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New iPad Pros pack larger displays, thanks to Face ID
Apple's iPad Pro is starting to look a little dated with its familiar design that hasn't changed much over the years. So it's nice to see that at its New York event today, the company unveiled a fresh new version. It's not a surprise by any means, thanks to all the leaks prior, but now we have more-official details. As expected, the new iPad Pros will have much slimmer bezels than before, thanks in part to getting rid of the home button and freeing up some room. In its place, Apple added Face ID for convenient authentication as well as a USB-C port.
Watch Apple's iPad and Mac event live at 10AM ET!
Apple's hosting another event today, this time in Brooklyn, New York. The company teased the event earlier this month with a slew of artsy-looking Apple logos and the tagline "There's more in the making," and thanks to plenty of rumors, we have a good idea of what to expect. We're likely to see a new, nearly bezel-less iPad Pro with Face ID and maybe an updated iPad mini. Also expected to be on the docket is a new MacBook to replace Apple's MacBook Air and possibly some updated iMacs and AirPods too.
iOS icon provides clearest look yet at iPad Pro with Face ID
You don't have to rely on tiny icons or word-of-mouth leaks to know what the next iPad Pro will look like -- Apple has provided a good clue all on its own. The 9to5Mac team has discovered an iOS icon that shows the 2018 iPad Pro in much clearer detail, including the absence of a home button (and thus the presence of Face ID) and a not-quite-edge-to-edge display. It's unclear if everything is to scale, since Apple occasionally exaggerates icon details for the sake of clarity, but there's little doubt as to what the tablet will look like.
What to expect from Apple's iPad and Mac event
The last time we trekked to an Apple event, the company showed off three new phones that everyone saw coming a mile away. That's not to say the XR, XS and XS Max were in any way lacking; it's just that the leaks told us a thorough story of some logical upgrades to the stuff we got the year before. You can always count on Apple to regularly release new phones, but the same can't be said of other kinds of Apple hardware. That's what makes the company's next launch event (in Brooklyn, for whatever reason) so interesting. Once again, we have a pretty good idea of what it plans to show off, thanks to months of rumors and supply chain intrigue. This time, though, Apple seems set to deliver what some die-hard fans have wanted for years: meaningful updates to Macs that have largely gone neglected (oh, and some new iPads, too). The show starts in earnest at 10 AM on Tuesday, October 30th, and we're getting ready to bring you as much coverage from the ground as we can. In the meantime, though, let's take a closer look at the things we're pretty sure Apple plans to show off and dig into why they're so important.
Apple is holding its iPad and Mac event on October 30th
Those rumors of Apple holding a second fall event were true. The company has announced plans for a special event on October 30th, and not at Apple Park -- this time, it's at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City. The teaser is cryptic apart from stating that "there's more in the making," but there are a few good ideas as to what to expect. While the stars of the show will likely be new iPad Pros that borrow the near bezel-free design of newer iPhones (the handwriting may be a clue), there are also rumors of a spiritual sequel to the MacBook Air, an overdue Mac mini update, new AirPods and more. One thing's for sure: we'll be there to give you the full scoop.
Pixel Slate vs. the competition: Get some work done
We weren't too thrilled with the first attempt at putting Chrome OS on a tablet, with Acer's Chromebook Tab 10 getting slammed for its bad cameras and poor performance — and the fact that Chrome OS hadn't really been optimized for the form factor. Maybe things will be a bit better when Google takes the helm with its Pixel Slate. We have fond memories of tablets like the Nexus 9 from 2014, as well as last year's Pixelbook laptop (less so for the Pixel C, though). We won't know how this device will fare until we formally review it, but we certainly know what it's competing against and can compare specs in this handy chart.
New iPad Pros will reportedly get Face ID and lose the home button
Apple's iOS 12.1 release back in September hinted at a new iPad launch before the year is out, and now new details have emerged on exactly what the device might look like. According to 9to5mac, sources familiar with the development of the new 2018 iPad Pro have revealed there will be two WiFi and two LTE models in both size options.
iOS 12.1 beta hints at a new iPad this year
If you were bummed that Apple didn't release a refreshed iPad Pro at this month's event, then code from the iOS 12.1 beta might brighten your day. According to 9to5Mac, there's a daemon embedded within the code that could contain the ability to sync Memoji via iCloud. There aren't a lot of reasons you'd need to store a Memoji in iCloud unless an iPad capable of supporting them was on the way.
What to expect from Apple’s 2018 iPhone event
After last year's iPhone X introduction, you'd think anything Apple would unveil at its September 12th "Gather Round" event would be anticlimactic. Not so -- if anything, it could be one of the company's biggest launch events in recent memory. It's likely that Apple will announce three new iPhones, not to mention the first substantial changes to the Apple Watch design since its 2015 debut. And then there's a myriad of potential announcements beyond that, such as an iPhone X-inspired iPad Pro, the long-delayed AirPower mat and new AirPods. It's a lot to take in, but we're here to separate the wheat from the chaff and give you an idea of what Tim Cook and crew will reveal when they take the stage.
iOS 12 developer beta points to bezel-less iPad with Face ID
Last year, early iOS leaks gave us a preview of the eventual iPhone X and some details on Apple's HomePod speaker. Now, 9to5Mac points out an icon in the iOS 12 developer beta that seems to show an iPad design with tiny bezels all around and missing the home button. Separately, code for accessibility features shows evidence of Face ID support in an upcoming iPad Pro likely scheduled for release this fall. The image doesn't show an iPhone X-like notch, so presumably new iPads would manage to squeeze a TrueDepth camera into the remaining bezel. With iPad sales remaining flat compared to last year, it seems likely that we'll see new devices soon, and now we have some idea at least of what they'll look like.
