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Apple rumors - page 32

Micro OLED displays might make Apple’s AR glasses super-thin and light

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Taeyeon Kim
Coming soon to a face near you?
Photo: Taeyeon Kim

Apple and A-series chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. teamed up to develop “ultra-advanced display technology” at a special facility in Taiwan, a Wednesday report claims.

The Micro OLED displays measure less than 1 inch in size, according to Nikkei Asia. Apple potentially could use the displays for its long-rumored augmented reality glasses.  However, it seems likely it will take “several years” to bring the hardware to market.

First folding iPhone might be a fun, colorful ‘flip phone’

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The first folding iPhone might look something like this.
The first folding iPhone might look something like this.
Screenshot: Front Page Tech

Apple could have decided on the look of the first folding iPhone. Previously, the company was thought to be considering two options, but the winner is a “flip phone” design, according to a trusted Apple prognosticator.

The same source also has a hint that the folding iPhone might cost less than rival flexible phones. But it supposedly will not arrive before 2023 (and could come even later). With Apple’s focus on durability, the foldable iPhone could incorporate an advanced Liquidmetal hinge to improve longevity. Read more about Apple’s potential innovation here.

Apple car rumors shift into overdrive [Cult of Mac Magazine 387]

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Apple car rumors shift into overdrive.
That roar you hear is the Apple car rumors redlining.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

After years of low idling, the Apple car rumors are really revving up. Possible deals with Kia and other automakers … whispers about secret supply-chain maneuvers … even a surprising claim that Cupertino’s first cars “will not be designed to have a driver.”

That’s the kind of Apple car news you’ll find in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

You’ll also get more potential revelations about that other top-secret Apple endeavor — building a headset. Whether that will be a $3,000 niche VR model or something a little more down to earth remains to be seen.

And if that’s not enough good Apple news for one week, Snoopy is back for new adventures on Apple TV+. We’ve got reviews of The Snoopy Show as well as the latest episodes of Dickinson and Losing Alice.

Kia and Apple build up supply chain for rumored Apple car

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Help wanted
"Supply chains assemble!"
Photo: Tim Mossholder/Unsplash CC

Kia reportedly started contacting potential partners in Georgia about working on the Apple car, The Wall Street Journal says.

This is the latest development as Apple and Kia parent company Hyundai supposedly prepare to team up in a $3.6 billion deal to build a self-driving electric vehicle. Kia reportedly could manufacture as many as 100,000 Apple cars per year.

Apple car might never need a driver

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Apple Car
You may someday ride in an Apple Car but you’ll never drive one. You’ll program it instead.
Photo: Torsten Dettlaff/Pexels CC

No one will ever drive an Apple car, according to leaked information. Apple is reportedly planning a vehicle that’s completely autonomous. It’ll be programmed, not driven.

That would make it less like what Tesla offers and more like what Alphabet’s Waymo is developing.

Apple’s $3,000 VR headset could boast 8K display, advanced hand- and eye-tracking

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Apple VR headset: If a $3,000 price tag doesn't scream
If a $3,000 price tag doesn't scream "niche product," what does?
Photo: Hammer & Tusk/Unsplash CC

Apple’s mixed-reality headset could cost around $3,000, solidifying its status as a niche luxury item, The Information claims in a new report.

The device supposedly will boast high-resolution 8K displays and some smart eye-tracking technology. Plus, more than a dozen built-in cameras could track wearers’ hand movements.

Apple car could finally hit the road in 2025, but it won’t be cheap

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Making a car could produce a massive windfall for Apple.
Ming-Chi Kuo offers more details about Apple car in his latest report.
Photo: Possessed Photography/Unsplash CC

An Apple car could ship in 2025, and will be “positioned as a very high-end” model in terms of pricing, claims TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo doesn’t give a dollar figure. But he writes that the sticker price, as well as the cost of Apple car components, will come in much higher than a those for a regular electric vehicle.

iPhone 13 might offer double the storage capacity

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The iPhone 13 notch could go on a diet.
The iPhone 13 might have more storage but less screen cutout.
Artist Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 13 is in the prototype phase, and some of those prototypes include 1TB of storage capacity, according to a reliable tipster. That’s twice as much as is available in the current model.

