How to watch the iPhone (2018) event: Live at 10:00 AM PT on Sept. 12!

iPhone Xs? iPhone X Max? iPhone Xc? Find out the truth about the name at this year’s iPhone event.

Every September, Apple launches a new iPhone and usually one or two additional new devices. This year, we already know we’re going to see two updated (and new sized) versions of the iPhone X, as well as the Apple Watch Series 4, but will Apple bring any other goodies to the party?

Apple iPhone (2018) Event Preview

This year, the iPhone event takes place at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET on September 12.

Follow along by watching the live stream

You can watch the live stream of Apple’s iPhone event at the official event page, which will be updated just in time for the event.

Apple’s Event page

You can also watch it from the Special Event app on Apple TV.

If you’d like to watch the live stream peppered with some commentary from the team at our sister site, iMore, be sure to follow them on Twitter.

• iMore Twitter
• Rene Ritchie
• Lory Gil

Bookmark iMore’s event page to keep updated on the news

iMore will be covering the event as it happens, but will also spend the rest of the day, the next few days, and the following weeks with follow-up content about everything announced and providing in-depth analysis of the event. Please be sure to bookmark their event page so you can check in regularly to see what they are talking about.

iMore live events page

Don’t forget, the iPhone (2018) event (let’s be real… it’s going to be called iPhone Xs) takes place this Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET.

Motiv Ring Review: Nothing up my sleeves

The perfect fitness tracker for people who don’t want to look like they’re wearing a fitness tracker.

After 20 minutes of silence, the woman sitting across from me at this picnic table I was writing at felt compelled to strike up a conversation. “Do you mind if I ask what your wedding ring is made of? I’ve never seen anything else quite like it,” she asked of the complete stranger before her. It caught me off guard, not because I didn’t know who she was, but because I had no idea what wedding ring she was talking about. I quickly realized she was referring to the Motiv Ring on my right hand, and laughed as I explained this wasn’t jewelry I was wearing.

In this way, the folks at Motiv have already produced an absolute success. Nobody will ever look at the gadget on my right ring finger and think it is anything other than a ring, and that’s the whole point. Because this isn’t a wedding ring, but in fact, a fairly capable fitness and sleep tracker crammed into something the size of a ring. And, if I’m being honest, that I can wear this and never know I’m wearing a gadget is why I keep it on my finger.

Hidden in plain sight

Motiv Ring

A unique take on fitness tracking.

This fitness tracker hides in plain sight and looks great.

$200 at Amazon

The Good

• Hardly any bulk or weight, it’s just a ring
• Multiple chargers in the box
• Looks great

The Bad

• Not a ton of support for different workout types
• Android app is kind of flaky

Motiv Ring What I like

There are two types of fitness tracker people, those who need to see their step count or calorie burn count at all times as a reminder to keep going, and those who look at this information at the end of the day or when they have time. I fit in the latter group. I don’t need a display on my wrist showing me I’m only two walking minutes away from my goal. I want to push myself every day, and then at the end of the day see how well I did. Seeing a constant goal on your wrist makes me less likely to push beyond that goal, or worse encourages me to cheat to reach the goal so I can tell myself it’s cool to be a couch potato for a little while.

Motiv Ring is an engineering feat and a stylish accessory at the same time, which is both rare and fantastic.

In this respect, the Motiv Ring calls to me. I wake up, put it on, and that’s it. When I have time, I’ll check Google Fit on my phone and see how my goals are progressing, but it’s not something in my face at all times. In fact, the only indication you have this ring is ever doing anything other than living on your finger is the occasional subtle LED blink on the far side of the ring or the heart rate monitor on the inner side of the ring. The LED only blinks when it’s communicating with the phone, which you can force by rotating it on your finger (which, to me, is amazing). Motiv made the act of fidgeting with your ring an actual part of the UI, syncing the fitness data it has collected to your phone when you perform this force sync.

The charger used here deserves some love too. I’m usually one of the first to bemoan the use of a proprietary charger, but when you’re designing a gadget in the shape of a ring, you’re pretty limited on options. This charger is a simple USB-A stick with a magnetic end to hold the ring in place, and it works beautifully. But the charger isn’t nearly as clever as Motiv making sure you not only have two chargers in the box, but also making sure one of those chargers has a holster you can clip onto your keyring so it goes with your everywhere.

Perhaps most important, it looks nice. It looks like a ring, especially when it’s on my finger. There’s a slight bump where the heart rate monitor lives, so it’s clear this isn’t your average ring when you see it sitting on a table, but otherwise, there’s no way anyone is going to know you’re wearing a fitness or sleep monitor. That means you can wear it with anything, no worrying about whether the watch strap matches your outfit or whether it’s appropriate to have a fitness tracker peeing out from under your sleeve. I think the Motiv Ring is an engineering feat and a stylish accessory at the same time, which is both rare and fantastic.

Motiv Ring What I don’t like

As cool as it is to have a secret fitness tracker on my finger, the fitness tracker parts of this fitness tracker are a little lacking. It handles step counting great, so walking or running can be automatically counted in the app and correctly labeled. But if you’re doing something like cycling or swimming, there’s a fair bit of manual input needed. Motiv Ring will record the elevated heart rate, but the app presents you with a graph where you manually tell the app what you were doing during that high heart rate period. To Motiv’s credit, there are a lot of options there and it’s fairly easy to do, but the extra steps are a little frustrating if you’re trying to capture an activity with a degree of accuracy.

