Category Archives: Apple

Apple Plans Thinner, Foldable iPhones To Revive Growth

Apple

Apple is preparing a series of major design and format changes to its lineup of iPhones and potentially other products, in a bid to revive growth after years of largely incremental upgrades, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Starting next year, Apple plans to introduce an iPhone that will be thinner than the approximately 8-millimeter profile of current models, said people familiar with the company’s plans. The model is intended to be cheaper than other Pro models, with a simplified camera system to reduce costs.

The company is also planning two foldable devices, the people said.  A larger device, intended to serve as a laptop, would have a screen that unfolds to be nearly as large as some desktop monitors, at about 19 inches. A smaller model would unfold to a display size that would be larger than an iPhone 16 Pro Max, intended to serves as a foldable iPhone, the people said.

Both foldable designed have been in development for years, but some key parts weren’t ready. Major challenges included improving the hinge, a mechanism that allows the device to fold and unfold, and the display cover, a flexible material protecting the foldable screen.

Engadget reported: The Magic Mouse has gone a long time without any major changes to its design beyond things like dropping the AA batteries and gaining a USB-C port, but Apple is now reportedly planning an overhaul.

In the Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman reports that Apple has started working on prototypes for a more modern version of the Magic Mouse, which was first released way back in 2009.

While some users have loved the Magic Mouse for its gesture controls, other aspects like its nonergonomic design and its underside charging port have been the subject of complaints for years. We don’t know exactly what the redesign will bring, but it’d be great to see those things finally addressed.

According to Gurman, “Apple is looking to create something that’s more relevant, while also fixing longstanding complaints — yes, including the charging port issue.” It could still be a while before we see the new Magic Mouse, though. Gruman notes that it could take another year to 18 months to get it ready for market.

TechCrunch reported: The next big upgrade to Apple’s mobile devices could be foldability, according to multiple reports published Sunday.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is aiming to launch two foldable devices in the next few years. There’s a larger model with a 19-inch screen that could compete with desktop monitors, as well as a smaller model that would serve as a foldable iPhone, with a larger screen than the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

In my opinion, it appears that Apple is intending on upgrading some of its products. It is unclear when those products will hit the market.

Apple And Sony Could Add PlayStation VR2 Controller To Support Vision OS

Apple, Sony

The Vision Pro could gain support for Sony PSVR2 controllers soon, according to Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter for Bloomberg, The Verge reported.

Apple and Sony apparently planned to announce support for the controllers “weeks ago” but have pushed back the rollout. Under this rumored partnership, Apple would begin selling Sony’s controllers, which aren’t currently available on their own.

Sony has apparently been working on adding the support for months, while Apple has asked third-party developers if they would take advantage of Sony’s VR controllers. That’s potentially great news for Vision Pro owners who wish the headset had more gaming chops.

Gurman writes that Apple also wants to use the controllers for more than gaming — the controllers will be able to navigate visionOS, and would offer more precise control in apps like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Photoshop.

Right now, you can pair a standard Bluetooth controller and navigate visionOS — tapping battings to select things, scrolling with the analog sticks, and so on. They also work for gaming, but you’re mostly limited to iPad and iPhone games with controller support or made-for-iOS emulators or that native Virtual Boy one.

Engadget reported Apple and Sony have quietly been working on bringing PlayStation VR2 controller support to the Apple Vision Pro, Mark Gurman reports in Power On Newsletter.

Gaming isn’t exactly the Vision Pro’s strong suit, thanks in part to the fact that it doesn’t support typical VR controllers. But Apple has reportedly approached Sony in hopes to remedy that. According to Gurman, the two partnered up earlier this year, and Sony has been working on the project for months.

Apple and Sony planned to have support for the PS VR2’s Sense controllers ready by now, but the launch has been delayed as they iron out a few issues, Gurman notes — like the fact that Sony doesn’t produce and sell the controllers separately from its headset at the moment.

Apple Insider reported: A new report claims Apple has approached Sony in an effort to bring handheld game controller support — and presumably more games — to the Apple Vision Pro.

