Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including iPhone launch details, final iPhone 16 Pro design leaks, iPad Mini preparations, four new M4 MacBooks, Snapchat for iPad, and Ted Lassoo’s unexpected return.
Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes.
Apple Confirms iPhone Launch Details
Apple has confirmed its next event. Glowtime will take place on Monday, September 9th, and given Apple’s love for a regular release schedule on its smartphones, it will see the official launch of the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. Naturally, the image and animation of the invite has kicked off a serious round of Kremlinology to decide what’s going to be the big news. It’s probably AI:
“The colors in this year’s animation are likely to refer at least in part to what the iPhone 16 series will look like. Blue, yellow, white, pink and black are all evident and that corresponds to what some reports have said the iPhones will look like. If more details appear, we’ll be covering them.”
(Forbes).
Apple CEO Tim Cook during a launch event in San Francisco, California (Photo by Stephen Lam/Getty … [+]
Final iPhone 16 Pro Design Leaks
As the iPhone 16 Pro launch approaches, many will be happy to see the increased specs on the camera. While the adoption of the x5 telephoto zoom lens into the smaller iPhone 16 Pro will be welcome (last year, it was an iPhone 15 Pro Max exclusive), there’s a bigger change that will impact your photographs. Apple is bringing a larger sensor to one of the key cameras:
“…the 5x zoom equivalent on the telephoto will be on both sizes of Pro (it’s currently an iPhone 15 Pro Max exclusive, for space reasons, I’m told). The main camera will remain the same as it is on the current Pro models, with 48-megapixel resolution.
The most striking news is the arrival of a second 48-megapixel sensor. The ultra wide camera on the Pro and Pro Max will switch to this and offer the same capability as the main camera, that is, the ability to shoot at full resolution as well as combining adjacent pixel sites to create better 12-megapixel images.
(Forbes).
Preparing For A New iPad Mini
Could an iPad Mini show up next week? Apple typically runs its stock down on older products that are about to be replaced. Many are looking at the dwindling supplies of Apple’s entry-level tablet and are hoping for the second foot to fall on Monday, especially as it has been three years since the last iPad Mini was revealed:
“Apple has been working on a seventh-generation version of the iPad mini , and rumors have suggested that it could come out this year. The next iPad mini is expected to include an A17 Pro or better chip to support Apple Intelligence, along with updated front and rear cameras. Updates that Apple has been making across its product lineup could also be included, such as Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.”
(MacRumors).
Four New MacBooks
Four new Mac models have been picked up in developer logs. While their consumer names aren’t out there, we do have the reporting numbers (“16,1,” “16,2,” “16,3,” and “16,10.”). Previous reporting numbers 14,10 and 15,10 were subsequently identified as the MacBook Pro models. We likely have a base MacBook Air 13, an uprated Air 13-inch, and a similarly specced Air 15-inch:
“The upcoming models are expected to feature base-level versions of the M4 chip. Three of these models will have 10-core CPUs and GPUs, while one lower-end version will include an 8-core CPU and GPU. The 10-core CPUs share the same specifications as the M4 processor found in the iPad Pro, which has four high-performance cores and six efficiency cores.”
(MacObserver).
Snapchat Arrives On iPad
Amazingly, Snapchat has not released a dedicated client for the popular service specifically focused on the iPadOS platform. That changed this week, as users of Apple’s tablet can now unleash the full power of their devices:
“Snapchat’s latest update allows the app to run natively on iPad , utilizing the device’s full screen for the first time. Until now, iPad users who wanted to use Snapchat had to run the iPhone version of the app, which was not optimized for the larger display, leaving it to run at a lower resolution with large surrounding black borders like other unoptimized apps. “
(MacRumors).
And Finally
Perhaps belief doesn’t just happen because you have the viewing figures and critical acclaim. Still, when the various contracts and options that need to be triggered for a fourth season of Ted Lasso are triggered, you have to think the official green light is not that far behind.
“Warner Bros. Television has picked up the options on original cast members Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift. It’s believed that Jason Sudeikis is involved in the revival in some capacity as an executive producer. Warner Bros. TV declined to comment.”
(Variety).
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.