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❤ Mac: How to set custom Safari backgrounds

Galaxy Expert November 28, 2020 Apple, Apple 5G, Apple Mac, Apple User Guide, Featured, Lifestyle, Mac User Guide, News, Repair Service, Review, Top Stories, World Apple Mac, Apple Macbook, Apple Repair, Apple Repair Costs, Apple Safari, Apple Screen Replacement Costs, Apple Sydney CBD Repairs, custom Safari backgrounds, Safari

macOS Big Sur comes with some major changes and Safari 14 includes a number of enhancements. One of the simple but nice aesthetic changes is the option to set your own image for Apple’s browser. Read on for how to set custom Safari backgrounds.

Safari 14 comes with macOS Big Sur (released for Catalina too) and brings a lot of great features like 4K support for YouTube, Apple’s new translation integration, performance improvements, and a new start page. The start page is where you can set a custom Safari background.

Let’s look at two ways to do this…

How to set custom Safari backgrounds with macOS Big Sur

The fastest option if you already have the image you want to use is to drag and drop it on the Safari start page
Alternatively, you can right-click on the start page in a blank area and click “Choose Background…”
- Now you can search Finder to select an image
If you want to clear you custom Safari background, right-click on the start page background and choose “Clear Background”

Here’s how the process looks:

Drag and drop an image to set a custom Safari background

And here’s the right-click option to set custom Safari backgrounds:

❤ Introducing the next generation of Mac

Galaxy Expert November 24, 2020 Apple, Apple 5G, Apple Mac, Apple MacBook, Apple MacOS, Featured, Lifestyle, Mac User Guide, Macbook Pro, News, Repair Service, Review, Top Stories, World Apple, Apple Mac, Apple Macbook, Apple Repair, Apple Repair Costs, Apple Screen Replacement Costs, Apple Sydney CBD Repairs, Mac, MacBook, next generation of Apple Mac, next generation of Apple MacBook, next generation of Mac, next generation of MacBook

The new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini are now powered by M1, Apple’s revolutionary chip.

A new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini powered by M1, Apple’s breakthrough chip for the Mac

Cupertino, California — On a momentous day for the Mac, Apple introduced a new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini powered by the revolutionary M1, the first in a family of chips designed by Apple specifically for the Mac. By far the most powerful chip Apple has ever made, M1 transforms the Mac experience. With its industry-leading performance per watt, together with macOS Big Sur, M1 delivers up to 3.5x faster CPU, up to 6x faster GPU, up to 15x faster machine learning (ML) capabilities, and battery life up to 2x longer than before. And with M1 and Big Sur, users get access to the biggest collection of apps ever for Mac. With amazing performance and remarkable new features, the new lineup of M1-powered Macs are an incredible value, and all are available to order today.

“The introduction of three new Macs featuring Apple’s breakthrough M1 chip represents a bold change that was years in the making, and marks a truly historic day for the Mac and for Apple,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “M1 is by far the most powerful chip we’ve ever created, and combined with Big Sur, delivers mind-blowing performance, extraordinary battery life, and access to more software and apps than ever before. We can’t wait for our customers to experience this new generation of Mac, and we have no doubt it will help them continue to change the world.”

With M1, the Mac delivers unprecedented levels of performance, extraordinary battery life, and access to more software than ever.

MacBook Air: A Thin and Light Powerhouse

MacBook Air is Apple’s most popular Mac and the world’s best-selling 13-inch notebook. With the M1 chip, MacBook Air speeds through everything from editing family photos to exporting videos for the web. The powerful 8-core CPU performs up to 3.5x faster than the previous generation. With up to an 8-core GPU, graphics are up to 5x faster, the biggest leap ever for MacBook Air, so immersive, graphics-intensive games run at significantly higher frame rates. ML workloads are up to 9x faster, so apps that use ML-based features like face recognition or object detection can do so in a fraction of the time. The M1 chip’s storage controller and latest flash technology deliver up to 2x faster SSD performance, so previewing massive images or importing large files is faster than ever. And in MacBook Air, M1 is faster than the chips in 98 percent of PC laptops sold in the past year.

With the industry-leading power efficiency of M1, MacBook Air also delivers this performance in a fanless design, which means no matter what users are doing, it remains completely silent. And the new MacBook Air features extraordinary battery life, with up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 18 hours of video playback — the longest battery life ever on a MacBook Air.

MacBook Air with M1 is an absolute powerhouse of performance and thin-and-light portability.

When compared to the previous generation, the M1-powered MacBook Air can:

Export a project for the web with iMovie up to 3x faster.
Integrate 3D effects into video in Final Cut Pro up to 5x faster.
For the first time, play back and edit multiple streams of full-quality, 4K ProRes video in Final Cut Pro without dropping a frame.
Export photos from Lightroom up to twice as fast.
Use ML-based features like Smart Conform in Final Cut Pro to intelligently frame a clip up to 4.3x faster.
Watch more movies and TV shows with up to 18 hours of battery life, the longest ever on MacBook Air.
Extend FaceTime and other video calls for up to twice as long on a single charge.

With M1, MacBook Air users can fly through projects in iMovie, exporting projects up to 3x faster.

With up to 18 hours of battery life, MacBook Air users can watch even more of their favorite movies and TV shows on a single charge.

On the new MacBook Air, FaceTime and video calls can go up to twice as long.

Other new features in MacBook Air include Apple’s latest image signal processor (ISP) in the M1 chip, which improves camera image quality with better noise reduction, greater dynamic range, and improved auto white balance and ML-enhanced face detection so users look their best during video calls. Support for P3 wide color results in an even more vibrant, true-to-life Retina display. The Secure Enclave in M1, combined with Big Sur, delivers best-in-class security with features like Touch ID, which makes it easy to unlock MacBook Air and make secure online purchases using Apple Pay with the touch of a finger. And Wi-Fi 6 delivers faster wireless performance, while two Thunderbolt ports with USB 4 support allow for connectivity to a wide range of peripherals.

With its sleek wedge-shaped design, stunning Retina display, Magic Keyboard, and astonishing level of performance thanks to M1, the new MacBook Air once again redefines what a thin and light notebook can do. And it is still just $999, and $899 for education.

Support for P3 wide color makes the Retina display on MacBook Air even more vibrant and true to life.

13-inch MacBook Pro: Even More Powerful and Even More Pro

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is Apple’s most popular pro notebook. Students use it to power through college, and pros use it to channel their creativity. With the M1 chip and Big Sur, the 13-inch MacBook Pro becomes even more powerful and even more pro. The 8-core CPU, when paired with the MacBook Pro’s active cooling system, is up to 2.8x faster than the previous generation, delivering game-changing performance when compiling code, transcoding video, editing high-resolution photos, and more. The 8-core GPU is up to 5x faster, allowing users to enjoy super smooth graphics performance whether they are designing a graphics-intensive game or a new product. And with M1, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is up to 3x faster than the best-selling Windows laptop in its class. ML is up to 11x faster, and for on-device ML tasks that use the Neural Engine, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is now the world’s fastest compact pro notebook. With up to 17 hours of wireless web browsing and up to a staggering 20 hours of video playback, MacBook Pro delivers up to twice the battery life of the previous generation and the longest battery life ever on a Mac.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 delivers game-changing performance and the longest battery life ever on a Mac.

