Apple Keynotes

On the 2018 iPad Pro /  by Jack Taylor

“All new. All screen. All powerful.”

Yesterday Apple introduced the new iPad Pro by literally throwing the Home button away. It features an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display, with rounded corners, Face ID, and comes in 11” and 12.9” varieties. The new 11” size actually shares the same physical footprint as the outgoing 10.5” model, whereas the updated 12.9” version takes up 25% less volume, making it the size of an A4 sheet of paper. It’s also 15% thinner than before, measuring a mind-blowing 5.9mm thick. This thing is crazy thin. Hopefully, battery life won’t suffer as a result of this (Apple still quotes 10 hours), but the headphone jack certainly did - it’s been removed for the first time on an iPad - presumably to make way for this thinner enclosure. The new design is very blocky - reminiscent of the iPhone 5/5s/SE - in fact, it is so square the iPad Pro can stand up on its bottom edge by itself. If you ever wanted to do that.

The elimination of the Home Button means the addition of Face ID, and up until now Face ID on iPhone has only worked when in portrait orientation, so there was quite some debate as to how Apple would implement the system on iPad. Would it be 2 sensors supporting 2 orientations? Or rather 4 supporting 4 orientations? Well, it turns out Apple has managed to keep just 1 TrueDepth camera system - in the top bezel - and it supports all 4 orientations. This really is the ideal scenario and no one was really excepting it.

Under the hood, or should I say glass, is an A12X Bionic chip, paired with 6GB of RAM (but only in the 1TB model, all the others have 4GB RAM, for some reason). Just like the A12 in iPhone XS and XR, it’s a 7-manometer chip, with 10 billion transistors, but with an additional 2 cores, bringing it up to an 8-core CPU, and a 7-core GPU. Apple reckons you’ll get 90% faster CPU performance over the old iPad Pro with its A10X chip. To put these gains into perspective, the GPU in this is 1000x faster than the GPU in the original 2010 iPad. The net result is Xbox One S-level graphics, with up to 120FPS in some games. This new chip also brings the Neural Engine to the iPad for the first time, mostly for Face ID, but it also improves AR performance and opens up new machine learning possibilities. The A12 in iPhone XS allowed up to 512GB of storage in iPhone, and the A12X allows up to 1TB of storage in iPad - you can now configure the iPad Pro with 64GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage.

Another big change is the removal of the Lightning connector, replaced with USB-C. This really does open the iPad Pro up to a whole new world of computing. You can connect it to 5K displays, connect it to data accessories, and even charge out - so you can top up your iPhone from your iPad. In the box is a new 18W USB-C power adapter, up from the old 12W adapter, and it can be used to fast charge iPhone 8 and newer, as long as you combine it with a USB-C to Lightning cable. Currently, you can’t buy this power brick separately, but that may be down to temporary supply chain issues. As I previously mentioned, there’s no headphone jack, so Apple is selling a USB-C to 3.5mm adaptor for $9/£9 - but don’t expect to find it in the box. The speakers have been improved, now featuring woofer and tweeter pairs in all four corners. On an iPad Pro, I find the quality and volume of the built-in speakers massively important, so any gains in this department are most welcome.

The cameras have also had a spec bump, with the addition of Smart HDR and 4K 60FPS video recording. The inclusion of the TrueDepth camera on the front means Portrait mode, Animoji and Memoji arrive on iPad for the first time. There’s no Portrait mode on the back camera, for some reason, which is strange seeing as iPhone XR can do it with pretty much the same hardware. I’ve been told that this camera actually loses optical image stabilisation and has one less lens than the old model, but Apple doesn’t want you to know that. Regardless, this spec bump has resulted in quite a physical bump, with the camera sticking far out of the back of the enclosure. Whilst it already did, this is a new level of camera bump for the iPad. The camera bump doesn’t bother me on the iPhone, but on a device that’s meant to be lying flat on a table so you can draw on it with Apple Pencil? This is going to be a bit of an issue if you don’t put it in a case.

