iPad Pro

Apple’s impressive new iPad Pro 12.9-inch model could be very hard to find on launch according to Bloomberg. Its vaunted mini-LED-based display is said to be behind the supply constraints due to difficulties with producing the new panels.

The latest leaks increasingly insist that the iPhone 13 series will be the one to finally launch with a smaller notch. A new report might help explain how the Cupertino giant plans to bring this about: by cutting a necessary Face ID-enabling component in half, or as close as it can get.

The 2021 Apple iPad Pro with M1 chip has started appearing on Geekbench, and it is throwing up results that will have fans excited about making a purchase. Not only does the M1 iPad Pro manage to produce scores that are +50% more than those of the 4th Gen iPad Pro with A12Z Bionic chip, but it also nudges past all the M1 Macs in average single-core results.

The latest version of iOS (14.5) introduced App Tracking Transparency, a new set of dialog boxes that informs the user whenever an app wants to track their activity across the UI and that they can prevent this if they wish. According to new research, its uptake skyrocketed to 88% worldwide, and 96% in the US, within 1 week of the update's release.

The wait goes on for a new iPad mini, but specifications for the so-called iPad mini Pro have now leaked. According to a new report, Apple plans to charge US$649 and up for the iPad mini Pro, which it will equip with an 8.7-inch display and 5G connectivity. Expect the iPad mini Pro to arrive in 2H 2021.

A key supplier in Apple's mini-LED supply chain has stated that it will significantly increase its mini-LED production in preparation for "two upcoming mini-LED-backlit MacBook Pro models." This news gives legs to long-standing rumors of mini-LED 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros.

Apple is set to launch its rumored iPhone foldable in 2023 according to a new note from respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The foldable will feature a Samsung Display-sourced 8-inch flexible OLED panel suggesting that it will adopt a Galaxy Fold-like approach to foldables.

Apple has now released its latest iPad Pro for pre-order in the US, and asks at least US$1,099 for its 12.9-inch variant. Prospective buyers should be aware that they may now have to pay even more for repairs should their brand-new premium slate incur damage in a way the OEM deems to be out of warranty.

The European Commission (EC) has issued a preliminary verdict as a result of its anti-trust investigation against Apple. It concerns the treatment of third-party music apps on its App Store. The Commission has ruled that the OEM leverages its "dominant position" in this market to subvert competition and consumer choice, particularly when it comes to payment methods and rates.

The Checkra1n jailbreak was recently updated to feature support for iOS 14.5 and compatibility with Macs sporting the M1 processor. Version 0.12.3 adds these new features, along with a host of bug fixes.

The new iPad Pros and iMac will be pre-orderable from tomorrow, but Apple has hinted that it will not have many units available. Apple expects shortages to continue into Q3 2021, although primarily for iPad and Macs.

Apple has released an update that allows a user to unlock their iPhone with their Apple Watch should they be wearing a mask at the time. This new iOS 14.5 setting requires the latest version of watchOS (7.4) to work. iPhones on the latest corresponding software upgrade can also now use App Tracking Transparency to allow or deny activity-tracking in a highly granular manner.

Reports claim that the M1 successor has already entered mass production at TSMC on the N5P nodes and shipments are to be expected sometime in July. The new "M2" processors could first be introduced with the 14-inch / 16-inch redesigned MacBook Pro models and 27-inch iMacs launching this fall.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro is 0.5mm thicker than its predecessor. That extra thickness could cause the iPad screen to press on the keyboard a bit too tight. However, an older Magic Keyboard could still work with the new iPad Pro.

One aspect of the Apple iPad Pro launch that caught the eye is Apple’s use of the M1 chip in the new 11-inch and 12.9-inch models. Naturally, this got tongues wagging about whether Apple was planning on bringing Mac apps to the iPad or whether, in fact, it is planning on merging the two operating systems. Apple’s Greg Joswiak says the answer is a firm ‘No’ to the latter.

Potential synthetic benchmark scores for the 2021 iPad Pro with M1 Apple Silicon have been produced based on Cupertino’s claims of 50% faster CPU and 40% faster graphics. Such is the likely performance strength of the M1 iPad Pro that it could blast the future Snapdragon 888-powered Samsung Tab S8 out of the water.

