Apple

Apple enjoyed the biggest share of the premium smartphone market worldwide in the first quarter of 2021 (1Q2021), and was not even slightly shaken from this lead in 1Q2022, with even more of a share at 62%. It was a surprisingly good quarter for the sector overall, with major wins such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, even though it shrank by 8% year-on-year (YoY).

Sales data from China's just-concluded 6.18 sales are in, providing some insights into what models are currently the most popular in the world's biggest smartphone market. The iPhone 13 is undisputed king, it appears, with Xiaomi dominating by taking the other nine spots in the top ten.

The alleged price tags for upcoming Apple M2 iPad Pro tablets have been leaked along with some minor but interesting information about both a future iPad mini slate and the next-generation iPad (10th gen). There are also some conflicting details shared about the rumored 14.1-inch iPad Pro or “iPad Studio”.

The design of next-generation AirPods Pro earbuds and their associated charging case has emerged online. With minor visual changes between the AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2, Apple is expected to bring plenty of internal improvements, plus USB Type-C charging.

Apple could soon bring a higher resolution Bluetooth codec to the AirPods 3, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Code within a beta firmware suggests as much, which would bring the AirPods 3, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max closer to the feature sets of their competitors. Adopting a higher resolution codec could also improve battery life on these devices.

Another leaker has claimed that the Apple iPhone 14 series will be released on September 13, 2022. In addition, the same source has also stated that the iPhone 14 Pro Max will be something of a performance powerhouse and will manage higher scores on a synthetic benchmark than the 3rd-gen and 4th-gen iPad Pro tablets.

Apple is re-evaluating iPhone 14 displays produced by BOE if a report from The Elec is to be believed. Following a controversy where Apple caught BOE changing the panel circuitry of the iPhone 13 without its approval, Cupertino had suspended BOE as a display provider. The display row also put BOE's contract to manufacture iPhone 14 panels in jeopardy.

The ARM-based Lenovo ThinkPad X13s is finally available for purchase, but the Windows laptop with a Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 processor has not managed to catch up with Apple in terms of Geekbench performance. The results for the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 are not only well behind those of the Apple M2, but they also lag behind the M1 SoC from 2020.

Third-party camera app Camera+ 2 has made it possible to produce 48 MP images on iOS even without the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max. LateNiteSoft has increased the cost of the app going forwards, as well as introducing a subscription-based model.

Apple has found itself at the other end of a £750 million lawsuit over the company throttling older iPhones in 2017. The lawsuit filed by Justin Gutmann, a consumer rights activist, alleges that Cupertino intended to hide the subpar performance of older iPhone batteries by not warning users about the throttling beforehand.

The new Apple M2 SoC has made its first appearance on both GFXBench and Cinebench, and its GPU part seemingly performed way above expectations on the former benchmark. The Apple M2 managed a +45.47% performance leap over the M1 in GFXBench’s Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen test, soundly overtaking Apple’s own +35% GPU performance claim.

Apple now offers its own M1 Max processors both in laptops as well as desktops, so some users might be interested in the differences. After we reviewed the new Mac Studio, we can say there are not that many and the MacBook Pro 16 is probably the better choice for most users.

Even though the single-core gains are modest, the M2 still beats the M1 Pro and the i7-12800H. On the multi-core side, the M2 is 16% faster than the M1, but what really impresses is the 67% improvement in the graphics department.

Confusion about Stage Manager continues to grow as people dig into the first iPadOS 16 beta. While Apple claims it was unhappy with Stage Manager performance on anything other than Apple M1 hardware, it has left a toggle to enable the feature on older iPads. It turns out that the entry-level iPad Air 5 does not meet the requirements to run Stage Manager though, despite officially supporting the multitasking feature.

According to new reports, Apple is preparing to release a larger iPad without two major display features that it offers with the current iPad Pro 12.9. Instead, the 14.1-inch iPad would appear to be more like a larger iPad Air than a third iPad Pro.

According to a renowned Apple analyst, Apple could be planning to release M2 and M2 Pro-powered versions of a 15-inch MacBook Air. The larger version of the new MacBook Air is not expected to arrive until April 2023 at the earliest, though.

