Today, we get to see some more leaks of the upcoming Apple iPhone 13 series, the Apple Watch Series 7, and the AirPods 3 ahead of the official announcement.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to launch iPhone 13 lineup, AirPods 3, Watch Series 7, iPad mini 6, and more at the September event.
Apple’s “Spring Loaded” event is set to kick off on Tuesday, April 20, where we may see new iPad Pros and AirTags. The event may also see Apple debut AirPods 3 and a new Apple Pencil, according to a fresh leak.
A post on Weibo (via 9to5Mac) claims AirPods 3 and Apple Pencil 3 are both close to being launched. The Weibo account, UnclePan, included a photo of the alleged new AirPods, which shows off a design that closely matches AirPods Pro but without the silicone tips. The case also appears to feature a wider, flatter profile.
The photo of the AirPods 3 doesn’t appear to reveal anything we haven’t already heard or seen over the past few months. But the image shared on Weibo sure looks like the closest thing we’ve seen to the finished product.
The same report claims a third generation Apple Pencil is on the way. With several reports claiming Apple is going to refresh its iPad Pro lineup at this month’s event, a new stylus makes sense. An image of what was claimed to be the new Apple Pencil was actually leaked in March, and purported to show off a glossier finish, but otherwise a similar design to the Apple Pencil 2.
Reports about the launch of AirPods 3 have been mixed over the last few months. A spring launch for the third generation earbuds makes sense since it’s been over two years since they’ve been updated. But some believe the earbuds won’t be updated until later this year.
As for Apple’s rumored iPad Pro refresh, reports suggest we’ll see the introduction of a mini-LED screen, which will offer increased brightness and contrast without the risk of burn-in that’s associated with OLED. We’ll see what Apple has planned when its Spring Loaded event kicks off next week.
Let’s end the week like we always do, with deals. Starting with the M1 MacBook Pro which is currently 100 dollars off, leaving the entry level variant for 1199. If you’re looking for a more powerful variant, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is available for 300 dollars off on Amazon, leaving the 16 Gigs of RAM and 1TB of storage model for 2499. For those of you asking for more Windows Laptops, the Dell XPS 13 is available for 500 dollars off, leaving it at 2000 bucks shipped. Moving on to Verizon, they have the Galaxy Buds Pro in a bundle, where you get 2 for 325 bucks, meaning you save 75 dollars in the process. Finally, speaking of Samsung, yes their Spring deals are still going, so you can still get the S21 for 100 bucks, the S21+ for 200 and the Ultra for just 500, if you have a device to trade-in. We have more deals on Amazon Fire Sticks, more laptops and other products in the links below.
Now let’s talk about roadmaps and SoCs as it seems that Apple’s success story with Apple Silicone is something other companies want to replicate. Last week we had a report of Google working on their own SoC and now, it looks like Xiaomi and OPPO want to do the same. According to a new DigiTimes report, Chinese smartphone makers like Xiaomi and OPPO are working on launching their own 5G processors between late 2021 and early 2022. In case you didn’t know, the world is currently going through a chip shortage, which we’ll talk about later, causing products to be delayed so, we don’t exactly know how well this is going to work out for Xiaomi and OPPO. Sadly, all we know at the moment is that these chips would be sub-6GHz 5G compatible. So, we’ll see if they actually manage to launch these later this year due to the shortage going on. I honestly even wonder how all that is going to fair with Qualcomm partnerships, etc. We’ll keep you posted.
Probably, for the most hilarious news today let’s move the spotlight on to Apple and the upcoming AirPods as, it looks like someone said: If Apple won’t release these, I will! According to a Ming Chi Kuo report from March 14th, AirPods 3 are supposed to start mass production until Q3 of 2021 but, the reason we’re covering this is before you’re fooled by a new development. There’s some counterfeit AirPods 3 already on the market that have been shown on TikTok and Twitter, and they look exactly like those leaked images we got a couple of months ago. We know that Cupertino has an entire team based on taking down counterfeit products but, this is kinda funny considering that these aren’t even out yet and they just went on with the leaked design. It also kinda shows us how crazy the leaks have been this past year so yeah, Apple.. When’s that event coming? Cause clearly people are getting impatient.
Let’s keep talking Apple but on a more serious note this time, and about the iPhone 13’s display. A ton of leaks have evolved around these LTPO panels we’re expecting and today we have some more details on how these will happen. According to another report from DigiTimes, Apple’s suppliers for these displays will be Samsung and LG Display, with the transition from LTPS to LTPO being most likely completed in the first half of 2021. However, even with the transition ending early, their capacity might be lower than usual due to the added complexity so Apple might turn to BOE to handle the rest of these displays. And I know, BOE has failed multiple quality tests for Apple but, they are reportedly testing LTPO displays at an “Apple-Dedicated” section at one of their factories. So yes, we’re expecting these LTPO displays on both of the iPhone 13 Pro models, running Pro Motion 120Hz refresh rate. And by the way, this also allows for 15-20% less power consumption thanks to the A15 so, better display and better battery life so far sounds like a Win-win.
And finally, for the hottest news today let’s talk Google and the frenzy of Pixel leaks that has happened today, so bear with me here. Let’s start with that chip shortage we were talking about earlier on the show. According to a tweet from Jon Prosser this morning, the Google Pixel 5a has been cancelled due to chip shortage. And, the Pixel 4a and 4a 5G will continue to be sold through the rest of this year. This report was confirmed by Android Central when they spoke to one of their sources that claimed that Google Engineers would continue to focus on the Pixel 4a 5G for software testing for the future. Which made sense it’s pretty much the same expected hardware for the 5a. However, there was ANOTHER report from 9to5Google, citing a Google spokesperson that claims that the Pixel 5a 5G is not cancelled. And it will be available later this year in Japan and the US and will be announced in line when the last A-Series was introduced last year so, around October. So bottom line, the Pixel 5a won’t be coming at Google I/O and will only be available in the US and Japan. Oh and that Pixel Watch will reportedly come in October as well, with a pretty nice design according to Prosser.. But then what are we getting at Google I/O?
Apple is going to launch new wireless earbuds -tentatively called the AirPods 3 – in the fourth quarter of 2021, as per TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who previously predicted a debut in the first half of 2021. Over the past few months, alleged hands-on images and renders have claimed to give us a glimpse of their design, which appears to be have been heavily inspired by the AirPods Pro. While Apple is characteristically mum about its upcoming earbuds, counterfeit AirPods 3 are already being sold out there.
As per videos shared by the leakster DuanRui (@duanrui1205), fake AirPods 3 have already hit the Chinese market, and they appear to be a replica of the those we’ve seen in the leaks so far. It is also possible that the design of the real AirPods 3 may have leaked from the supply chain and was quickly copied and turned into counterfeits even before the real thing is officially launched.
China is arguably the world’s biggest market for making a cheap replica of expensive items, especially electronics. Plus, a majority of Apple products – including AirPods – are assembled by Foxconn in China. Lately, Apple has been moving some share of production to Vietnam, but China remains the manufacturing hub. And this further raises the question – Are the fake AirPods 3 being sold in the Chinese market inspired by the real ones which are yet to be officially launched?
Leaked renders and live images suggest that the AirPods 3 will have a half in-ear design, ensuring a more comfortable and secure in-ear fit. They will also borrow the black touch input area and the pressure-relief vent at the top from the pricier AirPods Pro. More importantly, they are said to offer support for Spatial Audio, a tech that has so far been exclusive to the AirPods Max and AirPods Pro. However, Active Noise Cancellation won’t be a part of the package, likely to keep the cost in check.