Blog

  • Redesigned iPad mini may have Mini-LED display

    Redesigned iPad mini may have Mini-LED display

    The rumor: Apple next iPad mini will feature the same screen tech as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, according to DigiTimes (63.5% accurate, via MacRumors).

    Our take: Day-by-day, this new iPad mini is sounding like a seriously incredible device. I just can’t believe Apple is making this many changes after ignoring it for so long…

  • Ahead of busy Fall, Apple prepares production of AirPods 3, iPhone 13 & MacBook Pros

    Ahead of busy Fall, Apple prepares production of AirPods 3, iPhone 13 & MacBook Pros

    The rumor: Apple is preparing to produce a slew of products from iPhone to MacBook Pro, according to Nikkei Asia (rating pending).

    • According to the new report, Nikkei says that iPhone 13, new AirPods and MacBook Pro models will begin production next month, in August, ahead of what will likely be a busy Fall for the Cupertino-based company
    • Apple is expected to unveil new products at an event sometime in September

    Our take: If this is true, this will be the first time new AirPods have been unveiled in the Fall since the originals back in 2016 alongside iPhone 7. I’m ecstatic to try their new design, and it looks like we’re finally getting them.

  • Apple delays return to office plans until October ‘at the earliest’

    Apple delays return to office plans until October ‘at the earliest’

    The rumor: While Apple initially planned to have employees back at Apple Park for at least 3 days a week by September, plans have changed, according to Mark Gurman (89.1% accurate, via Bloomberg).

    • “Apple Inc. is pushing back its return to office deadline by at least a month to October at the earliest, responding to a resurgence of Covid variants across many countries,” Gurman says, citing “people familiar with the matter”
    • In recent weeks, some employees have circulated a letter asking Apple to reconsider forcing employees to return to the office in-person

    Our take: I’m in no position to make a medical or scientific call on when the right time to return to the office is, amid COVID-19 and especially the new variants that are beginning to become widespread. This being said, I do think it is absolutely imperative that employees return to Apple Park as soon as possible to continue collaborating in-person to design the best products in the world. Plus, Apple spent an estimated 5 billion dollars on the spaceship, so of course they went folks to use it.

  • Redesigned iPad mini may have USB-C & A15 processor

    Redesigned iPad mini may have USB-C & A15 processor

    The rumor: Apple is planning more radical upgrades to the next iPad mini than just the design, according to 9to5Mac (78.7% accurate).

    According to their report, here’s what’s coming:

    • An A15 processor, the same one that will also be found in the 2021 iPhone lineup
    • A USB-C port will replace long-standing Lightning connectivity
    • The magnetic Smart Connector is coming to Apple’s next iPad mini, as well

    Our take: A new design. USB-C. A15 chip. Color me surprised that Apple is putting the most work they have ever put into an iPad mini after broadly ignoring it for years. And apparently it’s coming before the end of the year…

  • iPhone SE 3 likely coming in first half of 2022 with A14 chip & 5G

    iPhone SE 3 likely coming in first half of 2022 with A14 chip & 5G

    The rumor: Apple’s next iPhone SE won’t be debuting until the first half of next year, according to DigiTimes (63.5% accurate).

    • According to the report, ‘iPhone SE 3’ will include the A14 processor and support for 5G connectivity
    • This story echoes prior rumors also pointing to a launch in the first half of 2022

    Our take: If every source in the game is saying that a new SE is coming in the first half of 2022, I’m inclined to believe it. And feature-wise, it sounds like it’ll be just as minimal as the 2020 iPhone SE.

  • MagSafe Battery Pack first look shows it’s real thick & can charge AirPods

    MagSafe Battery Pack first look shows it’s real thick & can charge AirPods

    The photos: A first hands-on look at Apple’s new MagSafe Battery Pack shows what it really looks like, as first shared by Steven Russell.

