Table of contents for 192 in iPad & iPhone User

Apple recently announced its second quarter 2023 earnings, posting revenue of $94.8 billion for the quarter, a 3 percent decline year over year, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $1.52, which is unchanged from last year. This beat the expectations of analysts that predicted revenue of $92.96bn and $1.43 earnings per share. Mac sales took the biggest hit, posting net revenue of $7.2bn, a 31 percent decrease compared to the same quarter last year. iPad revenue was also down 13 percent to $6.7bn. Apple did say, however, that the Mac and iPad reached all-time highs for their installed bases worldwide, but the company did not provide numbers. Apple’s Wearables, Home and Accessories sales were flat, with $8.76bn this quarter, compared to $8.8bn. However, Apple’s Services continue to grow, with…

As WWDC approaches, we’ve heard plenty of reports about iOS 17, but the iPadOS 17 rumour mill has been pretty quiet. According to a new report, there may be a reason for that: Apple is reportedly working on a ‘special’ version of iPadOS 17 that will debut alongside the long-rumoured 14-inch model. According to Analyst941 on Twitter (fave.co/3LPUcpA), which has already leaked a ton of information about iOS 17 and watchOS 10, there is a “special version of iPadOS 17, being developed specifically for larger iPad Pro/Ultra/Studio model(s)” in the works at Apple. It’s unclear when (or if) this version of iPadOS 17 would launch, but it’s been rumoured for years that Apple is working on an iPad larger than the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Analyst941 doesn’t offer any details…

Sometimes, it’s all about expectations. Apple’s second financial quarter of 2023 results was a bit like a movie with bad word of mouth – but then you see it, and it wasn’t that bad. In fact, maybe it was… good? Sort of? Or, to put it another way, when the economy looks shaky, it’s awfully nice when one of the most valuable companies in the world generates $94.8 billion in revenue and a $24.2bn profit – even if it’s down slightly from the same quarter a year ago. After ringing a lot of warning bells three months ago, Apple’s business still seems pretty solid. If this is what a weak quarter looks like, Apple’s as blue-chippy as a blue-chip company could be. As always, amid the numbers and Apple’s traditional…

Buying a new iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch can be an expensive business. But if you don’t mind trading in your previous device then you can make a decent saving on the cost of its replacement. We explain how Apple trade in works and why it’s something you should definitely consider. We also look at some of the alternative trade in services, since it’s not only Apple who accepts an old iPhone, Mac, iPad or Apple Watch in exchange for a new one. WHAT DEVICES CAN I TRADE IN AT APPLE? Apple trade-ins cover a wide variety of devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Apple doesn’t take iPods or Apple TVs, but it will recycle them for you for free. In fact, Apple says: “You can take your…

When I bought my first iPad at the Apple Store on Regent Street, when it hadn’t yet been released in my home country of Sweden, it seemed an almost magical device. The screen, which at that point offered neither ProMotion nor even a high resolution, nevertheless felt like a window into a digital world. But best of all was the battery life and especially the amazing standby time, which was superior to just about all the alternatives. Today? Not so much. What the heck happened? If I pick up my iPad Pro after leaving it unused for a few days, chances are the battery will be somewhere around 30 percent at best, or zero at worst. After the same amount of time, my MacBook is ready with a more or…

Apple is often accused of charging too much money for its products, but some of the company’s most momentous releases are free. Such as the annual major software updates for the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch which unlock a raft of new features at no extra expense. This year, in fact, the watchOS 10 software update is expected to be considerably more significant than this year’s new hardware. The Apple Watch Series 9 (likely cost: £399 and upwards) has been labelled ‘anything but major’, whereas the new operating system is expected to bring ‘bigger enhancements, including an updated interface’. This article is our watchOS 10 deep dive, sifting through the leaks and rumours to bring you the best available information about its release schedule, hardware compatibility, and range of…

The AirTag from Apple is a compact tracking device that has an extremely long life and precise locating ability in the right circumstances. Unlike a GPS tracker, which requires cell service and may drain a battery quickly, an AirTag relies on the distributed Find My network of iPhones, iPads, and Macs that hundreds of millions of people around the world carry with them, and uses Bluetooth LE to signal that hardware. While there are a thousand positive and legitimate ways to use an AirTag, it can be abused when someone tracks you without your knowledge, which potentially exposes you to a dangerous situation. For example, the York regional police department in Canada recently announced that AirTags are being placed in hidden areas of target cars parked in public, and then…

Price: £152 from fave.co/41t9pCS The Edifier WH950NB Bluetooth wireless headphone looks great, is comfortable to wear for long stretches, has easy-to-use physical buttons and delivers solid active noise cancellation. Unfortunately, it’s also a headphone that won’t deliver its best performance unless you’re using a Bluetooth playback device that supports the LDAC codec. For most people, it won’t perform at a level that’s comparable to other quality headphones in its price range. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t deliver good sound at the lower-resolution SBC codec, but there’s no good reason to spend £152 on a headphone that won’t take full advantage of what your playback device can deliver. DESIGN The Edifier WH950NB headphone is available in black or white with gold accents. The earcups have a pebbled plastic surface that evokes…

