Macs and iPads just got a lot more expensive overnight, with prices jumping 15% to 20%. Apple says a global memory chip shortage forced its hand, but a top executive at one of its own memory chip suppliers hinted Apple may have helped create that shortage in the first place.
What makes this interesting is the timing: a Micron executive’s pushback on memory prices lands right as Apple blames the memory shortage for its price hikes. So who is really to blame? Here’s what’s going on.
If you use an older Mac, iPhone or iPad, Microsoft might be about to break your Office apps. Starting July 13, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote will stop letting you edit, save or create new files unless you meet certain requirements. You’ll still be able to open and print documents, but that’s it.
The move affects more people than you might think. If you’re running anything older than iOS 17 or macOS 11 Big Sur, your Office apps will mostly be defunct. Microsoft calls it “reduced functionality mode,” which is a fancy way of saying your Office apps will lose editing functionality.
Apple’s recently announced HomePod 2 packs some impressive smart home capabilities. But that’s not the only product the company is working on.
Apple is reportedly working on several smart home devices, including a smart display. The low-end iPad-like device can control thermostats, lights and do FaceTime calls.
Apple could be preparing to dramatically improve the performance of its iPads. The company reportedly will start building its tablets with the same M-series chips that go into the company’s laptops and desktops.
These will be produced by Apple’s chip maker TSMC, which is moving ahead with developing 3nm processors. Its first production units will reportedly be M-series chips for Macs. And these processors will also allegedly be used in future iPad models.
Apple pulled in more revenue last quarter than in any previous July-through-September period, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Growth came from sales of Mac and iPad, as well as revenue from services.
But iPhone revenue was down dramatically because of the delayed release of the iPhone 12 series. That hurt earnings significantly.
The 2020 iPad will resemble a smaller iPad Pro, if leaked schematics of this upcoming computer are accurate. It supposedly will offer narrow screen bezels, Face ID, a USB-C port and other features previously reserved for Apple’s high-end tablets.
Back when Apple introduced the Apple Pencil, the company positioned the stylus primarily as a tool for artists. And try as I might, I’ve never been particularly great at drawing. That said, it didn’t stop me from picking up an Apple Pencil to annotate documents, edit photos or use as an alternative way to touch the screen.
Then the Magic Keyboard came along with a fantastic trackpad experience. It offered a different way to interact with the screen without touching it with my finger. But now, with iPadOS 14, Apple has rewritten the story of what Apple Pencil can do, and it’s completely changed how I use my iPad once again.
iPadOS 14 includes Scribble, finally allowing you to hand write text on an iPad with a stylus. If you don’t already have a stylus, there are some great options out there besides the very expensive Apple Pencil.
Here are some of the best available, so you can take full advantage of your iPad’s capabilities without paying too much.
Apple reportedly placed multiple rush orders for iPad screens with LG Display. The tablet saw increased demand in Asia this quarter, with COVID-19 forcing so many people to attend classes and work from home.
Revenue from iPad sales dropped 10% during the first quarter of 2020. And shipments dropped 3%, according to a market-research firm. But analysts say that people working and studying from home during the pandemic could bring a burst of purchases this quarter.
Apple reportedly is sending care packages to its employees who are stranded in China by the COVID-19 coronavirus. And among the face masks, hand sanitizer and cookies is a slightly more expensive item: an iPad.
Steven Sinofsky has an unusual perspective on the iPad. On the the 10th anniversary of Apple unveiling this tablet computer, the former president of the Windows Division at Microsoft looks back at his reaction to this breakthrough computer.
An iPad version of the Adobe Illustrator professional drawing tool is in development, according to an unconfirmed report.
This apparently indicates Adobe is in the midst of converting several of its desktop tools to iPadOS, as Photoshop for iPad is also scheduled to debut sometime next year.
The latest iPad just made its appearance in Apple retail locations. Those eager to get their hands on the first 10.2-inch budget tablet with iPadOS can hurry to the nearest store to pick one up now.
This is currently a quicker option than ordering the seventh-generation iPad for home shipment.
Apple today started shipping its latest budget iPad to those who pre-ordered this tablet after it was unveiled earlier this month. It will hit Apple Store shelves later this week; Apple isn’t saying exactly when, however.
This is the first 10.2-inch iPad, and it replaces the last 9.7-inch model in Apple’s lineup.
iPadOS just launched, and Apple wants tablet owners to know why they should upgrade. Its short video hits the highlights, like accessing full contents of USB drives, the advantages of editing video on a larger screen, and much more.
Watch it now:
iPadOS 13.1 is now available, ready to be installed on a wide variety of iPad models. It brings features Apple tablet users have long been asking for: allowing applications to open multiple windows, support for mice, full access to USB drives, and much more.
This new version was announced in June and has been in beta testing all summer so there are no surprises. But the time for testing is over. Almost everyone with an iOS tablet made in the past five years can install iPadOS.
The recently-announced 10.2-inch iPad replaces the 9.7-inch iPad in Apple’s lineup, but it’s not a big jump in internal specifications.
That said, Apple’s latest tablet reportedly has more RAM than its predecessor.
A DJ providing music from an iPad is no big deal… unless he’s 250 miles above the Earth traveling at 17,000 miles an hour. That’s what astronaut Luca Parmitano did, casting music from the International Space Station.
Watch his set now:
Apple is considering a MacBook with two displays, with the second screen acting as a keyboard. By necessity, iPads already employ on-screen keyboards but these lack tactile feedback. Apple is looking for ways to make these virtual keys move when they’re typed on.
The company has been pursuing this project for years, as demonstrated by a patent it just received.
In a better-late-than-never scenario, Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile wireless carrier will soon begin offering two recent iPad models along with last year’s Apple Watch. These are the first non-smartphones available from this company, and all have built-in 4G LTE wireless networking.
Google won’t make any more tablets, and dropped plans to introduce two models it was prepping for release.
No reason was given, but heavy competition from Apple’s iPad line had to have been a factor.
Teachers in Europe dealing with a flood of refugees are successfully teaching children new languages with iPads.
After a school in Germany gave every student in its German-as-a-second-language program an Apple tablet, the graduation rate rose to 100 percent.
US adults spend more time on their phones and tablets than watching traditional televisions. While phone use has been on the rise for years even as TV use dropped, the most recent annual survey done by eMarketer is the first in which mobile devices came out on top.
Only a few years ago, TV use was significantly ahead of phones and tablets. Not any more.
Apple just unveiled some of the most significant changes to the iPad line ever as it continues making these tablets ever better computers for professionals. The company even went so far as to free them from iOS — from now on, they run iPadOS.
Other dramatic changes include allowing applications to open multiple windows, a home screen redesign, improvements to the Files app, and more.