Speaking of cases and pencils, there are 102 magnets placed around the enclosure, for use with the new Apple Pencil (2nd generation) and the new Smart Folio and Smart Keyboard Folio accessories. The new Apple Pencil retails for $119/£119 and features a new, simpler design. It has a matte finish which results in a more tactile feel, and the case is more angular now, so it shouldn’t roll off your desk. Charging is now inductive, powered by the side of your iPad Pro, where the Pencil also magnetically attaches for pairing and storage. The sides of the Pencil are now touch sensitive and support customisable double-tap gestures. Examples shown off included quick switching of the brush type in the Notes app or zooming in and out on Photoshop. Another neat addition is the Pencil can now be ordered with an engraving, exclusively from Apple’s online store. The old Pencil was cool but had major shortcomings, and this Pencil fixes all of them. It only works with the 2018 iPad Pros and the old Pencil will not work on these models. The Smart Cover has been replaced with a Smart Folio which wraps around the full enclosure, and the Smart Keyboard has been succeeded by the Smart Keyboard Folio, which again, wraps around the full enclosure and utilises the repositioned Smart Connector on the back of the device. It also now has an adjustable viewing angle, which Apple is marketing as one for your lap, one for your desk. The keyboard is another nice improvement, but just like previous versions, it’s still pricey, especially seeing as you almost need it to get the full ‘iPad Pro experience’. The 11” version comes in at $179/£179, with the 12.9” version costing an additional $20/£20 at $199/£199.

This new iPad Pro hardware is yet again pushing the boundaries of what an iPad is capable of and expands the use cases where it can be used to replace a traditional PC or Mac. I’d argue the biggest example of this is the addition of USB-C, bringing it more in line with the Mac in terms of connectivity. iPad hardware and software are on somewhat of a tick-tock release cycle, so expect iOS 13 in 2019 to include massive new features for these iPads. Will I be getting one? For sure. Which one? Probably the 12.9”. When? Hopefully before December if availability is good, although I’m in no rush. Of course, you can expect videos on both new models to be on iCollectApple in the coming weeks.

Both the 11” and 12.9” iPad Pro go on sale November 7th, starting at $799/£799 and $999/£999, respectively.

:))

On the 2018 MacBook Air /  by Jack Taylor

“Lightness Strikes Again.”

Today Apple finally took the wraps off its new 13-inch, consumer, Retina notebook. Long-rumoured to be a MacBook Air successor, it turns out it’s just a new MacBook Air. It also turns out it’s effectively a bigger MacBook with 2 USB-C ports. Tim Cook almost joked about the fact that the MacBook Air was still lacking a Retina Display, and that’s the key new feature here; the new 2018 model has a 13.3-inch Retina Display, which Apple claims has 4x the pixel count of the previous generation. This isn’t quite true, as the resolution is a native 2560x1600 - the same as the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The keyboard is the 3rd-generation butterfly mechanism found on the 2018 MacBook Pros and features Touch ID in place of the power button. The trackpad is now larger and features Force Touch. Under the hood, there’s now a T2 chip, just like iMac Pro, the 2018 MacBook Pro, and the 2018 Mac mini. The T2 is used as an SSD controller, allows support for always-on ‘Hey Siri’, features a Secure Enclave for storing secure Touch ID data, and has new secure boot options. The CPU is a low-power 7W class chip, similar to the 5W version used in the 12-inch MacBook, with i5 and i7 options. There’s up to 16GB RAM - up from 8GB on the 2017 model - and up to 1.5TB SSD options.

MagSafe and the SD card slot are gone, replaced with 2 USB-C ports, which are also Thunderbolt 3 capable. This is pretty impressive seeing as the 12-inch MacBook only has a single, USB-C port with no Thunderbolt support whatsoever. This means the new MacBook Air is capable of driving external displays up to 5K resolution. The headphone jack remains on the right-hand side of the chassis. The enclosure itself is almost unchanged from the 12-inch MacBook, and it takes up 17% less volume than the old MacBook Air. It’s just 15.6mm thick and weighs in at just 2.75 lbs. For the first time, MacBook Air comes in multiple colour options. No surprises here - it comes in Space Grey, Silver and Gold - the Gold being the yellow/rose gold hybrid first introduced on iPhone 8 in 2017. The brilliant news here, however, is that the enclosure is now made from 100% recycled aluminium - just like the 2018 Mac mini.

Battery life remains stellar, as we’ve come to expect from a MacBook Air; with up to 13 hours of iTunes movie playback. The speakers have also been vastly improved with stereo sound and improved bass. They’re also 25% louder. Ultimately, this new MacBook Air is everything it needed to be, although it’s a little expensive. It starts at $1199/£1199 which is considerably more than the old model, which is still on sale for £949, but honestly, Apple should be ashamed of themselves for still selling that thing in 2016, let alone going into 2019. $1199 gets you a 1.6GHz dual-core i5 with turbo boost up to 3.6GHz, 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage.

