I love hearing how other attorneys use Apple products in their law practices, so I always appreciate it when one of you is willing to share what you use and how you use it with the rest of the iPhone J.D. readers. Today I am sharing a submission from Edward Fogarty of Fogarty Law Offices, a criminal defense lawyer in Springfield, MA, who works at both the trial court and appellate court level. Although Edward works with many Apple products, I was particularly interested to hear about how he uses his Apple Vision Pro. I love using my Vision Pro, I use it all the time, and I’ll be talking about that product in just a few days at ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago.
Here are some of the interesting things Edward told me about his Vision Pro and how he uses it:
“I purchased one approximately six months ago on eBay for approximately $2200,” and fortunately, it still had an AppleCare warranty on it.
“I use it interchangeably with the Mac and iPad. It’s very useful, especially for reading cases.” He said he uses it quite a bit when preparing briefs and memoranda.
He makes extensive use of an app called Screens, which lets you control a computer from another Apple device, such as an iPhone, iPad, or Vision Pro. He says that it “works flawlessly.” I often use the Mac Virtual Display feature when I am sitting in front of my Mac, and I like that you can choose different display sizes, including an Ultrawide display. Edward says that while Screens doesn’t let you have an ultrawide display, “the screen size is more than large enough, and, at least for me, the resolution is better than the native app.” I know that another advantage of an app like Screens is that you don’t have to be sitting in front of your computer; I often use the LogMeIn app on my Vision Pro to see and control the screen on the PC that is in my office, even though I am working at home.
Edward said that he has had success using a Vision Pro to brainstorm, creating a mind map from his notes from a witness interview.
Edwars say that he also loves using a Vision Pro to review transcripts and evidence because it is “so much easier” to work with such a big screen.
He also likes using his Vision Pro for looking at family photos. “Panorama photos are truly panoramic,” and Edward said that he is encouraged to take even more panorama photos because he knows how good they will look on the Vision Pro. (The same is true for me!) He also said that adding the 3D effect to a 2D photo provides “an additional and powerful element to these photos.”
Thanks, Edward, for sharing these thoughts with me and the readers of iPhone J.D. If any of you want to share what you are doing with your Vision Pro, I would love to hear about it!
We begin this week’s podcast by encouraging folks going to ABA TECHSHOW in a few days to look out for Brett and me—especially if you want to be a part of next week’s podcast. Next, we discuss many recent cybersecurity threats and explain what you should do to stay safe. Next, we discuss the upcoming iOS 26.4, which will include six new emojis. We also discuss the AirPods Max 2, the MacBook Neo, the best cords for charging your iPhone, the great services that are part of Apple One, improvements to Personal VoiceOver, and more. We also discuss the recent event at the Computer History Museum celebrating Apple’s 50th anniversary.
In our In the Show segment, we discuss the large number of great shows coming very soon to Apple TV, and one show that is just starting production but has some great names behind it.
In our In the Know segment, Brett recommends a Folio-style case for the iPad that is cheaper and more functional than Apple’s Folio case, and I share a tip provided by a listener for switching listening modes on AirPods Pro.
I often say that an important reason to install iOS updates is to improve your iPhone’s security. Here is an example of what I mean. Ionut Arghire of SecurityWeek reports that a Russian state-sponsored espionage group has developed a sophisticated method to exploit Safari bugs to hack iPhones and is using it against Ukraine. Apple already fixed the flaw for people running iOS 26, but if you are not running that version yet, your device is at risk unless you install a software patch Apple released on March 11, as detailed by Apple in this article. Not only does iOS 26 protect against this specific hack, but it also includes a new feature called Background Security Improvement (BSI). Thanks to this feature, Apple can push a security update between versions of iOS: Apple pushes the update to your iPhone, and you don’t need to do anything for it to be installed (unless you turn off these automatic updates in the Privacy and Security section of the Settings app). Juli Clover of MacRumors notes that this week, on St. Patrick’s Day, Apple released its first BSI update. Keeping one step ahead of the bad guys can be difficult, but I’m glad that Apple is taking steps like these to protect us. And now, the news of note from the past week:
Speaking of clever hackers, here is something else you should know about. Matt Shumer—who goes by Ma.tt, who is one of the developers of WordPress, and who happens to be in New Orleans this week (hello!)—shares the incredible tale of how a creative hacker almost scammed him by pretending to be someone with Apple Support. And the hacker almost got away with it. I’d like to think that I would have figured out the scam around the same time that Shumer did and before I got hacked, but who knows. Yikes.