Bloomberg reports that a future update to visionOS will bring support for third-party hand controllers, including Sony PlayStation VR2 controllers. Apple has also reached out to third-party developers in an effort to bring more games to the Apple Vision Pro, with support for controllers as an inducement.

Traditional game controllers used with the Xbox and PlayStation are currently supported in the Apple Vision Pro, but only for Apple Arcade games. Bringing support for VR controllers, and encouraging developers to support more VR games for the platform, would likely increase sales of Apple’s headset.

In my opinion, it sounds like Apple and Sony are trying to work together with each other. This could be great for people who love to play video games.

Apple’s Next Step In TV Should Be A Streaming Stick

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Apple doesn’t need its own TV set. But it should make a low-cost TV streaming stick to bring its content, apps and smart home features to more households, Bloomberg reported.

Well over a decade ago, after bringing the iPad to the market and starting the search for a new product category, Apple Inc. explored developing a TV-like device.

The idea was to make something with a huge display that could be nestled into a stand for TV viewing, but also serve as a touch-screen Mac or giant iPad if needed. It would have been a bit similar to the old-school Microsoft Surface (now known a the PixelSense) — something that could handle media, videoconferencing and even office work. At the height of Apple’s ambitions, it hoped the device would turn the industry on its head like the iPhone did years earlier.

Teams at Apple built full-scale prototypes, crafted user interfaces, and started to contemplate plans for manufacturing and the supply chain. Apple fans, meanwhile, had long anticipated that the company might make a TV set — prodded in part by comments from co-founder Steve Jobs.

MacRumors reported iOS 19 is not expected to be announced until June 2025, but the software’s update first major new feature has already leaked.

In his Power On Newsletter today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reiterated his previous report that said iOS 19 will introduce a “more conversational Siri” powered by “more advanced large language models.” He said this upgrade will make Siri more like OpenAI’s Chat GPT, allowing the assistant to “handle more sophisticated requests.”

Apple will likely unveil the revamped Siri when it unveils iOS 19 at WWDC 2025 next June, but Gurman said it will not be available until as early as spring 2026. That suggests the feature will be released as part of an iOS 19.4 update.

In the meantime, iOS 18.2 adds ChatGPT integration to Siri, and Gurman expects an integration with Google’s Gemini to follow in a later update. Apple previously confirmed that iOS 18.2 will be released to the public in December.

And with iOS 18.4. Siri will gain on-screen awareness, deeper per-app controls, and a few other enhancements, but it will still not offer fully-fledged ChatGPT-like conversational abilities directly.

9To5Mac reported According to Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter, Apple has no ‘meaningful’ plans to refresh AirPods Max after the introduction of the USB-C model earlier this year. If you were waiting for a bigger refresh with a newer chip, improved noise cancellation, or anything else — you’re out of lick.

Apple introduced AirPods Max in December 2020 at the high price of $549, and left them unchanged for nearly four years. We later got a USB-C version in September of 2024, with some refreshed colors, but that was it. No upgrade to the H2 chip, no adaptive audio, or anything substantial.

In my opinion, it sounds like Apple is making changes to some of its products. This could be great for Apple users who want to try something new from the company.

Apple’s Future Hinges On Smaller Bets

Apple

Apple may never find another product with as much revenue potential as the iPhone, but it can still thrive with several new Apple Watch – or iPad-level businesses. For years, Apple Inc. watchers, customers and investors have been fixated on the same question: What is the company’s next blockbuster product? Bloomberg reported.

They’ve been waiting for Apple to deliver something with the same revenue potential as the iPhone – a gadget that can become its next growth engine. 

That’s quite a challenge. There are more than a billion iPhones in use globally, and the device is at the center of the company’s product ecosystem. Consumers also haven’t indicated that they want some bold new alternative to a smartphone, a powerful computing platform that fits in their pockets.

The iPhone generates more than $200 billion for Apple annually — more than half its total revenue — while also helping fuel another $100 billion in services and more from accessory sales. The company’s App Store, Apple Watch, music service, TV+ streaming platform and AirPods are all popular because of a smartphone that first hit the market almost two decades ago.

PCMag reported Apple may launch an updated version of the Apple Vision Pro in late 2025 or in the spring of 2026, Bloomberg reported. Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter claims that the revamped version of the $3,500 headset is likely to arrive before a more budget-friendly option is released.

