Smart Connector

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Logitech iPad Pro keyboard case offers big trackpad without Bluetooth hassles [Review]

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Logitech Combo Touch review
The Logitech Combo Touch includes a well-designed iPad Pro keyboard and trackpad. And it looks great.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Logitech Combo Touch combines an iPad Pro case with a kickstand and removable keyboard. It sets itself apart from the crowd with a large trackpad and using the Smart Connector rather than Bluetooth.

I brought this keyboard case into my daily work life for most of a week. I also compared it to the Apple Magic Keyboard. Here’s why I like it.

New 10.2-inch iPad bumps up to faster A12 chip for same $329 price

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New 2020 iPad
The same great iPad, only faster.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s entry-level iPad, unveiled Tuesday during the “Time Flies” event, is better than ever with a faster processor and graphics, and gigabit-class LTE. It’s also just as affordable as its predecessor.

Order yours today ahead of its release this Friday for just $329 (or $299 if you’re a student).

No USB-C: Lightning connector will stay until iPhone goes all-in on wireless

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iPhone-Lightning
Lightning isn't going anywhere.
Photo: Tinhte

Apple ditched Lightning for USC-B on the iPad Pro in 2018, but you shouldn’t expect a similar move for this year’s iPhone 12 refresh, according to an Apple leaker.

A Monday tweet by Fudge, aka @choco_bit, suggests that the iPhone 12 will come with a Lightning port. The reliable tipster says Apple will continue to use the proprietary Lightning until the iPhone goes all-in on wireless charging.

iPad Air vs. Pro vs. mini: Which one’s right for you?

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The complete iPad lineup now includes Apple Pencil support, best-in-class performance, advanced displays and all-day battery life, Apple says.
There's an iPad for everyone.
Photo: Apple

Apple today added two new iPads to its lineup while dropping the 10.5-inch iPad Pro released in 2017. It now offers five different tablets, each of which has its own advantages. So how do you choose the right one?

Which iPad is best for unparalleled performance? Which one offers more bang for your buck? Which is starting to look a little long in the tooth?

Our in-depth comparison shows you exactly how all five of Apple’s current iPads stack up — and helps you decide which one is worth your hard-earned cash.

Big 2018 iPad Pro details spilled in new leak

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2018 iPad Pro concept art
Here's what to expect from the 2018 iPad Pro.
Photo: Álvaro Pabesio

It is looking increasingly likely that Apple will deliver a new iPad Pro lineup before the end of 2018. A new report, citing a number of sources familiar with the company’s plans, reveals some things we can look forward to.

Here’s what to expect from the next-generation iPad Pro’s display, Face ID, Apple Pencil, and more.

2018 iPad Pro redesign is both brilliant and stupid

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The 2018 iPad Pro has every change we hoped for. And some of the ones we feared.
The 2018 iPad Pro reportedly has every change we hoped for. And some of the ones we feared.
Photo: MySmartPrice

Apple appears poised to unveil the most significant redesign of the iPad in years. Renders of 2018’s iteration of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro have leaked out, showing that this model will include changes that will make it the best tablet Apple ever released.

It also includes some bone-headed design decisions that users will just have to deal with.

2018 iPad Pro might make a change you’ll hate

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2018 iPad Pro concept art
Smaller bezels will reportedly be a highlight of the 2018 iPad Pro, but will that make up for a huge drawback?
Photo: Álvaro Pabesio

The next-generation iPad Pro is going to have some nice improvements, like smaller screen bezels resulting in an edge-to-edge look.

But not every change is likely to go down well with fans. Apple is also supposedly going to remove the headphone jack, as it has done in its iPhone line. But that’s probably not the move that will draw the most criticism.

Microsoft exec claims iPad Pro is a Surface copycat

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You can thank Microsoft for this... apparently.
You can thank Microsoft for this... apparently.
Photo: Apple

In love with your new iPad Pro? You can thank Microsoft for that.

Microsoft executive Ryan Gavin claims Apple’s latest take on tablets wouldn’t have happened without the Surface Pro. It is a “clear example” that the company is following Microsoft’s move into ultraportable 2-in-1 machines.

This is what the iPhone 8 might look like

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iPhone8
We hope the iPhone 8 is this beautiful.
Photo: Imran Taylor

An iPhone 8 mockup based on all the latest rumors looks like quite a hit. The iPhone concept art from designer Imran Taylor builds on rumors that Apple might ditch the iPhone 7’s aluminum frame in favor of a stainless steel band sandwiched by two pieces of curved glass.