When compared to the previous generation, the M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro can:

Build code in Xcode up to 2.8x faster.
Render a complex 3D title in Final Cut Pro up to 5.9x faster.
Fluidly design intricate game scenes in Unity Editor up to 3.5x faster.
Perform ML tasks in Create ML up to 11x faster.
Separate out beats, instrumentals, and vocal tracks from a recording in real time in djay Pro AI, thanks to the amazing performance of the Neural Engine.
Play back full-quality, 8K ProRes video in DaVinci Resolve without dropping a single frame.
Compile four times as much code on a single charge, thanks to the game-changing performance per watt of the M1 chip.

With M1, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is up to 2.8x faster so users can compile code with incredible ease.

With the amazing performance of the M1 chip’s Neural Engine, users can perform machine learning tasks up to 11x faster than before.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro can play back full-quality, 8K ProRes video without dropping a single frame.

Other new features in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro include studio-quality mics for super clear recordings and calls, and Apple’s latest camera ISP in the M1 chip enables sharper images and more detail in shadows and highlights on video calls. The new MacBook Pro also delivers best-in-class security with the Secure Enclave in M1 and Touch ID. And it features two Thunderbolt ports with USB 4 support to connect to more peripherals than ever, including Apple’s Pro Display XDR in full 6K resolution.

With its amazing performance and unbelievable battery life, combined with its gorgeous Retina display, Magic Keyboard, and 3-pound compact design, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is the ultimate expression of what the M1 chip can do. And it is available for the same starting price of just $1,299, and $1,199 for education.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is the ultimate expression of what the M1 chip can do.

Mac mini: Staggering Performance and an Ultracompact Design

Mac mini is Apple’s most versatile computer, and now with M1, it packs a staggering amount of performance and incredible new features in such a compact design. M1 brings an 8-core CPU with up to 3x faster performance than the previous generation, dramatically accelerating demanding workloads, from compiling a million lines of code to building enormous multitrack music projects. An 8-core GPU delivers up to a massive 6x increase in graphics performance, allowing Mac mini to tackle performance-intensive tasks like complex 3D rendering with ease. ML workloads also take a quantum leap forward with up to 15x faster performance over the previous generation. And when compared to the best-selling Windows desktop in its price range, the Mac mini is just one-tenth the size, yet delivers up to 5x faster performance.

The new Mac mini packs a staggering amount of performance into its ultracompact design.

When compared to the previous generation, the M1-powered Mac mini can:

Compile code in Xcode up to 3x faster.
Play a graphics-intensive game like “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” with up to 4x higher frame rates.
Render a complex timeline in Final Cut Pro up to 6x faster.
Take music production to new levels by using up to 3x as many real-time plug-ins in Logic Pro.
Magically increase the resolution of a photo in Pixelmator Pro up to 15x faster.
Utilize ML frameworks like TensorFlow or Create ML, now accelerated by the M1 chip.

With 3x faster performance, Mac mini dramatically accelerates demanding workflows like compiling code in Xcode.

With M1, graphics-intensive gaming on Mac mini is better than ever with up to 4x higher frame rates.

The new Mac mini takes music production to new levels, enabling up to 3x as many real-time plug-ins in Logic Pro.

Mac mini also features an advanced thermal design to sustain its breakthrough performance while staying cool and quiet, support for up to two displays including Apple’s Pro Display XDR in full 6K resolution, and Wi-Fi 6 for faster wireless performance and the Secure Enclave in M1 for best-in-class security.

With M1 and Big Sur, Mac mini represents a massive shift in what an ultrasmall desktop can do. Far more versatile and far more capable than ever, Mac mini is now available for just $699, $100 less than the previous-generation quad-core model.

macOS Big Sur

All new Macs come with Big Sur, the latest version of the world’s most advanced desktop operating system. Big Sur introduces a beautiful redesign that is entirely new yet instantly familiar, and powerful updates to apps including Safari, Messages, and Maps. Big Sur is engineered, down to its core, to take full advantage of all the capability and power of M1, delivering a massive boost in performance, astonishing battery life, and even stronger security protections. With M1, things users do every day feel noticeably faster and smoother. Just like iPhone and iPad, the Mac now instantly wakes from sleep. Browsing with Safari — which is already the world’s fastest browser — is now up to 1.5x speedier at running JavaScript and nearly 2x more responsive.⁶

With Big Sur and M1, Mac users can run a greater range of apps than ever before. All of Apple’s Mac software is now Universal and runs natively for M1 systems. Existing Mac apps that have not been updated to Universal will run seamlessly with Apple’s Rosetta 2 technology. And iPhone and iPad apps can now run directly on the Mac. Additionally, the foundations of Big Sur are optimized to unlock the power of M1, including developer technologies from Metal for graphics to Core ML for machine learning.

macOS Big Sur is engineered to take full advantage of the M1 chip in the new Mac lineup.

Pricing and Availability

The new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini with M1 are available to order today on apple.com and in the Apple Store app. They will begin arriving to customers and will be in select Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers starting next week. The new MacBook Air starts at $999 (US), and $899 (US) for education; the new 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,299 (US), and $1,199 (US) for education; and the new Mac mini starts at $699 (US), and $679 (US) for education.
Customers are able to find the same great shopping and support services at apple.com/shop, in the Apple Store app, and at Apple Store locations. Customers can get shopping help from Apple Specialists, choose monthly financing options, trade in eligible devices, and get Support services and no-contact delivery or Apple Store pickup options. Customers are encouraged to check apple.com/retail for more information on the health and safety measures in place, and the services available, at their local store.
Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options, and accessories are available online at apple.com/mac.

❤ Apple announces App Store Small Business Program

Galaxy Expert November 21, 2020 App Store, Apple, Apple 5G, Apple User Guide, Featured, Lifestyle, News, Repair Service, Review, Top Stories, World App Store, App Store Small Business Program, Apple, Apple App Store, Apple App Store Small Business Program, Apple iPad, Apple iPhone, Apple Repair, Apple Repair Costs, Apple Screen Replacement Costs, Apple Sydney CBD Repairs, iPad, Small Business, Small Business Program

New program reduces App Store commission to 15 percent for small businesses earning up to $1 million per year

Cupertino California — Apple announced an industry-leading new developer program to accelerate innovation and help small businesses and independent developers propel their businesses forward with the next generation of groundbreaking apps on the App Store. The new App Store Small Business Program will benefit the vast majority of developers who sell digital goods and services on the store, providing them with a reduced commission on paid apps and in-app purchases. Developers can qualify for the program and a reduced, 15 percent commission if they earned up to $1 million in proceeds during the previous calendar year.

The App Store Small Business Program, which will launch on January 1, 2021, comes at an important time as small and independent developers continue working to innovate and thrive during a period of unprecedented global economic challenge. Apps have taken on new importance as businesses adapt to a virtual world during the pandemic, and many small businesses have launched or dramatically grown their digital presence in order to continue to reach their customers and communities. The program’s reduced commission means small developers and aspiring entrepreneurs will have more resources to invest in and grow their businesses in the App Store ecosystem.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our global economy and the beating heart of innovation and opportunity in communities around the world. We’re launching this program to help small business owners write the next chapter of creativity and prosperity on the App Store, and to build the kind of quality apps our customers love,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The App Store has been an engine of economic growth like none other, creating millions of new jobs and a pathway to entrepreneurship accessible to anyone with a great idea. Our new program carries that progress forward — helping developers fund their small businesses, take risks on new ideas, expand their teams, and continue to make apps that enrich people’s lives.”

