Category: News

  • Redesigned iPad mini likely coming later this year as new details leak

    Redesigned iPad mini likely coming later this year as new details leak

    The rumor: Apple is planning a radically upgraded version of the iPad mini, according to Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).

    • For the first time in the tablet’s history, an updated design will shrink the bezels and likely remove the home button
    • Apple is currently planning a launch “as early as the end of this year”

    Our take: The iPad mini is fundamentally the same product now as it was when it released. For those of you dreaming about a mini iPad Pro…this sounds like it. And it sounds great.

  • 2022 iPad Pro may get glass back, MagSafe & reverse wireless charging

    2022 iPad Pro may get glass back, MagSafe & reverse wireless charging

    The rumor: Just two weeks after the launch of the M1 iPad Pros, the first rumors for next year’s model have been published by Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).

    • A glass back may replace the aluminum enclosure that has hallmarked the iPad since its launch in 2010
    • This could enable wireless charging for the first time on an iPad, and Apple is said to be “testing a similar MagSafe system” to what is currently found on iPhone 12
    • Reverse wireless charging for AirPods and Apple Watch is also in the works for the 2022 iPad Pro

    Our take: Sounds like next year we’re getting the first major design changes on iPad Pro since the last redesign in 2018. Reverse wireless charging is something I would love to see ship on an iPhone or iPad, and I hope we get it here.

  • Second rumor says new 14/16-inch MacBook Pro coming at WWDC

    Second rumor says new 14/16-inch MacBook Pro coming at WWDC

    The rumor: Apple plans to unveil 2 new versions of the MacBook Pro in just under a week, according to Wedbush (72% accurate, via MacRumors).

    • The new models will have Apple Silicon inside as a continuation of Apple’s shift away from Intel
    • Wedbush also says that new versions of iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS will be unveiled

    Our take: 2 sources are now calling a new MacBook Pro at WWDC. I can’t wait to see it return (alongside the SD card slot, HDMI port and MagSafe).

  • iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro CAD files leaked…and you can download them

    iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro CAD files leaked…and you can download them

    The leak: The official iPhone 13 and 13 Pro CAD files have been leaked and made available for download by Jon Prosser (78.1% accurate).

    • The new devices are apparently a bit thicker to accommodate new, larger battery capacities
    • A redesigned camera setup can be seen on the regular iPhone 13, with a larger camera system on iPhone 13 Pro

    Our take: Well this is a first: downloadable CAD images of the iPhone 13 (download) and iPhone 13 Pro (download) months ahead of launch. Pretty crazy that these are just out there for anyone to see now as they are traditionally very locked down.

  • Apple may announce new homeOS operating system at WWDC

    Apple may announce new homeOS operating system at WWDC

    The leak: Apple has revealed the existence and naming of a new operating system in an Apple Music job listing, as spotted first by Javier Lacort.

    • “You’ll get to work with system engineers across Apple, learning the inner-workings of iOS, watchOS, tvOS and homeOS,” the job listing says
    • Apple could announce the new operating system as soon as next week, at WWDC 2021

    Our take: This is the second time we’ve had an all-new operating system spoiled ahead of the annual developer keynote. First was iPadOS a few years back, and now homeOS thanks to this job listing. With no detail about what exactly homeOS is, I’m assuming it will only run on the HomePods?

  • macOS 12 could be called Mammoth or Monterey

    macOS 12 could be called Mammoth or Monterey

    The rumor: The naming for the next version of macOS may have been discovered in recent trademark filings by 9to5Mac (78.5% accurate, source).

    • Two trademarks renewed within the last year point to “Mammoth” and “Monterey” as the most likely names for this year’s macOS 12 update
    • 2020’s macOS Big Sur was the most significant update in years with an all-new design, Control Center and more

    Our take: Both of these are solid names: we’ll find out the winner (and gravity of this year’s update) in just under a week.

