Apple generates a lot of news, and it can be hard to keep up. If your mind was on other things this week, our Saturday-morning roundup of Apple-related headlines will bring you up to date.
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Rumours run wild as event season beckons
With most likely just over two weeks to go until Apple unveils the new iPhone models for 2021 it’s no wonder that rumours about the new models are flying right now. This week we’ve seen a supposed leaked image of a new Rose Gold iPhone 13 Pro and what could be an iPhone 13 packaging label, heard that the iPhone 13 will be ‘more expensive’ due to the higher component costs due to global shortages, and infamous leaker Jon Prosser has claimed that Apple is testing new Face ID that will work with masks and fogged up glasses. Catch up with all the iPhone 13 rumours.
It’s pretty clear that new iPhones are coming soon with lots of new features, but spare a few minutes reflection for the features that have come and gone from our phones. In this week’s Different Think we discuss Four iPhone features we wish would make a comeback.
iPhone sales figures normally fall just before the introduction of a new generation, but reports claim that this isn’t the case with the iPhone 12. If the iPhone 12 is selling too well could this be a problem for iPhone 13? An alternative way of looking at this is to ask When is the best time to buy an iPhone?
Alongside the new iPhone we’re also expecting to see a new Apple Watch and new AirPods. It’s not surprising therefore that the rumours about both products are hotting up. This week we’ve heard that there will be new screen sizes for the new Apple Watches, with images said to show evidence of this appearing on Twitter, see: Another Apple Watch leak: photos indicate new sizes.
As for when this autumn’s first Apple event will take place we’re still hearing 14 September, but now Jon Prosser has added that his sources have the pre-order and on-sale dates of the iPhone 13 lineup confirmed for the 17 September and 24 September. Those are the dates we would have predicted, assuming the 14 September date is correct.
The new Twitter profile picture for Apple’s head of environmental protection indicates that filming may be underway for this autumn’s Apple keynotes. The Twitter profile picture for Lisa Jackson shows production equipment in the background.
News in brief
Once the iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch launches are out of the way attention will turn to the Mac. Two new MacBook Pro models are expected to launch this autumn and as you would expect the rumours are ramping up. This week we’ve heard that the new 14in MacBook Pro will cost more than the models it replaces.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has also confirmed (via his Power On newsletter) that the new M1X Mac mini will launch “in the next several months”. The new model “will have an updated design and more ports than the current model.” A new design is also anticipated. See: New powerful Mac mini coming soon.
Looking ahead to next year, Apple has postponed the return to the office again. Now Apple’s employees won’t be expected back in the building until January 2022 at the earliest. The change of plans is due to the rising infection rates of Covid-19, in particular the Delta variant.
It looks like new AirPods will be launching soon, but if you were hoping for new AirPods Pro you’ll have a longer wait. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman doesn’t believe Apple has any update plans for the AirPods Pro in 2021: “I don’t think that there will be a hardware update of the AirPods Pro before 2022,” he said. More here: No new AirPods Pro before 2022. Wondering if it’s safe to buy AirPods now? Read: Should I Buy AirPods Now Or Wait?
Software, bugs & problems
If you are waiting eagerly for iOS 15 we have some bad news: yet another feature won’t be ready for prime time. Apple has decided to hold back iCloud Private Relay from full release, instead it will be released as a beta. When it does arrive iCloud Private Relay will encrypt all traffic leaving a users device so that it can’t be read by anyone between the user and the website. It is similar to what a VPN does, but VPNs do a lot more than encrypt traffic. Read about the seven iOS 15 features that won’t be available at launch.
Spy software Pegasus is back. Researchers have discovered a new vulnerability in iOS that has been exploited by Pegasus. It happened a couple of months back, but significantly it bypassed Apple’s Blastdoor security measures. Read: How to check if your iPhone is infected by NSO’s Pegasus spyware.
