Apple This

While Apple users were expecting to hear about new hardware releases coming this year, many were left disappointed after Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) began on June 7 and ended on June 11 without a single product announcement.

However, Apple users everywhere can stay optimistic as here is everything we expect to see between now and 2022.

iPad (9th Generation)

Not long after Apple’s 12.9-inch Retina XDR iPad Pro hit the shelves (May 21), we’re already hearing gossip about an update to the entry-level iPad and iPad mini coming later this year.

Likely slated for a release at a fall event, the redesigned 9th generation iPad may finally come with a more modern design. The new iPad will likely retain the “Home” button, but change to a much slimmer, thinner design similar to the iPad Air.

iPad mini (6th Generation)

After no updates to the iPad mini since 2019, the stale design is likely to get an upgrade in the fall of 2021. Reports from around the tech world have mixed opinions on the fate of the next iPad mini. While some expect the mini to feature a similar design to the old iPad Air with thin bezels and a home button, others are anticipating a Liquid Retina screen and Touch ID button.

The latest iteration of the iPad mini is likely to arrive alongside the 9th generation iPad mentioned above.

14-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro

Highly anticipated for announcement, news of the new MacBook Pro has yet to be released following WWDC. However, with new Apple M1 silicon chips already in a multitude of devices, we can expect to hear about redesigned MacBook Pros before the year ends. Apple will reportedly ship two options, 14 inches and 16 inches, with slimmer bezels.

The usually minimalistic Cupertino company will also finally bring back some of the things the latest Apple products have lacked, like an HDMI port, an SD card reader, more Thunderbolt ports, and MagSafe.

Rumor has it Apple will finally ditch the Macbook Pro branding from the bottom bezel and the Touch Bar will also go away.

While Mini-LED displays have been teased, it’s unlikely to be included in the 14 or 16-inch MacBook Pros as they are slated to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2021 and first quarter of 2022 respectively. The first models of the latest MacBook Pros will likely still use the same retina display, with Mini-LED backlighting models possible later in 2022.

Mac Mini

Perhaps the black sheep of Apple devices, the Mac Mini is rumored to be getting a big upgrade this year. The latest high-end Mac Mini is expected to get even smaller, with many expecting the next Mac Mini to be under an inch tall. Apple is also reportedly considering a plexiglass top, which means ditching the aluminum chassis for the first time since 2010.

According to Mark Gurman’s Bloomberg report, the Mac Mini will feature an “X” variant of the M1 chipset. According to him, this chip “will greatly outpace the performance and capabilities of the current M1 chips.” Gurman also hints that the Mac Mini’s GPU will most likely be integrated into the system on a chip, but will be a lot more powerful than the current 8-core GPU. The new chip is likely to come in either 16 or 32-core variations. These chips should include up to 64GB of memory and between 256GB and 2TB of storage.

The new Mac Mini could also get two additional Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, for a total of 4 USB ports, along with the current two USB-A ports, ethernet, and HDMI. No SDXC card slot is expected.

29-inch iMac

With the colorful 24-inch iMac hitting shelves back in April, it’s highly likely that a new high-end model is on the way before 2022.

Although rumors are thin, we can expect an M1X or M2 chip, more RAM, and more ports.

iPhone 13

Perhaps Apple’s most popular product, the iPhone, is certain to create the biggest buzz out of Apple product launches this year — and we’ve already got a pretty good idea of what’s in store.

Purported battery capacities have already been leaked on Twitter. After the battery size decreased from the iPhone 11 to 12, it looks like Apple is ready to pack a larger battery into the iPhone 13. Leaked CAD sketches suggest smaller notches, larger camera arrays, and a slightly thicker design than the iPhone 12. Reports claim that Apple was able to shrink the notch, or small cutout usually at the top of the screen, by reducing die size by about half for VCSEL chips used in the True Depth camera. That means you’ll have more screen space and a less invasive camera notch.

Much like the iPhone 12, four different models are expected: a 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini, a 6.1-inch iPhone 13, 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro, and a larger 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max. It is expected that the Ultra Wide camera on all iPhone 13 models will be improved from a 5-element f/2.4 lens to a 6-element f/1.8 lens. Sensor-shift stabilization, which is currently only available on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, is expected to be used across the iPhone 13 lineup. Finally, after years of 60Hz maximum refresh rates, it’s possible we will see a 120Hz ProMotion display in this year’s new iPhones — while still taking advantage of an OLED display.

As usual, the iPhone 13 is expected to be announced at an event in September.

Released so far this year

Apple has only released the following products so far this year:

24-inch iMac

11-inch iPad Pro

12.9-inch iPad Pro

Apple TV 4K with Siri Remote

AirTag

With only a handful of products released this year and no new hardware announced at WWDC 2021, we can expect a very busy second half of 2021 for Apple. The above products are expected to be announced soon and released before the end of the second quarter of 2022.

