Author: Sam Kohl

  • ‘HomePod G4’ & ‘HomePod TV’ concepts depict radical designs for future products

    ‘HomePod G4’ & ‘HomePod TV’ concepts depict radical designs for future products

    The concepts: Following a fresh report from Mark Gurman (89.9% accurate) about the future of the HomePod, designers have released new concepts for what the products could look like.

    • In a simplistic image posted to Twitter, @pwign shares his vision of an iMac G4-style device: a HomePod base and swiveling arm that connects to an iPad Air
    • Writing for 9to5Mac, Parker Ortolani concepts both a sound bar-like Apple TV and iMac-inspired HomePod with iPad fascia

    Our take: As much as I felt like these products could be a design disaster earlier, these concepts are quite something. A ‘HomePod G4’ would work super well in my kitchen and, well, we’re all still waiting for a significant Apple TV upgrade…

  • Future HomePod + Apple TV combo device may feature camera & more

    Future HomePod + Apple TV combo device may feature camera & more

    The rumor: Apple is working on new, combo versions of the HomePod, according to Mark Gurman (89.1% accurate).

    • Gurman notes the devices is in “early development,” and would include features from both HomePod, Apple TV and include a camera for video calling
    • There’s a second device in the works, too: “Apple has explored connecting the iPad to the speaker with a robotic arm that can move to follow a user around a room, similar to Amazon’s latest Echo Show gadget.”

    Our take: Apple’s future HomePods sound like a stark departure from the smart speaker category they’ve explored historically. I’ll be honest–the robotic arm HomePod/iPad combo sounds pretty cheesy. I just hope it won’t look like what I’m imaging in the header image, though…

  • New iPad Pro coming in second half of April due to display shortage

    New iPad Pro coming in second half of April due to display shortage

    The rumor: Apple’s first hardware announcement of 2021 is happening as soon as next week, according to Mark Gurman (89.1% accurate).

    • Although the supply of MiniLED displays has been constrained due to a shortage, the new iPad Pro is still on track to launch “as early as the second half of April”
    • However, Gurman notes “that the larger iPad Pro (could) ship later and be available in constrained quantities to begin with”
    • The new iPad Pro is rumored to have a faster processor like the M1 chip, new Thunderbolt port and better cameras

    Our take: This confirms that Nikkei article from the other day and lines up with what every other good source has been reporting. Seems like we are getting the new iPad Pro sometime next week!

  • Some iPad and MacBook models delayed due to global chip shortage

    Some iPad and MacBook models delayed due to global chip shortage

    The rumor: Apple has pushed back the production of some iPad and Mac models, according to Nikkei Asia (rating pending).

    • What’s happening with the Mac? “Chip shortages have caused delays in a key step in MacBook production — the mounting of components on printed circuit boards before final assembly”
    • And bad news for iPad, too: “Some iPad assembly, meanwhile, was postponed because of a shortage of displays and display components, sources said”
    • Nikkei Asia notes that Apple has pushed back some component orders from the first half of 2021 until the second half of this year

    Our take: I don’t think this applies to the upcoming iPad Pro…but this could certainly be an explanation for why we haven’t seen an Apple event announced just yet. This global chip shortage is quickly becoming a big issue for even large players like Apple.

  • Nikkei Asia: accuracy rating pending

    Nikkei Asia: accuracy rating pending

    Hearing tidbits from the supply chain from time-to-time, Nikkei Asia often reports on delays and shortages ahead of anybody else.

    Rumor accuracy

    [coming soon]

    Rumor list

    2021

    April

    • Some MacBook and iPad models delayed until second half of 2021, link

    2020

    2019

    2018

  • 2021 iPad Pro & iPad mini first look shows minor design tweaks

    2021 iPad Pro & iPad mini first look shows minor design tweaks

    The leak: Newly surfaced dummy units give us our first real-world look at new iPads coming soon, according to Sonny Dickson (57.7% accurate).

    • The new iPad Pro looks identical to the current generation, with virtually no design changes whatsoever…we’ve heard historically that the number of speaker holes is changing, though
    • As for the updated iPad mini, it’s not the full-screen redesign that many were hoping to see: Dickson says it’s just slighter thicker than the current generation (but with no explanation as to why)

    Our take: This lines up with what other credible sources have said: no major design changes for iPad Pro or iPad mini this year. Everything new is happening on the inside.

  • iOS 15 may included redesigned Control Center, support for dual authentication

    iOS 15 may included redesigned Control Center, support for dual authentication

    The rumors: Apple is preparing to revamp Control Center and more in iOS 15, according to McGuire Wood (accuracy pending).

