Apple rumors - page 30

Apple is unlikely to showcase its long-rumored AR/MR headset — or even demo the realityOS that powers it — at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

His mood-dampening remarks follow lots of buzz in recent weeks that indicated Apple finally would take the wraps off the secret project at WWDC22.

The reason? There’s still a lot of time before the headset enters mass production. And Apple doesn’t want its competitors to steal its ideas and rush a copycat to market, Kuo said.

Apple could introduce major enhancements to the iPhone’s lock screen in iOS 16, with wallpapers that offer widget-like functionality, according to a new report. The OS reportedly will add always-on display support for the iPhone 14 Pro series as well.

Apple is expected to showcase iOS 16 — code-named “Sydney” — during the WWDC22 keynote on June 6.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: After eyeballing the latest iPhone 14 Pro renders from John Prosser and Ian Zelbo, we’re left with two big impressions. One, that iPhone looks awfully familiar. Two … purple? Really?!?

Also on The CultCast:

• Please let the latest cryptic HomePod rumor be true.
• Can your eyes handle the even-fancier Studio Display that’s supposedly coming soon? And can your wallet?
• This week’s giveaway features a mophie 3-in-1 travel charger that makes us wish we could enter. (Don’t worry. You can, and we’ll try to hid our jealousy.)
• Erfon’s got a bit of a crush on Soundcore Frames, the Bluetooth sunglasses you can hear.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

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This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: That big, flat Apple Watch redesign we expected in 2021 might arrive this year to soothe our lingering disappointment. The latest renders by Ian Zelbo, spurred by a tweet from leaker ShrimpApplePro, make Apple Watch Series 8 look quite appealing.

Also on The CultCast:

• Is Cupertino about to “fix” Apple TV’s biggest problem?
• The AR/VR headset Apple’s been working on for so long sounds like it’s almost ready for prime time.
• Apple employees, like many other tech workers these days, just don’t want to report to the office. Who can blame ’em?

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

This week’s show is sponsored by Jamf Now and Squarespace. See below for special offers.

It’s understandable if you’re feeling slightly underwhelmed by the upcoming iPhone 14. Leaks, combined with artist renders, give us an early glimpse of the iOS handset coming this autumn. And if they’re accurate, this year’s iPhone lineup will look nearly identical to its predecessors going back years.

That’s because Apple uses a three-year cycle in iPhone designs these days. That’s not laziness – there’s a solid reason for the choice.

Apple is testing electronic paper display tech from Chinese company E Ink for use as the cover screen on future foldable devices, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Color EPD panels could be ideal for foldables with a secondary screen, as they are more energy efficient than traditional OLED panels.

Apple reportedly intends to launch new color options for its premium AirPods Max headphones this fall.

While that sounds like a strictly cosmetic addition to the lineup, next-gen AirPods Pro might bring a full-fledged redesign around the same time.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Haters gonna hate, but digital artist Adam Duff explains why Apple’s new Studio Display is the perfect monitor — for some users.

Also on The CultCast:

• iPhone 14 leak reveals sizing, pricing and more.
• Who needs a smart water bottle?
• Apple TV+ has some hits on its hands.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

Our sponsor: Squarespace

Special thanks to this week’s sponsor, Squarespace. Get all the tools you need to set up your very own website and commence selling anything online. Start your free website trial today at squarespace.com/cultcast (no credit card required). Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain with code cultcast at checkout.

An image supposedly showing the front screen panels of all four iPhone 14 models has leaked out. It gives a side-by-side comparison of some of the most significant changes coming this fall to Apple’s 2022 handsets.

The new “hole and pill” design for the Pro models is clearly on display, as is the first iPhone Max that isn’t part of the Pro series.

The Apple M2 processor hasn’t yet been released and the first report of an M3-based Mac is already out. It could launch as soon as 2023.

This might be an indication that Apple will release new versions of its Mac/iPad chip more quickly than it has until now.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: It sounds like Apple is planning nearly a dozen new Macs with a next-gen M2 processor. The question is, just how big of a speed bump will that new chip bring? And then there’s iPhone 14, which sounds like it might come with a very big bump indeed — and not the kind you might be hoping for.

Also on The CultCast:

• The original HomePod never ceases to surprise.
• iPhone 14 could be the ultimate smartphone for narcissists.
• Apple might be prepping an ingenious hybrid device to take over your living room.
• When you’re tired of wearing earbuds, you’ve got options. Very strange options.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like what you hear.) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

Our sponsor: Squarespace

Special thanks to this week’s sponsor, Squarespace. Get all the tools you need to set up your very own website and commence selling anything online. Start your free website trial today at squarespace.com/cultcast (no credit card required). Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain with code cultcast at checkout.

The iPhone 14 will have an autofocus front-facing camera, if a reliable source is correct. Previous iOS handsets used a fixed-focus selfie cam instead.

In addition, the front camera will allegedly have a lower f-stop. Both changes will help make the iPhone 14 a better option for narcissists.

The next HomePod reportedly won’t be a replacement for the full-size smart speaker. Apple is instead working on a combination Apple TV, HomePod and FaceTime camera.

The device supposedly will be the heart of Apple’s smart home strategy.

Apple reportedly has half a dozen Macs with the next-generation M2 processor in testing. These are a mix of MacBooks and desktops.

Some supposedly will arrive later in 2022, but Apple won’t release the rest until 2023.

Apple could fix a major iPhone pain point by introducing some “fairly significant enhancements” to notifications in iOS 16, according to a reliable source. Further, the company could make major improvements to health and activity tracking in watchOS 9.

The Cupertino company also supposedly will debut a new multitasking interface in iPadOS 16.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We’ve got a date for WWDC22! Now, the only question is, what tricks will Apple pull out of its virtual hat this year?

Also on The CultCast:

• Is Apple’s M1 Ultra chip ultra-disappointing? The first speed tests look underwhelming.
• The latest on Apple’s quest to develop a folding iPhone.
• Ukrainians use Find My to locate thieving Russian troops.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

Special thanks to this week’s CultCast sponsors:

• The new Jamf Fundamentals plan gives small-to-midsize businesses the tools they need to easily manage all their Apple devices. CultCast fans can manage three devices free! Sign up at jamf.com/beyond.
• Squarespace gives you all the tools you need to set up your very own website and start selling anything. Start your free website trial today at squarespace.com/cultcast (no credit card required). Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain with code cultcast at checkout.

Apple will release AirPods Pro 2 in the second half of 2022, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. And when it does, the new buds will replace the current AirPods Pro rather than joining them in the lineup. That would signal a strategy change, Kuo said.

Why? After Apple added AirPods 3 alongside AirPods 2 in its earbuds lineup, it noticed a lot of people stuck with the less-expensive product rather than going with the upgrade. Apple wouldn’t want that to happen again.

A previous leak had already indicated that the iPhone 14 Pro Max will have a sizable hump, but new specs show the entire device is going to be… well, huge. But it’s all supposedly part of a significant improvement in camera specs.

These leaked specs also reveal other iPhone 14 Pro Max details, like the size and positioning of the new “hole and pill” design allegedly replacing the notch.

The good news is that Apple will bring in-display Face ID to the iPhone, finally eliminating the distinctive “notch” at the top of the touchscreen. The bad news is that it’s reportedly not happening as soon as possible.

This means we’re still years away from an iPhone with a truly edge-to-edge display.

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This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: So, what’ll it be first? Good news or bad news about iPhone 14? We’re talking about Touch ID, a possible Apple hardware subscription service and an even bigger camera bump on the Pro model. Hoo boy!

Also on The CultCast:

• A peek inside Apple’s new Studio Display proves surprising.
• Would a 15-inch MacBook Air by any other name smell as sweet?
• The EU might wreck iMessage.
• We’re giving away five leather crossbody iPhone cases from Noémie.
• What “The Slap” heard ’round the world says about Apple events.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

This week’s episode is brought to you by CultCloth. Forget about that overpriced Apple Polishing Cloth. This is the cleaning cloth your Apple devices deserve.

Rather than letting existing financial companies handle all its payment processing, Apple wants to bring some of it in-house, according to an unconfirmed report. And the Mac-maker would also like to take on a range of other related services itself.

The goal is to reduce the amount of money Apple has to pay outside companies for financial services.

An in-screen fingerprint scanner won’t be part of any iPhone for at least three years, according to a trusted analyst. That raises the strong possibility that Touch ID will never again be part of Apple’s flagship smartphones — despite occasional rumors to the contrary.

Apple may have abandoned the idea after a recent improvement to Face ID.

Continue reading

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The first Mac Studio benchmarks make Apple’s much-ballyhooed M1 Ultra chip sound less amazing than we hoped. Maybe it’s not the unhinged beast we expected! But then, what do benchmarks really mean, anyway?

Also on The CultCast:

• The new Studio Display suffers due to some odd choices on Apple’s part.
• A software update might fix Studio Display’s tragic webcam.
• A 15-inch MacBook Air would tick a lot of the right boxes.
• And finally, a giveaway for the ladies!

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

This week’s sponsor is JAMF, an Apple device-management solution that gives individuals and businesses the tools they need to wrangle iPhones, Macs, iPads and more. Register with JAMF now to manage three devices for free.

Apple might soon give customers the option to get a Mac or other device with monthly fees, rather than paying the full cost up front. The company is working on a hardware subscription service, according to a reliable source.

Software subscriptions are common, but hardware is a different business. Even so, Apple has already dipped its toe into this market.

A 15-inch MacBook Air is on Apple’s agenda for 2023, according to a reliable source. And the current 13-inch version could be replaced by a one with somewhat larger screen.

In addition, the same source says the display in the budget iPad is in for a size increase, too.