The free Apple Invites app for the iPhone was updated today with three new features: shared albums now support full-resolution photo sharing, Image Playground now lets you create photorealistic backgrounds for invites, and guests who need to verify their email can now tap a link in their inbox instead of entering a code.


Released in February 2025, the Apple Invites app makes it easy to invite people to events, such as birthday parties and baby showers. The ability to create an event in the app requires subscribing to an iCloud+ plan with at least 50GB of storage for $0.99 per month, but anyone who receives an event link can RSVP for free on any device.

Apple's full release notes for version 1.12.0 of the app:

• Shared Albums now support full-resolution sharing, so you can relive every moment in stunning detail right in the app. Anyone, including users without an Apple device, can join and contribute.

• Image Playground now lets you create high quality backgrounds in pretty much any style, including photorealistic, so your invite captures exactly the vibe you have in mind.

• Guests who need to verify their email can now tap a link in their inbox instead of entering a code, making it even easier to get into an event.

• This update contains bug fixes and performance improvements.

The update is available now in the App Store.
This article, "Apple Invites App Updated With Three New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Earlier this week, Daring Fireball's John Gruber floated Tuesday, October 13 as a potential date for Apple to hand out iPhone Duo review units to selected reviewers in person, and it appears that he might have been on to something.


Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today reported that Apple plans to unveil its all-new smart home hub, a second-generation HomePod mini, and a new Apple TV 4K model on October 13, the same date that Gruber mentioned in his speculative piece a few days ago.

In a separate post, Gruber opined that there is "no way" that Apple would unveil the home hub through an Apple Newsroom announcement only, given it is an all-new device with an all-new interface. "If this is coming, it has to be unveiled with a keynote video and some sort of media event with hands-on demos," he said.

If Gruber is right that the home hub "has to be unveiled with a keynote video," that would set the stage for an online-only Apple Event that would be streamed on Apple's website and YouTube on October 13. Afterwards, Apple would likely hold a hands-on experience for the media, allowing them to demo the products that were announced.

The same thing happened in October 2023. On October 24 that year, Apple announced that it would be holding an online-only Apple Event on October 30, which was streamed on Apple's website and YouTube. Later that day, Apple allowed selected journalists and content creators to go hands-on with the Macs unveiled during the event in person.

During the hands-on experience, selected individuals could also receive an iPhone Duo review unit in hand, allowing Apple to avoid a first-of-its-kind iPhone getting lost in the mail before it launches on Friday, October 23. Apple typically gives out review units around a week before a device launches, so the timing would line up.

In any case, mark your calendars, as it sounds like October 13 will be a big day for Apple.

If there is an October 13 event, expect Apple to announce it by next week.
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Last week, our exclusive leak revealed that the next-generation iPad mini will feature Apple's latest A20 Pro chip, a landscape front camera, and a redesigned speaker system, but that is not all, as plenty of other upgrades have been rumored.


Here are 10 new features and changes expected for the iPad mini 8:

• Apple's latest A20 Pro chip, manufactured with TSMC's advanced 2nm process. Expect up to around 1.5× faster CPU performance and up to around 2.5× faster GPU performance compared to the A17 Pro chip in the current iPad mini. A20 Pro also introduces a "dual 16-core Neural Engine" for a total of 32 cores.


• With the A20 Pro chip, the next iPad mini will have 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB of RAM in the current model. This means the device will support the ability to customize the pace and expressiveness of Siri AI's voice.


• OLED display with better overall image quality compared to the current LCD model, thanks to richer colors and higher contrast ratio with true blacks.


• Slimmer bezels around the display compared to the current model.


• Landscape front camera, meaning the camera will be in the right bezel instead of the top bezel when holding the device in an upright position.


• Apple's custom-designed N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support.


• Apple's custom-designed C1X or C2 modem for cellular configurations.


• A redesigned speaker system with no speaker holes and potentially an iPhone earpiece-like speaker in the top bezel.


• IP-rated water resistance for the first time.

Apple is expected to announce the iPad mini 8 this year, with an October launch most likely. In the U.S., the current iPad mini starts at $599 after receiving a $100 price increase in June, which Apple attributed to skyrocketing RAM and storage chip prices. With a costlier OLED display, the next model might be even more expensive.
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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today briefly mentioned that "Apple aims to eventually update its larger HomePod," assuring that the company remains committed to the full-sized speaker, which was discontinued in 2021 and reintroduced in 2023.


The report said a new HomePod mini, new Apple TV 4K, and an all-new Apple smart home hub will all be announced on Tuesday, October 13, but it sounds like a new version of the full-sized HomePod will not be unveiled until a later date. If and when it does finally arrive, expect support for the more intelligent Siri AI to be a key new feature.

Siri AI support would require a faster chip—the current HomePod uses the Apple Watch Series 7's S7 chip. Other likely upgrades include improved audio quality, new color options, and Apple's custom-designed N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support.

The full-sized HomePod is a relatively niche product, but it is a convenient choice for Apple fans with home theater setups. A pair of HomePods can be set as an Apple TV 4K's default audio output, allowing for stereo sound.

In June, Apple raised prices on more than a dozen products, including the full-sized HomePod. In the U.S., the current model is now priced at $349, up from $299 when it was released in 2023. The first-generation HomePod was initially $349 too when it launched in 2018, so the speaker's pricing has come full circle.
This article, "Apple Still Plans to Release a New Full-Sized HomePod" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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