Speaking of iOS updates, Apple is expected to release iOS 26.4 pretty soon, perhaps even next week. Zac Hall of 9to5Mac identifies 13 new features that are expected to be included, such as improved keyboard accuracy when typing quickly and a Concerts feature in Apple Music that can tell you about nearby shows from artists in your library.
One new feature included in iOS 26.4 is the 2026 emoji. As noted by Keith Broni of Emojipedia, there are eight new characters: distorted face, fight cloud, ballet dancer, orca, hairy creatures, trombone, landslide, and treasure chest. And as is typical, Apple’s versions of the characters look really good. What a fun and creative job it must be to design these for Apple.
In light of all of the new Apple products that were announced two weeks ago, I didn’t think that Apple would have any other new products in March. I was wrong. This week, Apple introduced the AirPods Max 2. They are essentially the same as the prior AirPods Max—they look the same—but the guts were updated to achieve feature parity with the AirPods Pro 3. If you like over-the-head headphones and want something from Apple, you now have a new option.
If you are like me and prefer AirPods Pro 3 over the AirPods Max 2, you will want to read this list from Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac about the many different things that you can do by touching the earbuds’ stems or otherwise interacting with them.
Jason Snell of Six Colors—and, yesterday, a contestant on Jeopardy!—wrote an interesting article opining that the new MacBook Neo is a reflection of much of what has made Apple such a successful company for 50 years.
Horace Dedieu of Asymco explains why the MacBook Neo is such a bargain—not just because of its price, but also because the life span of a Mac is twice as long as the life span of a PC.
Although this article came out last month, I didn’t notice it until this week: Nick Guy and Sarah Witman of the New York Times recommend the best fast chargers and charging cords. For a USB-C charging cable, they recommend the Anker Nano USB-C Softline Cable ($22.99 on Amazon).
There is a new breed of web browser that comes with AI features baked in. These browsers have not appealed to me, but Federico Viticci of MacStories explains why he believes that Comet, an angetic AI web browser for the iPhone and iPad, is the first one worth checking out.
Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac describes some recent additions to the components of the Apple One service that he likes—in other words, new things he likes about Apple TV, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Fitness+, and Apple Music.
Christoffel also explains how the Personal Voice feature—which allows your iPhone to replicate your own voice—is even better in iOS 26.
Every once in a while, you can get an Apple Watch Series 11, which has a list price of $399, for only $299 on Amazon. That 25% discount is going on again right now, so check it out on Amazon if you are in the market. That’s the price for the 42mm case; the version with the 46mm case is currently discounted from $429 to $329.
William Gallagher of Apple Insider interviewed David Pogue to discuss his new book about 50 years of Apple.
Apple TV has new shows every week for the next five weeks. As noted by Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac, this week, the new show is Imperfect Women, a psychological thriller starring Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, Kate Mara, Joel Kinnaman, Corey Stoll, Leslie Odom Jr., and others. Next week, we get the final season of For All Mankind. On April 3, it is the second season of Your Friends & Neighbors, starring Jon Hamm. The next week, it is a movie called Outcome starring Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz, Matt Bomer, and Jonah Hill. And on April 15, it is a new show called Margo’s Got Money Troubles that features Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nicole Kidman, Nick Offerman, Thaddea Graham, Marcia Gay Harden, and Greg Kinnear, and that has been getting some great early reviews. Too little time, too many good shows to watch!
