Introduction
Nice to have you with us again for another episode of Digital4Productivity. And last time there were some very specific tips on the subject of iPhone settings.
Yes, today’s episode is a little late because I actually thought we were going to have an Apple event on Tuesday, March 14 in the evening where news would be unveiled. The bad news – or maybe for your wallet the good news, no event was held by Apple. Rumor has it that there might be an event on March 21, which is next week Tuesday. But in this episode, I will give you the most important news and rumors about Apple.
iPhone 14 now also in yellow
Yes, you may have noticed that a yellow iPhone 14 was presented in the form of a silent launch. We had that last year with the purple one, which was delayed. So that’s what Apple does sometimes. You may also be familiar with the red edition, which was then added from time to time. So you can now also have your iPhone 14 in a nice yellow if you like the whole thing. But it’s the same model.
An even bigger MacBook Air
Yes, then the next rumor stage is that there will be a larger version of the iPad, not the iPad, but the MacBook Air. The rumor is that there will be a 15-inch device in addition to the 11-inch and 13-inch models, which may even have the Pro chips and, if it does have the Pro chips, will also have a fan. So we will then be very close to the MacBook Pro. For me, the only question is that I think the price-performance ratio of the MacBook Air is really very good and completely sufficient for most users. For me, the big advantage of the Pro is that I have one more USB stick / Thunderbolt port on it and that I have a native HDMI port, so I can connect HDMI directly. And I think you can never have enough ports, so my dream laptop would be a laptop anyway, where everything on the left and right is completely full of ports, so that I don’t have to work with hubs at all, but can do the whole thing that way.
I would also always like to have an integrated SIM card. Ever since I’ve had iPads with integrated SIM cards, I wouldn’t want to be without one. Perhaps another tip here. I’ve mentioned it before, I have another used HP notebook for under €400 in the middle of the eighth generation Core i5. I still have it, I can also turn it around completely. I have a native HDMI connection and I also have a SIM card in there. I always like to use it as a backup, because once a year I still have the situation where I can’t connect to a projector with my Mac or my iPad for the life of me. Despite adapters, despite intermediate emulation and software and hardware. Once or twice a year I have the whole thing. So that’s why.
Yes, back to the Apple news. So a 15-inch MacBook Air is relatively likely. Which will probably be relevant for very few of them. But what is quite relevant for Pro’s is that a Pro model is expected again, which was last launched in 2019. This is certainly not relevant for most of them. It is relevant for professional media producers who want an expandable system. After all, the system is designed so that cards can be inserted and changed, for example for more memory or additional applications. It won’t be cheap either. If you want more power, there will of course be a slightly more pimped-up version of the Studio this year. When it comes to the Studio, you always have to keep an eye on it. For me, it has one major disadvantage – it’s relatively loud and so many people now tend to say that the current mini model is simply more powerful. It’s also available with the M2 processor as a Pro. It also has four Thunderbolt ports, which you can also use as USB-C. For me, this is really a device where I say there’s no fan in it and the thing is really quiet, that’s powerful and I think it’s much better value for money.
Yes, then what’s also still pending at the moment is the issue of the iMax’s being renovated again. It could be that it won’t happen until later this year. But what is certain in any case is that two things are coming this fall. Firstly, the iPhone 15, which will then also have a USB-C connection, i.e. no longer the Apple Lightning connection, but a USB-C instead. This will have the great advantage for you that you will have the same connections as you have on the iPad or on devices from third-party manufacturers. This reduces the number of different chargers and adapters you need. For me, this hasn’t always been such a big deal, because if I need to charge an iPhone or an iPad at the same time, I need two cables anyway. And whether I do it with Lightning or USB, it doesn’t matter to me. So from that point of view, I say it’s always a first-word problem. But of course it’s good if it’s standardized. I can already hear the big comments saying that Apple is changing the connection again and that’s scary. Yes, from that point of view. You can of course continue to use your iPhone 13 or your iPhone 14.
Yes, there are also rumors on the subject of the iPhone that a higher variant may be added in 2024. For one thing, there are these foldable smartphones from Samsung, which can be folded horizontally and vertically, and Apple tends to do well and more easily with selling the higher-end devices. Funnily enough, the cheaper devices don’t do so well. So that’s why we’re thinking about perhaps renaming the Pro Max to Ultra. And that could already happen this year with the 15 iPhone and next year there could be another Pro variant on top.