Whilst this Mac is great, the bigger problem here is that Apple decided to keep lots of older models in the product line, rather than take the opportunity to fix the confusing mess that is the Mac notebook lineup. I wrote about this a couple of months ago, and this Mac addresses a lot of those issues, but it needed to be launched in conjunction with a cleansing of the lineup, which today, unfortunately, did not bring. However, this should not take away from the fact that Apple has finally done the MacBook Air justice and given it the update it truly deserves.

MacBook Air goes on sale November 7th.

:))

On the 2018 Mac mini /  by Jack Taylor

“It’s Space Grey… our pro customers are gonna love that!”

After facing four long years of neglect and impending discontinuation, the Mac mini today received a substantial update. Whilst “remaining an important part of [Apple’s] lineup”, the Mac mini seemed to be dead, with the last update coming in October 2014, which was seen by many as a major downgrade over the 2012 model due to the lack of after-market upgradability. This new 2018 version features the same basic case design, but now it has a Space Grey finish - of course it does. The brilliant news here, however, is that the enclosure is now made from 100% recycled aluminium.

The base configuration features an eight-generation, quad-core Intel i3 - configurable up to a six-core Intel i7 - making this Mac mini 5x faster than the outgoing model. There’s also now a T2 chip for managing security, borrowed from iMac Pro and MacBook Pro. The base model comes with 8GB of RAM, but this is configurable up to 64GB, albeit costing over $1000 extra. All models come with an SSD, starting at 128GB but build to order options offer up to 2TB of storage. Interestingly the RAM has been confirmed to be upgradable but Apple “strongly recommends” taking it to an Authorised Service Provider to do so.

On the back of the case, the IO situation is nothing short of glorious. There’s still an HDMI port back there, so finding a third party display you like should be no problem at all - no visit to dongle town needed. There’s 2x USB-A ports for ‘legacy’ connections. Of course, there’s 4x USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports and there’s even the option for a 10Gb Ethernet port taken straight from iMac Pro. This is more ports than any of us could’ve expected from 2018 Apple. Oh, and I almost forgot - there’s a headphone jack too.

The new Mac mini starts at $799/£799 but once it’s been maxed out it will set you back well over $4000/£4000. This device can be for the consumers that Mac mini was originally designed for - buy a cheap Mac, you bring the rest. But the price and Apple’s presentation shows this little box off as far more than a consumer entry-level Mac, and appropriately so - over the past few years it’s very much become a machine used and loved by professionals. You can stack them, you can use thousands of them in server farms, you can run a home video server on a single unit, or offload tasks to it from your MacBook Pro so you can get on with the next task at hand. You can spec these things exactly how you want, depending on your use case, and the possibilities are almost endless. It’s tantalising to see Apple revive such a brilliant product after it was presumed dead, and it’s yet more evidence to suggest the Mac is on a good path.

Mac mini goes on sale November 7th.

:))

Apple Announces iPhone XS and XS Max, iPhone XR and Apple Watch Series 4. /  by Jack Taylor

On Wednesday Apple held its annual iPhone keynote at the Steve Jobs theatre in Cupertino. Rumours and leaks meant that there were no major surprises, but the products announced were welcome additions to the lineup. This post will highlight the key features of the four new devices unveiled at the event

iPhone XS and XS Max: S is for best.

iPhone XS is the new flagship iPhone. The device comes in 2 sizes; 5.8-inch (like the previous iPhone X), and the massive 6.5-inch, iPhone XS Max. Although iPhone XS Max has the largest display ever on an iPhone, the overall size of the device is similar to the iPhone 8 Plus. Both models will come in Space Grey, Silver, and Gold colour options, with Gold being the new colour this year. iPhone XS keeps the same design as the iPhone X, with an OLED Super Retina HD display, Face ID, a stainless steel band running around the edge of the enclosure, and a glass back for wireless Qi charging. Both models are rated to IP68 water resistance for up to 2 metres for 30 minutes of submergence, this is an improvement over the IP67 rating of previous iPhones.

The real highlight of iPhone XS is the new A12 Bionic chip, which is the industry's first 7-nanometer chip. Firstly, A12 Bionic includes an improved ‘next-generation' Neural Engine. Not only does this open up new AR possibilities, it brings with it improvements to portrait mode and also powers a new and improved Face ID system, which combined with smoother algorithms results in a significantly faster Face ID on iPhone XS. A12 Bionic features a six-core fusion architecture with two performance cores and four efficiency cores, as well as a four-core GPU. The neural engine itself has an additional eight cores, resulting in an 18-core chip - yes, this is a phone. As a result, iPhone XS is 50 percent faster and more efficient than iPhone X.

