Apple Event March 27, New Apple Watch Bands, iPhone Rumors - MacRumors

Brought to you by: Apple to Host March 27 Event in Chicago: 'Creative New Ideas for Teachers and Students' We'd heard some rumors about a potential March media event, and Apple last week announced that it will indeed be holding an event next Tuesday, March 27. It's a bit of an unusual event for Apple in that it will be held in Chicago at Lane Tech College Prep High School and will have an education focus. What exactly Apple will announce at the event is up in the air, but the education focus could tie into rumors of new low-cost iPads and a new entry-level notebook that could arrive as either an updated MacBook Air or a cheaper MacBook. The design of the invitation also hints at the possibility of Apple Pencil being involved in the event. We'll have a closer look tomorrow at what to expect from Tuesday's event, and of course full coverage on the day of the event, so stay tuned!   Read Full Article Sponsored Stories Backing Up Your Data Regularly Has Never Been This Simple and Convenient Backing up your iPhone regularly prevents unbearable data loss, but that’s not always an easy job to do. AnyTrans redefines how convenient it can be to make regular backups of your iPhone or iPad. Automatic, wireless, secure, and more... No USB cable needed, no need for manual backups — it's all automatic once your iPhone and computer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. You don’t have to always remember to update your backup, as AnyTrans will do it for you according to the schedule you set — daily, weekly, monthly... You can also preview those backups and extract what you really need instead of a full restore. Besides intelligent backups, AnyTrans also helps you fully manage your iPhone content like photos, messages, and music in one handy place. Download AnyTrans now for FREE! An up-to-date backup ensures the security of your precious data, but what if you don't remember to do it regularly? Being able to recover up to 31 types of iOS content like photos, messages, contacts, etc., PhoneRescue is here to help. Whatever you've lost, it brings them back before they forever disappear, with simple scan, select, recover! Now, download PhoneRescue FREE to rescue your lost data! Visit Sponsor Popular Stories Mar 22, 2018 Apple Watch Gets New Spring Collection of Bands, Available to Order Later This Month One of the announcements we thought Apple might make at next Tuesday's event was new Apple Watch bands, as the company traditionally refreshes its band options each spring. Watch bands aren't really an education-related topic, however, so Apple issued a press release this week revealing its Spring 2018 collection that will go on sale later this month. The new lineup doesn't include any new band styles, but there are lots of new colors for the Sport Band, Sport Loop, and Classic Buckle. The Woven Nylon band gets a new stripe pattern with new colors, and there are also new Nike Sport Loop (sold separately for the first time) and Nike Sport Band options. Finally, the Apple Watch Hermès family gets some new color options with contrasting polished edge and loop colors.   Read Full Article Second-Generation iPhone X Estimated to Cost Apple Up to 10% Less to Manufacture According to supply chain research by DigiTimes, the second-generation iPhone X planned to launch later this year could cost up to 10 percent less to manufacture than the current model, potentially letting Apple bring down the $999 starting price of the device. Apple is rumored to be launching three new iPhones later this year, including the second-generation iPhone X, a larger "iPhone X Plus," and an LCD-based iPhone with a 6.1-inch display. Apple is said to be starting trial production on the new iPhones a bit earlier than last year, which could help all of the new models launch in the normal September timeframe rather than the early November launch we saw for the iPhone X last year.   Read Full Article Apple Developing Its Own MicroLED Displays for Future Devices Apple's interest in MicroLED display technology has been known since its 2014 acquisition of LuxVue Technology, and it looks like Apple is making progress with the next-generation displays. According to Bloomberg, Apple has a secret manufacturing facility in Santa Clara, California, where it is designing and producing test samples of its own MicroLED displays. It's still early, and Apple will almost certainly contract out mass production of these displays, but for now Apple is working hard to keep its plans secret. MicroLED, which can be more efficient, brighter, and thinner than current displays, could appear first in the Apple Watch in perhaps two years, with iPhones following in three to five years.   Read Full Article Study Confirms Apple Watch Can Detect Abnormal Heart Rhythm With 97% Accuracy The Apple Watch has great potential as a health monitoring device, and a new study by Cardiogram and UC San Francisco researchers has determined that the Apple Watch and other wearables with heart rate monitoring capabilities can detect abnormal heart rhythms with 97 percent accuracy. This is just one area where researchers are using the Apple Watch to monitor for health conditions, with others looking at hypertension, sleep apnea, and diabetes.   Read Full Article iPhone X vs. Galaxy S9+: Which Smartphone Has a Better Camera? In our continuing series pitting Samsung's new Galaxy S9 and S9+ against the iPhone X, our latest video takes a look at camera performance. Samsung has some unique features like a variable aperture lens, a super slow motion mode, and a more customizable Live Focus mode to compete against the iPhone's Portrait Mode, but both phones take excellent photos and videos. In other Galaxy S9 news, the traditional drop tests have been performed and revealed slightly better performance compared to the iPhone X, but that's not saying a whole lot — both phones shatter on the front and back when dropped from significant heights. The fact is, glass-backed phones optimized for wireless charging are extra susceptible to breakage, so it's best to use a case to help protect your expensive devices.   Read Full Article