Labeled 2.17 and called "Danger Zone," the latest update for War Thunder brings the legendary F-14A Tomcat jet, an Israeli helicopter tech tree, the first Chinese helo, napalm bombs, two new locations, as well as the rewind functionality for replays. The patch also comes with a long list of bug fixes and tweaks.

According to reports, Apple remains on track to release a 10th generation iPad this year with its A14 Bionic SoC. Not only will the entry-level iPad receive 5G connectivity, it will also gain a larger display, among other changes. The choice of the A14 Bionic means that the 10th generation iPad will be incompatible with Apple's new multitasking features in iPadOS 16.

A leaker has alleged that the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have shown up to +35% GPU and up to +42% CPU performance improvements. In addition, the same source has made some considerable claims about the camera equipment, battery life, and AnTuTu benchmark score for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

When Apple execs marched onstage at WWDC 2022 to introduce macOS 13 Ventura, they were quick to demo a number of helpful productivity and continuity enhancements coming to the Mac later this year. However, they conveniently opted not to disclose just how many new features would remain Apple silicon exclusives. Here’s the fine print on the enhancements that will be missing for Intel Macs.

Craig Federighi has sought to explain why Apple cannot bring Stage Manager support to iPads released before 2021. Supposedly, iPad Air and iPad Pro models from two years ago are simply not powerful enough to run Apple's new multi-tasking software, which are only possible with the Apple M1 chipset.

The FDA has cleared Rune Labs to collect Parkinson's symptom information from patients via its StrivePD Apple watch app. The software can detect tremors and other symptoms of the disease and can be used to log the benefits felt by medication. Rune Labs will use the data collected by the app in clinical trials for new Parkinson's therapeutics.

A new report details next-generation iPad Pro tablets, shortly after Apple unveiled its new Apple M2 chipset. Reputedly, next-generation iPad Pros will reach shelves in a few months with several major upgrades, not just the Apple M2.

Apple recently previewed a number of features and enhancements coming to the Maps app in iOS/iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura this fall. Take a closer look at what Apple users can look forward to when they hit the road later this year, including Google Maps staples like multi-stop routing.

With the official debut of iOS 16 at WWDC, Apple also revealed the devices eligible for the OS upgrade, with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus surprisingly missing out. That, of course, means Apple and Samsung now have parity of sorts in software update policies.

Rumour has it that Apple's next 12-inch laptop will actually arrive under its MacBook Pro branding. Seemingly replacing the recently refreshed MacBook Pro 13, the MacBook Pro 12 is not expected to arrive until sometime next year.

Reportedly, Apple plans to release at least another four MacBooks between late 2022 and early 2024. New MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 machines are slated to arrive first, with a 15-inch MacBook Air and a 12-inch MacBook due by early 2023 and 2024, respectively.

According to multiple reports, Apple is targeting a 2023 release for next-generation iPad Pro tablets. With an OLED refresh due in 2024, next year will be when Apple introduces the iPad Pro 14.1, another Mini LED-touting tablet that will join new iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9 models.

New details in regard to the 2022/2023 Apple Mac mini have turned up. There were some expectations that the powerful mini computer would make an appearance at WWDC22, but it appears there has been a delay in production. Updated renderings of the Mac mini show it with additional ports, but these extras come at a cost.

Reportedly, Apple could expand the iPad Pro range this year with a 14.1-inch model. To launch alongside refreshed 11-inch and 12.9-inch models, all iPad Pro 2022 tablets are expected to rely on the new Apple M2 SoC, which should offer numerous performance advantages over Apple M1.

During WWDC 2022, Apple announced the next major software release for the Apple Watch. Coming this fall, watchOS 9 will deliver an expansive array of health and fitness features while also enriching watch faces with refreshed aesthetics. Take a look at some of the top features coming to the next version of watchOS that you may have missed.

There has been some speculation on what the Apple M2 Pro, M2 Max, and M2 Ultra SoCs could deliver in terms of specifications. Figures have been extrapolated from currently known data, with the monstrous Apple M2 Ultra having the potential to sport up to 96 GPU cores, support up to 192 GB unified memory, and transfer data from the memory to the CPU at a scorching 1,200 GB/s.