Battery life has improved on the new devices. iPhone XS lasts 30 minutes longer than the iPhone X, while the XS Max offers battery life that lasts an hour and a half longer than iPhone X.

The iSight Duo camera on the iPhone XS sits at 12-megapixels but has been updated with a new sensor which is twice as fast as iPhone X. New camera features on this device include advanced depth segmentation, Smart HDR (allowing for better highlight and shadow detail across photos), and further improvements to portrait mode. There is also a new depth control feature, allowing users to adjust the depth of field blur both in real-time preview and post-capture. When recording video on iPhone XS, larger pixels and that faster sensor allow for improved low-light performance and video stabilisation. The sound in videos is now for the first time recorded in stereo thanks to an array of four microphones.

The iPhone XS uses LTE Advanced for faster download speeds and introduces Dual SIM support through the combined use of a nano-SIM and digital eSIM. This feature will be enabled in an update later this Fall. If you're in China, iPhone XS will come with a physical dual-SIM tray, where the SIMs sit back to back in the SIM tray.

iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will be available in 64GB and 256GB capacities, along with a new 512GB option. iPhone XS will start at £999, whilst iPhone XS Max starts at £1099. Pre-orders started today Friday, September 14, ahead of launch day on Friday, September 21.

iPhone XR: R is for not-so-regular.

iPhone XR is this year's ‘budget' iPhone, taking over from iPhone 8 as the phone ‘for the masses'. iPhone XR features an edge-to-edge, 6.1-inch "Liquid Retina" LCD display with wide colour and True Tone support. This is considerably bigger than the 5.5-inch display on iPhone 8 Plus, but the overall size of the device is smaller. The edge of the enclosure is anodised aluminium like the iPhone 8, rather than the stainless steel found on iPhone XS. A glass back allows for wireless Qi charging.

iPhone XR is available in 6 bright colours, similar to those of iPhone 5c back in 2013; White, Black, Blue, Coral, Yellow, and (PRODUCT)Red. A seven-layer colour process is used to colour the glass back, resulting in vibrant colours akin to the (PRODUCT)Red iPhone 8. The aluminium band and camera trim are then colour matched with the back glass. The XR is splash and water resistant with a rating of IP67, just like iPhone 7, 8 and X, which should protect against everyday spills and can even withstand submersion up to 1 metre for up to 30 mins.

iPhone XR has no home button, instead using Face ID for authentication and the same swipe-based gestured introduces on iPhone X. The Liquid Retina display does away with 3D Touch but instead includes a new feature Apple calls Haptic Touch. Haptic Touch is essentially a long press on the display (like on a non-3D Touch device such as an iPad) to invoke an action, but now the device responds with haptic feedback just like 3D Touch. This addition in iPhone XR really does give credit to the rumours suggesting the entire 2019 iPhone lineup will lack 3D Touch.

iPhone XR is powered by the same A12 Bionic chip as iPhone XS. Albeit with less (rumoured) RAM. Of course, the A12 features that next-generation Neural Engine, which in addition to everything mentioned previously, allows for a more advanced camera system capable of portrait photos despite only having a single camera lens. The camera has a 12-megapixel f/1.8 aperture wide-angle lens with an all-new sensor, delivering faster auto-focus, while larger and deeper pixels improve image fidelity and low-light performance on both photos and videos. Both the new depth control feature and smart HDR from iPhone XS are also found on iPhone XR.

The iPhone XR also uses LTE Advanced for faster download speeds and features the same Dual SIM setup found in iPhone XS.

iPhone XR starts at £749 and will be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models in the colours listed above. iPhone XR will be available to pre-order Friday, October 19, with availability in stores beginning Friday, October 26.

Apple Watch Series 4: The redesign.

Apple Watch Series 4 was probably the highlight of this event, featuring the first Apple Watch redesign since its introduction in September 2014. Series 4 will be available in two sizes; 40mm and 44mm – an increase over the traditional 38mm and 42mm options of Series 3. The new screens are 30 percent larger than before and, combined with a UI refresh for watchOS 5, allow watch faces to display up to eight complications, while native apps can show more information. Series 4 has a thinner body, but Apple claim battery life is the same as Series 3. Around 18 hours can be expected from light use, however, if you're out and about, say on a run, using cellular and the GPS, expect around 6 hours. The Digital Crown has been re-engineered to include haptic feedback as you are scrolling, resulting in a more responsive experience. The built-in speaker has been made 50 percent louder, and as a result, the microphone has had to move the other side of the device, to reduce echo for better sound quality. Making and receiving calls on Series 3 was already a good experience, so this should be even better.

