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This week’s top stories: iPhone 12 rumors, iPad Pro trackpad, ARM Mac in 2021, more

Chance Miller | Mar 1 2020 - 7:50 am PT

In this week’s top stories: iPhone 12 rumors, a Smart Keyboard with trackpad, Apple’s first ARM Mac, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s biggest news.

According to from The Information, Apple is planning to release an iPad keyboard with a built-in trackpad this year.The iPro Smart Keyboard with trackpad is expected to be “made of materials similar” to the current Smart Keyboards. This implies it will feature a fabric design, likely still with fabric-covered keys and fabric palm rests.

Apple is rumored to have an iPad Pro refresh in the works for this spring, and you can read all of the rumors in our full roundup right here.

HomeKit router support made its way to Amazon’s Eero brand this week, marking the first rollout of the feature. Apple describes HomeKit router support as adding “more protection to your home accessories by controlling which services and devices they communicate with on your home Wi-Fi network and over the Internet.”

Elsewhere, Apple released the third developer beta of iOS 13.4 this week. The update reveals the existence of a new feature called “OS Recovery. This appears to be a new way to restore an iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices without the need to connect them to a computer. Find the full details in our coverage here.

Apple and Johnson & Johnson are teaming up to conduct a new health study to determine if the iPhone and Apple Watch can reduce the risk of stroke. The study will be conducted over three years including two years of engagement and one year of data collection. It’s the latest example of the Apple Watch being used to research studies.

A new report this week suggested that the iPhone 12 might feature support for the 802.11ay standard. 802.11ay uses 60GHz spectrum to offer high-bandwidth device-to-device data transfer. It could improve iPhone-to-iPhone data transfers, such as via AirDrop, but it could have other implications as well.

Last but not least, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo issued a new investor note this week in which he predicted that Apple’s first Mac with a processor designed in house is set to be released during the first half of 2021. This means that Apple’s first ARM Mac could be coming as soon as next year, but other details remain unknown as of right now.

These and the rest of this week’s top stories below.

iOS | tvOS |

iPhone |

Apple Watch |

iPad & Mac |

Apps |

HomeKit |

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This week’s top videos |

9to5Mac Daily |

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Hyper: Hyper’s next-gen of USB-C Hubs is now available to preorder. Thanks to Hyper, we’re also giving 9to5Mac readers the chance to win Apple’s new Mac Proworth $6000 this month.

9to5Mac Watch Time episode #16 |

9to5Mac Daily podcast host Chance Miller joins Zac to discuss Apple Watch and crossfit, diet and exercise, New Year’s Resolutions after January, new Apple Watch research studies, Screen Time, and more.

9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how the Apple Watch is affecting their lives. 9to5Mac Watch Time is available on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and your favorite podcast player through RSS.

Happy Hour Podcast #266 |

Benjamin and Zac discuss the latest report that Apple is planning to release an iPad Pro Smart Keyboard with a trackpad, new Powerbeats4 leaks, the latest Ming-Chi Kuo prediction on Macs dropping Intel, HomeKit routers, and much more.

Sponsored by:

Hyper: Preorder the new HyperDrive GEN2: Next Generation USB-C Hub for $59 (40% off the expected retail price). Enter the Mac Pro Giveaway.
Zapier: Right now through the end of the month, try Zapier free by going to our special link Zapier.com/HAPPYHOUR
LinkedIn Jobs: Go to LinkedIn.com/HAPPYHOUR and get $50 OFF toward your first job post!

9to5Mac Happy Hour is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Stacktrace Podcast 072 |

John and Rambo are joined by app security expert Michael “Biscuit” Thomas on this special episode of the show all about iOS app security and encryption. Topics include how to build a threat model and identify attack surfaces, whether it’s worth to protect against Jailbreak-based app hacking, and much more.

Stacktrace by 9to5Mac is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Apple @ Work and Making the Grade |

Apple @ Work is a weekly series from Bradley Chambers covering Apple in education. Bradley has been managing Apple devices in an education environment since 2009. Through his experience deploying and managing hundreds of Macs and hundreds of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple’s products work at scale, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for students.