Category: News

  • 2022 iPad Air tidbits: What Apple didn’t tell you

    2022 iPad Air tidbits: What Apple didn’t tell you

    The news: Apple announced a minor update to the iPad Air at their Peek Performance event on March 8. Here are some of the smaller changes the company made.

    • The USB-C port supports up to 2x faster transfer speeds than the previous iPad Air
    • Because the M1 chip powers iPad Air now, there is now 8GB inside…double the previous generation
    • Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps is now supported on the front-facing and rear cameras
    • The Wi-Fi only version of the new iPad Air weighs are negligible 0.02 pounds more than last generation
    • One of the flagship features is 5G…but this tablet only supports the slower sub-6 GHz standard (not the ultra-fast mmWave)

    Sam’s take: Overall, this is an incredibly small update…unless you consider the M1 chip inside, which you can now get in an iPad for $599. That’ll be pointless for most folks, though, considering that iPadOS continues to be so limited year after year. Aside from that, the faster USB-C port is nice, I guess?

  • 2022 iPhone SE tidbits: What Apple didn’t tell you

    2022 iPhone SE tidbits: What Apple didn’t tell you

    The news: At a busy Apple event on March 8, Apple announced a new, third-generation iPhone SE. Here are the deep cuts that Apple didn’t highlight.

    • According to MacRumors, there is now 4GB RAM (was 3GB prior)
    • The flagship feature is 5G…but it only supports the slower sub-6 GHz standard (not the ultra-fast mmWave)
    • Apple promises an extra 2 hours of battery life thanks to the efficient A15 Bionic chip: they claim 15 hours of video playback compared to 13 on the iPhone SE 2
    • While the camera hardware hasn’t improved at all, there are new computational photography features like Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4 and Photographic Styles like on iPhone 13
    • There’s no Ceramic Shield here…but Apple does say this iPhone SE has “the toughest glass in a smartphone on the front and back”
    • This iPhone SE now starts at $429, which is $30 more expensive than the iPhone SE 2
    • IP67 water (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes) and dust resistance is identical to the previous model
    • The new iPhone SE is lighter than the last generation: it weighs just 5.09 ounces, which is 0.13 ounces lighter than the iPhone SE 2

    Sam’s take: There’s actually quite a lot here that surprised me. The new iPhone SE doesn’t support the fastest 5G, has the exact same camera hardware as before and is more expensive…but they made it weigh less. I guess that’s a fair trade off, right? Joking aside, this will still be an incredibly good value for most people. My only concern here remains the battery life, of which I’m still not convinced will be good enough.

  • Mac Studio tidbits: What Apple didn’t tell you

    Mac Studio tidbits: What Apple didn’t tell you

    The news: Apple announced the all-new Mac Studio desktop at their March 8 Peek Performance event…but now we’re taking a closer look at some tidbits you should know.

    • Even though this is a higher-end desktop, there is a built-in speaker (but I doubt that it’ll be any good or even viable for anything more than a quick soundbite)
    • All Mac Studios ship with 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back, but only the M1 Ultra Mac Studio also has Thunderbolt 4 ports on the front…the front ports on M1 Max are just standard USB-C
    • The Mac Studio with M1 Ultra weighs a whopping 2 pounds more than the same computer configured with M1 Max
    • Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and a 10Gb Ethernet port all come standard

    Sam’s take: How does the M1 Ultra weight 2 pounds more than M1 Max? Am I the only one that finds this fascinating? But considering that most people will set this on their desk and never move it…I don’t think this weight difference actually matters. I’m also really grateful there’s a speaker on here as someone who probably relies on my built-in Mac speakers too much.

  • Apple Studio Display tidbits: What Apple didn’t tell you

    Apple Studio Display tidbits: What Apple didn’t tell you

    The news: Now that Apple’s Studio Display is official, let’s take a deeper dive into the intricacies of the product that Apple didn’t talk about on stage at their Peek Performance event.

    • The Studio Display screen is identical to that of the 27-inch iMac
      • 27-inch 5K Retina display
      • 5120-by-2880 resolution at 218 pixels per inch
      • 600 nits brightness
      • Support for 1 billion colors
      • Wide color (P3)
      • True Tone
    • Thus, it’s a 60Hz panel and there’s no 120Hz ProMotion technology
    • Center Stage on the new 12MP ultra-wide camera, Spatial Audio and “Hey Siri” are all enabled courtesy of the powerful A13 Bionic processor
    • Only 1 of the 4 USB-C ports is Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb/s)…the other 3 USB-C sports cap out at transfer speeds of 10Gb/s
    • While the tilt-only stand is included for the base $1599 price, the tilt- and height-adjustable stand runs an extra $400…and that one weighs 3 pounds more
    • A new 1 meter Thunderbolt cable is included in the box with all models…but buyers of the nano-texture glass version get an official Apple polishing cloth, too

    Sam’s take: Overall, there really aren’t any surprises here. Apple was incredibly straightforward about this display when they announced it and there aren’t any red flags. I think $1,599 is an incredible value for what you’re getting in this package. But man did I wish it had 120Hz ProMotion… So here’s to the Pro Display XDR 2.

  • Apple releases new black/silver Magic Keyboard, Mouse & Trackpad that ship with exclusive braided black Lighting cable

    Apple releases new black/silver Magic Keyboard, Mouse & Trackpad that ship with exclusive braided black Lighting cable

    The news: Alongside the just announced Mac Studio and Studio Display, Apple also dropped some fresh accessories on their website.

