Looking back at this week’s Apple news and headlines, including the latest iPhone 16 Pro leaks, iPad Pro’s privacy hardware, Apple’s delayed AI rollout, lack of hardware at WWDC, Apple’s hidden hardware, Android that beats Apple’s security promise, and “I’m A Mac” guy returns.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of some of the many discussions surrounding Apple over the past seven days. You can also read my weekly roundup of Android news here on Forbes.
Customers look at an Apple iPad Pro M4 (Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)
The hidden feature of iPad Pro
Tucked away in the iPad Pro is a new feature designed around user privacy. Apple devices, like many devices in the industry, indicate whether a microphone or camera is active. With little fanfare, Apple has set this as a feature powered by hardware rather than software, as Guilherme Rambo explains:
“Fun fact about the M4 iPad Pro: It is the first device to support and use Apple’s new Secure Indicator Light (SIL) mechanism. When using the microphone or camera, the corresponding indicator dot is effectively rendered in the hardware (using the display), making it a lot less likely that malware or a user space app could access those sensors without the user’s knowledge .
(Mastodon, via Forbes).
iPhone 16 Pro screen size leaks
Apple plans to increase the perceived screen size of the iPhone 16 Pro. The latest leaks surrounding the design of the upcoming iOS smartphone reveal that the bezels around the screen will become smaller. It’s something Apple has been hoping to achieve for a while:
“[Border Reduction Structure technology] The latest rumor was because it was said that Apple found this technology to be problematic in terms of yield. That’s because… BRS influences construction: “To achieve this, the wiring and circuitry at the edge of the panel must be bent downwards. This has reportedly created a number of manufacturing challenges along the production path.”
(Forbes).
Limited AI rollout from Apple
The rush to AI by Google and its Android partners has pushed Apple to make AI’s role in iOS more visible beyond its current use in Siri, typing and image processing. These changes will be shown at WWDC next week, but the high demands placed on iPhone specifications mean that not every device will benefit from them. While iOS 18 is expected to run on devices dating back to the iPhone XR, at worst you’ll likely need an iPhone 15 Pro to run AI:
While it’s not entirely clear which hardware factor is the key requirement for Apple’s on-device AI, it’s worth noting that (unsupported) standard iPhone 15 models have 6GB of RAM, while supported Pro models have 8GB of RAM. all Apple Silicon iPads and Macs come with at least 8GB. Even when scaled down for limited use, LLMs require a lot of RAM due to the sheer number of parameters involved, so this could be where Apple runs into hardware limitations his own devices.”
(MacRumors).
No new hardware at WWDC
It may have happened in previous years, but Apple isn’t expected to launch any new hardware at WWDC next week. While some product lines may need a mid-cycle refresh (particularly due to the lack of M4-powered Macs), Tim Cook and his team will likely focus on the future of AI rather than the future of the store shelves:
“There is no hardware scheduled to be announced at WWDC unless Apple unexpectedly previews a new device launching later (to be clear, I don’t expect that),” Gurman said today in his Power On newsletter. a new Apple TV model “is not imminent”, despite earlier reports that Apple planned to release a new Apple TV in the first half of 2024. The current Apple TV was introduced in October 2022.
(Bloomberg via MacRumors).
But hidden hardware in your new iPad and Mac
Apple has added support for the IEEE 802.15.4 transmitter feature, essentially the radio channels used by the royalty-free Matter standard for smart home communications. Apple hasn’t mentioned its support, but the hardware is there, ready to be turned on when the time (and presumably the software) is right:
“While the company does not list Thread among the specifications for these products, FCC reports indicate that many of Apple’s latest devices have tested Thread radios for compliance. Generally, you don’t test a radio that isn’t there.”
(The edge).
iPhone loses to Android due to security promise
Unlike Android manufacturers, who specify in advance how many years of software updates and security patches a new phone will receive, Apple has been a bit more cautious with its support window. Following the introduction of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act in the UK, manufacturers of internet-connected devices must provide declarations of conformity, including software support windows:
“Since iPhones are internet-enabled products, Apple is required to comply with UK PSTI regulations. The company recently published its Declaration of Conformity for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which revealed that the “defined support period” is a “minimum of five years from the date ” is. first delivery date.” The “first delivery date” is listed as September 22, 2023, when the iPhone 15 series goes on sale.
(Android Authority).
And finally…
Apple’s ‘I’m A Mac’ actor from the classic US campaign was hired by Qualcomm to promote the new Snapdragon X Elite chipset, drawing a direct line from Apple’s past innovation to current innovation in Windows .
“During Qualcomm’s Computex 2024 keynote today, Long appeared in a short 30-second skit in which he was bombarded by macOS notifications and nagging screens, prompting him to look for a Snapdragon-powered PC instead… “Things are changing,” jokes Lung against the camera, after searching for a Windows on Arm PC after the pop-up notifications in macOS include warnings about app compatibility, low disk space, battery, and more.
(The edge).
Apple Loop brings you seven days of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any news in the future. You can read last week’s Apple Loop here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.