苹果早餐：周一苹果活动！

10 月 16, 2021

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Apple generates a lot of news, and it can be hard to keep up. If your mind was on other things this week, our Saturday-morning roundup of Apple-related headlines will bring you up to date.

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Apple event on Monday!

And we started out the week so confidently. One of the most popular stories on the site, back in the dim and distant past of Monday, was a detailed explanation of why the next Apple event was sure to be on 26 October. Oh, we had such high hopes, such big dreams, and such flawless logic.

All of which was ruined on Tuesday night, when we got the invitations to an event on… 18 October. Surely some mistake, as they say.

Apple Unleashed event invitation

But no: Apple is breaking recent tradition and holding an event on a Monday instead of a Tuesday, possibly to avoid a clash with Google’s Pixel event on 19 October and possibly just to annoy me personally. Which means we’re going to hear about the next raft of products (assuming you’re reading this on Saturday) the day after tomorrow. Don’t panic!

Insofar as we will ever be sure of anything ever again, we are reasonably sure that this event is going to focus on the Mac. Apple has a bunch of Macs overdue for a refresh, with the new MacBook Pro in particular poised for launch; the ‘Unleashed’ tagline and warp-speed graphic lend themselves to the announcement of faster M1X processors; the current Macs appear to be running out of stock; and all the pundits reckon it’ll be Macs too.

That isn’t to say, however, that the evening will be dedicated entirely to Macs, with no relief from their implacable milled-aluminium forms. (Oh, by the way, there might be a new pro-focused Mac mini, too.) We also hope that Apple will finally launch new AirPods – after all, it’s only been more than two and a half years since it last updated one of its most successful and popular product lines.

You can keep up with all the details and rumours in our October event news hub, and read about the latest leaked MacBook Pro specs. But at this point, why would you believe anything I say?

Video of the week, part I

Ken Mingis and Michael Simon join Juliet Beauchamp to discuss what to expect from Apple’s Unleashed event next week, including product details, benchmarks, release dates, and what the new models mean for users.

News in brief

The Republic of Ireland has announced it’s ending the 12.5% corporate tax rate that has made it a hugely popular location for companies’ European headquarters – including Apple, which employs more than 6,000 staff at its Cork campus. The rate will still apply to small firms, but Ireland’s new agreement stipulates a minimum of 15% for large multinationals. It’s unknown at this point if Apple and other companies will respond to the change by relocating.

In a bizarre twist, Apple has appealed against a legal verdict that it described at the time as a “resounding victory” and a “huge win” over Epic Games. The judge took Apple’s sides in most respects, but did stipulate that the company was not permitted to ban developers from offering alternative payment solutions on the App Store; it’s this part that Apple is now seeking to overturn.

The M1X chip could be a massive leap, reckons Michael Simon.

We all know the iPhone 13 handsets have better cameras than the equivalent models from the year before. But one mark of Apple’s progress in this area is the news that the standard iPhone 13 has scored higher in DXOMark’s camera benchmarks than the Pro model from 2020.

The Macalope has three letters for Intel’s anti-Mac ‘Spell’ ads: LOL.

Apple TV+ is a disaster movie without a happy ending, argues Karen Haslam in this week’s Different Think column. Tune in for a new controversial opinion every Tuesday, folks.

Will we still be using Apple devices in the future – or will we be living with them?

Apple has had to revise its plans for the iPhone 13 because of component shortages, and is now manufacturing up to ten million fewer units than planned. If you want one, in other words, you’ll need to be quick!

An engineering student made a USB-C iPhone because Apple won’t.

iPhones have got 50% more expensive in the UK since 2007, even when you take inflation and changes in GDP into account. And we’re not even the worst off: prices have gone up by 72% in Canada. (The US gets away with a piffling 12% rise.)

The iPad Air is everything that’s wrong with Apple’s tablets, says Dan Moren.

Halyna Kubiv shows how to fast-charge an Apple Watch Series 7. You can hit 80% in 45 minutes!

Video of the week, part II

David Price and Alex Walker-Todd have been testing out the new iPhone 13 and 13 Pro. Here’s their guide to choosing between the two, and their overall thoughts about the latest generation of iPhones.

Software, bugs & problems

The tenth beta of macOS Monterey has arrived; Universal Control still isn’t officially available, but it is possible to enable it manually if you follow some rather complex steps. We expect the full public version of Monterey to follow soon.

iOS 15.0.2 fixes some of the bugs that plagued iOS 15 installers – bugs such as photos being deleted accidentally. It also closes a zero-day security gap.

Apple has extended an AirPods Pro service programme for sound issues. Problems could include “crackling or static sounds that increase in loud environments, with exercise or while talking on the phone”, Apple admits.

The rumour mill

A new gaming-focused Apple TV is under development, according to a new report. The device is set to feature a comprehensive redesign (including a plexiglass top and a thinner chassis), a powerful A14 processor and a dedicated games controller.

The Apple Watch Series 8 – yes, sorry, we are doing this already – will come in three sizes, rather than the current two, according to an analyst with a small but extremely impressive track record of predictions. We expect 41mm and 45mm models again, plus one that’s a bit bigger.

Apple deals of the week

I’ve embedded a list of the best current Apple deals below, but other than that, we’re done for this week. See you next Saturday, enjoy your weekend, and stay Appley!

Top 10 Apple Deals

Apple 11in iPad Pro (2021, M1, 2TB) – Wi-Fi + Cellular

Apple 11in iPad Pro (2021, M1, 2TB) - Wi-Fi + Cellular

From: Amazon

Was: £1899

Now: £1,314.16 (£584.84 off)