It's not just the front of the Series 4 that has been redesigned; the back has been rethought. Firstly, the back of the enclosure 4 is made entirely of ceramic and sapphire crystal. This means radio waves are able to pass more freely through both the front and the rear, meaning you should get better reception when using cellular on Series 4. The sensors on the back of the watch have some new additions, with added heart detection features that can detect low heart rhythm with background detection for atrial fibrillation, and low heart rate monitoring to detect very low blood flow from the heart. Series 4 is also able to perform an electrocardiogram (ECG) with no additional equipment required - a first from a consumer device. ECG's will be available using the built-in app launching this Fall, however, it will be initially limited to the U.S. as Apple requires approval from health authorities to ship the feature in other regions.

Under the hood, Apple Watch has gone 64-bit, with a new dual-core Apple S4 chip, providing up to twice as fast performance over the Series 3 (which was already pretty fast). Another part of the S4 is a faster accelerometer and an improved gyroscope, allowing for better sensitivity. It's these new features of S4 that allow another new feature of Series 4: detecting a fall. The watch analyses the trajectory of your wrist trajectory and impact acceleration to determine if a fall has occurred. Series 4 then sends the user an alert after a fall, which can be dismissed or used to initiate a call to the emergency services. However, if the watch detects you have been immobile for 60 seconds after the fall, it will automatically call the emergency services and send a message along with your location to pre-set emergency contacts.

Both the 40mm and 44mm models come in GPS and GPS + Cellular versions, in Silver, Space Grey, and Gold aluminium case options, along with stainless steel options in Silver, Space Black, and for the first time Gold. The gold stainless steel watch resembles the gold around the edges of iPhone XS. Apple has also introduced a gold Milanese Loop to compliment the new watch. There is also a new Nike+ collection for Series 4, which include redesigned Nike watch faces to take advantage of the bigger displays. The Nike+ collection comes with new band colours, including a Summit White Sport Loop with reflective yarn for increased visibility at night. There is also a new Hermès collection with a variety of new bands, along with cool new watch faces that change colour as the minute hand rotates around the face.

Sadly, there is no Apple Watch Edition line for Series 4, which is a shame if you were a fan of the shiny ceramic models.

Apple Watch Series 4 starts at £399 for the GPS-only model and £499 for GPS + Cellular. Series 3 is still on sale, starting at £279 after receiving a price drop to replace Series 1. Pre-orders for Series 4 began today, with availability beginning Friday, September 21.

The rest.

Alongside these new devices, Apple introduced a Fall 2018 collection of cases and accessories such as watch bands. It is also worth noting that, as expected, iPhone 6s, SE and X were all discontinued today - meaning that Apple no longer sells an iPhone with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Jet Black iPhone 7 and the (PRODUCT)Red iPhone 8 were also discontinued, but other colours are still available. Personally, I've always felt these were two of the nicest finishes Apple ever released for iPhone, and whilst the red is available on iPhone XR, I am very sad to see Jet Black go.

iPad Pro, AirPower, and Macs were all absent from this event, so expect another keynote in 4-6 weeks to round off the Fall 2018 product announcements.

:))

Apple to announce iPhone Xs in less than 48 hours /  by Jack Taylor

Just like last year, 12th September will see Apple announce the 2018 iPhones, along with other major product updates in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino. I am in Cupertino this week, and I will be sure to run down to Apple Park after the keynote and see if I can spot anyone interesting.

We know Apple has lots of major product updates in the pipeline, but it's still up in the air as to what gets unveiled at this event. Tim Cook seems to have mostly succeeded in his pledge to 'double down on secrecy', seeing as we have seen relatively little in the way of leaks, and rumours are still very much conflicted on a daily basis. A few leaks and tidbits have broken through, however, so let's go through what we can expect to see on Wednesday.

iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max

The main product to be announced this year will of course be the iPhone Xs, following on from the massive success of last year’s iPhone X. We know a few things about this product. Firstly, it’s coming in 2 display sizes; 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch. 9to5 Mac shared leaked marketing images of these devices a week or so ago, confirming that the device will be available for the first time in a gold finish. 9to5 Mac also seemingly confirmed the device names as iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, but without citing sources. Other rumoured names have included (the new) iPhone X (2018/2nd-gen). iPhone Xs makes sense, given consumers are familiar with the iPhone’s history of ’S’ revisions, however this runs the risk of deterring potential buyers, as in the past, the ’S’ phones have always been considered lesser to the main numeric release, a factor that supposedly attributed to the iPhone 6s being one of the least successful Apple flagship launches to date.  The ‘Max’ branding is replacing the ‘Plus’ moniker used since 2014. ‘Max’ sounds fresh and really pushes the point that this is the largest iPhone ever. Features-wise, we know very little about these devices beyond the screen sizes and new colour. The A12 [insert name here] CPU is a given, along with improved cameras and potentially a second-generation Face ID module.  Apple Pencil support for Xs Max was supposedly in the works before Apple abandoned plans for the feature. Both models are expected to be available in Space Grey, Silver and Gold with storage options of 64GB, 256GB and 512GB. Rumoured starting prices are $899 and $1049 for iPhone Xs and Xs Max respectively.

