A virtual event that was announced via Apple’s web site
If you tap the event logo in iOS you get a AR experience
Streamed live on September 15 at 10:00 a.m. from the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park Campus
As you can probably guess from the title it’s believed this event will be focused on a new Apple Watch.
Apple typically announces the new Watch along side the iPhone, but as with almost everything this year is different
There should be a new Apple Watch Series 6
Expected to add blood oxygen level monitoring
Improved electrocardiogram feature
Design is expected to remain mostly the same, though there could always be new finishes, colors, and bands
Hints at a new “blue” color.
Expected to drop support for Force Touch
Possibly have a “fast charging” feature to better support the new sleep tracking coming in watchOS 7
Rumors of a possible replacement for the Apple Watch Series 3
Coming from Jon Prosser
A lower cost option
Similar design to the Apple Watch Series 4, with 40mm and 44mm sizes to choose from
It would not have features like the ECG app or the always-on display.
Also mentions a branding of Apple Watch, with the Series 6 getting Apple Watch Pro branding
iMore mentions Apple Watch SE branding
In addition Apple will also probably use the event to launch the rumored 10.8-inch iPad update
Most likely an update to the iPad Air
Will have an edge to edge display and Touch ID moved to the power button.
Move to USB-C and Smart Connector to support Apple iPad keyboards
Possibly a slight price increase up from USD $499 to $569 to $599
There also seems to be hints that Apple may announce the Apple One bundled services program
There is also some speculation Apple could use the event to reveal the first Apple Silicon Mac
This seems unlikely to me unless it’s just a preview and I don’t see Apple including a Mac in an event with Apple Watch and iPad
That and DigiTimes has recently reported that TSMC will start producing the 5mm A14X processor which is expected to be the first one for an Apple Silicon Mac and the next iPad Pros in the 4th quarter.
There is some debate on which Mac will be the first, but many think we’ll get. 12-inch MacBook?
Would it replace the MacBook Air?
Some have also claimed (Ming-Chi Kuo) it would be an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro
AirTags may finally arrive
Citing supply chain information Macotakara believes Apple could finally debut their AirTags item trackers at their iPhone 12 event
Apple has already revealed that the iPhone 12 event would be delayed and many, myself included, expect the event to happen sometime in October
The piece also says the AirTags will work with App Clips. Seems to suggest the possibility that 3rd party apps may be able to work with AirTags
The Macotakara rumor also said the October event would feature the Apple Watch Series 6, which we now know is not likely with the “Time Flies’ event happening this Tuesday.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has called in the past that AirTags would be a “premium” product and come with a leather carrying case.
Bloomberg has also mentioned that they believe at Apple will launch their two lower-end 5.4 and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 likely on or near an event in October and that the 6.1 and 6.7-inch Pro devices would be announced at the same event but ship later, possibly in November.
DigiTimes restated this week their belief that the two 6.1-inch models, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, will launch first followed by the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max later.
Their basing their prediction on the production timing of the main boards
They say the 6.1-inch board production kicked off in July, but the 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch models didn’t go into production until mid-August
Bloomberg also gave mention of a possible Apple TV update coming next year
The details are sparse, but they mention a faster processor, currently an A10, and an updated remote
They do mention the remote working with the FindMy app to help you locate it.
Only one iPhone 12 may support mmWave 5G
This in a report from Fast Company who cites a “wireless industry source,”
The claim is that only the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max will have support for both sub-6GHz 5G and the faster mmWave 5G technology.
The other models will have just the sub-6GHz 5G according to the report
They claim that only the larger iPhone 12 Pro Max has enough physical space for the special antenna design needed to support mmWave and has the extra battery to support it’s higher power requirements.
mmWave 5G would be able to support speeds of up to 1GBps, but it’s range is very limited and it’s not likely to rolled out in as many places or to be as widely available as sub-6GHz 5G.
Sub-6GHz will have speeds of up to 150Mbps, so faster than 4G, and can more widely and easily deployed.
Apple TV+ ‘Five Days at Memorial'
Apple has picked up a new limited series "Five Days At Memorial" based on the novel of the same name written by Sheri Fink
The story covers healthcare workers at a New Orleans hospital in the first five days after Hurricane Katrina
John Ridley, who’s work includes “12 Years a Slave," "American Crime," and "Guerrilla”, and Carlton Cuse, who's work includes "Locke & Key," "Jack Ryan," and "Lost" will serve as show-runners, writers, and executive producers for the series.
