Category: News

  • Report: Select Apple US retail employees plan on unionizing

    Report: Select Apple US retail employees plan on unionizing

    There are Apple retail employees concerned about low wages that are not in line with inflation, according to The Washington Post.

    • Some employees state that they are making less money than when they started due to inflation
    • In two stores, Apple Retail employees are backed by major national unions and are ready to file paperwork…and in at least a dozen more stores they are in early discussions
    • Employees say that while the pay is similar to other retail jobs, the other companies aren’t making the revenue that Apple is making

    Ian’s Take: I fully support the employees planning on unionizing. Apple’s revenue has grown year over year, and employees are a large part of that. As retail employees sell more products, they make less money. Retail is an essential part of Apple’s business, and they deserve to be paid fairly.

  • Mysterious post suggests Apple is filming their next event at Apple Park

    Mysterious post suggests Apple is filming their next event at Apple Park

    The news: Apple may be in the process of filming their next event, according to an Instagram story post yesterday by Steven Huon, Apple’s Head of Music Programming, Brand Experience & Events.

    Our take: Listen, I’m not saying that an Instagram story with an emoji is confirmation that Apple is filming an event right now. But this higher-up at Apple is clearly quite connected to the spaceship campus and ahead of a rumored taking place on March 8, I don’t think this is too much of a stretch. Lots of smoke at this point for no fire…

  • Apple announces new Powerbeats Pro x NBA special edition

    Apple announces new Powerbeats Pro x NBA special edition

    The news: Apple has updated the aging Powerbeats Pro headphones with a hot new colorway in collaboration with the NBA.

    • With a base ivory coat and stunning blue and red accents, this is one of the best looking Beats designs in history
    • Announced to be releasing on February 19 for $249 at Better Gift Shop, this new take on the years-old Powerbeats Pro celebrates the NBA’s 75th anniversary as a league

    Our take: I think they absolutely nailed the NBA look on these headphones…but why did they choose the model that is going on 3 years old? Seems like Beats Studio Buds or Beats Fit Pro would be a much better fit…

  • iPhone 14 Pro may feature more RAM than ever before

    iPhone 14 Pro may feature more RAM than ever before

    The rumor: Apple will be upgrading the RAM on iPhone 14 Pro significantly, according to a slightly sketchy report from leaker yeux1122 (not yet tracked).

    Here’s what the source says…

    • The iPhone 14 Pro memory components have been finalized and the 2022 lineup will see a dramatic upgrade from 6 to 8GB in RAM capacity
    • yeux1122 adds that production for the 2022 iPhones is accelerating
    • This source has previously shared accurate information about product releases such as the launch time frame and the chassis design of the iPad mini, but their track record is limited and not always accurate

    Ian’s Take: While the source’s track record does not inspire much confidence, an upgrade in RAM capacity makes a lot of sense and I could see it happening. The iPhone 14 Pro is widely expected to feature the highest megapixel count by far in any iPhone, and that requires a lot of memory. RAM has never been a problem on iPhones because of the optimization done in iOS, but this new camera hardware could require a push up.

  • 2022 MacBook Pro said to release in March with M2 chip and a Touch Bar

    2022 MacBook Pro said to release in March with M2 chip and a Touch Bar

    The rumor: Apple will announce a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with an unchanged design in March, according to a Weibo source spotted by MacRumors (72.7% accurate).

    The details, according to the source who first claimed the 14/16-inch MacBook Pros would have a notch…

    • In March, Apple will unveil a replacement to the current 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro…but the only change will be a new M2 chip inside
    • This suggests the rest of the MacBook Pro will remain the same, even keeping the Touch Bar from the old design: no notch or 120Hz ProMotion display will be present

    Ian’s Take: While initially, I was skeptical when DigiTimes reported that Apple would release an M2 13’’ MacBook Pro in early March, hearing this from a source that has previously proven to have accurate supply chain information adds more credibility to the rumor. I still find it hard to believe that Apple would release a second-generation M2 system before they finish releasing their highest-end M1-based systems…but this Weibo source has said crazier things before.

  • New Mac mini and Mac mini Pro models coming in 2022

    New Mac mini and Mac mini Pro models coming in 2022

    The rumor: Apple will segment the Mac mini into multiple lines for the first time later this year, according to Mark Gurman (85.5% accurate).