iPhone 9


I’m calling it the iPhone 9, because up until a few days ago, this was the name consistently given to this ‘budget’ iPhone. Now it is looking more likely that this phone will be called iPhone Xc or even iPhone Xr. This iPhone will come equipped with a 6.1-inch edge-to-edge LCD display with thicker bezels than the iPhone X and Xs. This is to stop light leakage around the edges of the display from the LCD panel, a problem not present in the OLED iPhone X and Xs. There will be no home button, there will be Face ID, and of course, a notch. The glass back of the device will look similar to that of iPhone 8 to allow for wireless charging, and the edges of the phone will be anodised aluminium, again, just like iPhone 8.  To further reduce costs, the device will feature a single-lens iSight camera, likely an improved version of the current camera found on the 4.7-inch iPhone 8. This means no optical zoom or Portrait Mode for this iPhone. In China at least, it is expected to have dual-SIM support. This rumour is mighty hazy and no-one seems to be sure what’s going on with this one. Code found in iOS 12 does suggest a secondary iPhone SIM tray, or could this be reference to an embedded Apple SIM? Just as iPhone 5c came in many colours in 2013, this ‘iPhone Xc’ is rumoured to do the same.  All devices will have a black front, with rumoured enclosure colours including: black, white, blue, taupe, yellow and orange. A red dummy unit has also leaked but Apple would most likely hold off to release a Product RED version in the Spring as it has done since 2017. This device is expected to feature an A12 [insert name here] CPU, just like its more premium cousins. We can expect the iPhone 9 to launch slightly later than iPhone Xs due to manufacturing issues regarding the LCD display and light leakage. I’d expect it to be similar in timeframe to the iPhone X last year, launching in November following the iPhone 8, which was released in September.

Apple Watch Series 4


Apple Watch Series 4 is where things get really interesting. A few months ago it was reported that this year’s Watch would be getting larger screens whilst retaining the same physical device size. This rumour had very little supporting evidence, but it was one that did not go away. Along with iPhone Xs, 9to5 Mac uncovered a promo image of the Series 4 in what appears to be a new gold stainless steel finish.  The display on this thing is huge, leaving the device’s physical size up to debate. It certainly looks considerably larger, maybe thinner, but hopefully the same size band channels. The new watch face shown in the image certainly takes advantage of the extra screen space, showing 9 complications at once. We can also see from the image a new opening on the enclosure, below the Digital Crown. It sure does look like an additional or repositioned microphone, but it could be a new sensor of some kind. The Watch is rumoured once again to be gaining additional health sensors this year. The Crown itself no longer has a massive red dot (which I always really like) on it, rather a more subtle red ring around the edge, denoting a cellular-enabled model. Apple only registered 6 Apple Watch model numbers this year, as opposed to the usual 8, indicating all Series 4 models will be GPS + Cellular models as standard. I suspect the GPS-only Series 3 will drop down in price and replace the Series 1. Presumably, the Series 4 will be powered by the S4 chip and pricing should be similar to the current lineup.

AirPower


We still haven’t seen the release of AirPower, but it’s still 2018 and Apple could still fulfil their vague promise of a release date. I strongly suspect we will see keynote-time dedicated for a rehash of AirPower, with pricing and availability outlined. Rumoured pricing for the charging mat is between $149 and $199, with availability hopefully alongside the new iPhone models.

AirPods 2


New AirPods were rumoured for last year, and they’re also rumoured for 2019, but some believe we will see an update pair of Apple earbuds at this event. We’ve already seen the separate wireless charging case for use with AirPower, but chances are this will come with all second-generation AirPods. “Hey Siri” support is consistently rumoured for these new AirPods, along with improved sweat/water resistance and even noise cancellation. There are many reports of some of these features being on ‘AirPods 2’, whilst some will be reserved for ‘AirPods Pro’, to be released alongside or slightly after the former. 

Possible, but unlikely.