Adobe plans a full version of Photoshop for iPad in 2019
It's never been entirely clear why Adobe never entirely embraced the iPad given its increasing prominence in the creative industries. The company has launched several apps for the slate, but none as full-featured as the full-fat, desktop version of Photoshop. That's now set to change, according to sources familiar with the matter, who have told Bloomberg that Adobe is going all in on the slate.
iOS 12 code hints at iPad with Face ID
Apple's iOS 12 has hinted from the outset that an iPad with a notched display was in the works (the status bar conspicuously made room for it). If you were wondering whether or not that meant an iPhone X-style TrueDepth camera and Face ID, though, you can rest assured after today. Developer Steve Troughton-Smith has discovered that AvatarKit, the framework behind Animoji and Memoji, now supports the iPad. Given that you need a TrueDepth camera for these face-tracking personas to work, and the iPad Pro hasn't been updated in over a year... well, you do the math.
Apple will make digital health a focal point at WWDC
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off on Monday and it looks like we can expect more of a focus on software tweaks and little in the way of hardware updates. Bloomberg reports that while MacBook and MacBook Pro refreshes -- including the addition of new Intel chips -- and a new lower cost option to follow the MacBook Air are in the works, they're not expected until later this year. Same for a revamped iPad Pro line. Bloomberg also notes that some bigger changes to software, including a new Home Screen, an AI upgrade for Photos and iPad file management tools, have been pushed to next year.
What to look for when buying a tablet as a laptop replacement
Tablets didn't exactly take over the computing world, as Apple and Microsoft had predicted years ago. But they have been evolving to the point where they can fill in for a laptop under the right circumstances. Still, how do you ensure that the tablet you buy is good enough for you to leave conventional PCs behind? It's not always easy -- a tablet that's powerful enough for one person might be overly complicated for another. We have some tips to help you navigate the shopping maze.
Apple iPad review (2018): A little better, a little less competition
The tablet business has been tough in recent years, but last year Apple found a hit in its low-cost iPad. Its admirable performance and battery life made up for its lack of frills, and that $329 price tag certainly didn't hurt, either. Apple saw its iPad sales grow year-over-year for the first time in ages after its release, all but ensuring we'd get a sequel — and here we are. Apple spent most of its time at a launch event in Chicago lauding this year's $329 iPad ($299 with that education discount) as a great machine for kids in classrooms. I won't dig into that too much in this review — there are people far more qualified than I to explore the relative merits of iOS versus Chrome OS in schools. While the iPad's announcement explored its use almost exclusively as a classroom tool, it's a lot more than that. In fact, just like the iPad we got this time last year, Apple's latest is the best budget tablet you can buy right now.
How the 'new' iPad compares to the rest of Apple’s tablets
The iPad line has diversified a bit the past few years, with Apple introducing two sizes of its "Pro" model in addition to a more basic 9.7-inch device. But, while last year's tablet offered some decent specs at a friendly $329 price point, it lacked few of Apple's more modern flourishes. Apple's "new" 9.7-inch iPad rectifies some of that by upgrading to an A10 processor and (most importantly) adding Pencil support. The hope here is it can go toe-to-toe with affordable Chromebooks that have taken over classrooms. It helps that schools can buy an iPad for $299, but the price hasn't budged for consumers -- you'll still need to cough up $329. So, how does it compare to its iPad siblings? Check out the table below to see all the most important specs.
Apple's latest patent teases a Pencil that can draw in mid-air
Apple's next Pencil could eschew the iPad Pro entirely. The Cupertino company has filed a patent for a stylus that can be used on any flat surface, and maybe even in the air, as spotted by Dutch site TechTastic. The patent title being "Content Creation Using Electronic Input Device on Non-electronic Surfaces" gives us a few ideas of how Apple might pitch this. Which is great considering how light on details the rest of the patent, filed last July and made public in January, is.
Vimeo can stream videos in 8K and HDR
A few streaming services have supported colorful high dynamic range video and ultra-high resolutions for a while, but Vimeo is making up for lost time in grand style. The company has added support for both HDR videos and resolutions as high as 8K. You're going to need a very rare 8K display to see footage in its full glory. However, HDR support is considerably broader: you 'only' need a device that can play HEVC video using HDR10. Some of Apple's newer devices (including the Apple TV 4K, iPhone X and 2017 iPad Pros) already do, and Vimeo is quick to point out that it's currently the only video hosting service to play HDR on Apple gear.
The best smartphones and tablets to give as gifts
Let's be real: Smartphones are pricey and as far as gifts go, they're hard to keep a surprise. But there's also a good chance someone in your life is due for an upgrade, and as the holiday season approaches, you're likely to spot some good deals. For Engadget's 2017 holiday gift guide, we recommend four phones: the iPhone 8/8 Plus, the Google Pixel 2 and 2XL, the older-but-still-good Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, and the Moto G5 Plus, for the budget conscious. We also threw in some tablets for good measure: the basic iPad for Apple fans and the Galaxy Tab S3 for Android users. Certain folks requiring more power might be better served by the 10.5-inch iPad Pro or Microsoft's Surface Pro, but unless your giftee also needs a laptop replacement, you can easily get by with something less expensive.
'Dance with flARmingos' in a mixed reality mating ritual
Flamingos rule everything around her. Her clothes are covered in them. Her workspace is littered with representations of their spindly legs and hot-pink plumes. She's spent hours studying their migratory patterns, mating rituals and native environments. She's traveled the world speaking to conservationists and ornithologists to better understand them. She even adopted 20 of the winged icons to aid in her research and their preservation.
