It's Apple Christmas in September!
Hello and happy new Apple product launch weekend! It feels like Christmas in September, and I hope that all of you received and are enjoying your new Apple products this weekend, whether it was a new iPhone 13 or iPad mini 6, or even a base model iPad.
So it's been a huge week. Before new products launched, we saw the release of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15. Unfortunately, those eager for macOS Monterey will have to keep waiting just a little longer because it doesn't seem to be ready yet.
After months of being in the beta stages, I'm glad to finally put iOS 15 on my best iPhone, which at the time of this writing, is the iPhone 12 Pro because I'm eagerly awaiting the UPS delivery guy to get my iPhone 13 Pro to my doorstep (ugh). I previously tinkered around with the beta software on secondary devices, but now that it's on my main, I've spent a lot more time with it. I've said it a few times already, but Focus is one of those features that I didn't know I wanted, but I absolutely love. It really has helped cut out distractions while I'm working (mostly), and I love how I still have control over what notifications I get and from whom. Notifications are much better now, and I personally enjoy being able to share my Health data with my husband directly, so he's always in the know. If you want to know more about my thoughts about the new iOS, make sure to check out my complete iOS 15 review.
As I write this, I'm still waiting for my iPhone 13 Pro to be delivered (I am always on the later part of the UPS route for whatever reason, even though I got other UPS deliveries earlier). I'll have it by the time you're reading this, though, but so far, the reviews seem positive. I think the thing about the new iPhones that I'm most excited about, especially on the Pro models, is the new photo and video capabilities. As Rene Ritchie points out, it's basically a cinema rig in your pocket. I'm also especially eager for that ProMotion display, which I'm hearing is fantastic. Of course, my eyesight definitely isn't the best, so I'm not sure if I would really notice the difference, but I'll still have my iPhone 12 Pro on hand, so I will be comparing the two. And while the notch is smaller enough to display slightly more in the status bar, I'm still annoyed that we can't just have the battery percentage there all the time. Seriously, why Apple? I'd also rather know the percentage remaining instead of a vague battery icon, c'mon now.
One of the things to be aware of with the Pro models is the Macro mode. While having the ability to take macro photos is great, it seems that the automatic switching to Macro mode isn't what everyone wants all of the time. This also occurs in both photo and video mode, and users aren't too happy about it. Thankfully, it seems that Apple has acknowledged the issue and will be adding a new setting in a future release to disable the auto-switching functionality. Hopefully, it comes sooner rather than later.
Even though we just got new Apple devices, it's never too early to start talking about what's coming in the future. In last week's Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg says that we should expect some significant updates for the Apple Watch, Mac Pro, MacBook Air, AirPods Pro, and iPad Pro next year.
Even though the Apple Watch Series 7 was a big disappointment this year, it seems that we may get three new Apple Watch models next year. Perhaps a new Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 8 (of course), and a more "rugged" Apple Watch. I'm not sure if a rugged model would be something I would get, as I am not often in situations that require it, but I could see it being a good choice for others if it has aluminum and the sapphire crystal glass. But who knows — after this year's Series 7 disappointment, I'm a little warier of the rumors. I am eager to see how the next MacBook Air, AirPods Pro, and iPad Pros turn out, though.
And while we're talking about future products, despite the iPhone 13 just arriving, we're already getting more iPhone 14 rumors. Ming-Chi Kuo predicts a hole-punch display and a 48MP wide camera. While I personally am not so sure about that 48MP camera (that's a massive jump from the 12MP from the last several years), I welcome the hole punch instead of a notch. I know some people aren't fans, but I'd rather have a much larger screen that makes up the front without having a weird cutout at the top. I think a hole punch is less intrusive and noticeable, but again, it's not for everyone. I just want a status bar that can fit much more than what is currently allowed. Is that too much to ask for?
The other iPhone 14 rumor that I hope comes to light is an under-display Touch ID sensor, which Kuo says could happen in 2023, along with a foldable iPhone in 2024. Plenty of Android phones have such a feature, and ever since I've been wearing a mask due to the pandemic, this is something that I've been wanting. Hopefully, Kuo is on to something, and it does eventually come. Heck, I'd even take a Touch ID sensor in the side button even — I just want more ways to authenticate if Face ID doesn't work because of masks. But on the topic of a foldable iPhone, I think it would be interesting. I honestly wasn't sold on foldable phones when they first started rolling out, but I have been quite tempted by the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. Who knows — maybe Apple can create a great folding iPhone.
Anyways, that's it for this week. I hope you're all enjoying your shiny new toys, and stay tuned for some of my thoughts on the iPhone 13 Pro next week after I spend some quality time with it.
Until next time,
- Christine Romero-Chan
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