    • “Hearing there will be multiple new Mac minis this year, assuming regular and Pro” Gurman says
    • Jon Prosser (69% accurate) previously suggested Apple was working on a Mac mini Pro many months ago, which is said to look similar to the render above

    Our take: Apple is really leaning into the non-Pro and Pro strategy this year…and I think it’s a really good idea. Want something sleek and more affordable that gets the job done? Mac mini. Want more power in a bigger chassis? Mac mini Pro.

  • Revamped iMac Pro to launch in June 2022

    Revamped iMac Pro to launch in June 2022

    The rumor: Apple’s all-new iMac Pro is still a few months away, according to Ross Young (100% accurate).

    Our take: Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting this new iMac Pro at Apple’s next event on March 8. But June sounds like a announcement at WWDC…

  • Ahead of March 8 event, Apple confirms 3 new Macs are coming

    Ahead of March 8 event, Apple confirms 3 new Macs are coming

    The leak: Apple is preparing to unveil 3 new Macs as soon as March, as spotted in regulatory filings by Consomac.

    Here’s what was revealed…

    • Model A2681: a new Mac laptop
    • Models A2615 and A2686: likely 2 Mac desktops

    Our take: New Apple products are consistently revealed ahead of release through Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) filings…but the exact launch time for these aren’t a guarantee. I believe we’ll see at least one new Mac at Apple’s March 8 event—we could see all 3—but it’s entirely possible that some of these Macs were just registered early and will be released later on in 2022.

  • Apple announces major AirTag updates amidst tracking scrutiny

    Apple announces major AirTag updates amidst tracking scrutiny

    The news: After nearly a year of AirTag being available for purchase, Apple has more seriously responded to broad concerns about tracking and privacy.

    Here’s the details from the press release…

    • As seen above, there will be a more stern privacy warning when setting up AirTag for the first time
    • When an unknown pair of AirPods has been found near you, a “Unknown Accessory Detected” alert would previously show up…now AirPods will be mentioned specifically
    • Updated support documentation is available now on Apple’s website
    • Precision Finding, which works on iPhone 11/12/13, will now work to find AirTags that could be tracking you (so that you can locate the threat as quickly as possible)
    • An unwanted AirTag near you that is emitting sound to notify you of its presence will now show an alert on your display, as well (in case the speaker has been tampered with)
    • Apple is updating their unwanted tracking alert logic to notify users even sooner if there is an AirTag following them
    • The sound emitted from AirTag is being tuned so that the loudest tones are even louder

    Our take: Wow. This is incredibly comprehensive and I’m honestly impressed. I see what Apple waited so long to formally reply to these AirTag concerns: they’ve been working on all of this. I think they nailed it and there’s no doubt in my mind that this will have a positive effect against bad actors.

  • Apple releases iOS 15.3.1 with accessibility and security updates

    Apple releases iOS 15.3.1 with accessibility and security updates

    The news: Apple just dropped a new update for iPhones and iPads capable of running iOS 15 with some “important security updates” and more.

    • Apple says that iOS 15.3.1 fixes an issue that caused Braille display to stop responding…and cites security fixes too
    • This is the first minor update since iOS 15.3 was released a few weeks back with almost nothing new

    Our take: Again, nothing major in today’s update. For some reason, Apple is really saving everything significant for iOS 15.4, which is set to drop in March.

  • Apple mistakenly references new ‘realityOS’ as rumors swirl of AR/VR headset

    Apple mistakenly references new ‘realityOS’ as rumors swirl of AR/VR headset

    The leak: Apple has officially referenced a new platform in App Store upload logs, as first spotted by developer Rene Verhoeven on Twitter.

    • The new platform, known in code as realityOS, could be the software used on the upcoming AR/VR headset set to debut in the coming months
    • As noted by Steve Troughton-Smith, there’s additional evidence showing that realityOS will be its own operating system and will have a simulator for developers

    Our take: This is the most conclusive evidence from Apple that the big push into augmented and virtual reality is happening (relatively) soon. No major details have leaked here, but realityOS is definitely real and in testing.

    https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/1491266972226490368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1491266972226490368%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F9to5mac.com%2F2022%2F02%2F09%2Frealityos-apple-headset%2F