Opinion pieces & commentary

Apple’s ecosystem is perhaps the most valuable asset the company possesses, after its brand, so eyebrows were raised when Google yesterday announced plans to replicate many of the key elements of that ecosystem.

While some Apple fans were outraged at what they saw as blatant copying of Apple features, my view is that this is good news for Android and iPhone users alike …

A new Kuo report yesterday suggested that we can expect new AirPods with lossless audio support – more specifically, an AirPods Pro 2 model that allows users to listen to ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec).

This was given additional weight by Apple’s AirPods lead hinting to What HiFi that the company may have plans for achieving the wireless bandwidth needed for lossless audio. However, while I do think this is a likely development, I don’t think we should get too excited about it …

Apple hasn’t made an affordable high quality external display since 2016 when they retired the final iteration of the Thunderbolt Display. The company has a long history of offering the best possible mass market monitors for notebooks and desktops, dating back to the late 90s or the early days of the Studio Display. Apple’s made a lot of weird decisions over the past decade and this certainly falls under that category. Now that the company has started to reboot the Mac and meet the needs of clamoring customers, it’s time for them to step up and make the display we actually need.

It’s time for my Apple Report Card 2021 – a personal view of how the company performed this year, taking into account everything from product launches to issues impacting the company’s reputation.

When it comes to new products, it could be argued that 2021 was more of a continuation year rather than one in which we saw anything completely new (beyond AirTag), but I think that doesn’t really do justice to the importance of some of the product developments we did see …

Companies large and small have had to rethink their office-based work plans, with many opting for a remote working compromise. Google recently pushed back its own return-to-office plans, and its own deal is similar to that of Apple, but with a bit more flexibility.

While Apple appears unlikely to have a major rethink about its stance, it did last month offer one additional concession, and it strikes me that extending this could be a win-win for company and employees alike …

When the Wall Street Journal published its post the other day declaring that wired EarPods were back in style, I wasn’t even remotely surprised. In fact, I’ve always thought it was inevitable that once AirPods were fully democratized, younger generations would find them to be uncool. We’ve seen it happen time and time again with other technologies, the most popular reference being to Facebook and its now much older demographic. So yes, wired earbuds are trendy again. But what does that mean for the industry and culture at large?

Today has seen another Apple PR fail as the company has, once again, waited until forced to act – this time over Right to Repair pressure. The company has finally now accepted that consumers should be allowed to repair their own Apple kit, including the very latest and most complex devices.

Apple’s previous resistance has been widely seen as both greedy, and inconsistent with the company’s environmental stance. Many repairs are simply not worth doing at official Apple prices, making it more likely that consumers will simply dispose of broken devices and buy new ones.

If there’s one complaint I’ve heard more than any other this week it’s this: Why is there no MacBook Pro Face ID feature in the notch?

Views on the notch itself have been mixed, but one recurring comment has been that it would have been better justified if it had contained Face ID.

A new report today offers a claimed look at Apple’s 2022 iMac plans, namely to prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to the display. The report says that Apple is sticking to 27 inches for next year’s iMac, but will offer the same display tech used in the just-launched MacBook Pro models.

This contradicts expectations of a 32-inch iMac, which would seem the obvious next step for a couple of reasons …

Just hours ahead of Apple’s Unleashed event, the internet is buzzing with rumors of a MacBook Pro notch.

Some alleged leaks indicate that the new 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro will also feature a notch in the top middle of the display, like an iPhone. This cutout would house the FaceTime camera and ambient light sensors, but Face ID biometrics is not expected.

Many are saying how terrible this would be, but my view is a little different …

Apple has been increasingly focused on generating recurring monthly income with its various subscription plans, and a rumored Google Pixel Pass could potentially point the way to the ultimate subscription for hardcore Apple fans.

Apple currently has two key subscriptions aimed at its most dedicated fans…

Apple has really gotten itself into a CSAM no-win situation. If it presses ahead, then it will be condemned by civil rights groups and security professionals. If it doesn’t, it will be condemned by child protection groups.

The company has currently bought itself some time by delaying the rollout while it tries to think of additional safeguards, but the question remains: What could those be? …

If I had to write a brutally honest headline for yesterday’s Apple event, it would be: Apple announces exciting new iPad mini (alongside worthwhile updates to Watch and iPhone).

It’s not that the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 updates were uninteresting. Indeed, Apple has successfully sold me a new iPhone. It’s just that the improvements were, for most use cases, relatively modest when you compare them to the complete transformation of the iPad mini …

There has been much discussion of a pair of iPhone 13 satellite communications reports, and it now appears that there may have been some degree of misunderstanding in these.

We’d already indicated that this was likely to be an emergency/backup communications system for remote areas only, but some are now going further and suggesting that it doesn’t involve satellites at all…

When Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo yesterday suggested the possibility of iPhone 13 satellite communications capabilities, that might sound exciting. The reality, however, is that is isn’t – at least, not for most of us.

That’s not just because Apple may not actually enable the technology, but even if it does, most of us will never use it.

Apple’s App Store changes, announced yesterday, succeeded in settling a lawsuit – but do nothing to offer the company any protection against the far bigger threat of antitrust legislation.

Apple wants to give the impression that it has addressed one of the key antitrust concerns, something known as anti-steering, but it hasn’t really. The company literally did the absolute least it could have done …

Update: Within minutes of writing this piece, an interview was posted where Craig Federighi admitted that Apple should have handled things differently.

One thing about the CSAM scanning controversy is now abundantly clear: It took Apple completely by surprise. Which is a surprise.

Ever since the original announcement, Apple has been on a PR blitz to correct misapprehensions, and to try to address the very real privacy and human rights concerns raised by the move …

The announcement yesterday of Apple’s child protection measures confirmed an earlier report that the company would begin scanning for child abuse photos on iPhones. The news has seen mixed reactions from experts in both cybersecurity and child safety.

Four concerns had already been raised before the details were known, and Apple’s announcement addressed two of them …

A report this morning said that Apple is set to announce that it will begin scanning for child abuse images on iPhones. Update: Apple later confirmed the report.

The method Apple is expected to use is one that maximizes privacy, but we noted earlier that there are still a number of ways in which this could go badly wrong …

Who could have predicted that the unsubstantiated report of the week would be Elon Musk once vying for control of Apple? In the strange times that we now live in, that’s the rumor that topped off tech and EV news this week.

And while both Elon Musk and people speaking for Tim Cook deny that the Tesla CEO once offered up his electric car company for the top job at Apple, the existence of what I’ll call the Teslapple mega-corporation is irresistible to consider.

Reactions were mixed when Apple last month revealed its approach to flexible working post-pandemic. CEO Tim Cook announced that staff would be expected to return to the office three days a week, but would, with line management approval, be free to work remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Cook described the arrangement as a temporary one, and appeared to be hinting at a fuller return to work next year …