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This week’s top stories: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro release, iOS 14.1 features, iPad Air, more

Chance Miller | Oct 25 2020 - 10:01 am PT

In this week’s top stories: The iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPad Air 4 are here, plus iOS 14.1 details, new HomePod features, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are now available, and early reviews and hands-on coverage are rolling out.

The general consensus in the reviews seems to be that for most people, the iPhone 12 is the best option, offering an OLED screen, camera upgrades, and an all-new design. The iPhone 12 Pro appears to struggle to justify its $200 premium, and in fact, many reviewers actually like the aluminum design of the iPhone 12 better than the stainless steel design of the iPhone 12 Pro.

To accommodate iPhone 12 launch season during the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple is significantly expanding its new Express Storefront pickup service. This helps safely serve customers for pickups and support appointments. Stores with the Express format include a temporary wall at their entrance or a kiosk outside, product display shelving, and sales counters with plexiglass shields. You can learn more here.

Meanwhile, the new iPad Air is also now available. It starts at $599 and includes a design similar to the iPad Pro, alongside the A14 Bionic processor and Touch ID in the power button.

Reviewers seem to agree that the new iPad Air is not only likely the best iPad for most people, but it’s also the best value in the iPad lineup. It offers a similar design and features as the iPad Pro, despite starting at a lower price of $599. You also still get compatibility with Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil accessories.

Finally, Apple this week released iOS 14.1 to the general public. iOS 14.1 brings support for 10-bit HDR video playback and editing in the Photos app for the iPhone 8 and later This comes as the iPhone 12 adds support for recording videos in 10-bit HDR quality.

In addition to 10-bit HDR support, iOS 14.1 also addresses several issues related to home screen widgets and Apple Music. Learn more in our full guide here.

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

iOS 14 |

iPhone |

Apple Watch |

iPad and Mac |

Apps |

Apple TV |

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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 Raptic: Get 20% off the new Raptic Shield cases for iPhone 12 with code 9to5MACiP12.

9to5Mac Watch Time |

Jeff Benjamin joins Zac Hall to give Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 5 an exit interview before new models are announced. 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives.

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Week 6 – 9to5Mac Watch Time

This week on Watch Time join 9to5Mac's Zac Hall and Tempo developer Rahul Matta in the final episode of this podcast "season". 9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how Apple Watch is affecting their lives. Subscribe now to catch up with each episode and automatically hear new episodes as soon as they’re released every two weeks: 🟣 Apple Podcasts | 🟠 Overcast | 🟢 Spotify Follow Zac Instagram @apollozac Twitter @apollozac SpaceExplored.com Follow Rahul Matta Twitter @rmatta Twitter @TempoLog Blog indie.sh Follow 9to5Mac Instagram @9to5mac Twitter @9to5mac Facebook YouTube.com/9to5Mac Listen & Subscribe Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast RSS Read More Toning down the Apple Watch: Tips and feature requests to avoid being overwhelmed Apple releases watchOS 7.4.1 with security improvements Apple Watch blood sugar and blood pressure measurement could be a step closer watchOS 7.4 brings iPhone mask unlock feature for Apple Watch Enjoy the podcast? Shop Apple at Amazon to support 9to5Mac Watch Time!

9to5Mac Happy Hour Podcast |

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.

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M7 chip coming sooner than expected, visionOS 27 features, Ask9to5Mac – 9to5Mac Happy Hour

Benjamin and Chance react to the news from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that Apple is accelerating the roadmap for the M7 series of Apple Silicon chips, somewhat at the expense of the as-yet-unreleased M6 line. Also, we break down what’s new in visionOS 27 and do some summer Ask9to5Mac questions. And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance pick their favorite grab-bag features from the iOS 27 WWDC cloud side. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. Sponsored by Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/happyhour. Sponsored by Shopify: All you need is the idea. Shopify handles the rest. Start your free trial at shopify.com/happyhour. Sponsored by Cash App: Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/i4d1b1x2 #CashAppPod

Stacktrace Podcast |

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

Brought to you by Raptic: Get 20% off all iPhone 12 cases w/ code 9TO5MACiP12.

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Stacktrace has moved! – Stacktrace

As we've mentioned in the last episode, the Stacktrace podcast is no longer a part of the 9to5Mac network. If you're seeing this entry in your podcast player, then you probably need to unfollow Stacktrace and follow the podcast again. Start by unfollowing the show in your podcast player, then just search for "Stacktrace" and follow the show again. You'll notice that the updated show has a new artwork and that episode 179 has already been released there. To learn more about how to listen to Stacktrace, check out our new website. Thanks for listening!

Apple @ Work Podcast |

Apple @ Work by 9to5Mac is available on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and via RSS for other podcast players.

Apple @ Work Podcast: macOS ClickFix is back for more – Apple @ Work

Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple. In this episode of Apple @ Work, Ray Canzanese from Netskope joins the show to discuss the latest macOS ClickFix campaign, designed to create a permanent backdoor.