While the comprehensive details will be released in early December, the essentials of the program’s participation criteria are easy and streamlined:

Existing developers who made up to $1 million in 2020 for all of their apps, as well as developers new to the App Store, can qualify for the program and the reduced commission.
If a participating developer surpasses the $1 million threshold, the standard commission rate will apply for the remainder of the year.
If a developer’s business falls below the $1 million threshold in a future calendar year, they can requalify for the 15 percent commission the year after.

The App Store’s standard commission rate of 30 percent remains in place for apps selling digital goods and services and making more than $1 million in proceeds, defined as a developer’s post-commission earnings. Earlier this year, an independent study by the Analysis Group found that Apple’s commission structure is in the mainstream for app distribution and gaming platforms.

Small business owners will continue to benefit from Apple’s unparalleled suite of developer tools — including development applications, programming languages, a secure payment interface, and more than 250,000 essential software building blocks called APIs. Apple is committed to giving developers the tools to turn their brightest ideas into apps that change the world. Tools like HealthKit give engineers secure access to user health data, ARKit empowers developers to explore new frontiers of augmented reality, and Core ML harnesses the speed and intelligence of machine learning to help developers build powerful features with just a few lines of code.

Earning the trust of users and developers has been an important goal of the App Store from the beginning. It’s why every one of the 1.8 million apps on the App Store undergoes a review process that developers and their customers can rely on — one that helps make sure every app is reliable, performs as expected, is free of objectionable content, and upholds the highest standards to protect users’ privacy and security.

Developers of all sizes have built successful businesses while benefitting from the App Store’s global reach encompassing users of the more than 1.5 billion Apple devices around the world in 175 countries and over 40 languages, with more than 180 local payment methods and 45 accepted currencies. In 2019 alone, the App Store ecosystem facilitated $519 billion in commerce worldwide — with over 85 percent of that total accruing solely to third-party developers and businesses of all sizes. The new App Store Small Business Program will build on that progress to generate even more digital commerce and app innovations, support new jobs, and help small and independent developers continue to bring great software to Apple users.

The App Store, which launched in 2008, is the world’s safest and most vibrant app marketplace, currently offering 1.8 million apps and visited by half a billion people each week. It helps creators, dreamers, and learners of all ages and backgrounds connect with the tools and information they need to build a brighter future and a better world.

Through the new App Store Small Business Program, qualifying small businesses that earn up to $1 million in revenue are eligible for a 15 percent commission rate — half of the App Store’s standard commission.

Developers see a world of possibilities with new App Store Small Business Program

Every week, half a billion visitors to the App Store engage with 1.8 million apps, from indie games like “Song of Bloom,” to virtual fitness coaches like MySwimPro, to coding apps for kids like Hopscotch. Many of these apps are created by independent developers driven by a single idea. Oftentimes, these developers maintain full-time careers that ultimately fund their ideas until they are launched into the real world.

Since the launch of the App Store, small businesses have been its driving spirit. Now more than ever, these businesses are core to the communities they serve, helping people stay healthy, connected, and learning. Apple unveiled the App Store Small Business Program, a new commission structure to support small and individual developers and spur innovation for the next chapter of apps.

Philipp Stollenmayer, an indie game developer with 20 titles in the App Store, is excited for the new App Store Small Business Program to help a new wave of creators launch innovative games of their own.

“This is a big opportunity for the indie gaming spirit to become truly mobile,” says Philipp Stollenmayer, a solo developer in the App Store. Stollenmayer, whose latest game, “Song of Bloom,” won an Apple Design Award in June 2020, was drawn to the appeal of iPhone as a new platform for gaming, one in its infancy and in need of its own set of standards. When his first game, “What the Frog,” launched in the App Store in 2013 and won a German Multimedia Prize (mb21), he knew he was onto something.

“I saw a whole world of possibilities and how easy it was to get something out there,” Stollenmayer says. “I had the chance to shape how mobile games work and how they differ from consoles. With mobile games, you use the phone in a much more personal way. I put that inside my games and make that active as gameplay, which is much more valuable than trying to create worlds that might not work so well on a small screen.”

“Song of Bloom” is a 2020 Apple Design Award-winning puzzle game by indie developer Philipp Stollenmayer.

With the new App Store commission structure, small and individual developers who earn up to $1 million in revenue for the calendar year are eligible for a reduced 15 percent commission rate — half of the App Store’s standard commission. The savings mean small businesses and developers will have even more funds to invest in their businesses, expand their workforce, and develop new, innovative features for app users around the world. Stollenmayer is excited about the new wave of games that may come to the App Store from people who are new to game design. “I’m most interested in games from people that didn’t make games before because they’re super fascinating,” he says. “You can publish something on the iPhone much, much easier than on any console without any obstacles. This is a super awesome opportunity for the indie studios that don’t want to take any risks.”

Fares Ksebati (left) and Adam Oxner, co-founders of the MySwimPro personal swimming coach and Apple Watch companion app, are excited to reinvest additional revenue earned from the new App Store Small Business Program into making the app better for its community of swimmers.

Beyond the world of gaming, the team behind MySwimPro is also excited about the possibilities to grow their company and expand the app’s offerings with less risk, thanks to the additional revenue that will result from the new App Store program. Co-founders Fares Ksebati and Adam Oxner, both born and raised in Michigan and both swimmers through college competing at the 100-meter breaststroke (though not against each other), met over their shared interest to build a platform that could replicate the elements of coaching swimming whether for fitness or performance goals.

“Adam and I, as well as everyone on our team — we all swim in some capacity,” says Ksebati, who is also MySwimPro’s CEO. “We try and build a community around people who use the app, because swimming is one of those things that you can do at any age, anywhere in the world. And so we are users of our own product in a lot of ways.”

Launched in 2015, MySwimPro currently has 50,000 active users who are swimmers of varying levels.

“We chose to add dryland training to our coaching experience to continue delivering value to our members,” says Ksebati. “We continue to focus on delivering a holistic coaching experience to our community members whether they have access to a pool or not.”

After spending five years building an app that started as a side project, Ksebati and Oxner have grown MySwimPro into a successful business with 12 team members around the world, and they are excited for its next chapter. “The new App Store program will be a huge help to our revenue from purchases in the App Store, and we’re hoping to be able to leverage any more proceeds we get to help make the app better,” says Oxner. “We’re looking forward to further improving the integration of our dryland workouts into the app to help swimmers who might not be able to get to a pool right now.”

Samantha John, co-founder of Hopscotch, looks forward to releasing more features to kids for free with the additional revenue earned from the new App Store Small Business Program.

Samantha John, co-founder of Hopscotch, which was the first coding language designed for iPad, sees the new App Store program as an opportunity to allow kids to do more with Hopscotch for free. “It actually allows us to take some risk that we wanted to take but we were pretty afraid to,” John says. “Specifically around our subscription, … I think it is a good strategy in terms of making money, but it also limits the audience of the app. And we’ve been wanting to walk back that paywall and let people do more for free in the hopes that farther down the line we will have even more loyal subscribers to Hopscotch.”

