Category: News

Apple Watch Series 7 first look shows new design, colors & more
The rumor: Apple is planning a significant redesign and more for this year’s Apple Watch, according to Jon Prosser (77.8% accurate).
- The new redesign mirrors recent updates to the iPad Pro, iPhone 12 and iMac 24″
- A new green color, as previewed yesterday, is also in the works and will likely ship this year
Our take: The new watch design looks phenomenal and is the perfect blend between rounded and sharp edges. One thing I’ve noticed: the new speaker grills look huge! Hopefully this means bigger and better sound on the Apple Watch, something that has always been mediocre at best on the wearable.
May 19, 2021
AirTag magnetic keychain accessory may be ‘on the way’
The rumor: Apple is working on additional accessories for AirTag, according to Jon Prosser (77.8% accurate) on the Genius Bar podcast.
- According to Prosser, a new magnetic keychain accessory is “on the way…” but no specific launch timeframe was mentioned
- Apple currently sells a few AirTag accessories including a polyurethane and leather loop and leather keychain attachment, on top of a number of Hermès offerings
Our take: Apple’s first-party accessories for AirTag felt quite limited at launch, so it seems reasonable that at least something else is coming. I’d love to a magnetic accessory where AirTag just snaps inside.
May 18, 2021
Apple Watch Series 7 may see redesign, come in new green color
The rumor: Apple is planning a new design and at least one new color for Apple Watch Series 7, according to Jon Prosser (77.8% accurate) on the Genius Bar podcast.
- As previously reported by Ming-Chi Kuo (76.6% accurate), the Apple Watch Series 7 will feature a new design
- For the first time on Apple Watch, it may also feature a new green colorway similar to the shade found on AirPods Max or iPad Air
Our take: Sounds like Apple Watch Series 7 will be the most significant upgrade since the Series 4 back in 2018. I’ve seen the new design, and I really like it. Falls right in line with Apple’s recent product redesigns like iPad Pro, iPhone 12 and even the new M1 iMac.
May 18, 2021
Future AirPods update may enable Lossless audio via AirPlay
The rumor: Streaming audio to AirPods will get a major update in the future, according to Jon Prosser (77.8% accurate) on the Genius Bar podcast.
- While Bluetooth is too technically limited to support lossless audio streaming, a different codec or firmware update could be released in the future to support the higher bandwidth needed to stream HiFi audio on AirPods
- Apple confirmed yesterday that no AirPods currently support lossless audio in any way, but used the word “currently”
Our take: Before announcing AirTag, Apple announced a broader Find My Network with support for 3rd party accessories: Prosser suggests that in light of recent anti-trust investigations, Apple is doing the same thing here. Announce support for lossless audio that works with 3rd-party devices weeks ahead of announcing a new proprietary Apple format for streaming HiFi music. To me, this makes a lot of sense as there’s no way Apple would intentionally misfire this intentionally.

Apple's AirPods don't support lossless audio…yet. Genius Bar episode 15 is out now, everywhere!

Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/d64K7TGK7m
YouTube: https://t.co/2Bj8RK94Rj pic.twitter.com/J4ZjEHmNvt
— Genius Bar Podcast (@geniusbarpod) May 18, 2021
May 18, 2021
Redesigned MacBook Air: ‘M2’ chip, coming as soon as the end of the year
The rumor: A new MacBook Air is just months away at the earliest, according to Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).
- While not coining the M2 processor by name, Gurman says “Apple is planning a direct successor to the M1 processor” for the next MacBook Air and lower-end MacBook Pro models
- The next generation ‘M2’ chip will still have 8 cores but will “run faster,” but the GPU cores will increase to 9 or 10 (from 7 or 8)
- At the earliest, the redesigned MacBook Air will debut sometime near the end of 2021
Our take: Staying with 8 CPU cores on base Macs makes sense considering how insane the M1 chip is already (I feel like more than this would be overkill ATM). But increasing the GPU cores? This is great news. The Mac has always lagged in this area, and call me crazy, but…could this be a preliminary road to Macs as serious gaming devices one day?
May 18, 2021
New Mac Pro: up to 40-core CPU and 128-core GPU, coming in 2022
The rumor: Apple’s next Mac Pro with Apple Silicon inside will be wildly powerful, according to Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).
- “Buyers of the high-end Mac Pro desktop planned for next year will likely have a choice of two processors that are either twice or four times as powerful as the new high-end MacBook Pro chip” Gurman says
- 20 or 40-core CPU configurations will be available, with 64 or 128-core GPU options
- The next Mac Pro will feature a significantly smaller design and is expected to release sometime next year
Our take: This is the fullest vision of Apple Silicon yet: Apple was never planning to just replace Intel, they were planning to succeed it. With CPU and GPU power this nuts, I’ll be buying this Mac Pro the day it comes out in 2022.
May 18, 2021
Next Mac mini: major CPU & GPU upgrades, more RAM & more
The rumor: Apple is planning an upgraded version of the higher-end Mac mini with Apple Silicon inside, according to Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).
- Powering the next Mac mini will be a new M-series chip with 10 CPU cores and 16 or 32 GPU cores; RAM will also be configurable up to 64GB
- An improved Neural Engine will also be included alongside 4 I/O ports (versus the 2 currently found on the M1 Mac mini)
- No release date for the next Mac mini has been rumored just yet
Our take: Noted in his report, Gurman says “Apple could delay or cancel the new mini’s launch — as it has in the past — but eventually the company will likely replace the Intel-equipped version it now sells.” I don’t see why Apple wouldn’t upgrade the higher-end Mac mini models, but strange that this was mentioned only alongside this device.
May 18, 2021
2021 MacBook Pro: 10-core CPU, 16/32-core GPU, coming as soon as this Summer
The rumor: New details about the next 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple Silicon inside have emerged, courtesy of Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).
- The next M-series chips will include a 10-core processor, with 16 or 32-core GPU options; RAM will also be configurable up to 64GB
- An improved Neural Engine will also be included, alongside the return of MagSafe, the SD card slot and an HDMI port
- The new MacBook Pro models may launch as soon as this Summer
Our take: Looks like the first computers to get ‘M1X’ will be the new MacBook Pros. And with Gurman’s unbeatable track record, it seems like these are just around the corner…
May 18, 2021
Beats Studio Buds first look revealed in new images and videos
The leak: A new pair of never-before-seen earbuds from Beats have leaked in iOS 14.6, as discovered first by MacRumors and 9to5Mac.
- The new truly wireless earbuds are stemless and come in white, black and red
- Noise cancellation is supported, as noted by 9to5Mac
- No release date for Beats Studio Buds has been rumored or leaked yet
- Steve Moser has shared a number of high-res videos of the upcoming earbuds (see below)
Our take: These look like what AirPods Pro 2 have been described as…perhaps this is why the recent AirPods rumors have been so confusing?
May 17, 2021
New 14/16-inch MacBook Pro models potentially delayed until 2022
The rumor: The highly-anticipated MacBook Pro models with Apple Silicon inside aren’t coming this year, according to DigiTimes (63.5% accurate).
- Apple’s next MacBooks with Mini-LED displays may have been delayed until 2022
- No further detail is currently available from the DigiTimes paywalled-preview
Our take: For anyone waiting to buy a new 14 or 16-inch MacBook Pro, this isn’t great news. That being said, DigiTimes is the only outlet currently reporting the delay and is less than 65% accurate, so there is s still a chance we see the Mini-LED MacBooks this year.
May 17, 2021
iOS 14.6 Release Candidate version out now for developers
The news: Apple has released the final version of iOS 14.6 to developers ahead of a launch happening sometime soon.
- Apple Card Family and podcasts subscriptions are included in the update
- iOS 14.6 is also required for the new Apple Music features launching in June
Full changelog

Apple Card Family
- Apple Card can be shared with up to five people, including anyone 13 years or older in your Family Sharing group
- Apple Card Family adds support for families to track expenses, manage spending with optional limits and controls, and build credit together
Podcasts
- Subscription support for channels and individual shows
AirTag and Find My
- Lost mode option to add an email address instead of a phone number for AirTag and Find My network accessories
- AirTag will show the partially masked phone number of the owner when tapped with an NFC-capable device
Accessibility
- Voice Control users can unlock their iPhone for the first time after a restart using only their voice
This release also fixes the following issues:
- Unlock with Apple Watch may not work after using Lock iPhone on Apple Watch
- Reminders may appear as blank lines
- Call blocking extensions may not appear in Settings
- Bluetooth devices could sometimes disconnect or send audio to a different device during an active call
- iPhone may experience reduced performance during startup
May 17, 2021