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  • macOS 12 could be called Mammoth or Monterey

    macOS 12 could be called Mammoth or Monterey

    The rumor: The naming for the next version of macOS may have been discovered in recent trademark filings by 9to5Mac (78.5% accurate, source).

    • Two trademarks renewed within the last year point to “Mammoth” and “Monterey” as the most likely names for this year’s macOS 12 update
    • 2020’s macOS Big Sur was the most significant update in years with an all-new design, Control Center and more

    Our take: Both of these are solid names: we’ll find out the winner (and gravity of this year’s update) in just under a week.

  • iPhone 13 may feature significantly larger batteries according to new rumor

    iPhone 13 may feature significantly larger batteries according to new rumor

    The rumor: Apple’s battery sizes could increase significantly on iPhone 13, according to a new Weibo rumor spotted by L0vetodream (88% accurate).

    Here’s how the battery capacities could be changing:

    • iPhone 13 mini – 2,406mAh (7.4% increase)
    • iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro – 3,095mAh (9% increase)
    • iPhone 13 Pro Max – 4,352mAh (15.3% increase)

    Our take: Solid increases across the board here, if the rumor is true. We’ve heard previously that batteries were getting bigger, but these are our first specifics. Pro Max gets the largest increase, of course.

    https://twitter.com/L0vetodream/status/1399717871584907265?s=20
  • Some 2022 iPad models may get OLED displays…and not Mini-LED

    Some 2022 iPad models may get OLED displays…and not Mini-LED

    The rumor: After just announcing the first iPad with a Mini-LED display, Apple plans to switch some models to OLED already, according to ETNews (55.5% accurate, source).

    • “Some” iPad models are said to be getting OLED displays next year, a strange move considering Apple just made the switch to Mini-LED on iPad Pro
    • This is the second time we have heard that OLED may be coming to iPad models in the near future

    Our take: This is one of those rumors that just doesn’t make sense. Why, less than a year after switching to Mini-LED, would Apple switch to OLED? I’m sure OLED would look better and I’d love to see it on the iPad, but there’s no way Apple has invested so much in Mini-LED as a stop-gap tech.

  • Apple plans to open more retail stores globally

    Apple plans to open more retail stores globally

    The news: Apple is planning to expand their global retail footprint, according to Germany’s Funke Mediengruppe (via Bloomberg).

    • “On our online site people can learn a lot about the products; in a store they can touch them and get a feel for them…we intend to add more stores” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People
    • Worldwide, there are over 500 Apple Store locations at this time

    Our take: This is kind of ‘implied news’ but Apple saying this to a media outlet could suggest that more Apple stores could be added more aggressively.

  • Jony Ive was ‘involved’ in designing the M1 iMac

    Jony Ive was ‘involved’ in designing the M1 iMac

    The news: There’s a big reason that the new M1 iMac looks the way it does, according to Wired’s recent review of the all-new machine.

    • According to Wired’s Jeremy White, “Jony Ive was involved in the design of this new iMac, despite having left Apple back in 2019. Hardware design is a long process, so perhaps it’s not surprising that Ive’s fingerprints are all over this new desktop. But, interestingly, Apple would not confirm or deny if he worked on the 2021 iMac after he left the company – just that he had worked on it.”
    • Ive, who worked on too many iconic products to count, famously left the company in June 2019 to start a new creative business called LoveFrom…Apple was their first client

    Our take: This is so ridiculously obvious now that I’ve had it spelt out for me: the white bezels, the chin, the same Magic Mouse…it has Ive’s fingerprints everywhere. Really interesting that Apple wouldn’t confirm when Ive worked on the iMac, however…just that he did at some point.

  • Apple has no plans for AirPods Max 2, but new colors may be coming

    Apple has no plans for AirPods Max 2, but new colors may be coming

    The rumor: Apple is not currently planning a follow-up to AirPods Max, according to Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).

