Apple’s next iPhone event

We’ve talked quite a bit about what’s planned for Apple’s next iPhone models

Now we might have an expected date for their next event. Mark Gurman thinks it’s going to happen on Wednesday September 7th

Wednesday’s can be an odd day for Apple to do an announcement, but in the US the Labor Day holiday falls on Monday the 5th, so it makes sense Apple would shift the event by a day.

At the event Apple is expected to focus in the four new iPhone 14 models and updated Apple Watch Series 8 models.

As a refresher…

Apple is expected to drop the “mini” model from the iPhone lineup

They will have two “entry” level iPhone 14 models. The 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and a new 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max

The iPhone models are expected to have minor updates to features like the cameras but will likely retain the current A15 processor from the iPhone 13 models, though it might be tweaked for performance

The big updates in processor, A16, design, punch hole + pill, and camera tech will be reserved for the to “Pro” models. A 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro and a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max

All the models are likely to get a price increase of about USD $100 or so.

Apple is also expected to unveil three Apple Watch models at the event

Refreshed versions of the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE

Women’s health features and a body-temperature sensor

Then a new “premium” Apple watch with a larger “rugged” design

Reportedly Apple has also told retail employees to prepare of a release of products on September 16th

If so we could expect pre-orders to happen on Friday September 9th

The event is expected to be pre-recorded, but Apple could invite some members of the media to watch at the Steve Jobs theatre and then offer a “hands-on” event after the presentation

And the “next” event

After the iPhone event in September Apple is expected to have another event in October to show of new iPads and Macs

They’ll also likely announce the final features and release dates for iPad OS and macOS Ventura

It’s expected that Apple will update the iPad Pro models with new M2 processors

The Commercial Times reported that TSMC will be using their new 3nm process to produce M2 processors by the “end of 2022”

Originally the timing was thought to be delayed to next year, but that apparently has changed.

In an interesting rumor… there might also be a possibility that Apple is bringing MagSafe to the iPad Pro

Even bigger updates are expected for the “entry level” iPad

A redesign of the case with flat edges to bring it’s design language more inline with current iPads

It will retain the TouchID and larger top and bottom bezels

It will have a slightly larger 10.5-inch Retina display with the same resolution as the iPad Air, adopt the USB-C port, 5G support, no headphone jack, and will get an Apple A14 Bionic processor.

With the move to USB-C and the new I would suspect we’d also see support for Apple Pencil 2

On the Mac front…

Apple’s expected to announce updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max processors

There’s also expected to be an updated Mac Mini, though it’s not clear if it’ll just be an M2 model or if we’ll see an expansion of the line with a “Pro” version using M2 Pro or M2 Max processors

My gut says no… simply because I think that would muddy the waters for the Mac Studio?

Apple TV+ shows win big

The Apple TV+ shows Severance and Ted Lasso racked up an incredible seven wins at the Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards this week

Severance won in the Drama category for Best Streaming Series, Best Actress in a Streaming Series, Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Best Writing in a Streaming Series, and Best Directing in a Streaming Series

And Ted Lasso won in comedy for Best Streaming Series and Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series

In all Apple TV+ shows received a record 53 nomination at the Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards

Apple TV+ has signed a deal for a new film starring Mark Wahlberg according to “Deadline”

The new movie is called The Family Plan and is another collaboration between Apple Original Films and Skydance Media

Simon Cellan Jones is signed on to direct the film which is about a suburban dad who must take his family on the run when his past catches up to him.

And bad news if you live in Chicago and have Apple TV+

Starting next month Apple will have to start collecting the city’s municipal 9% “Netflix” tax on Apple TV+, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade subscriptions

The tax went into effect in 2015 and covers video and music streaming services and video game subscription services

Apple filed lawsuits prior to the launch of Apple TV+, but ultimately dropped the suits after courts ruled that the municipal tax did not violate the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act nor were they unconstitutional.

New OS updates, patch now.

Apple released a couple of OS updates for Mac and iOS devices this past week and you’re gonna want to update

macOS Monterey‌‌‌‌ 12.5.1, iOS and iPadOS 15.6.1 contain updates that address kernel and Webkit vulnerabilities you’ll want patched

The main stream media already blew these updates out of proportion, they are serious, but there’s no need to panic

The main concern is that there is reason to believe these vulnerabilities may have been actively exploited in the wild. But that said, if you just patch you’re unlikely to have to be concerned.