    • The thickness appears quite a bit more significant than Apple showed in their photos…which were creatively framed
    • It also appears that you can wireless charge AirPods using the MagSafe Battery Pack

    Our take: This is thicc. Quite a bit more than was shown in the initial photos. But the fact that it can wirelessly charger AirPods is cool as hell and I can’t wait for mine to come in tomorrow.

    https://twitter.com/stevenrussell/status/1417161249238945800
  • Apple releases iOS 14.7, watchOS 7.6 & tvOS 14.7 with minor changes

    Apple releases iOS 14.7, watchOS 7.6 & tvOS 14.7 with minor changes

    The news: Apple just dropped a slew of new software updates for iOS, watchOS and tvOS with a handful of new features.

    • iOS 14.7:
      • MagSafe Battery Pack support for iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
      • Apple Card Family adds the option to combine credit limits and share one co-owned account with an existing Apple Card user
      • Home app adds the ability to manage timers on HomePod
      • Air quality information is now available in Weather and Maps for Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, South Korea, and Spain
      • Podcasts library allows you to choose to see all shows or only followed shows
      • Bug fixes include:
        • Share playlist menu option missing in Apple Music
        • Dolby Atmos and Apple Music lossless audio playback may unexpectedly stop
        • Battery service message that may have disappeared after reboot on some iPhone 11 models is restored
    • watchOS 7.6: ECG support for 30 additional countries
    • tvOS 14.7: no known changes
  • Gurman: New MacBook Pros launching in November ‘at the latest’

    Gurman: New MacBook Pros launching in November ‘at the latest’

    The rumor: Apple’s highly-anticipated, redesigned MacBook Pro models are no more than four months away, according to Mark Gurman (89.1% accurate, via Power On)

    Our take: This is actually really good news, considering that I was expecting this to launch this Fall at the earliest…not the latest. Still, this product can’t come soon enough as the whole world is seemingly waiting to see what Apple’s M1+ silicon looks and feels like.

  • iPhone 13 may feature new always on display mode

    iPhone 13 may feature new always on display mode

    The rumor: On top of a new 120Hz refresh rate on Pro models, some new iPhone 13 models may also see an always-on display mode, according to Mark Gurman (89.1% accurate, via Power On).

    • For the 2021 iPhones, “expect a a faster A15 chip, smaller notch, a new display for better battery life and the potential of an Apple Watch-like always on mode and a 120Hz refresh rate and upgrades to video recording” Gurman says
    • This echoes an initial report from February that iPhone 13 could finally see this long-awaited always-on feature

    Our take: With the LTPO screen tech to support this, I would hope that we see this. But considering that most Android handsets have had this for as along as I can remember, I’m still not convinced that Apple will finally implement it. Even though Gurman is nearly 90% accurate…

  • iPhone 13 design hands-on: major camera upgrades, smaller notch & more

    iPhone 13 design hands-on: major camera upgrades, smaller notch & more

    The exclusive: This is your first look at the updated design coming to Apple’s 2021 iPhone lineup, rumored to launch sometime in September.

    • There aren’t any major, structural changes…but there are big camera upgrades happening across the board
      • The lower-end 5.4/6.1-inch iPhone models will see their lenses criss-crossed for a fresh design
      • Apple’s 6.1-inch Pro model is getting a much larger camera module equal in size to that on the Pro Max
    • A smaller, redesigned notch is also coming: the speaker grill has been relocated to the top bezel accordingly
    • Minor button placement changes for the side button and volume rocker can also be seen here, but it’s possible they could also be a printing error

    Our take: We’ll have to wait until September for the full picture of what these iPhones will be, but on the outside these absolutely look like an “S year” upgrade. It’s the same great design we got on iPhone 12 but with camera changes and a new notch. And this is a good thing: I wasn’t ready to part with the iPhone 12 design so soon. It still holds up with no contest.

  • Second report says iPhone 13 will get upgraded WiFi 6E

    Second report says iPhone 13 will get upgraded WiFi 6E

    The rumor: Apple’s 2021 iPhones will get upgraded WiFi connectivity, according to DigiTimes (63.5% accurate, source).

    • DigiTimes says iPhone 13 will get WiFi 6E, echoing a prior report from Barclays (62.2% accurate)
    • The Wi-Fi Alliance describes Wi-Fi 6E as “higher performance, lower latency, and faster data rates – extended into the 6 GHz band”

    Our take: Although two sources have made the 6E claim now, both are just above 60% accurate. Still haven’t heard this from anyone super reputable yet…