Friday 16 August 2024 | Join Us | Advertise​

In this issue, you'll find:

• An 'iPhone Air' makes more sense
• Next Big Thing: Tabletop iPad on A Robot Arm
• Everything We Know About AirPods 3
• iPhone SE 4 to Likely to Feature 8GB of RAM
• Wallpapers of the week
• & more...

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💯 An 'iPhone Air' makes more sense

We've been hearing multiple rumors about a potential new iPhone 17 model that will have a new, slimmer design.
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The idea is to create an "Air" version of the iPhone of sorts, something that sits in between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. The most apt comparison is probably to the original MacBook Air from over a decade ago, which was somewhere between the regular MacBook and MacBook Pro.
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And that makes a lot of sense because Apple has been trying to have an mid-tier version of the iPhone since the iPhone 12. However, the mini versions were a flop, and the Plus versions aren’t doing well either.
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After all, an iPhone 15 Plus costs only $100 less than an iPhone 15 Pro, and it lacks a more advanced display and the latest chip.
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But with an iPhone Air that has a more appealing design than the base model, Apple has a chance of convincing more people to spend more money, even if they don't want or need a Pro model.
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​So the iPhone lineup would be like this:

• iPhone 17: base model with a more conventional design
• iPhone 17 Air: larger display and a new, more appealing design
• iPhone 17 Pro & Pro Max: better hardware and more robust design

Do you think iPhone Air makes more sense? Hit the reply button and let us know your thoughts.

🔥Next Big Thing: Tabletop iPad on A Robot Arm

Apple is reportedly working on tabletop computer that’s essentiall a iPad on a robot arm so it can rotate and tilt to keep itself facing the user. A large screen will be set on "a robotic limb" so it can move on its own.
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The company now has a team of several hundred people working on the device, which uses a thin robotic arm to move around a large screen.
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This is supposedly not going to be a robot as many people envision one. It'll lack legs or wheels, and will stay stationary on a kitchen counter, table or desk.
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But it'll include an iPad on robotic arm that uses actuators to tilt the display up and down and make it spin 360 degrees.
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The device is envisioned as a smart home command center, videoconferencing machine and remote-controlled home security tool.
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That’s what many people expected after earlier leaks about a HomePod with a large screen, though the upcoming device will reportedly run a version of iPadOS.
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The product is apparently in an early stage of development — it's not expected to reach customers before 2026 or 2027. The price tag will be around $1,000, which is roughly what a premium iPad models without robot arms sell for.

🎧 Everything We Know About AirPods 3
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Apple's iPhone 16 event is only weeks away, and new AirPods are expected to debut there too. But will the next-generation AirPods Pro 3 be among them?
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Apple is preparing to launch AirPods 4 this fall as the next version of the base-model AirPods.
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However, the latest reporting pins 2025 as the release window for AirPods Pro 3. That means anyone looking to upgrade still has a long time to wait.
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If reports to be believed, the AirPods Pro, meanwhile, are expected to get a new design and chip in 2025, and the company is working on health features for that device tied to hearing.
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Until now, AirPods Pro have retained their original design from 2019. So when the third-gen model debuts in 2025, it will have been six years of that same design.
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​New Chips: Apple's H-series chips have been an exception thus far. For example, The move from H1 to H2 enabled Apple to offer significant upgrades to the AirPods Pro 2 over its predecessor with an exceptional acoustic experience and cancels up to twice as much noise over the previous generation.
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Because of Apple's track record with improvements to its H-series chips, AirPods Pro 3 getting a new H3 chip is a big deal.
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Along with that the company is working on a new hearing test feature that will play different tones and sounds to allow the AirPods to determine how well a person can hear.
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Separately, Apple is exploring how it could better position AirPods as a hearing aid, a $10 billion-a-year market that’s ripe for reinvention.
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There's also engineering work being done on adding sensors to the AirPods so they can determine body temperature via a wearer's ear canal. That type of data is considered more accurate than wrist temperature.
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AirPods 3 will have strong reputation for delivering quality sound. On a related note, features like Noise Cancellation and Adaptive Transparency will likely improve too.
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​What features would you like to see in AirPods Pro 3? Hit the reply button and let us know your thoughts.