Apple has increased the maximum value of trade-ins for iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs. Overall, the values haven’t gone up significantly – only £25 at the most, and only on items that were released within the past four years – but it’s relatively rare for trade-in prices to increase at all. In some cases, the maximum value offered has decreased, especially in the UK. The prices represent the maximum value on a trade-in, but the criteria to get that value is very strict, applying to devices that are in near-perfect condition and have higher-end components, such as higher memory, storage capacity, or processors. Signs of use, visible damage, lower storage and memory, and slower processors affect the value adversely. Apple doesn’t always offer a trade‑in option for your device,…

One of the most interesting iPhone 15 rumours appears to no longer be happening. Following a report from Ming-Chi Kuo (fave.co/3HOnV1d) that Apple had scrapped plans for the solid-state buttons on the iPhone 15, expected supplier Cirrus Logic has informed shareholders that it will not be supplying Apple with the chips necessary to make the buttons work. “Among the HPMS opportunities we have discussed, a new product that we mentioned in previous shareholder letters as being scheduled for introduction this autumn is no longer expected to come to market as planned,” Cirrus Logic, which previously supplied the iPhone 7’s Lightning-to-3.5mm dongle, writes in the letter (via MacRumors, fave.co/41hd9re). “As we have limited visibility into our customer’s future plans for this product at this time, we are removing the revenue associated…

I’ve never felt the need to choose between the iPad and the Mac. I use and value them both. But over the past few years, it’s started to feel like both the Mac and the iPad are increasingly limited by an artificial barrier that Apple has placed between them. The iPad has slowly become more Mac-like without ever really reaching the promised land. The Mac, meanwhile, has failed to pick up many features from the iPad. I admire the discipline Apple has had in keeping its product lines separate, but it feels like that decision is starting to harm the futures of both products. The Mac and the iPad are on a collision course, and I’m concerned that they’re both about to run into the brick wall that Apple has…

Those harmless bureaucrats at the EU are rapidly gaining a reputation as a gang of ruthless corporate enforcers: You’ve got to take your hat off to anyone who can make Apple do something it doesn’t want to. News emerged late last month that Cupertino, having received the political equivalent of a cease-and-desist letter last summer, is dutifully mass-producing USB-C EarPods ahead of the iPhone 15 launch this autumn. Lightning’s days are numbered, as the company falls into line with new regulations mandating the use of a common charging port. Rationally we’ve known this was coming for a while, but it still feels like a surprise to see Apple give in so easily. As watertight as the regulations may be, and as strong as the political consensus appears, many of us…

Each year Apple releases a major update for iOS, the operating system on your iPhone. The current version, released last year, is iOS 16, and it doesn’t take a genius to predict that 2023 will see the launch of iOS 17. This free software update will bring a raft of interface tweaks, bug fixes, and new features. It’s like getting a new iPhone without paying a penny. In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about iOS 17. We cover its release schedule and when you can expect the beta and final versions to come out; how to get it when it does; the models of iPhone that are likely to be able to run iOS; and the features we expect and hope to be added in the…

The Apple Watch has been a huge success for the company, pretty much tying up the wearables sector at the first attempt. With 2023 underway, we’re looking forward to seeing what Apple will do with the next generation of its digital timepiece. So, here’s all the news, rumours we’ve discovered so far about the Apple Watch Series 9 as well as our expectations for the new device. RELEASE DATE Apple has a release schedule for its Watches that, if you’ll pardon the pun, runs like clockwork. For years now, its latest iterations have made their debut in the second or third week of September, usually alongside the new iPhones, with on-sale dates about a week and a half later: Apple Watch Series 8: 7 September, 2022. Apple Watch Series 7:…

Apple has released a new AirPods firmware update (5E135) that, according to the release notes, includes “bug fixes and other improvements,” like the one before it and the one before that. But in a rare move, Apple has divulged what was fixed in the April 11 update and it includes a pretty serious security patch. According to Apple’s security content page (fave.co/3MgzlNC), the 5E133 firmware update fixes a Bluetooth flaw (CVE-2023-27964) that affects all AirPods models, though the original AirPods from 2016 remain unpatched since they no longer get updates. Here’s how Apple describes the issue, which was discovered by Yun-hao Chung and Archie Pusaka of Google ChromeOS: Bluetooth Available for: AirPods (2nd generation and later), AirPods Pro (all models), AirPods Max. Impact: When your headphones are seeking a connection…