Apple TV+ shows have earned 18 Emmy award nominations including The Morning Show with eight nominations, Defending Jacob with two, and the Beastie Boys Story with five.
Home, Central Park, and The Elephant Queen round out the other three nominations.
According to The Telegraph Apple has hired executive Tim Connolly who formerly worked on distribution deals at Disney, Hulu, and Quibi to join the Apple TV+ team
It’s not clear what role he’ll be taking on at Apple TV+, but it’s likely related to Apple trying to work on more special deals and partnerships for Apple TV+
It could also be related to recent rumors that Apple is interested in getting more back catalog or live TV content into Apple TV+
iPhone 11 proves popular choice in 2020
According to the latest data from Omida
They say that the iPhone 11 was the most shipped phone in the first quarter of 2020.
Estimating that Apple shipped 19.5 million iPhone 11s during the period from January through March
That’s about 6 million more units than the iPhone XR did in the sam quarter last year.
Other Apple iPhones in the top 10 were the iPhone XR (5th), the iPhone 11 Pro Max (6th), and the iPhone 11 Pro (8th)
Interestingly the only Samsung model to make the top 10 was the Galaxy A51 in 2nd place with 6.8 million units. Less than half as many as the iPhone 11
The rest of the list was filled out with various models from Xiaomi's Redmi line
Apple will delay iOS 14 ad privacy feature
Apple has confirmed it will delay the feature in iOS 14 that would require apps to alert users when the app is using 3rd party tracking features to share your data with advertisers
Basically those ads that follow you around the web
Facebook and other advertisers have complained about the feature which is designed to give more transparency and control to users.
They say once people are alerted and opt-out they expect to see ad revenue drop 40-50 percent
They also claim this will hurt small to medium sized business who rely on the data so they can directly target their ads which allows them to spend less and be more cost effective.
Apple agreed to delay the requirement to allow developers more time to make the changes needed fro the new feature.
The new feature could also indirectly have an impact on Apple’s App revenue as many freemium games relay on ads and tracking. Many of those also generate profit for Apple with in app purchase of which Apple get their 30 percent cut
If some of those apps, especially games, can’t survive due to losses in ad revenue then Apple could also lose.
Apple has not given a new date for when support for the feature will be required, just sometime in 2021
Apple will also be deploying new “nutrition label” style info for privacy and data sharing in Apps on the app store
They shared the details on how these labels will look and function in a new Developer Support document
Developers will need to identify "all possible data collections and uses," providing a list of data types that will be shown in the App Store labeling.
Apps will need to disclose what the data collected is used for, such as first-party advertising, third-party advertising, analytics, app functionality, or product personalization, and whether data is linked to a user's account, device, or identity.
Apple says they will be rolling out the new labels, “later this year”.
Fortnite paying for Apple ban
The spat between Apple and Epic games is set to be a long one and looks like Epic is willing to sacrifice a lot to make their case.
In court documents Epic says that the number of daily users playing Fortnite on iOS is down 60 percent
They also note that 63 percent of users who play on iOS only play on iOS
And iOS users on Fortnite, 116 million of them, are the largest segment on ANY platform.
Estimates from Buy Shares show that revenue from the the App Store so far this year is estimated at 191.42 million and that Epic Games could be losing about $26.7 million a month from the App Store.
Epic definitely put themselves in the place they are now, and they could easily get back in the App Store by removing their own payment system and restoring Apple’s in app purchases.
Apple has also counter sued for breach of contract and asking for damages in the form of the revenue they are losing while Epic is not using Apple’s in-app purchase system
They are also asking for a “permanent injunction” to ban Epic’s direct payment option in all apps including Fortnite
Epic’s CEO Todd Sweeney responded to Apple’s counter claim on Twitter
Mostly responding to Apple’s comment in the claim that the lawsuit is "basic disagreement over money,"
It’s a little hard to believe that it’s not about the money
To be fair, Epic’s lawsuit is not asking for any money, just the right for them and all developers to be able to use a payment system that is not Apple’s.
Still, having that system IS about Epic getting to bypass Apple and get a bigger share of the money.
At the last minute App decided not disable Epic’s use of the Sign in with Apple API
Apple this week also changed some of the App Store guidelines to allow streaming game apps
Of course they did it in a way that almost NO streaming gaming app is going to want to do.
