Zac Hall

Remember when Apple discontinued the original HomePod and still sold the HomePod mini? The question at the time was “mini compared to what?” Apple later revived the HomePod with a second-gen model, restoring balance to the universe.

Now the iPad lineup is in a similar situation. Apple blasted the M4 iPad Pro with its Super Galactic Thinnifier 3000 Ray Gun, leaving the M2 iPad Air thicker than its pricier companion. In a world where Air means thin, the question is then “thin compared to what?” 

The answer exists in the annals of etymology.

Update: Three weeks later, Meta has announced the feature alongside a new partnership with an airline. Original coverage from April 18 below…

Today I learned two things. First, apparently Meta Quest headsets don’t work on planes? I guess Apple knew to prioritize that feature for Vision Pro. And second, support is reportedly on the way. Add this to the list of ways competition from Vision Pro is making Meta Quest 3 a better product.

Apple has officially released iOS 17.5, bringing new games in News+ and cross-platform tracking detection to iPhone users. Apple’s latest Pride wallpaper is also featured. The update is available alongside iPadOS 17.5, macOS 14.5 Sonoma, and more.

With 48 individual iPad configurations available from Apple, there are more choices in the lineup than ever. When simplified, though, the iPad line is divided into four models: iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. As Logan Spurgeon points out, however, there’s one thing Apple could do to really bring clarity to the iPad line.

Following release candidate versions of iOS and other operating systems this week, Apple has seeded out macOS 14.5 RC to testers. This version could be what ships when the final version reaches customers. Here are the release notes:

Not loving the new Sonos app? Cut ’em some slack—it took courage. That’s what the company says in response to criticism from customers.

One takeaway from the latest iPad event is that matte versus glossy is a polarizing topic when it comes to displays. This take is based on some of the reactions to Apple bringing its nano-texture matte display technology to the iPad Pro at last. For me, nano-texture coming to the iPad is easily my favorite piece of news from Apple’s Let Loose event.

Love those artistic Apple logos promoting the latest iPad event? It turns out the new Apple Pencil Pro carries that same energy with its packaging.

Tim Cook doesn’t just talk the talk when it comes to the iPad lifestyle. The Apple CEO literally walks the walk… in custom, 1-of-1 Nike sneakers. It turns out Cook’s “Let Loose” event attire included a special pair of Nike Air Max 1 ’86s. Hypebeast has the scoop…

Apple has refreshed the iPad line for 2024, and there are more choices than ever. In addition to the usual hardware upgrades, Apple has added a larger iPad Air to the lineup. Meanwhile, the iPad Pro has a nano-texture glass option for the first time. 

While refreshing the iPad line at the mid to high end, Apple has also rejiggered the starting lineup as well. Starting today, the iPad 10th generation is priced from $349. Meanwhile, the iPad 9th generation is discontinued, ending the era of Home button iPads.

Apple has officially unveiled the all-new iPad Air 6. For the first time, the iPad Air comes in two sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch.

WaterField is debuting an all-new travel bag just in time for Apple’s new iPads. Shinjuku is a slim messenger bag that’s packed with pockets. Available in two materials, Shinjuku comes in two sizes and three colors.

We’re less than a day away from Apple unveiling the first updates to the iPad line since 2022. In other words, there are only a few more hours left to speculate about new iPads! That made me think of something that I’ve been meaning to write about — and have been regularly writing on — for a few months. And no, it’s not an iPad.

As we await tomorrow’s iPad event, we’re looking back at a playful Apple marketing campaign that you’ve probably never seen. That’s because it ran in a single market at the time: Japan.

It turns out Apple relied on whimsical puppetry to convince Android users to switch to iPhone for a few years. If you haven’t experienced it, the ad campaign is unlike any other marketing campaign from Apple.

Starting today, Apple Maps users in the Netherlands can access cycling route data on iPhone and Apple Watch. Dutch culture is known for being especially bike-friendly, so bringing this navigation feature to users is notable.

Geert Bevin is adding a new tool to his collection of music utility apps for Apple devices. MidiWrist Unleashed “turns your Apple Watch into a standalone MIDI controller that directly connects to any advertised Bluetooth LE MIDI device,” and it’s completely independent from the iPhone.

Update: It turns out Tim Cook was misunderstood in the CNBC story. The full quote in context does not imply an AI software announcement at next week’s hardware event, although Apple does infuse its silicon with AI readiness. Here’s the full quote in context:



”Looking ahead, we’re getting ready for an exciting product announcement next week that we think our customers will love. And next month, we have our Worldwide Developers Conference, which has generated enormous enthusiasm from our developers. We can’t wait to reveal what we have in store.

”

Additionally, with a pause inserted to explain what happened:

“And we’re getting into a period of time here where we’re extremely excited like I’m in the edge of my seat literally because next week, we’ve got a product event that we’re excited about. And then just a few weeks thereafter, we’ve got the developers Worldwide Developers Conference coming up and we’ve got some big plans to announce in in both of these events. [pause] From an AI point of view…”

Apple is still expected to unveil its AI software innovations in June during its Worldwide Developers Conference.

Apple has disclosed its fiscal year 2024 Q2 earnings results. The company reports $90.75 billion in revenue during the three-month period, dropping 4.31% year over year. Analysts expected revenue around $90.33 billion. Apple netted $23.64 billion in profit, 2.15% decline.

Apple reported revenue of $94.8 billion for the same quarter a year ago. Apple argues that last year’s results included around $5 billion in revenue from “pent-up demand from the constraints” of Covid-19 factory shutdowns.

Other numbers from Apple’s quarterly results:

TwelveSouth recently sent me their latest HoverBar Duo product to test with FaceTime on Apple TV 4K. HoverBar Duo is primarily marketed as an adjustable iPad mount for using the tablet hands-free. However, the arrival of FaceTime for Apple TV 4K makes HoverBar Duo a versatile solution for positioning your iPhone camera just right. Before trying it with FaceTime on Apple TV 4K, the TwelveSouth HoverBar Duo has proved useful with the iPhone in lots of other ways.

Mac display aficionados know that pixel count must scale with screen size to maintain Apple’s standard for “Retina” resolution.

That’s why the 24-inch iMac is 4.5K, the 27-inch Studio Display is 5K, and the 32-inch Pro Display XDR is 6K. These resolutions and display sizes each amount to 218 pixels per inch. The result is a balance of sharpness and screen real estate for the price of $1499, $1599, and $4999, respectively.

The pursuit of pixels per inch is also why the Mac community endured the LG UltraFine 5K monitor for so long, and why Samsung’s more featured version of the Studio Display gets our attention.

With that being said, is a larger display with less resolution always a compromise? I’ve been reviewing a BenQ DesignVue Design Monitor for several weeks, and this 4K 32-inch setup has solved a real problem for me.