iPad & iPhone User 169

Apple makes a big deal about being at the forefront of privacy protection online. So it’s surprising that, for all these years, Siri has required an Internet connection to work. It processes all your requests online, even for things that have no online component like setting timers. So much as utter, “Hey Siri” when not connected to the Internet and you’ll get the opposite screen shot. With iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, that’s finally changing. Siri will gain a new on-device speech recognition model on all devices with an A12 Bionic processor or later (that’s an iPhone XS/XR or later). That’s a huge boon to the privacy-conscious, as it means your recorded voice is never, intentionally or unintentionally, leaving your device. Apple has confirmed that offline Siri access will not be…

The iPad Pro with a 12.9in Retina XDR display and M1 processor is barely on shelves, but we’re already hearing rumours about the next round of iPad upgrades, which should arrive in later in 2021. According to a new Bloomberg report, Apple is looking to update the entry-level iPad and iPad mini this year and possibly bring a big change to charging on the next iPad Pro. Mark Gurman reports that the iPad mini is due for its first redesign in six years, with “narrower screen borders” and the possible removal of the home button. Removing the Touch ID sensor from the front of the iPad mini would likely mirror the look of the iPad Air, with the fingerprint sensor built into the power button and slim, uniform bezels. We’ve previously…

If you’ve been waiting for the second-generation AirPods Pro model to arrive, you might not want to hear this: A report from Bloomberg says the new high-end earbuds might not land until 2022. According to Mark Gurman, the AirPods Pro refresh, which was originally planned for this year, won’t arrive until next year. Along with a possible design change, the new AirPods Pro will also reportedly feature “updated motion sensors with a focus on fitness tracking”. Motion sensors could automatically detect the difference between walking and running to start a workout or measure distance and pace while exercising. Other earbud makers have also incorporated heart-rate sensors into their earbuds, and Apple could offer a compelling tie-in with its Fitness+ service, which sells for £10 a month. Gurman also says Apple “has also…

Apple made a big deal about 5G in the iPhone 12, but there was one thing that wasn’t mentioned in the keynote hype – the modem isn’t made by Apple. It’s one of the few essential iPhone chips that Apple doesn’t manufacture, and a new report says that isn’t going to change with the next few models. Apple has been working on a 5G modem since last year following its purchase of Intel’s shuttered mobile modem business. The billion-dollar deal brought patents, intellectual property, and a couple of thousand employees as Apple looks to cut ties with Qualcomm, which currently supplies the X55 modem in the iPhone 12. However, TFT Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports (via MacRumors) that Apple isn’t close to making its own mobile modem: Qualcomm stands to lose a…

During its WWDC Keynote presentation earlier this month, Apple took the wraps off iOS 15. While new hardware is always exciting, iOS is maybe Apple’s most important and impactful product of all, as it gets installed on over a billion iPhones around the world. Due to release this autumn with a beta test starting right away, it’s full of new features and changes both big and small. These are the top five features that will have the biggest impact on iPhone users. BIG FACETIME UPGRADES FaceTime is getting a big boost in iOS 15. Spatial audio will separate out voices, so group chats sound more natural. A new grid view shows everyone the same size, and highlights the person talking. New microphone modes makes it easier for others to hear you –…

At this year’s WWDC Keynote presentation, Apple unveiled the next generation of iPadOS. It will bring a lot of the changes we got with iOS 14 on the iPhone along with a few new features geared toward power users. Here are the top features Apple is bringing to our iPads with iPadOS 15. WIDGETS Apple introduced a completely redesigned Home Screen with widgets in iOS 14 and it’s finally bringing them to the tablet. They function much as they do on the iPhone, offering small boxes that live among the icons on your screen and provide at-a-glance information to things like weather, photos and stocks. Apple is making them even more powerful on the iPad, however, with support for larger-format widgets with much more information and interaction for things like gaming, media,…