The revelation of the 2021 Apple iPad Pro with Mini LED screen has apparently increased the chances of a MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 being fitted with similar panel technology. The 2021 MacBook Pro laptops could star with XDR displays, potential Apple M1X Silicon, and feature the popular MagSafe charging cable.

Apple's new 12.9-inch and 11-inch models are finally here. They are the first Apple tablets to run an M1 chip and offer 5G functionality. The 12.9-inch model also packs a Liquid Retina XDR display. Prices start at US$799 for the 11-inch model and US$1,099 for the 12.9-inch version.

Twitter leaker L0vetodream speculates that Apple will bedazzle the world with its new ARM-based iMacs at the Spring Loaded event on April 20. While the tipster has been fairly accurate about previous Apple-related predictions, the chances of this one being true are grim.

Apple has just confirmed that its next Special Event will take place on April 20, 2021. Huawei has also gone ahead and scheduled a "new tablet debut" for the same day. This announcement, made through the OEM's official Japanese-language Twitter account, might lead to the unveiling of the MatePad Pro 2, a rumored iPad Pro competitor.

Apple has announced that it will host its next hardware event on April 20, although Siri confirmed the existence of the 'Spring Loaded' event before Apple did. The event will commence at 10:00 am PDT and is expected to showcase several products, including next-generation iPads.

Two leakers have shared photos of alleged dummies of Apple's upcoming tablet refreshes for 2021. The company is expected to release revised iPad mini and iPad Pro models soon, although it remains unclear if the former will receive a design overhaul.

Microsoft, in an all-out offensive, released a new commercial comparing the Surface Pro 7 to the iPad Pro. While the commercial makes some good points, it omits some key comparisons important to many consumers and overall ignores the categorical differences between the two devices.

Apple has announced an expansion to its Apple Arcade subscription gaming service. Along with new titles including NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition, Star Trek: Legends and The Oregon Trail, it has added two new categories called Timeless Classics and App Store Greats.

A surprising piece of Steve Jobs memorabilia has changed hands for a six-figure USD sum at a London auction. Rather than being an original Apple-1 or anything like that, it consists of a printed sheet of paper, filled out by the iconic Apple executive by hand in 1973. If nothing else, the document underpins Jobs' interest in computing even way back then.

It has been reported that the upcoming Apple iPad Pro refresh might feature A14X chips that can offer performance on a similar level as the M1 silicon. The information in regard to the A14X SoC has derived from code for iOS 14.5, and there are also four codenames so far associated with the upcoming 11-inch and 12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro models.

A US patent filing strongly hints at Apple's plans for the future of Touch ID. Cupertino's alleged "off-axis angular light" based fingerprint scanning tech has the potential to work faster while being more secure than existing under-display scanners on Android devices.

Apple will announce its next-generation iPad Pro tablets in April, not March, according to Mark Gurman. Jon Prosser has backtracked on his claim 'from a reliable source' that Apple would host a hardware event on March 23, too.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new research note forecasting that Apple’s ‘Air’ models will get upgraded displays in 2022. According to Kuo, the iPad Air will get an upgraded OLED display in the second half of 2022 while the MacBook Air will get an upgrade to a new mini-LED display although he doesn’t specify which half of the year this will happen

Fantasian is a new JRPG headed for Apple Arcade. Written by Hironobu Sakaguchi and featuring a soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu, Fantasian throws players into a multi-dimensional world constructed from over 150 hand-made dioramas. Gameplay features a unique mechanic for monster management and traditional JRPG tropes.

The market for tablets in India had shrunk for 4 years straight - until 2020. That year saw a resurgence in demand for that form-factor, as users felt they were necessary for learning or working from home. Therefore, it exhibited a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 14.7%, although Lenovo retained it status as its leading brand.

Apple is reportedly planning to shift some of its iPad production to India and is lobbying to increase the budget for the Indian Government's performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. This report comes in the wake of the Cupertino-giant plans to offload some of its contract manufacturing to Vietnam and reduce dependence on China due to ongoing US-China trade tensions.