🚨 iPhone SE 4 to Likely to Feature 8GB of RAM

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In the latest iOS 18 beta 5 update, Apple introduces several notable enhancements:
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Currently, only the iPhone 15 Pro models support Apple Intelligence, Apple's suite of AI features coming in iOS 18.1, because the features require a minimum of 8GB of RAM. There is only 6GB RAM in the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, so they will miss out.
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According to the reports, next year's iPhone SE 4 will almost certainly come with 8GB of RAM, up from 4GB in the 2022 model, due to the hardware requirements of Apple Intelligence.
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Following the release of the iPhone 16 lineup in September, Apple will release the fourth-generation iPhone SE as early as the beginning of 2025.
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The fourth-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ is rumored to feature an iPhone 14-like design, Face ID instead of Touch ID, a USB-C port, an Action button, an Apple-designed 5G modem, and an all-screen look that does away with the Home Button.
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The device's display is expected to grow in size from 4.7 inches to 6.06 inches and use OLED for the first time.

🤖 Apple Likely Won't Charge for Apple Intelligence Features Until At Least 2027

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Apple's long-term plan is to develop something like Apple Intelligence+, with add-on features that users would pay a monthly fee to access.
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In the future, basic Apple Intelligence access could continue to be free, with more advanced features requiring a subscription.
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As of right now, the first Apple Intelligence features are only partially available in the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 betas.
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Apple has added Writing Tools, some basic Siri improvements, smart replies in Messages and Mail, and a few other features like a Memory Maker option in Photos, but Image Playground, Genmoji, and the bulk of the ‌Siri‌ upgrades won't be coming until later in 2024 and 2025.
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When Apple does start charging for Apple Intelligence, it could be baked into existing ‌iCloud‌+ plans or included as part of Apple One, Apple's subscription bundle.
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Counterpoint Research analyst Neil Shah recently speculated that Apple could charge between $10 and $20 for Apple Intelligence, with the fee rolled into an ‌Apple One‌ plan.
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The basic ‌Apple One‌ plan is priced at $19.95 per month right now, and it includes 50GB ‌iCloud‌+ storage, Apple TV+, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade.
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​Would you subscribe to Apple Intelligence+?

🤖 In Progress: Cheaper Vision Pro and Smart Glasses for next year

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According to the reports, Apple is on track to ship a cheaper Apple Vision headset as soon as next year.
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It isn’t quite clear what Apple will do to cut costs on this cheaper model, but this product will ultimately make Apple Vision headsets more popular. However, if the cheaper model isn’t less than $1,500, the Vision devices will probably remain niche products.
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In addition to two new Apple Vision headsets, the Vision group is still experimenting with Smart Glasses without displays, similar to Meta’s Ray Ban glasses.
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However, the idea of making true augmented reality glasses has been tabled due to technical challenges, so it'll likely be a while before we see a true "Apple Glass" product that many of us have envisioned for years.
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Regardless, Meta Ray Bans are still quite a cool product. They allow you to easily take photos and videos on the go, and you can also talk to it as a voice assistant.
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On top of that, you can take advantage of Meta AI to answer questions about things around you, since it has access to that camera feed. They're also lightweight, and start around $329.
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I think it'd be pretty interesting to see Apple ship a product like that.

Wallpapers of the Week

If you’re a die-hard fan of Deadpool’s wisecracks or Wolverine’s razor-sharp style, we’ve got the best collections of Deadpool and Wolverine wallpapers for iPhone.

Thank you again for joining iGeeksBlog+. I look forward to embarking on this exciting journey with you! Best regards, Dhvanesh Founder, iGeeksBlog​

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