Category: News

New Beats Studio Buds colors rumored to release soon
The rumor: Apple is working on 3 fresh colors for Beats Studio Buds, according to Jon Prosser (69% accurate, via Front Page Tech).
- Moon Gray, Ocean Blue and Sunset Pink are the rumored trio of colors said to be launching sometime “soon”
- We don’t have any official images, but we connected what the new colors could look like above
- Beats Studio Buds first released on June 25, 2021, and these new colors are likely to spur some additional interest in the product as it nears a year old
Sam’s take: Considering that these are on sale right now for $119.99, I’m going to assume that aren’t selling all that well. I tried them out for myself, but in-ear buds (including AirPods Pro) just never work well for me. On top of that, I wasn’t impressed by the sound quality and thought the build felt a bit cheap…which I guess is fair for a lower-end offering like this. Still, I’d love to see Apple bring some colors to AirPods and not just Beats.
April 4, 2022
iPhone 14 rumored to have 20% thinner bezels
The rumor: Apple is slimming down the bezels on the flagship iPhones this year even further, according to ShrimpApplePro (not yet tracked).
- According to the leak, the iPhone 14 Pro Max will have bezels measuring 1.95mm, compared to 2.42mm on iPhone 13 Pro Max…that’s nearly a 20% reduction
- With the notch being removed in favor of the pill + hole design, the iPhone 14 looks to have a uniform housing around the display for the first time ever
Sam’s take: I don’t know what it is about these latest CAD images…but I’m starting to get it now. By eliminating the notch in favor of the “i” design, we’re getting equal bezels on every side of the device early. Sure, the dual cutout looks odd, but don’t the perfectly symmetrical bezels look better?

Deleted the last one because of wrong calculation. 😬
That’s why you should double check everything. pic.twitter.com/OG7uO1FBxK
— ShrimpApplePro 🍤 ずっと真夜中でいいのに (@VNchocoTaco) April 4, 2022
April 4, 2022
Apple WWDC 2022 announcement still missing in split from recent years
The (lack of) news: Days into April, Apple has still not confirmed when their major developer conference is happening this year.
- As noted by @BasicAppleGuy, every WWDC for the past 5 years was announced in March or April, prior to the actual event taking place in June
- Jon Prosser (69% accurate) has reported that the developer conference is happening on June 6…with the first in-person component since Apple’s iPhone 11 event in September 2019
Sam’s take: Back in the early 2010s, Apple regularly announced WWDC in mid- to late-April…but it does seem odd that they still haven’t said a word about the event this year. If the event is, again, virtual…obviously no one needs that much notice since no travel is involved. But I would think an announcement would have happened by now if some folks will be traveling for the event.

WWDC Announcement Dates
2010: Wed. Apr. 28
2011: Mon. Mar. 28
2012: Wed. Apr. 25
2013: Wed. Apr. 24
2014: Thurs. Apr. 03
2015: Tue. Apr. 14
2016: Mon. Apr. 18
2017: Thurs. Feb. 16
2018: Tue. Mar. 13
2019: Thurs. Mar. 14
2020: Fri. Mar. 13 / Jun. 5
2021: Tue. Mar. 30#WWDC #WWDC22 pic.twitter.com/qEY6h0Y8Kc
— Basic Apple Guy (@BasicAppleGuy) March 29, 2022
April 4, 2022
iPhone 14 Pro Max leaked in new CAD images with exact measurements
The leak: New images show detailed iPhone 14 Pro Max CADs along with measurements galore, as shared by leaker ShrimpApplePro (not yet tracked).
- The images show a similar design to previously leaked CADs…with a much larger camera bump and dual hole punch in place of the notch
- There are other minor changes to the device compared to iPhone 13: slightly moved buttons, SIM tray and 5G antenna
- Along with the detailed CADs, the leaker also released a slew of measurements for the device, showing exact dimensions of various elements of the iPhone 14 Pro
- Notably, the dimensions for the dual hole punch was shared, showing 7.15mm across for the pill, and 5.59mm diameter for the front facing camera
- ShrimpApplePro was the first to leak the existence of a dual hole punch with a real life image, and the design has since been corrobrated by many sources including display analyst Ross Young (91.9% Accurate)
Ian’s Take: Now that many different CADs have been floating around showing this design, I am highly confident that this is the design that we will see in September. In addition to that, Sam and I are quite sure that these measurements are genuine and accurate: this source was the first to show off the pill shape design almost half a year ago.

Deleted the last one because of wrong calculation. 😬
That’s why you should double check everything. pic.twitter.com/OG7uO1FBxK
— ShrimpApplePro 🍤 ずっと真夜中でいいのに (@VNchocoTaco) April 4, 2022
April 4, 2022
Someone just put a Lighting port on an Android phone
The news: An engineer just made the world’s first Android phone…with a Lightning port.
- Ken Pillonel, who also made the world’s first iPhone with USB-C, has now turned the tables and put Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector on a Samsung Galaxy A51 smartphone
- The modified Lighting connector allows the Android phone to be charged and even supports data transfer, too
Sam’s take: I think humanity was a mistake. All joking aside, this is a pretty impressive feat and Pillonel is obviously a wildly talented engineer that continues to entertain us all. Getting the phone to charge is one thing, but I’m even more impressed that he got data transfer to work. But while everyone wants an iPhone with USB-C, no one wants an Android with Lightning! This is incredible.
April 3, 2022
iOS 15.4.1 released with fix for battery drain and more
The news: Apple just dropped a new, minor update to iOS 15 following the massive iOS 15.4 release a few weeks ago.

Here’s what’s new…
- Battery may drain more quickly than expected after updating to iOS 15.4
- Braille devices may become unresponsive while navigating text or displaying an alert
- Made for iPhone hearing devices may lose connection within some third-party apps
Sam’s take: I wasn’t affected by any of these issues, but I am surprised that Apple specifically called out battery drain here. This is usually something users complain about and that Apple does address…but rarely publicly. Probably a good idea to update if you think you were affected by any of these bugs.
March 31, 2022
Beats releases new Studio3 ‘Cosomophones’
The news: Beats has released a new colorway for the Studio3 headphones in a stunning collaboration with streetwear icon Kerwin Frost.
- Coined the “Cosmophones,” Frost’s take on the iconic design features space-inspired iconography combined with some electric illustrations that bring life to an aging product
- You can buy the new headphones on April 1 from SSENSE or KERWINSKINGDOM.COM
- The Beats Studio3 headphones first debuted in September 2017, making the model nearly 5 years old at this point
Sam’s take: As a design aficionado…I love these and they’re my favorite Beats collaboration ever. As a tech fan…please don’t buy these because they haven’t been updated in years. But damn do they look fresh!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbfkOhOpAFM/
March 30, 2022
iPhone 14 again rumored to NOT have under-display Touch ID as Face ID continues to improve
The rumor: The iPhone will not feature an under-display fingerprint scanner until at least 2025, according to Ming-Chi Kuo (72.5% accurate).
- Kuo previously said that the iPhone would gain under-display Touch ID this year…but now says that it is not likely to come at all within the next two years
- Apparently, now that Face ID works with a mask on, Apple is less inclined to add Touch ID under the display
Ian’s Take: Every year, analysts say that under-display Touch ID is coming…but then always end up saying that it is happening in the following year. I would love for Touch ID to be reintroduced as I still have trouble unlocking my phone while wearing a mask, but we shouldn’t hold our breath, according to Kuo.

I previously predicted iPhones would support under-display fingerprint sensing/Touch ID in 2023 at the earliest. But the latest survey indicates new iPhones in 2023 & 2024 may not adopt under-display Touch ID. Face ID with a mask on iPhone is already a great biometrics solution.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 30, 2022
March 30, 2022
What? Nobody is buying the new iPhone SE…
The rumor: Apple is selling fewer new iPhone SE models than they expected, according to Ming-Chi Kuo (72.5% accurate) and Nikkei Asia (rating pending, source).
- “Apple plans to make about 20% fewer iPhone SEs next quarter than originally planned, in one of the first signs that the Ukraine war and looming inflation have started to dent consumer electronics demand” Nikkei Asia says
- Ming-Chi Kuo has also lowered his shipment estimations for all of 2022, down to 15-20 million units (versus 25-30 million before)
Sam’s take: To be clear, even on the low-end, selling 15 million phones is still good. Sure, it’s not out of this world or explosive sales, but it’s still a metric ton of $429 iPhones that people will get and love. Nikkei Asia specifically points to the war in Ukraine and inflation as reasons for why the phone isn’t selling as well as expected: I think this is reasonable short term, but couldn’t these exact pressures also push customers to buy this low-end model instead of a higher-end phone longer-term?

I also really think it’s possible that folks might be moving on from this dated 4.7-inch design that we’ve had since 2014. Nobody, other than the carriers, really cares about 5G, and the better battery life on this model is not a big leap. Aside from that…it’s identical to the previous version. Even my mom, who has long been a base iPhone user, moved up to a larger iPhone 13 this cycle. Again, this is purely speculation, but a design this old has to stop selling well at some point, right? Regardless of how “affordable” it is…

Shanghai lockdown doesn't affect the iPhone SE production. However, the new iPhone SE demand is lower than expected (the delivery status "in stock" as one of the proofs), and I cut my shipment estimation in 2022 to 15-20M (vs. 25-30M previously).
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 28, 2022
March 29, 2022
Apple has no plans for a sub-$1,000 monitor following Studio Display announcement
The rumor: Apple’s monitor lineup will look exactly like it does now for some time, according to Mark Gurman (86.4% accurate, via Power On).
- “While it would be cool to recreate the Apple monitor lineup from 20 years ago and have three sizes, I don’t believe Apple is looking to re-enter the sub-$1,000 monitor world…the only other monitor in the Apple pipeline is a super pricey 7K screen to replace the 2019 Pro Display XDR,” Gurman says
- Following a mixed-response to Apple’s new Studio Display, many folks were hoping for a lower-end 24-inch monitor that would be even more affordable
Sam’s take: Just like Apple essentially took the panel from a 27-inch iMac and turned it into a standalone display…I would love if Apple did the same with current 24-inch iMac. And I think more people than you’d think would be down to spend $999 on a display that isn’t out-of-this-world technically advanced but that looks sharp as hell. Plus, it would recreate the trio of monitors that Apple did offer in the mid-2000s…
March 27, 2022
2022 iPad Pro may launch this Fall with MagSafe charging
The rumor: Apple is planning to release new iPad Pros this year, according to Mark Gurman (86.4% accurate, via Power On).
- “I’d imagine the new iPad Pros will drop in the fall. The last time Apple issued a major iPad Pro update was in 2018, a year and a half after the previous model. So, given that new iPad Pros didn’t appear this month and that I’m expecting a major update this year, I’d look for new models between September and November,” Gurman says
- Previous rumors suggested the iPad Pro would undergo a major redesign with a glass back that supported reverse wireless charging, but more recent leaks point to a subtle design update that supports MagSafe and a new M2 chip inside
Sam’s take: I think this Fall is a safe bet for new iPad Pro models considering that we didn’t get a new model this Spring. Plus, the M2 chip is rumored to be inside and that hasn’t even been unveiled yet, so I could see Apple debuting this new iPad Pro alongside that announcement.
March 27, 2022