Apple’s “Let Loose” event this week went off largely as expected, headlined by new iPad Pro and iPad Air models.
The updated higher-end devices are complemented by some new accessories, while Apple also tidied up the lower-end of the lineup a bit, so read on below for all the details!
Everything Announced at the Apple Event
Apple held its first event of the year this week to announce several new devices and accessories, including new iPad Pro models with OLED displays and the M4 chip, new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models, the Apple Pencil Pro, and a redesigned Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro.
In the U.S., the 11-inch iPad Pro now starts at $999, while the 13-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,299. The devices are available to order now and launch on May 15.
Apple Announces New iPad Air Models: M2 Chip, First-Ever 13-Inch Model, and More
The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models feature the M2 chip, a front camera on the landscape edge of the devices, Wi-Fi 6E support, new color options, and a few other minor changes.
This is the first time that Apple has offered the iPad Air in two display sizes. In the U.S., the 11-inch model starts at $599, and the 13-inch model starts at $799. The devices are available to order now and launch on May 15.
Apple Pencil Pro Unveiled With New Squeeze Gesture, Haptic Feedback, Find My, and More
You can squeeze the Apple Pencil Pro to bring up a tool palette, and a built-in gyroscope allows users to roll the Apple Pencil Pro’s barrel for precise control of shaped pen and brush tools. You can also track the location of the Apple Pencil Pro in the Find My app if it is misplaced, and it supports haptic feedback for certain actions.
Apple Announces Redesigned Magic Keyboard for New iPad Pro Starting at $299
Key new features of the redesigned Magic Keyboard for the new iPad Pro include an aluminum palm rest, a larger trackpad, and a row of function keys with shortcuts for brightness, volume, and more.
The new Magic Keyboard is compatible with the new iPad Pro models with the M4 chip only. It is available in black and white, with U.S. pricing set at $299 for the 11-inch model and at $349 for the 13-inch model.
iPad 9 Discontinued, iPad 10 Now Starts at $349
While only the iPad Pro and iPad Air were updated this week, Apple did make some changes to the lower end of the iPad lineup.
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we’ve covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
A security guard firm was found leaking data that could lead to identity theft, physical breaches, theft, and even terrorism.
The news comes from cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler, who found an online database containing more than 1.2 million documents. The database did not have any sort of protection and could be accessed by anyone who knew where to look, WebsitePlanet reported.
Subsequent investigation uncovered that the database belonged to a UK-based company called Amberstone Security Ltd, a firm offering technology and physical security services.
Physical threats
In the database, the researcher found personally identifiable information (PII) and face photographs of thousands of security guards. Furthermore, he found images of security credentials, as well as license cards, issued by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). The database also contained incident reports, as well as names and birthdates of potential criminals.
Speaking with SIA, the researcher was told that the cards did not have any biometrics on them, hinting that with this database, a criminal could easily reproduce the cards, and thus impersonate security personnel. “This could potentially lead to a physical security breach, theft, vandalism, or — as a worse-case scenario — acts of terrorism,” the report states.
The researcher also found files on the development of an app called Guarded on Duty, which lets security guards log in and verify their current jobs by uploading images of their badges. Furthermore, he found APK files, which threat actors could use to infect the Android apps with malware.
After making the discovery, Fowler reached out to Amberstone Security, which confirmed locking down the database.
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The company also shifted the blame to an unnamed third party: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention, this is deeply concerning,” a company representative told the researcher. “I am investigating this with the supplier who developed and hosts the platform. Please rest assured that we take data security seriously, and this will be investigated thoroughly”.
A new study analyzing Google Play downloads of productivity tools has shown an overwhelming majority of mobile users turning to their smartphones to navigate their professional lives and schedule day-to-day tasks.
The report by SplitMetrics found the top apps in the business and productivity categories have amassed a staggering 4.7 billion and 55 billion downloads respectively. Microsoft’s LinkedIn leads the business category with a whopping 1.5 billion lifetime downloads, followed by video conferencing giants Zoom (1.1bn) and Microsoft Teams (426m), then OfficeSuite (195m) and Indeed (188m).
In the productivity category, it’s Google that leads the way. Google Drive has racked up an impressive 10 billion lifetime downloads, followed by Google Calendar (6bn), Microsoft OneDrive (4bn), Google Assistant (3bn) and Google Keep (2.7bn).