The iPad Pro is definitely getting a major update any day now, presumably this Fall. Whilst an iPhone keynote would be a great spotlight to launch radically new iPad Pros with Face ID, there might not be enough time to do so, even when it is a ‘minor’ iPhone year. There is also an all new, low cost 13-inch Mac laptop launching imminently, again, probably this Fall. This will also require major screen time at a keynote. There is also a major redesign of the Mac mini ready to debut. Both of these Macs are to usher in a new era for the Mac, to be continued with the new Mac Pro in 2019. I’d expect an October event for all of these along with macOS Mojave availability and refreshes to the iMac and 12-inch MacBook lines. 

Anything that does get announced in this keynote (with the exception of iPhone 9) will most likely begin preorders on Friday 14th September and go on sale the following Friday, 21st September.

The rumours of 3 iPhone X-like devices have been present going all the way back to January and we still know very little about what exactly will be shown off at this keynote. All will be revealed on Wednesday, and I shall be looking to purchase most of the devices announced. Anything I do purchase shall be unboxed on iCollectApple.

:))

WWDC 2018 Keynote Predictions /  by Jack Taylor

With less than 5 hours to go, here are my final predictions for what we will see unveiled at WWDC 2018.

tvOS 12

Who knows what will be added to tvOS this year. Last year all that was announced was that Amazon Prime was launching later in the year. Everything is up for grabs here.

watchOS 5

I’m expecting new APIs for developers such as audio streaming over cellular, opening the game up to 3rd-party apps such as Spotify. New watch faces are a given, and maybe 2018 will be the year of 3rd-party watch faces in watchOS. This is a possibility seeing as a reference to this was found buried in iOS code a while back, and it’s a feature people have been asking for since Apple Watch launched in 2015.

macOS 10.14 Mojave

Performance and stability will be the focus of macOS 10.14, especially on older hardware. A leaked screenshot from a few days ago showed off a system-wide dark mode, the Apple News app making its way to the Mac and a redesigned Xcode 10. There will also be a push towards rejuvenating the Mac App Store, bringing it more in-line with the iOS App Store redesign from last year, and preparing it ahead of cross-platform apps in Fall 2019. 

The name Mojave comes from Apple’s recent trademark filings for the name, and the aforementioned leaked screenshots depicted the OS sporting a desert desktop background. 

As long as macOS gets more stable and reliable, and there is some sign of future development, i.e. the Mac App Store being prepared for new cross-platform apps, then Apple would be sending a strong signal that the Mac is by no means dead. Especially with the fabled 2019 Mac Pro launching next year.

iOS 12

Just like macOS, the focus here will be performance and stability, with most killer features that were due this year being pushed back to 2019. There will be some new introductions however, including improved parental controls, coupled with Apple’s equivalent of Google’s ‘digital wellbeing’ feature; designed to help us spend less time on our devices, a redesigned notification system getting its first major overhaul since iOS 5 in 2011, an always-on minimal OLED lock screen for iPhone X, and of course, ARKit 2.0.

ARKit 2.0 will introduce new features such as support for 2 devices seeing the same object at the same time. Apple is really pushing AR development and Tim Cook loves it. I’m sure this is all in preparation for the AR headset launching in 2020.

iOS 12 will probably appear a bit lacklustre on the surface, but it’s all about slowing development down and making the OS more stable. If you remember when Jony Ive hinted that by September 2019 the iPhone X software experience could be completely different from what it was at launch, I reckon he was referring to the iOS redesign which has now been shelved for next year.

HomePod

HomePod will get updated to iOS 12 too, hopefully bringing improvements and new capabilities to Siri.

Hardware announcements

Hardware announcements will be minimal if any. The new iPad Pro models will not be announced until the Fall.  There will be a refresh to the MacBook line, further showing Apple’s commitment to the Mac. MacBook Pro will get silent keyboard upgrades and a 6-Core i7 model with 32GB RAM. 

Wildcard: This keynote will see the unveiling of the Retina MacBook Air replacement, but it won’t ship until Q3 2018.

:))

Apple announces the best value iPad to date /  by Jack Taylor

Apple held its education-centric “Let’s take a field trip” event at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago today. As expected we saw some new hardware announcements, education-focused software, and new educational pricing and incentives. Below is a full rundown of everything unveiled today.

Hardware

The following new hardware products targeted towards students were announced.

The New iPad (again)

Welcome back to 2012 - ‘The New iPad’ is on sale again! Technically speaking, this is the 6th Generation iPad, however, just like last year, its official name is simply ‘iPad’. The Apple Website is touting it as ‘The New iPad’, which makes absolute sense as that’s precisely what it is, and it’s a nice callback to when the first Retina iPad was introduced (the 3rd gen) back in 2012, as this was how that device was marketed. 

