There was something big missing from Tuesday’s iPhone 12 event. And, no, I’m not talking about AirTags, AirPods Studio, a new Apple TV, Apple Silicon Macs or live attendees.
The thing that went missing was an “S” at the end of the new iPhones’ names. The demise of the naming convention to indicate alternate-year iPhones marked the end of an era. And it’s totally a good thing.
The iPhone 12 mini is, without a doubt, the iPhone I’ll be buying this year. In an upgrade cycle in which I fully expected the iPhone 12 Pro to win me over, the 12 mini emerged as my absolute favorite iPhone of Tuesday’s “Hi, Speed” event — and, perhaps, my most anticipated iPhone in years.
It’s a blend of classic iPhone and modern iPhone: the handset I’ve wanted since Apple devices started growing progressively bigger around the time CEO Tim Cook took the reins at Apple. Here’s what makes the iPhone 12 mini so compelling.
Mario Kart Tour recently turned one, marking its first year on iOS following its debut in September 2019. To celebrate, the game is offering a slew of anniversary themed celebrations — including new characters, courses, and an intriguing new Auto mode.
Auto Mode can be selected at the beginning of a race. You can then watch the characters speed round the course a bit like an extended demo mode. If you’re into taking screenshots of the game, it’s a good addition since you don’t have to worry about controlling the character.
Musician Jonathan Mann’s got more stickability than the new MagSage connector on the iPhone 12. Since gaining the attention of Apple fans with a song about Apple’s Antennagate PR disaster that even made Steve Jobs dance, Mann unleashes a new Apple-themed song every time the company does a media event.
His latest (mildly NSFW) song, “Does this iPhone have 5G,” sets to music some of the social media reactions to Apple’s Tuesday product showcase. Check it out.
Customers who buy a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, or Mac receive three months of access to Apple Arcade, Apple’s subscription gaming service.
They can also receive 12 months of free Apple TV+ access — but there’s a catch.
Apple’s beloved MagSafe branding made its return at Tuesday’s “Hi, Speed” Apple event. And, if it’s not quite like it was before, isn’t that the same as every single story about something being brought back from the beyond?
The new, different version of MagSafe will allow users to snap on accessories to the back of their iPhones. Think wallets, cases and — in a new move for Apple — its first official wireless charging pads for iPhone.
Apple showcased the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 handsets Tuesday, showing just how powerful an “entry level” smartphone can be.
While these don’t pack as many features as Apple’s Pro phones, there’s a whole lot to get excited about. Here’s what you get with Apple’s “regular” iPhone 12 phones.
Want to get an advance glimpse of just about everything Apple plans to show off today at its “Hi, Speed” event? Thanks to leaker Evan Blass, now you can!
Blogger and phone leaker Blass posted images of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro variants in all available colors, alongside the new HomePod mini in both Space Gray and White options. Check them out below.
Apple’s online store has temporarily gone down ahead of its “Hi, Speed” event, which will take place Tuesday at 10 a.m. PDT.
When it comes back online following the event, it will likely be with a range of new goodies on offer — including details of the new iPhone 12 handsets and HomePod mini.
Apple showed off its iPad Air 4 at last month’s “Time Flies” event. One thing it didn’t reveal at the time? A precise shipping date for the next-gen tablet, the first new Apple device to feature the 5nm A14 processor. Instead, Apple simply said it would arrive in “October.”
According to tipster Jon Prosser, Apple could make the iPad Air 4 available for shipping at the same time as the iPhone 12.
The tyranny of the squircle, a cross between a square and a circle, has been a part of iOS icons since the very beginning. But thanks to iOS 14 — and the enterprising efforts of 24-year-old, London-based designer Tobias Whetton — you can finally change up your Home screen icons and go with another shape of your choice.
(So long as it’s a rectangle, that is.)
Keira Knightley has pulled out of Apple TV+ adaptation The Essex Serpent. The Pirates of the Caribbean star was set to play the lead role in an adaptation of Sarah Perry’s 2016 novel of the same name. Shooting would have started in around six weeks.
However, as a result of “family reasons,” involving coronavirus lockdown and childcare, Knightley will no longer star in the series.
