The news: A new iOS update should be coming your way sometime soon, as Apple just seeded the release candidate (RC) version to developers after weeks of beta testing.
Here’s what new in iOS 15.5, per Apple:
Wallet now enables Apple Cash customers to send and request money from their Apple Cash card
Apple Podcasts includes a new setting to limit episodes stored on your iPhone and automatically delete older ones
Fixes an issue where home automations, triggered by people arriving or leaving, may fail
Not mentioned in the changelog, but also coming:
Wi-Fi signal strength indicator in the Home app
The iTunes Pass card, which could be reloaded with money for iTunes or the App Store, is now called the Apple Account card
Sam’s take: Another major-sounding iOS update, another suspiciously empty changelog from Apple. It seems like there might be something else that could be enabled post-launch, like that new Apple Music app or even Tap to Pay. In the meantime, the update is pretty small with only some minor Wallet changes.
The news: Apple may be in the process of filming their next event, according to a new Instagram story post from Steven Huon, Appleās Head of Music Programming, Brand Experience & Events.
Captioned “š¬ā ,” the post could suggest that filming for Apple’s next event, WWDC on June 6, could be complete already
Sam’s take:With WWDC 2022 less than a month away now, I’d take a bet that filming is done and that this is exactly what the post is saying. Not that this tells us anything we couldn’t have guessed already…but cool to see a peek inside Apple Park ahead of the next event.
The rumor: Some of Apple’s next-generation iPhones will see display increases this year, according to Ross Young (92.9% accurate).
Apple is planning to increase iPhone 14 Pro from 6.06 to 6.12 inches…and iPhone 14 Pro Max is going up ever so slightly from 6.68 to 6.69 inches diagonally
Considering how minor these size increase will be, it’s likely that the phones will still be marketed as 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch class displays, respectively
The change in screen size is reportedly happening because of the new pill + hole notch design and slimmer bezels
Sam’s take: No major size changes here, but I love that we’re seeing confirmation from the display expert himself that there is a tangible size benefit to Apple redesigning the front of iPhone 14 Pro. As each day passes, I grow to like the new look more and more.
iPhone 13 Pro – 6.06" iPhone 14 Pro – 6.12" iPhone 13 Pro Max – 6.68" iPhone 14 Pro Max – 6.69"
Differences due to pill + hole replacing the notch and narrower bezels.
The rumor: After sticking with Lightning for a decade, Apple could finally make the switch to USB-C, according to Ming-Chi Kuo (72.5% accurate, source).
Kuo states that from surveys in the supply chain, he has learned that it is likely Apple will abandon the controversial Lightning connector
The proposal states that all smartphones, tablets, and headphones that are sold in the UK must use a USB-C connector
EU politicians have petitioned for a standard connector, citing that more than 11,000 tonnes of unused charging cables are thrown out per year
USB-C is already on a number of Apple devices such as Mac, iPad Pro and iPad Air…plus the benefits include faster charging and transfer speed
Ian’s take: While this is exciting news, I’m not that confident in its validity. We have heard from many sources that Apple’s long-term goal is a portless iPhone, and if they do make the switch to USB-C, it would only be for a few years (something uncharacteristic for Apple). I also believe that the Made For iPhone program (MFI) has a massive role in Apple’s persistence to keep Lightning. MFI is a licensing program that guarantees the compatibility of accessories with iPhones and gives accessory makers tools to make these accessories. When one of these millions of 3rd-party products is sold, Apple gets a cut. With USB-C, they could not have this program because USB-C is a universal connector, unlike Lightning. It would be fantastic if Apple switched to USB-C, and while I can’t see it happening, I would love to eat my words.
(1/2) My latest survey indicates that 2H23 new iPhone will abandon Lightning port and switch to USB-C port. USB-C could improve iPhone's transfer and charging speed in hardware designs, but the final spec details still depend on iOS support.
— éęé¤ (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 11, 2022
Apple’s first iPod touch went on sale in September 2007…just months after Apple released the game-changing iPhone
Sam’s take:“The music lives on.” That headline made me oddly emotional today. And as out-of-left-field as it is for a press release announcing the death of the iPod, it’s pretty beautiful. And it made me start reflecting on the iPod and how it unequivocally changed my life.
I got the second-generation iPod touch for my 11th birthday in 2009. I still vividly remember taking it out of the box for the first time, powering it on and seeing the white Apple logo and promptly installing my first ever app from the App Store: Tap Tap Revenge. I sat there for hours that night going through every part of the operating system and quickly became enthralled with the device. It was the first thing I had ever touched that felt like it could do everything I ever wanted. And for me, it was everything.
I could text my parents and my friends on an app called textfree. I could play Angry Birds on long family road trips for hours on end. And most importantly, I could sync all of my iMovie creations directly to my iPod touch. I could bring them anywhere. I could show anyone, anywhere what I made. It was magical.
And it still is today. Only now, the videos I shoot go up on a website called YouTube…and making them is my career: not the quirky hobby of an only child looking to pass the time.
So to the iPod touch, I say thank you. Thank you for giving me a new way to express myself. Thank you for showing me media in a way I had never seen before. Thank you for showing me how to love a piece of technology. Thank you for the magic.
If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be writing this today.
The news: In a situation that has been developing for months, significant product shortages have finally begun to affect the Cupertino tech giant across numerous product categories.
Some stock may show up sporadically in Apple Stores between now and these estimated dates…but the availability will be quite constrained for the next 2-3 months.
Order Today, Delivers: Mac Studio (M1 Max Stock): 9-17 days iPad Air: 31-38 days Mac Studio (M1 Ultra Stock): 52-67 days MacBook Pro (Stock 14/16-inch): 57-71 days Studio Display: 60-74 days Mac Studio (Custom Config): 80-94 days Polishing Cloth: āAs soon as today within 2 hoursā pic.twitter.com/s6PlnANDcA
AirPods Max were first announced in December 2020, and no updates have happened since then
Ian’s take: I am excited to see the new colors on the AirPods Max! It has been really quiet on that front for a number of months now and I’m ready for something fresh. I would expect Apple to use the same colors of the new iPad Air, but nothing concrete has been reported yet. AirPods Pro 2 are also coming this Fall!
Ian’s Take: Finally! We have been hearing about these updated AirPods Pro for years, with sources constantly disagreeing on release. I am confident that these will release this fall: 3 years is a long time between releases (original AirPods Pro users are already struggling with battery health). This is going to be an exciting fall!
On Series 4 or newer, improved atrial fibrillation detection is coming āto calculate what is known as āburden,ā or how often a person is in a state of atrial fibrillation across a certain periodā
New low-power mode that allows you to still use parts of the watch while extending battery lifeā¦there is a power-reserve mode currently, but it only shows the time
āManyā existing watch faces will be updated (but no additional details are provided)
More pre-selectable workouts and āadditional metricsā are also in the works
Down the road, watchOS will also support satellite connectivity like on iPhone 14, but we donāt know exactly when
A redesigned, colorful MacBook Air with M2 inside is the most likely to come
But an all-new Mac mini has also been in the works for quite some time…and that could boast an M2 chip, too
Apple could also preview the new Mac Pro (but we’re not entirely sure on that just yet)
Sam’s take: I don’t really know how to feel about dub dub yet. I think it could be great! But I also worry that it could be just as underwhelming as last year, where we saw no hardware and the smallest software updates in history.
Sam’s take: Slow news day to be covering a longer cable that released. I know. But hey, it’s actually one of the more reasonably priced Apple accessories out there. The cost to manufacture Thunderbolt cables is quite high, so buying either a 1.8m or 3m version from Apple is legitimately worth it.