The same source says Apple is still working to decease the size of the iPhone notch.

2021 looks Mac-tastic! [Cult of Mac Magazine 385]

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Big things are brewing in Mac land.
Big things are brewing in Mac land.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

It looks like the MacBook Pro isn’t the only Apple laptop that’s going back to the future. The next-gen MacBook Air supposedly will get MagSafe, just like the MacBook Pro we learned about last week. Plus it should come in thinner and lighter than ever.

Add in the upcoming iMac and Mac Pro redesigns, and this year is looking pretty fantastic for Mac fans.

Meanwhile, this year’s iPhone might be a bit of a welcome throwback as well. You can luxuriate in all the latest Apple news and rumors in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Grab it now to read on your iOS device. Or scroll down for the links to this week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos.

Apple delays plan to bring Face ID to iMac

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Apple plans the 2021 iMac redesign we’ve been dreaming of
The new iMac refresh is going to be great. But don't expect Face ID just yet.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

People have been using Face ID to unlock their iPhones since 2017, and their iPads since 2018. But don’t expect to unlock your iMac using facial recognition just yet.

According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, Apple has been developing Touch ID for Mac. However, while it was originally planned for the 2021 iMac redesign, it’s now been pushed back to a later update.

Next MacBook Air could be thinner and lighter, with MagSafe charger

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MacBook Air M1 2020
The next MacBook could arrive later this year or early the next.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next-gen MacBook Air will be thinner and lighter than the current version, as well as boasting a MagSafe charger and, possibly, a redesigned display.

According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, Apple is planning to launch these new laptops in the second half of 2021 or in 2022. This would be the second MacBook Air to feature Apple Silicon processors, following the M1 MacBook Air released at the end of last year.

Next iPhone lineup may bring smaller notch, better sensor-shift cameras

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iPhone 12 review
We're used to the notch now, but we wouldn't say no to a smaller one.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple will finally shrink iPhone’s notch for its next-generation devices, according to a new report citing sources in the company’s supply chain. Plus, all of the devices will pack even greater sensor-shift stabilization cameras.

It is believed design changes and upgrades to the iPhone’s front-facing Face ID camera and sensors will make the notch shrink possible.

Why a portless iPhone would be a nightmare

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Apple, please don’t saddle us with a portless iPhone. This wouldn't be better.
This wouldn't be better.
Photo illustration: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A reliable source says Apple is considering stripping the Lightning port from future iPhone models and replacing it with … nothing. Hopefully, it’s not too late to stop this terrible, terrible idea.

A portless iPhone is possible. And there are even a few advantages. But the significant drawbacks make the idea something that should be dropped like a burning bag of poo.

Superstition might keep an ‘iPhone 13’ from happening

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Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.
Is the number 13 too unlucky to be in an iPhone name?
Photo: Cult of Mac

The followup to the iPhone 12 might not be called the iPhone 13. Instead, a reliable source says it will such a minor update it’ll be dubbed iPhone 12s.

And triskaidekaphobia could cause Apple to skip straight to the iPhone 14.

iPad mini 6 might get the big redesign it deserves

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2021 iPad mini is about to become a lot more useful.
The 2021 iPad mini could be about to get a lot less mini.
Photo: Pigtou/xleaks7

Apple’s smallest tablet is allegedly about to get the redesign so many people have hoped for. The screen bezels in the 2021 iPad mini will shrink significantly, supposedly allowing the display to increase to over 9 inches and become nearly edge-to-edge.

The computer will also reportedly get in-screen Touch ID and a hole-punch camera.

Tasty renders show 2021 iPad Pro with mystery magnetic connectors

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This might be the 2021 iPad Pro.
The basic design of 2021 iPad Pro will supposedly be much like its predecessor, but with some interesting enhancements.
Render: xleaks7/Pigtou

Apple will build even more magnets into the 2021 iPad Pro, according to a tipster. The same source also rendered images supposedly based on CAD drawings of the upcoming 12.9- and 11-inch versions.

