Benjamin Mayo

Following the announcement of the Mac Studio and Apple Studio Display at the event on Tuesday, the next logical question is whether there will be a higher-end pro version anytime soon, perhaps to replace the Pro Display XDR.

This morning, respected display analyst Ross Young and Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have both weighed in on Twitter on this topic, albeit with differing views.

Alongside the brand new Mac Studio desktop, Apple today announced a new addition to its external display lineup: the Apple Studio Display. The Studio goes on sale on March 18, with prices starting at $1599.

The Studio Display measures 27-inches on the diagonal, with 5K display resolution. You can also get a nano-texture display option to minimise glare. The Studio display integrates an A13 chip to provide rich integration and features, including powering the speaker system and a Center Stage-enabled webcam.

In classic fashion, the Apple Store has gone down ahead of today’s ‘Peek performance’ spring media event. We expect to see the announcement of a new iPhone SE with 5G support and a spec-bumped iPad Air. We also expect Apple to continue the Apple Silicon transition, perhaps introducing a brand new ‘Mac Studio’ model and a new Apple-branded external display at the same time.

The show starts at 10 AM Pacific Time, so stay tuned to 9to5Mac for full coverage of all the announcements.

Ming-Chi Kuo has continued his newfound career as a Twitter leaker by today sharing his predictions for Apple’s desktop roadmap.

The respected analyst said that he expects Apple to ship a high-end Mac mini this year, as well as a 27-inch Apple external display. However, he suggests that updates to iMac Pro and Mac Pro will not arrive until 2023.

YouTuber Quinn Nelson from Snazzy Labs has released a very interesting video showing just how much smaller a Mac mini could be, by stripping down the current M1 Mac mini and making a whole new enclosure for it. The CAD files and schematics have also been published for free, if you want to DIY your own.

In a statement to media, Apple said it is deeply concerned about the Russian invasion and said it stands with all those who are suffering as a result of the violence. Apple said it is supporting humanitarian efforts and providing relief aid.

Apple also confirmed that it has paused all product sales and stopped exports into the Russian sales channel. It has also pulled the Russian state media apps for RT News and Sputnik News in all App Store regions outside of Russia.

The Apple Online Store in Russia has suddenly halted sales of all products in Russia amidst the ongoing international conflict as a result of Russia invading Ukraine. The company has also shared a comprehensive statement on the situation.

Ukranian minister Mykhailo Federov reportedly said ‘thank you Tim Cook’ in response to the news.

According to a report from the Washington Post, Apple Store employees at several retail stores in the US are said are said to be planning to unionize.

Groups at two stores are reportedly preparing paperwork to file with the National Labor Relations Board, with about six more locations at earlier stages of planning.

A judge dismissed a case against Apple today, regarding a 2020 lawsuit from the makers of the ‘iDiversicons’ app who claimed Apple had violated their copyrights by ripping off the designs of diverse skin tone emojis.

In the decision, District Judge Vince Chhabria wryly said ‘there are only so many ways to draw a thumbs up’.

Following two years of going online only because of COVID-19, the SXSW film festival returns to an in-person event this year, running from March 11 through March 20. The headline schedule was announced today and Apple TV+ will have a presence, premiering three new shows.

Update: Apple TV+ has today expanded its SXSW showing with two additional titles; debut of Sundance favourite feature film ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ and ‘The Big Conn’, a docuseries from the creators of McMillion$.

As spotted by Consomac, Apple has registered three new Macs in the Eurasian regulatory database. The new model numbers are A2615, A2686, and A2681. One of these models is described as a laptop.

A couple of weeks ago, we also saw the Eurasian database register iPhone and iPad models, likely signalling the forthcoming unveiling of a new iPhone SE generation with 5G support, and a spec-bumped iPad Air.

For Valentines Day weekend, Apple TV+ today premieres The Sky is Everywhere. Based on the YA novel by Jandy Nelson, this is the latest film hailing from Apple’s partnership with A24. It is directed by Josephine Decker.

For years, Apple has had thousands of software and hardware engineers working on an AR and VR device. The first iteration of this project is believed to be a standalone headset, featuring high-resolution displays and M1 Pro comparable performance.

We are now seeing more references to “realityOS” – the operating system that the headset will run – leak out in Apple open source code, as the hardware gets closer… to being a reality.

Apple TV+ and Apple Original Films had its best outing at the Oscars so far, with six total nominations for the company.

Most notably, CODA nabbed the most prestigious Best Picture Oscar nomination. Incidentally, CODA is also the first movie with a predominantly deaf cast to land a Best Picture nomination.

Apple today provided some additional details about how it will allow dating apps in the Netherlands to offer alternative payment systems, in compliance with a legal decision (that Apple is simultaneously appealing).

The biggest tidbit from this is the reveal of the ‘reduced’ commission structure. Apple typically charges 30% commission on purchases made using its In-App Purchase system. The commission levied on alternative payment systems has been set at … 27%, net of tax.

In November, Apple sued NSO Group over its repeated use of zero-click iPhone exploits to help malicious actors spy on iPhone users. Since then, many political activists have said they have been notified by Apple that they were targeted by NSO Group’s ‘ForcedEntry’ attack.

However, it seems that more than just NSO Group had knowledge of the flaw. Today, Reuters reports that a similar exploit has also been discovered and exploited by another Israeli firm called QuaDream.