The Android app needs some work when it comes to stability.

I’m not a fan of the Motiv app in general. This ring has been out for quite a while now, with support for Android phones only recently added, and to be honest, the Android app is kind of unreliable. My initial set up with this ring failed multiple times on multiple phones due to a Bluetooth issue, and any time there’s a software update for the watch I have to try to apply the software update more than once for it to take. I’m a much bigger fan of syncing everything from the Motiv app directly into Google Fit and just using that, which is something Motiv makes very easy. But the Android app itself needs some work when it comes to stability.

This is an incredibly minor thing, but the sizing of the Motiv ring is something I wish I had a little more control over. Motiv sends out a box with a bunch of different plastic rings so you can determine what size you need, and when you make a decision, it ships out that correct size. As a fitting system, this is perfect. It makes sure you are buying the right thing, and works well. But the sizing guide from Motiv doesn’t include half sizes, so my Motiv ring is ever so slightly larger than I’d prefer. It only ever bothers me when I’m on my bike, and the act of squeezing the handlebar exposes the gap between the ring and my finger and feels a little off, but it’s there.

Motiv Ring Should you buy it?

Fitness trackers come in all shapes and sizes for a reason; there’s no such thing as one size fits all. For those who don’t want to broadcast their fitness tracker or who don’t feel the need to constantly check a display to see their fitness progress, Motiv Ring is excellent. It’s comfortable, stylish, and a great basic tracker.

And for $200, you’re getting a surprising amount of technology crammed into a tiny space and a pair of chargers for when you inevitably lose one. Motiv has assembled a quality package well worth the space it takes on your finger.

4
out of 5

Motiv Ring also comes in a Rose Gold if you’re not as excited about the Slate Grey pictured in this review.

See at Amazon

Protect your Note 9 with these Spigen cases

There are case makers that have built up a reputation for quality cases, year after year, model after model. While manufacturers like Otterbox and UAG may be known for their tough, tank-like cases, Spigen has cultivated a repertoire of cases — including the Choice Award-winning Neo Hybrid — that offer style and protection without boxy bulk or breaking the bank.

Best blend of style and substance

Spigen Neo Hybrid Case for Galaxy Note 9

The Neo Hybrid is a two-layer case that’s thinner than most one-layer cases and sports a sophisticated Herringbone texture that’s grippy but still works well with phone grips. 5 color variations are available, from a darling red-and-rose gold Burgundy to an expertly color-matched Ocean Blue.

$17 at Amazon

Shining scuff protection

Spigen Liquid Crystal Case for Galaxy Note 9

Spigen’s thin clear case grips well, hugs every curve of the Note 9’s glass, and costs less than a pizza. The Liquid Crystal line isn’t as quick to show smudges and smears as other clear cases, and the Glitter versions hide smudges and scuffs even better for $2 more.

$11 at Amazon

Kickin’ it old-school

Spigen Tough Armor Case for Galaxy Note 9

The Tough Armor may not be the most cutting-edge case on the block, but it’s hard to argue with the dependability of its classic two-layer construction. There are four cool colors available for the outer polycarbonate shell, and there’s even a kickstand built in to help prop your phone up for an in-flight movie.

$18 at Amazon

Crystal-clear durability

Spigen Ultra Hybrid S Case for Galaxy Note 9

Looking to split the difference between the thin style of the Liquid Crystal and the firm functional protection of the Neo Hybrid? Try the Ultra Hybrid S, which has a polycarbonate back and a flexible bumper that makes it easier to slide the phone in and out as needed. This S version of this case is higher-rated than the normal Ultra Hybrid and sports a kickstand.

$15 at Amazon

Pulling double-duty

Spigen Slim Armor CS Case for Galaxy Note 9

Wallet cases are usually thick leather folios, but Spigen’s Slim Armor CS hides your cash and cards out of sight, out of mind in a hardshell card slot. It can’t hold more than a couple of bills or 2-3 cards, but you’re not showing off your cards and cash every time you use your phone the way folio cases do.

$19 at Amazon

The Neo Hybrid’s two-tone beauty is the perfect blend of slim style and sturdy protection, but the Liquid Crystal Glitter lets the Note 9 shine like the gem it is. No matter what case you’re using with the Galaxy Note 9, you’ll want to grab yourself a Spigen Style Ring POP to help you better grip the Note 9’s large frame and keep it mounted in the car thanks to the Style Ring POP’s magnetic mount compatibility.

Apple Announces ‘iPhone Xs’ and ‘iPhone Xs Max’ With Gold Color, Faster Face ID, and More

Apple today in California officially announced the “iPhone Xs” and “iPhone Xs Max,” the latest iPhone models coming this year. The company confirmed that both models will come in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold color options, with Gold being the new addition to the iPhone XS lineup this year.

The iPhone XS models have the same design as the iPhone X from 2017, with an edge-to-edge OLED display, greatly reduced bezels, and a “notch” that houses the front-facing TrueDepth Camera system. The iPhone XS is the direct iPhone X successor and measures in at 5.8 inches, while the XS Max is Apple’s biggest iPhone yet at 6.5 inches.

Apple mentioned that Face ID technology has also been beefed up, with multiple neural networks and faster algorithms. In the iPhone is the A12 Bionic, the industry’s first 7-nanometer chip.

More information about the iPhones is coming out of the event today, so be sure to check back for more information.

Related Roundup: iPhone XsTag: September 2018 event
Discuss this article in our forums