Apple unleashed a whole load of new features to arrive with the upgrade to iOS 16 at WWDC 2022. However, it now seems the Cupertino giant must have run out of time for one of particular interest to people who own Nintendo Switch controllers as well as an iPhone. A developer has found that connections between the two types of device have improved drastically with the new software update.

Apple's upcoming M2 Pro chip will be fabricated on TSMC's 3 nm node. Mass production is expected to kick off later this year. The SoC is slated to make its debut alongside a Mac Mini, and an iPad will follow suit afterwards.

Apple has been rumored to launch its first-gen mixed-reality device (in the form of glasses or a headset) shortly. However, should all the leaks concerning its release have proven accurate, it would be on the market already. Now, a leading market analyst claims that its announcement has been pushed back due to production issues.

The European Commission (EC) has now completed its deal to make USB type-C a "common charging port" across its jurisdiction. The decision is now set to ensure that new devices of a swathe of consumer electronics categories can use the same cables and power bricks anywhere in the European Union - laptops and iPhones included.

At its annual Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple saved the best for last with the introduction of iPadOS 16. The next version of Apple’s tablet-tailored operating system delivers rich enhancements to multitasking, expanded tools for professionals, and genuinely useful external display support. The catch? Most features are M1-exclusive.

Apple has just announced the new MacBook Air 2022 laptop with M2 processor, and the official product page for the device features some incredible performance comparisons. However, it seems some convenient Intel-like cherry-picking has taken place, as the M2 MacBook Air shows itself to be up to 26x faster than an Apple MacBook Air 2019 with Intel Core i5-8210Y.

Apple debuted the next major version of iOS at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference, including monumental lock screen enhancements, updates to Focus Mode, breakthrough machine learning implementations, and more. Take a quick look at what’s new and learn how to enable headlining features in iOS 16 Beta 1.

Most of the new upcoming iPad Pro-centric features also apply to iPhones and Macs. On the other hand, some might work best with iPadOS 16's target form-factor; furthermore, there are some potentially long-awaited additions, which include a new Desktop-Class App initiative that benefits Apple tablets.

Apple has launched its redesigned 2022 MacBook Air with M2 chip. The thin and light laptop comes with a fresh look and four eye-catching colors that will help the new Apple MacBook Air stand out from the crowd. The 13.6-inch device is available in two core configurations with prices starting at US$1,199/£1,249/A$1,899.

The latest version of macOS, dubbed "Ventura," brings several updates. Among these are improvements to window management via Stage Manager, a new graphics API (Metal 3), and new features that mate iDevices in new ways, such as using an iPhone camera as a webcam.

Apple has unveiled the M2 silicon today at WWDC 2022. The M2 chip features an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU made on an enhanced 2nd gen 5 nm process. The M2 also features 25% more transistors than the M1 and is slated to offer 18% more performance than the M1 at the same power. Apple also compared the M2's CPU performance to the Core i7-1255U and Core i7-1260P demonstrating increased performance and power efficiency.

Apple has made its latest version of iOS official, with some features that can be found across Macs, the iPad Pro and Watches too. Then again, this will not stop iPhones beating Twitter to messages editable after the fact, for one thing. In addition, the Fitness app and the next gen of CarPlay has been introduced as part of the impending major software upgrade.

The 2022 MacBook Pro is now official with many QoL upgrades, including a brand new M2 processor, and a 59 Wh battery. It also supports ProRes encode/decode and has an active cooling fan. The laptop will hit shelves next month starting at US$1,299.

Apple has presented its latest potential Watch software updates during its WWDC 2022 keynote. The Cupertino giant has added a number of new apps and features that many users might find welcome and useful. They include a "next level of insight" into atrial fibrillation and sleep.

Apple's Self Service Repair program gives a good idea of what Apple thinks DIY repair should look like, and the prognosis is not good. It's so convoluted that it seems as though Apple only launched the program out of spite, or perhaps some sort of malicious compliance. We all already know the effect Apple has on the tech industry — RIP headphone jack — so we can only hope that the industry doesn't follow suit.

US retailer has listed unreleased Mac hardware, both based on the upcoming Apple M2 chipset. While Apple may announce a new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13 at WWDC 2022, MacRumors claims that the listings are merely guesswork.