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  • Report: M1X 14/16-inch MacBook Pro announcement in September

    Report: M1X 14/16-inch MacBook Pro announcement in September

    The rumor: Apple’s redesigned MacBook Pro models are coming late in the third quarter of 2021, according to DigiTimes (63.5% accurate).

    • The new report says the new MacBook Pros with faster Apple Silicon are coming this September, when Apple traditionally holds their iPhone event
    • Other rumors say the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will be redesigned and bring back the HDMI port, SD card reader and MagSafe charging connectivity

    Our take: Second report in recent history suggesting a Fall launch for the MacBook Pros. Still a couple months of waiting on these…

  • Next iPad Air update coming in 2022, may have OLED display

    Next iPad Air update coming in 2022, may have OLED display

    The rumor: Apple is planning to put OLED in new iPad models coming next year, according to The Elec (75% accurate).

    • The Elec says a 10.86-inch iPad with an OLED display is coming in 2022…which is the exact size of the current iPad Air
    • Apple will be reportedly transitioning their Pro iPads to OLED in 2023, the following year

    Our take: I’m still so skeptical of Apple’s full conversion of iPads to OLED when they just announced Mini-LED on iPad Pro in April of this year. That being said, OLED is the best looking display tech on the market right now…so, maybe?

  • Apple releases public betas for iOS/iPadOS 15, macOS 12, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15

    Apple releases public betas for iOS/iPadOS 15, macOS 12, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15

    The news: Apple has just released public beta versions of all the software they announced at WWDC 2021.

    • Alongside an updated build of iOS 15 beta 2 for developers, Apple has released public beta version of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15
    • You can sign up for any of the public betas at beta.apple.com

    Our take: If you’ve been wanting to try out some new features early, this is the best way to hop on and provide feedback before everything is solidified this Fall. From my experience, iOS 15 is absolutely stable enough to be on your daily driver, but proceed with caution as bugs will be there, some of your favorite apps may be glitchy or not work, and battery life won’t be as good as what you see now on iOS 14.

  • Apple releases new build of iOS 15 beta 2

    Apple releases new build of iOS 15 beta 2

    The news: Following last week’s iOS 15 beta 2 release, Apple has issued a new version of the same beta to developers.

    • The new version has the build number 19A5281j
    • iOS 15 beta 2 included a new Maps icon, Memoji outfits, and new splash screens
  • Apple releases 22 new limited edition watch bands in International Collection

    Apple releases 22 new limited edition watch bands in International Collection

    The news: Ahead of the 2021 Olympics, Apple has unveiled 22 new, limited edition watch bands.

    • “The soft, breathable, and lightweight International Collection Sport Loop bands are available representing the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the US,” Apple says
    • The new watch bands are available only for a limited time and can be ordered on apple.com now

    Our take: I love to see Apple making these limited edition watch bands more widely available for the 2021 Olympics…they did this ins 2016 but the bands were incredibly exclusive and hard to find.

  • New report says Apple forcing some employees to wear body cameras in revitalized effort to curb leaks

    New report says Apple forcing some employees to wear body cameras in revitalized effort to curb leaks

    The rumor: Apple is stepping up their efforts to prevent future products from leaking, according to a new report from Jon Prosser’s (74.2% accurate) FrontPageTech.com.

    Our take: At the end of the day, these products leaking are things that people genuinely care about…not governmental conspiracy secrets that must be protected at all costs. Call me crazy, but even if Apple’s entire roadmap leaked, in great detail with product images and videos…I don’t believe that any company other than Apple could pull it off to be market viable. The iPhone has been out since 2007 and everyone from Samsung to LG to OnePlus have tried to copy it: but there’s still only one iPhone.

    In conclusion, this is the most serious we have ever seen Apple take leaks, and I have to assume that this will have a negative effect on the culture there. But at least they’re focusing on the source of the leaks, and not on members of the press.

  • Gurman: No major Apple announcements happening for the ‘next several weeks’

    Gurman: No major Apple announcements happening for the ‘next several weeks’

    The rumor: Apple is saving their next major product announcements for the Fall, according to Mark Gurman (89.1% accurate, via Power On).

    • The Apple news drought will reportedly be continuing for the foreseeable future
    • “For Apple, all attention is on the fall, so the next several weeks are destined to be light on product news. We’re about three months away from the next iPhone and Apple Watch models going on sale—along with the releases of iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8, so stay tuned for plenty of news on those after the summer doldrums” Gurman says

    Our take: Seems like we aren’t getting an event or redesigned MacBook Pro models before the Fall.

  • Apple is working on new iPads with larger displays

    Apple is working on new iPads with larger displays

    The rumor: Apple is working on larger-screen iPads, according to Mark Gurman (89.1% accurate, via Power On).

    • “I’m told that Apple has engineers and designers exploring larger iPads that could hit stores a couple of years down the road at the earliest. They’re unlikely for next year—with Apple’s attention on a redesigned iPad Pro in the current sizes for 2022—and it’s possible they never come at all,” Gurman says
    • Apple’s largest iPad clocks in at 12.9-inches currently, and is already a behemoth to hold…and the sizes are remaining the same when the iPad Pro gets redesigned next year

    Our take: I also see the iPad–especially the Pro models–going in this direction down the road. But there’s something to be said about a handheld tablet getting any bigger than it is now. The direction that the Mac and iPad Pro are going in is genuinely confusing, and I just don’t see a clear roadmap for how these products don’t ultimately become the same thing.

    That being said, I would be down for a 13.3-inch iPad Pro in the future. I really like the 12.9-inch size now.

  • Apple Watch Series 7 may include new double-sided S7 chip

    Apple Watch Series 7 may include new double-sided S7 chip

    The rumor: Apple is working on a radical upgrade to the chip design in Apple Watch Series 7, according to DigiTimes (63.5% accurate, via MacRumors.)

    • Taiwanese supplier ASE Technology has developed double-sided System in Package (SiP) technology that allows for a smaller chip design
    • Apple Watch Series 7 is rumored to be redesigned and include new health features

    Our take: This absolutely sounds like it could lead to a larger battery in a watch that is tremendously size constrained already. In all of Apple’s products, every millimeter counts…but especially in smaller ones like AirPods or Apple Watch.

  • iPadOS 15 beta 2 allows apps to use more than 5GB RAM

    iPadOS 15 beta 2 allows apps to use more than 5GB RAM

    The news: Apple is planning to allow apps to take better advantage of higher RAM capacities on iPadOS, as first spotted by MacRumors.

    • Developers can request a new entitlement from Apple to allow their apps to use larger portions of RAM on iOS and iPadOS 15 beta 2, which will be especially useful on the M1 iPad Pro models
    • Prior to yesterday’s beta release, apps were limited to 5GB RAM, even on iPads with 8-16GB RAM

    Our take: This is…a step in the right direction? The fact that developers have to request access to more RAM is pretty wild, and I’m not sure why Apple needs to control this on iPadOS when RAM permissions have never been an issue on Mac. Still, this is an improvement over what we had before.

  • iOS 15 beta 2 features and changes: what’s new?

    iOS 15 beta 2 features and changes: what’s new?

    The news: Just over two weeks following the release of iOS 15 beta 1 at WWDC, Apple has issued the second beta update to developers for testing, alongside second betas for macOS, watchOS and tvOS, too.

    Here’s what’s new!

    • Quick Note on iPadOS 15 now works by swiping your finger up from the bottom right hand corner of the display
    • Weather app welcome screen (via 9to5Mac)
    • Memoji outfits are now live
    • New Maps icon
    • SharePlay for FaceTime is now enabled
    • Thumbnail for specific Focus mode home screens