Benjamin Mayo

As the new year begins and with iOS 15.2 released, Apple will start internally focusing on the next major release, iOS 16. According to iPhonesoft, based on knowledge of someone running an internal seed, Apple plans to drop support for the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and the original iPhone SE.

On the iPad side, iPadOS 16 is said to be incompatible with iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad (fifth-generation), and the 2015 iPad Pro models.

A new report from Chinese-language website Commercial Times floats some timelines for Apple’s next-generation of Apple Silicon destined for future Macs.

In particular, the report notes that the M2 chip will debut in the second half of 2022 (codename Staten), and that higher-end M2 Pro / M2 Max variants will be in the first half of 2023 (codename Rhodes).

Over the weekend, a story has gone viral on Twitter about the Apple AirTag. Jeana Jeana recounted how she discovered an AirTag had been stuck underneath the front passenger wheel well of her car …

The Pixelmator team is perhaps best known for Pixelmator Pro, the richly-featured Mac image editor and graphics tool. However, the company has been quietly iterating on a streamlined photo-focused app on the iPad, Pixelmator Photo.

Today, Pixelmator Photo is expanding to the iPhone too. This means you can take a picture with your iPhone’s camera and immediately edit it using Pixelmator Photo, with more than 30 color adjustment tools at your fingertips.

Apple has once again delayed its official return to standard attendance at its corporate campuses in Cupertino. It was previously set at February 1st 2022, but now has been pushed back to an unspecified time as the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant takes hold around the world.

This is now the fourth time that Apple has had to revise its schedule for bringing employees back to the office.

Apple has today launched one of the few outstanding iOS 15 features first demoed at WWDC. In partnership with Hyatt Hotels, Apple users will be able to use their iPhone, or Apple Watch, as their room key in the initial rollout of six hotels.

You add your key to Wallet in much the same way as you might add a cinema ticket or DisneyWorld pass, using the hotelier’s app. As soon as you book your reservation, you can add your key to the Wallet app ready for when you arrive.

With iOS 15.2, Apple is giving iPhone owners even more information about repaired parts in their devices.

In Settings -> General -> About, there is a new section describing the Parts and Service History of the current device, including whether they are identified as genuine Apple parts, links to the date of when the service took place at Apple, or if the part is unknown and not recognized as an Apple-official component.

In addition to augmented reality, Ming-Chi Kuo also referred to several other products in his report published today. The reliable Apple analyst expects three new Apple Watch models to debut next year, including the Apple Watch Series 8, a new Apple Watch SE and the previously-rumored rugged sports version.

A significant upgrade to AirPods Pro will also release in late 2022, featuring a ‘significantly upgraded’ chip. Bloomberg previously reported that the new AirPods Pro will feature onboard health sensors for the first time, and may feature a radical chassis redesign eradicating the stems altogether.

Prolific Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is continuing his coverage of the upcoming Apple augmented reality and virtual reality product, with the first-generation headset expected to debut sometime in 2022.

The first-generation headset will weigh around 300-400 grams, which compares quite favourably to the existing VR headsets on the market. However, the analyst says Apple is already working on a second-generation design which will be significantly lighter, as well as featuring an updated industrial design, new battery system, and faster processor.

Apple TV+ has officially signed on to produce and distribute a long in-the-works adaptation of the book ‘Bad Blood’, which dissects the fall of Theranos and its Steve Jobs-wannabe founder Elizabeth Holmes.

As reported by Deadline, Apple Original Films and Legendary Entertainment studios are co-producing the film, directed by Adam McKay and starring as Jennifer Lawrence as Holmes.

Although the appeal of the Apple-Epic lawsuit is ongoing, Apple is currently subject to the judge’s decision and will have to allow app developers to show links to external payment platforms inside from December 9, unless the Ninth Circuit grants a stay.

In a related legal filing, Apple indicates that it is considering charging a commission on any such transactions that are initiated from within an app, even though they are not using In-App Purchase.