Author: Sam Kohl

  • Apple’s VR headset won’t help you live in the metaverse

    Apple’s VR headset won’t help you live in the metaverse

    The rumor: Apple’s entry into the virtual reality headset market will be a stark departure from their competition, according to Mark Gurman (87% accurate, via Power On).

    • “I’ve been told pretty directly that the idea of a completely virtual world where users can escape to — like they can in Meta Platforms/Facebook’s vision of the future — is off limits from Apple. Executives today at the highest levels of the company, and in the past like Jony Ive, have pushed for the virtual reality headset to not be an all-day device, and instead one that can be used for bursts of gaming, communication and content consumption” Gurman says
    • Apple’s AR/VR headset is rumored to launch later in 2022 and will be Apple’s first major product introduction since Apple Watch in 2015

    Our take: I’ve been wondering what Apple’s initial goal of this headset was going to be, and know we know: the opposite of what Meta wants. And I think this is absolutely the right call for this first-generation product. Sure, we all might want to leave our regular lives and exist in the virtual world one day…but we’re nowhere near there now. So Apple targeting things like talking to each other, playing games and watching videos…that’s smart considering that most folks have never touched true virtual reality yet (myself included). Also, I’d like to note that this rumored approach just feels more human.

  • Apple holding March/April event to launch new iPhone SE

    Apple holding March/April event to launch new iPhone SE

    The rumor: Apple is planning to hold their first virtual event of the year in the Spring, according to Mark Gurman (87% accurate, via Power On).

    Our take: And just like that, the first event rumor of the year is out from the best source for Apple rumors. While the new iPhone SE will just be a spec-bump, the new MacBook Air and 27-inch iMac should be much more exciting.

  • This may be the iPhone 14’s all-new “notch”

    This may be the iPhone 14’s all-new “notch”

    The rumor: Apple’s smaller notch introduced on iPhone 13 may be short-lived, according to Dylandkt (77.5% accurate).

    Our take: Pill shaped looks significantly better to me than a circular cutout, so I really hope this is the design that Apple settles on. That being said, we’re still a few months away from the iPhone 14 design being finalized so there’s time for things to change.

    https://twitter.com/dylandkt/status/1479112397084266505?s=20
  • Apple Books+ could launch later this year

    Apple Books+ could launch later this year

    The rumor: Apple may be launching an audiobooks subscription service later this year, according to The Economist (not yet tracked, via 9to5Mac).

    • The new report suggests that Apple could be expanding their services empire to audiobooks sometime in 2022…but not additional details were provided by The Economist
    • Apple’s services currently include Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+

    Our take: This seems like a pretty logical next step for Apple considering that they already own and operate the Apple Books platform. Sounds like an Audible competitor to me…

  • 2023 iPhones again rumored to include 10x zoom periscope lens

    2023 iPhones again rumored to include 10x zoom periscope lens

    The rumor: Apple is working on the biggest upgrade yet for their telephoto zoom lens, according to Jeff Pu (53.3% accurate, via MacRumors).

    Our take: What is a periscope zoom lens? Essentially, it takes a longer zoom lens that normally would make the phone unreasonably thick and places it sidways, using a mirror or prism to reflect what it sees into the camera sensor. There’s an image that illustrates it above and a really helpful video from Samsung below. I never saw it visualized like this before and it actually makes sense: this is the path to seriously increasing the optical zoom in smartphones.

  • Apple’s M2 chip will have 8-core CPU with improved GPU

    Apple’s M2 chip will have 8-core CPU with improved GPU

    The rumor: The follow-up to Apple’s game-changing M1 chip will be a minor upgrade, according to Mark Gurman (87% accurate, via Power On).

    • “From what I’m hearing, the M2 will be a marginally faster version of the M1 chip from late 2020. I’d expect the same overall CPU core count—4 high-performance cores and 4 energy-efficient cores—but a bit of a stronger GPU. That likely means 9 or 10 GPU cores, an upgrade from the current 7 or 8 graphics core options on the M1” Gurman says
    • Apple is likely to first place the M2 chip in a redesigned MacBook Air sometime in 2022

    Our take: This is the first we’ve heard of actual specs for the M2: an 8-core CPU and 9/10-core GPU. Definitely smaller improvements than I would’ve expected, but keep in mind that this chip will be powering Apple’s most affordable Macs, not the higher-end pro line of computers.

  • Apple’s next external display is said to cost around $2,499

    Apple’s next external display is said to cost around $2,499

    The rumor: Apple is making a new monitor that still won’t be affordable for most, according to Mark Gurman (87% accurate, via Power On).

    • Gurman reports that Apple is working on a new external display that is “destined to be about half the price of the Pro Display XDR,” Apple’s flagship monitor that currently retails for $4,999…plus an additional $999 for the stand
    • Other rumors have been swirling in recent months about Apple working on a trio of new monitors in 24, 27 and 32-inch sizes…but no specific release dates are known just yet

    Our take: I’m smiling and chuckling while writing this because two racks is still way out of the price range for most folks. Still, I’m intrigued because anything cheaper than the current Pro Display XDR is at least some improvement. What we don’t know about this upcoming display are the details like sizing, resolution and features. Will this be a 24, 27 or 32-inch display? Will it be 4K or 6K? And most importantly, will it look good?