Productivity boosts all round
The study also reveals the apps that have delivered the most significant year-on-year growth. Lopay: Payments & POS achieved a 339% increase in the business section in 2023, followed by Etsy Seller (329%), JobSwipe (221%), Parcel Tracking – pkge Mobile (144%) and Shopify (83%).
PDF Reader – PDF Viewer experienced the biggest growth in productivity in 2023 with a 701% jump. It was followed by Notepad (457%), All Document Reader (431%), Google Tasks (29%) and Link to Windows (21%).
Thomas Kriebernegg, General Manager of SplitMetrics, said: “The data paints a clear picture. Tools that empower people to be productive and manage their work or businesses effectively are very popular. The rise of on-demand services, remote work, and mobile entrepreneurship is driving the demand for user-friendly, feature-rich business and productivity apps. While user acquisition costs may be higher in the business category, the high engagement and potential value users bring means there’s a significant market opportunity.”
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It’s been a long time since the last one, but an Apple event is finally right around the corner! While it’s anticipated to be a fairly short pre-recorded affair, we’re expecting to see the first updates to the iPad lineup in over a year and half, so make sure to tune in to see what Apple has in store.
Other news and rumors this week included a couple of product introductions from Apple’s Beats brand, a roundup of rumors about updates to Apple’s stock apps coming in iOS 18, and more changes to Apple’s policies in the EU related to the Digital Markets Act, so read on below for all the details!
What to Expect From the May 7 Apple Event
Apple’s first event of 2024 kicks off on Tuesday, May 7, at 7 a.m. Pacific Time, and we’ve put together our usual pre-event guide outlining what we’re expecting to see on Tuesday. Several new products are expected to be unveiled, including two new iPad Pro models, two new iPad Air models, an updated Apple Pencil, and a redesigned Magic Keyboard for iPads.
One rumor was particularly surprising this week, as Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said there is a “strong possibility” that the new iPad Pro models will be equipped with Apple’s next-generation M4 chip, rather than the M3 chip that debuted in the MacBook Pro and iMac six months ago. Gurman believes the M4 chip will have an upgraded Neural Engine that is able to process artificial intelligence (AI) tasks faster.
While it would be unprecedented for an M-series chip to debut in an iPad before a Mac, there is some evidence to suggest that the rumor might be true, so check out our story for more details about this possibility.
Beats Solo Buds Launching in June for Just $79.99
Apple unveiled two new Beats headphone models this week, including the on-ear Beats Solo 4 and the compact Beats Solo Buds.
Launching in June, the Beats Solo Buds are particularly interesting given their competitive $79.99 price point. Key features include ear tips with four size options, up to 18 hours of battery life, a USB-C carrying case, and Find My support on iOS and Android. However, the Solo Buds lack active noise cancellation, and the carrying case does not have a built-in battery.
In other Beats news, LeBron James and Daniel Ricciardo have been seen in public carrying an unreleased speaker very clearly descended from the discontinued Beats Pill family, so it looks like the popular portable speaker may be making a comeback in the not too distant future.
iOS 18 Rumored to Add New Features to These 16 Apps on Your iPhone
Apple’s annual developers conference WWDC is now under six weeks away, and that means the iOS 18 beta is just around the corner.
This news comes after the EU ruled that the iPad is a “gatekeeper” platform. Apple has six months to comply with the Digital Markets Act on the iPad, so alternative app marketplaces, support for web browser engines other than WebKit, and more will likely be available by iPadOS 18.1.
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Anker products are all over our list of the best power banks, and we named the Prime charger as the best ultra-premium product on the market. Unfortunately, ultra-premium also means ultra-expensive, though $90 is a whole lot better than $130.
We admired the slick aesthetics, as power banks don’t tend to turn heads. The case is a textured metallic plastic with a nice polish. There’s a built-in screen and rounded corners, all of which work to give this bank a luxe feel. The screen is useful, displaying the remaining charge within the battery and the watts flowing out to each device. The charge times and capacity were in line with other 20K batteries we tested.
