A significantly redesigned iPad mini 6 could drop its Lightning port in favor of USB-C, according to a new unconfirmed report. And a smaller Apple Pencil could be produced for it.
The tablet already drew quite a bit of attention because it’s expected to offer a nearly edge-to-edge screen, dumping the hefty bezels in the current version.
What does Apple’s oft-discussed, never-shipped AirPower charging pad have in common with Baron Samedi, the voodoo priest from the 1973 James Bond movie Live and Let Die? Two things predominantly: 1) People think they’re folklore until they actually appear, and 2) They seemingly can’t die.
That’s right: After dodging death more times than Evel Knievel, a new Bloomberg report claims that AirPower is back on. Again. Or, at the very least, the project still has a heartbeat.
Mac concept-makers are really strutting their stuff lately. This week we saw two eye-catching concepts that ring true. Get a glimpse of what the next-gen Mac Pro and MacBook Pro might look like in this week’s top stories.
And don’t miss our interview with one of the concept artists, who tells what he uses to make his realistic images.
You’ll find those stories and more in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Read it on iOS or hit the links below for browser fun. If you want slightly less fanciful stuff, we’ve also got the latest Apple news, reviews and how-tos to keep you busy this long Memorial Day weekend.
A concept artist took the rumors about an Mac Pro desktop with Apple Silicon and created a design that might really be what’s on the drawing board.
The concept combines the look of the current Mac Pro tower with the Mac mini to create a unique device.
TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor maker, has reportedly commenced production on the next-gen A15 chip for the iPhone 13.
It seems that Apple’s expecting to have a big hit on its hands, too. Digitimes reported Wednesday that “demand for the chip surpass that for its predecessor last year in scale, according to industry sources.”
A tip that a new MacBook will be unveiled at WWDC 2021 in two weeks could be hidden in the image Apple released Monday for the developers conference. It appears in the reflection in a pair of glasses.
Noted Apple tipster Jon Prosser apparently moved quickly to confirm the report.
The next-gen Apple Watch could get a huge makeover, with a new, flat-edged design and a green option reminiscent of the AirPods Max.
The redesign would bring Apple Watch into line with the flatter design language and form factor of current-gen Apple products including the iPhone 12, iPad Pro and iPad Air. Apple tipster Jon Prosser revealed the info about the upcoming wearable, likely to be marketed as Apple Watch Series 7, on an episode of his Genius Bar podcast with Sam Kohl.
Apple could shrink this year’s iPhone “notch” thanks to a 40% to 50% smaller VCSEL chip in the Face ID sensor, Digitimes reported Friday. According to the report, the smaller die size could show up as soon as the “new iPhone and iPad devices to be rolled out later in 2021.”
Apple plans to release a surprisingly thin MacBook Air in the same colors as the current iMacs, according to leaker Jon Prosser.
The redesign, as shown in renders produced by Ian Zelbo in collaboration with Prosser, abandons the MacBook Air’s classic tapered design. Prosser said the renders are based on images shared with him by a reliable source.
Apple’s transition from using Qualcomm modems to its own 5G designs could roll out as soon as the next couple of years, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests, in a research note seen by Cult of Mac.
Apple’s next small tablet isn’t coming soon, no matter what previous rumors indicated. A trusted analyst and Apple prognosticator says the 2021 iPad mini won‘t be on the market until the second half of the year.
According to unconfirmed reports, this will be a significantly redesigned device, with a larger display.
A deal between Apple and Rockley Photonics could add new medical sensors to the Apple Watch in 2022. That might include non-invasive monitoring of blood sugar levels, body temperature and blood pressure. It might even add the ability to measure blood-alcohol levels.
The British startup promises to “bring laboratory diagnostics to the wrist.”
A folding iPhone is two years away, according to a trusted industry analyst. When open, the device will have an 8-inch screen, significantly bigger than the current largest iOS model, which has a 6.7-inch display.
Apple’s much-rumored AR glasses reportedly suffered a setback and might not be out as soon thought. The wearable augmented-reality accessory could have gone into production in the first quarter of 2022, but that’s now supposedly unlikely.
Hackers reportedly stole plans for two upcoming 2021 MacBook Pro models from Quanta and leaked details. These help confirm earlier reports that Apple’s next notebook will see a return of MagSafe, the HDMI port and an SD card reader. But no Touch Bar.
Last week, Siri leaked the date and time of the upcoming Apple event. And this wasn’t the first time Apple’s own virtual assistant told the world about an upcoming event before the official announcement.
So step back Jon Prosser. Stand aside Mark Gurman. Siri is now the most accurate Apple leaker.
Apple will debut an under-display Face ID setup to debut in 2023, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims in a Wednesday report to clients, seen by Cult of Mac.
Kuo doesn’t elaborate on the feature but, provided he’s accurate, this could potentially mean the end of the “notch” which has been a part of the iPhone design dating back to 2017’s iPhone X.
The iPhone mini looks unlikely to last longer than one more generation, based on a Wednesday report from a reliable Apple tipster.
Looking forward to the 2022 iPhone, TFI International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests Apple will continue its recent pattern of releasing four models. However, these will include higher-end 6.7-inch and 6.1-inch iPhones like the current Pro lineup, and lower-end models in the same sizes.
The 5.4-inch iPhone mini sounds like it’ll be nowhere to be found.
It’s temping to look for hints about what Apple is going to announce during its April 20 event somehow hidden in the invite sent out Tuesday. But that’s surely an utter waste of time.
Here’s why.
Siri may have just revealed the date for Apple’s rumored April event. According the voice assistant, Apple’s next event will take place one week from now on April 20.
This is likely to be the event at which Apple debuts its next-gen iPad Pro, the eagerly anticipated AirTags item trackers and a new iPad mini.
Apple’s ProMotion technology, which delivers buttery-smooth scrolling and motion content on some iPads, may come to the iPhone this year.
According to a report from Digitimes, the next-gen iPhone will adopt LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) backplane technology that could enable 120Hz screen refresh rates. The current iPhones have a refresh rate of just 60Hz.
A 14-inch MacBook Pro reportedly will join Apple’s product lineup, and a concept artist merged all the rumors into a design that might hit store shelves later in 2021.
It includes more ports than any MacBook in years, but even important is what’s missing: the Touch Bar and most of the screen bezels.
There’s a bit more evidence that the iPad mini 6 will feature a dramatic redesign. A mockup of the tablet leaked out, showing an edge-to-edge display and an in-screen fingerprint scanner.
Other sources previously pointed to Apple’s smallest tablet getting a size upgrade in the near future.
Among the improvements expected in the iPhone 13 is a smaller notch. The latest evidence is a 3D-printed mockup of the device that supposedly shows how Apple rearranged the components behind the screen cutout for the upcoming model.
Don’t get your hopes up for an iPhone SE Plus this year. Or next. This is rumored to be the first in the SE series with an edge-to-edge screen, but an analyst focused on the display business said Thursday that the wait will stretch into 2023.
However, a new model using the current design might arrive before then.