Category: News

  • Apple announces October 18 ‘Unleashed’ special event

    Apple announces October 18 ‘Unleashed’ special event

    The news: Apple has just announced a second Fall event taking place early next week.

    • The “Unleashed” event, that will be focused on new Macs with faster Apple Silicon inside, kicks off at 10am PDT on Monday, October 18
    • New 14/16-inch MacBook Pros and a new Mac mini are expected to debut at the highly-anticipated keynote

    Our take: I’m more excited for this event that last month’s iPhone 13 unveil. Let’s go!

  • Apple releases iOS 15.0.2 update fixing most prominent bugs

    Apple releases iOS 15.0.2 update fixing most prominent bugs

    The news: Apple just dropped a fresh version of iOS 15 with some additional bug fixes and improvements.

    Changelog

    • Photos saved to your library from Messages could be deleted after removing the associated thread or message
    • iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe may not connect to Find My
    • AirTag might not appear in the Find My Items tab
    • CarPlay may fail to open audio apps or disconnect during playback
    • Device restore or update may fail when using Finder or iTunes for iPhone 13 models

    Our take: The bug fix update many have been waiting for. Corrects most of the launch issues that folks have been reporting over the past two weeks.

  • 13/16-inch MacBook Pro chargers out of stock ahead of rumored refresh

    13/16-inch MacBook Pro chargers out of stock ahead of rumored refresh

    The news: You can’t buy an official power adapter for your MacBook Pro from Apple right now…they’re either completely out of stock or don’t ship for 2-3 months.

    Our take: More evidence (and the most concrete from Apple so far) that the new MacBook Pro models are just around the corner. 14/16-inch Mini-LED displays inside redesigned chassis, M1X chip and the return of the HDMI port, MagSafe and SD card slot. I can’t wait.

  • iPhone 14 could get new 2TB storage option

    iPhone 14 could get new 2TB storage option

    The rumor: Apple could double the top-tier storage option for the 2022 iPhone, according to MyDrivers (not yet rated).

    • 2 terabytes of storage could land on iPhone sometime next year, with Apple rumored to switch from TLC to QLC flash memory, even though “QLC performance and reliability are not as good as TLC flash storage”
    • However, Jon Prosser (74.6% accurate) recently shut down this idea and doesn’t believe we will see 2TB next year

    Our take: Gonna say no way on this one. MyDrivers has a despicable track record and we just got 1TB this year. I didn’t see a need for 1TB, so I certainly don’t see a need for 2TB.

  • AirPods firmware 4A400 released with Find My upgrades

    AirPods firmware 4A400 released with Find My upgrades

    The news: Finding lost AirPods should be easier than ever, thanks to Apple’s latest 4A400 firmware update for the wildly popular earbuds.

    • As part of the Find My network, AirPods can now be found when they come into contact with other Apple products and also feature Proximity View for more precise locating
    • The feature was first announced at WWDC 2021 alongside Conversation Boost and new Announce Messages features

    Our take: Going to keep saying this until it happens: Apple needs to publicize the release notes for AirPods firmware updates and the updates need to be easier to install. Apple has not said a word about this update, it just came out of the blue with no context. Either way, this update is nice even as we wait the cooler Conversation Boost feature that hasn’t dropped just yet.

  • Apple Watch Series 7 spotted in photos for the first time

    Apple Watch Series 7 spotted in photos for the first time

    The leak: The first real-world images of Apple Watch Series 7 have surfaced on a Facebook group…and published by MacRumors.

    • The larger display looks even more drastic than Apple’s official photos have shown…with arguably enough space for a keyboard to make sense here
    • Apple Watch Series 7 is rumored to be available for pre-order this Friday, October 8 according to multiple sources

    Our take: As someone who was incredibly underwhelmed with the keynote presentation for Apple Watch Series 7, I’m actually digging the new look in these photos. The screen curve, for example, is much more pronounced and noticeable than Apple’s renders out now. Curious to see more about this soon.

  • Gurman: M1X MacBook Pros expected this month

    Gurman: M1X MacBook Pros expected this month

    The rumor: Apple is preparing to launch the new M1X MacBook Pro in October, according to Mark Gurman (87.3% accurate, via Power On).

    • “The Apple M1X chip, the likely name for a more graphics-intense and professional-focused M1 chip, is indeed still on tap for 2021. We’ll likely see it show up first in a new range of MacBook Pros in the next month and a higher-end Mac mini at some point” Gurman says
    • The 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will also bring back the HDMI port, MagSafe and SD card reader…all while eliminating the controversial Touch Bar

    Our take: Everything is pointing to these M1X laptops launching imminently. And I think this time is for real…

  • Apple Watch Series 7 pre-orders start October 8, according to Hermès

    Apple Watch Series 7 pre-orders start October 8, according to Hermès

    The news: You’ll be able to pre-order the new Apple Watch in just over a week, according to Hermès, one of Apple’s official partners.