    • A redesigned Control Center may launch at some point later in the beta cycle, and it reportedly “takes inspirations” from macOS Big Sur
    • A dual-authentication API may also be in the works for developers…for a 2021 iPhone model that is rumored to support both Touch ID and Face ID

    Our take: A Control Center design with design elements from macOS would be yet another suggestion that iOS 15 may be the most neumorphic design yet. We’ve also seen Apple tweak some developer icons on iOS to look a lot less flat. Yet Wood has not been formally tracked yet so we recommend taking this rumor with a grain of salt. The concept above from Aleksey Bondarev looks so good.

  • Apple updates Find My app, promotes 3rd-party tile tracker with AirTags MIA

    Apple updates Find My app, promotes 3rd-party tile tracker with AirTags MIA

    The news: A new version of Find My is out now for devices running iOS 14.3 or later, offering new functionality for 3rd-party accessories and devices.

    • Apple has formally announced the Find My network, a “crowdsourced network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices that use Bluetooth wireless technology to detect missing devices or items nearby, and report their approximate location back to the owner”
    • The frist “Works with Apple Find My” products include Belkin’s SOUNDFORM Freedom earbuds, Chipolo’s ONE Spot tracker and VanMoof’s new S3 and X3 e-bikes

    Our take: This is the strangest press release from Apple yet. We know they’ve been working on AirTags, an tile-like tracker, and updated AirPods. But in their big unveil for the Find My network…Apple instead promoted 3rd-party earbuds from Belkin and an item finder from Chipolo (who I’ve never heard of). Why would Apple take this opportunity to specifically promote 3rd-party accessories instead of unveiling their own? It seems to suggest AirTags wouldn’t be coming soon.

    But then there’s this:

    Today Apple is also announcing a draft specification for chipset manufacturers that will be released later this spring. With this, third-party device makers will be able to take advantage of Ultra Wideband technology in U1-equipped Apple devices, creating a more precise, directionally aware experience when nearby.

    We also know that AirTags have a U1 chip inside. And Apple says those U1 specs for 3rd-party manufacturers are coming later this spring. This strongly suggests that AirTags are coming in spring…Apple just doesn’t want another company to beat them to the punch with U1 functionality inside.

    If the launch of AirTags wasn’t clear before, this adds even more fuel to the fire.

  • 2021 Apple TV to support 120Hz refresh rate

    2021 Apple TV to support 120Hz refresh rate

    The leak: The next Apple TV will support a higher refresh rate, according to 9to5Mac (77.2% accurate).

    • In the latest tvOS 14.5 beta, “Multiple references to ‘120Hz’ and ‘supports120Hz’ have been added to tvOS’ PineBoard in the latest beta release…PineBoard is the internal name of the system that controls the Apple TV interface”
    • Apple is rumored to release a new Apple TV sometime in 2021, but no credible source has provided a concrete timeline just yet

    Our take: So Apple is working on an updated TV after all. There was some speculation after that weird remote situation that there actually wouldn’t be a new Apple TV coming. 120Hz support is killer for those who have a TV that supports the tech, and will make everything appear buttery smooth. It’s coming to the iPhone in 2021, too.

  • Kang: New iPad Pro coming mid-April, Wi-Fi version may come first

    Kang: New iPad Pro coming mid-April, Wi-Fi version may come first

    The rumor: Apple’s next iPad Pro is coming in just days, according to Kang (97% accurate).

    In a response to being asked about when the new tablet was coming, Kang provided the following details…

    • The tablet is releasing in the middle of the month (April)
    • The Wi-Fi-only iPad Pro is releasing ahead of the cellular version

    Our take: This is, by far, Kang’s most cryptic post yet. It was created in response to being harassed about the device from some of his followers (don’t do that, if that is you). Seems like this new iPad is imminent…

  • Report suggests media ‘will soon’ receive new Apple products

    Report suggests media ‘will soon’ receive new Apple products

    The rumor: Apple may be seeding review units of new Apple products to members of the media “soon,” according to DuanRui on Twitter.

    • DuanRui, a Twitter account who frequently aggregates rumors spawning in Asia, says “Some people say that Apple’s cooperative media will soon receive new Apple products,” but also notes, “I don’t know if it is true or not”
    • Apple is rumored to hold an event sometime in April where an updated iPad Pro and AirTags will be released

    Our take: There’s a lot of smoke for new products this month. At a minimum, we will be seeing a new iPad Pro. But I’m hopeful for AirTags as part of a larger event, too.