With the first week of 2021 already at our fingertips, news and rumors are starting to rise again. This week saw details on AirTags item trackers, the Apple Car and upcoming updates to most of Apple’s iPad line.
We also heard a bit about Apple’s AR glasses and the iPhone 13 as we got our hands on Belkin’s new MagSafe 3-in-1 charger. Finally, the Mac App Store turned ten this week, so keep reading for full details on all of these stories and more, and watch our video above for even more coverage.
Apple is rumored to unveil AirTags, augmented reality devices, new AirPods and more this year
The calendar has arrived in 2021 and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has set out his expectations for some new Apple devices this year, including the expected followers of AirTags items, the new AirPods, the first iPads and Macs with Mini-LED displays, more Macs with Apple silicon chips and some sort of augmented reality device.
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AirTags is expected to help users keep track of their personal belongings, such as keys, wallets, and backpacks, and will alert users of their Apple devices when they are separated from a tagged item. In 2019, MacRumors got screenshots showing that AirTags will be managed using a new Articles tab in the Find Mine app. Accessory manufacturers are already beginning to prepare for the launch of the accessory.
As for the augmented reality device, it is rumored that Apple works on both AR / VR headsets and AR-only glasses. At an internal meeting last year, Apple executive Mike Rockwell said the headphones could be announced in 2021 and launched in 2022, while the glasses were expected in at least 2023, according to Mark Gurman, of Bloomberg.
Taiwanese publication DigiTimes reported this week that a prototype called “Apple Glasses” is about to enter the “second phase” of development as the product progresses toward engineering verification.
Third-generation AirPods are rumored to feature an in-ear design like the AirPods Pro, but without noise cancellation.
Early Macs with Mini-LED displays will include redesigned 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon, according to Kuo, while a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Mini-LED display is also expected to be introduced this year. There are conflicts over rumors about whether the 11-inch iPad Pro will also receive a Mini-LED display.
Apple negotiates with Hyundai for the production of Apple cars
A new report from Bloomberg this week it is said that in fact Apple intends to launch a full-fledged car instead of developing standalone systems for other vehicle manufacturers, but Apple’s car won’t be ready for at least five or seven years.
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Shortly after the report, news emerged that Apple has been in discussions with Hyundai about possible collaborations in battery technology and vehicle production. Hyundai initially confirmed the talks in an official statement, but later backtracked to omit any specific mention of Apple, saying only that “several companies have addressed the development of autonomous electric vehicles.”
Models of the iPhone 13 Pro are said to use Samsung LTPO technology for 120 Hz displays
Rumors continue to suggest that the iPhone 13 Pro models will feature low-power LTPO display technology, which will allow for an expected 120Hz refresh rate.
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A report this week from the Korean website The Elec stated that Samsung will be the exclusive provider of this LTPO technology for the iPhone 13 Pro models. LTPO along with a refresh rate of 120Hz would result in smoother scrolling and smoother movement without consuming too much battery life.
This week, in other rumors of the iPhone 13, we learned that the LiDAR scanner can be expanded to the full range of iPhone 13, instead of Pro models, and that the ultra-fast mmWave 5G may be available on iPhone models. iPhone 13 sold outside the United States. too.
While Apple no longer includes any chargers in the box with new iPhones, it is rumored that the company is working on GaN-based USB-C power adapters that would be smaller, lighter, and more energy-efficient than Silicon-based power that is currently sold for release as early as this year.
The next low-cost iPad is said to feature a thinner, lighter design
Japanese block Mac Otakara this week offered some potential details on several upcoming iPad models, including the upcoming 10.2-inch ninth-generation iPad, which claims that the device will have a thinner, lighter design and will retain both the Touch ID and a connector Lightning.
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The report also stated that the upcoming iPad Pro will not include significant design changes, but the device is expected to be equipped with a much faster A-Series chip. In a follow-up report, the site said both 11-inch and 12.9-inch models should be expected in March, as the camera’s lenses no longer protruded beyond the bulge of the largest camera. The 12.9-inch model can also be 0.5mm thick as part of the transition to a Mini-LED display.
Finally, Mac Otakara claimed that the next-generation iPad mini will also be launched in March and will see its screen size increase from 7.9 inches to 8.4 inches. Overall, the design will be similar to the third-generation iPad Air, retaining a Touch ID home button and a Lightning port, but with thinner screen bezels than the current iPad mini.
Comparison: M1 MacBook Pro Vs. Razer Book 13
Razer launched the Razer Book 13 in November, a new laptop focused on productivity rather than gaming. Because it’s similar in many ways to the Mac M1s that Apple recently launched, we decided to compare the Razer Book 13 with the 13-inch MacBook Pro based on the M1 to see how they stack.
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While MacBook Pro gains in terms of performance and efficiency, the Razer Book 13 is a capable laptop for those who need or prefer the Windows operating system. Our comparison provides a deeper dive into technology specifications, features and more.
Review: Belkin’s 3-in-1 Boost Charge Pro offers a seamless 15W MagSafe charge for the iPhone 12
The new Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 wireless charger with MagSafe is now available to order from Apple at a $ 10 discount at the regular $ 150 price tag, and early on we put on the accessory to see if worth the cost.
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All in all, if you are looking for a multi-device charger for a honeiPhone 12, this is what you have in our opinion. It works with any model Iphone 12, Apple Watch and irAirPods, and only costs $ 30 than Apple’s MagSafe Duo. And as an Apple-certified MagSafe accessory, the Boost Charge Pro is capable of supplying up to 15W of power to iPhone 12 models, while unofficial magnetic wireless chargers are still limited to a charge of up to 7.5 W.
Belkin also offers MagSafe-compatible car ventilation support for iPhone 12 models, available for $ 39.95 at Apple’s online store.
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Mac App Store
While the App Store was launched on the iPhone in July 2008, the Mac App Store arrived on January 6, 2011, when Apple released version 10.6.6 of Mac OS X Snow Leopard. As a result, this week marked the 10th anniversary of the Mac App Store.
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Apple announced that the Mac App Store was “open to business” in a press release in 2011. “With more than 1,000 apps, the Mac App Store has got off to a great start,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer. “We believe users will love this innovative new way to discover and buy their favorite apps.”
Since its inception, the Mac App Store has attracted much of the criticism from developers. Apple has addressed some of these complaints over the years, as it allowed developers to offer free trials through in-app purchases, create app packages, distribute apps across multiple Apple platforms as a universal purchase, see analytics for to Mac apps, respond to customer reviews and more.
In 2018, the Mac App Store received a major redesign as part of macOS Mojave, with a new “Discover” tab that highlights popular apps and games and features Apple publishers. Another breakthrough in the Mac App Store came in 2020, when Apple made iPhone and iPad apps available on Macs with Apple silicon, as all devices share Arm architecture.
All in all, Apple has certainly come a long way with the Mac App Store for the past ten years, but some developers feel that further improvements are needed if they want to adopt the showcase.
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