the elec Archives - AppleTrack

Apple’s iPhone 15 will have under-display Face ID (report)

The rumor: Apple is working on high-end iPhones with under-display Face ID, according to The Elec (66.7% accurate).

Both under-screen Face ID and a hole punch cutout are said to be present on iPhone 15 Pro models when they launch sometime in 2023
The display tech will reportedly be provided by Samsung, who plans to use it in their upcoming foldable phones
Prior reports said Apple was working on a truly all-screen design with no notch or cutouts at all for the 2023 iPhones…

Sam’s take: With the launch of this still well over a year away, I have no idea if Apple will actually be able to achieve the truly all screen design, or if this new info from The Elec will be closer to what we end up seeing (just a single camera hole punch). My gut says that this latest report is right, because there’s a part of me that believes a design like the one above is just too good to be true.

Apple reportedly places order for Apple Car self-driving chip

The rumor: Apple has contracted a Korean chip maker to manufacture chip modules used for self-driving, according to The Elec (71.4% accurate).

The report…

The Korean chip maker, OSAT, is manufacturing test modules that will be used on the Apple Car’s processor…which will be dedicated to self-driving functionality
OSAT will not create the final chip, they are only for testing purposes
Apple has done something similar in the past with the M1 processor: contracted OSAT to build components for testing, then TSMC manufactured the final tech

Ian’s Take: While the Apple Car is undoubtedly many years away, this is real evidence that they are still working on the project and testing a self-driving function. This project is shrouded in mystery, so any concrete information is fascinating.

iPhone 14 Pro again rumored to have divisive punch-hole camera

The rumor: Apple is planning to nix the notch for their highest-end handsets in 2022, according to The Elec (81.8% accurate).

The new report says the 6.1 and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max will be equipped with “hole-displays” for the first time…matching what we have heard from other sources
That being said, the standard 6.1 and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 models are said to retain the notch for another year, matching what we got on iPhone 13

Our take: I’m all-for a radically different looking display on iPhone 14, and I like the idea of a punch-hole design. I’m ready for something truly new on the next iPhones.

I also understand how a lot of folks think this looks cheap or Android-like.

At the end of the day, less notch equals more screen real estate, and I think this is the next step toward a truly all-screen design spanning from edge-to-edge. I want this.

All 2022 iPhones could get 120Hz-capable LTPO displays

The rumor: All 2022 iPhones will be getting low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) displays capable of varying refresh rates, according to The Elec (75% accurate, source).

A new supplier, potentially LG, will have a new production line capable of making LTPO displays ready for Apple’s lower-end 2022 iPhone models
Later this year, LTPO displays enabling a 120Hz refresh rate are coming to only the iPhones Pro

Our take: This sounds unlikely considering that 120Hz is the definition of a premium feature, but The Elec has a solid track record for these sorts of details. But I’m not convinced yet. For example, the Apple Watch Series 4 had an LTPO display, capable of always-on functionality, but Apple didn’t enable the future until a year later on Apple Watch Series 5.

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?

AirPods 3 may cost $199, H1 chip inside

The rumor: Apple is planning to upgrade AirPods in the first half of 2021, according to The Elec (75% accurate).

AirPods 3 will feature a similar design to AirPods Pro, but won’t include noise cancellation
A H1 audio chip may power the pods inside
These updated entry-level AirPods, coming in the first half of 2021, are rumored to cost $199

Our take: Most interesting bit of the report from The Elec is this: “Apple initially planned to launch a Lite version right after the AirPods Pro were launched in October of last year. But the company canceled this as AirPods Pro were selling better than expected.” Seems like third generation AirPods were supposed to come out in 2020…but too many people were already buying AirPods Pro.

iPad Pro may gain OLED display in 2021

The rumor: After exclusively using LCD panels in the iPad since the tablet’s inception, Apple is planning to use OLED in the not to distant future, according to The Elec (100% accurate).

Apple may switch the iPad Pro to OLED…but only after introducing a Mini-LED display on the device in the first half of 2021
OLED on iPad Pro could happen as soon as the second half of next year
The Elec is the first source to suggest that OLED will come to iPad

Our take: The Elec has an extremely good track record, but a quick switch from LCD to Mini-LED and the not OLED? This doesn’t make any sense to me. I feel like some product lines may have been conflated in the rumor mill.