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Ben Lovejoy

benlovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer who started his career on PC World and has written for dozens of computer and technology magazines, as well as numerous national newspapers, business and in-flight magazines. He has also written several books, and creates occasional videos.

He is old enough to have owned the original Macintosh. He currently owns an M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, an M1 13-inch MacBook Air, an iPad mini, an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and multiple HomePods. He suspects it might be cheaper to have a cocaine habit than his addiction to all things anodised aluminum.

He’s known for his op-ed and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review:

He speaks fluent English but only broken American, so please forgive any Anglicised spelling in his posts.

He gets a lot of emails and can’t possibly reply to them all. If you would like to comment on one of his pieces, please do so in the comments – he does read them all.

Connect with Ben Lovejoy

I still want an Apple Vision Air but would understand it being low priority

I still want an Apple Vision Air but would understand it being low priority | Conceptual image shown

A report a year ago said that we could expect an Apple Vision Air product in the second half of 2027. This was expected to address both of the issues that have led to the Vision Pro being such a niche product.

This week brought two reports suggesting that we may have to wait significantly longer for a Vision Air, if indeed we ever see one at all …

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Privacy may still be Apple’s savior when it comes to delayed AI features

Privacy may still be Apple's savior when it comes to delayed AI features | Image shows an iPhone with the Apple Intelligence logo behind it

It’s more than 18 months since I wrote an opinion piece suggesting that while the wait for the new Siri is frustrating, the privacy payoff would be worth it.

A lot of time has passed since then, and of course user frustration at the ongoing delay has grown significantly. While goodwill has undoubtedly been lost, a recent announcement does provide some hope that privacy may still rescue the company’s tarnished reputation in AI …

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Apple agrees to reveal India revenue as it faced massive $38B fine

Apple agrees to reveal India revenue in order to avoid massive $38B fine | Photo of an Apple Store in France taken using a prism for colourful effects

Apple has agreed to reveal its revenue in India so that the government can calculate how much it should be fined for antitrust violations.

The company was found guilty of exploiting its dominant position in iPhone apps back in 2024, but the company initially refused to reveal financial data within the country. That potentially left it facing the world’s last largest antitrust fine of a massive $38 billion …

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Google delivering on Gemini promises means Apple Intelligence can do the same

Google delivering on Gemini promises means Apple Intelligence can do the same | Image shows an iPhone with Siri and Gemini icons

Tests to determine whether Google’s agentic AI system Gemini Spark can deliver on the promises made on stage at last month’s I/O event shows that, for the most part, it can.

Since this is the model Apple will be using to power the new Siri, that’s equally good news for the Cupertino company and its customers …

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Hackers tricked Instagram AI into letting them take over high-profile accounts [Video]

Hackers tricked Meta AI into letting them take over high-profile accounts | Low key photo shows the app opening on a smartphone placed on top of a MacBook keyboard

Hackers managed to trick Meta’s AI-powered support bot into allowing them to take over a number of Instagram accounts, including some high-profile ones. This included accounts belonging to the White House, US Space Force, and security researcher Jane Wong.

On a more positive note, the social network is experimenting with a way of blocking teenage users from repeated exposure to content likely to impact their mental health …

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iPhone 18 Pro battery capacity could offer far more modest gains this year

iPhone 18 Pro battery capacity could offer far more modest gains this year | Render shows the upcoming model overlaid on a Liquid Glass '18' graphic

It’s long been rumored that the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery capacity would be the largest ever seen in an iPhone, with a report back in February suggesting that it could get close to 5200mAh.

The same leaker has now reported on the iPhone 18 Pro capacity and is suggesting that we will see only very modest gains over last year’s model …

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Amazon Prime Day 2026 dates announced, avoiding major event clashes

Amazon Prime Day 2026 dates | Promotional graphic shown

The dates for Amazon Prime Day 2026 have now been announced, with the company stating it is bringing the event forward from its traditional July timing in order to avoid clashing with a couple of major events.

Amazon had previously announced earlier timings but not stated the dates. The company has now said that it wanted to avoid the FIFA World Cup and the 250th anniversary US Independence Day …

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MacBook Neo rival launched at $599; Nvidia PC chip takes on Apple Silicon

MacBook Neo rival launched at $599 | Photo shows Dell XPS 13

It was clear that the launch of the MacBook Neo at just $599 took most Windows PC makers by surprise. However, Dell appears to have had a strong suspicion of what was coming as the company has just launched its own direct competitor, (sort of) starting at the same price.

Apple also has a new rival when it comes to Apple Silicon. Nvidia has just announced its first ever PC chip which also aims to provide a similar leap forward in performance …

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Here’s how Apple (kind of) shot an MLS game entirely with iPhones

Here's how Apple (kind of) shot an MLS game entirely with iPhones | Photo shows the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Cosmic Orange

We learned last month that Apple TV would be airing the first major live sporting event shot entirely on iPhone – specifically, a set of fifteen iPhone 17 Pro Max models.

A new piece has given us a behind-the-scenes look at the setup for this, with MLS, saying that it offered a number of benefits over conventional cameras – though there is a rather sizeable asterisk …

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If your Oura smart ring suspects sleep apnea, it can refer you to doctors

If your Oura smart ring detects sleep apnea, it can refer you to doctors | Photo shows someone wearing a CPAP mask in bed while wearing an Oura ring

Wearables like the Apple Watch and Oura Smart Ring often have substantial positive impacts on the health and fitness of their wearers thanks to providing detailed information and encouraging healthy activity.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a dangerous chronic condition that disrupts breathing during sleep and can prove fatal. Oura rings are now not only able to detect signs that may point to this condition, but also to help sufferers get medical assistance …

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Brye song that hit 100M streams was produced in GarageBand on school iPad

Brye song that hit 100M streams was produced in GarageBand on school iPad | Screengrab from the official Lemons video

Indie singer-songwriter Brye has shared a TikTok video revealing that her song Lemons – that notched up 100M streams – was produced in GarageBand on a school iPad with a cheap plug-in mic.

The pop singer, whose full name is Bryanna Noelle Sebring, says her experience demonstrates that you don’t need fancy equipment in order to achieve a music hit – and echoes the promise made by Steve Jobs when launching the app for the Mac back in 2004 …

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OLED MacBook Pro screens on-track amid talk of delayed launch

OLED MacBook Pro screens on-track amid talk of delayed launch | Touchscreen MacBook Pro mockup

We’ve long been expecting a major redesign of the MacBook Pro this year, with an OLED screen one of the key features. However, a Bloomberg report last month suggested that the launch might be delayed into early next year.

We still don’t have any clarity on that, but a new supply chain report does seem to suggest that Apple’s manufacturing partners are now gearing up for production …

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Android cloning Apple’s Handoff feature is cheeky but a good thing

Android cloning Apple's Handoff feature is cheeky but a good thing | Screengrab shown

The appeal of Apple devices has always been a mix of hardware quality and software features, with the wider ecosystem absolutely key. Effectively, Apple devices gain value as soon as you have more than one of them.

Handoff is a perfect example. You can begin working on a document on your Mac, seamlessly continue on your iPad, and then make some last-minute changes on your iPhone. Google is now cloning this feature in Android 17 …

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