This week’s top stories: iOS 15 public beta, Apple’s return to in-person work, and more

Chance Miller

- Jul. 4th 2021 8:31 am PT

@ChanceHMiller

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In this week’s top stories:

Apple doubles down on its return to in-person work, larger iPads in development, more iOS 15 beta news, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories and more.

Apple’s return to work plan

Despite backlash from employees,

Apple is doubling down

on its plan to return to in-person work beginning in September. In a new video this week, Apple’s senior VP of retail and people Deirdre O’Brien said that Apple believes that “in-person collaboration is essential to our culture and our future.”

Apple says that remote work decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis and all future remote work positions will require executive approval.

iOS 15 public beta

Apple this week

officially began public beta testing

of iOS 15, watchOS 8, tvOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS 12 Monterey. This allows anyone to try out the new features coming to iPhone later this year in beta form. iOS 15 brings new features to FaceTime, upgrades to notifications, Focus, SharePlay, and much more.

If you’re interested in signing up for Apple’s public beta testing program, you can do so via

Apple’s website right here

. Apple’s new software version won’t be complete until the fall, at which point it will be released to the general public. Testers should still expect performance and stability issues when running the iOS 15 public beta on primary devices for the time being.

Larger iPads in development

Bloomberg’s

Mark Gurman reported this week

that Apple is exploring future iPad designs with larger displays. Gurman says that any new iPad screen size change is at least a ‘couple of years down the road’ and has not yet left the exploratory stages.

The new iPads could be between 14-inches and 16-inches, which is a notable increase from the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro. As productivity on iPadOS increases, so does the demand for more screen real estate to get work done and aid multitasking use cases.

These and the rest of this week’s top stories below.

iOS |

Apple releases iOS 15 public beta with SharePlay, Focus, and much more

Apps can request access to more RAM with iOS 15 entitlement, exceeding normal system memory limits

Should you install the iOS 15 public beta? Here’s what to consider

Roundup: Here’s everything new with Siri in iOS 15

Apple releases iOS 14.7 beta 4 to developers, more

Apple releases updated build of iOS 15 beta 2 to developers

How to install the iOS 15 public beta or developer beta

iPhone |

Speed test: How much faster is iPhone 12 compared to the original iPhone? [Video]

14 years ago today, iPhone changed the world – relive the magical launch through this collection of photos, videos, and more

iPhone 13 Pro to feature ultra-wide lens with autofocus, coming to regular models next year

Poll: Which new colors do you want to see in the iPhone 13 lineup?

More photos of iPhone 13 dummy models again show smaller notch, revised cameras

iPhone 12 crosses 100 million unit sales, marking iPhone 6-like super cycle

A look back at the evolution of iPhone hardware with GRID frames [Gallery]

Apple Watch |

Apple Watch Series 7 battery capacity boosted, more colors – report

Apple launches new ‘International Collection’ Apple Watch bands and faces representing 22 countries

Want the new international Apple Watch faces? Download them all with these App Clips

Apple execs explain how the Apple Watch will be able to ‘replace the physical wallet’ with watchOS 8

Apple TV and HomePod |

Official Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond merch now available: shirts, mugs, jerseys, stickers, more

Review: The new Apple TV remote makes everyone happy

Mac |

New MacBook Pro still on track for release sometime this year, Mark Gurman says

Linux Kernel 5.13 officially launches with support for M1 Macs

Apple’s iconic iSight webcam design makes a return in new 4K Dell UltraSharp camera

Report: Apple boosting production of new MacBooks and AirPods for the second half of 2021

Windows 11 hands-on: A Mac user’s perspective on the new design and what Apple could learn

Digitimes: mini-LED 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro set to launch late in the third quarter

Parallels to bring Windows 11 to Macs

The 12-inch MacBook introduced in 2015 is now considered ‘vintage’ by Apple

What’s new in macOS Monterey beta 2? Safari tweaks, new screensavers + wallpapers, more

Apple finally lets users download Mac OS X Lion and Mountain Lion for free

iPad |

Mark Gurman: Apple exploring future iPad designs with larger screens

Comment: Allowing developers to use more RAM in iPadOS 15 will help unleash the M1 iPad Pro’s potential

Report: Apple to release 10.86-inch OLED iPad Air next year, OLED iPad Pro in 2023

Poll: Would you consid

er buying a 14-inch or 16-inch iPad Pro?

Apps |

[Update: Fixed] Snapchat for iOS repeatedly crashing for many users, fix coming soon

WhatsApp for iOS working on a redesigned voice message feature

Xbox Cloud Gaming launches for iPhone and iPad in Safari with over 100 titles

Apple Stores |

Mac sales in India tripled after online Apple Store opened

Apple to test hybrid ‘Retail Flex’ work from home program for Apple Store employees

Apple Camp 2021 registration opens with new in-store and at-home activities

In-store pickup launches at Apple Stores in mainland China

Readers celebrate Apple Tower Theatre with their favorite L.A. photos shot on iPhone

Tech Industry |

British right to repair law comes into force today, but excludes smartphones and computers

LinkedIn breach reportedly exposes data of 92% of users, including inferred salaries [U]

AAPL Company |

Apple says in-person work is ‘essential’ and will not go back from its hybrid work plan

Apple reportedly increases spending on Google cloud services by 50% year over year, exceeds 8 exabytes of storage

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iPadOS 15 Beta Top 50+ Features / Changes! – What’s new?

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9to5Mac Daily: July 01, 2021 – iOS 15 public beta, MacBook Pro rumors

9to5Mac Daily: June 30, 2021 – OLED iPad rumors, more

9to5Mac Daily: June 29, 2021 – iPhone 13 Pro camera rumors, cloud gaming

9to5Mac Daily: June 28, 2021 – Larger-screen iPad rumors, more

9to5Mac Happy Hour Podcast |

This week on Happy Hour 9to5tMac’s Benjamin and Taylor discuss a bevy of recent iPad rumors, look back on a decade of the selfie, evaluate the new lineup of Apple Watch International bands, and discuss the new features and changes in iOS 15 beta 2.