Here we are again, less than one month after Apple’s September 15 event. Next Tuesday, October 13, Apple representatives will take to the streaming stage to announce new products in an event the company has monikered “Hi, Speed.” But what can we expect from the event?
Normally, Apple launches iPhones at a September event, but it didn’t this year, possibly because of COVID-related delays in its testing of the new devices. Rather, the September event was primarily about the Apple Watch (there was also a new, redesigned iPad Air, along with some services announcements and a slightly modified non-Air, non-Pro, non-mini iPad).
All that is to say that iPhones are very likely to be the stars of Apple’s October show. Let’s get into what to expect from them—and what else we might see at the event.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro
If leakers, investigation into iOS 14 builds, and reports from generally reputable publications like Bloomberg are to be believed, we’re in for the most significant iPhone overhaul in years—certainly since 2017’s iPhone X.
While it’s usually folly to try to get too predictive about what Apple means with its cryptic event names, “Hi, Speed” is likely to refer to one or both of the following two things: the A14 chip and 5G connectivity. Both are expected in Apple’s new iPhones.
The A14 was already introduced to the public when Apple announced the new iPad Air last month. The A14 includes a six-core CPU with two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores, as well as a custom GPU and a 16-core neural engine for machine-learning tasks.
While it doesn’t look like the A14 is dramatically faster than the A13 found in last year’s flagship iPhones, it will continue Apple’s lead in performance over most competing devices. As for 5G, Apple’s competitors have already started jumping on that bandwagon of late, and Apple is expected to go all-in, offering 5G in all of its new iPhones this season.
5G is unlikely to make a big difference for most users right now, given the nascency of 5G networks in most places. But depending on its implementation in the iPhones, it might be good for the long term.
Enlarge/ Apple’s A14 chip was announced in September 2020 alongside an updated iPad Air.
Apple
Reports have said that the new iPhones will come in four different models across three sizes. 2019’s iPhone 11 will see two successors: one with a 5.4-inch screen, and the other at 6.1 inches. Meanwhile, the iPhone 11 Pro will be available in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch variants.
All four models will adopt a design and aesthetic similar to the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and recent iPad Pro and newly announced iPad Air in that they will have flat edges. The two lower-end models will be made of glass and aluminum, while the higher-end ones will be glass and stainless steel.
Below: The iPhone 11 Pro Max. The next high-end iPhone may be even bigger.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max, 2019’s highest-cost iPhone.
Samuel Axon
Here’s the front.
Samuel Axon
And the back, with that new, matte finish and prominent camera setup.
Samuel Axon
Still Lightning.
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The volume-controls side.
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The SIM tray side.
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The featureless top.
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The three camera lenses.
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We’re not sure what to expect in terms of camera features, other than the possibility that at least the higher-end phones will include the lidar sensor that appeared in this year’s iPad Pro refresh. The sensor would support new or improved computational photography and augmented reality features and apps.
There’s one other potentially bombshell bit of news about the new iPhones: analysts and leakers alike have been saying for months that EarPods, Apple’s cheap wired headphones, would not be included in the box with any new iPhone. If true, Apple is likely to wrap this in an environmentally friendly, anti-waste justification, just like it did with omitting the charging brick from the new Apple Watch boxes.
Apple Silicon Mac
This June, Apple announced that it would begin (very gradually) moving away from Intel’s CPUs in new Macs in favor of its own custom-designed, ARM-derived silicon similar to that found in the iPad Pro. It also said that the first of the Macs running on those chips (which are dubbed “Apple Silicon”) will arrive by the end of 2020.
That makes the Apple Silicon Mac the only already confirmed product we might see on October 13. However, there’s no guarantee it will be at this event. The company could opt to announce it in November or December instead.
In any case, we don’t yet know anything about the new Mac besides the fact that it will have Apple Silicon. Will it be a low-end MacBook or a beastly high-end machine? We’d bet the former—perhaps a return of the MacBook (sans “Air” or “Pro”) product line. But that’s just an educated guess.
Below: Photos from the Apple Silicon announcement at WWDC 2020.
ARM Macs get a whole Apple SoC, with lots of components.
ARM Macs get better performance and battery life, hopefully.
Apple
Tim Cook put the ARM transition up with the Mac’s other big transitions: PowerPC, MacOS X, and Intel.
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Rosetta is back!
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Rosetta 2 features.
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Technically, the first ARM Mac is this “Developer Transition Kit.”
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The about screen, featuring an Apple A12Z Bionic.
Apple
Apple sent developers a machine made specifically for developing and testing Mac apps on Apple Silicon earlier this year—it was essentially a Mac mini with an iPad Pro chip inside it—but there’s no evidence the device was a harbinger of which product will get a consumer release first.
An Apple Silicon Mac at the MacBook, MacBook Air, or Mac mini level would likely outperform low-end Macs with Intel CPUs (based on iPad Pro benchmarks). That means Apple’s “Hi, Speed” tagline could also apply to a new Mac.
Also—we’re not adding a distinct section for this mystery item since, if it does happen, it’s likely to be a minor specs bump and may not even be mentioned at the event—Apple is due to refresh the Intel-based, 16-inch MacBook Pro in the next month or two.
We believe it’s unlikely that will be the first product to go Apple Silicon, though, given that the 16-inch MacBook Pro is widely used by content-creation professionals who rely on software that may not have been rebuilt for the new architecture yet.
AirTags
It’s basically a running joke now that this might be the event where Apple finally announces AirTags, one of the company’s all-time worst-kept secrets. But here it is again: this might be the time.
Based on leaks, reliable reports, and even evidence buried in iOS, AirTags would be Apple’s competitor to Tile—little physical tags that you can track with location services like GPS. In one use case, you could attach an AirTag to a valuable to make sure you can find it if lost.
Early leaks suggested AirTags would also offer augmented reality features, allowing the owner to find them with a heads-up-display-like AR view on their iPhones, iPads, or (in the future) AR glasses. They might also work with the U1 ultrawide-band chip that has been somewhat mysteriously included in recent iPhones.
AirPods Studio
A Bloomberg report a few months ago described new, over-ear headphones that would carry the Apple brand name, as opposed to Beats branding. They would probably come at a price point similar to that of the Beats Studio3 ($350).
Like their Beats brethren, the new Apple headphones (possibly called AirPods Studio) would feature superior active noise cancellation and sound quality compared to what we got in the in-ear AirPods Pro that launched last year. The same report claimed these new headphones will be modular, allowing users to swap out the ear pads, among other things.
Below: AirPods Pro.
Apple’s AirPods Pro are the true wireless earbuds to get if you want active noise cancellation.
Jeff Dunn
Apple’s AirPods (left) and AirPods Pro.
Jeff Dunn
The case for AirPods Pro.
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The charging port for AirPods Pro.
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AirPods Pro inside an open case.
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The other side of the case.
Jeff Dunn
Apple’s AirPods Pro are great noise-cancelling true wireless headphones.
We’re unsure of the timeline for announcing these headphones, but alongside new iPhones would seem to be ideal.
HomePod mini
We know even less about a new HomePod than we know about the new headphones, but reports from several publications and sources have said that Apple plans to introduce a smaller, cheaper HomePod to compete with lower-end speakers from Amazon and Google.
Currently, the HomePod is priced up against the most expensive offerings from those two competitors. Reviewers have generally said the HomePod was a winner in terms of audio quality but not smart speaker features.
A cheaper speaker would likely sacrifice that audio quality to bring Siri to more people. But apart from privacy-policy differences, it’s not clear why many consumers would choose a low-end HomePod with Siri over a Google Home speaker with Google Assistant or a device with Amazon Alexa given that those assistants are more useful and accurate than Siri at this time.
But we might learn exactly what Apple’s argument is for the new speaker at next week’s event.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
