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Multiple companies are reportedly gearing up to produce OLED displays for future iPad models. This would lead to a noticeable improvement in image quality.

But it’s apparently not going to happen before 2023.

At CES 2022, Samsung Electronics showed a new portable screen and entertainment device it’s calling “The Freestyle.” The company also called the device the first of its kind. It’s a small projector and smart speaker that works with iOS and Android devices to stream video or sync audio to ambient lighting.

Reader and technologist Andrew (last name redacted, so to speak) runs a “boutique AV, IT [and] cyber systems integration company from a home office” in London — though he supports sites worldwide. Clearly, he has a lot to do.

And he does it using a late-2013 Mac Pro he fondly said should be on the Death Star from Star Wars, plus a 2017 MacBook Pro he described to Cult of Mac as “perhaps the worst-constructed laptop I have ever owned.”

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Even more details surface about Apple’s hardware plans for 2022. If last year was “modest” (LOL), this year looks jam-packed with major updates. We’re talking redesigned AirPods Pro, a new Apple monitor, even-more-impressive MacBook Airs and … an iPhone? You gotta be kidding us.

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple hits $3 trillion market cap, albeit briefly.
• A giveaway that features a great-looking charger from Journey.
• The most interesting products out of this year’s big CES trade show in Las Vegas.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

If Apple takes something away, people tend to want it more. We see this in the persistent coveting of space gray peripherals — Magic Trackpad, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 — that the Cupertino tech giant stopped selling separately last year after the iMac Pro’s discontinuation.

Following the space gray iMac Pro’s launch in 2018 with matching peripherals exclusive to it, owners found they could sell the dark-hued input devices for mad money. So Apple jumped on that market, charging a slight premium over the silver versions, though not forever. But space gray gear still carries a certain cache.

Despite Apple’s lengthy and ongoing efforts to deliver much-improved charging technologies, archrival Samsung has beaten Cupertino in the race for truly wireless charging. Except you won’t find it in a smartphone … yet.

The South Korean company’s next-generation TV remote — announced this week ahead of CES 2022 — cleverly uses radio waves emitted from your Wi-Fi router to stay topped up so you don’t have to worry about charging it.

iPhone is the biggest, most profitable 5G smartphone in the world, according to the latest data from one research firm. As 5G adoption skyrockets, Apple continues to hold a lead over Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, and other vendors.

That’s despite an increase in demand for foldable devices and more affordable 5G handsets from brands like Honor.

Samsung has reportedly started manufacturing new “hole punch” OLED displays for iPhone 14 that will allow Apple to finally do away with the notch.

The South Korean company already uses hole punch displays in its own Galaxy devices, negating the need for a black bar at the top of the screen. On iPhone, however, they will initially be exclusive to iPhone 14 Pro models.

Samsung has confirmed that it is dropping support for its official DeX app for Mac (and Windows 7) in January.

The move means Galaxy smartphone owners will no longer be able to connect their device to a macOS machine to turn it into an Android-powered desktop. However, the awesome DeX feature itself isn’t going anywhere.

AirPods might just be the best wireless buds you can pair with Apple devices, but they’re also pretty expensive. Plenty of more affordable options that deliver stellar sound and reliable connectivity in a neat design are available.

So, if you’re buying on a budget this holiday season, skip the Apple Store and check out these six brilliant but more affordable alternatives to AirPods.

A future iPad mini refresh could bring 120Hz ProMotion technology to Apple’s smallest tablet, according to a new report.

The upgrade could fix the “jelly scrolling” effect that his been exhibited by many 2021 iPad mini units — upsetting a lot of early adopters — which use the same 60Hz refresh rate as iPad Air and the 10.2-inch entry-level iPad.

There’s not much Apple’s rivals would want to steal from Safari 15 — it’s not exactly the company’s finest (or most popular) browser update. But in true Samsung style, the South Korean firm found one thing worth swiping for its own mobile devices.

The latest version of the Samsung Internet browser gives Galaxy smartphone users the ability to shift the address bar to the bottom of the screen, making it a little more accessible — especially during one-handed use.

Apple has enlisted Samsung’s help in its effort to bring OLED displays to future MacBook and iPad models, according to a new report. It is also said to be in talks with LG, one of Samsung’s biggest competitors in the display industry.

It is believed Apple originally planned to launch its first OLED MacBook in 2025, but thanks to complications surrounding the display manufacturing process, the plan is “likely to be postponed,” sources familiar with the matter said.

iPhone is responsible for a whopping three quarters of all profits earned in the global smartphone market, according to a new report. That’s despite Apple seeing fewer sales than Samsung and Xiaomi.

Cupertino’s handset business actually accounted for just 13% of all smartphone shipments during the second quarter of 2021. But thanks to the large profit margins it enjoys on almost all of its products, it is by far the biggest earner.

Folks often endure work-from-home situations where space is at a premium. Maybe they have a big house full of kids and pets. Maybe they live a tiny studio apartment in a big, expensive city. In either case, sometimes the whole computer setup sits where they eat, and it has to go away at dinnertime. Today’s setup solved the problem by turning a dining table into an easy-stash U.K. office.

In the world of computer setups, space is often at a premium. When you’ve got computers, displays, peripherals, gadgets and cables, you need some surface area. But not everyone has a big desk, much less more than one. That’s where certain types of stands and mounting arms come in handy.

LG Display has “begun the development” of 12.9-inch OLED displays for iPad Pro, according to a new report. Production is expected to begin soon before Apple makes the transition away from mini-LED screens in 2023 or 2024.

LG is said to be pushing “two stack tandem technology,” which employs two red, green and blue emission layers. This could allow iPad Pro’s display to be twice as bright as traditional OLED panels, and much longer lasting.

It’s great when a company releases a product that meets its expectations. It’s even better when it exceeds them. But that’s what you can expect when you buy a new Apple device with the latest A15 Bionic chip.

Independent tests confirm that the A15, which can be found inside iPhone 13 and the newest iPad mini, is even more impressive than Apple led us to believe, easily outpacing the newest mobile chips from the competition.

When you travel the online highways and byways in search of cool computer setups, you start to notice certain patterns. One is that lots of people seem to love Apple’s Magic Trackpad. Another is that plenty of folks hate the Magic Mouse. And a third seems to see a growing number of people absolutely love using a Magic Trackpad + mouse combo — which some onlookers find mystifying.

With all the staged, pristine-looking computer setups flaunted all over the web, regular folks can really appreciate a “lived in” and productive workstation — especially in something like the “maximalist” setup approach we came across recently.

Germany is calling on the European Union to force smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung to repair and update their devices for at least seven years. It also wants manufacturers to offer spare parts at reasonable prices.

The European Commission has already proposed stricter rules for mobile device vendors. It’s all part of an effort to reduce waste by ensuring smartphones and tablets can remain in use for longer.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch 4 series, introduced alongside its next-generation foldable smartphones on Wednesday, scraps support for iPhone.

The South Korean company’s wearables have been playing nicely with Apple devices since 2017. But with the Galaxy Watch 4, an Android device that supports Google Mobile Services (GMS) is required.

The just-announced Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is one of the first handsets with an under-screen camera. It’s cutting edge but the camera is so obvious it demonstrates why the tech is not ready to go mainstream.

iPad’s shift from LCD to OLED displays could be a step closer, with Samsung Display reportedly preparing new panels for Apple and other partners. Production of the new “Gen 8.5” screens is expected to begin in 2022.