Apple existing multi-layered protections and sandboxing would minimize the exploit, but still you’re better off getting the full protection.

Another thing to be aware of this week and a flaw in they way iOS handles VPN tunnels that impacts all VPN apps on iOS

This came from a security researcher who claims Apple has know about the flaw for 2 and a half years.

The issue has to do with what happens, or really doesn’t happen, when you activate the VPN on iOS

What should happen is that it should shut down all existing (non-secure) data connections and route them through the VPN. Apparently on iOS that not exactly the case.

Existing non-secure connections can remain open and the claim is that Apple doesn’t provide any way for the VPN app to close all non-secure connections

That claim is not 100% true according to 9to5 Mac

In a 2019 WWDC presentation Apple apple provided a way for VPN apps to do exactly this. But it seems none of the VPN apps tested by the security researcher use this technique.

In reality when activating a VPN on iOS most network connections are short-lived and will eventually be re-established through the VPN tunnel on their own. But maybe not always. So this is something to be aware of.

It’s not clear if there is any workaround out side maybe re-booting the device and staring the VPN from the get go. Apparently toggling Airplane Mode used to work, but the researcher claims it no longer does in iOS 15

Apple has extended its service program for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models experiencing earpiece-related sound issues.

They added another year of coverage for affected iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro devices. They are now covered for up to three years after the first retail sale of the device.

If the receiver (earpiece) in your iPhone 12 or 12 Pro has failed and it was manufactured between October 2020 and April 2021 you could be eligible.

iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max are not part of the program

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Small video in Messages

Doug had a theory

“Could it be that though he is sending to all Apple users that one of them is sending/receiving via text message than iMessage. I know that I sometimes end up sending a text message when I am on the edge of cell service and data is a bit iffy or weak.”

Sparse bundle follow-up

Just a couple things in continuation on our discussion from last time about encrypted disk images

Rick noticed he was having issues setting the “size” value on. the bundle. It seemingly would not let him create an image larger than 100MB

You need to set the size after selecting after the format as changing the format resets the value to the “default” of 100MB

Rick also asked the difference between a sparse bundle and sparse image as I had recommended the “bundle”

Sparse bundle is better for backup.

A sparse image will store all the data in a single file.

The bundle will store it in small files of 8MB each. So that way as you’re adding data it can backup just the smaller changed parts to Time Machine or other incremental backups

The trouble with Apple Ads

Apple apparently wants to expand it’s advertising revenue significantly

Mark Gurman said in his newsletter recently that Apple's VP of advertising platforms Todd Teresi wants to triple current ad revenue

Apple is currently estimated to be generating about $4 billion annually from advertising

I actually knew Apple had been hiring programmers in it’s advertising division recently so seems like they’re gearing up for an expansion

You may or may not be aware of Apple Ads. Especially if you thought they dies with the death of Apple’s iAd program

The most likely place you’ve seen them might be in the App Store where devs can pay to promote their apps on searches

Or maybe in the News app or possibly the Stocks app (related to news I guess)

Or if you’ve been watching MLB Friday Night Baseball streams

According to Gurman Apple has internally tested adding sponsored spots in Maps search results

And speculates Apple could bring ads to their Podcast and Books apps.

Another thought is Apple TV+ adding an ad supported tier

But here’s the thing… I pay Apple a premium for products and services and I would expect to NOT have to be subjected to ads for the privilege

I suspect Apple is likely going to attempt to stick to advertising that is supportive of the app content

i.e. allowing Podcasts and Book Authors to buy sponsored ads in search for example

But, that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow and I would criticize the fact that it sets up a “pay for play” scenario inside Apps where Apple already controls a lot of the exposure and marketing of what makes it to a “top” or “popular” list.

I think Apple could also find themselves in a precarious regulatory situation

Their App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework has had a big impact on their ad have competitors like Facebook and Google and if they boost their ad strategy that could look more and more like an anti-competitive move (something Facebook has already accused Apple of)

Creating a floor plan with iPhone

Dan bought a new house, congrats, and wants to do some planning for furniture, decorating, remodeling, etc.