    • There are new black/silver version of the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad…all of which ship with an included black braided Lightning cable
    • To get the new colorways, Apple charges you a $20 premium over the white/silver counterparts, with the mouse coming in at $99, trackpad at $149 and keyboard at $199

    Sam’s take: I find it hilarious that the cooler looking black accessories cost more than the white ones…but Apple has done the same thing with Mac Space Gray peripherals in the past. It’s just annoying when I may or may not have gotten peer-pressured into buying these earlier today.

  • Rumor: Colorful MacBook Air will stick with M1 chip, no Mini-LED; M2 pushed to 2023?

    Rumor: Colorful MacBook Air will stick with M1 chip, no Mini-LED; M2 pushed to 2023?

    The rumor: The redesigned 2022 MacBook Air will not feature an M2 chip, as previously rumored, according to Ming-Chi Kuo (70.4% accurate).

    Here’s the report…

    • The 2022 MacBook Air will not feature a mini-LED display…contrary previous rumors
    • It will have a new form factor redesign and is said to come in many colors
    • It will ship with the M1 chip, not the rumored M2 chip
    • Mass production will start in second or third quarter of 2022
    • Editor in Chief of 9to5Mac, Chance Miller, says that he spoke with Kuo and was told that the existing M1 chip could be modified for the MacBook Air…and that the M2 chip could be pushed to 2023

    Ian’s Take: This rumor confuses me. This laptop is rumored to ship in late 2022, two years after the release of the M1 chip. Naturally, I would expect the Air to come with a second-generation Apple Silicon chip, as heard from many different sources. Delays within the supply chain and the ongoing chip shortage could be the reason for this change in plans, however. Kuo also mentions that the device will not ship with Mini-LED. Many sources have said the opposite, but this makes the most sense. The rest of the report is the information we have heard before, but it is always great to see sources in agreement.

    https://twitter.com/chancehmiller/status/1501363633196052483?s=21
  • Apple discontinues the beloved 27-inch iMac

    Apple discontinues the beloved 27-inch iMac

    The news: Following their “Peek Performance” event, Apple has gotten rid of the 27-inch iMac on their website.

    Ian’s Take: At first, I was very confused because a redesigned 27-inch iMac was widely expected, but it now makes sense. The upcoming 27-inch iMac will be branded as a “Pro” product, replacing the iMac Pro from 2017: Apple will no make a larger consumer-level iMac in the future. In the meantime, those looking for a larger iMac could pick up an M1 Mac mini and newly unveiled Studio Display for a similar price to the discontinued 27-inch iMac.

  • The first benchmark from Apple’s M1 Ultra chip just leaked and it isn’t even fair

    The first benchmark from Apple’s M1 Ultra chip just leaked and it isn’t even fair

    The news: Apple’s just-announced M1 Ultra chip was poised to be unlike any of the M1 chips before it…and a new benchmark first spotted by MacRumors confirms it is even more powerful than we could have imagined.

    • With a CPU single-core score of 1,793 and multi-core score of 24,055, the Mac Studio with M1 Ultra inside beats Apple’s most expensive Mac Pro (a 2.5GHz 28‑core Intel Xeon W chip) with 40% more single-core performance and nearly 15% additional multi-core performance
    • Apple is also promising wild graphics performance with the M1 Ultra’s new 64-core GPU…but real-world benchmarks for that haven’t leaked yet

    Sam’s take: Am I the only one sitting here in a bit of shock? Apple’s M1 Ultra is not just the most powerful Apple Silicon ever, it’s the most powerful chip they’ve ever put inside a Mac. And sure, base pricing of 5 grand to get this performance might seem like a lot…until you consider that the base Mac Pro starts at 6 grand. How does this make any sense?

  • Download the new green iPhone 13 wallpapers here

    Download the new green iPhone 13 wallpapers here

    The wallpapers: Alongside a new iPhone SE with some beautiful gradient wallpapers, Apple also debuted two new colors for iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro at their March 8 event.

    • Both new images, which match the original wallpapers that launched with the flagships in September, have been Matrix-ified with fresh green hues and tinting
    • You’ll be able to walk into an Apple Store and buy these new green iPhones when they release on Friday, March 18

    iPhone 13

    iPhone 13 Pro

  • Apple unveils all-new Mac Studio desktop and monitor

    Apple unveils all-new Mac Studio desktop and monitor

    The news: Apple just dropped a new Mac called Mac Studio and a new monitor and they’re out-of-this-world cool.

    Mac Studio

    • Radical design in all new form factor
    • M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips are available
    • 6 USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports
    • SD card slot
    • 2 USB-A ports
    • HDMI port
    • High-impedance headphone jack
    • Available for order today and ships on March 18
    • M1 Max starts at $1999
    • M1 Ultra starts at $3999

    Mac Studio Display

    • 27-inch 5K Retina display
    • Optional Nano Texture display
    • 500 nits brightness
    • P3 wide color
    • A13 Bionic chip inside
    • Included 12MP ultra-wide camera with Center Stage
    • 3 mic array
    • 6 speaker sound system
    • Included stand that tits put to 30 degrees
    • Optional XDR stand
    • Available for order today and ships on March 18
    • $1599
  • Apple launches new M1 Ultra chip that combines 2 M1 Max processors together

    Apple launches new M1 Ultra chip that combines 2 M1 Max processors together

    The news: Apple announced a new M1 Ultra processor at their March 8 event.

    These are the wild specs…

    • 20-core CPU
    • 64-core GPU
    • 128GB unified memory (RAM)
    • 800GB/s memory bandwidth