“Apple is working on several ideas for its Vision headset line, but at least one version of the second-generation Vision Pro — assuming it’s released — will look almost entirely like the current design,” Gurman says. “The big changes are internal, including a processor upgrade.”

The rumors come after Bloomberg said in September that Apple’s Vision Products Group was looking to produce a cheaper Vision headset without the “Pro” branding, costing $2,000. The budget Vision Pro would have reportedly used slightly cheaper materials and removed several features of the current version, such as EyeSight, which allows users to show their own eyes while wearing the headset.

DigitalTrends reported Apple’s foray into the XR wearable segment may not have stored the same kind of success that it tasted with the likes of the iPhone or the Apple Watch, but the company is still moving ahead with future iterations. 

While plans of a cheaper headset may have been pushed, the Vision Pro could get a successor within a year, or so.

In my opinion, Apple has a lot of fans who will happily buy Apple products. The biggest problem could be the wait time for specific items to become available – and how much it will cost.

iPhones In Police Custody Reportedly Reboot Themselves

Apple, Phone

Apple iPhones stored for forensic examination are allegedly rebooting themselves, making it difficult for police to get the info they need, PCMag reported. The reports come from a document put together by Detroit Law enforcement officials and obtained by 404 Media.

After the mysterious reboots, the devices supposedly enter what is called the Before First Unlock (BFU) state. This makes cracking them to get data about criminal activity much harder.

The document seen by 404 Media theorized that the iPhones rebooted in “a short amount of time” when removed from a cellular network, potentially around 24 hours. According to the document, one of the iPhones was even in Airplane mode and one was inside what is called a Faraday box, a type of container that blocks electronic signals from reaching the iPhone, stopping them from accessing telecom coverage, as well as things like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

TechCrunch reported iPhones might be harder for police to unlock, thanks to a new reboot feature. New code introduced in the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system could make it more difficult for both police and thieves to unlock phones.

404 Media reported Thursday that law enforcement officials were warning each other that phones being stored for forensic examination seems to be rebooting themselves — something that security experts confirmed in a follow-up story. After the reboot, it’s harder for those phones to be unlocked by password-cracking tools.

This reboot appears to be taking place after iPhones with iOS 18.1 have not been unlocked for a set period of time. According to Chris Wade, founder of mobile analysis Corellium, iPhones seem to reboot after their fourth day in a locked state.

Gizmodo reported: We seem to have gotten an answer to the mystery of why iPhones in the custody of law enforcement have been rebooting themselves, making it harder for cops to break them open. Security researchers have found that the latest version of iOS, version 18.1, includes a feature called “inactivity reboot” that restarts a device approximately four days after being in a locked state.

404 Media reported earlier that week that police officers in Detroit were freaking out because iPhones in their custody for examination were randomly rebooting, making it more difficult to crack them open and exfiltrate data that could be useful in investigations. 

Law enforcement and forensic experts quickly make their way into group chats in order to warn others to get data off devices in their custody as quickly as possible before the reboot happens.

Apple is constantly implementing new security measures into its devices, and it’s not likely that the company was specifically targeting law enforcement with this security enhancement.

In my opinion, it sounds like iPhones are going to be much harder for law enforcement to crack open and collect data from. 

 

Apple Mac Mini Review: Shockingly Small, Incredibly Powerful

Apple

The Mac mini is an adorable box that resembles an oversized Apple TV. But what’s more impressive is that it’s significantly faster than before, thanks to Apple’s M4 and M4 Pro chips, and it still starts ant $599. Once again, the Mac mini redefines what a desktop can be, Engadget reported.

While Apple my have started the tiny PC trend with the original Mac mini in 2005, it’s certainly not alone today. Intel’s NUC line survived execution and is now being spearheaded by ASUS, but those boxes are still expensive and relatively niche. HP sells “Elite Mini” desktops for businesses, but they mainly exist to make IT workers’ lives easier.

Apple’s smaller Mac mini is lighter than ever, thanks to the M4 and M4 Pro chips, and it’s a better deal with 16GB of RAM to start.