According to a new report, Apple will announce at least three new products at its next hardware event. Supposedly scheduled for March 16, the event is expected to showcase the iPad mini 6, AirTags and a 2021 refresh of the iPad Pro series. The 12.9-inch version of the latter should have some impressive hardware upgrades too, including a new SoC that will rival the Apple M1.

Epic Games has stepped its dispute with Apple over developer remuneration by filing an official antitrust complaint with the European Commission (EC). It alleges that competition in the app-distribution and payment markets has been "completely eliminated" by Apple's practices of insisting that these activities are carried out through its App Store for all software intended for use on iOS.

The WhatsApp privacy policy change, in which the company will oblige users to agree to hand the data they have given it to Facebook, has caused controversy and virtual boycotts worldwide. However, the EU market is effectively immune to these changes. The Indian Supreme Court has argued that this should apply to all markets in which the messaging service is used.

Apple plans to unveil the AirTags and its 2021 iPad Pro refresh, according to new reports. Possibly launching simultaneously, rumours about the pair have been circulating for months.

Telegram was #9 on SensorTower's list of most downloaded (non-game) mobile app in December 2020. Fast forward one month, however, and it had jumped up to #1. WhatsApp and Instagram were #3 and #4 at the end of 2020, but fell to #5 and #6 respectively at the start of 2021.

A tech tipster has claimed that Apple is preparing four new SoCs and has shared the alleged internal identifiers for the processors. Unsurprisingly, this has led to considerable speculation about their eventual product names, with Apple M1X, M2, A14X, A15, and A15 Bionic heading the suggestions. 2021’s 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models could feature a new SoC.

The latest version of iOS (14.4) is now available as a stable update. Installing it causes a new kind of "important hardware message" to pop up should an iPhone detect that its rear camera module has been unofficially replaced. Apple has also noted that the software includes patches for potentially actionable vulnerabilities.

The latest market research report from Canalys shows that the PC market enjoyed success not seen in years during 2020. It posted shipment volumes not seen since 2015, hitting 143.7 million units (a 35% year-on-year (YoY) increase) in the last quarter (4Q2020). Tablet and Chromebook shipments also saw record increases, with the latter doubling in number compared to 2019.

CAD models of two new iPad Pro models have leaked, offering a detailed look at Apple's upcoming tablets. Apple will stick with 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes for the next iPad Pro, but little will separate them from the looks of last year's tablets.

Apple's TV+ is its answer to other streaming platforms such as Netflix. One year's worth of free access to the service was bundled with compatible hardware bought at its September 2019 launch. That offer was then extended so as to end in February 2021 - however, the OEM has now prolonged it again until July.

ASUS recently announced the Fanless Chromebox, a small form-factor PC based on the ChromeOS platform, with a wide range of display outputs and great wireless connectivity.

While the focus is on what manufacturers announce at CES 2021, the supposed design of the next 12.9-inch iPad Pro has leaked online. The premium tablet will have smaller bezels than the current model, while retaining its overall design. The next iPad Pro is expected to feature a mini-LED screen, among other changes.

HP asserts that its new Elite-series earbuds are an enterprise-grade way of introducing wireless audio into your professional online conferencing set-up. They are rated for both passive and active noise cancellation (PNC and ANC), streamlined device-switching and fast case charging via USB type C.

Apple App Store users spent a record US$540 million on New Year's Day, capping off a week that saw total App Store spending of $1.8 billion. The App Store continues to be one of Apple's most successful lines of business; since its inception, developers have earned over $200 billion and Apple has earned an estimated $85 billion over the past 12 years.

If the anonymous sources from China prove to be right, the next-gen low-cost iPad will launch later this year with a design closely based on the third-generation iPad Air that was introduced back in 2019. The highlights will include the same 10.2-inch screen size, but lower weight and a thinner chassis.

With Google Stadia available on iPhones and iPads via a web app, people have been seeing how well Cyberpunk 2077 runs. It turns out the likes of the iPhone 12 Pro do a better job of playing CD Projekt Red's latest triple-A title than the last-generation PlayStation 4 or Xbox One do.

Apple has now issued iOS and iPadOS updates to version 14.3. It contains some previously-promised features, which include ProRAW support in the Pro iPhone 12 variants, not to mention Apple Fitness+. It also reportedly fixes some issues, including one in which a user's new messages failed to appear in their Notifications.