Author: Sam Kohl

  • 2021 iPhones expected in same 4 sizes, ultra-wide camera getting significant upgrades

    2021 iPhones expected in same 4 sizes, ultra-wide camera getting significant upgrades

    Apple is planning to launch another 4 flagship iPhone models in 2021, according to Ming-Chi Kuo (77.5% accurate) and spotted first by Apple Terminal.

    • Sizing (5.4, 6.1 and 6.7-inches) will remain the same moving into next year
    • On the Pro models, the ultra wide lens will be “significantly upgraded” with wider aperture and improved autofocus
    • Per usual, the iPhone 13 series is expected to drop in the fourth quarter of the year

    Our take: Treat any of these earlier rumors for next year’s iPhones with heavy skepticism. That being said, Kuo is known to be really good with early details for new iPhones. 4 sizes staying the same is a good thing in my eyes.

  • iPhone 12 mini, 12 Pro Max and HomePod mini pre-orders go live

    iPhone 12 mini, 12 Pro Max and HomePod mini pre-orders go live

    The news: All iPhone 12 models and HomePod mini are now officially on sale and available for order from Apple.

    • iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max arrive at doorsteps beginning on Friday, November 13
    • HomePod mini deliveries are set to start the week of November 16
    • Apple says “leather sleeves and MagSafe Duo Charger will be available at a later date”

    Our take: Very ready for my mini to get here, and super excited to see the bonus camera capabilities that the Pro Max is offering.

  • First hands-on videos of iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max are out

    First hands-on videos of iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max are out

    The news: Select sites have published early hands-on videos of iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max ahead of pre-orders later this week.

    • The Verge, CNET, Hypebeast and Engadget have shared their early impressions below
    • Pre-orders for iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max go live (tomorrow) on November 6 at 5am PST

    Our take: The mini looks really, really good…as I expected it to for a while. The form factor is so nostalgic but still extremely practical. And if you love big phones, the Pro Max looks great! But it looks gigantic and pretty hefty. Looking forward to going hands-on with both of these myself in a week.

    Gallery (via Hypebeast)

    Videos

  • iOS 14.2 released with new wallpapers, emojis & more

    iOS 14.2 released with new wallpapers, emojis & more

    The news: Apple just released iOS 14.2 with a slew of new features in the biggest update to iOS 14 thus far.

    What’s new?

    iOS 14.2 includes the following improvements for your iPhone:

    • Over 100 new emoji, including animals, food, faces, household objects, musical instruments, gender-inclusive emoji, and more
    • Eight new wallpapers in both light and dark mode versions
    • Magnifier can detect people nearby, and report their distance using the LiDAR sensor included in iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
    • Support for iPhone 12 Leather Sleeve with MagSafe
    • Optimized battery charging for AirPods to slow the rate of battery aging by reducing the time your AirPods spends fully charged
    • Headphone audio level notifications to alert you when audio level could impact your hearing
    • New AirPlay controls to stream entertainment throughout your home
    • Intercom support with HomePod and HomePod mini using iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay
    • Ability to connect HomePod to Apple TV 4K for stereo, surround sound, and Dolby Atmos audio
    • Option to provide statistics about Exposure Notifications, without identifying you, to participating Public Health Authorities

    This release also fixes the following issues:

    • Apps could be out of order on the Home Screen dock
    • Camera viewfinder may appear black when launched
    • The keyboard on the Lock Screen could miss touches when trying to enter the passcode
    • Reminders could default to times in the past
    • Photos widget may not display content
    • Weather widget could display the high temperature in Celsius when set to Fahrenheit
    • Next-hour precipitation chart description in Weather could incorrectly indicate when precipitation stops
    • Voice Memos recordings are interrupted by incoming calls
    • The screen could be black during Netflix video playback
    • Apple Cash could fail to send or receive money when asked via Siri
    • Apple Watch app may unexpectedly close when opened
    • Workout GPS routes or Health data are prevented from syncing between Apple Watch and iPhone for some users
    • Audio is incorrectly labeled as “Not Playing” in the CarPlay Dashboard
    • Devices could be prevented from charging wirelessly
    • Exposure Notifications is disabled when restoring iPhone from iCloud Backup or transferring data to a new iPhone using iPhone Migration

    For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
    https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

  • Leaked AirPods 3 images show all-new design and updated case

    Leaked AirPods 3 images show all-new design and updated case

    The leak: The first images of what may be AirPods 3 have surfaced online, courtesy of 52audio.

    • They look similar to AirPods Pro, but don’t seem to feature interchangeable ear tips like their counterpart
    • Apple seems to be sticking with a one-size-fits-all physique
    • An updated case is more compact than AirPods Pro, and has a much more compact and vertical design

    Our take: I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this is real. 52audio leaked AirPods Pro ahead of its unveil last year so I think they have a good pulse on this type of thing. So happy this is not the in-ear design we see on AirPods Pro.

