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Apple's HomePod mini is a smaller, spherical smart speaker
Pre-orders for the $99 speaker open on November 6th.
iPhone 11's dual-camera system has an ultra-wide lens
Apple's iPhone 11 features a dual-camera system with 12MP wide and ultra-wide lenses. The 26 mm wide camera has an f/1.8 aperture and includes a six-element lens and optical image stabilization. The 13 mm ultra-wide, five-element lens features an f/2.4 aperture and a 120-degree field of view. Apple claims that together, they'll be useful for a wide range of use cases, from tight spaces to broad sweeping landscapes
Apple will unveil its latest iPhones on September 10th
Here we go again. September is fast approaching, so that means it's almost time to officially find out what Apple has in store with this year's iPhones. Its big fall event is set for September 10th, and it'll take place at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT.
Apple iPad Pro (2018) hands-on: Even closer to a computer
For years now, Apple has strongly suggested that the iPad represented the company's vision for the future of computing, and for years, that felt like a bit of a stretch. Sure, crucial updates like iOS 11 gave the iPad a much needed dose of functionality, and that was enough to get some people looking at Apple's tablets as potentially valuable alternatives to traditional laptops and convertibles. This year... well, this year is a little different. I just spent some hands-on time with the updated iPad Pro -- specifically the bonkers 12.9-inch model -- and it's starting to feel more like a proper computer than ever. That's partially because of its more angular, no-nonsense design but also because of all the stuff Apple packed away inside.
Apple's new iPhone hardware will have more renewable materials
Earlier this year, Apple announced that it is now globally powered by 100 percent renewable energy. At the iPhone event earlier today, the company reiterated its commitment to the environment and announced that even the materials to make its latest hardware will be recycled too. For example, the Logic Board on the latest iPhones is now made of recycled tin, and a significant portion of the cover glass frame is made from a bio-based plastic. Apple claims that despite being made of plastic, the frame is actually tougher. In general, Apple is transitioning away from traditional plastics to recycled ones. Last but not least, Apple also gave more information about its GiveBack program, where you can trade in your existing iPhone and get the value in return if it's deemed reusable. Follow all the latest news from Apple's 2018 iPhone event here!
Apple is about to ship its 2 billionth iOS device
Apple kicked off its fall event for iPhone and Apple Watch with a big statistic: The total number of iOS devices the company has shipped is about to reach 2 billion. The device giant had previously announced that it had topped a billion active devices, including Mac and Apple TVs, back in January 2016. Today's number simply includes all iPhones and iPads that have ever shipped, which is a different, but still impressive, stat. It still trails Android, which Google CEO Sundar Pichai claimed powered 2 billion active devices in July 2017.
How to watch Apple's 2018 iPhone event
Like clockwork, Apple is gearing up to announce a slew of new products on September 12. And as usual, you'll be able to watch the proceedings live from wherever you're holed up right here at 1PM Eastern/10AM Pacific.
What to expect from Apple’s education-themed ‘Field Trip’ event
Normally, when Apple goes to the trouble of putting on an event, it's somewhere near the company's home base in sunny Cupertino. Not this time! After deciding not to hold a March keynote last year, Apple now has plans to hold court in Chicago's prestigious Lane Tech College Prep school. This "field trip," as Apple's calling it, is far from business as usual, but with days to go before the event kicks off, we've got a few ideas about what you can expect Apple to unveil in the Windy City.
Apple's upcoming iPad event may take place on October 16th
It's no secret that Apple tends to reveal its new iPads in October -- at least, that's been the company's tradition for the past few years -- so the big question has been exactly when in October we can expect to see these upcoming tablets. According to Re/code, which has a history of predicting such event dates with a high degree of accuracy, we should mark October 16th on our calendars. The report indicates that the launch will take place at Apple's Town Hall auditorium, so it'll be a smaller affair than last month's spectacle. While we haven't seen as many rumors of the new devices as we did with, say, the iPhone 6, there's been a lot of buzz about a new 12-inch model making the rounds in addition to the usual 9.7-inch Air and 7.9-inch mini. There's also a chance we'll see new options on the iMac side; and with OS X Yosemite and Apple Pay due very soon, you can count on some fanfare about those as well. [Image credit: AP]
Have Apple media events become boring and all too predictable?
