Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes more power for the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple facing multiple repair problems, new display technology for the MacBook, USB-C threatens lightning port future, success of Air Tags, how to avoid captchas, and Apple Store Union success.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many discussions that have happened around Apple over the last seven days (and you can read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes).
More Power For Some iPhones
Leaked benchmarks for Apple’s new A16 system on chip, set to debut with the iPhone 14 family, suggest a significant increase in performance. But not everyone will see this, as the A16 could be restricted to the Pro models, leaving the regular models with last year’s A15 chipset. Strictly speaking its not a downgrade, but with the yearly iPhone update giving each iPhone model the latest chipset, it’s going to be seen by many as such:
“…anonymous leaker iHacktu reports that Apple’s new A16 chip, which is exclusive to iPhone 14 Pro models, delivers seismic performance and battery gains over the 2021 A15 which is being retained for non-Pro models. And the findings have received support from one of the industry’s most respected insiders.”
(Forbes).
DHAKA, BANGLADESH – 2022/05/18: In this photo illustration, An iPhone 13 pro is seen on a table in … [+]
Apple Facing Multiple Repair Problems
Apple is facing up to supply issues with spare parts used for the repairs of many products; so much so that it is taking remedial action where customers face lengthy delays to the repair. At the discretion of the Genius Bars, customers can register for a repair but hold onto their damaged but presumably working device and be alerted when parts are available:
“Triggered by ongoing supply chain issues, Apple will now let customers take their devices back home in the event their repair will take longer than expected due to a missing part that’s backlogged. Once the part has arrived at the location, customers can return the device to complete the repair.”
(MacRumors).
Apple Investigates New Display Technology
When consumers pick up the new MacBook Air they’re going to see the new design language of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops. What they won’t see is the new mini-LED technology. As Apple investigates using OLED displays, is this the key to getting mini-LED on the MacBook Air?
“Perhaps Apple is keeping an artificial step in the portfolio… if you want the newer display technology, then you need to spend more money and buy the premium laptops? If that’s the case, then consumers may have to wait for Apple to develop the next next-generation display technology for the very expensive MacBooks, at which point the mini-LED technology can roll down to the consumer laptops.”
(Forbes).
Lightning Port Replaces USB-C In New iPad
One older technology that will be getting showcased by Apple is USB-C. New details on the upcoming entry-level iPad suggest the proprietary lightning port is going to be replaced by the standards-compliant USB-C port:
“Having USB-C opens up a world of possibilities for iPad users, as the connector supports faster transfer speeds and even a wider variety of peripherals, while the Lightning connector is still based on the slower USB 2.0 standard and relies on adapters for just about everything. With USB-C, entry-level iPad users will also be able to easily connect it to more modern external displays such as Apple’s Studio Display.”
(9to5Mac).
Find The Tag, Find The Market
Will we see a second version of Apple’s AirTags geolocation tile? While nothing is concrete the success of the debut models suggest Tim Cook and his team have the potential to become the most popular manufacturer in this space:
“AirTag, which has not received much attention, has gradually grown in shipments since its release. Shipment estimations of AirTag reach about 20 mn & 35 mn units in 2021 & 2022, respectively. If AirTag shipments continue to grow, I believe Apple will develop the 2nd generation.”
(Ming-Chi Kuo via MacRumors).
Apple Store Is Part Of The Union
The first US-based Apple Store to unionise did so in Maryland this week with a 2 to 1 vote in favour of affiliating with the International Association of Machinists.
“The union victory is likely to breathe new life into the labor movement’s mission to organize Apple and the wider tech sector, which suffered a setback after a store in Atlanta cancelled its election last month. Those workers, organized by the Communications Workers of America, blamed an alleged union-busting campaign by Apple and said it planned to re-file for an election later.”
(Bloomberg).
And Finally…
No longer will you be asked if you are a robot when using a modern Apple device, your Apple device will answer for you. The latest versions of Apple’s operating systems, as demonstrated at WWDC, will bypass captcha devices. Apple’s argument is that a human has already unlocked the device, registered their account, and running a sanctioned App Store title:
“This kind of tracking is at odds with the direction of internet privacy being taken by Safari, Mail Privacy Protection, and iCloud Private Relay,” said Pauly, who noted that someone interacting with a website through an app or browser has already performed actions that are hard for a bot to imitate.
“First, they have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and they’ve unlocked the device with their password, Touch ID, or Face ID. They’re almost always signed into the device with their Apple ID. And they’ve launched a code-signed app,” argued the Apple-ite.”
(The Register).
Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