The Mac mini, meanwhile, has for years been an affordable gateway into the world of Apple desktops. Now, it’s the cheapest way to get a taste of Apple Silicon, especially if you already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse. 

The Mac mini’s redesign case is less than half the size of the previous version, so you won’t have to devote as much desk space to it. It also features front connectivity for the first time — two USB-C ports and a headphone jack — something that previously required upgrading to the $1,999 Mac Studio. 

Why wouldn’t you want the new Mac mini? The Verge reported. Over the last several days of testing Apple’s redesigned desktop Mac, I’ve been impressed by all this power and potential crammed into this very compact machine. 

For a starting price of $599 and with 16GB of RAM now standard, the M4 Mac mini has immediately become the best value for most computing tasks today, and if my M1 MacBook Air is anything to go by, the mini won’t feel slow (or anything close to it) for at least the next four or five years, Chris Welch reported.

But most people won’t need to spend anywhere near that amount. The regular M4 edition offers a lot in its own right and would be my recommendation for anyone who wants a dependable desktop Mac — especially if you’ve already settled on a monitor and/or keyboard that you love.

TechCrunch reported: For years, the mini was the odd man out in the Mac desktop lineup. Apple has given plenty of love to the iMac over the years. The Mac Pro has had a few false starts, but the company is clearly committed to offering a true professional-grade desktop experience.

The Studio is the new kid on the block, addressing a wide range of price points, from under $2,000 to upwards of $5,000.

In my opinion, it is good that Apple is now supporting the Mac mini right now. It would be nice to see people adopting that model and using it.

Apple Announces Redesigned Mac mini With M4 Chip

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As part of the company’s week of Mac-focused announcements, Apple has just introduced a smaller, yet even more powerful Mac mini, The Verge reported. It’s now equipped with Apple’s latest M4 silicon, supports ray tracing for the first time, and ships with 16GB of RAM by default — seemingly the new normal in the Apple Intelligence era.

The machine still starts at $599 with the regular M4 chip, while the more powerful M4 Pro model has the starting price of $1,399. Like the refreshed iMac announced yesterday, the Mac Mini is available to preorder immediately and will be in stores on November 8th.

The first thing you’ll notice is the new design. As rumored, the Mini has been shrunken down considerably — and it was already a relatively small desktop machine to begin with. Now it’s downright tiny, measuring five inches in both length and width. If your wondering how Apple manages to keep things running cool, the company says its through the M4’s efficiency and “an innovative thermal architecture, which guides air to different levels of the system, while all venting is done through the foot.

Apple posted the following on its Newsroom:

Apple today unveiled the all-new Mac mini powered by the M4 and new M4 Pro chips, and redesigned around Apple silicon to pack an incredible amount of performance into an even smaller form of just 5 by 5 inches. With M4, Mac mini delivers up to 1.8x faster CPU performance and 2.2x faster GPU performance over the M1 model. 

With M4 Pro, it takes the advanced technologies in M4 and scales them up to tackle even more demanding workloads. For more convenient connectivity, it features front and back ports, and for the first time, includes Thunderbolt 5 for faster data transfer speeds on the M4 Pro model.

The new Mac mini is also built for Apple intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves while protecting their privacy. And marking an important environmental milestone, Mac mini is Apple’s first carbon neutral Mac with an over 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across its materials, manufacturing, transportation, and customer use. 

Starting at just $599 with 16GB of memory, the new Mac mini is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning November 8.

Engadget reported: You can likely trace the small computer trend back to the original Mac mini, which debuted in 2005 with a simple pitch: What if desktop, but tiny? Now Apple files to take that concept even further with its latest Mac mini, a five-inch by five-inch box measuring a mere two inches tall, that can tackle some serious workloads. 

And while we expected it to include Apple’s M4 chip, it can also be configured with an even more powerful M4 Pro model, which is also being announced today. Take that hardware together with a standard 16GB of RAM (just like the new M4 iMac), and you’ve got a pretty compelling Mac mini starting at $599 ($499 for education customers.)

In my opinion, I think the new Mac mini could be a really good design for those who are already using Mac computers. It certainly won’t take up much space on people’s desktops.