The European Union has Apple in its sights as one of the big tech companies on its regulatory “hit list,” The Financial Times reports.
The list singles out companies “subject to new and far more stringent rules aimed at curbing” their market power. Apple has been battling with the European Union for several years, including over an enormous $16 billion tax fine — the largest in history.
Apple’s upcoming HomePod mini smart speaker and sixth-gen Apple TV will both function as ultra wideband base stations, according to Apple tipster Jon Prosser.
This means they will be able to track your location as you move inside your house, if you are carrying another device boasting an Apple U1 chip (like an iPhone 11 or Apple Watch Series 6).
Apple orders could potentially find their way into customers’ hands more rapidly, due to a shakeup in how Apple ships them out, Bloomberg reports.
According to the publication, Apple is beginning to use its retail store network as distribution centers for stock. Previously, it shipped out items from warehouses or even directly from China.
While this won’t mean faster shipping times for all customers, it could do if you live closer to one of Apple’s hundreds of retail stores.
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 is going to be the big hit of this year’s Apple lineup.
Apple is rumored to be releasing four iPhone 12 handsets, which will be announced at Tuesday’s “Hi, Speed” event. These will include a 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini, two 6.1-inch handsets (in both regular and Pro variations), and a 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max models.
Devialet, an audio firm backed by superstar rapper Jay-Z, debuted its Gemini wireless earbuds, a rival to Apple’s mega-successful AirPods Pro, on Friday.
The premium $299 earbuds (making them $50 more than the $249 AirPods Pro) aim to appeal to the same high end of the market wowed by Devialet’s speakers, which can cost up to $3,000.
It’s been a hot minute since Microsoft and Apple were the big tech rivalry. But Microsoft is ready to renew cold war hostilities for old time’s sake. At least, if a new blog post is to be believed, that is.
In a new blog post promoting the Microsoft Store on Windows 10, Microsoft takes a few thinly veiled shots at Apple, cashing in on the current rough time Apple is having regarding its allegedly monopolistic running of the App Store.
Apple’s eagerly anticipated AirTags are going to be eagerly anticipated for a while longer, according to Apple tipster Jon Prosser. In a tweet Friday, he said Apple pushed back the launch of its location-tracking tags to March 2021.
He also shared some new information about Apple’s rumored AirPods Studio headphones.
It’s Friday, which means new content on Apple TV+, ready and waiting for the weekend. This week, Apple dropped new episodes of Tehran, Long Way Up and The Oprah Conversation.
Here’s what to expect.
New info from reliable Apple leaker Kang could provide the best look yet at what to expect during Apple’s October 13 event showcasing the iPhone 12 and HomePod mini.
Kang — a leaker with a 97.8% accuracy rate, according to AppleTrack — published the iPhone 12 details on Chinese social media platform Weibo. Here’s what Apple is set to announce, according to Yang.
It’s not just Apple that’s piling on the pressure when it comes to getting Taiwanese tech companies to move their manufacturing out of China.
According to a report published Thursday, the American Institute in Taiwan, the “de facto U.S. embassy,” is visiting companies and asking why they’re not moving more quickly in exporting their production capacity outside China.
Want to check out Chase Field, Wrigley Mansion or the Mystery Castle without actually traveling to Phoenix, Arizona? Thanks to Apple Maps’ Look Around feature, now you can.
As Apple continues to roll out cities supported by its answer to Google Street View, Phoenix joins the list of places you can explore on the ground. (Or, at least, a virtual version of it.)
Ex-App Store review boss Phil Shoemaker told the congressional antitrust subcommittee that Apple creates “arbitrary” rules which it uses as a “weapon” against competitors. One such example is allowing Apple Arcade, while blocking Xbox Game Pass.
Shoemaker’s testimony appears in the antitrust subcommittee’s 449-page report published this week.
Showing its continuing closeness with the entertainment industry, Apple TV+ is joining a Hollywood industry group trying to crack down on piracy. Variety describes the move to sign up for the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) as a “strengthening” of the bond between Apple and other studios
Apple will be part of the group’s governing board. This also includes Amazon, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. ACE was set up in 2017, marking a combining of forces between traditional studios and streaming giants.