Apple will reduce the size of the notch in the iPhone 12, but only in a single version of this upcoming handset.
That’s one of the predictions made Monday by a respected analyst about what’s on the docket for Apple’s September 15 event.
Even in a world where everything can be stored in the cloud, there’s still a role for an external drive. Especially if it’s high-performance, and can go anywhere. Western Digital’s new solid state drive is slim and light, but also rugged. And the WD My Passport SSD holds up to 2 TB of data, and is far faster than a traditional hard drive.
Here’s how this newly-released peripheral stands up to real-world use with a range of computers.
Apple unveiled iOS 14 back in June, and it’s chock-full of new features. The long wait for the software’s release must be wearing on many iPhone users. But Apple is almost finished development, to the point where the latest iOS 14 beta is almost as stable as the final version will be. Anyone tired of waiting would be relatively safe installing it.
The same goes for iPadOS 14.
Apple laid out new rules for streaming games services hoping to be listed the App Store. But it’s not clear if the changes will result in Microsoft, Google Facebook and others actually introducing iPhone and iPad versions of their services, which are already available for other platforms.
Apple will hold an online event on September 15. That’s all we know for sure. But leaks, rumors and unconfirmed reports reveal much more, with multiple new devices supposedly on the docket — although maybe not the one you expect.
An event with no real people in attendance, it likely will follow the template of Apple’s virtual Worldwide Developers Conference from June, which drew much praise. Here’s what you can expect from Apple’s September event next Tuesday.
Details of what’s been called the “Apple Watch SE” may have leaked out. An unconfirmed report indicates this model will have the same design as the wearable this company released in 2018, but with some of the high-end features stripped out. That will make it a lower-cost option.
A rumor that Apple plans to offer discounts on bundles with iCloud, Apple Arcade and other services may have been confirmed Thursday. Mentions of the “Apple One” subscription bundle reportedly turned up in the code for Apple Music for Android.
A Monster’s Expedition isn‘t the usual puzzle game. It sets itself apart by being an open world. The goal is to make play more relaxing because if someone gets stuck on a particular puzzle, they can head off in another direction. And, of course, there’s a cute little monster involved.
The game debuted Thursday on Apple Arcade, the Mac-maker’s subscription gaming service.
Satechi’s Quatro Wireless Power Bank stands out from the pack by including a built-in Apple Watch charger. It can also wirelessly power an iPhone. In addition, the 10,000 mAh external battery has USB-C and USB-A ports. That gives it a total of four ways to charge — hence the “quatro” name.
Apple designed its own face mask because of course it did. A company long known for setting itself apart from the competition with superior design couldn’t use over-the-counter masks to protect employees and customers from COVID-19.
Instead, the team that ordinarily designs Macs and iPhones dreamed up their own face covering for Apple employees, including the people that work in Apple retail stores.
Clip a tile Bluetooth tracker to your luggage, lose it, and if the Tile network can’t find it, then the company will pay you up to $1,000 in reimbursment. The goal of the new Tile Premium Protect plan is to demonstrate how confident the maker of these trackers is in its network.
But the offer isn’t available to every Tile owner.
The Epic Games v. Apple fight got a bit uglier on Tuesday. For the first time, the iPhone-maker asked that Epic Games pay damages for breach of contract. The two companies are arguing over whether Apple has the right to 30% of in-app purchases in the wildly-successful game Fortnite.
A survey of current iPhone users found that 41% of them intend to upgrade to the iPhone 12 when it’s released this autumn.
What’s drawing in potential buyers the most is a faster connection via 5G. And there’s plenty of interest in the tiny 5.4-inch model. But survey respondents aren’t much interested in another rumored feature of the iPhone 12: a LiDAR scanner for augmented reality.
Vizio SmartCast TVs now supports the Apple TV app. This makes it easier for users of these smart TVs in the US and Canada to watch Apple TV+, the company’s streaming video service.
To sweeten the deal, Apple is offering a free three-month subscription to users of these smart screens.
Hidden in Tuesday’s invite to the September Apple event is a clue that might confirm rumors that the company will make a major push into augmented reality.
The graphic for the invite is an apple sketched out with blue swirls. iPhone and iPad users can put that design in motion, with it seemingly appearing in the real world.
Anyone looking for new TV comedies to binge watch on a long holiday weekend shouldn’t miss the very positive reviews for Central Park and Trying on Apple TV+. Both shows debuted at the beginning of the summer, which means their entire first seasons are available now.
And while Ted Lasso is only halfway through its first season on Apple’s streaming service, it also has drawn praise from critics.
Apple TV+ took over the Apple.com home page on Friday. And the company also released a lengthy video about a game recently added to Apple Arcade. These Apple services are seen as increasingly important to its bottom line. And the company is using new ways to advertise them.
Apple’s new statement on “Our Commitment to Human Rights” promises the company will make devices that respect human rights, including freedom of speech. But the company will also follow national laws.
Just-released World’s End Club happily mixes genres. It’s a side-scroller puzzle-action game and a story-adventure game… all at the same time.
The action starts when a group of Japanese school kids find themselves in a long-abandoned amusement park under the ocean. It just gets weirder from there.
Apple is supposedly prepping an iPhone with a screen that’s just 5.4 inches. A concept artist created a video that effectively demonstrates exactly how small that “iPhone 12 mini” will be.
Watch it now to see the rumored handset absolutely dwarfed by a 2020 iPhone SE.
The OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual is a deskto drive that offers up to 32 TB of storage capacity, and can transfer data at up to 1250 MBps.
Plus, there’s a 3-port USB-C hub built in, allowing the external drive to be part of a home office or small business.
Everyone should use an iPhone case, and practically everyone needs to carry a wallet. Consider combining those two necessities with the Mujjo Leather Wallet Case. Updated for the iPhone 11 series, it remains just as beautifully slim-but-practical as its predecessors.
I’ve used this wallet case for weeks. Learn how well it survived daily use in my full review.
Apple pushed back the release of a major privacy change previously coming in iOS 14. It would have required each iPhone application to specifically ask if it can track the user for advertising purposes.
Most people are expected to deny access, which would shake up the advertising business.
People don’t walk around announcing their recent purchases to strangers. Or yell out to the whole office what they think of their coworkers. Or reveal where they live to people on the street. But they do violate their own privacy in a new Apple video, created to point out that owning a rival smartphone is the digital equivalent of oversharing.
Watch it now:
Your iPhone is already one of the most useful things you own, but it can do even more if you hook it to a large second screen. Making the connection simply requires an adapter, and doing so opens up quite a few entertainment — and even some productivity — options.
iOS and iPhone are surprisingly powerful, and are being held back by the small display. Here’s what you get with a bigger one.