CUPERTINO, Calif.—Devices may make most of the headlines coming out of Apple’s September event, but software updates are coming as well. All of Apple’s operating systems, including iOS and macOS, will be ready to receive an upgrade soon, and now we know exactly when some of those updates will arrive.

Apple

Apple

Apple

Apple

Apple

watchOS 5

The fifth iteration of the Apple Watch’s OS will be available on Monday, September 17, as a free download for Watch users. During its demo this summer at WWDC, watchOS 5’s new Walkie Talkie feature stole the show. It allows Watch users to send short messages to other Watch users over Wi-Fi or LTE—just press the orange circle on the watch face, record a message, and send it within seconds.

On the fitness side, watchOS 5 brings automatic workout detection to the Apple Watch. If you forget to start tracking exercise in the Workout app, the auto detection feature has your back—it will detect your constant motion and start tracking you immediately.

Additional features coming in watchOS 5 include new yoga and hiking exercise profiles, Siri Shortcut capabilities, WebKit support inside Mail and Messages, and the much-awaited arrival of the Apple Podcast app.

As for compatibility , watchOS 5 requires an iPhone 5S or later with iOS 12 or later. It is not compatible with the first-generation Apple Watch, but the update will work with early models like the Apple Watch Series 1, Apple Watch Series 2, and the Apple Watch Series 3.

As for new hardware, Apple announced that the Apple Watch Series 4 will be available in silver, gold, and space gray colorways, shipping to consumers on September 21 with pre-orders starting on September 14. It will start at $399 for a GPS option and $499 for a model with GPS and cellular connectivity. Apple says all prior Apple Watch bands will continue to work with the Series 4.

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Apple

Apple

Apple

Apple

Apple

Apple

iOS 12

The latest version of the software for iPhones and iPads will hit devices on September 17. iOS 12 focuses on making the iOS experience smoother, with fewer bugs, and quicker on all devices, even those as dated as the iPhone 6S.

ARKit 2 will also come to Apple’s mobile devices in the software upgrade, as well as an improved Photos app, with more advanced search capabilities and grouped notifications. Siri will also become more powerful, with new features like Shortcuts or voice commands that users can customize to get Siri to perform multiple actions at once.

iOS 12 will be available for iPhone 5s and later, the original iPad Air and later, the iPad mini 2 and later, and the 6th-generation iPod Touch.

For iOS-related hardware, Apple announced the iPhone XS and XS Max will arrive first, with pre-orders starting September 14 and shipments starting September 21. The XS will start at $999 for its 64GB model, and the XS Max will start at $1,099 for the same capacity. The iPhone XR will arrive later, on October 26, and will start at $749 for its 64GB model. All three phones will also come in 256GB and 512GB storage options.

Samuel Axon



tvOS 12 and a HomePod update

Apple will also push out the newest software update for Apple TVs on September 17. The biggest update in tvOS 12 is Dolby Atmos support, which will make the Apple TV the only set-top box available to support both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Those with compatible iTunes content will have their shows and movies updated for free to support Dolby’s technology.

tvOS 12 also brings “zero sign-on” to the Apple TV, which makes the process of signing in to third-party apps almost instantaneous. Another new feature, Password Autofill, allows users to sign in to Apple TV apps with saved passwords using the QuickType keyboard on an iPhone or iPad.

Apple CEO Tim Cook also revealed that a HomePod update is coming on September 17. Perhaps the highlight is AirPlay 2, allowing the HomePod to become a better multi-room audio experience. "Soon, you'll be able to search for songs by lyrics, create multiple timers, make and receive phone calls, and ping your iPhone or any Apple device to find them around your house, all on the HomePod," Cook said. The company also recently added stereo pairs to its home speaker offering, and HomePod will be receiving Siri Shortcuts like watchOS 5.

Samuel Axon

Samuel Axon

Samuel Axon

Samuel Axon

Samuel Axon

Samuel Axon

macOS Mojave

MacOS Mojave will come out of beta and become officially available for all on Monday, September 24—a week later than Apple's other announced software updates. Apple spruced up a lot of existing macOS features in this update, adding things like dynamic wallpapers that change throughout the day, desktop stacks for better organization, a gallery view for the Finder window, and a new true dark mode.

The MacOS App Store has a whole new look in macOS Mojave, making it easier to navigate and more pleasant to browse. Some iOS apps, including News, Voice Memos, and Stocks, make their way onto Macs in this update, giving users a first look into how iOS apps work (and will work in the future) on macOS.

Other features coming to Macs in Mojave include new security features, support for up to three external GPUs with Metal, and more. The OS will reportedly be compatible with the following devices: