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Apple releases new Business Essentials beta with ‘device management, 24/7 support, and cloud storage’
The news: On Wednesday morning Apple debuted a new suite of tools geared toward small business owners with up to 500 employees.
- Apple Business Essentials aims to simplify businesses IT needs by offering easy-to-use tools necessary to setup and manage devices, while offering storage, 24/7 support, and security alongside on-site repairs when necessary
- The service is available for free in beta right now and will officially launch in Spring 2022…and it starts at $2.99/user/month
Our take: I think it’s brilliant to let business owners go hands-on with this for free ahead of launch, and I really wish Apple took this beta approach for other products too. It’s always fascinating to get a look inside what the company has been working on, and these business essentials tools look to be a really solid option for small business owners who need to manage up to 500 employees and their devices.

https://youtu.be/OushE7mq0Ak
November 10, 2021
What’s new in iOS 15.2 beta 2? Legacy contacts, updated TV app & more
The news: Apple released the second beta of iOS 15.2 to developers on Tuesday morning. Included in this update are a slew of changes…including some features that Apple had announced historically but not yet implemented. Here’s the latest.

What’s new?
- New Macro icon in Camera when macro mode is activated (via Zollotech)
- Communication Safety will automatically blur nudity received or sent in the Messages app if you are a child for accounts set up as families in iCloud
- iCloud+ subscribers can now use the Hide My Email feature directly in the Mail app
- Code found in iOS 15.2 beta 2 suggests that a fix for Face ID breaking after swapping displays (even genuine ones) on iPhone 13 models will be included in the update (via MacRumors)
- The TV app gets new sidebar on iPadOS 15.2 and there’s a new Store tab, too
- New “Help Return Lost Items” and “Items That Can Track Me” buttons in Find My to scan lost items near you or locate AirTags that could be following you around respectively
- Legacy Contacts feature announced at WWDC 2021 is here and allows you to add a trusted person that can access your data when you pass away
November 9, 2021
Tim Cook on sideloading apps: ‘Buy an Android’
The news: Tim Cook has once again confirmed that Apple has no plans to implement side loading on iPhone, during his appearance at the NYT DealBook Online Summit.
- “If you want to sideload, you can buy an Android phone….from our point of view, it would be like if I were an automobile manufacturer telling me not to put airbags and seat belts in the car. He would never think about doing this in today’s time…and so it would not be an iPhone if it didn’t maximize security and privacy” Cook says
- Sideloading on iPhones has been a topic of contention: in recent history, Apple has been facing scrutiny over the App Store and the power they hold as the only way to download apps on their phones
Our take: I respect Cook’s continued dedication to his long-standing take on sideloading. But as someone who wants the most out of my iPhone, I wish there was a way that I could sideload apps. Make it hard, give me a thousand pop-ups, tell me I’m going to be more at risk: just let me choose what I’d like to do with my phone. That being said, I never believe this should be a default feature or even easy to enable out of the box.
November 9, 2021
Tim Cook says he owns cryptocurrency and is interested in the space
The news: Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed on Tuesday that he owns cryptocurrency and that Apple is broadly exploring it while he appeared at the NYT DealBook Online Summit.
- While clarifying that he was not providing investment advice, Cook said “I think it’s reasonable to own it (crypto) as part of a diversified portfolio…it’s something from a personal point of view that I’m interested in”
- The CEO clarified that Apple as a company has no plans to purchase cryptocurrency with cash on the balance sheet, saying that folks don’t buy Apple stock to get exposure to crypto…but that they are exploring the space
- Cook said that Apple is exploring crypto integration but has no immediate plans to accept it as payment or implement it in products like Apple Pay yet
Our take: As a fellow crypto bro, Cook is spot-on here: owning crypto at this point is a no-brainer for at least some of your financial portfolio. I’m disappointed that he didn’t announce any official plans for crypto integration today, but I’m incredibly excited to see what the future holds for Apple and blockchain technology. Just imagine a crypto wallet built into the Wallet app on iPhone…
November 9, 2021
Beats Fit Pro released with new in-ear design, ANC & Spatial Audio
The news: An all-new pair of Beats headphones just dropped with a slew of features comparable to AirPods Pro.
- The main difference between these and every other pair of Beats buds or AirPods is the built-in wing design that bends for a more secure fit inside your ear
- Multiple ear tips, active noise cancellation (ANC), and Spatial Audio compliment the fresh design on Beats Fit Pro…making these quite similar to Apple’s $249 AirPods Pro
- Beats Fit Pro are available to order now for $199 and being arriving on Friday, November 5
Our take: I remember seeing a report a while back that Apple was planning a major revamp for the Beats brand…something that a lot of us were skeptical of considering Apple’s ramped up efforts with AirPods. But over the past two years, we’ve seen the launch of four entirely new products from Beats: PowerBeats Pro in 2019, Beats Flex in 2020 and Beats Studio Buds and Beats Fit Pro in 2021. This isn’t to say I’ve been super impressed with these releases, but I like that the Beats brand is forging their own path alongside AirPods to fit different use cases and serve different customers.
November 1, 2021
Redesigned ‘iMac Pro’ details: 120Hz Mini-LED display, HDMI port & $2000 starting price
The leak: Apple’s upcoming redesign for the larger 27-inch iMac is happening in the first half of 2022, according to Dylandkt (77.5% accurate).

Here are the details from the best Mac leaker in the game right now:
- Similar look to new 24-inch iMac and Pro Display XDR
- Internally being called “iMac Pro”
- 27-inch 120Hz ProMotion Mini-LED display
- Face ID in testing
- Base model specs: 16GB RAM, 512GB storage
- M1 Pro and M1 Max chips (additional configuration may be happening)
- Dark bezels
- HDMI port
- SD card slot
- USB-C
- Ethernet port built into power brick
- Starting price at or over $2000 USD
- Release in the first half of 2022
Our take: Everything about the new, larger iMac redesign sounds exactly like what I’ve been asking for…I just wish the screen was getting larger than 27-inches. After using the Pro Display XDR for a week or two now, I’ve fallen in love with 32-inches of screen real estate and I would LOVE to see this on the next iMac.

https://twitter.com/dylandkt/status/1454472271104520195?s=20
November 1, 2021
21.5-inch iMac discontinued by Apple (finally)
The news: Apple finally stopped selling the severely outdated 21.5-inch iMac models on Saturday, October 30, 2021.
- The only iMacs that remain available for purchase are the M1 24-inch and Intel-based 27-inch iMac models
- Apple first debuted the 21.5-inch size for iMacs in October 2009, bringing this discontinuation almost exactly 12 years following the initial unveiling
Our take: The presence of this on Apple’s website was extremely confusing considering that everything about it became outdated to oblivion once the M1 iMac was unveiled in April. Glad to see it finally retired…but if for some reason you still need one, many 3rd-party retailers still have stock.
November 1, 2021
Blue, orange and yellow HomePod mini colors now available for purchase
The news: After their unveil in October, Apple has officially released new colors for the HomePod mini today.
- You can now buy the new blue, orange and yellow colors in-store or order them to be delivered as soon as November 3
- AppleTrack previously reported that the new colors would become available this week
Our take: Linking some hands-on of the new colors below so you can get a better real-world look at them. I must saw the yellow looks pretty dope.
November 1, 2021
Exclusive: New HomePod mini colors will be available next week
The exclusive: The final products announced at Apple’s October ‘Unleashed’ event will release next week, according to people familiar with the matter.
- New Blue, Orange and Yellow color options for HomePod mini will be available for order as soon as Monday, the people said
- The fresh colors that were announced alongside third-generation AirPods and redesigned MacBook Pro models earlier this month join the existing lineup of Space Gray and White
Our take: While Apple has confirmed the new colors will launch in November, they haven’t provided an official date. We’re hearing November 1.
October 27, 2021
Gurman: No more Apple events in 2021
The rumor: Apple’s media blitzes are done for 2021, according to Mark Gurman (87.3% accurate, via Power On).
- “I wouldn’t expect a third event this year or any other major announcements…if Apple had any more Macs to launch this year, it would have announced them this past week…there’s really nothing else left of substance in the road map that would be ready for 2021,” Gurman says
- The next products we’ll be seeing from Apple may include “a larger Apple Silicon iMac, new Mac mini, new iPhone SE and new iPad Pro”
Our take: No way we see another event from Apple this year. Nothing else is rumored to be ready and all of Apple’s major announcements (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods) have already happened. But I’d bet on another March-April event in the first half of 2022 similar to what we saw this year.
October 24, 2021
New 2022 MacBook Air renders show white bezels and notch + MagSafe charging
The images: New renders courtesy of Jon Prosser (74.6% accurate) and RendersByIan provide our best look yet at Apple’s upcoming, redesigned MacBook Air.
- White bezels—and a notch—will come to a MacBook for the first time in years when Apple releases the new Air sometime in 2022
- MagSafe 3, identical to what is found on the new MacBook Pros, will also be present on the redesign
Our take: Call me crazy…but I love it. I’m highly skeptical of the exact level of thinness shown in these renders (because it looks impossibly slim), but I dig the white look for this notebook. Still, I down with the idea of the MacBook Air being ultra-thin and fun with the MacBook Pro being a thicker, more serious machine.
October 24, 2021