The prediction: iOS 14 beta 3 is likely to drop for developers and public beta testers early next week, according to historical data from THINKY BITS.
Our take: With our prediction for beta 2’s release date spot on, I would say it’s safe to expect beta 3 to drop sometime within the next three days.
The news: Apple is planning to add new pinched fingers, boomerang, bubble tea and more emoji in an update to iOS 14 later this year, according to Emojipedia.
Our take: The dodo and nesting dolls are my favorite, but the coin is probably most practical. Plus, pinched fingers are going to be a ton of fun.
The rumor: Apple is planning to ship a new 10.8-inch iPad later this year, according to DigiTimes (61% accurate).
Our take: This is good news, but a price tag lower than $499 makes me seriously doubt other rumors of an all-screen design with in-display Touch ID. Still, I think a larger screen will be a solid upgrade even for existing iPad Air users.
The rumor: The first notebooks featuring Apple silicon will launch before the end of the year, according to DigiTimes (61% accurate).
Our take: It’s pretty exciting that these ARM Macs are already shipping later this year. With the transition happening so quickly, it makes me question a) what the hold-up is on the Intel-based iMac refresh and b) why Apple wouldn’t just refresh it with Apple silicon in the first place.
It’s a scam: Hackers obtained access to a number of high-profile Twitter accounts on Wednesday afternoon, including the likes of Elon Musk, Ripple, Cash App and more.
Our take: Whatever you do, do not send any digital currency to giveaway addresses you find online. Think of this phrase next time you see a tweet like this: “If something seems to good to be true, it probably is.”
The news: Apple just released iOS 13.6 with support for digital car keys, Apple News audio stories and more.
Our take: iOS 13.6 is a solid update but you probably won’t be able to enjoy the flagship car keys feature for a couple of years. News audio stories are cool…but free users only get access to one new story a day.
The leak: Inside a barren iPhone box later this year Apple will be including a nicer braided Lightning cable, according to L0vetodream (88.6% accurate) and DuanRui.
Our take: Nearly every person I’ve ever known has complained of a stripped or torn Lightning cable at some point in their life. Perhaps this is another way Apple will justify removing EarPods and charging brick from the box.
The rumor: Battery capacities may be shrinking across the board for iPhone 12 models launching later this year, as seen by MySmartPrice.
These are the purported new mAh capacities:
And here’s how they compare to the 2019 iPhone models:
Our take: This feels off, especially amid the rumors of a 120Hz display coming to the Pro models. I could understand a slight reduction in overall capacity…but more than seven percent for every model? Unless there’s some wild magic Apple has worked with the A14 chip…I’m calling bogus on these being the final battery numbers.
The news: Apple plans to publicly release iOS 13.6 in the near future and have made the full changelog available for viewing.
iOS 13.6 adds support for digital car keys, introduces audio stories in Apple News+, and contains a new symptoms category in the Health app. This release also includes bug fixes and improvements.
Digital car keys
Apple News
Health
This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements.
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
The dream: This year’s iPhone 12 Pro will have as much RAM as an iPad Pro, according to L0vetodream (88.6% accurate).
Our take: Apple has always been extremely sluggish to upgrade RAM in iPhone models, but they appear to be making a huge jump this year with the new Pro phones.
The news: Apple just released the iOS 14 public beta so that anyone can download iOS 14 early, for free.
Our take: iOS 14 has been incredibly stable so far, but expect a healthy dose of bugs and glitches regardless. That being said, iOS 14 is great!