  • iPhone 13 may feature significantly larger batteries according to new rumor

    iPhone 13 may feature significantly larger batteries according to new rumor

    The rumor: Apple’s battery sizes could increase significantly on iPhone 13, according to a new Weibo rumor spotted by L0vetodream (88% accurate).

    Here’s how the battery capacities could be changing:

    • iPhone 13 mini – 2,406mAh (7.4% increase)
    • iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro – 3,095mAh (9% increase)
    • iPhone 13 Pro Max – 4,352mAh (15.3% increase)

    Our take: Solid increases across the board here, if the rumor is true. We’ve heard previously that batteries were getting bigger, but these are our first specifics. Pro Max gets the largest increase, of course.

    https://twitter.com/L0vetodream/status/1399717871584907265?s=20
  • Some 2022 iPad models may get OLED displays…and not Mini-LED

    Some 2022 iPad models may get OLED displays…and not Mini-LED

    The rumor: After just announcing the first iPad with a Mini-LED display, Apple plans to switch some models to OLED already, according to ETNews (55.5% accurate, source).

    • “Some” iPad models are said to be getting OLED displays next year, a strange move considering Apple just made the switch to Mini-LED on iPad Pro
    • This is the second time we have heard that OLED may be coming to iPad models in the near future

    Our take: This is one of those rumors that just doesn’t make sense. Why, less than a year after switching to Mini-LED, would Apple switch to OLED? I’m sure OLED would look better and I’d love to see it on the iPad, but there’s no way Apple has invested so much in Mini-LED as a stop-gap tech.

  • Apple plans to open more retail stores globally

    Apple plans to open more retail stores globally

    The news: Apple is planning to expand their global retail footprint, according to Germany’s Funke Mediengruppe (via Bloomberg).

    • “On our online site people can learn a lot about the products; in a store they can touch them and get a feel for them…we intend to add more stores” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People
    • Worldwide, there are over 500 Apple Store locations at this time

    Our take: This is kind of ‘implied news’ but Apple saying this to a media outlet could suggest that more Apple stores could be added more aggressively.

  • Jony Ive was ‘involved’ in designing the M1 iMac

    Jony Ive was ‘involved’ in designing the M1 iMac

    The news: There’s a big reason that the new M1 iMac looks the way it does, according to Wired’s recent review of the all-new machine.

    • According to Wired’s Jeremy White, “Jony Ive was involved in the design of this new iMac, despite having left Apple back in 2019. Hardware design is a long process, so perhaps it’s not surprising that Ive’s fingerprints are all over this new desktop. But, interestingly, Apple would not confirm or deny if he worked on the 2021 iMac after he left the company – just that he had worked on it.”
    • Ive, who worked on too many iconic products to count, famously left the company in June 2019 to start a new creative business called LoveFrom…Apple was their first client

    Our take: This is so ridiculously obvious now that I’ve had it spelt out for me: the white bezels, the chin, the same Magic Mouse…it has Ive’s fingerprints everywhere. Really interesting that Apple wouldn’t confirm when Ive worked on the iMac, however…just that he did at some point.

  • Apple has no plans for AirPods Max 2, but new colors may be coming

    Apple has no plans for AirPods Max 2, but new colors may be coming

    The rumor: Apple is not currently planning a follow-up to AirPods Max, according to Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).

    • “Apple only recently caught up with demand for the product, and it is not currently working on a second generation of the AirPods Max” Gurman says
    • Additional colorways could bet coming in the future, however
    • Prior rumors had suggested there was a lower-end version of AirPods Max in the works

    Our take: Really disappointed to hear that the low-end version of AirPods Max isn’t happening because I was really looking forward to it. This is the second time we’ve seen Apple go balls-to-the-wall with a high-end audio product and then have no further plans for the device. We first saw this with the 2017 HomePod, and it seems like AirPods Max will follow the same fate. I don’t understand this “let’s introduce a super high-end product that is really great but that no significant portion of the market will ever touch with no plans to ever update it” mentality. But perhaps Beats fills the lower-end gap here…