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Apple macOS: Big Sur has arrived. 

Named after the picturesque mountainous section of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise dramatically from the Pacific, the latest macOS promises to elevate one of the world’s most advanced operating systems to a new level of beauty and power.

But how can you get the most out of Big Sur? Find out what version 11 of Apple’s Mac operating system offers by perusing these tips and features.

Updating to Big Sur

Are you just finding out about Big Sur? If you haven’t already updated your Mac, navigate to the Apple icon in the upper-left corner and select About This Mac. At the next window, select Software update. Then click the Update Now button and follow the prompts to install the update.

Big Sur Control Center

Apple now gives you quick access to several settings by bringing the iOS/iPadOS Control Center to Macs. Apple even added a Control Center icon to the Menu Bar in the upper-right hand corner — click the Menu Bar to manage your settings in the control center.

Now you can quickly access different controls for:

• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• AirDrop
• Do Not Disturb mode
• Keyboard Brightness
• Screen Mirroring
• Display
• Sound
• Music

Click what you’d like to control to expand and edit your settings.

To add more options to the Control Center, go to System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar. On the left pane, scroll down to Other Modules and select options like Accessibility Shortcuts, Battery, Fast User Switching, and check the Show in Control Center box.

Pinning Controls to the Menu Bar

For even quicker access, Big Sur allows you to pin controls to the Menu Bar from the Control Center. 

One way to add controls is to click the Control Center icon and drag and drop a specific icon to the Menu Bar. Another way is to go to System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar. In the left pane, select a particular control and then check the Show in Menu Bar box.

Extra Tip: To hide the Menu Bar, so it only appears when you navigate your cursor to the top of the screen, go to System Settings > Dock & Menu Bar and check the Automatically hide and show the menu bar box.

Viewing Widgets and Notifications

Much like the latest Control Center, Apple borrowed another feature from its mobile and iPad operating systems.

Now displayed in the same section, click the date and time in the Menu Bar to view any notifications and see default widgets like date, weather, World Clock, and Screen Time. Select a widget to open the corresponding application.

Customizing Your Widgets

One of the biggest reasons for Apple finally adding widgets six years ago was the ability to customize its size, details, and more.

To edit or remove from your screen, right-click on any widget. For example, the weather widget allows you to change location or to update based on where you are. You can also reorder your widgets by dragging and dropping them to the appropriate spots on your desktop.

To add more widgets, right-click any widget, and select Edit Widgets. Alternatively, you can click the Edit Widgets button at the bottom of your screen.

You can even download third-party widgets by searching Widgets in the Mac App Store. Now you’ll be able to use third-party widgets in the Notification Center or Menu Bar.

Quieting your Startup

Are you tired of hearing Apple’s built-in chime every time you open your Mac? You can now disable this sound by going to System Preferences > Sound and unchecking Play Sound on Startup box. Now you’ll have a quiet startup until you recheck the box.

More Options for Your Mac’s Battery

Now offering a dedicated system preference for your battery, click the Battery Icon on the Menu Bar to explore your battery preference options.

Big Sur offers more options to either preserve — or get the most out of — your battery. Some examples include tuning options for:

• How long until the display shuts off battery power
• Enabling Power Nap in Battery Mode
• Optimizing Video Streaming on battery power
• Optimized Battery Charging so Big Sur won’t charge your Mac past 80% until you need the extra boost (saving your battery life)
• Managing Battery Longevity — select this option to reduce the rate at which your battery chemically ages.
• Usage History — see your battery level and usage for the last 24 hours or ten days.

Hearing What You Type

Do you have eyesight problems? Apple created this feature for individuals who need to listen to words aloud as they are composed. To set up Speak Typing Feedback, go to System Preferences > Accessibility. In the Spoken Content Section, check the box for speak typing feedback. 

Now, any letter typed is read aloud by the speak typing feedback feature. After you’ve typed a word, that word also reads out loud with Spoken Content. If you enter punctuation, space, new paragraph, or other characters — these are read aloud as well.

Color Adjustments

Now you can change which colors appear in buttons, menus, and other elements. Or you can select the multicolor option, which changes the accent color of an app based on the developer’s preferences — each app will have a unique color.

To set up different color options, go to System Preferences > General. For Accent Color, choose the first icon.

Mac’s default setting for wallpaper tinting is annoying to some as it changes the shading of many items in macOS. To change the windows’ display to a more neutral tone, go to System Preferences > General and uncheck allow wallpaper tinting in the windows. 

Trying macOS Wallpapers

Mac has always done that little bit extra when it comes to aesthetics, and Big Sur is no different.

Big Sur adds several stunning new images you can set up as your wallpaper. Just like previous versions, you can choose a dynamic wallpaper that changes between light and dark as the day and night progress.

However, Big Sur offers a wider variety of pictures and cool variations on the usual scenic Apple Themes.

Big Sur Mac Rentals with Rentacomputer.com

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