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.”
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.
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.
The news: Apple may be working on a solution for wireless, high-resolution audio that isn’t currently supported by Bluetooth, according to Apple VP of Acoustics Gary Geaves.
In a new interview from What Hi-Fi?, Geaves discusses the engineering marvel that is AirPods 3…but also speaks on the Bluetooth standard that could be holding all AirPods back
“Obviously the wireless technology is critical for the content delivery that you talk about…we have to concentrate very hard on squeezing the most that we can out of the Bluetooth technology, and there’s a number of tricks we can play to maximize or get around some of the limits of Bluetooth. But it’s fair to say that we would like more bandwidth and… I’ll stop right there. We would like more bandwidth” Geaves says
Jon Prosser (73.9% accurate) reported in May that Apple was working on a new version of AirPlay that would enable lossless audio on AirPods
Our take: Sounds like Geaves had more to say, doesn’t it? I’d bet we’ll hear more about a new wireless standard (or improved version of AirPlay) from Apple in the next year or so.
The news: The final Apple products of 2021 have just dropped…but they’re only available in Japan or China.
A new AirTag featuring a custom year of the tiger engraving is out now in Japan to celebrate the Japanese New Year…alongside a new promotion where you get a gift card when you buy select products
There are also new Beats Studio Buds releasing on January 1 that get a fresh coat of paint with tiger-inspired graphics to celebrate the Lunar New Year
Our take: Some special products to commemorate a special time of the year in Asia. I think it’s dope that Apple periodically drops custom, limited-edition stuff like this in different counties.
The rumor: Apple is preparing to sell iPhones without a SIM card slot in 2022, according to MacRumors (78% accurate).
Here’s what to know…
“An anonymous tipster informed MacRumors that Apple has advised major U.S. carriers to prepare for the launch of eSIM-only smartphones by September 2022. The tipster shared a seemingly legitimate document outlining the timeframe for this initiative, although the document does not specifically mention Apple or the iPhone…As part of the transition, some U.S. carriers will allegedly start offering select iPhone 13 models without a nano-SIM card in the box in the second quarter of 2022″ the report says
Our take: This is a much more aggressive timeline than I would have anticipated, but it doesn’t sound that wild considering how well eSIM works currently…at least here in the United States. I think the lack of a physical SIM tray would be a major dealbreaker for many folks that live abroad. For reference, MacRumors is 78% accurate for rumors like this one.
The rumor: Apple could remove the physical SIM tray from some iPhones in 2023, according to Blog do iPhone (not yet tracked).
According to this unverified source, Apple plans to remove the physical SIM tray from the higher-end iPhone Pro models in 2023, meaning that only a dual-eSIM would allow you to connect to cellular networks
Apple’s 2023 iPhone models are shaping up to be their most transformative ever, with a true all-screen design with under-display Touch ID and periscope camera lens
Our take: Considering that this is the first rumors I’ve ever seen from Blog do iPhone, I’m treating this purely as speculation. That being said, I don’t think a portless iPhone is anything too out there at this point…so removing the SIM tray would just be part of that transition. Next year seems too early, but 2023 sounds about right to me.
The rumor: A future software update for iPhones could enable “crash detection,” according to the WSJ (80% accurate).
These are the details…
“Crash detection uses data from sensors built into Apple devices including the accelerometer to detect car accidents as they occur, for instance by measuring a sudden spike in gravity, or “g,” forces on impact” the report says
This data could then be utilized to automatically dial 911 if an accident is detected
Apple could roll this feature out to iPhones as early as 2022, either as an update to iOS 15 or as part of the larger iOS 16 release
Our take: This sounds really helpful, and reminds me of how Apple used the accelerometer on Apple Watch Series 4 and newer to make fall detection work. Automatic crash detection would be really helpful and potentially life-saving.
This new iMac is expected to drop as early as Spring 2022
Our take: I don’t buy that it’ll still be an LCD panel, considering how Apple has started to roll out Mini-LED to their other Pro devices already (ex. iPad Pro, MacBook Pro). I do buy that this is coming in the Spring and that it will come in more colors than silver, though.
Trial production is set to begin soon, which is the step before mass production and ultimately the product’s launch
Design will be identical to the current model, with the same 4.7-inch display, home button with Touch ID and 12MP camera…but new A15 and 5G chips will be added and RAM could increase from 3 ⮕ 4GB
Pricing is said to be between $269 and $399, making this phone competitive with other lower-end Android options
Our take: $269 would be ludicrous pricing for this phone, and I just don’t see that happening…I think something closer to $399 sounds more realistic especially considering MyDrivers’ track record.
The rumor: Apple is currently working on a flurry of new monitors in “early development,” according to Dylandkt (77.5% accurate).
While the new 27 and 32-inch monitors made by LG are said to be 120Hz and Mini-LED, the 24-inch monitor will be more similar to the current iMac
The 32-inch monitor is likely a new version of Apple’s Pro Display XDR, which is also said to include custom Apple Silicon…which was leaked a few months ago
Our take: This is such a logical step for Apple, who already makes some of the best-looking displays in the entire world. Selling them, standalone, is a huge market that I can’t believe they’ve ignored for so long. I can’t wait for these to drop.
The rumor: A new report reaffirms a wild 48MP camera coming on iPhone 14, per Ming-Chi Kuo (75.9% accurate).
“We predict 48MP for the new 2H22 iPhone and Periscope for the newer 2H23 iPhone” Kuo says, in an investor memo obtained by AppleTrack
This mirrors a previous leak from March, in which Kuo reported more exciting developments for the 2023 iPhone, including a true bezel-less design with no notch or cutouts, a periscope zoom lens and under-display Touch ID
Our take: Nothing new whatsoever in this report, but Kuo seems to be pretty sweet on this 48MP shooter on iPhone 14. Right now it feels very un-Apple like to do a 4x megapixel jump, but I’d bet they’re doing it for good reason. The question is why now…
The bigger news is still just how good the 2023 iPhones are going to be. I mean these are seriously things we’ve been dreaming about for years now…all happening at once. I really hope all of this stays on track.