Justin Kroll of Deadline reports on a new movie now in production for Apple TV called What Happens at Night. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Patricia Clarkson, and others, and it is directed by Martin Scorsese. With those names behind the movie, count me interested.
And finally, to celebrate Apple’s 50th anniversary, the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, recently held an event moderated by David Pogue that featured former Apple CEO John Sculley, Senior Apple Employee Chris Espinosa (the only person who has worked at Apple for its entire 50 years), former Apple Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering Jon Rubinstein, former Apple Chief Software Technology Officer and SVP of Software Engineering Avie Tevanian, and many other important people in the history of Apple. I watched the video last night, and it is fantastic:
Between now and April 1, Apple is celebrating its 50th anniversary, so that is the first topic that we discuss in this week’s episode of the podcast. We also discuss some of the interesting stories in David Pogue’s new book, Apple: The First 50 Years by David Pogue, which I have just started reading. We also discuss the initial reviews of the MacBook Neo, the iPhone 17e, and the (barely) updated Apple Studio Display,. Then we check in the AirPods Pro 3, now that the product has been available for six months. We also discuss the upcoming changes to Good Maps navigation, Apple’s crazy new videos on TikTok, and more.
In our In the Know segment, Brett shares tips on switching between listneing modes on the AirPods Pro, and I share a tip for getting a signed copy of David Pogue’s new book.
Apple was founded on April 1, 1976. That means we are less than three weeks away from its 50th anniversary. Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote a letter to the public this week called 50 Years of Thinking Different to celebrate how people have done amazing things with Apple products, and Apple also announced it will celebrate its anniversary over the next few weeks. This week also marked the release of the book Apple: The First 50 Years by David Pogue, which is sure to be a definitive history of the company’s first five decades. I have a copy of that book on my desk right now, and it looks fantastic. Apple has certainly had its ups and downs over the years, and it is astonishing how close the company came to bankruptcy in the 1990s. But right now, the company is doing great. It is one of the most successful companies in history, and its products have repeatedly changed and improved society. I will enjoy toasting Apple between now and April 1st. And now, the news of note from the past week:
David Pogue is making the tour of Apple websites, podcasts, and YouTube videos to discuss Apple’s history as a way to promote his book. One interview that I particularly enjoyed was conducted by Leander Kahney of Cult of Mac. That interview is full of great stories, some of which I had never heard before.
Jason Snell of Six Colors reviews the MacBook Neo and concludes that it allows a Mac “to be considered by a whole selection of people who have never considered a Mac before.”
In a video review, Marques Brownlee does an excellent job of explaining who the MacBook Neo is for. His bottom line: “Not only is this really good, I think it is potentially Apple’s most disruptive product in the last 10+ years.”
Kyle Barr of Gizmodo reviews the new iPad Air (M4). He says that while it is still the “better” in Apple’s “good, better, best” iPad lineup, this new iPad Air has performance that is much closer to the top-of-the-line, and more expensive, iPad Pro (M5).
John Gruber of Daring Fireball reviews the iPhone 17e, concluding that it is “recommendable without hesitation” for anyone “who considers price their highest priority.”
Jason Snell of Six Colors reviews the new version of the Apple Studio Display, calling it the smallest of upgrades.
Although I’m a happy user of the UGREEN 3-in-1 Foldable MagFlow Wireless Charger (my review), which is $99.99 on Amazon, I noted when Anker released its Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station that it looked to be even better because it offers faster charging, albeit at a higher MSRP of $149.99. However, I see that the Anker product is currently on sale on Amazon for only $115.99, and if I were looking to purchase a 3-in-1 MagSafe charger right now, this Anker product is probably the one I would buy. And if you don’t already own a product like this, you should strongly consider one. Having something like this on your desk is wonderful for using the iPhone’s StandBy mode, plus this type of device is incredibly useful when you are traveling.
Apple has some creative and unusual videos on TikTok right now, and Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels shows a few of them. These are very unlike the videos that we typically see from Apple.
