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Apple's new Macs could change computers as we know them – CNET

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Typically people talk about the way Apple’s devices look. But this time, what matters most is under the hood.


Sarah Tew/CNET

This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters.

Apple’s expected to announce the first computers powered using chips that are more like an iPhone than a typical PC. That alone is exciting to the techies, but it’s also a sign of what’s possible to come, whether you buy a Mac or not. The iPhone maker’s said it’s going to change the brains of its computers over the next couple years. Starting with the computers it’s expected to announce Tuesday, Apple’s going to throw its weight behind its own self-made chips.

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For the past 14 years, Apple’s relied on Intel-made chips to power its laptop and desktop computers. Before the year’s end, Apple said it will begin shipping computers with chips similar to those in its iPhones and iPads.

“Our vision for the Mac has always been about embracing breakthrough innovation and having the courage to make bold changes,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said when announcing the new initiative earlier this summer. He added that Apple’s own chips will usher in new technologies and “industry-leading performance” from the computers. “Every time we’ve done this, the Mac has come out stronger and more capable,” he said.

Apple declined to comment about its upcoming event.

For Apple, this moment is one that’s been more than a decade in the making. The question that’s nagged Apple since its co-founder Steve Jobs died in 2011 is what comes next. Jobs ushered in the Mac computer, the iMac all-in-one desktop, the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Apple’s biggest product launch since is the Apple Watch, which has turned into an enormous business, outselling the entire Swiss watch industry last year by a huge margin. Still, it’s not an iPhone-like dent in the universe.

By combining all its devices under the same chips and common code, Apple will be able to offer an experience that truly spans its desktops, laptops, phones and watches. Apple’s already said app developers will be able to create one app and send it to all devices, with adjustments for keyboard and mouse vs finger touch and gestures.

The result may be a further blurring of the lines between what a computer is, and what it’s meant to do.

The changes are already beginning with Apple’s newest computer software, MacOS 11 Big Sur, which brings even more similar looks, icons and sounds from the iOS software that powers an iPhone to the computer.

“With the current Mac — it’s the Mac vs the PC,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies. “Now, if it behaves like an iPhone, I can manage it like an extension of my iOS devices.”

Apple's iPad Air uses the new A14 Bionic chip. It's got 11.8 billion transistors.Apple's iPad Air uses the new A14 Bionic chip. It's got 11.8 billion transistors.

Apple’s iPad Air and iPhone 12 uses the company’s A14 Bionic chip. The new Macs might too.


Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET

What may come

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The difference between computers and phones is becoming just about screen size.


Angela Lang/CNET

Apple says its transition to new chips may be a little bumpy, as app developers change the way their apps are coded to work with this new machinery. In the meantime, Apple promises most of the software we all use, including web browsers, photo and movie editors from all sorts of companies and even Microsoft’s popular Office suite of programs, will work on the new machines on day one.

What’s likely to change more than anything is on the outside of the laptop and desktop. Apple’s iPhones and iPads don’t have fans to keep their chips cool. Analysts are betting that if Apple can pull off that same trick with its computers, the fans that take up space and force the laptop to be thicker might disappear.


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Apple silicon-powered Macs: What to expect

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But aside from those changes, and what-if speculation about detachable laptop-iPad hybrids, Apple watchers seem hard pressed to come up with design change ideas. (Writer’s note: Apple, please bring back the MagSafe magnetic charging cables to the laptops. Pretty please.)

Another longer term play may be the integration of cellular service into these types of mobile chips. Computers with built-in cellular radios have been niche products at best, but these kinds of processors are designed to work with cellular radios. People buy connected iPads all the time — a connected MacBook Air isn’t a huge leap. 

While that’s not likely to come out any time soon, the carriers will likely be eager to get 5G into future generation of Apple silicon-based MacBooks. 

New way to pay

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Apple’s credit card may be its secret weapon to helping getting more people to consider its Mac computers.


CNET

One benefit Apple gets out of switching to its own chips and away from ones made by Intel, is that it’s often cheaper to make your own stuff when you’re Apple’s size.

“When you control your own destiny and control your own parts, you can save money,” said Bob O’Donnell, an analyst at Technalysis Research.

Generally, he said, chip prices make up at least 20% of a laptop’s costs. And if Apple throws turns those savings into lower prices, it could attract new people who just won’t pay or can’t afford the company’s laptops, which starts at $999.

It may also spark consumer interest and spur competition from other PC makers, who have toyed with using mobile phone chips in computers so far.

But the Apple credit card could be the company’s true ace up its sleeve, analysts say. Putting Macs on a two-year interest-free installment plan could get people hooked with the idea of buying a computer for about $42 a month.

“Getting the Mac into a larger population could be huge,” O’Donnell said.

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Apple announces Worldwide Developers Conference dates, in-person event – CityNews Toronto

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Apple has announced their annual developers conference will take place June 10 through June 14.

The big summer event will be live-streamed, but some select developers have been invited to attend in-person events at Apple’s campus in Cupertino, California, on June 10.

The company typically showcases their latest software and product updates — including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AppleTV and Vision Pro headset — during a keynote address on the first day.

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Contributing to a drop in Apple’s stock price this year is concern it lags behind Microsoft and Google in the push to develop products powered by artificial intelligence technology. While Apple tends to keep its product development close to the vest, CEO Tim Cook signaled at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in February that it has been making big investments in generative AI and plans to disclose more later this year.

The week-long conference will have opportunities for developers to connect with Apple designers and engineers to gain insight into new tools, frameworks and features, according to the company’s announcement.

The Associated Press

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iPhone 16 Rumors Point to Action Button and New, Vertical Camera Layout – CNET

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The upcoming iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are still months away from their expected launch this fall, but a new set of images published online may give us a better sense of their potential features. Among the revelations, the iPhone 16 may include an action button, similar to the one on last year’s iPhone 15 Pro, and it may have redesigned cameras in a vertical stack.

AppleInsider published a series of photos it says show dummy 3D prints of the upcoming iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro from an unnamed leaker. Aside from the action button and reworked cameras on the iPhone 16, AppleInsider also said its source found the iPhone 16 Pro to be “slightly larger” than its predecessor. Analysts had earlier said they expect the Pro model screens will grow somewhat.

Read more: iPhone 16: All the Major Rumors on Apple’s Next iPhone

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The new details suggest that a series of expected hardware updates are likely for this year’s new iPhones. Apple typically announces new iPhones around September, and the company tends to offer incremental upgrades to each new phone, introducing, over the period of several years, better cameras, screens and battery life, features that end up seeming like major upgrades when people get around to buying a new phone

Last year, Apple added a new titanium frame, action button and USB-C charging to its iPhone 15 Pro, which starts at $999. For its entry-level iPhone, Apple followed its well-worn strategy of trickling pro features down to the mainstream, adding the iPhone 14 Pro’s well-received Dynamic Island to the $799 iPhone 15, along with USB-C charging.

AppleInsider didn’t indicate whether its leaker had divined a reason for the iPhone 16’s shifted camera placements, but the two lenses will now reportedly be stacked one on top of the other, instead of diagonally. Apple has previously said it uses stacked lenses on the iPhone 15 Pro for spatial video capture, a key new technology the company highlighted as part of its $3,499 Apple Vision Pro headset, released in February.

Though AppleInsider’s leaks appear to confirm many previous rumors, not all renders and 3D prints are accurate, something the rumor blog notes itself in its report. Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the veracity of the leaks.

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I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

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Leaked iPhone 16 dummy units hint at larger sizes and new buttons

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The iPhone 15 Pro Max, with a 6.7-inch screen
(Image credit: Future)

We’re already counting down to the arrival of the iPhone 16 series – most probably sometime in September – and a leak showing dummy units of the upcoming phones has revealed a few of the changes we can expect to see later this year.

These dummy units are usually based on supply chain information, and have various business uses – like helping case manufacturers get their wares ready for new phones before they’re launched, for example. In this case, the images were posted to Chinese social network Weibo, as spotted by MacRumors.

Perhaps the most interesting reveal from these blocks of plastic and metal is that they show the previously rumored increase in size for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max displays – up to 6.3 inches (from 6.1 inches) and 6.9 inches (from 6.7 inches) respectively.

That’s not a huge jump of course, but it does mean more screen space for apps and media. The bezels are apparently shrinking down to accommodate the larger screens, which means the increase in the physical size of these handsets is only a slight one.

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On the button

iPhone 16 dummy units leak

The next iPhones might look a bit like this, but less blue (Image credit: Weibo)

Further reveals from this leak match up with what we’ve heard before: that all four models are going to get the Action button that replaced the Ring/Silent switch on the 2023 Pro models, as well as a brand-new Capture button for getting more creative with photos.

Also of note is the redesigned rear camera module that we think is coming to the back of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. The new vertical, pill-shaped look has been leaked already, but this is more evidence that it’s on the way – taking us back to a design that’s more reminiscent of the iPhone 12, which came out in 2020.

As always with such rumors, be somewhat cautious about reading too much into the look of these dummy units. That said, as more and more similar leaks pile up, it becomes more likely that they’re based on accurate information.

The next big Apple date for your calendar is WWDC 2024 – its Worldwide Developers Conference starts on June 10, at which time we should hear much more about what’s coming this year with iOS 18 and Apple’s other software platforms.

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Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

Leaked iPhone 16 dummy units hint at larger sizes and new buttons

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