Basically all streaming game apps have to "adhere to all guidelines" for non-streaming apps
each game update must be submitted for review, developers must provide appropriate metadata for search, games must use in-app purchase to unlock features or functionality
But here’s the part that doesn’t work…
each game in a multi-game streaming subscription needs to be submitted separately for App Store review
AND each game must link to an individual App Store product page (like Apple Arcade games?)
Apple Marina Bay Sands opens in Singapore
Looks like a floating sphere the bay in Singapore
Enter through a tunnel from The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and go up an escalator.
Has 360 degree views of the city and the bay
It has an all-glass dome structure that is fully self-supported, comprised of 114 pieces of glass
The custom video wall has a white Apple logo and a mirror finish that reflects back city skyline and the waters of the bay
Apple's first underwater Boardroom for business meetings, training, and private events.
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Feedback, commentary, opinions
Apple Watch Playlist Sync tip
Last week Gary let us know about a limitation related to playlist syncing to the Apple Watch
We’ll really just how the feature works
You Apple Watch needs to be near your phone and plugged into the charger to sync the playlists
This seems to happen, oddly over Bluetooth, as Apple notes that Bluetooth must also be turned on
Kevin wrote in to say that he has notice that if you have the playlists already sync’d to your phone that the sync to the Apple watch goes much faster.
TimeCapsule after Wi-Fi
After we had a conversation about newer wi-fi routers and specifically got a recommendation from a listener about how awesome the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 products are…
I’ve been hearing from others in our community who have switched and are loving it.
The system many are switching from is Apple’s old AirPort or Time Capsule
One great feature of the TimeCapsule though is the ability to do network Time Machine backups
You could get this back by buying a new NAS drive like WD MyCloud or Synology that supports network Time Machine backups
But that’s expensive and you still have a Time Capsule, right?
Dan wrote me this week to ask if it’s possible to disable the “wi fi router” part of a Time Capsule and just use it for the Time Machine feature.
The answer Dan is yes. Yes it is. Better still this should also work with an AirPort Extreme if you have a USB drive connected to it’s USB port
We are living in a strange time and I’m not just talking about 2020 and the pandemic
This is a strange time again with where Apple is with the Mac.
With the announcement of Apple Silicon we are officially in “transition” again.
And just like when Apple did the move from Power PC to Intel it now gets weird for many of us who might be in the market for or need a new Mac.
All the questions start to arise
Why should I buy an Intel Mac now, it’s basically obsolete tech at this point, right?
Is it really smart to buy the first generation of a brand new platform?
what about compatibility?
What if Apple get’s it wrong?
Wouldn’t it be better to wait and not be the guinea pig?
I don’t want to miss out on the latest and greatest when it comes out, do it?
Here’s the thing… ALL of these are valid questions and they can create a lot of anxiety if you are faced with a new Mac purchase right now.
At the end of the day you need to make the choice that is right for you and you're situation.
I can share how I feel about it, but you may not see it the same way I do.
Regardless I’m going to share my thought because it may help you come to your own conclusions.
For me… you have to take a lot of the “specs” and “wow factor” out of the equation.
For many of us when we’re buying a new Mac we’re probably replacing a system that is 3-5 years old. Maybe older.
From that perspective ANY new Mac is going to have much better and newer technology than what we have. Is it the very latest, probably not, but still better than what we have.
But here’s the bigger point… does it even matter?
My computer is a tool. It is there to server as a vehicle for me to get stuff done.
My criteria for that tool is that it does it’s job efficiently, reliably, and allows me to get work done.
That’s it.
It’s not as much about the CPU it has, or the GPU as it is, does it meet the criteria I need to get the job done.
Now that certainly may define the specs of the tool I need, but… do I really care as much what “brand” those components are?
As long as they meet the performance and reliability criteria? I say not so much
Yes , having the flashy newest technology can be ego boosting and make you feel good about using the tool, but it’s till just there to get the work done.
Buy the thing that’s going to get the work done when you need to get the work done.
Buy good tools that work for you and don’t worry about the next thing that might come along tomorrow
Because your good tool that gets your work done today is going to be the thing that allows you to buy the next great tool tomorrow.
Now, I am over simplifying a bit to make a point
As I said at the beginning you need to decide for yourself
Apple’s current machines on Intel are proven and reliable
They run today’s apps on today’s tech.
Apple Silicon looks to be great, but is unknown and unproven. There will likely be bumps in the road and we already know that some apps may not work as well or could not work at all.
Or at least it may be a while before software is updated to support it.
So, do you stick with the older, proven, and reliable or do you wait and live on the cutting edge?
Neither answer is right or wrong. It just depends on your situation and preference