It’s easy to use, which is made even easier if people pony up for the companion base. This base includes magnets to align the pins, so users can just plop the battery down and move on to something else. The base does offer additional ports, one USB-A and two USB-C, which turns the whole package into a fairly decent power hub. However, the base costs $70 and isn’t currently on sale.
We did notice that the Prime charger can be sluggish to wake, which isn’t a huge deal. The power bank’s sleek and shiny finish also tends to pick up fingerprints. There’s a faux-suede pouch to carry it in, which is a nice touch.
The Anker Nano Battery is also on sale for $16 with an on-page coupon, which is $14 off the device’s list price. This cute little thing boasts a foldable USB-C connector, so as to better integrate with smartphones. It also made our list of the best power banks and we heartily recommend it for anyone looking for a quick partial charge of an Android device.
Philips Hue are some of the best smart lighting solutions you can buy, offering vast a range of products and features to create the ideal ambiance in your home. There’s one problem: they are pricey. But, the latest sale at Amazon has several discounted starter kits – including some record-low prices for bulbs, strips, bridges, and more.
The best value bundle and a great buy if you want to dip your toe into the world of smart lights is this Philips Hue Bulbs (2-Pack) + Philips Hue Bridge for £79.99 (was £144.98). Not only does this bundle sit at a record-low price, but it comes with a pair of white and colour bulbs, plus the Bridge that you need to connect them to so you can customise your lights through the Hue app. You can also sync them with other smart home devices that use Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
If it’s LED strips you’re after, then you might want to consider this Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus v4 + Philips Hue Bridge at Amazon for £92.99 (was £116.45). This bundle has been £10 cheaper before, but this is the lowest price since Black Friday for the colourful and flexible smart lighting option. You get 2m of lights, adhesive tape to secure it to any surface, and a connector should you wish to cut the strip down to a smaller size and reuse the excess elsewhere.
Check out more info on these two options below, as well as other Philips Hue lights on sale such as standing lights and extension kits.
Today’s best Philips Hue deals at Amazon
If you want to read more before you hit that buy button then check out our very positive Philips Hue review that praised the ease of use, great customisation options and handy app experience. I’ve also dropped a few more of today’s best smart light deals below so you can compare them to everything available now.
New iPads are coming, and Apple is holding a virtual event to introduce them! While it appears likely to be a relatively short video event, we should be seeing new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, some new accessories, and perhaps some additional surprises.
Other Apple news and rumors this week included word that Apple is FINALLY planning to introduce a native Calculator app for the iPad later this year, the release of a fresh round of betas for iOS 17.5 and related operating system updates, and perhaps the end of the road coming for Apple’s FineWoven accessories, so read on below for details on these stories and more!
The event invitation has a tagline of “Let Loose” and includes an artistic render of an Apple Pencil. The event will be streamed on Apple.com and on YouTube, and we will have full coverage of everything announced.
iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the update, which should be widely released in September.
FineWoven is a fabric material that Apple introduced after it announced that it would no longer make leather accessories for the iPhone and other devices. Customers have complained about FineWoven accessories being prone to scratches and stains.
Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores
Apple said it will release the Vision Pro in additional countries later this year, and that will likely include the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, China, Singapore, and South Korea.
Vision Pro starts at $3,499, limiting customer demand for the device, but a less-expensive model will likely be released in the future.
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Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we’ve covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Also new in Safari is the ability to separate the browser via profiles, meaning you can create one profile for work and another for your personal life. It splits your history, extensions, cookies, Tab Groups, and Favorites, and it’s easy to switch back and forth.
You can also now create web apps that allow you to turn your favorite websites into an app-like experience that you can place in the dock. Instead of opening a browser window, these web apps launch and act like traditional macOS apps when you click on them. You can get notifications from them, and even segment them in tools like Stage Manager.
Additionally, Apple is making it easy to share passwords with shared accounts. When you create a group, everyone is able to add and edit passwords and share them through iCloud Keychain (with end-to-end encryption).
More With Messages
Video: Apple
As with iOS 17, Apple brought a few new upgrades to the Messages app. Building on inline replies first introduced with iOS 14, you can swipe right to quickly reply to a specific message instead of having to long-press on it each time.
