Cheaper MacBook Air and HomePod, iPad Pro With Face ID at WWDC, Smaller Notch for 2018 iPhone X - MacRumors

KGI: Apple to Launch Cheaper MacBook Air in 2Q 2018 Apple's MacBook Air hasn't really been updated in almost exactly three years, and many have assumed it's simply hanging on as a budget option until Apple discontinues it in favor of the MacBook and MacBook Pro. It may, however, have a bit more life left in it, as prominent analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple is planning to launch a cheaper MacBook Air in the second quarter of this year. Kuo didn't share any details on what to expect in the new MacBook Air, and a lower price could limit the number of spec upgrades we're likely to see, but at a minimum, we should see newer processor and graphics options than the current lineup. Many are also hoping for a move to a Retina display, as well as adoption of USB-C/Thunderbolt 3. A redesign is also possible, but that likely depends on whether Apple is viewing the MacBook Air as a viable longer-term product or if it's still just a stopgap budget option until pricing on the MacBook comes down. A separate report claims the new MacBook could start at $799 or $899, down from the current $999 starting price.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Mar 08, 2018 iPad Pro With Face ID Will 'Likely' Debut at WWDC 2018 in Early June We've been hearing for a while that Apple is working on updated iPad Pro models that include the Face ID feature pioneered in the iPhone X. A November report from Bloomberg suggested the new models would arrive "a little more than a year" after the previous models, which launched in June 2017. That led to speculation that a debut around September or October of 2018 could be the case, as that's a fairly common time of year for iPad updates. A new report from Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang claims, however, that the new iPad Pro models will likely debut at WWDC, which we're expecting to take place in early June. The updated iPad Pro models are expected to retain LCD displays rather than shifting to OLED like the iPhone X, but we don't know whether the iPad Pro's display will include a notch for the Face ID camera system or feature a full-width bezel at the top where cameras and other sensors could be located.   Read Full Article Cheaper $150–$200 HomePod Could Launch Later This Year That article up above claiming Apple's new MacBook Air could start at $799 or $899 included a few other rumors, such as word that Apple could launch a cheaper HomePod priced at $150–$200 later this year, compared to the $349 price on the current model. It's not clear how the cheaper model would differ, but it would likely be smaller. Word of a cheaper HomePod comes as Apple continues its marketing push for the current model, which just launched last month. The latest promo is a four-minute ad by Spike Jonze entitled "Welcome Home" and featuring FKA Twigs. A survey conducted just before the HomePod launch also found that Apple users are 22 percent more likely than non-Apple smartphone owners to own a smart speaker, with Amazon's Alexa platform favored over Google Home. That suggests a ripe market for Apple, but it remains to be seen if Alexa's lower pricing and existing market position hamper Apple's momentum.   Read Full Article Next iPhone X Lineup Said to Feature Smaller Notches, 2019 Models May Ditch Notch Entirely The second-generation iPhone X likely launching around September of this year could feature a smaller display notch, according to a report from South Korea's ET News. As Apple refines its TrueDepth camera system that enables Face ID, the company will no doubt find ways to shrink its size, leading to smaller notches. The report also claims the notch could disappear entirely in Apple's 2019 models, although it's unclear how that would be accomplished as it's a pretty big technological leap to hide those sensors underneath the display. In other iPhone X news, a recent survey explored why owners of previous iPhone models have yet to upgrade to the iPhone X, with the most popular answer being that their current model works fine. That suggests the iPhone X's feature set isn't compelling enough to drive upgrades for customers happy enough with their current phones. Price is unsurprisingly also an issue, as the iPhone X starts at $999. Finally, amid rumors that this year's second-generation iPhone X could come in a gold color, a new concept shows off what that might look like.   Read Full Article Apple's Upcoming Over-Ear Wireless Headphones to Target High-End Noise-Canceling Market Following last week's report that Apple is working on new high-end over-ear headphones, Bloomberg has weighed in to corroborate the rumor and provide a few new details. According to the report, Apple's headphones will include noise-canceling technology, taking on Bose and Apple's own Beats brand that currently lead the market. Other high-end over-ear headphones with noise canceling start at around $350, but it's unclear whether Apple's headphones would be priced similarly or at a premium.   Read Full Article Samsung's Galaxy S9 Called 'Worthy Rival' to iPhone X as Reviews Hit Reviews of Samsung's new flagship Galaxy S9 phone hit today, with reviewers calling it a "worthy rival" to the iPhone X even if it doesn't quite embrace the full-face display concept and Samsung's version of Animoji comes across as creepy rather than cute. Since the Galaxy S9's unveiling a week and a half ago, we've seen plenty of comparisons to the iPhone X, with the S9 rated higher in display quality and camera performance, while the iPhone X easily comes out on top in benchmarking tests.   Read Full Article

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