Started as a way to introduce programming to kids who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to it, Hopscotch is the brainchild of John and co-founder Jocelyn Leavitt, who attended Apple Entrepreneur Camp’s inaugural class of female entrepreneurs in 2019.

“A key driving principle of Hopscotch is that we really want to respect kids as makers and creators and artists,” John says. “That’s really how we see these kids, and also as coders, so it’s very key to how we think about Hopscotch: How can we make sure that kids are able to make work that is meaningful and important to them?”

Hopscotch was the first coding language designed for iPad when the app launched in 2013.

John was intrigued by the possibilities of making programming more kid-friendly after the launch of the second-generation iPad. “There’s something about an iPad and a touchscreen and something you can hold in your hands that feels so much more personal and just so much more interesting.”

Since its 2013 launch, Hopscotch now has 200,000 monthly active users. John considers Hopscotch’s loyal users as its best content creators after seeing how kids are creating and sharing their own games and creation tools in the app. Once the App Store Small Business Program goes into effect in January 2021, John looks forward to bringing more features into the app for free.

“Hopscotch is not just a game and it’s not just an app,” says John. “It’s a skill, a creative process, just in the way some kids play violin. And as kids get older, they get better at conceiving games, better at making things fun, so Hopscotch really is a long-term investment. Having this little bit of extra revenue really lets us invest in things that we believe are going to be really essential for the future of our company.”

❤ Apple unleashes M1

Galaxy Expert November 16, 2020 Apple, Apple 5G, Apple User Guide, Featured, Lifestyle, News, Repair Service, Review, Top Stories, World Apple, Apple First Chip, Apple M1, Apple M1 Chip, Apple Repair, Apple Repair Costs, Apple Screen Replacement Costs, Apple Sydney CBD Repairs, M1, M1 Apple First Chip, M1 Chip

M1 is Apple’s first chip designed specifically for the Mac and the most powerful chip it has ever created.

With industry-leading performance, powerful features, and incredible efficiency, M1 is Apple’s first chip designed specifically for the Mac

Cupertino, California — Apple announced M1, the most powerful chip it has ever created and the first chip designed specifically for the Mac. M1 is optimized for Mac systems in which small size and power efficiency are critically important. As a system on a chip (SoC), M1 combines numerous powerful technologies into a single chip, and features a unified memory architecture for dramatically improved performance and efficiency. M1 is the first personal computer chip built using cutting-edge 5-nanometer process technology and is packed with an astounding 16 billion transistors, the most Apple has ever put into a chip. It features the world’s fastest CPU core in low-power silicon, the world’s best CPU performance per watt, the world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer, and breakthrough machine learning performance with the Apple Neural Engine. As a result, M1 delivers up to 3.5x faster CPU performance, up to 6x faster GPU performance, and up to 15x faster machine learning, all while enabling battery life up to 2x longer than previous-generation Macs. With its profound increase in performance and efficiency, M1 delivers the biggest leap ever for the Mac.

“There has never been a chip like M1, our breakthrough SoC for the Mac. It builds on more than a decade of designing industry-leading chips for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, and ushers in a whole new era for the Mac,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. “When it comes to low-power silicon, M1 has the world’s fastest CPU core, the world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer, and the amazing machine learning performance of the Apple Neural Engine. With its unique combination of remarkable performance, powerful features, and incredible efficiency, M1 is by far the best chip we’ve ever created.”

M1 is the first personal computer chip built using cutting-edge 5-nanometer process technology and is packed with an astounding 16 billion transistors.

First System on a Chip for the Mac

Macs and PCs have traditionally used multiple chips for the CPU, I/O, security, and more. Now with M1, these technologies are combined into a single SoC, delivering a whole new level of integration for greater performance and power efficiency. M1 also features a unified memory architecture that brings together high-bandwidth, low-latency memory into a single pool within a custom package. This allows all of the technologies in the SoC to access the same data without copying it between multiple pools of memory, further improving performance and efficiency.

The World’s Best CPU Performance per Watt

M1 features an 8-core CPU consisting of four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. Each of the high-performance cores provides industry-leading performance for single-threaded tasks, while running as efficiently as possible. They are the world’s fastest CPU cores in low-power silicon, allowing photographers to edit high-resolution photos with lightning speed and developers to build apps nearly 3x faster than before. And all four can be used together for a huge boost in multithreaded performance.

The four high-efficiency cores deliver outstanding performance at a tenth of the power. By themselves, these four cores deliver similar performance as the current-generation, dual-core MacBook Air at much lower power. They are the most efficient way to run lightweight, everyday tasks like checking email or browsing the web, and preserve battery life like never before. And all eight cores can work together to provide incredible compute power for the most demanding tasks and deliver the world’s best CPU performance per watt.

M1 includes an 8-core CPU delivering incredible compute power and the world’s best performance per watt.

The World’s Fastest Integrated Graphics

M1 includes Apple’s most advanced GPU. It benefits from years of analysis of Mac applications, including everyday apps and challenging pro workloads. With industry-leading performance and incredible efficiency, the GPU in M1 is in a class by itself. Featuring up to eight powerful cores capable of running nearly 25,000 threads simultaneously, the GPU can handle extremely demanding tasks with ease, from smooth playback of multiple 4K video streams to rendering complex 3D scenes. With 2.6 teraflops of throughput, M1 has the world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer.

The GPU in M1 is the most advanced Apple has ever created and the world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer.

Blazing-Fast, On-Device Machine Learning

The M1 chip brings the Apple Neural Engine to the Mac, greatly accelerating machine learning (ML) tasks. Featuring Apple’s most advanced 16-core architecture capable of 11 trillion operations per second, the Neural Engine in M1 enables up to 15x faster machine learning performance. In fact, the entire M1 chip is designed to excel at machine learning, with ML accelerators in the CPU and a powerful GPU, so tasks like video analysis, voice recognition, and image processing will have a level of performance never seen before on the Mac.

Developers leveraging machine learning can take full advantage of the blazing-fast performance of the Apple Neural Engine in M1.

More Innovative Technologies Packed into M1

The M1 chip is packed with a number of powerful custom technologies, including:

Apple’s latest image signal processor (ISP) for higher quality video with better noise reduction, greater dynamic range, and improved auto white balance.

The latest Secure Enclave for best-in-class security.

A high-performance storage controller with AES encryption hardware for faster and more secure SSD performance.

Low-power, highly efficient media encode and decode engines for great performance and extended battery life.

An Apple-designed Thunderbolt controller with support for USB 4, transfer speeds up to 40Gbps, and compatibility with more peripherals than ever.

The Apple-designed ISP in M1 makes video calls on the Mac sharper and more vivid.

Mac users can watch more of their favorite videos with the extended battery life delivered by M1.

The Thunderbolt controller is compatible with more peripherals than ever, including Apple’s Pro Display XDR in full 6K resolution.

macOS Big Sur Optimized for M1

macOS Big Sur is engineered, down to its core, to take full advantage of all the capability and power of M1, delivering a massive boost in performance, astonishing battery life, and even stronger security protections. With M1, things users do every day feel noticeably faster and smoother. Just like iPhone and iPad, the Mac now instantly wakes from sleep. Browsing with Safari — which is already the world’s fastest browser — is now up to 1.5x speedier at running JavaScript and nearly 2x more responsive.²

With Big Sur and M1, Mac users can run a greater range of apps than ever before. All of Apple’s Mac software is now Universal and runs natively on M1 systems. Existing Mac apps that have not been updated to Universal will run seamlessly with Apple’s Rosetta 2 technology. And iPhone and iPad apps can now run directly on the Mac. Additionally, the foundations of Big Sur are optimized to unlock the power of M1, including developer technologies from Metal for graphics to Core ML for machine learning.