If you use Whatsapp on your iPhone you might be pleased to learn that a Whatsapp iPad app is in the works. It is possible to use Whatsapp on the iPad ( and Mac for that matter) but doing so requires using a web app. The new iPad app will no doubt improve the experience.
Apple deals of the week
I’ve embedded a list of the best current Apple deals below, but other than that, we’re done for this week. See you next Saturday, and stay Appley!
Top 10 Apple Deals
Apple 11in iPad Pro (2021, M1, 2TB) – Wi-Fi + Cellular
We’re not sure if Amazon will bring back the £639 discount we saw in October on this iPad Pro M1 variant, but almost £600 off is still an excellent deal. See our review of the 11in iPad Pro with M1.
Adobe Creative Cloud – All Apps (1 Year)
Adobe’s slashed 20% off its Creative Cloud subscription prices. The offer ends 14 April.
Apple AirPods 3
The AirPods 3 offer better battery performance, an updated design, and support for Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ. Save £30 from Amazon.
Smarty 12GB data SIM-Only
Grab three months of 12GB data for just £4 per month. If you’re after more data, you can see all its plans here. You can cancel anytime.
Apple iPad mini (2021, 6th gen, 64GB, Cellular)
This is the best deal we’ve seen on the iPad mini you can get the 64GB Cellular (RRP £619) for just £464 – which is less than the RRP for the Wi-Fi model!
Apple MacBook Air, M1, 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 256GB (2020)
Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm)
Bag the last gen Watch 6 for under £300 at Amazon’s Spring Sale!
Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm, Cellular)
Amazon’s just slashed £160 off the Watch Series 6 with Cellular connectivity as a part of its Spring Sale.
Apple 10.2in iPad (2021, 256GB, Wi-Fi)
Save $50 on the latest regular iPad. It’s a great affordable slate that’s perfect for web browsing or video calls.
Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard for iPad Pro 11
Save an excellent £74 on this Logitech keyboard for the iPad Pro 11 – this is currently the best discount we can see. The Combo Touch works with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen models.
Apple AirTags
Grab this set of Apple AirTags for just under £80 – that’s a saving of roughly £9 per AirTag, which costs £29 separately.
Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS, 41 mm)
The Apple Watch Series 7 has a solid $120 discount in Amazon’s Prime Day sale, making it one of the best prices around.
Beats Solo 3 Headphones
Get £80 off the Beats Solo3 Wireless on-ear headphones (which we gave four stars in our review). They’re available in a range of colours.
Apple AirPods Pro with MagSafe charging case
Amazon’s excellent £64 saving on the AirPods Pro from March is no longer available. Multiple sites are selling for £189 (a £50 saving), including AO and Laptops Direct – but we’d go with John Lewis on account of its two-year guarantee.
Apple Watch SE 2021 (44mm, GPS)
Get a great saving on last year’s Apple Watch SE from Amazon.
Logitech Crayon
Want a more affordable alternative to the Apple Pencil? Check out the Logitech Crayon, which works with all iPads from 2018 and later.
Apple iPhone 12 mini (256GB)
The 256GB iPhone 12 mini has over £100 off from Amazon.
Apple iPad mini (2021, 6th gen)
A handy saving on Apple’s new iPad mini model for 2021, but note that this price applies to the Starlight colour finish only. eBuyer is matching the deal on certain colours.
Apple iPad Air (2022, 256GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular)
KRCS has knocked money off the 2022 iPad Air. You will find savings across the whole range.
Apple MacBook Air, M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 512GB (2020)
An excellent deal, this. Save money on the MacBook Air with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU from Very. The discount applies to the silver version only.
This deal is only slightly better than Currys who has the silver model for £1,099.97. John Lewis had the same deal, but it is currently out of stock there.
Author: Karen Haslam, Managing Editor, Macworld
Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld more than two decades ago. Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Having edited the U.K. print and online editions of Macworld for many years, more recently her focus has been on SEO and evergreen content as well as product recommendations and buying advice.