443 - New iPhones, New Macs, and Jill's Apple Watch Insomnia

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by Jill McKinley, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Guy Serle. This week we cover Apple's newest hardware arriving in customers' hands, including iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, AirPods 5, the M6 Mac mini, and M5 Max/M5 Ultra Mac Studio. We dig into the latest 27.2 beta cycle, including the redesigned Health experience, look at what's happening with Vision Pro and visionOS 27.2, and discuss some useful discoveries following the release of iOS 27 and macOS 27. We also cover Apple Podcasts bringing video to subscriptions, changes to Apple Sports, Siri AI developments for HomePod, and more.

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com

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Summary

Apple's September releases are now moving from announcements to real-world use. The iPhone 18 Pro lineup, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and AirPods 5 arrived in stores September 18, while the new Mac mini and Mac Studio became available September 22.

Meanwhile, Apple has moved quickly into the 27.2 developer beta cycle. The second betas arrived September 21, with notable work underway on the Health app and Siri AI language expansion. Vision Pro and Mac beta coverage is separated into their respective sections below.

Beyond hardware and betas, Apple Podcasts is preparing to bring video into paid subscriptions, Apple Sports has expanded its league support, and Apple's next generation of Siri appears poised to play a much larger role in the home.

Topics and Links

In Touch With Vision Pro this week.

Apple released visionOS 27.2 beta 2 to developers as part of this week's second round of 27.2 testing. Apple's official release notes identify a known Quick Look issue in which 3D objects opened from Safari can unexpectedly reposition when the user moves them. StoreKit testing fixes and known issues are also documented.

visionOS 27.2 Beta Release Notes | Apple Developer Documentation

John Ternus just gave the best defense yet for Vision Pro - 9to5Mac

Beta this week.

Apple released the second developer betas of iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2 on September 21. The testing cycle includes Apple's redesigned Health app with new Insights and Longevity areas, while Siri AI is expanding into additional languages. (⁠MacRumors)

Apple Releases First Public Betas of iOS 27.2 and macOS Golden Gate 27.2 - MacRumors

The Health app is especially interesting because its presence in beta does not necessarily mean the completely redesigned experience will ship with the public 27.2 release. Reporting this week indicates Apple may be testing portions ahead of a broader launch later in the year. (⁠9to5Mac)

Fitness Pro in trouble? Apple-fitness-team-hit-by-layoffs-as-major-changes-reportedly-loom (Jill)

OS 27.2 testing also expands Dual Capture in FaceTime to Group FaceTime, allowing front- and rear-camera views simultaneously during group calls. (⁠9to5Mac)

Discussion: Is Apple turning Health into one of the most important apps on the iPhone? Would you use Dual Capture during a FaceTime group call? Does putting major features into beta before their intended release make the beta cycle more interesting or more confusing?

iOS 27.0.1 is Coming Soon - MacRumors

Apple also released second developer betas of watchOS 27.2 and tvOS 27.2. The Health changes are particularly relevant to Apple Watch because the redesigned Health experience ties into health information collected by Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. Apple provides dedicated watchOS 27.2 beta release notes. (⁠MacRumors)

Apple Developer — watchOS 27.2 Beta Release Notes

Outside the beta program, Apple released watchOS 27.0.1 for Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. The update addresses a restart issue and is limited to those newest models. (⁠MacRumors)

Owners of Series 12 or Ultra 4 should check Software Update rather than assuming the software installed at launch is already current.

In Touch With Mac this week

Apple released macOS Golden Gate 27.2 beta 2 to developers. The update continues expansion of Siri AI into additional languages and introduces some smaller interface refinements, including revised keyboard-triggered volume and brightness indicators. (⁠MacRumors)

Apple's official release notes identify several beta issues. A clean installation may fail to request notification permission for apps including Calendar, Maps, Find My, Home, and Weather. Apple recommends manually enabling affected notifications in System Settings. "Describe a Shortcut" can also fail, and Xcode may crash when using code completion. (⁠Apple Developer)

A potentially important post-upgrade issue for Mac users is the amount of local storage being consumed by Apple Intelligence models. MacRumors reports that some Macs running macOS 27 are showing more than 30GB devoted to Apple Intelligence-related data. (⁠MacRumors)

The new Mac mini and Mac Studio officially reached customers and Apple Stores on September 22.