Mac users now have access to a greater range of apps than ever before.

Start of a Two-Year Transition for the Mac

M1 powers the new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. They join the rest of the Mac product line to form the strongest Mac lineup ever. This is the beginning of a transition to a new family of chips designed specifically for the Mac. The transition to Apple silicon will take about two years to complete, and these three systems are an amazing first step.

❤ Clips gets its biggest update ever

Galaxy Expert November 5, 2020 Apple, Apple 5G, Apple User Guide, Featured, Lifestyle, News, Repair Service, Review, Smartphones, Top Stories, World Apple, Apple HomePod, Apple HomePod mini, Apple Repair, Apple Repair Costs, Apple Screen Replacement Costs, Apple Sydney CBD Repairs, Clips, Clips Apple App, Clips Update

Clips 3.0 makes it easier than ever for anyone to pick up an iPhone or iPad and start creating fun, multiclip videos.

Apple’s video creation app for iPhone and iPad features a refreshed interface, support for vertical and horizontal video, and HDR recording with iPhone 12

Clips, Apple’s video creation app for iOS, receives its biggest update yet with highly requested features that make it easier than ever for anyone to pick up an iPhone or iPad and start creating fun, multiclip videos — no editing experience needed. Clips 3.0, available today in the App Store, features a streamlined interface and full-screen browsers on iPhone that make it even simpler to record and add effects. On iPad, Clips supports landscape orientation, Scribble with Apple Pencil, and the use of a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad. The new version also lets users make videos in multiple aspect ratios, including horizontal and vertical, ideal for creating eye-catching content for Instagram Stories, Snapchat, YouTube, and more. And Clips 3.0 is optimized to record and share content in HDR using the rear-facing cameras on all iPhone 12 models, resulting in videos with more vibrant colors and contrast.

“Since its introduction, Clips has become one of the most popular iOS video creation apps, and millions of projects are made every day with it. Users love how easy it is to create fun, expressive videos for sharing with friends, family, and classmates with just a few taps on their iPhone or iPad screens,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Apps Product Marketing. “Today’s update, with a streamlined interface, support for vertical and horizontal video, HDR video capture using the new iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro, and fun new effects, will help users create Clips videos with more personality and polish than ever before.”

The app now features a fresh, streamlined user interface across iPhone and iPad for faster access to fun effects.

Fresh, Streamlined Interface

Setting the stage for even more creativity, Clips adds a fresh feel with a redesigned record screen that floats on top of the viewer when shooting vertically or horizontally. Users can view more content at once with redesigned Effects, Media, and Projects browsers. And swiping up on any Effects browser displays a full-height card that fills the screen with stickers or text labels that let users personalize their videos. In addition, Clips adds a collection of new content including eight new stickers that are perfect for social posts, six additional arrows and shapes, and 25 new soundtracks that automatically adjust to match the length of videos.

Clips includes new stickers for social and 25 new soundtracks that automatically adjust to match the length of videos.

Amped-up iPad Experience

With a redesigned iPad interface featuring large Effects browsers and an easy-to-reach record button, Clips on iPad makes it even simpler for young creators, students, and teachers to make great videos. Users can take full advantage of the iPad display by recording and editing in landscape orientation — an experience that is further optimized when paired with Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard, and a Bluetooth mouse or trackpad. Clips automatically opens to a new 4:3 landscape project, the optimal size for full-screen videos on iPad. And Clips now supports the new Scribble feature in iPadOS 14, converting handwritten text with Apple Pencil into typed text in labels and posters.

The Clips experience on iPad is better than ever when used in landscape orientation and with Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard.

Record and Create in Multiple Aspect Ratios

With support for vertical and horizontal videos, Clips is a great tool for creating stories for Instagram and Snapchat, as well as landscape video masterpieces for YouTube. Clips on iPhone automatically opens to a new 16:9 vertical project, making it quick to record video for social platforms. Plus all filters, posters, Live Titles, and Selfie Scenes have been updated to record in all-new sizes for the perfect finishing touch on a new post. The updated share sheet also shows a video preview before sending, and videos can be shared in any supported size using new export options.

Clips expands options for social media sharing with support for vertical and horizontal aspect ratios.

Record in HDR Using iPhone 12

For videos that stand out with amazing color and contrast, Clips supports HDR video capture using the rear-facing cameras on iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. Clips users can record HDR footage directly into their project and add more HDR photos and videos from their Photos library. Clips will even share the final video automatically as a Dolby Vision HDR file.

About Clips

With Clips for iPhone and iPad, users can create personal video messages, slideshows, school projects, and mini-movies with amazing features like Live Titles, which automatically generates animated captions from a user’s voice, and 360-degree immersive Selfie Scenes with the TrueDepth camera on iPhone. Clips lets users add personality to their videos with dozens of filters, animated stickers, and full-screen animated posters. The app includes more than 100 soundtracks that automatically adjust to match the length of videos.

Availability

Clips 3.0 is available today as a free update on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch running iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 or later. Recording HDR video requires iPhone 12 models, and editing and sharing HDR video requires iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X or later, iPad mini (5th generation), iPad (7th generation) or later, iPad Air 3 or later, and 10.5-inch iPad Pro or later. Selfie Scenes and Memoji require iPhone or iPad models with TrueDepth camera.

❤ Apple confirms outages affecting multiple iCloud services

Galaxy Expert November 3, 2020 Apple, Apple 5G, Apple iOs, Apple User Guide, Featured, iCloud, Lifestyle, News, Repair Service, Review, Top Stories, World Apple, Apple Repair, Apple Repair Costs, Apple Screen Replacement Costs, Apple Sydney CBD Repairs, iCloud, iCloud Services, Outages iCloud, Outages iCloud Services

A variety of Apple’s iCloud services are experiencing outages this morning, including Calendar, Contacts, iCloud Drive, and more. Apple has confirmed the outages on its System status webpage.

According to Apple, the issues are affecting the following services and that the outages started at approximately 9 am ET this morning:

Find My
iCloud Account & Sign In
iCloud Backup
iCloud Bookmarks & Tabs
iCloud Calendar
iCloud Contacts
iCloud Drive
iCloud Keychain
iCloud Mail
iCloud Storage Upgrades
Photos
Screen Time

For each one, Apple says that “some users are affected and may be experiencing a problem with this service.” For the Find My outage specifically, Apple says:

Users may be unable to find the location of people or devices, list registered devices, play a sound on their device, remotely wipe a device, or put the device in lost mode.

Apple says the issues are ongoing and it does not offer a timetable for when the problems will be resolved. You can check on the status of Apple services on the Apple System Status webpage right here. Apple will update the status page once the outages have been resolved.