Taylor’s detailed renders show how incredible the 10th anniversary iPhone might be, if it brings an all-new look rather than relying on the unibody design of the past few years.

Take a closer look.

Latest iPhone 7 Plus mockup reveals beautiful blue finish

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iPhone-7-Plus-mockup-blue
iPhone 7 Plus looks beautiful in blue.
Photo: Unbox Therapy

Yet another iPhone 7 Plus mockup has been captured on video ahead of Apple’s official unveiling this fall, but this one’s a little more exciting than most.

Not only is it thought to be the most accurate representation of the iPhone 7 Plus we’ve seen so far, but it also comes in a new blue finish that could replace the space gray option in Apple’s next-generation iPhone lineup.

Dodgy photos show super-powered ‘iPhone 7 Pro’

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iphone-7-iphone-7-plus-iphone-7-pro-back
It looks like there really will be an iPhone 7 Pro.
Photo: NowhereElse

A new photo of Apple’s next-generation iPhone lineup all but confirms there will be an iPhone 7, an iPhone 7 Plus, and an iPhone 7 Pro. Only the latter will be blessed with a dual-lens camera and a Smart Connector, which means you’re going to have to pay a premium for them.

iPhone 7 Plus may not get dual-lens camera after all

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iPhone 7 mockup
The iPhone 7's dual-lens camera could be a game changer.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Buying the iPhone 7 Plus might not be as big an upgrade as some Apple fans were hoping for this fall.

Apple has allegedly decided to scrap plans to include a dual-lens camera sensor on the back of the iPhone 7 Plus, according to the latest rumor from China that claims the tech isn’t quite ready.

Don’t expect your iPhone 7 to be any thinner

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iPhone-7-plus-scheme
This tells us the iPhone 7 Plus will be no thinner than its predecessor.
Photo: LetemSvetem Applem

Some reports have claimed Apple’s next-generation iPhones will be its thinnest yet, but according to a new schematics leak, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be just as thick as the company’s latest models.

But that doesn’t mean the headphone jack is sticking around.

Apple may have scrapped a big iPhone 7 feature

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Your next iPhone might have two camera lenses.
The next iPhone might not be so "smart" after all.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Fans hoping Apple will bring the new Smart Connector from the iPad Pro lineup over to iPhone 7 may be in for some disappointment this fall.

The iPhone 7 won’t feature a Smart Connector, according to a new report from Asia that claims Apple has shelved the idea for now.

Why the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is Apple’s most important iPad since the original

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The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the best tablet Apple's ever made.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the best tablet Apple's ever made.

Small was the new big at Apple’s “Let us loop you in” keynote today. And while some felt the 64-minute unveiling was the most snooze-worthy event ever, Apple used it to unleash the most important iPad its made since the original tablet launched in 2010.

The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is much more than just a smaller variant of the 12.9-inch super slate Apple came out with last year. It’s a machine built to target Apple’s next big customer pool: the 600 million people still using 5-year-old PCs.

“That’s just sad,” Apple VP Phil Schiller said onstage, describing the unfortunate souls toiling with aging Windows machines. And the new, right-sized iPad Pro is exactly what those people need.

Apple’s new iPad Pro packs pretty display and plenty of grunt

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I want one, like, now.
Apple's gorgeous new iPad Pro.
Photo: Apple

Forget the iPad Air 3. Apple’s new 9.7-inch tablet will be a scaled-down version of its supercharged 12.9-inch iPad Pro — called (drumroll, please) the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

The new, smaller iPad Pro features four-speaker audio, a rear flash, Apple Pencil support, a Smart Connector for an all-new 9.7-inch Smart Keyboard, Apple’s most advanced iPad camera yet, and some very, very cool True Tone technology for matching the ambient light wherever you are.

Oh, and a fancy new 256GB storage option.

This could be our first look at the iPhone 7

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"Leaked" iPhone 7 with Smart Connector (left) and iPhone 6s.
Photo: Bastille Post

The iPhone 7 may come with a Smart Connector if photos of what appears to be an early iPhone 7 Plus unit can be believed.

Photos of the alleged iPhone 7, leaked by a Chinese website, show Apple integrating a dual-lens camera into the design of the rear case. If the case is accurate, it looks like Apple won’t be ditching its protruding camera lens this year.