The new iPad is a modest yet incredible welcome over the 2017 model, it retains the same form factor including the same non-laminated 9.7” Retina display. No P3 wide colour, True Tone or ProMotion here. It features a processor bump up to the same A10 Fusion chip found in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. This results in 40% faster CPU and 50% faster graphics performance when compared to the previous generation 9.7-inch iPad. LTE speeds have been increased up to 300 Mbps on this device, and if you opt for the Wi-Fi + cellular model, the Apple SIM still comes pre-installed. Unlike the iPad Pro models, however, it is not embedded in the device, so you will have to choose between Apple SIM or your own carrier’s SIM. The new iPad also ditches the old yellow-gold colour option for the new closer-to-rose-gold colour first introduced on the iPhone 8 back in September. 

However, the big news here - as expected - is support for the Apple Pencil (which has received a price drop to £89 in the UK), something that was previously limited to iPad Pro models. This is going to be brilliant for education and really a no-brainer for Apple, especially seeing as the 2018 iPad Pro model will supposedly be so different from their cheaper sibling, the Pencil doesn’t need to remain a Pro selling point. 

Finally, Logitech unveiled the ‘Crayon’ - a digital stylus, similar to Apple Pencil, but almost half the price at $49. It uses the same technology as the Apple Pencil technology to deliver the same sub-pixel precision, low latency, and tilt support. It does not feature the pressure sensors found in Apple Pencil, however. It has been designed specifically alongside the 6th-generation iPad, and will not work with last year’s model. It also remains unclear whether or not it will work with any iPad Pro models. 

I think the crayon is going to be amazing for younger students.

iPad keeps the same price as its predecessor in the US, starting at $329 or $299 for schools. In the UK iPad now starts at £319 - £20 cheaper than the 2017 model. 

Update 28/3/18: It’s no suprise, but it’s been confirmed that the new iPad does not have these additional hardware features found on iPad Pro:

 - Smart Connector

- Optical Image Stabilisation

- 4K video recording

- Second-gen Touch ID

Software

Surprisingly, there was no information shared regarding the iOS 11.3 release date as had been expected, however, there were plenty of software announcements to go around.

iWork Updates

Apple’s iWork apps for iOS got updated today to include Apple Pencil support. This will allow Pages, Numbers and Keynote users to add drawings directly to documents and take advantage of all-new smart annotation features. For example, when using smart annotation, the note anchors to the word or image around it. So as edits are made to the document, such as moving or resizing an image or text box, the pencil annotations move with the content. Teachers will also be able to use Markup directly within iWork to add to students' documents and projects using an iPad and Apple Pencil. 

Schoolwork and Classroom

Apple’s existing Classroom iPad app will be coming to the Mac starting as a beta in June. Classroom allows teachers to interact with the iPads in their classroom as well as monitor what they are doing on them.

Also announced was a new app called Schoolwork, which lets teachers assign schoolwork and tasks and track the progress of their students. The ClassKit API coming in iOS 11.4 will allow 3rd-party apps to integrate with Schoolwork. Schoolwork will be available to teachers starting in June.

Educational incentives

Other than reduced hardware pricing for schools and students, and the new apps mentioned above, there were other new Apple incentives announced for those in education today. 

Everyone Can Create

Everyone Can Create is a free new curriculum that will be part of the ‘Today At Apple’ sessions.

“Everyone Can Create makes it fun and easy for teachers to integrate drawing, music, filmmaking or photography into their existing lesson plans for any subject. The new curriculum joins Apple’s successful Everyone Can Code initiative as one-of-a-kind programs for teachers that keep students excited and engaged.”

The curriculum includes learning resources and teaching guides to help teachers integrate drawing, music, filmmaking or photography into lessons, topics, and classwork. It also features teacher and student guides, lessons, ideas and examples to help teachers bring creativity and new communication skills into existing subjects like English, maths, science and history. 

Free iCloud Storage

Students now get 200GB of free iCloud storage. This is great, but it’s still 5GB for everyone else, which is a shame in 2018. 

Other things that happened today.

New Watch straps and iPhone/iPad cases went on sale in a variety of Spring 2018 colours. These will likely be around until the September Keynote. 

The Space Grey Mac desktop peripherals introduced with iMac Pro are now available to purchase separately from Apple, albeit at a slight premium compared to their standard Silver counterparts. 

:))