Last week, Tim Cook and co. took the stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and introduced a slew of new products. Indeed, for a single media event, there sure were a lot of products Apple managed to squeeze in; OS X Mavericks, iWork, iLife, refreshed Retina Display MacBook Pros, a completely re-designed Mac Pro, a new iPad Mini with Retina Display, and last but not least, the alluring and unbelievably svelte iPad Air. Whereas Apple's media events were once praised far and wide, some of the company's more recent media events have been met with a collective "that's it?" type of mentality. This, to a large degree, is to be expected given that some people will never be happy until Apple releases a branded HDTV set that can be controlled with a brand spankin' new iWatch. Interestingly enough, a new and rather peculiar narrative emerged last week in the wake of Apple's media event. This new narrative posits the notion that the format of Apple's media events in and of themselves have become predictable and rather boring. Writing for the New York Times last week, Nick Bilton championed this very idea: Here's the script: Timothy D. Cook comes out on stage in his signature jeans and black shirt - usually untucked. He shows off some statistics. Then other execs take the microphone to show off new software that we've already seen. There are a few jokes; the audience laughs. Then comes Philip W. Schiller, Apple's head of marketing, who talks about new hardware and confuses everyone by touting an "Intel Xeon E5 chip," and a "10 MB L3 cache and Turbo Boost," and "cores" and other things most people know absolutely nothing about. (It's as if he's speaking Klingon.) Then Mr. Cook is back on stage to introduce a new version of an iPad or iPhone or iPod. Then Mr. Schiller again to explain, in Klingon, the guts of the new iPad or iPhone or iPod. Then there's a video of Jony Ive talking about the new iPad or iPhone or iPod. "It's the best [iPad or iPhone or iPod] we've ever made," Mr. Ive says in his smooth British accent. The shows are like watching someone perform the same magic show over and over. Eventually it stops looking like magic. Bilton's argument is interesting and opens up an interesting debate. So while Betteridge's law of headlines is typically applicable, please note that I didn''t title this post to merely answer my own question with a definitive "No." On the contrary, I think the question is ripe for dissection and discussion. I myself think that Bilton may be onto something, and below are a few discussion points I think are worth considering. 1. Apple is a victim of its own success Apple every so often shakes up industries to their very core. Every few years, Apple is able to introduce a "one more thing" type of feature or product that really gets folks jazzed up. These moments naturally set a high bar of expectation for Apple. So by the time Apple's next media event rolls around, the rumor mill is already churning; "Just what will Apple wow us with this time?" the headlines typically read. The reality, though, is that the interim years between major product announcements are by their very nature somewhat less interesting. Introducing a smaller version of the iPad, for example, will never be as exciting as the unveiling of the original. That said, when one expects every Apple media event to change the world, each event is measured against a standard that no company on earth could ever live up to. Consequently, Apple media events are more likely than not to feel like a let down, which can easily bleed into downright boredom. It's important to remember that Apple, historically speaking, has never been one to wow us with earth shattering products every 12 months. Remember that there was nearly a six year gap between the introduction of the iPod and the release of the first iPhone. Nonetheless, the media before each and every Apple event likes to ponder what Apple's "One more thing" announcement will be. In truth, the majority of Steve Jobs' "one more thing" announcements would have been yawn-inducing if they had been evaluated with the same type of microscope analysis that they are analyzed with today. To illustrate, here are a few "one more thing" products Steve Jobs, the mac daddy himself, introduced over the years: Colorful iMacs - MacWorld San Francisco 1999 iPod Mini - MacWorld 2004 iPod Shuffle - MacWorld 2005 Apple TV - September 2006 Safari for Windows - WWDC 2007 It's all to easy to imagine how such product announcements would be greeted today. Riding high on the success and immense impact of the iPod/iPhone/iPad trifecta, the expectations that shroud Apple are greater than they are for any other company. The result, arguably, is that when Apple fails to live up to these expectations at every media event, the takeaway is that the event was boring, a predictable dud. 2. The Apple rumor mill has removed Apple's ability to surprise us There are no shortage of rumor-based Apple blogs that do a great job of keeping us abreast of the latest rumors and supply-chain checks. Though Tim Cook vowed to "double down" on product secrecy, barely a week goes by without some new rumor about Apple's iWatch plans or speculation regarding upcoming hardware. As a result, one can reasonably argue that Apple media events have become somewhat boring and stale because we already know what Apple is going to say. Take the most recent iPhone media event where Apple introduced the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c. Before both products were unveiled, we already had a pretty good idea as to what Apple's 2013 iPhone lineup was going to look like, right down to the fingerprint authorization sensor on the 5s and the colors on the 5c. The gold iPhone 5s? Leaked photos of the device, not to mention the other models, leaked a few weeks before Apple officially introduced it. The slow-motion video recording feature on the iPhone 5s? 9to5Mac began floating that rumor back in July. Indeed, the only things we typically don't know ahead of a new iPhone launch tend to be the pricing and the components. Given the complexity and scale involved in getting a new Apple product to market, Apple is faced with the almost impossible task of keeping a tight lid on the entirety of its supply chain. That being the case, if the public at large already knows what Apple is going to announce, Tim Cook could roll out on stage on a Segway while sporting a tank top and the presentation would still be underwhelming. 