Improvements have been made to search within Messages. Whenever you search for something, results are now divided into categories like people, keywords, photos, and links, making them easier to find. There’s also a one-time passcode cleanup feature that automatically deletes one-time passcodes through AutoFill—which helps clean up your list of conversations. The company is also making a big push for Stickers. Any stickers you create with iOS or iPadOS (including Live Stickers made using Live Photos) are now accessible on your Mac too.
Game Mode
Video: Apple
Gaming on an M-series Mac? You’ll appreciate the new Game Mode feature for graphically intensive titles. It ensures the Mac gives high priority to the CPU and GPU while you’re playing a game, delivering a smoother experience with consistent frame rates. It also lowers the audio latency when you’re using AirPods and reduces input latency with supported PlayStation and Xbox controllers.
Communication Safety Features
Photograph: Apple
To prevent people from unexpectedly viewing sensitive images in Messages, AirDrop, FaceTime messages, and third-party apps, users now have the option to enable a Sensitive Content Warning. That way, photos and videos containing nudity will be blurred, with the option to choose whether you want to see them and the ability to block the contact who sent them. Expanding on the communication safety features for children in iOS 15, parents and guardians can blur sensitive videos (in addition to photos) that their children send or receive as well. The feature also works with the Photos app when opened within Messages.
New Screen Savers
Video: Apple
If you love the preloaded screensavers that come with your Mac, you’ll be happy to hear that new options are here. There are slow-motion videos of locations from all around the world, including Arizona, California, and Hong Kong. The login prompt has also moved to the bottom of the screen, so it no longer gets in the way of the image on your display.
An Improved Typing Experience
Courtesy of Apple
It’s no secret that Apple’s Autocorrect isn’t the most accurate. And regardless of whether you’re on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, it can be a super frustrating feature. Using “enhanced on-device language models,” Autocorrect fixes typos more accurately. Autocorrected words are also now underlined temporarily—making it easier to keep up with what’s been changed as you’re typing. With a new inline predictive text capability, you’ll also see single and multi-word predictions based on what you’re typing to help you finish the message faster.
Accessibility Features
Photograph: Apple
MacOS Sonoma includes a wide range of new accessibility features for vision, cognitive, and speech support. Among the list of capabilities are phonetic suggestions that appear when dictating and editing text via Voice Control; animated images (like GIFs) that can be paused in Safari or Messages; Live Speech, where users can type messages to be spoken aloud during FaceTime and phone calls; the option to customize text size on Mac apps; and the ability to connect Made for iPhone hearing devices to your Mac (available on the 2021 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, 2022 Mac Studio, and Mac computers with an M2 chip).
Transcripts With Apple Podcasts
When using Apple’s Podcasts app, you can now simultaneously listen to a podcast episode and read the transcript on your Mac. You can within the transcript for certain lines and keywords too. It’s currently available for English, Spanish, German, and French-language podcasts.
Upgrades to the Notes App
If you’re struggling to keep track of all your notes, you’ll be relieved to know that Apple has added the option to link them to each other. You no longer have to scroll through the app to find what you’re looking for. You now have access to new text styles as well, including Block Quote (which offsets a section of writing with a quote bar) and Monostyled Text (with inset text and a visible background). For more layouts and formatting tools, you can also open a specific note in the Pages app.
New Emoji
Photograph: Emojipedia
With MacOS 14.4, you now have new emoji to pick from including a phoenix, a broken chain, a shaking head, a brown mushroom, and more. You’ll also have four new family emoji, six people emoji now available in both directions (like “Person Walking Facing Right”), and four non-gender family emoji.
Additional Features:
Reminders: Putting together a grocery list? Reminders will automatically sort the items you add based on categories. It will also remember your preferences whenever you change how items are grouped. And a new Column View organizes sections into columns across your screen.
Find My: You can add up to five other people to your Find My network accessories or AirTags. Those added will be able to follow the item on the map or play a sound to help pinpoint the location of the item.
Siri: The days of “Hey Siri” are gone. All you have to do is say “Siri” to trigger the voice assistant. This feature will only be available for Macs running an M-series chip.
Photos: In addition to recognizing people, the Photo app can (finally) automatically recognize cats and dogs.
Visual Lookup: With the Look Up tool, you can get more information on the subject of a photo. For example, if it’s a photo of food, you can use the feature to find recipes for similar dishes. You can use Visual Lookup in paused video frames too.