❤ Apple HomePod 14.1 software adds HomePod mini, Intercom support

Galaxy Expert October 31, 2020 Apple, Apple 5G, Apple HomePod Mini, Apple iOs, Apple User Guide, Featured, iOS, Lifestyle, News, Repair Service, Review, Top Stories, World Apple, Apple HomePod, Apple HomePod 14.1, Apple HomePod 14.1 software, Apple HomePod mini, Apple Repair, Apple Repair Costs, Apple Screen Replacement Costs, Apple Sydney CBD Repairs, Intercom support

After nearly two years of no major movement in its smart speaker product line, which itself came years late to the market, Apple has finally announced a half-successor to the HomePod. The HomePod mini isn’t due to ship until next month but isn’t stopping Apple from pushing out a new version of its HomePod software that prepares for its arrival. Software version 14.1, however, which lines up with iOS 14.1 and iPadOS 14.1, isn’t just about the mini speaker but also introduces features that make all HomePods, and Siri, smarter.

With a $99 price tag, the HomePod mini aims squarely at the Amazon Echo Dot and Google Nest Mini markets, leaving people fewer excuses not to sink their teeth into Apple’s smart home ecosystem. Of course, this small smart speaker makes more sense if you’re already hooked into Apple’s world anyway or if you find its features just as or even more helpful than the competition.

The HomePod’s features haven’t exactly been at the top of the list when it comes to smart speakers but that list has been consistently growing while, some will argue, respect users’ privacy the way only Apple knows how. With Software version 14.1, for example, HomePod owners and future HomePod mini owners will be able to use a set of speakers as an intercom system throughout the house. You’ll also be able to finally select your preferred music to wake up to in the alarm settings.

Siri is also getting an update in this iteration, like being able to stop alarms and timers across all HomePods in the same network. Web searches can now be started on a HomePad then sent to an iPhone to make a more seamless and convenient transition.

As with previous HomePod software updates, the firmware is automatically installed on the speaker without requiring user intervention. It can also be triggered manually from the iOS app, of course, if you’re are that excited for a smarter and more useful smart speaker.

Alongside iOS and iPadOS 14.1, Apple today released new 14.1 software for the HomePod, which includes a number of new updates such as support for the Intercom feature that allows you to speak to anyone in the home on iPhone, iPad, ‌HomePod‌, and more.

The update also introduces support for the HomePod mini that’s launching in November and it adds new Siri features. ‌Siri‌ is able to stop alarms, timers, and media across ‌HomePod‌ speakers, and web search requests from ‌HomePod‌ can be sent from ‌HomePod‌ to the ‌iPhone‌.

There’s also an option to add music to alarms to wake up to a favorite song or playlist from Apple Music, and there are multiple reliability improvements.

Software version 14.1 includes support for ‌HomePod mini‌ and new ‌Siri‌ and Intercom features. This update also includes bug fixes and improvements.

‌HomePod mini‌
– Setup and automatically transfer your Apple ID, ‌Apple Music‌, ‌Siri‌ and Wi-Fi settings to ‌HomePod mini‌

‌Siri‌
– ‌Siri‌ suggestions appear in Maps when you ask ‌HomePod‌ for information about a location
– Web search requests to ‌HomePod‌ can be sent from ‌HomePod‌ to your ‌iPhone‌
– ‌Siri‌ can now stop alarms, timers, and media across ‌HomePod‌ speakers
– Voice recognition support for Podcasts for multiple users in the home

Intercom
– Ask ‌HomePod‌ to make announcements to other ‌HomePod‌ speakers throughout your home
– Intercom to all ‌HomePod‌ speakers
– Intercom to a ‌HomePod‌ in a specific room or zone

Other improvements and fixes
– Add music to your alarms and wake up to your personal song, playlist, or radio station from ‌Apple Music‌
– Fixes an issue where stereo pairs can sometimes play out of sync
– Improves reliability when using ‌Siri‌ to control multiple speakers
– Optimizes ‌Siri‌ performance

‌‌HomePod‌‌‌ software is installed automatically on the ‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌

❤ ‘Clear Spaces’ app brings transparent widgets to your iOS 14 home screen

Galaxy Expert October 28, 2020 Apple, Apple 5G, Apple iOs, Apple User Guide, Featured, iOS, Lifestyle, News, Repair Service, Review, Top Stories, World Apple, Apple Repair, Apple Repair Costs, Apple Screen Replacement Costs, Apple Sydney CBD Repairs, Clear Spaces, iOs 14, iOS 14 home screen, transparent, transparent widgets, widgets

Apple’s iOS 14 home screen widgets have been a huge hit going beyond the tech community and making their way into the mainstream. We’ve seen some awesome options like Widgetsmith and Pastel to make custom widgets, and Clear Spaces is another handy app to create a customized home screen layout with transparent iPhone widgets.

Using stock or custom widgets is a great way to create a personalized iPhone home screen, but you’re typically still locked into filling up the entire screen with apps or widgets.

There have been some solutions to create invisible app icons to color-match your home screen, making them blend in but taking up an app space to allow for custom layouts (without jailbreaking). But one of the limitations has been that for the best results, you need to use a solid, or mostly solid wallpaper.

Enter Clear Spaces for iPhone, an app that allows you to create custom transparent widgets that work with any wallpaper background. For now, options are 2×2 or 2×4 (small and medium) widgets. Another app that you can pair with Clear Spaces if you want even more options is Transparent App Icons. As the name implies, you can create individual transparent apps.

Back to Clear Spaces, it works by taking a screenshot of your wallpaper, placing the widget based on the wallpaper, and then selecting what part of the screenshot the transparent widget should mirror.

The developers behind the app Marko Crnkovic and Aurther Nadeem (WWDC scholarship winners) are also working on an option to remove the “Clear Spaces” text under the widgets in a beta version.

Clear Spaces is available from the App Store as a $1.99 one-time purchase.

How to make transparent iPhone widgets

As shown in the screenshot above, you can even use the Clear Spaces transparent iPhone widgets to make custom home screen layouts compatible with complex wallpapers.

After opening the app, you can tap the info button at the bottom for full instructions but what you’ll want to do is grab some screenshots of your blank wallpaper.

Head to your home screen, tap and hold to enter jiggle mode
Swipe from right to left to the end of your app pages to see the blank one, grab a screen shot (one for dark mode and light mode)
Open up Clear Spaces, tap the plus image above “No Image Set” and pick your wallpaper screenshots
Now you can head back to your home screen, enter jiggle mode again, tap the plus in the top left corner, look for Clear Spaces to add your new transparent widgets
Once you have it placed on your home screen, long-press on it > Edit Widget to select the position so, or also opt for date/time, both, or none

Here’s how it looks to customize Clear Spaces widgets:

❤ What Android could learn from Apple’s iPhone 12

Galaxy Expert October 16, 2020 Android, Android OS, Apple, Apple iOs, Apple User Guide, Featured, iOS, Lifestyle, News, Repair Service, Review, Smartphones, Top Stories, World Android, Android 11 vs iOs 14, Android vs Apple, Android vs iPhone 12, Anroid 11 vs iPhone 12, Apple, Apple Repair, Apple Repair Costs, Apple Screen Replacement Costs, Apple Sydney CBD Repairs, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 repair, iPhone 12 Repair Costs, iPhone 12 Screen Replacement Costs, iPhone 12 Sydney CBD Repairs

Apple frequently lays down a gauntlet for Android vendors when it introduces new iPhones, and that’s truer than ever for the iPhone 12 series. While there are places where Apple falls short, the new iPhones also embarrass Android phone makers in a few key areas — and not just simple aspects like performance. Here’s how the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max stack up vs. their Android counterparts.