3. Tim Cook and Phil Schiller can't even come close to matching Steve Jobs' charisma Due to the repetitive nature of Apple's presentations, Bilton theorizes that Apple's current executive team simply doesn't have the showmanship chops to make such events as interesting as they were when Steve Jobs used to run things solo. Now there's certainly no denying that Jobs was a master showman. His iPhone introduction at Macworld 2007 arguably constitutes one of the greatest product introductions in history, even seeping into the mainstream. To wit, it was comically parodied by Tina Fey on 30 Rock. So perhaps Apple's media events seem a little stale because Tim Cook, despite his Southern charm and Auburn football loving ways, simply can't hold a candle to Steve Jobs when it comes to wowing us with excitement. Say what you will about Jobs, but the man could sell. Jobs possessed an "it factor" that simply can't be taught. He was charming, grandiose, persuasive, biting at times, and even funny. Can you even imagine Tim Cook introducing the original iPhone and prank calling Starbucks? Same thing goes for Phil Schiller. Schiller, Apple's VP of worldwide marketing, is a decent public speaker, but he lacks the pizazz that seemingly emanated so easily and naturally from Jobs. Jobs spoke his mind, wasn't afraid of offending, and was simply an entertaining guy to watch take the stage. Put simply, he was captivating. That being the case, perhaps Jobs, a storied legend in Silicon Valley, possessed so much charm that he was deftly able to make the mundane seem exciting. Perhaps previous media events held during the interim years between major product announcements always seemed fresh and exciting because there was no telling what Jobs would do or say. Now the one current Apple executive who seems to possess the "it factor" on stage is Craig Federighi. To be sure, he's a likeable guy who's quick with the jokes, but Steve Jobs he is not. The ability Steve Jobs had as a presenter can be summed up thusly: When Jobs was alive and healthy, he handled 95% of the presentation duties all by himself. Without Jobs, presentation duties at Apple media events are often shared between as many as four or five people. Long story short: perhaps Apple media events are in fact boring because there's no showman like Jobs in the mix anymore. 4. Apple media events are meant to inform, not entertain Again, Apple media events do have a somewhat predictable pattern. An argument can be made, however, that Apple's media events are structured in such a way to inform the masses about Apple's latest hardware and software, not entertain Apple nerds faithfully following liveblog updates as fast as they can refresh. So sure, we know we're going to see a video detailing the manufacturing process used in Apple's latest hardware. And of course, we're going to see a video detailing the myriad of creative ways in which people are using their iPads or iPhones. For anyone who makes sure to check out every Apple media event, the routine is old hat. But that routine is arguably necessary to get the word out about the latest and greatest from Apple. The structure of Apple's media events makes it easy to divide up all of the announcements into compartmentalized reports. In other words, the grand purpose of these media events is to provide an extensive, if not predictable, tour of what Apple has been up to. Form there, online and print publications distill the most important announcements into articles meant for mass consumption. You're not likely to read about Haswell chips and Iris graphics in the LA Times, but you are likely to see a front page story about how thin and light the new iPad Air is. To that end, Apple's media events accomplish their underlying task, even if the events themselves are long, boring and predictable. Another point to consider; many of Apple's announcements, while important, are only interesting to a small subset of users. If you don't use iMovie or GarageBand, for example, why would you care about cool updates to those apps? I mean, what percentage of iPad users really care about Apple reinventing the textbook? These announcements are a necessary part of Apple's media events but don't exactly keep folks glued to their computer screens. 5. Apple media events are, in fact, too predictable. It's time to liven them up! Predictability is the mother of boredom. Routine is the antithesis of excitement. So yes, perhaps Apple's media events are growing stale. The entire format is the same time and time again and it'd sure be nice to see Apple mix things up. Maybe switch up the presentation roles. Maybe introduce some fresh blood up on stage. Maybe Apple should shorten the length of their media events and keep everything to a tight 45 minutes. What do you folks think? Are Apple media events utterly boring these days? Were they ever particularly exciting to begin with? Is this much ado about nothing? Please chime in in the comments below and speak your mind. Just try and keep it somewhat entertaining.