  • November 2020 leaderboard update

    November 2020 leaderboard update

    Following the announcement of Apple’s final Fall event, here’s how the source leaderboard has been reworked.

    November 3 changes

    🌙 L0vetodream 88.5 ⮕ 88.7% accurate

    • +1 accurate rumor

    🏀 Mark Gurman 88.3 ⮕ 88.4% accurate

    • +2 accurate rumors

    🧻 Jon Prosser 85.5 ⮕ 84.3% accurate

    • +1 accurate rumor
    • -2 inaccurate claims

    Note: As you may have noticed, no source is perfect. That’s because even the best get some info right and some info wrong: do not harass anyone for their track record. The leaderboard functionality on AppleTrack is here only to help tech enthusiasts better understand how likely a rumor really is.

    As always, if you notice a discrepancy on someone’s record, let us know.

  • Apple November 10 ‘one more thing’ event wallpapers

    Apple November 10 ‘one more thing’ event wallpapers

    The fun: Ahead of next week’s November 10 event, get in the mood with a batch of new wallpapers for iPhone and iPad.

    • The blurred aesthetic looks especially nice with app icons and widgets mixed together on your home screen
    • Full-resolution wallpapers will likely be released from Apple following the event next Tuesday, as both the September and October event invites later turned out to be marketing wallpapers

    iPhone

    iPad

    Our take: I hope Apple includes stock blurred wallpapers on iOS in the future. There were a lot of hints that this was coming, but we still haven’t seen that leaked wallpaper settings redesign yet.

  • Mac Pro with Apple Silicon to be ‘about half the size’ of current model

    Mac Pro with Apple Silicon to be ‘about half the size’ of current model

    The rumor: After updating the entire MacBook lineup with Apple Silicon next week, Apple has even more ambitious plans for some of its desktop models, according to Mark Gurman (88.3% accurate).

    • “Apple engineers are currently developing a new Mac Pro that looks like the current design at about half the size,” Gurman says…although it’s unclear whether this will be a replacement for the old model or a second, smaller offering
    • A redesigned iMac is also in development, although it is unclear when this highly-anticipated machine will launch

    Our take: Gurman, who is known for his credible track record, alluded multiple times in this piece that Apple Silicon equals greater power efficiency in the same (or less) amount of space. If Apple can seriously take the behemoth that is the Mac Pro and make it just as powerful in half the original footprint…that says a lot about what Apple Silicon will enable.

  • 13-inch MacBook Air & Pro to get Apple Silicon this week (update: no 16-inch?)

    13-inch MacBook Air & Pro to get Apple Silicon this week (update: no 16-inch?)

    Update 11/9: Gurman has updated his initial report to say that only the 2 new 13-inch models are for sure coming at the event on Tuesday. The 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon is on the way, but as production is further behind than the other models, it may not make the cut.

    The rumor: Apple is planning 3 significant MacBook updates at their Apple Silicon event next week, according to Mark Gurman (88.3% accurate).

    • 13-inch versions of the MacBook Air and Pro and the 16-inch Pro are all getting Apple Silicon on November 10
    • The Apple-designed processor inside is apparently based off the A14 chip included in iPhone 12 and iPad Air
    • No major design upgrades are expected…they MacBooks will look aesthetically similar to how they do currently

    Our take: Wow! So the entire MacBook lineup is getting Apple Silicon next week. We had no idea until now that the 16-inch model would be getting it this early on.

  • Apple may announce 2 new 13-inch MacBooks on November 10

    Apple may announce 2 new 13-inch MacBooks on November 10

    The rumor: Apple is preparing significant updates to 2 of their most popular notebooks, according to Lovetodream (88.5% accurate).

    • First to get Apple Silicon will likely be 2 new MacBook models
    • Apple currently offers two notebooks in a 13-inch size: MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
    • Previous rumors suggested Apple would bring back the ‘MacBook’ line

    Our take: As I’ve said from the beginning, Apple is planning to start small and build up to bigger and better computers with their own silicon inside. This makes perfect sense to me.

    https://twitter.com/L0vetodream/status/1323318103145525248?s=20
  • Apple announces ‘One more thing’ event on November 10

    Apple announces ‘One more thing’ event on November 10

    The news: Apple has just announced a third Fall event on November 10, with the tagline ‘One more thing.’

    • The event will be live-streamed from Apple Park at 10am PST, and is likely the last special event of 2020
    • The first Mac(s) powered by Apple Silicon are widely expected, alongside AirTags, a puck-shaped tracking accessory with AR features

    Our take: So excited to see the first ARM Mac at this event. Apple seems to be ending 2020 with a bang, especially since they used the ‘One more thing’ tagline as the teaser phrase for the event.