Earlier this week, Apple announced new iPad models, and I already wrote about them. Apple also announced a new model of the Apple TV: the second generation Apple TV 4K. I really like my first generation Apple TV 4K, and if you don't have an Apple TV at all, I encourage you to consider buying one. Also, if you are using an Apple TV that is older than the model Apple introduced last year, I recommend that you consider upgrading. You will get the great new remote that Apple introduced last year (except that this year's version of the remote uses USB-C to charge instead of Lightning) plus some other features and a lower price. What's different from last year's model? The previous model cost $179 and had 32GB of storage. The new model is faster, cheaper ($149), and comes with 128GB of storage. Or, if you can live without Ethernet (using only WiFi) and without Thread support and are okay with 64GB of storage, you can save even more by getting the new low-end $129 model. The Apple TV will sometimes work better with Ethernet support so you might want to spend the extra $20 for the nicer model, but even the $129 model looks like a great device. It is nice seeing the overall price of the Apple TV go down. Joe Rossignol of MacRumors notes 10 new features introduced with this new model. Once people have the new models in their hands, I look forward to learning about how noticeable the speed increase is now that the Apple TV has jumped from the A12 Bionic chip (introduced in 2018 with the iPhone XS) to the A15 Bionic chip (introduced in 2021 with the iPhone 13). And now, the other news of note from the past week:
- Jason Snell of Six Colors discusses the new iPads announced this week, noting that while the new models are advancements, those advancements can feel "so fitful and even contradictory that it feels almost haphazard."
- Alex Guyot of MacStories had a similar reaction. After describing the new models, Alex notes that the lineup is "super weird."
- Zac Hall of 9to5Mac also used the word "weird" when describing the decisions that Apple made for these new iPads.
- The new 10th generation version of the iPad supports a new Magic Keyboard Folio from Apple. Hartley Charlton of MacRumors explains that it includes a kickstand, trackpad, and a keyboard with a function row. It costs $249.
- Have you ever looked at your pocket only to discover that the iPhone in that pocket has the flashlight turned on? That hasn't happened to me very often, but it’s annoying and potentially embarrassing when it does occur. Heather Kelly of the Washington Post discusses the flashlight problem and shares solutions.
- I agree with a lot of what Zac Hall writes in this article for 9to5Mac titled "The problem with Apple Watch faces."
- The Apple Watch Ultra comes with a matte titanium finish. But as noted by Michael Potuck of 9to5Mac, a jeweler in Arizona can give it a polished finish, or they can sell you a polished version for $1,499 (almost double the normal cost). I think it looks pretty good, but since I have always used the stainless steel Apple Watch, I've always preferred the polished look. On the other hand, Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels laments that "[t]his poor Watch didn't do anything to deserve such mistreatment."
- Tim Hardwick of MacRumors notes 20 new watchOS 9 features that you might have missed. Some of my favorites on this list: (1) view Activity Rings during a workout, (2) retrace your steps with Backtrack, (3) view edited Messages, and (4) designate a timer duration as a favorite.
- Julie Jargon of the Wall Street Journal wrote a fascinating article about the technical and ethical advantages and limitations of using an AirTag to keep track of a loved one with dementia. Worth reading. (It is behind a paywall if you don't subscribe to the Journal, but remember that you can read any Wall Street Journal article if you have Apple News+).
- The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is a great product, as I noted three months ago in this review. I used it quite a bit earlier this week when I was traveling back and forth to Washington, D.C., for a federal court hearing. It normally costs $99, but I was able to get it when it was on sale on Amazon for $80. Rikka Altaland of 9to5Toys notes that you can currently get the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack from Verizon for $74.24, and that includes free shipping. This is as good of a deal as I've ever seen for this product. (It is currently $97.99 on Amazon.)
- Ed Hardy of Cult of Mac notes that iOS 16.1 will be released on Monday, October 24. One new feature will be the ability to use Apple Fitness+ even without an Apple Watch. Also coming next week to Fitness+ are workouts with Taylor Swift music.
- Joe Rossignol of MacRumors notes eight new features coming to iOS 16.1, including iCloud Shared Photo Library, live activities for third-party apps, support for Matter accessories in the Home app, and an Apple Card savings account.
- iPad OS 16.1—the first version of iOS 16 for the iPad—will also be released on October 24. Roman Loyola of Macworld describes some of the key new features, including Stage Manager.
- Michael Simon of Macworld notes that an original, first generation iPhone still in its original box sold in an auction for almost $40,000. It cost $599 in 2007.
- And finally, here is a nine-minute video that Apple released this week to describe the new tenth generation iPad and the new 2022 models of the iPad Pro. One of the big new features in the iPad Pro, hover support for the Apple Pencil (second generation), is shown off starting around the 6:20 mark:
