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Spoiler alert: Last-minute leaks show iPhone 12, HomePod mini

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How to watch the Oct. 13 iPhone 12 event almost anywhere
Apple's iPhone 12 event promises to be packed full of goodies.
Photo: Apple

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.

We’ll be right back: Apple Online Store goes down ahead of iPhone 12 event

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Apple Online Store
At least some things are predictable here in 2020!
Photo: Apple

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.

iPad Air 4 could ship at the same time as iPhone 12

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iPad Air 4 launches later this month.
The iPad Air 4 offers a big speed boost over its predecessor.
Photo: Apple

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.

Why Apple should blitz us with frequent virtual events

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Apple monthly events don’t have to stop. Ever.
Let's make this a monthly thing, Apple.
Composite : Cult of Mac

The only thing wrong with Apple’s product-release events is that there aren’t enough of them. The company supposedly will put on three of them this autumn — and while that’s a good start, there needs to be many more.

Apple held a product-release event in September, and will announce more new products at a second event on Tuesday. Unconfirmed reports point to a third event in November. But there’s no reason to stop there. Apple should keep holding them every month. They get us excited about new products, which is good for Apple — and for Apple fans, too.

Growth in Mac shipments leaves rivals in the dust

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16-inch MacBook Pro from 2019
Customers are snapping up notebooks while interest in desktops is waning, according to IDC.
Photo: Apple

Shipments of Macs grew an astonishing 39% during the third quarter of 2020, reports a market-research firm. That’s a far faster growth rate than any of Apple’s rivals.

Still, the entire market for traditional computers — laptops, desktops and workstations — grew 14.6% in the July-through-September period. The reason is, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people to work or attend school from home.

watchOS 7.0.2 fixes Apple Watch battery problem

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watchOS 7.0.2 is a ‘bug fix’ update to watchOS 7.
Watch face sharing is an important new feature in watchOS 7.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch got an update Monday that fixes a couple of bugs, including one that’s a real doozie. The bug could drain the smartwatch’s battery rapidly, so anyone experiencing that problem should quickly install watchOS 7.0.2.

Banish the squircle from your Home screen with this fancy iOS 14 icon pack

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Reimagined icons on iOS 14
A new way to gussy up your iOS 14 Home screen.
Photo: Tobias Whetton

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 drops out of Apple TV+ series The Essex Serpent

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Keira Knightley
Pirates of the Caribbean and Imitation Game star Keira Knightley was due to star in the show.
Photo: Tony Shek/Wikipedia CC

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.

European Union puts Apple on its ‘hit list’ for greater regulation

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European Commission is only just getting started with tech giants
European Commission is only just getting started with tech giants
Photo: European Parliament/Wikipedia CC

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.

HomePod mini and next-gen Apple TV could double as ultra-wideband hubs

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HomePod market share
The new HomePod could offer a neat new feature.
Photo: Apple

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).

Change in Apple shipping means some customers receive orders faster

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Mail boxes
Apple has a new idea for speeding up the process of mailing out orders.
Photo: Ethan Hoover/Unsplash CC

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.

6.1-inch iPhone 12 is Apple’s pick to be the most popular new handset

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iPhone 12 Pro Max Is the largest of four 3D mockups
Which of this year's iPhones do you have your eyes on?
Photo: Macotakara

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.

What to expect from Apple’s ‘Hi, Speed’ event [Cult of Mac Magazine 370]

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Apple Hi, Speed event preview: Get a sneak peek at what's popping out of Apple's magic pipeline next week.
Get a sneak peek at what's popping out of Apple's magic pipeline next week.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The latest leaks and reporting give us a pretty convincing picture of what to expect – and what not to expect – at Apple’s big “Hi, Speed” event next Tuesday.

Plus, now we’re getting word of yet another Apple event possibly coming in November. Let’s hope the hardware hits just keep coming!

Catch up on all the latest Apple news and rumors in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s free, and it’s made to shine on your iOS device. Download it now!

Microsoft Xbox gaming service coming to iPhone as a web app

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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate supposedly is headed for iPhone, not just Android
iPhone could soon play console-quality titles with Xbox Game Pass, as Androids can already.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft is reportedly using a workaround to get Xbox Game Pass on iPhone and iPad. Rather than going into the App Store, this cloud-gaming service will be available as a web application.

This is the same strategy Amazon took to get its own streaming game service on Apple handsets and tablets.

Monkey pals build an island paradise in Apple Arcade’s The Survivalists

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‘The Survivalists’ debuted Friday on Apple Arcade
The Survivalists challenges 1 to 4 players to survive after being shipwrecked. But there are monkeys to help.
Graphic: Team17

The Survivalists, which debuted Friday on Apple Arcade, shows that being shipwrecked on a deserted island doesn’t have to be a disaster. Players can train monkeys to make life comfortable. And there’s plenty of adventure to be found in this game for 1 to 4 players.

Jay-Z backs Devialet’s pricey new AirPods Pro rival

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Deviale
Following the, err, Blueprint for successful earbuds.
Photo: Deviale

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.

Microsoft takes veiled shots at Apple in its new ‘fairness’ principles

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Microsoft Windows
Windows 1.0 is the operating system you haven’t been waiting for.
Photo: Microsoft

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.

AirTags won’t debut until March 2021, AirPods Studio could cost up to $599

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Apple AirTags could debut Sept. 15.
Apple AirTags are super sleek. But don't expect them just yet.
Photo: Front Page Tech

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.

Leaker reveals exactly what to (allegedly) expect at October’s iPhone 12 event

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An iPhone 12 concept video shows off lots of color options.
A realistic iPhone 12 concept shows this upcoming device in all their glory.
Photo: Terquosive Labs

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.

More free Apple TV+ with subscriptions extended through January

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Apple gives away up to 3 more months of Apple TV+.
All who received a free Apple TV+ subscription last autumn just got an extension.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple added up to three months to the free Apple TV+ subscriptions it gave many of its customers in 2019. And it’s giving monthly rebates to some of those who paid for an annual subscription.

Apple did not give a reason for the extension. But it might give the service time to start the second seasons of its original slate of programs. These likely would be beginning already, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut down production for months.

Wolfwalkers animated adventure strides onto Apple TV+ on December 11

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Wolfwalkers launch date on Apple TV+ is December 11, 2020.
Put Wolfwalkers on the list of potential Academy Award nominees.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple TV+ finally named a release date for its first animated feature film. Wolfwalkers will debut exclusively on Apple’s streaming video service December 11, 2020.

The film is from the studio that created Oscar-nominated The Secret of Kells. It’s set in medieval Ireland, and tells the story of two girls who transform into wolves.

A full-length trailer was released by Apple on Thursday.