Top Stories: iOS 18.1 Release Date, New Macs Incoming, and More

Things are firming up for a big Halloween week for Apple, with the company's next operating system updates reportedly coming early in the week and hardware launches coming a few days later.

Ahead of those hardware launches, we've recently seen what appears to be one of the most significant physical product leaks in years, while some of the new features in Apple's recent software updates have gained attention for their utility, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple Plans to Release iOS 18.1 With Apple Intelligence on October 28

iOS 18.1 has been in beta testing since before iOS 18.0 was released, as Apple has been working hard on refining the first Apple Intelligence features that will be included in the update, and it appears we now have a release date for iOS 18.1 and related updates: Monday, October 28.

Apple Intelligence features will be seeing a gradual rollout, so make sure to check out our overview of everything we're expecting to see for Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, plus a look at upcoming Apple Intelligence features that will be arriving in later updates.

Apple Potentially Facing Worst Leak Since iPhone 4 Was Left in a Bar

Over the past week or two, there have been growing claims of leaked units of the upcoming M4 MacBook Pro, and despite the box depicting the same wallpaper as on the current models, it's appearing increasingly likely that these leaked units are legitimate.

Following early blurry photos of the claimed box for one of the machines, a Russian YouTube channel has shared an unboxing video for the M4 MacBook Pro, revealing a number of improved specs compared to the current M3-based model. Aside from apparent faster speeds, RAM and port improvements, and the Space Black color option potentially trickling down to the base M4 version of the machine, it appears the machine may also support two external displays in addition to the internal display for the first time on a base M-series chip.

Gurman: Apple to Launch First M4 Macs and Potentially iPad Mini 7 on November 1

So when can we expect that M4 MacBook Pro and other new hardware to launch? Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says at least some of the rumored products are scheduled to launch on Friday, November 1, potentially following an introduction earlier that week.

In addition to a full range of 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models variously configured with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, we're also expecting a redesigned Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro chip options, an M4 iMac, and a seventh-generation iPad mini, though it's not confirmed if all of these will be available simultaneously on November 1.

Apple Watch Users Report Vitals App Detecting Illness Before Symptoms Appear

There's a new Vitals app in watchOS 11 that is impressing some users with its ability to potentially detect illnesses up to several days before noticeable symptoms appear.

The Vitals app brings together a number of key health metrics that are measured during sleep, and it can notify when one or more of these readings are outliers compared to your typical ranges, which can be a sign that you are getting sick.

It won't pick up every illness and it's not able to diagnose or help treat any specific illnesses, but it appears it may be able to provide a bit of warning in some cases to help users be more aware of changes in their health.

iOS 18: Send Messages Without a Wi-Fi or Cellular Connection

With a pair of major hurricanes striking the southeastern United States in recent weeks, taking down power lines and cell service, a new iOS 18 feature is gaining particular notice: Messages via satellite.

While iPhone 14 and newer models have already been able to take advantage of Emergency SOS and roadside assistance via satellite, iOS 18 expands those satellite capabilities to include standard iMessages and SMS texts, offering a way to get in touch with friends and family even when traditional networks are unavailable.

Apple Says Final iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle Models Are Now Obsolete

Apple discontinued the final iPod nano and iPod shuffle models way back in 2017, and that means Apple now considers them obsolete and thus ineglible for repairs at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers.

Both the iPod shuffle and the iPod nano were introduced in 2005 as smaller, cheaper music players in Apple's iPod lineup, and they both saw significant form factor evolutions over their lifespans with the final models debuting in mid-2015 before being discontinued two years later.

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