TUAW TV Live: Special Apple Fall Event Episode
We're sliding TUAW TV Live up one day to give everyone the chance to chat about today's announcements. Shawn "Doc Rock" Boyd and I will be discussing what transpired at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco earlier today, and you can join in on both our live video feed and the chat room. To join in to watch the live feed and participate in the chat, just click here. You'll join us on the AOL On Network. If you can't watch the entire show today, come back to this page within 24 hours to see the latest video below. Past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel.
Video of today's Apple event is available for viewing online
In case you were on an airplane without WiFi, undergoing surgery, camped in the Himalayas or otherwise just didn't have a chance to watch the Apple event today, it's now available for viewing online. You can have a chance to see Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, Eddy Cue and others from Apple demonstrate the latest in hardware and software -- much of which is available today or early next month. If you'd like to check out TUAW commentary on the event, consider reading our metaliveblog instead.
TUAW bloggers speculate on tomorrow's announcements
Image courtesy of David Jones After this summer's long, dry spell, the recent Apple events seem like a fresh spring rain to a bunch of news-parched bloggers. We've all had our speculation on what "we have more to cover" means, and even had some good laughs at Apple's expense. All of us on the TUAW blogging team put on our Apple-logoed thinking caps this morning, and here's what we think we'll hear about tomorrow. Steve Sande I think it goes without saying that new iPads will be announced tomorrow; one fifth-generation full-sized iPad, and one second-generation iPad mini. Both will have faster processors, and the full-sized model will take advantage of Touch ID. We'll also hear the ship date for both OS X Mavericks and the new Mac Pro, as well as updates to the entire MacBook line. The MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will go Retina-only, with the MacBook Pro line getting a processor bump. I'm also speculating that a new, less-expensive and considerably more powerful Apple TV will be announced, bringing with it the ability to be used with an MFi-compliant controller to play just about any iOS game on the big screen without the need for an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Lastly, and I'm going way out on a limb here, Apple's going to announce its first wearable device -- the long-awaited iWatch -- and be able to point out all of the ways that it is superior to Samsung's Galaxy Gear in that it will work with both iOS and Android phones, and it's actually stylish. Erica Sadun MacBook. iPad. That pretty much covers it. (Snerk) Dave Caolo It's that time when Apple finalizes its product line-up for the holiday shopping season. The iPhones are in place, and I expect we'll see new iPads tomorrow. Both the mini and its full-sized sibling will be revamped, with slimmer bodies, faster processors and maybe, just maybe, if you close your eyes and wish as hard as you can, Touch ID on the full-sized iPad. I also expect an update on Mavericks and the Mac Pro, possibly with release dates for each. Megan Lavey-Heaton I predict that there will be a lot of people who will be completely thrilled with what Apple will offer and others who will intone that this is the end of Apple. That being said, in addition to the speculations made by Steve and Dave, I want to buck the trend and predict that there will be two models of the iPad mini, one being the one that's available now and a second version that packs up to 128 GB, a Retina display and Touch ID. I know my colleagues speculate Touch ID for the full-size model, but I think there's so much potential in the mini that if you packed all those high-end features into the mini that it can easily square off against the Kindle Fire and Google's Nexus 7. Victor Agreda, Jr. I agree with Megan on a high-end iPad mini with all the trimmings (but no gold yet!). Agreed with Steve and Dave on the Mac side, plus shipping dates -- who doesn't love that? There's certainly a probability of a bumped/redesigned Apple TV, as we march inexorably towards an App ecosystem beyond the curated ones we've seen thus far. One last thing on my actual wish list, however, is the introduction of a 4K display to go with the new Mac Pro. Let's face it, the Cinema Display needs a refresh and 4K makes sense. Hey, plug in a newly introduced Apple TV (with 4K support, right?) and you've got yourself an Apple HDTV! Michael T. Rose I'm leaning towards the Jason O'Grady theory that if we do see Touch ID on an iPad, it won't be on the mini. Touch ID on an iPad would conceivably do a lot to accelerate the already ludicrous-speed adoption of Apple's tablet family inside corporations, where the iPad mini has less traction generally vs. its enthusiastic embrace with consumers. I also expect a ship date on the Mac Pro, a two-week or less countdown on Mavericks and Haswell MBPs. But the big noise will be all about the iPad, and for the record my money is on Retina mini. Our speculation from last night's Talkcast will be online momentarily, so you can listen for yourself to decide if we are on-base or off our rockers.