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WWDC Starts June 4, MacBook Air and iPad Pro Rumors, Siri's 'Squandered' Head Start - MacRumors

Apple Announces WWDC 2018 Kicks Off on June 4 in San Jose, Registration Now Open for Developers We predicted the dates a month ago, but it's now official: Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference will be held June 4–8 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. The keynote on Monday, June 4 should give us our first looks at iOS 12, macOS 10.14, watchOS 5, and tvOS 12, and perhaps some hardware announcements as well. The remainder of the week will consist of sessions and labs for developers, and tickets for the whole week are priced at $1599 and distributed via a lottery system. Students and STEM organization members can apply for one of 350 scholarships covering a conference ticket, hotel, and one year of membership in Apple's developer program.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Mar 15, 2018 New Entry-Level Mac Notebook Expected to Adopt Retina Display, Likely Launch at WWDC in June We've been hearing rumors about an updated MacBook Air for a few weeks, and DigiTimes has now weighed in with its own claim that Apple is indeed preparing a new entry-level notebook. According to the report, which seems to leave open the question of whether this will be a MacBook or MacBook Air, the new notebook is said to include a Retina display and be priced around the same level as the current MacBook Air. DigiTimes says LG should begin supplying the new Retina display panel next month with mass production on the machine starting in late May or early June, setting up for a likely debut at WWDC.   Read Full Article Chinese Report Expects 11-Inch iPad Pro at WWDC, No New iPhones Until Second Half of 2018 A new report from Taiwan's Economic Daily News claims that Apple is planning to launch a new 11-inch iPad Pro at WWDC in June, building upon previous rumors of new iPad Pros with Face ID and no home button. This is the first time we've heard about a specific display size for the new iPad Pro, and it makes sense that it could be a bit larger than the current 10.5-inch model as the removal of the home button would allow for a larger display in the same form factor. Beyond the iPad Pro, the report also says no new iPhones are expected until the second half of the year, disputing other reports that Apple might launch an "iPhone SE 2" sometime in the next couple of months.   Read Full Article Former Apple Employees Reflect on Siri's 'Squandered Lead' Over Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant A new in-depth report from The Information takes a look at Siri and how Apple has "squandered" Siri's lead over Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant. According to several former Apple employees who were involved in the Siri project, Siri's development was rushed and subject to internal debate over what Siri should be and what the pace of updates and improvements should be. The Siri team reportedly wasn't even informed of the HomePod's existence until 2015, several years after Apple started prototyping smart speakers. A separate interview with Siri co-founder Norman Winarsky last week revealed his disappointment that Siri has fallen short of where he predicted it would be at this point. Winarsky notes that Apple has taken Siri in a different direction than its creators had envisioned, with Apple "probably looking for a level of perfection they can’t get."   Read Full Article Third Report Says Apple's AirPower Charging Mat Will Launch in March We're halfway through March, but we're still seeing reports claiming Apple's wireless charging mat is going to debut this month. A new report from DigiTimes is the third claim of a March introduction, so we'll be keeping an eye out for any signs of an imminent launch. It's possible Apple could be planning a March media event to cover an assortment of rumored hardware announcements, but if AirPower is the only product ready to go at this point it will likely launch in a quieter fashion via a press release.   Read Full Article Video Comparison: Samsung Galaxy S9 vs. iPhone X Samsung's new flagship Galaxy S9 phone launched this week, but we got our hands on it early and have been taking a look at how it compares to the iPhone X. Our first video was a general first impressions overview, and we followed that up with a focused comparison between Apple's Animoji feature and Samsung's similar AR Emoji. While the Galaxy S9 doesn't have the same 3D facial recognition seen on the iPhone X with its TrueDepth camera system and Face ID, it sounds like Samsung might come closer to replicating Face ID in next year's Galaxy S10.    Read Full Article

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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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'iPhone X Plus' Rumors and Leaks, Premium Apple Over-Ear Headphones, AirPower Charger Launching This Month? - MacRumors