Alex Weprin of The Hollywood Reporter writes that, according to Apple VP Eddy Cue, the first week of F1 racing on Apple TV was a ratings success. Apple has certainly been promoting the sport quite a bit, including this cute video featuring Apple CEO Tim Cook “racing” next to Dutch driver Max Verstappen.
And finally, here is an excellent segment from CBS Sunday Morning in which David Pogue discusses Apple’s first fifty years, the subject of his new book:
With seven new products announced by Apple this week, you won’t be surprised by what Brett and I discuss in this week’s episode of the In the News podcast. We start with a deep discussion of the MacBook Neo, a product that we suspect will be incredibly popular. We also discuss the new Apple displays, the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the new iPad Air, and the new iPhone 17e. We also discuss the new policy on United Airlines that can get someone kicked off of a plane, the newfound interest in the iPod by teenagers, and more.
In our In the Know segment, we talk about Apple Music. Brett discusses music with haptics, and I discuss the new AutoMix feature and its cousin, the Beat Detection feature in Final Cut Pro.
This was a week full of new Apple product announcements. As Joe Rossignol of MacRumors notes, there were seven of them: (1) the iPhone 17e; (2) the iPad Air (M4); (3) the MacBook Air (M5); (4) the MacBook Pro (M5 Pro and M5 Max); (5) an updated Studio Display monitor; (6) the Studio Display XDR; and (7) the MacBook Neo. The new MacBook Neo is the most interesting new product. For the first time ever, Apple is selling a laptop computer for only $599 (or $499 with a student discount). John Gruber of Daring Fireball notes that while you can get a PC laptop for a similar price, the “screen sucks (very dim, way lower resolution), the speakers suck, the keyboard sucks, and the trackpad sucks.” In contrast: “The MacBook Neo looks and feels every bit like a MacBook,” with a nice aluminium case, good keyboard, good trackpad, good bright display, surprisingly good speakers, and more. Sure, you can pay more and get more features with a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro. But I think it is significant that Apple is now selling the most popular type of computer—a laptop—for a price substantially lower than Apple has ever sold a laptop computer. For those who want something inexpensive and decent, there is now an excellent option from Apple. Indeed, as Gruber also notes, for $1200—about the same price as a traditional Mac laptop alone—you can now purchase both a Mac laptop and an iPhone 17e. And now, the news of note from the past week:
Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels identifies the features that you don’t get when you purchase a MacBook Neo for $599 instead of a MacBook Air for $1099. I agree with Hackett’s prediction that “most folks in the market for a $599 Mac won’t care about most of these.”
Instead of an Apple processor that is designed for computers and that begins with the letter “M” such as the current M5 processor, the MacBook Neo uses an iPhone processor: the A18 Pro. That is the same processor that Apple used in the top-of-the-line iPhone 16 Pro released on September 9, 2024. As John Siracusa notes on Mastodon: “The A18 Pro in the MacBook Neo is 19% faster than the M2 Ultra in the Mac Pro in single-core performance (Geekbench 6). The MacBook Neo starts at $599. The Mac Pro, which is still for sale, starts at $6,999.”
William Gallagher of Apple Insider notes that for most common tasks like email, web browsing, and word processing, the A18 Pro in the MacBook Neo is going to be just fine. I agree with that. The bigger limitation may be the memory: the A18 Pro chip only supports 8GB of RAM, so that is what is included with the MacBook Neo.
M.G. Siegler of Spyglass says that the MacBook Neo “is the smartest move Apple has made in years,” in part because it is perfect for students.
Why is it called the “Neo”? In an interview with Lance Ulanoff of TechRadar, Colleen Novielli, Director of Mac Product Marketing at Apple, said: “We wanted something that felt fun and friendly, and fresh, and felt like it really suited the spirit of this product.” Ulanoff adds that the goal was to have a name that projected youth and energy.
Why hasn’t Apple sold a laptop like the MacBook Neo in the past? As noted by Jason Snell in an article for Six Colors and Macworld, Steve Jobs answered that question in 2008, saying: “We don’t know how to make a $500 computer that’s not a piece of junk.” Eighteen years later, thanks to Apple’s processors and its manufacturing expertise, it has finally figured out how to do so.