  • All Macs will have Apple Silicon by June 2022 (rumor)

    All Macs will have Apple Silicon by June 2022 (rumor)

    The rumor: Apple will complete their transition to Apple Silicon within the next six months, according to Mark Gurman (87% accurate, via Power On).

    • “I’d expect Apple to finish its transition to its own silicon from Intel chips as early as June at WWDC 2022. That includes a smaller Mac Pro with up to 40 CPU cores and 128 graphics cores, a new Mac mini and a large-screened iMac Pro” Gurman says
    • Apple promised in June 2020 that they would complete their transition away from Intel within two years, and this rumor from Gurman suggests that Apple is still on schedule
    • Update 1/2/21 2:50pm: Gurman has clarified on Twitter that he believes the Mac Pro will be announced at WWDC, but not released until later on

    Our take: If we thought 2021 was the year of the Mac…I think we were wrong. Apple has some stellar, higher-end releases planned for later this year that I believe will show us the finalized vision for Apple Silicon: a line of chips that will make the rest of the industry sweat. The CPU power has been quite impressive already, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that Apple has some wild GPUs up their sleeve.

  • Apple preps AirPods Pro 2 with new design, case and lossless audio

    Apple preps AirPods Pro 2 with new design, case and lossless audio

    The rumor: Apple is planning a massive overhaul for second-generation AirPods Pro, according to Ming-Chi Kuo (75.9% accurate).

    Per the new investor note…

    • AirPods Pro 2 will have a new design, alongside an “audible charging case” so you’ll be able to find your headphones easier
    • Apple lossless audio (ALAC) will be supported as a first for wireless AirPods
    • Look for a launch sometime in the fourth quarter of 2022

    Our take: As seen above, MacRumors has already shared images of what the new case is going to look like, although the pods are visually similar to current AirPods Pro. This latest rumor also lines up with what an Apple VP said about the future of AirPods…

  • Apple releases new special edition AirPods Pro

    Apple releases new special edition AirPods Pro

    The news: There’s a new pair of AirPods Pro out now to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

    • The new AirPods Pro, which are only available in China, feature a unique Year of the Tiger engraving on the case and emblem on the packaging
    • And as spotted by website ifanr (via MacRumors), “It is worth mentioning that if you buy a special AirPods Pro Year of the Tiger…users will also get a set of ‘Lunar New Year of the Lunar New Year’ from Apple. This set of red envelopes is printed with the official design of Apple’s twelve zodiac animals, and the shallow Apple Year of the Tiger mark and the words 2022 on the back.”
    • Last year, Apple also released a special edition of AirPods Pro to celebrate the Year of the Ox in China

    Our take: These are cool…but I’m surprised that Apple again opted to do a special edition of AirPods Pro…and not the newly announced AirPods 3. But the red envelopes that Apple is giving out this year are new, tapping into a new year tradition in China that goes back centuries.

    ifanr
  • The top Apple leaks of 2021

    The top Apple leaks of 2021

    It’s the end of the year. So let’s take a look back at the Apple leaks and rumors that defined the past 365 days…and announce which leak is our 2021 leak of the year.

    Leak of the year: Siri leaks Apple’s April event

    I almost forgot this happened, but how could we? Apple, leaking their own event hours before the official invites went out. Some things are too good to be true…and some things are this.

    “Flat-edge” Apple Watch Series 7

    Although Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo leaked the flat-edge design too, it was Jon Prosser who got all the glory for royally getting this leak wrong. Apple did announce a new Apple Watch Series 7 this year…but the edges were even more smooth and curved.

    An iPad Pro as powerful as M1 Macs

    How would the rumored Apple A14X chip ever be as powerful as the M1 chip? Well, Apple could just use the M1 chip. And they did. And we all couldn’t believe it.

    New colors coming to iMac

    No one believed this would happen when Jon Prosser first revealed it: Apple would be reincarnating the colorful iMac. But they did. And it’s an absolutely beautiful all-in-one.

    Apple Music Hi-Fi

    A launch within weeks was shared by Music site HITS Daily Double roughly a month before Apple officially announced Apple Music Spatial Audio and Apple Music Lossless audio. The same report also mentioned new AirPods, but those didn’t drop until months later in October.

    A MacBook Pro with a notch

    Almost everyone scoffed at this when it first surfaced online just days ahead of Apple’s unveil of the new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros. But it just looked too real to be fake. Turns out it was a spot on, and Apple proceeded to announce a MacBook Pro with a notch.

    iPhone 14 x iPhone 4

    This makes the list because it was shared days before the iPhone 13 was announced. Yes, you read that right. While we still have some time for this design to pan out, Apple has been taking a lot of inspiration from their past when it comes to redesigning products. I really, really hope this is how the iPhone 14 looks.