Updated Feb 17 with new display details on Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro; Article originally posted Feb 15
Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including the new iPhone 16 camera leaks, new App Store rules, the MacBook Air speeds up, Apple Silicon plans revealed, the new iPad Pro specs, Apple Watch experiments, and Apple’s browser power.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes.
New iPhone 16 Camera Details Leak
The latest CAD drawings of the upcoming iPhone 16 reveal a new arrangement of the two camera lenses. The diagonal layout is gone, and in comes a vertical arrangement. The winner? Tim Cook’s plans for a Mixed Reality headset:
“One of the key benefactors of this arrangement will be Apple’s mixed reality headset. The Apple Vision Pro can play stereoscopic videos—Apple has branded its version of this as Spatial Video. The vertical arrangement of the iPhone 16 camera will, when held in the traditional landscape mode for video recording, place the lenses alongside each other, like digital eyes.”
(Forbes).
Customers shop at an Apple Store (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
App Stores Can Be Just One Developer
One of the biggest changes to hit the iPhone since Apple decided to allow third-party apps to run on a purchased smartphone is the ability for developers to run their own app store. While this is a Europe-only feature, the dam has been unlocked, and it continues to be opened. Where Apple stated that app stores not under its jurisdiction had to sell from multiple developers, it has rapidly changed its own rules to allow single developer app stores:
“In response to the Digital Markets Act in the European Union, an Apple rule change updates how app marketplaces will work on the iPhone. These changes are for EU residents now, but governments around the world will be looking closely to see if they should adopt similar legislation… Today’s change means that marketplaces can choose to offer apps from one developer only.”
(Forbes).
Another Faster MacBook Air Tweak
Apple’s latest MacBook Air has had a bit of a speed boost in terms of processing, but it also has a speed boost in accessing its SSD storage. A switch from one 256 GB SSD to two 128 GB SSDs has unlocked the speed of access.
“not much has changed between the M2 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Air. The change in SSD storage, however, shouldn’t be overlooked. Testing has shown that the M3 MacBook Air features SSD write speeds that are roughly 33% faster and read speeds that are around 82% faster. These speeds match and sometimes exceed the speeds of the M1 MacBook Air.”
(iFixit via 9to5Mac).
Not The M4 From Star Trek
Staying with the MacBook, a timetable for the next generation of Apple Silicon has been discussed. The M4 will continue the annual release cycle, which means we have a good idea of when the next laptops, desktops, and workstations will arrive.
“[Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman] touched on a few other topics, including that Apple apparently “just started formal development” of a new MacBook Pro with an M4 chip. He did not provide any additional details about the chip, which has yet to be announced by Apple. [a traditional interval means] the M4 chip would be released in the first half of 2025. However, a late 2024 release is also possible if the interval shrinks to one year.”
(MacRumors).
A New iPad Is Coming
With a refresh of the iPad line-up due before the end of the month, what can we expect to see? Potetntially new bright and vivid screens across the Pro range!
“One of the most highly anticipated elements of the next iPad Pro is that it is expected to swap an LCD screen with miniLED backlights for an OLED display. Not only is this exciting, but it means that both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPads Pro will have the same screen technology for the first time in years. Right now, only the larger, 12.9-inch, screen has the impressive miniLED lights. The 11-incher just has a regular LCD screen.”
(Forbes).
Samsung’s Big iPad Pro Win
Updated Feb 17: Ahead of the launch, now expected this week, more details on the big winner of the new display technology for the iPad Pro have come to light, and once again, it will be Samsung benefiting from Apple’s use of new technology. Samsung Display will be delivering components for every single one of the new iPad Pro models, an unusual choice as Apple tends to work with two different suppliers on each component:
“Samsung’s System LSI will be the sole supplier of display driver IC (DDI) for the upcoming 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. The publication claims that Apple will use Samsung’s DDIs even for models that will be equipped with OLED display panels from LG Display.”
(ETNews via SamMobile).
New Apple Watch Gestures Planned
With half an eye on the Apple Vision Pro, Apple is experimenting with new gestures to navigate the Apple Watch UI. A recently published patent talks about gestures that take place away from the wearable’s screen.
“One of the most interesting new gestures described in the patent starts with the palm flat and fingers outstretched, then moving the fingers from side to side horizontally. If you play blackjack, you’ll be familiar with this motion, as it’s the same as telling a dealer that you’d like to stand… this “side-to-side” motion could be used to reply to a text message or answer a call and can be combined with other gestures. A clenched fist is central to many new user interface [UI] elements.”
(Apple Insider).
And Finally…
The team behind the privacy-focused Brave web browser has seen a spike in downloads on iPhone, and it is down to Apple offering users a choice of web browser rather than defaulting to Safari. Unsurprisingly, now Brave is on the list, it can see an impact:
“The daily installs fluctuate around 7,500 to 10,000 for most of the period. However, on March 6th, after the iOS update was released, there was a sharp increase in installations, soaring to just over 11,000… “Monopoly defenders argue that the monopolies simply offer better products. But as you can see, when consumers get a clear choice of iOS browsers, they’re choosing alternatives to Safari,” noted in their Twitter thread.
(Brave, via Bleeping Computer).
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
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