Adam Engst of TidBITS notes that the new $1599 Apple Studio Display is only a minor improvement over the prior model introduced in 2022: you get a better webcam, more capable USB-C ports, and an updated six-speaker sound system. I’m surprised that Apple didn’t also increase the brightness from 600 nits or change the refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz—both of which are important reasons that the screen on my iPad Pro looks so amazing. If you want those features in a monitor from Apple, you need to purchase the new Studio Display XDR for $3299.
Nilay Patel of The Verge reviews the iPhone 17e after getting a chance to try it out on Wednesday. His conclusion is that it “is a nice thing to hold and Apple’s fit and finish make for a very sharp little package. But there’s nothing mindblowing here—which is probably exactly right for a $599 phone that most people will buy on sale or get for free on contract.”
The iPhone 17e comes in a new color: pink. Cherylynn Low of Engadget got to see it in person and says that “this new pink color option is absolutely delightful. … it’s understated and elegant.”
Chance Miller of 9to5Mac says that the iPhone 17e solves the biggest problem of the iPhone 16e: the lack of MagSafe.
Miller also notes that Apple released iOS 26.3.1 and similar updates this week. It provides support for the two new displays announced by Apple this week, but presumably also includes some bug fixes and security improvements.
Matt Novak of Gizmodo reports that United Airlines has a new policy: you can get kicked off a plane for refusing to use headphones while listening to your electronic devices. Amen to that.
The first F1 race airs this Saturday, March 7, at 8 Pacific / 11 Eastern. Apple notes in a press release that it will feature not only 5.1 surround sound but also, for the first time, 4K with Dolby Vision. (And note that 4K shows look even better on Apple TV than other streaming services because Apple doesn’t compress the video as much.)
Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac reports that Apple’s Super Bowl halftime show, starring Bad Bunny, broke all records with over 4 billion views.
And finally, while Apple released videos for many of the new products that it released this week, I really like the video for the iPhone 17e because it points out that even though this is the new budget iPhone, it can still do quite a bit:
Apple announced two new products yesterday. The iPad Air (M4) is a great product for most lawyers, so that’s the focus of this post. At the end of this post, I discuss the new iPhone 17e.
iPad Air (M4)
For many years, Apple has sold three main iPad models. The high-end model is the iPad Pro, and it has all of the bells and whistles. The entry-level model is the iPad, and while it is just a basic model, that is more than enough for many folks, such as younger students. The iPad Air fits right in the middle. There is a fourth model as well, the iPad mini, but for the reasons I noted in this post, I don’t recommend the iPad mini for attorneys. Nor do I recommend the entry-level model, which is just called “iPad,” because of its compromises. Fortunately, for most attorneys and other professionals looking to get real work done with an iPad, there have been two good choices: the iPad Air and the iPad Pro. Since 2000, when Apple introduced many of the iPad Pro’s key features on the iPad Air, the iPad Air has been the sweet spot for most attorneys. However, if you want a premium product, you can spend another $400 for the iPad Pro with the same capacity.
Yesterday, Apple introduced the latest version of the iPad Air. Instead of 2025’s iPad Air (M3), now Apple is selling the iPad Air (M4) for the same price. It has all of the advantages of last year’s model, plus it is a little faster.
Apple says this year’s iPad Air is 30% faster than last year’s model. There are two reasons for that improvement. The first reason is in the name: the iPad Air (M4) uses the M4 processor, which is better than the M3 processor in the iPad Air (M3). The second reason is that the iPad Air (M4) comes with 12GB of RAM, a significant improvement over the 8GB in the iPad Air (M3).
There are two other changes from last year’s model, though I suspect many folks will not notice them. First, this year’s model includes Apple’s N1 wireless chip, which means it supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Of course, those two protocols are very new; you might not currently use either of them, but this support does help to future-proof this latest version of the iPad Air. Second, if you get the cellular version of the iPad Air (M4), it uses Apple’s C1X modem chip, which could, in some circumstances, help performance and extend battery life.
A faster iPad is a more responsive one, making it easier and more enjoyable to get work done. But the real story here is that you get everything that has made the iPad Air great over the last few years, plus some additional performance. You get thin bezels, flat sides, USB-C, a very nice screen, support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and an option to choose between 11" and 13"—the size I prefer for reading briefs, working exhibits, viewing websites, etc. These are all features that used to require paying more for an iPad Pro, so it is great to see them all in the less expensive iPad Air.
The other reason the additional memory and processor speed are nice is that, at some point soon, I hope Apple will do even more with AI. On-device AI has real advantages over cloud-computed AI, especially given the privacy concerns important to lawyers. On-device AI is much better with more memory and faster processors, so this year’s iPad Air is better equipped for AI than last year’s.
The iPad Air continues to start at $599 for the 11" model and $799 for the 13" model with 128GB of storage. If you don’t plan to store a lot of documents on your iPad (for example, if you will keep most of your work documents in the cloud), that might be enough storage for you. A safer bet is to spend an extra $100 for the 256GB version, which is another good way to future-proof your purchase.
The 256GB versions of the iPad Air are $400 cheaper than the 256GB versions of the iPad Pro. What do you lose by saving $400? The iPad Pro has a nicer and brighter OLED screen, Face ID instead of Touch ID, four built-in speakers instead of two, and the speed of an M4 processor in the iPad Air versus an M5 processor in an iPad Pro. There is a version of Apple’s fantastic Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro and the iPad Air; however, as I explained last week, the version for the iPad Air is cheaper but not quite as good: the trackpad is smaller and lacks haptic feedback, the keyboard is not backlit, and it doesn’t have the aluminium metal finish that feels a little more premium. Finally, there are a few other minor differences that most lawyers are unlikely to care about. For example, the iPad Pro supports a faster USB-C connector (with Thunderbolt / USB 4) and the cameras are better on the iPad Pro (but note that I virtually never use the camera on my iPad Pro).
My iPad is a key part of my law practice. I use it every day for many hours, and for me, the $400 price is easily worth the iPad Pro’s premium features. On the other hand, I didn’t spend extra money on a premium car; my Honda Accord does everything I need. If you are looking to get a new iPad, you just need to decide whether you want a great iPad (the iPad Air) or an even better iPad (the iPad Pro). Thats the same choice that lawyers have faced for the last few years. It is nice to have two choices when both of them are great options.
iPhone 17e
Last Fall, Apple introduced the iPhone 17 line, including the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max and the iPhone 17 (along with the brand new iPhone Air). Apple introduces new iPhones every Fall, but the Fall 2025 introduction was particularly strong.
Yesterday, Apple did the same thing it did this time last year: it introduced a budget version of the iPhone, calling it the “e” model. Of course, a budget iPhone is nothing new; even before last year’s iPhone 16e, Apple sold less expensive “SE” models of the iPhone, dating back to the original iPhone SE introduced in 2016.
If the starting price of $799 for the iPhone 17 seems too high, you can now pay $200 less for the iPhone 17e. That is the same starting price as the iPhone 16e, but the iPhone 17e starts with 256GB of storage (up from 128GB on the $799 version of last year’s iPhone 16e).
By paying $200 less for the iPhone 17e than the iPhone 17, you lose some features. The screen is a little less bright (800 nits versus 1000 nits—and up to 3000 nits when you are outside with an iPhone 17), a little smaller (6.1" versus 6.3"), and not as nice (lacking ProMotion, the always-on display, and the Dynamic Island). There is also no Camera Control button on the side, although it does have an Action button, which you could assign to launch the Camera app. The 17e has a front-facing camera, but it lacks the very useful feature of the other iPhones introduced last Fall: the ability to take a selfie photo in either portrait or landscape mode without having to rotate the iPhone in your hand. And like the iPhone Air, the back of the iPhone 17e has only a single camera, so you don’t get the Ultra Wide camera of the iPhone 17 (or the telephoto camera that is unique to the iPhone 17 Pro).
Unlike the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e supports MagSafe (with Qi2 speed). MagSafe was a big omission in the iPhone 16e, and I’m glad to see it in the iPhone 17e MagSafe because it lets you use StandBy mode, which is really useful for the reasons I noted in this post. The screen on the iPhone 17e is slightly more scratch-resistant than the iPhone 16e’s. And unlike the iPhone 16e, which came only in black or white, the iPhone 17e now offers a third case color option: Soft Pink.
Note that the iPhone 17e has a smaller screen than the iPhone 17 because it is the same width but a little shorter: 5.78" versus 5.89".
If an always-on display on an iPhone isn’t important to you and a basic iPhone screen with a single camera seems sufficient, the iPhone 17e is an excellent purchase. It is a modern iPhone using the same A19 processor as the iPhone 17. A few months ago, my wife upgraded from an iPhone SE to the iPhone 17, and when I mentioned last night that Apple is now selling an iPhone 17e, her first reaction was that the iPhone 17e would have probably been a sufficient option for her. I suspect that many will agree, so I’m glad that Apple replaced the iPhone 16e with the iPhone 17e instead of continuing to sell the iPhone 16e for another year—something that Apple used to do with its iPhone SE models, which Apple would continue to sell even when they were starting to get a long in the tooth.
Conclusion
The iPad Air (M4) is an excellent model for most attorneys. It can do a lot, and it occupies that “just right” middle spot in the lineup. The iPhone 17e is a budget iPhone, but thanks to the A19 processor, MagSafe support, and other modern features, it is a solid choice for many people. Both the iPad Air (M4) and iPhone 17e can be ordered starting Wednesday, and they ship a week later on March 11.
We are days away from a week of new Apple product announcements, starting on Monday, so Brett and I begin the latest episode of the In the News podcast discussing what we might see and how Apple might unveil everything. We also talk about the upcoming ABA TECHSHOW, replacing a physical wallet with the Apple Wallet app, preserving experiences by recording them for the Apple Vision Pro, 1Password versus the Apple Passwords app, Apple’s announcement that Mac mini computers will be assembled in Houston, some great tips for the Apple Notes app, and why I love the Magic Keyboard for iPad.
In our In the Show segment, we discuss lots of Apple TV news: F1 races, Ted Lasso, and some fantastic Sci-Fi shows that are starting now or soon.
In our In the Know segment, Brett shares tips for using the Globe key on a Magic Keyboard for iPad, and I recommend two weather apps: CARROT Weather for CarPlay, and the new Acme Weather app.
Four weeks from today, I’ll be in Chicago giving presentations on how to get the most out of technology in your law practice at the ABA TECHSHOW conference. I always meet and reconnect with lots of iPhone J.D. readers at that conference, and if you are trying to decide whether to attend this year, I encourage you to do so. The ABA announced this week that Nilay Patel (the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Verge) will be giving a Keynote address this year. This is great news. Patel practiced IP law in Chicago before he became a full-time tech journalist, and his reviews and insights on Apple products over the years have been top-notch. I really look forward to his presentation. One last note about TECHSHOW: Brett Burney and I are co-hosting a Taste of TECHSHOW dinner on Thursday, March 26. Spaces are very limited and, in the past, have filled up quickly; this year, instead of signing up online or in an app, you need to register onsite at the Conference Concierge, first-come, first-served. Keep that in mind as you plan your itinerary. And now, the news of note from the past week:
Speaking of ABA TECHSHOW, Bob Ambrogi of LawSites announced the 15 legal tech startups that will participate as finalists in the 10th-annual Startup Alley.
Speaking of former practicing attorneys who now focus full-time on technology, David Sparks of MacSparky writes about how Apple Wallet is now so valuable that you often no longer need a real wallet. I agree.