Home App: A new Activity History feature now allows you to see who locked or unlocked the door (and when), as well as recent activity for contact sensors, garage doors, and your security system.
Apple Music: You’ll be able to invite friends to join a playlist, giving them the ability to add, remove, or reorder songs.
Enhanced AutoFill for PDFs: You’ll be able to fill out PDFs in Preview using enhanced AutoFill. It will identify fillable fields—like your name, address, and email—and automatically input the information for you.
Catch Up Arrow: Whether you’re in a group chat or a private conversation, coming back to tons of new messages is overwhelming. A new “catch-up” arrow will bring you to the first new message with a simple tap—so you no longer have to scroll up to find it yourself.
AppleCare & Warranty: You now can check your coverage for all devices signed in with your Apple ID through Settings.
Safari Favorites Bar: You can now choose to show only icons for your favorite websites. All you have to do is right-click on the specific site, and de-select “Show Title.” It’ll then automatically appear as an icon.
Updates in Messages for Business: In Messages, you can now opt-in to receive updates like flight notifications, order status, fraud alerts, and more.
It was a big week for retro gaming fans, as iPhone users are starting to reap the rewards of Apple’s recent change to allow retro game emulators on the App Store.
This week also saw a new iOS 17.5 beta that will support web-based app distribution in the EU, the debut of the first hotels to allow for direct AirPlay streaming to room TVs, a fresh rumor about the impending iPad Air update, and more details on the sequence of Apple’s M4-based Mac updates starting later this year, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone
To be eligible for this new Web Distribution feature, Apple says a developer must meet several requirements, including having an app that had more than one million annual installs on iOS in the EU in the prior calendar year.
iOS 17’s New AirPlay Feature for Hotel Room TVs Begins Rolling Out
At hotels that offer the feature, guests can scan a unique QR code on their room’s TV to establish an AirPlay connection, allowing them to wirelessly stream content from their iPhone or iPad. For example, they could stream Apple TV+ or Netflix shows, listen to music on Apple Music or Spotify, play games on Apple Arcade, or work out with Apple Fitness+.
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro: 30 Rumored Upgrades Compared
While the iPhone 16 lineup is still months away from being announced, there are already many rumors about the four devices that have been circulating for months.
The existing 10.9-inch iPad Air is equipped with a standard LCD panel, and the move to mini-LED technology for the 12.9-inch model would provide increased brightness for HDR content, deeper blacks, and more.
M4 Macs Are Expected to Launch in This Order Starting Later This Year
Gurman said the entire Mac lineup will be updated with the M4 chip or higher-end variants, starting with the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini between late 2024 and early 2025, followed by the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro between the spring and end of 2025.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we’ve covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Samsung has shifted to “emergency mode” and is now asking executives to work six days per week.
The news, revealed in a report by The Korea Economic Daily, comes as the company battles ongoing business challenges. The company-wide policy affects executives and top managers across Samsung’s various divisions.
Recent disappointing financial results in 2023 saw Samsung record revenue of around $51 billion in last year’s final quarter, down 3.8% year-on-year and down 2.2% compared with initial analyst predictions.
Samsung enters “emergency mode”
Even worse was the company’s operating profit, which dropped a staggering 34.6% year-on-year to near $2 billion, bringing the company’s entire balance sheet for the year into the negatives – around 14.88 trillion Korean won worth of deficit, or $10.8 billion.
A company executive told the Korean publication: “Considering that performance of our major units, including Samsung Electronics Co., fell short of expectations in 2023, we are introducing the six-day work week for executives to inject a sense of crisis and make all-out efforts to overcome it.”
The policy shift is likely part of the South Korean company’s effort to tackle increased competition in the chip market, where it faces stiff rivalry from the likes of SK Hynix. Other major chipmakers, like Intel and AMD, have also emphasized AI-capable components in recent months.
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Executives from the company’s various businesses, such as Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI, and Samsung SD, will all be asked to work an extra day each week, but those below executive level will continue with five-day routines.
On the whole, Samsung has been pretty resilient, only laying off 30 workers in March 2023. Many of its rivals have laid off thousands, but things could be about to change for the company if the current outlook is as troubling as it seems.