Apple's 6.5-Inch 'iPhone X Plus' Said to Have 1242 x 2688 Resolution, Could Come With Dual-SIM and Gold Color Option We've been hearing for some time that Apple is planning to launch three new iPhones around its usual September timeframe: a second-generation iPhone X, a larger "iPhone X Plus," and a new 6.1-inch model with an LCD display. New details on the iPhone X Plus were revealed this week by Bloomberg, which claims the device's 6.5-inch display will carry a resolution of 1242 x 2688 and the phone may also offer dual SIM slots to make it more convenient for business users and international travelers who may use more than one carrier. Both the second-generation iPhone X and the iPhone X Plus may also be available in a gold color. Not only have we heard new rumors about the iPhone X Plus, but we've also seen some alleged leaked parts from the device including both the touch panel digitizer and the full display assembly. The leaked photos reportedly came from LG's facilities in Vietnam, which matches previous rumors that Apple is investing billions of dollars in LG's OLED display production with a focus on supplying parts for the iPhone X Plus.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Mar 01, 2018 KGI: Apple Developing High-End Over-Ear Headphones, Launching Late 2018 at the Earliest Apple's AirPods have been a smash hit, and according to relatively reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is also working on premium over-ear headphones for launch as soon as the fourth quarter of this year. Details on these headphones are scant, but they're said to be high-end headphones that should be as convenient to use as AirPods but with better sound quality. The headphones would carry an Apple brand rather than Beats branding such as the existing Studio3 over-ear headphones. Kuo also echoes previous reports that Apple is working on updated AirPods for release later this year. Kuo says the new AirPods should look very similar to the current ones but carry an upgraded W1 chip for better wireless performance. The new earphones will also include integrated wireless charging in the case.   Read Full Article Apple's AirPower Wireless Charging Mat Could Be Available to Buy This Month Speaking of AirPods and wireless charging, several recent reports have claimed Apple's AirPower wireless charging mat could launch sometime this month. Announced at last September's iPhone media event, AirPower is an oval charging mat that allows users to charge an iPhone, an Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously. AirPods wireless charging support will require a new case to support the feature, which will be sold separately. Apple has not announced a release date for AirPower beyond a general "2018" timeframe, so there naturally has been a lot of speculation about just when in the year that might happen.   Read Full Article Apple Deals: The Best Deals on Apple Products and Accessories Our deals coverage has been getting a ton of traffic recently. We certainly hope it's helped our readers score some great bargains, and we thank those of you who have shopped through our links for supporting MacRumors! This week in particular saw some good deals with $500 off the new iMac Pro, some new city-specific deals from AT&T, and a new iPhone and Apple Watch deal from T-Mobile. DirecTV Now's incredible Apple TV offer is also still going on, allowing you to get a 32 GB Apple TV 4K and three months of the streaming service for just $105 with no strings attached as long as you cancel before the three months are up. That's an amazing deal on an Apple TV even if you have no interest in DirecTV Now. Make sure to regularly check in on our Apple Deals roundup for all of the latest bargains.   Read Full Article Five Great Apps for Your Mac - February 2018 We've started a new monthly video series highlighting some of our favorite Mac and iOS apps, and it's proving quite popular with our readers. On the Mac side, our February video focused on Gmail app Boxy, color meter app Sip, note-taking app Agenda, keyboard shortcut reminder app CheatSheet, and standalone YouTube browser DeskApp. Our February iOS app feature looked at chat message story app Hooked, flight detail tracker App in the Air, calendar app Timepage, secure messaging app Confide, and popular new game Alto's Odyssey. Keep an eye out for our monthly videos to help find some new and handy apps, or even better, subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can be notified as soon as new videos go live.   Read Full Article YouTube App on Apple TV Updated Following User Complaints Over Subscriptions Layout and More YouTube last week updated its Apple TV app with some user interface tweaks following massive complaints about its recent major redesign. Users still aren't particularly happy with the overall user experience of the app, so hopefully more improvements are in the works. While we're on the topic of Apple TV, you might also be interested in checking out a few of our recent how-to articles about the set-top box, including our top ten tricks for using the Apple TV remote and details on how to use the built-in Apple TV remote interface right in the Control Center on iOS 11 for your iPhone and iPad. Finally, if you happen to still be rocking one of the original first-generation Apple TV boxes from a decade ago, be forewarned that as of May 25 those boxes will cease to work with the iTunes Store due to security changes coming to the store. PCs running Windows XP or Vista will similarly not be able to access the iTunes Store as of that date.   Read Full Article

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