Mixed reality headset
Yes, the next topic, which you have certainly seen, read and heard about many times, is the topic of mixed reality headsets, i.e. virtual or augmented reality. As you know, with virtual reality I can’t see anything of the outside world. I’m purely in the digital world. What we expect from Apple is a device capable of augmented reality, where I also have cameras outside, where I can overlay the real world with digital elements. Google Glass already did that to a certain extent. And I have to be honest, I wore them at a conference a few years ago when they first came out and I thought they were really good. You could superimpose things on it. Back then, the camera in these glasses simply put a lot of people off and the battery only lasted for just over an hour and you literally got a set of hot ears. Because the devices, the glasses got really warm. But in the meantime, the whole thing has been used in the logistics sector for picking applications, for example, and this technology has also been further developed and is really good. So from that point of view, we expect a device from Apple. However, the realistic assessment is that it will be presented at WWDC in July so that developers have the tools they need to build applications for it. Because it makes no sense at all to relaunch and release a pair of glasses when there is no application for them yet. So the realistic scenario is that the glasses will be presented at WWDC. The developers will then be given the appropriate software tools to program applications for them and that they will then be presented to consumers in the autumn and will probably be available for Christmas sales. That is the most realistic scenario at the moment.
Yes, then the iPad question. There are always rumors here. At the moment, things have gone a bit quiet on the subject of the iPad. So of course there will be iOS 17 at WWDC in the familiar form and I assume that there won’t be a revolution, but rather an evolution. I suspect that the Stage Manager, which brought a bit of a Mac-like window operation in the first version, will perhaps be a bit fluffier, because at the moment you can only touch these windows at one corner. So it’s a bit half neutered and I suspect it will grow a bit closer to the Mac. The good news is that this is now also possible on the older iPads. So the support for external monitors with different information on the monitor, that only works with the iPads that have at least an M1 processor, but those who still have the older processor can also use the Stage Manager theme, so that they can work with different windows on the iPad.
Honestly, I haven’t used it in practice, so, or not used it yet, I’ve tried it a few times. For me, I honestly don’t really need it. I’m not one of those people who have 35 windows open in their browser at the same time, but I’m more of the type to say that we humans are not capable of multitasking, so I don’t need to have 35 windows open at the same time.
Yes, we are not expecting any new iPad devices at the moment. Of course, it’s possible that new devices will be presented in the fall. There are still rumors that there will be a larger iPad. At the moment, however, the rumor situation is that a larger MacBook Air is coming first. A larger iPad is not really in the line-up at the moment.
Yes, that’s the latest news on the subject. Of course, it’s always a topic where I say, guys, this is also a first-world problem somewhere. When I look at it, I switched from my 10S Max iPhone to my 13 Mini. I can only use my 13 Mini for two to three years easily. I recently used an iPhone 6 plus again as a camera too. Of course, the cameras on the new devices are getting better, but to be honest, when I look at my 10S Max now, the older devices are easily sufficient for the functions that you do. Even when I look at my older iPads, I don’t even have an iPad, just a 12-inch Pro, 12.9-inch Pro with an M1 processor, because I haven’t yet reached the performance limits of my iPad. So my experience has always been that we are grading the systems much faster than ourselves. What’s interesting, of course, is that if an iPhone also comes with USB-C, then you’ll need a few fewer adapters, or if you have microphones that you use on the iPad, for example, then I can also use them on the iPhone and things like that. So the accessories will be significantly reduced. So that’s where I find it really practical. But when I look at microphone solutions today, they often come with USB-C and a Lightning connector anyway, so it’s not that life-changing. In other words, if you’re now faced with the question of whether to get a new computer or not. Personally, I’m a big fan of most of the MacBook Airs. I think they’re great value for money. And perhaps another tip for those who say they always want the latest devices. You can rent devices from Grover. And Grover is a company that rents out devices and you can rent smartphones, you can rent watches, you can rent MacBooks. In other words, you can get devices for a relatively small rental amount and then you could say, for example, I’ll rent for a year and get a new device every year.
Interest-free financing from Apple
Of course, Apple is also currently offering interest-free financing. This is also available once or twice a year, sometimes for corporate customers, sometimes for private customers. But Grover is interesting for those of you who say you want to change devices from time to time.
Change devices
Change devices. The Apple Watch will of course also arrive in the fall with the ninth generation. The second-generation Apple Watch Ultra is expected. As usual, we’re not expecting any revolutionary changes. I still have a penultimate Apple Watch, so that’s still good enough for me. So I sometimes skip two or three generations. So you don’t always have to get the latest hardware.
Conclusion
Yes, I hope the whole thing is exciting for you. If you listen to the podcast here soon, then you should definitely mark your calendar for Friday, March 17th at 11:30 a.m. for my free Zoom consultation. That means, as you know, I do a free live Q&A once a month. So then, if you’re listening to this now. You can simply tap on the link in the podcast episode and I’ll send you the access data. I would be delighted if you could join me on Friday at 11:30. If you can’t make it, you can also click on the link in the show notes. And then I will send you a link where you can get these and the recordings of the other Q&As.
Yes, maybe next week we’ll be a bit further along in terms of events, so perhaps there will be an Apple event on the 21st. In any case, I’ll keep you up to date on how you can be even more productive with digital technology from Apple and others.
I look forward to seeing you again next week. Until then, have a successful week.
Yours, Thorsten Jekel
Also available in: Deutsch
