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.
Samsung’s new Smart Monitor lineup combines productivity and entertainment in new ways to make your work-from-home setup even better. The M5 and M7 ship with Smart Hub — which includes an Apple TV app and AirPlay 2 compatibility — built-in.
LG is reportedly ending its production of LCD displays for iPhone after posting losses of $4.5 billion over the last five years. The South Korean company is also said to be considering leaving the smartphone market.
The news comes as LG continues to suffer steep declines in smartphone shipments, with its devices now accounting for just 2% of the worldwide smartphone market, according to the latest estimates.
Apple quietly introduced two new color options for its affordable Beats Flex wireless headphones Wednesday. The $49.99 buds, introduced last October, now come in smoke gray and flame blue.
Some stands are designed for laptops, others for tablets. The ParcSlope from Twelve South is both. The desktop accessory, announced Tuesday, elevates the back edge of either a MacBook or iPad, allowing the user to either type more easily or draw on the touchscreen.
iFixit took a deep dive into AirPods Max, fully disassembling Apple’s over-the-ear headphones. What they found in the teardown was a startling number of different types of screws. But also a craftsmanship that helps justify the hefty price tag.
A new Spotlight feature in Apple’s Podcasts app will promote “singular voices in podcasting” to help new listeners discover them. Apple plans to profile a new creator each month. The first is Celebrity Book Club podcaster, comedian and filmmaker Chelsea Devantez.
Whether it’s the iPhone 12 mini or the high-end iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple’s latest handsets are pretty darn great when it comes to taking photographs. To show just how good, on Tuesday Apple released a lineup of images, snapped using its latest iPhones.
From hyper-detailed close-ups to moody interiors to gorgeous landscapes, they show off just how versatile Apple’s new camera phones actually are.
Hyundai’s Kia Corporation will reportedly be the company responsible for working with Apple on the electric, self-driving Apple Car project, a new report states.
As per the South Korean news outlet, eDaily, “If Kia decides to do this, the Apple Car production base will be at Kia’s Georgia plant in the US.”
Popular Apple TV+ comedy series Ted Lasso earned three nominations in the upcoming 26th annual Critics Choice Awards.
The show, about a hapless Kansas football coach who is somehow hired to lead a U.K. soccer team, earned nods for Best Comedy Series, Best Actor in a Comedy Series (lead actor Jason Sudeikis, who plays the title role) and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (for Hannah Waddingham, who plays club owner Rebecca in the show.)
Apple has quietly extended a free repair program covering faulty 13-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2016. The laptops in question suffer from a problem related to the display backlight.
Initially, Apple’s repair program — announced in May 2019 — covered the laptops for up to four years after they were purchased. Now Apple has extended that to five years.
Apple’s new MagSafe system for iPhone 12 makes magnets magical, and with the right accessories, it can be even better. Check out Elago’s brilliant new MagSafe stands, which hold your iPhone in a comfortable position while it’s charging for a mere $29.
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.
Foxconn is building a $270 million factory in Vietnam, likely in response to Apple’s desire to move some iPad and MacBook production out of China.
December was a good month for Call of Duty: Mobile, which topped the iOS App Store list of most-downloaded games, according to a new report from app analytics platform Sensor Tower.
Samsung’s 52-year-old heir, Lee Jae Yong, has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison related to a bribery case. Lee was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement, and concealment of criminal proceeds worth $7.8 million.
Lee has already served some time in prison while waiting for the trial. This leaves him with 18 months still to serve. He was first arrested back in early 2017 over a political scandal linked to the then-president of South Korea, Park Geun-hye. The case has been ongoing since then, leading to Monday’s decision by the Seoul High Court.
Apple has commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by changing up the image on its homepage to showcase a photo and quote from the legendary civil rights leader.
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice,” reads the quotation. To this, Apple ads, “We honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his leadership in civil rights.”
The Coalition for a Safer Web, a Washington DC-based nonprofit, is suing Apple for not removing messaging app Telegram from the App Store.
In a lawsuit filed Sunday, Marc Ginsberg, a former U.S. ambassador to Morroco, and the coalition say the app remains in the App Store “despite Apple’s knowledge that Telegram is being used to intimidate, threaten, and coerce members of the public.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook refused to take the bait about Apple Car during a Sunday interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News. After Cook commented that Apple continues “making the best products in the world,” Wallace asked if that would include an Apple Car.
Cook responded by laughing, and said he “can’t comment on rumors and so forth.” Wallace then pushed back, saying that Cook could comment, he was just choosing not to. “You’re right,” Cook said, ending the exchange. “I choose not to. Touché.”
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.
A recent restoration project brought vintage Mac MP3 player Audion back from the edge of oblivion. You can get Audion, and its more than 800 wild and wooly custom user interfaces, for free.
If you’re interested in how software design has evolved, you’ll love this totally trippy flashback to the bad old days when we all crammed our hard drives full of downloaded MP3s.
If you’d rather deal with more pressing matters, we’ve got other new apps to showcase in this week’s roundup. EZ Estate will help you get your final affairs in order. A new RSS reader will make you fall in love with an otter. You can display your HomeKit scenes in iOS widgets and more.
Apple just added up to five months to current Apple TV+ free trials. If your free access to the streaming video service was about to expire, it’s instead been extended until the end of June.
And Apple is giving monthly rebates to those who paid for an annual subscription.
From CES product unveilings to juicy rumors, this week suffered zero shortage of new for Apple fans. You’ll find the cream of the crop in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. As always, it’s free — and it’s ready for consumption on your iOS device of choice.
I don’t want to slow you down on your way to the week’s top news stories. But if you use Safari (and you really should), don’t miss our new series of how-tos on getting the most out of Apple’s web browser. Those Safari Pro Tips are in the mag as well.
Or you can get it all, plus our reviews of the new Apple TV+ seasons of Servant and Dickinson, in your browser at the links below.
Apple is reportedly considering a for-pay podcast subscription service. It would join other Apple services offering premium content, like Apple TV+ and News+.
The news sent shares of rival Spotify down over 7% on Friday.
The iMac is about to get the dramatic redesign so many people have been hoping for, according to a highly reliable source. Smaller bezels and an M-series processor are highlights.
Apple is also reportedly planning a significant redesign of the Mac Pro desktop.