The next-gen Apple Watch could get a huge makeover, with a new, flat-edged design and a green option reminiscent of the AirPods Max.
The redesign would bring Apple Watch into line with the flatter design language and form factor of current-gen Apple products including the iPhone 12, iPad Pro and iPad Air. Apple tipster Jon Prosser revealed the info about the upcoming wearable, likely to be marketed as Apple Watch Series 7, on an episode of his Genius Bar podcast with Sam Kohl.
Apple’s debut M1 iMac is a winner, according to the first wave of reviews that arrived Tuesday. The first iMac redesign since 2012 earns praise for its ultra-thin looks, its gorgeous 4.5K display and its M1-powered performance.
T3 hails it as “the world’s coolest desktop.” While it seems likely that other, better M1 Macs will follow — especially for power users who need a bit more oomph — the new 24-inch iMac certainly lives up to the hype.
May 8, 1997: Apple launches the PowerBook 2400c laptop, a 4.4-pound “subnotebook” that’s the MacBook Air of its day.
The PowerBook 2400c predicts the rise of speedy, lightweight notebooks, while also paying tribute to Apple’s past. Its design echoes the original PowerBook 100. Even years later, it remains a cult favorite among many Mac users.
May 6, 1998: Steve Jobs unveils the iMac G3, a brightly colored, translucent computer that will help save Apple.
Ten months after Jobs’ new management team takes over, the iMac loudly announces that the days of Apple quietly fading into the background are over.
When it comes to new tech, the focus understandably falls on what’s changed, not what stayed the same.
That’s absolutely the case for the new iMac, which Apple unveiled Tuesday at its “Spring Loaded” event. Plenty of attention is (rightly) being lavished on the iMac’s beautiful redesign. And the fun splash of color for the first time in years. And the debut of Apple’s M1 chip in an iMac.
However, one thing that stayed the same largely fell under the radar. That one thing is Apple’s terrible mouse — or, more specifically, the ridiculous location of the charging port on the Magic Mouse 2.
Apple is holding its iPad wrong. The company designs its tablets as if the best way to hold one is in a portrait orientation. But landscape is actually more common, and Apple should make changes to the iPad’s design to reflect that.
March 29, 2012: Apple settles its “Antennagate” controversy by giving affected iPhone 4 owners the chance to claim a whopping $15 payout.
The settlement covers customers who experienced problems with the phone dropping calls due to its cutting-edge design, but were not able to return their handsets (or didn’t want a free bumper from Apple to mitigate against the problem).
March 20, 1997: Apple launches its Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, a futuristic, special-edition Mac that’s ahead of its time in every way.
Not part of any established Mac line, it brings a look (and a price!) unlike anything else available. And yet the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh promptly bombs. Today, it’s a collector’s piece.
March 19, 1990: The ultra-fast Macintosh IIfx makes its debut, sporting a hefty price tag appropriate for such a speedy machine.
The fastest Macintosh of its day, it boasts a CPU running at a “wicked fast” 40 MHz. It gains an additional speed bump from a pair of Apple-designed, application-specific integrated circuits. Prices start at $9,870 and run up to $12,000 — the equivalent of $19,000 to $22,000 in 2019 terms!
The iMac Pro was sleek and fast and capable and ultimately … uninspired.
That’s Cult of Mac writer Luke Dormehl’s take on Apple’s recently expired pro all-in-one. He serves up a compelling “Dear John” letter to a weird period in Mac history. And it doubles as a lovingly hopeful look at what the future holds.
If you want to peer even deeper into the Cupertino crystal ball, we’ve got a hot mess of new rumors and leaks this week as we speed toward a probable Apple event on March 23. Catch up with this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it to enjoy on iPhone or iPad, or get the stories below in your browser.