Other changes rumored for Apple’s next top-tier tablet include an improved screen and optional 5G.

Touch ID could return in 2021 iPhone 13

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The 2018 iPhone models aren't going to have an in-display Touch ID fingerprint scanner.
Touch ID could be back, but not as you know it.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A fingerprint scanner might once again be part of Apple’s iPhone line, according to a reliable source. Touch ID might appear in 2021 alongside Face ID, not in place of it.

Also, Apple reportedly has a folding screen in the prototype stage.

2022 iPhone will be cooler than ever. Literally.

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Future iPhones might need a Vapor Chamber cooling system
The 2022 iPhone could sport an advanced cooling system.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A powerful processor and 5G wireless networking will force Apple to build a cooling system into the 2022 iPhone, according to an analyst and trusted Apple prognosticator.

But the system Apple is reportedly investigating won’t be ready in time for the iPhone 13, expected this autumn.

Apple may drop the Touch Bar from its next MacBook Pro

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You got the touch. Here's how to master your MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar.
Apple introduced the context-sensitive Touch Bar in 2016.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

According to reliable TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next-gen MacBook Pro will come in 14- and 16-inch sizes, feature more ports and bring back the MagSafe charger in some form (!). And, of course,  the high-end laptops will run on new Apple Silicon chips.

But the first big MacBook Pro redesign in half a decade also do away with the Touch Bar, the controversial — and never entirely successful — innovation Apple debuted back in 2016.

Apple might shrink iPhone 13 screen notch

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The iPhone 13 notch size supposedly might shrink a bit.
The iPhone 13 notch might be shorter than the current version.
Artist’s concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPhone 13 will will still have a screen notch but it’ll be a bit thinner, according to information leaking out of Apple’s Asian supply chain.

Plus, the same source says Apple will cover the camera lenses of its upcoming handset with sapphire glass.

Sweet new mini-LED display might not light up every iPad Pro

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2020 iPad Pro with Apple Pencil
There might be a big advantage to buying the largest 2021 iPad Pro model.
Photo: Apple

Sorry, 11-inch iPad Pro — no mini-LED display for you. The new type of screen will reportedly be in Apple’s largest top-tier tablet for 2021 but not the smaller version.

In addition, there are supposedly changes to the speakers and camera hump in this high-end tablet that’s expected in early spring.

2021 iPad mini screen size might expand to 8.4 inches

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The newest iPad mini supports the first-gen Apple Pencil, not the newer version of this stylus.
The 2021 iPad mini might be larger than the 2019 version (shown here).
Photo: Apple

The next iPad mini could be a bit less mini. Apple reportedly will expand the tablet from a 7.9-inch screen to an 8.4-inch one in the version coming in Q1 2021.

If true, the change would hardly be unprecedented. Apple has enlarged the displays in all other iPad models in recent years.

Apple keeps bringing in Tesla execs for Apple Car

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That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Apple Car. The Apple Car is way down the highway. But Apple has the pedal to the metal.
The Apple Car is way down the highway. But Apple has the pedal to the metal.
Photo illustration: Cult of Mac/Wikipedia CC

Apple’s plan to make a self-driving vehicle is back on track, according to an unconfirmed report from a very reliable source. But the Apple Car won‘t be out for several years.

Still, as part of the effort the company recently snapped up Tesla’s head of autonomous vehicle software development  to work on the project.

Apple plans to slim down the 2021 budget iPad

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The 2021 iPad could look much like the 2020 version. Just thinner.
The 2021 iPad might use the same general design as the iPad 8 (shown here), but slimmer.
Photo: Apple

The 2021 iPad is apparently going on a diet. The 9th generation of Apple’s basic tablet will reportedly be slimmer and lighter than the current version.

But the same unconfirmed report says Apple doesn’t plan to change the size of the 2021 iPad Pro models.