High-quality designs across whole phone lines

If there’s an area where Android OEMs could most stand to learn from the iPhone 12, it’s in the consistently high quality of the design, even in more affordable devices.

Every iPhone 12 model, from the Mini to the Pro Max, has a string of features you don’t always see in Android equivalents. They all have high-resolution OLED screens; each one has extra-durable front glass thanks to a new Ceramic Shield; they’re all IP68-rated for water resistance; all of them have a new MagSafe wireless charging system (more on that later). That’s not including the consistency in performance-related features, like the A14 Bionic chip, 5G, and strong camera quality. While the lower-end iPhone 12 models have aluminum sides instead of stainless steel, that’s about the only obvious external compromise.

Many mid-range Android phones have stellar features, but there are usually gotchas. Samsung’s Galaxy S20 FE is fast and boasts a great display, but makes obvious compromises in design — unless you like “glasstic,” that is. Google’s Pixel 5 is better-built, but it’s not powered by top-tier silicon. Even the OnePlus 8T may struggle with camera quality. While Xiaomi’s Mi 10 series offers both a quality design and features at good price, it’s not readily available in North America and other parts of the world.

And those sacrifices are a problem. As a rule, iPhone 12 buyers can assume they’re getting first-class treatment no matter what model they buy. You can’t often guarantee that with Android. If someone is comparison shopping, they might pick the iPhone 12 simply because it looks and feels more like a premium device vs. its Android rivals.

Small phones with big features

iPhone 12 Mini is smaller than an iPhone SE, it packs features that put many Android phones to shame, let alone compact models. It has the same A14 chip, cameras, and MagSafe charging as its larger sibling. The OLED screen is only slightly lower-resolution than in the standard iPhone 12. And like we mentioned earlier, there are no major design sacrifices compared to larger versions.

Take a look at your Android options and… it’s not pretty. Many small Android phones are old, slower, or both. Even a Pixel 4a is relatively pokey, and it’s slightly larger than the iPhone 12 Mini (if also considerably more affordable). The Sony Xperia 5 II is an impressive phone all-around, but it’s much more expensive and some could argue that it’s not really a “small” phone.

Simply put, Apple’s offering is one of the better choices in a sea of lackluster small smartphones.

Easier wireless charging

Apple was undoubtedly slow to adopt wireless charging, having introduced it only with 2017’s iPhone X and iPhone 8. It’s catching up, though, and the iPhone 12 family includes a few features that Android vendors could stand to adopt in some form.

MagSafe, which uses magnets to align your iPhone for wireless charging, is the textbook example of a “why didn’t someone think of this earlier?” invention. You don’t have to worry that your phone might be off-center — you just drop it on the pad and walk away. Then there’s the accessories this enables, like snap-on cases and even a wallet.

There are certainly areas where Android phones fare better. MagSafe on the iPhone 12 line charging tops out at 15W where it’s not uncommon to see 30W or more from some Android phones. There’s no mention of reverse wireless charging to top up your other devices, either. But those features don’t address ease of use, and Apple might have an edge simply by eliminating one of the most common hassles of wire-free power.

More camera features aimed at enthusiasts and pros

Android phones are often chock-full of camera features, but they tend to be aimed at everyday users outside of the occasional manual mode. Samsung’s Single Take feature in the Galaxy S20 family is helpful in case you’re unsure of which shot you need, but it doesn’t offer much help if you’re an exacting mobile photographer. The notable exceptions are newer Sony phones like the Xperia 1 II, and they’re a handful of models in a much larger sea.

The iPhone 12 line bucks that trend. Although Apple’s official camera app won’t provide extensive control over shots, all the new phones can not only shoot Dolby Vision HDR videos (they’re the first phones to do this), while the Pro and Pro Max deliver RAW photo support through a new ProRAW format. In other words, you can create images that could be suitable for a TV show or photo spread, let alone your Instagram feed. A Night Mode that works across all cameras is helpful, too.

Yes, you’ve had RAW shooting on Android since Lollipop, but it’s inconsistently available. HDR video recording is also hit-or-miss. And that’s not counting more explicitly hardware-dependent features like sensor-shift image stabilization (again, new to phones) or LiDAR. Simply put, Apple is giving iPhone buyers a series of powerful camera features that are genuinely aimed at enthusiasts and working pros, and that could tip the balance for some buyers.

Custom processing power

As blisteringly fast as the current crop of Android phones can be, they tend to lag iPhones in performance to some degree. AnandTech noted that even last year’s iPhone 11 models were sometimes outperforming Snapdragon 865 phones released several months later, let alone the iPhone 12. The Android phone market’s progress is largely dictated by one company, Qualcomm, and it hasn’t been moving at a breakneck pace.

Apple, meanwhile, doesn’t have that restriction. It designs the chips it uses in its devices, and the iPhone 12’s A14 Bionic illustrates the advantages of that approach. There’s no outside designer holding it back, and it’s targeting improvements for specific phones rather than trying to make a one-size-fits-all design. Whether or not Apple’s claims of up to a 50% speed advantage over rivals are true, its expected lead is evidence that custom processing power matters.

A few Android phone builders appreciate this as well, even if their execution isn’t flawless. Samsung has its (sometimes underpowered) Exynos chips, and Huawei had its high-end Kirin chips until the US blocked that option. Most others just follow the pack, though, and that lack of customization helps the iPhone 12 stand out that much more.

Where the iPhone 12 falls short

This doesn’t mean the iPhone 12 vs. Android battle is strictly one-sided. Apple falls short in a number of categories, at least if you’re used to what Android has offered. There’s no 120Hz screen. You still won’t find microSD expansion, a USB-C port, or very high-zoom cameras. You won’t even find a 1440p display on the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

There’s also the matter of software. As much progress as iOS 14 has made, additions like home screen widgets, changeable app defaults and iPhone picture-in-picture are catch-up features. You won’t be feeling a twinge of regret if Android’s flexibility is important to you, even if you may wish you had Apple’s timelier and longer-running OS updates.

Even so, the very fact that Android vendors could take multiple major cues from the new iPhones is important. It suggests that Apple is plugging some of the more glaring holes in its iPhone strategy. Android phone creators may have to step up if they plan to go head-to-head with Apple, particularly in that upper mid-range sweet spot occupied by the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini.

❤ What to expect at Apple’s October 13 event: iPhone 12, HomePod mini, and more

Galaxy Expert October 12, 2020 Apple, Apple iOs, Apple iPhone, Apple User Guide, Featured, iOS, iPhone User Guide, Lifestyle, News, Repair Service, Review, Smartphones, Top Stories, World Apple, Apple Repair, Apple Repair Costs, Apple Screen Replacement Costs, Apple Sydney CBD Repairs, HomePod, homePod Mini, iPhone 12, October 13, October 13 2020

We’re just days away from the introduction of the iPhone 12. Apple officially announced its iPhone 12 event on Tuesday, teasing it with the tagline “Hi, Speed.” There’s a lot to expect at the event, and a lot we already know about what to expect.

Read on as we round up everything you need to know ahead of the “Hi, Speed” event this week.