    • “Apple only recently caught up with demand for the product, and it is not currently working on a second generation of the AirPods Max” Gurman says
    • Additional colorways could bet coming in the future, however
    • Prior rumors had suggested there was a lower-end version of AirPods Max in the works

    Our take: Really disappointed to hear that the low-end version of AirPods Max isn’t happening because I was really looking forward to it. This is the second time we’ve seen Apple go balls-to-the-wall with a high-end audio product and then have no further plans for the device. We first saw this with the 2017 HomePod, and it seems like AirPods Max will follow the same fate. I don’t understand this “let’s introduce a super high-end product that is really great but that no significant portion of the market will ever touch with no plans to ever update it” mentality. But perhaps Beats fills the lower-end gap here…

  • AirPods Pro 2 may include new motion sensors, delayed until 2022

    AirPods Pro 2 may include new motion sensors, delayed until 2022

    The rumor: Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro won’t be seeing their release this year after all, according to Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).

    • New Pro AirPods “will include updated motion sensors with a focus on fitness tracking” Gurman says
    • There may also be a radical smaller, stemless design that debuts on these new AirPods
    • AirPods Pro 2 are currently expected to debut sometime in 2022

    Our take: Considering that these aren’t coming this year, I would bet we’ll see the new stemless design here. To hold us over until 2022, we’re getting AirPods 3.

  • Apple ‘readying’ AirPods 3, coming later this year with new design

    Apple ‘readying’ AirPods 3, coming later this year with new design

    The rumor: Apple’s third-generation version of entry-level AirPods are coming later this year, according to Mark Gurman (88.7% accurate, via Bloomberg).

    • The new design, which has been leaked extensively, looks similar to the current version of AirPods Pro
    • A new charging case is also coming, but details are sparse on what other improvements we’ll be seeing feature-wise

    Our take: With the time of this report and Gurman using the word “readying,” I would bet these new AirPods are coming this Summer sometime.

  • Beats Studio Buds leaked in new images

    Beats Studio Buds leaked in new images

    The leak: Our first hands-on images of the upcoming Beats Studio Buds headphones have leaked, courtesy of MySmartPrice (100% accurate, source).

    • Matching up with the previous images found in software, the new headphones are truly wireless and don’t have a stem
    • With recent FCC filings, a launch for the new Beats seems to be happening very soon

    Our take: Honestly, these look a bit weirder in real life than I thought they would. Also seems like they are releasing imminently.

  • New iOS 15 rumor says upgraded dark mode, Messages improvements & food tracking coming

    New iOS 15 rumor says upgraded dark mode, Messages improvements & food tracking coming

    The rumor: Apple may be introducing an improved dark mode, an upgraded Messages app and more with iOS 15, according to an unverified source who shared the info with MakeUseOf’s Connor Jewiss.

    Here is what’s reportedly coming:

    • UI tweaks for Dark Mode
    • Upgrade Messages app (no details here)
    • Food tracking alongside other additional features in the Health app
    • “New notification settings and look” on the Lock Screen (previously reported by Mark Gurman)

    Our take: I’m always skeptical of unverified rumors like this…but all of this sounds super reasonable. Excited to see the UI tweaks shipping with iOS 15!

  • Mac mini first look shows all-new design, lots of ports & more

    Mac mini first look shows all-new design, lots of ports & more

    The leak: Apple is planning a redesigned Mac mini with Apple Silicon inside, according to Jon Prosser (78.1% accurate).

    • On top of the new Mac mini is a “plexiglass” cover instead of metal…Prosser suggests that two-tone colors could make an appearance here, but not for sure
    • The updated desktop will feature the same magnetic power cable as the iMac 24-inch, complemented by 4 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, ethernet and HDMI
    • 2 rubber strips sit on the bottom of the computer where the fan vent is located

    Our take: Another incredible Apple Silicon redesign. Really hoping we see the two-tone color scheme on here similar to the new iMacs but even in white and silver it looks gorgeous. With M1X inside, this will be a beast.