The new house is in CA and he thought it would be great if the realtor could run around with an iPhone and do some “magic” to map out the rooms and dimensions to create a floor plan.

With Apple’s AR that’s the promise right?

There are some apps that can do this and in fact there is one specifically designed for realtors, contractors, etc.

Measure Square, https://measuresquare.com/measure-estimating-app-retail-flooring/

Pretty pricey at $45/mo

Turns out they have a “free” app… called “Reno Plan”, https://measuresquare.com/renoplan/

It promises to let you use AR kit to do corner to corner or “wall” (beta) measurements of a room.

You can also do measurements from photos.

I tried out out and was not really successful in getting really accurate measurements

You can edit things once your done, but even there I struggled with the app a bit.

That said, the app does support laser measures from Bosch, DeWALT, etc and maybe that would give better results?

The app is “free” with limits (up to 10 floor plans) and they do offer a “pro” version for $9.99/mo or $99/yr

There’s always doing things by hand as well with a tape measure and using something free like Google Sketch-up

So what other tools or apps are you using to do basic floor plans, etc? Tips, tricks, techniques?

Scavenger hunt UI

This was sent in from John who said…

I have been watching a livestream from Scott Adams, the Dilbert creator… He posed the hypothetical question, “If Steve Jobs were still alive, do you think he would have approved an iPhone IOS system which was so complex, there are at least five ways to silence an incoming phone call, all in different locations in the UI?”

Scott says that many online, including him, now refer to the Apple IOS UI as a scavenger hunt user interface, which has grown so complex and obscure that in order to do simple tasks, the user must hunt and search for the control that they seek.

I completely agree with this view, and wonder what you think.

First, I’m not a huge fan of the WWSJD, What Would Steve Jobs Do, hyperbole. It’s hard to say since Steve Jobs isn’t here and we all know Steve wasn’t always perfect in his decisions around usability

Example: The iMac “hockey puck” mouse

But… this point about some of the UX decisions made around Mac and iOS in recent years is not without merit though I’m not sure the criticism holds up in most cases.

Yes there are a lot of what I call “hidden UI” features in iOS and also as pointed out by Scott’s example often times multiple ways to accomplish the same task.

But… I think you have to think of it a bit like it’s always been… there is core base functionality that is simple and easy for almost anyone to use and understand and then there is more “advanced” stuff you pickup over time.

There’s always been a cultural “language” around tech that is obscure and known only to a few at first, but then evolves over time.

For example… the “mouse”. It was something that most people needed to “learn” to be effective at using. Yes, coupled with a GUI, it was much easier than command line for most people, but using it and understanding it for first time users in the early days was odd a clunky

Over time and over generations though it became second nature and as it evolved it got more advanced and new features that had to be integrated in the cultural tech language. More buttons, scroll wheels, etc.

Gesture based UIs have had a similar evolution

Pinch to zoom, two finger scroll, swipe up to go home (no button), etc.

So I think to me it seems natural, a bit, for Apple to expand the gesture lexicon over time and offer more advanced features and options. Especially for “power” users. This is something that too, has always existed.

I think keyboard shortcuts, in the age of GUIs, are a good example of this.

I think as long as the “extra” ways of doing things don’t interfere with the “basic” functionality then it’s probably OK.

Still I understand the point… if these kinds of UIs add complexity or confuse more users then they help you really need to evaluate if they cause more harm than good.

I know one example that I often struggle with the the “Print to PDF” in Safari on iOS

On the Mac…

Choose “Print” and then in the Print dialog there is a “PDF” dropdown with the option “Save as PDF”

On iOS…

Click the share button…

Choose “Print”…

Then in the Print dialog you have to tap Share… again, then you can save as PDF say to “Files”

If you analyze these to paths… they are similar (both take second “clicks” in the print dialog to save the PDF), but to me the Mac one seems more obvious, because there is literally a “PDF” option.

On iOS it’s not obvious that clicking the “share” button again in the print dialog is how you would Save a PDF instead of printing.

So what other confounding or baffling iOS “scavenger hunt” UI features do you know about that you can share with us?

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