Antique iPads, Heat Sensors and no chips!
Apple View round-up 2nd May — 6th May 2022
Safety is the word
This week saw Apple, Google, and Microsoft all pledging their allegiance to FIDO (Fast Identity Online). All three tech companies announced that they are expanding support for the alliance’s passwordless sign-in standard. Privacy has always been central to Apple’s core values, and they see FIDO as a way of keeping Mac users safer online. Fido will mean no more passwords, which are highly vulnerable. The future will be based on face, fingerprint, or device PINs, all seen as a far more way secure of signing in. Anything that means less passwords and more security, has to be a good thing.
More love for the Studio Display
Tuesday this week saw a raft of firmware updates released. iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, tvOS 15.5, watchOS 8.5 and Monterey 12.4 all got released as betas. There was also Studio Display firmware 15.5 aimed at fixing the poor camera quality on the displays’ webcam. On release, users complained of grainy, washed-out images. This second firmware release promises updated camera tuning. This firmware update is currently limited to Macs that are running macOS Monterey 12.4 beta. After installing the macOS 12.4 beta, Studio Display owners can go to System Preferences > Software Update to install the firmware. Well, come mid-June, I hope to be able to let you know how the camera is, when mine finally arrives.
The heat is on
The main man Ming-Chi Kuo posted a series of tweets late Sunday, explaining why the body temperature sensor failed to make it to Apple Watch Series 7. It was down to the algorithm failing to meet the engineering validation testing (EVT) phase last year. But, it nows seems even more certain that it will be on this year’s watch. The largest hurdle that Apple faced, was how quickly the skins’ temperature varies depending upon environment. Since a smartwatch cannot monitor core body temperature using hardware, the feature is heavily dependent on an algorithm that produces accurate results. Will I be tempted with a Series 8?
Watch this space
On Monday, Apple’s US website added the Series 7 watch to their refurbished section. The watch, first released in September of last year, can now be bought for as little as $339 for the 41mm version. That amounts to a discount of around $60. Currently, only GPS models are available, but you can choose from several colours. Refurbished Apple Watches are inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged with a new box, new manuals, and a new Apple Watch charger. Apple provides a standard one-year warranty as well. That refurbished section is a real treasure-trove.
Is that a collector’s item sir?
If you have an iPad Air 2 or an iPad Mini 2, then technically, they are now vintage products! This week saw Apple adding them to their vintage & obscure list. The definition of vintage, in Apple-land, is products that have not been manufactured for more than 5 and less than 7 years. Obsolete products are those made over 7 years ago. As these two iPad were produced in 2013 and 2104, they have now become part of the vintage programme. The main point to note, is that they will no longer be able to update to the latest iPadOS releases. Apple are great at length support.
Still on the naughty step
Last week, I reported that Apple were in hot water over their NFC payment access. Well, it got a little more serious this week as the European Commission issued a Statement of Objections to Apple. Its stance is that they are limiting third-party services access to the NFC payment chip in iPhone. Apple has been informed that the EU feels they have abused their dominant market position. They want to see Apple open the way to third parties being able to use the Near-Field Technology (NFT), which we best know as tap & go. I must admit, I do love tap & go payments.
Not at all happy
This past week saw Apple implementing their next wave of back-to-office working. Currently, employees are expected to work two days per week from Apple Park, and as of May 23rd, that will increase to three. Tim Cook feels that the “serendipity that comes from bumping into colleagues” is irreplaceable. In response, workers wrote an open letter to management. They feel the time wasted in a daily commute has not been factored, along with the mental and physical drain that brings with it. They also feel it will favour those that can afford to live closer to Apple HQ, and as such favours the privileged. Employees feel it is somewhat ironic that Apple promote their products as being perfect for remote working, yet they are not allowed to. Don’t forget, that I also reported last week that more and more stores are becoming unionised, so the unrest seems wide-spread. I see uneasy times for Apple bosses if they cannot work out a suitable arrangement for all parties. This will not go away quickly.
Ive not forgotten you
Do you recall those halcyon Jony Ive days? Well, this coming weekend (May 7th it is planned), Ive will be the guest editor of The Financial Times lifestyle magazine, ‘How To Spend It’. Ive has been fascinated with “the process of creating and making”. He has brought together some of his friends to contribute, including cellist Yo-Yo Ma, singer-songwriter Lily Allen, and award-winning trombonist and trumpeter Trombone Shorty. The cover will feature Jony Ive and his dad. They really were special times, weren’t they?
I’m feeling this one
The chip shortage has hit Apple HARD! This is something I know only too well, to my cost. I placed an order for an M1 Max, 16” MacBook Pro with 2TB of storage and 32GB of unified memory, back on March 29th. Until this week, my delivery date had been 4th-10th May. Then, I was told via email, I wouldn’t see it until July! Luckily, after many calls, I managed to find the same machine (but with 4TB storage), available for next day delivery. It seems, however, I am not alone. Studio Displays’ (wonky camera n’all) are delayed until late June at the earliest. As for Macs, well, it is no better. If you want an M1 Ultra Mac Studio, don’t expect a knock on your door before early July. I am a very lucky boy. But these delays are painful.
Heads-up
Ming-Chi Kuo has been busy with information this week (as ever). According to Kuo, the long-awaited AR/VR headset will launch in 4Q22 and will ship with two processors, giving it almost Mac-level power. Of particular interest is that we’ve learned that it will be able to operate independently of the iPhone. In the same report, he also informs us that both the headset & iPhone 14 will operate on the Wi-Fi 6E specification. Gaming has never been for me.
Length does matter
You know it’s a slow news week, when a cable makes it to Apple Views! For those that have complained that the 1.8 meter Thunderbolt Pro 4 cable was too short, well, your dreams have been answered! You can now buy the 4m version of it that was unveiled at the event back in March. …moving swiftly along..
And if you thought Apple was stingy…
We have all complained at how tight Apple is with what we get in the box. Well, it doesn’t even compare to Tesla. Whilst Elon Musk has been making Twitter headlines this week, we have learned that if you buy a Tesla, they have now stopped supplying the mobile charging cable free with their cars. It will now cost upwards of $275 to buy the kit for your car! Whatever — I still want one!
And finally…
Just when you thought it was a week with no iPhone news, let me leave you with this…..the latest gorgeous render from the gifted artist . This is what we may get in September. tempted? Who wouldn’t be. It looks lovely!
See y’all next week…
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Originally published at https://www.talkingtechandaudio.com/blog on May 6th, 2022.