Price: £195 from fave.co/3HZWCAW The Shure brand might have you thinking of pro audio gear more than consumer electronics, but the Shure Aonic 40 noise-cancelling headphone deserve to be compared to what market leaders Bose and Sony have to offer. And considering that Shure started out building innovative microphones starting in 1925, this headphone does a great job with phone calls. The Aonic 40 is a closed‑back, over-ear headphone with 40mm dynamic drivers. Those drivers utilize neodymium magnets and have a frequency response range of 20-to 22kHz. The headphone features a sleek and stylish design, with a matte black finish and chrome accents. The earpads are plush and comfortable, and they create a good seal around the ears, which helps to block out external noise even before you turn on…

In just a few weeks, Apple will unveil iPadOS 17 during its WWDC keynote, and we’ll once again be looking for signs that the iPad Pro is turning into the high-end productivity device we all want it to be. And based on the latest round of rumours, it might actually happen. According to Analyst941 on Twitter (fave.co/42hrXYd), Apple is preparing some major upgrades to Stage Manager in iPadOS 17 that will bring several enhancements to the multitasking interface. Among the new features expected are: • Support for webcams built into external monitors. • Source settings for audio output. • Simultaneous audio/video streams. • Dock resizing on an external display. • The ability to run an external display while the iPad display is off. This makes it sound like Apple is…

Apple has issued firmware updates for eight different devices today, and you can’t even really take care of it yourself. Multiple AirPods and Beats models are getting firmware updates, along with, oddly enough, the official Apple MagSafe charger. The full list of products and their new firmware numbers are as follows: AirPods 2nd-gen: 5E135 AirPods 3rd-gen: 5E135 AirPods Pro (1st gen): 5E135 AirPods Pro (2nd gen): 5E135 AirPods Max: 5E135 PowerBeats Pro: 5B66 Beats Fit Pro: 5B66 MagSafe Charger: 258.0.0.0 What do these firmware updates do? Nobody really knows! Apple never says. The company maintains a support document for AirPods firmware updates but every update only says it provides “Bug fixes and other improvements,” with very few exceptions. What’s worse, it’s not possible to actually update the firmware yourself. Firmware…

Thinking about buying a new iPhone? We have plenty of advice in our iPhone buying guide in last month’s issue, but rather than just telling you which iPhone might be best for you, we thought it might be a good idea to review some common iPhone-buying pitfalls. Whether you’re switching to iPhone for the first time or replacing an older model, here are five ways to make sure you avoid the most common traps people fall into. 1. DON’T DISMISS THE HIGH‑PRICED PRO MODEL When you buy an iPhone, you have more to consider than whether you want the bigger size or not. The iPhone line is divided into the regular iPhones (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus) and Pro iPhones (iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max). There’s even talk…

It’s not long now until Apple should be revealing the latest iteration of iPadOS to the world. Here’s all we know so far about potential release dates, new features and which models will be able to run the software. RELEASE DATE There’s no official date from Apple as yet, but it does have a pretty reliable history of releasing software versions around the same time each year, as you can see from the dates below. iPadOS 16: 24 October, 2022 iPadOS 15: 20 September, 2021 iPadOS 14: 16 September, 2020 iPadOS 13: 24 September, 2019 With the exception of the last version, which was thought to be delayed to add polish to some features, Apple always introduces a new iteration of iPadOS in the second half of September. We think…

It’s a big moment when Apple unveils a new version of iOS at WWDC each summer. After all, this software is running on a billion-odd iPhones and can fundamentally change the way they all behave: iOS updates add new features, correct flaws and UI issues, improve reliability (hopefully), and generally enhance the iPhone experience. All this without costing a penny to install. In 2023, rumourmongers would have us believe, the new features part of that equation will be relatively minor, with development work on the company’s mixed-reality headset apparently costing so many engineer hours that the iOS 17 project had to be scaled back. Multiple pundits have warned that, while some smaller new features will be included, there won’t be a ‘tentpole improvement’ to base an event around like iOS…

Apple and Google have announced a joint initiative to prevent the misuse of Bluetooth online tracking devices, such as Apple’s AirTag. The two companies have developed a specification that is being proposed as an industry standard for iOS and Android and has the backing of many third-party companies that offer such trackers, including Chipolo, Pebblebee, Samsung and Tile. “Apple launched AirTag to give users the peace of mind knowing where to find their most important items,” said Ron Huang, Apple’s vice president of Sensing and Connectivity. “We built AirTag and the Find My network with a set of proactive features to discourage unwanted tracking – a first in the industry – and we continue to make improvements to help ensure the technology is being used as intended. This new industry…

As we reported on the previous page, Apple has issued a firmware update (5E135) to all AirPods models except the original earbuds from 2016. I’m willing to bet that most AirPods aren’t even on the previous firmware (5E133), let alone this one. Even though AirPods have been out since 2017, Apple still doesn’t have a proper way to update its popular earbuds. Whereas every other device has some sort of a button that lets you download and install the update, AirPods don’t. You have to a) know there’s an update; b) put your AirPods into the case; c) charge the case wirelessly or with a cable; d) make sure it’s within range of an iPhone, iPad, or Mac; and e) wait for an indeterminate amount of time. Most people don’t…