch MacBook has a fanless design that aids in keeping the weight low while also allowing the machine to perform silently, even under heavy loads. The larger size of the machine allows Apple to pack in a brand new six-speaker system on the 15-inch MacBook Air, which claims better spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support. The Liquid Retina display on the 15-inch MacBook Air claims 500 nits of brightness and supports 1 billion colors.

The new 15-inch MacBook Air comes powered by the same M2 chip that powers the current lineup of 13-inch Air models. This chip features an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores in addition to a powerful 10-core GPU as well as a 16-core neural engine. This power-efficient chip, combined with the larger battery, lets Apple claim an incredible 18 hours of battery life for the notebook on a single charge. In addition, the 15-inch MacBook Air can be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory and up to 2TB of SSD storage.

The 15-inch MacBook Air features two thunderbolt ports that give consumers the option to connect a 6K external display. While a dedicated SD card slot is missing, Apple has retained a 3.5mm audio jack on the device. The machine also uses a MagSafe connector for charging. For security, the 15-inch MacBook Air also supports TouchID. At launch, the 15-inch MacBook Air comes with macOS Ventura. It will be updated to macOS Sonoma in the coming months with all the new features made possible on the upcoming operating system.

Apple is wasting no time in bringing the 15-inch MacBook Air to the market, with the device available for order starting today, June 5, 2023. Shipments for the machine start Tuesday, June 13. Pricing for the 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,299 in the U.S. The machine will be available in four color options: midnight, starlight, silver, and space gray. The arrival of the 15-inch MacBook Pro has also led to a $100 drop in the price of the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air, which now starts at $1099.