Mac mini is available with M6 or M5 Pro. Apple says the M6 model starts at $899 in the U.S., while M5 Pro configurations start at $1,699.

Mac Studio is available with M5 Max starting at $2,499 or M5 Ultra starting at $5,499. Apple says the 512GB unified-memory Mac Studio configuration will arrive in late October. (⁠Apple)

The M5 Ultra Mac Studio can be configured with up to a 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU, and 512GB of unified memory. The latest Studio also adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thunderbolt 5. (⁠Apple)

Other Topics

We have plenty of new Apple hardware in the hands of the panel this week, so it's time for some real-world impressions.

Dave has the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Apple Watch Series 12.

Jeff has the iPhone 18 Pro.

Marty has the Mac mini with M5 Pro and Mac Studio with M5 Ultra.

Marty gives us his impressions of both the M5 Pro Mac mini and M5 Max Mac Studio. We compare the two Macs, discuss performance and connectivity, and look at what kind of user each machine makes the most sense for.

Guy has an Apple Watch 12

We give our first-hand thoughts after actually using the new hardware. Dave and Jeff compare the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro, including size, everyday usability, performance, cameras, battery life, and whether the changes feel significant coming from their previous iPhones.

Dave also gives his impressions of the Apple Watch Series 12—what stands out after wearing it, the new features he is actually using, battery life and performance, and how meaningful an upgrade it feels compared with his previous Apple Watch.

Does Marty agree? The Glacier iPhone 18 Pro Max is the anti-Cosmic Orange | Macworld

Code discoveries reported this week suggest HomePod Software 27 contains components associated with Siri AI, along with possible new visual behavior for Siri. This is not confirmation that existing HomePods will receive Siri AI.

Current reporting suggests new HomePod hardware may be required. Apple has also been rumored to be preparing updated HomePod mini, Apple TV, and dedicated smart-home hardware. (⁠MacRumors)

News

AT&T Responds to iOS 27's New iPhone Handoff Feature - MacRumors

Apple Card Savings Account's Interest Rate Just Went Up

This weeks "Things we found"

Jeff: Triode https://triode.app/

Jill: Kan Do Task App Kan Do

Dave: https://amzn.to/4rxPJwq

Marty: https://amzn.to/4hKdAFI

Guy: https://amzn.to/46NC4b1 InstaLink 2C 360 $149

Eric: HDMI Headless 4K Display Emulator for remote access https://amzn.to/47heinQ

Announcements

Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveginsburg, , BlueSky @daveginsburg and the show @intouchwithios

Our Co-Hosts

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's managing editor, and Smile's TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on his blog Jeff Gamet - Mastadon @jgamet Pixelfed @jgamet@pixelfed.social and Bluesky @jgamet.bsky.social Podcasts The Context Machine Podcast Retro Rewatch Retro Rewatch His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet Buy his art! Jeff Gamet Art

Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at jencius@mastodon.social https://thepodtalk.net

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him by email at eabolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.

Jill McKinley works in enterprise software, server administration, and IT. A lifelong tech enthusiast, she started her career with Windows but is now an avid Apple fan. Beyond technology, she shares her insights on ai, nature, faith, and personal growth through her podcasts. Her content on YouTube at @smallstepswithai and follow her on X @NorthwoodsJill. Find all her work at http://jillfromthenorthwoods.com

Chuck Joiner is the host of MacVoices and hosts video podcasts with influential members of the Apple community. Make sure to visit macvoices.com and subscribe to his podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @chuckjoiner and join his MacVoices Facebook group.

Guy Serle is one of the hosts of the new The Gmen Show along with GazMaz and email GMenshow@icloud.com @MacParrot and @VertShark on X Vertshark on YouTube, Google Voice +1 Area code 703-828-4677. Also Warp Speed Weirdos with Jeff Gamit.