    • In multiple emails from Hermès, obtained by AppleTrack, customer service says “Apple Watch Series 7 will be available for preorder beginning October 8. 2021. Please let us know if you have any further questions!”
    • A source at Hermès has privately confirmed the validity of these emails without confirming the date specifically
    • Jon Prosser (74.6% accurate) has also heard a mid-October launch with pre-orders happening as soon as next week

    Our take: Pretty sure we’ll be seeing pre-orders next week…likely on Friday. Excited to see if this year’s watch is as big of a design change as Apple has alluded to.

  • Apple says iPad mini jelly-scroll is ‘normal behavior’

    Apple says iPad mini jelly-scroll is ‘normal behavior’

    The news: Apple has confirmed that there is no hardware or software issue with the display on the newest iPad mini.

    • Here’s what Apple told Ars Technica: “The “jelly scroll” issue on the 6th-generation iPad mini is normal behavior for LCD screens. Because these screens do refresh line by line, there is a tiny delay between when the lines at the top of the screen and lines at the bottom are refreshed. This can cause uneven scrolling issues like the ones observed on the iPad…the upshot is that the company doesn’t believe there is a hardware or software issue to “fix,” and that the screen apparently is the way it is”
    • Apple’s new iPad mini was just released on September 24 after being unveiled earlier this month at the ‘California Streaming’ special event

    Our take: This is incredibly disappointing news. While it’s something most people will never notice, I can see it with the naked eye quite frequently on my iPad mini. And as Ars Technica also pointed out, while jelly-scroll is noticeable on many LCD displays, it appears to be more noticeable than usual on the new mini. Purchasing this device, know that this is expected functionality from Apple’s perspective and cannot be adjusted.

  • Source report: many Apple leakers decrease in accuracy following iPhone 13 event

    Source report: many Apple leakers decrease in accuracy following iPhone 13 event

    Apple held their September 14 ‘California Streaming’ event just days ago and now iPhone 13, the new iPad mini and new $329 iPad have been released (Apple Watch Series 7, wya). But for the first time in recent history, more sources than usual got less accurate following Apple’s biggest event of the year. Here’s how the source leaderboard has been shaken up.

    Key points

    • Of the 18 sources that saw a changed score, 13—or 72% of them—got less accurate
    • Multiple sources predicted a flat-edge design for the Apple Watch Series 7 that did not end up materializing
    • Kang, the most accurate Apple source of all-time, remains atop the source leaderboard at 97.1% accurate
    • Conversely, Economic Daily News, the less accurate source we track, got even less accurate following the event and is now only 38.2% accurate
    • Mark Gurman remains the king of rumors, contributing more than 30 leaks ahead of the keynote…while still remaining more than 87% accurate

    Sources that got less accurate

    🏀 Mark Gurman: 88.8 ⮕ 87.3% accurate

    🛠 dylandkt: 81.3 ⮕ 75% accurate

    👨‍💻 Ming-Chi Kuo: 76.6 ⮕ 74.6% accurate

    🍫 Fudge: 79.3 ⮕ 74.2% accurate

    🇨🇳 China Times: 76.9 ⮕ 73.3% accurate

    🖥 Sonny Dickson: 71.4 ⮕ 69% accurate

    🍍 Max Weinbach: 68.8 ⮕ 67.7% accurate

    🧭 Macotakara: 64.5 ⮕ 63.3% accurate

    🦅 Barclays: 62.2 ⮕ 59.1% accurate

    🔢 DigiTimes: 61 ⮕ 57.9% accurate

    ✅ The Verifier: 54.7 ⮕ 53.9% accurate

    📱 Jeff Pu: 62.5 ⮕ 53.8% accurate

    💵 Economic Daily News: 38.6 ⮕ 38.2% accurate

    Sources that got more accurate

    🧧Kang: remains 97.1% accurate

    🕘 9to5Mac: 78.5 ⮕ 79% accurate

    📉 Trendforce: 75 ⮕ 75.9% accurate

    ⚡️ The Elec: 66.7 ⮕ 75% accurate

    🧻 Jon Prosser: 74.3 ⮕ 74.4% accurate

    🌳 Wedbush: 69.2 ⮕ 71.4% accurate

    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.

  • Video shows new iPad mini jelly-scrolling display issue

    Video shows new iPad mini jelly-scrolling display issue

    The news: Apple’s iPad mini, just updated with an all-screen design, new chassis and fresh colors, also suffers from a strange display issue known as jelly scrolling (via Dieter Bohn).

    • Jelly scrolling, which is usually observed on cheaper displays, produces an effect where one portion of the display updates faster than the other, creating a gelatinous effect while scrolling
    • It is unclear at this time whether this is a hardware or software issue, or if a fix is possible

    Our take: The minute I looked at my iPad mini display, something felt off to me: this is why. I can’t remember ever noticing jelly-scrolling on another Apple product before, and I’m seriously hoping that it can be fixed via software. I can’t recommend the product if this is intended functionality. I’ve reached out to Apple for comment and will update if I receive a response.