Join TUAW for Tuesday's Apple event
Tuesday, October 22 is going to be a fun day for Apple fans. The company is holding a product-announcement event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and we'll be along for the ride with another one of our acclaimed metaliveblogs starting at 9:45 AM PT/12:45 PM ET. We'll have breakout posts about any and all of the new or updated products announced during the event, and at 5 PM ET you can join me and Shawn "Doc Rock" Boyd for a live video and chat about the announcements as we host a special episode of TUAW TV Live.
Next-generation iPad dimensions reveal sleeker design
As our longtime readers know, TUAW usually scoffs at rumors, so we've been avoiding any mention of the iPad(s) that will most likely be unveiled on Tuesday, October 22. However, when a reputable case manufacturer provides exact dimensions of a device a few days ahead of an Apple product launch, it's hard to ignore. Not surprisingly, the dimensions show a thinner design that should make holding the device a bit easier. Our source revealed that the case dimensions are 240.10mm (9.45 inches) tall x 169.60mm (6.68 inches) wide x a "wafer-thin" 7.5mm (0.295 inch) thick. By comparison, the existing fourth-generation iPad is a tad taller at 241.2mm (9.50 inches), quite a bit wider at 185.7mm (7.31 inches) and thicker at a chunky 9.4mm (0.37 inch). The change in the width and thickness are the most significant features of the new design. Making the device 16.1mm (0.63 inch) less wide means that the bezel on either side of the Retina display has been made much thinner, similar to the iPad mini design seen in the post image. That, and the extra little bit of thickness shaved off, should make the new full-sized iPad more comfortable to handle for long periods of time. It's widely expected that the new iPad(s) and possibly some refreshed/updated Macs will be unveiled at the Apple event on Tuesday. Be sure to join the TUAW team for our usual metaliveblog as well as a special edition of TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET Tuesday.
Apple prepping Yerba Buena Center for Tuesday's event
Photo courtesy of David Jones, @d_jones San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, a longtime venue for Apple product introductions, is having window banners installed in preparation for the upcoming product announcement event scheduled for October 22. In case you're wondering what the building will look like when the crew is done, David Jones provided us with a photo of the layout (detail of original photo): In other news about the event, a source revealed to TUAW that Mac announcements are definitely on the agenda for Tuesday. Our take? Apple will at least announce the ship date for the Mac Pro, we'll probably see a speed and capability bump in the Retina MacBook Pro line, and -- we're going out on a limb here -- perhaps a 4K Cinema Display will be on tap. Be sure to join TUAW on Tuesday for our metaliveblog of the Apple event, followed on Tuesday afternoon by a special edition of TUAW TV Live.
Daily Roundup: HTC One Max review, Nike+ FuelBand SE, Apple's October 22nd event and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Apple confirms October 22nd event, still has 'a lot to cover'
The rumors, they are true. Apple's ready to take the wraps off of something big next week, just in time to seriously impact our collective holiday spending -- and just a little more than a month after that big iPhone event. In fact, the invite alludes to that recent event by noting that the company still has "a lot to cover." And just like the last invite, there's more than enough color here to go around, so take that as you will. As ever, there's no word on precisely what'll be announced, but rumor is that the iPad, iPad mini and MacBook Pro lines are set for refreshes. And the recent release of the OS X Gold Master hints at a bit more information on the desktop operating system side of things. Whatever the news may be, we'll be bringing it to you live at 10AM PT.
TUAW TV Live: Special Apple Event Episode
This week's going to discombobulate the entire Apple blogging world, since many of our regularly scheduled events are being affected by today's Apple event. Instead of the regular time on Wednesday afternoon, TUAW TV Live has moved to Tuesday to better provide you with fresh, tasty video. Shawn "Doc Rock" Boyd and I are here to talk about today's announcements and provide our take on their impact on the mobile space. To join in to watch the live feed and participate in the chat, just click here or click that image you see at the top of this post. You'll join us on the AOL On Network. If you can't watch the entire show today, come back to this page within 24 hours to see the video below or visit http://tuaw.com/tuawtvlive to see the latest show. Past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel.