When is Apple’s iPhone 12 event?

Apple’s iPhone 12 event will take place on October 13 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. It will be completely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, much like Apple’s WWDC keynote and the Apple Watch event last month. We expect a pre-recorded video from Apple Park, featuring Tim Cook and a handful of other Apple executives.

You’ll be able to live stream the event through Apple’s website, on YouTube, and through the Apple TV application.

iPhone 12 models

Next week’s “Hi, Speed” event will focus primarily on Apple’s all-new iPhone 12 lineup. Apple will announce four new iPhone 12 models, ranging from 5.4 inches to 6.7 inches in screen size and from $699 to $1,099 in price.

In terms of design, the iPhone 12 lineup will feature a boxier body that is similar to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. This means we can expect a design that looks more like the newest iPad Pro with flat edges. Currently, the iPhone 11 Pro features a blended design between the glass of the display and the stainless steel edges. This differs from the iPhone 4 and iPad Pro, which are completely squared off around the sides.

All four of Apple’s new iPhone 12 models will feature OLED displays for the first time. Previously, only the highest-end iPhone models used OLED displays, with Apple using LCD in the lower-end models. Apple will market these new displays as “Super Retina XDR,” and there will also be a new glass technology on the front with increased durability.

All four iPhone 12 variants will also feature 5G connectivity for the first time. Rumors currently incite that iPhone 12 models in the United States will include support for mmWave 5G as well as sub-6Ghz 5G, while models sold in other countries will only include the latter. There will also be something called Smart Data Mode to allocate 4G/5G according to application bandwidth, such that 5G would only be used when necessary to improve battery life.

The differentiator other than screen size between the iPhone 12 lineup will be camera technology. Here are the details, according to a recent report.

iPhone 12 mini:

5.4-inch display
black, white, red, blue, and green
64GB, 128GB, and 256GB
Dolby Vision video recording
Dual camera, wide angle + ultra-wide angle, 1.6
Pre-orders November 6/7, available November 13/14
Starting at $699

6.1-inch iPhone 12:

6.1-inch display
black, white, red, blue, and green
64GB, 128GB, and 256GB
Dual camera, wide angle + ultra-wide angle, 1.6
Dolby Vision video recording
Pre-orders October 16/17, available October 23/24
Starting at $799

iPhone 12 Pro:

6.1-inch display
gold, silver, graphite, and blue
wide angle, ultra-wide angle, telephoto + LiDAR, wide angle of the new 7P lens, 1.6, 52mm focal length telephoto, 4x optical zoom
Dolby Vision video recording
Pre-orders October 16/17, available October 23/24
128GB, 256GB, and 512GB
Starting at $999

iPhone 12 Pro Max:

6.7-inch display
gold, silver, graphite, and blue
wide angle, ultra-wide angle, telephoto + LiDAR, wide angle of the new 7P lens, 1.6, 65mm focal length telephoto, 5x optical zoom, “Expanded” ultra-wide capabilities
Dolby Vision video recording
Pre-orders November 13/14, available November 20/21
128GB, 256GB, and 512GB
Starting at $1,099

You can read our full roundup of everything to except from the iPhone 12 right her ahead of Tuesday’s event.

New wireless chargers

Apple is also said to be developing two new wireless chargers that it could introduce alongside the iPhone 12 lineup. This comes after Apple canceled its AirPower wireless charger in 2019, before it was even released to the public over quality control and overheating concerns.

Whereas AirPower was designed to feature a “drop anywhere” design, Apple’s new wireless chargers are said to use a magnetic system of sorts. In fact, Apple will reportedly revive the popular “MagSafe” branding for two of these new chargers that will be released alongside the iPhone 12.

In September, reported on a video that claimed to show Apple’s magnetic wireless charger prototype. Rumors have also suggested that the iPhone 12 will include a new built-in ring of magnets in the back to allow for new accessories.

According to rumors, Apple will release two versions of the magnetic wireless chargers this year, branded as the MagSafe Charger and the MagSafe Duo Charger. This implies that we will see a smaller MagSafe charger that can only charge one device, and another that is slightly larger with support for charging two devices.

Other details about these MagSafe wireless chargers are unclear, but we should expect to learn more on October 13.

HomePod mini

Something else we should expect at Apple’s “Hi, Speed” event next week is the introduction of the HomePod mini, according to reports. Rumors currently indicate that the HomePod mini will be announced on October 13, made available for pre-order on November 6, and released on November 16.

HomePod mini will reportedly cost just $99 and measure in at 3.3 inches. It is said to be powered by Apple’s S5 processor, which is the same processor that powers the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 5. This is roughly half the size of the current HomePod, which measures in at 6.8 inches tall.

At $99, the HomePod mini seems like a clear competitor to Amazon’s Echo lineup, which is likely part of Apple’s strategy of expanding Siri to a wider user base. We do not currently expect any updates in 2020 to the full-size HomePod.

Other rumors

While it seems like a lock that the October 13 will include news on the iPhone 12, MagSafe wireless chargers, and HomePod mini, there are a few other possibilities worth mentioning.

AirPods Studio

For over a year now, reports have been circulating suggesting that Apple will soon launch its own pair of over-ear headphones. These are believed to exist separately from the Beats brand and offer features such as head and neck detection, custom equalizer settings, and more.

9to5Mac has also found evidence of so-called AirPods Studio in the leaked iOS 14 beta code, including assets showing at least two color options for the new accessory. As for the price, rumors suggest that it will cost $349 for a lower-end “Sport” variant and up to $599 for a “luxury” version made from leather and metal.

While it would absolutely make sense for Apple to unveil its AirPods Studio alongside the iPhone 12, Jon Prosser recently reported that Apple is not quite ready to announce the product just yet. It’s always possible that this will change, but for now, AirPods Studio seem more likely sometime in November or into 2021.

AirTags

For more than a year, rumors have indicated that Apple is developing its own Tile-like item trackers. In June 2019, reported on assets within iOS 13 that referenced a product type “Tag1,1.” Since then, 9 to 5 Mac discovered evidence of the “AirTags” name and references even appeared in a video published by Apple itself.

We initially expected AirTags to be released during the iPhone 11 event last year, then at WWDC 2020, then during Apple’s September event this year. Most recently, a rumor suggested that Apple had delayed AirTags until March 2021, signaling that we should not expect a release at the October 13 event

New Apple TV

Apple is also reportedly working on a new Apple TV and a new Siri remote. Evidence of a new Apple TV hardware refresh has been circling around in iOS code for a while, and a report recently indicated that one of the changes will be a faster chip for improved gaming performance.

As for the new Apple TV remote, Bloomberg has suggested that one of the upgrades will be support for the Find My application. This will make it easier for people to locate a remote when it goes missing in the house. Whether or not other improvements are also in store for the controversial Siri remote remains to be seen.

It’s possible that the new Apple TV is introduced during its October 13 event, but it could also be saved for later this year or early next year.

Apple Silicon

Finally, the Mac lineup is nearly set to begin its transition to Apple Silicon processors. Apple has said that it will release its first Apple Silicon Mac before the end of this year, but current indicators are that the Apple Silicon transition will not be addressed at the October event.

Most recently, Bloomberg reported that Apple will hold a separate event in November to unveil its Apple Silicon hardware. This means we should not expect details during next week’s event.

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