We already knew that there would be an Apple event on Wednesday. Zac Hall reports that, according to a source who is in the know—that would be Apple CEO Tim Cook—the new product announcements will actually start on Monday. Time to grab some popcorn and get a good seat.
Steve Jobs would have turned 71 years old this week. As unfortunate as it is that he was taken so young by a cruel disease—one that, unfortunately, my own family has experience with—how lucky we are for the things that he brought into this world. This week, the Steve Jobs Archive released a project called Letters to a Young Creator, which features short notes written by people who have created great things in business, design, technology, and the arts. I’ve only just started to read them, and they are inspiring. You can read them on the website, or can download them (for free) to your device from Apple Books.
Fernando Silva of 9to5Mac recommends portable power banks. However, he doesn’t mention the Anker Laptop Power Bank (my review) ($119.99 on Amazon), which I use all the time with my iPad and my Vision Pro, and I highly recommend. I almost purchased one a few months ago as a birthday present for my brother, but when I talked to him first to try to feel him out on whether he might be interested, his response was that he already owned two of them.
You should use a password manager, and I’m a big fan of 1Password. But the company announced this week that it is raising prices. The family plan that I use goes from $59.88 to $71.88/year. I know this has caused some people to wonder if now is the time to switch to Apple’s free Password app. Adam Engst of TidBITS compares the two services. For some people, Apple’s app may be sufficient. But for me, I need something that is cross-platform since I use a PC at work, I want something that stores more than just passwords (such as notes, medical records, Social Security numbers, etc.), and I appreciate a better system for sharing certain passwords with others in my family. However, if you don’t share with others and you only use Apple products, Apple’s system does have its advantages, and you cannot beat the price.
Speaking of security, Apple announced yesterday that the iPhone and iPad are the “first and only consumer devices in compliance with the information assurance requirements of NATO nations.” This means that they can “be used with classified information up to the NATO restricted level without requiring special software or settings — a level of government certification no other consumer mobile device has met.”
I don’t often discuss Android smartphones on this website, but this week, Samsung announced the new Galaxy S26 Ultra, which includes a new feature that will appeal to attorneys and others who often read confidential information on a smartphone screen and want to reduce the risk of someone reading over their shoulder. The new feature is called Privacy Display. It is not one of those screen protectors that you attach to the phone; it is a hardware feature that you can turn on or off as needed. Instead, Allison Johnson of The Verge describes it like this: “There are two sets of pixels in the display: one that projects the image straight ahead toward the viewer and one that projects light off to the sides, so you can see the screen from an angle. By turning off that second set of pixels, the screen looks basically normal to the person holding the phone, while looking very dim from an angle. Someone directly behind you with a good view over your shoulder might still see a bit of what’s onscreen, but the effect is stronger just off to the sides.” Interesting.
In an article for TidBITS, Julio Ojeda-Zapata recommends products made by companies other than Apple that are compatible with Apple’s Find My system and that work in ways that an AirTag does not.
Rolfe Winkler of the Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will move some of the production of the Mac mini to a Foxconn facility in Houston. The facility will also include a training center for advanced manufacturing, a potential precursor to even more Apple products being made in the United States.
Jamie Jirak of Daily Dot reports that while the MuppetVision 3D attraction was recently closed at Disney World, a version of the experience will soon become available for the Apple Vision Pro. That sounds fantastic to me. It’s time to play the music; It’s time to light the lights…
Josh Rubin of Cool Hunting interviewed the folks at Apple who created Immersive Environments in the Apple Vision Pro—such as the new Jupiter environment—to discuss their creative process.
Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac shares a short video clip in which Ted Lasso actor Hannah Waddingham reveals that the next season will come out in August 2026 and shares what she loves about the show.
And finally, For All Mankind is one of my favorite TV shows, and I’m excited that Season 5 will debut soon, on March 27. This week, Apple released a trailer for Season 5. Apple also announced that the spin-off series Star City will debut on May 29—the same day as the final episode of Season 5 of For All Mankind. I guess I know what I’ll be doing that night. Here is the trailer for the new season of For All Mankind:
