Less than a year ago, Apple introduced the high-end iPad Pro (M4) and the mid-range iPad Air (M2). They are both fantastic iPads. For most lawyers, the iPad Air gave them everything that they could want. For users who wanted a premium model that looked a little better and could do a little more, the iPad Pro was a nice upgrade. Yesterday, Apple narrowed the gap between those devices by replacing the iPad Air (M2) with the new iPad Air (M3). The name tells you what is different: the new model has a faster processor, so it is everything that you loved about last year’s iPad Air with a speed bump. This is a very capable device that will be perfect for most lawyers. Apple also updated its low-end iPad; more on that below.

The iPad Air (M3)

I love the iPad Air because it includes so many features that used to only be available in the high-end iPad Pro. I’m talking about features like thin bezels, flat sides, USB-C, a very nice screen, support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and an option to get a large 13-inch size. I love that larger size because I do so much reading on my iPad: pleadings, contracts, legal opinions, websites, etc. But if your eyesight is better than mine and you prefer the more traditional, lighter, and easier-to-carry 11-inch size, that is also available for the iPad Air.

If you were trying to decide between last year’s iPad Air (M2) and the iPad Pro (M4), you had to decide if it was worth the extra $400 for 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 versus an M2. There were some other minor differences, such as the ability to pay more for a reduced glare non-texture display on the iPad Pro, but those were the main differences. For most attorneys, the iPad Air was the better choice, whereas the iPad Pro was better for attorneys who didn’t mind spending more for the top-of-the-line model with all of the best features.

This year, with the iPad Air (M3), the decision is essentially the same except for the speed. The M3 is about 15% to 20% faster than the M2, depending upon what tasks you are doing. The M4 is almost 25% faster than the M3. So by getting an M3 instead of an M2, you are closing that speed gap. That’s nice. To be fair, for many tasks that a lawyer is likely to do with an iPad, even the speed difference between the M2 and M4 was barely noticeable. But even so, it is nice to have a more responsive M3.

Thus, the elevator pitch for the new iPad Air (M3) is: it’s everything that you loved about last year’s mid-level iPad, but now it is a little faster for the same price.

The iPad Air (M3) starts at $549 for the 11-inch model and $749 for the 13-inch model. Those are both the 128GB versions. It is an extra $100 to go up to 256GB, an extra $300 to go up to 512GB, and an extra $450 to go up to 1TB. I think that 128GB is enough space for many lawyers, but if you want to store a large number of documents, photos, or videos, then going up to 256GB is a nice upgrade for only $100 extra, especially if you plan to use this iPad for many years to come.

Magic Keyboard for iPad Air

Apple sold a version of its Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air (M2), and yesterday, Apple introduced a new version that works with the iPad Air (M3). The new version adds a row of function keys at the top and a larger trackpad. But unlike the version of the Magic Keyboard that you can get with the iPad Pro, this version lacks haptics in the trackpad, lacks baclklit keys, and lacks an aluminum top, instead using one covered with silicone.

iPad (A16)

The other new iPad that Apple introduced yesterday is the iPad (A16).

Apple introduced the original iPad in 2010. Successive generations were called the iPad 2, iPad 3, and in 2012, Apple released the iPad 4. Then Apple turned its attention to the iPad Air in 2013 and 2014 and introduced models of the iPad Pro in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, Apple introduced the iPad (5th generation) as the new entry-level iPad, and Apple released new models of that low-end iPad up through the iPad (10th generation) in 2022.

I thought that the next version of the entry-level iPad would be called the iPad (11th generation), but instead, Apple is calling the new model it released yesterday the iPad (A16)—consistent with Apple’s modern naming convention of using a general product name along with an indication of what kind of Apple processor it uses.

The new iPad (A16) is the same size as the iPad (11th generation), but Apple used to call that size 10.9-inch and now Apple is rounding up and calling it the 11-inch size.

As the name tells you, the new model includes the A16 chip, which is a step up from the A14 of the iPad (11th generation). The A16 chip was first used in the iPhone 14 released in 2022, so it is certainly not the latest and greatest, and it is not even powerful enough to support Apple Intelligence. But people purchasing an entry-level iPad are looking for something good but relatively inexpensive; nobody expects to see the fastest processors. The other big improvement over the iPad (11th generation) is that it starts with 128GB instead of 64GB.

In the past, I have urged most lawyers to get an iPad Air and not the entry-level iPad. That remains true today. The iPad (A16) starts at $349 for the 128GB model, whereas the iPad Air 11-inch starts at $599 for the 128GB model. But the extra $250 gets you a device that is better and faster today and is more future-proof, an important feature in an iPad considering that most people continue to use them for many, many years before upgrading. For example, the M3 processor is faster than the A16, and it supports Apple Intelligence—which I think it going to become a bigger deal in the coming years. The iPad Air also has a better, more vibrant screen. The iPad Air also supports the Apple Pencil Pro. (The best version of the Apple Pencil for the iPad (A16) is the Apple Pencil (USB-C).) And the iPad Air supports the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, a superior keyboard to the Magic Keyboard Folio supported by the iPad (A16).

Having said that, the new iPad (A16) is not just the iPad for your kids. If you want to use an iPad to get work done but have only simple needs and want to spend as little as possible, the iPad (A16) is a good device for 2025. But it is going to start showing its age even more every year.

Conclusion

Even though these two new models are essentially just speed bumps, not major new versions, there is nothing wrong with a speed bump. Who doesn’t like the idea of getting more without paying more? And while the iPad (A16) is a nice entry-level model for anyone with simple needs, the iPad Air (M3) is the sweet spot for most lawyers and other professionals who want to get work done with an iPad but also have a fantastic device for surfing the web, personal email, watching movies, etc.

Happy Mardi Gras from New Orleans! It will be an unusual Mardi Gras Day today because of the weather. As reported not only in our local news but even in the New York Times, the National Weather Service warned that strong winds today could bring gusts of up to 60 miles per hour. You don’t want to be standing next to a tall float with winds that high! As a result, the parade schedule in New Orleans for today has been trimmed back substantially. The parades will start earlier to try to beat the bad weather, the routes will be much shorter, the parades themselves will be shorter with no bands between the floats, and the late morning/afternoon parades are being rescheduled for this Sunday. At least we will have some parades today; all of the parades in neighboring Jefferson Parish are cancelled/postponed. As a result, today will be a Mardi Gras Day for the history books along with other notable ones including:

• February 24, 1857: First Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, the Krewe of Comus
• 1862-1865: Parades cancelled due to the Civil War
• February 25, 1879: Most parades cancelled due to yellow fever epidemic
• February 14, 1899: Three inches of snow
• February 20, 1917: Three-way tie for warmest Mardi Gras with high of 83º
• 1918-1919: Mardi Gras cancelled due to World War I
• March 1, 1927: Wettest Mardi Gras with over two inches of rain
• February 9, 1932: Three-way tie for warmest Mardi Gras with high of 83º
• 1942-1945: Mardi Gras cancelled due to World War II
• February 27, 1979: New Orleans parades cancelled due to police strike.
• February 16, 2021: Coldest Mardi Gras with high of 33º + cancelled due to COVID-19
• February 21, 2023: Three-way tie for warmest Mardi Gras with high of 83º

Notwithstanding the changes for today, the biggest part of Mardi Gras season—the days leading up to Fat Tuesday—have been fantastic this year. The weather was amazing this past weekend, and I had so much fun spending time with lots of family and friends.

During the Iris parade this past Saturday, a crew member threw me a pair of beads with an iPhone on it. Of course, I have no idea who it was because riders have to wear masks, but I assume it was an iPhone J.D. reader who knew what I would love to catch:

Apple recently stopped selling any iPhone model with a home button, but that iconic design will live on in Mardi Gras beads and elsewhere.

Speaking of cool beads, I have to give credit to the marketing folks at my law firm. For the last few years, they have created beads to use at various firm events this time of year, and they are fantastic. Here are some recent ones:

Whatever you are doing today, I hope that at least a little bit of Mardi Gras spirit makes its way to you.

It’s Mardi Gras time in New Orleans! I had a great time watching parades with family and friends last night, and I look forward to doing it again on Saturday for reasons that I explain at the beginning of this week’s episode of the In the News podcast. Next, we talk about reviews of the iPhone 16e by people who have been using the device for a little while, the latest updates in the UK-Apple Advanced Data Protection saga, Photoshop on the iPhone, Apple News+ Food, the Apple Vision Pro, Steve Jobs, and more.

In our Where Y’at? Segment, we discuss the Apple Watch and AirTags.

In our In the Show Segment, we discuss Mr. Milchick.

In our In the Know segment, Brett shares a tip for reducing motion sickness in your car and I explain why you should use a Live Photo on your iPhone Lock Screen.

Click here to listen to the audio podcast, or just listen using your podcast player of choice. You can also watch the episode on YouTube:

Apple is well known for providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be marginalized. That means devoting time and resources to accessibility features for speech, vision, hearing, mobility, and cognitive disabilities, often resulting in features that are beneficial for everyone—such as iPhone and iPad features that I use regularly. And it also means creating a culture of inclusion and encouraging diversity in its hiring not only because it is the right and just thing to do but also because when your products are created by people with different viewpoints and backgrounds you are more likely to come up the next great idea. Unfortunately, it has always been true and remains true today that there are some people, including people in power, who oppose this. Michael Liedtke of the AP reports that during the Apple shareholders meeting that took place this week, a conservative organization opposed to diversity efforts submitted a shareholder proposal for Apple to abolish its diversity and inclusion programs. Apple opposed that proposal, and it was rejected by 97% of Apple shareholders. Reuters reports Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said at the meeting that Apple’s “strength has always come from hiring the very best people and then providing a culture of collaboration, one where people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together to innovate.” Apple is not alone; Miranda Jeyaretnam of Time magazine wrote this week that other companies suporting DEI efforts notwithstanding the latest wave of opposition include Microsoft, Delta Airlines, and JPMorgan Chase. But Jeyaretnam also notes that some are giving in to the pressure such as Google, Amazon, and Meta. Students of history know that doing what is right is not always what is easy, so I’m glad to see that Apple is sticking to its convictions on these issues. And now, the other news of note from the past week:

• The new iPhone 16e goes on sale today, and we now have reviews from a few folks who got pre-release units from Apple. Cherlynn Low of Engadget says that while it is nice to get an iPhone that starts at $599 instead of $799, the shortcomings in the camera and the lack of MagSafe are big omissions, and the iPhone 16 at $799"is a better buy for most people.”
• Allison Johnson of The Verge had a similar reaction: “I’d rather have a cool magnetic accessory system and a neat quick-glance display feature built into my phone than Apple Intelligence, especially for $600. It doesn’t quite add up for me, but maybe the math looks a little different for you.”
• Nicole Nguyen of the Wall Street Journal says that the iPhone 16e is “a decent choice for anyone who just wants the basics” and “who give priority to price of specs,” but also notes that for those folks, an older model being sold at a discount might be “the best bang for your buck.”
• Patrick Holland of CNet says that when you look at what Apple included and what Apple omitted from the iPhone 16e, it is “a weird value proposition. It’s new, but it’s old. It’s affordable, but not cheap.” But he ultimately concludes that “it’s a good phone and will be a solid upgrade from older iPhone models.”
• The most in-depth review of the iPhone 16e that I read was the review by John Gruber of Daring Fireball. He discusses all of the omissions to make this product less expensive but notes that the target market of the iPhone 16e is not the people who read his website but instead their friends and family members who just want a decent phone. I agree with that 100%.
• The one new feature in the iPhone 16e is the Apple-designed celluar modem called the C1. In an article for Six Colors and Macworld, Jason Snell says that while the C1 itself is nothing special, it shows that Apple eventually plans to beat Qualcomm at its own game.
• David Sparks of MacSparky offers a similar take in his post Why the C1 Chip Matters More Than You Think.
• William Gallagher of AppleInsider discusses one of the first tests of the new Apple C1 modem, noting that Apple is correct to say that it is up to 25% more power efficient than previous modems.
• Apple announced this week that its relatively new Hearing Aid feature for the AirPods Pro 2 is now available in the United Kingdom.
• One feature no longer available in the UK is Advanced Data Protection, and John Gruber of Daring Fireball explains why: a reported demand by the UK government that it be allowed to access encrypted data of Apple customers.
• Those reports of what the UK demanded—the first one of which seems to be this February 7, 2025, article by Joseph Menn of the Washington Post—say that the UK was demanding not only access to encrypted data for customers in the UK but for customers everyone in the world. Zoe Kleinman of the BBC reported this week that Tulsi Gabbard, the new director of US National Intelligence, is saying that if these reports are true, then the UK’s demands are an “egregious violation” of privacy for U.S. citizens and might also violate agreements between the US and the UK.
• Two weeks ago, I noted that Apple introduced a way to migrate all of your purchases from one Apple Account to the other one so that you can just use a single account for everything. Zac Hall of 9to5Mac reports that there are tons of restrictions on who can use it and that he cannot get the tool to work for me. Although I have two Apple Accounts and I would love to have one, I’m planning to wait on the sidelines on this one for a long time. I’ve heard too many stories like this one.
• Adobe released Photoshop for the iPhone this week. It is a cool app with some useful features like quickly replacing the background of an image, adjusting the color and light in a specific part of an image, a tool to remove something from an image (the Clean Up feature in Apple Intelligence for the built-in Photos app can do something similar), the ability to add to an image with AI Generative Fill, and more. I started trying out the app last night, and it is very powerful but also fairly easy to use.
• Amazon unveiled the new Alexa+ this week, and Ryan Christoffel noted that it has some AI features that would be great on an Apple TV, such as the ability to jump to a specific scene of a movie and personalized movie and TV recommendations. I suspect that Apple is working on a next generation of the Apple TV to include features like this.
• Speaking of possible future Apple products, Christoffel notes in another article that the upcoming iOS 18.4 will include a new Food section in Apple News, and he wonders if the reason why is that providing recipes would be a perfect feature of a new HomePod-like product with a screen sold by Apple to use in a kitchen.
• Whether or not it is included on a possible future new home device from Apple, the upcoming Apple News+ Food section sounds pretty great. Juli Clover of MacRumors reports that it will include “tens of thousands of recipes, stories about restaurants, tips for healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more” from “top food publishers such as Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Good Food, and Serious Eats.” When Apple first released News+ in 2019, I wasn’t sure how useful it would be, but I now find myself reading it just about every day. News+ does a good job of automatically surfacing articles of interest to me, and it is a great way to search for other articles from a wide range of sources on other topics. With the addition of a Food section, News+ will become an even better value.
• iOS 18.4 will also include new features for CarPlay. José Adorno of BGR reports that one new feature is the ability to display a third row of apps if you have a larger screen in your car, such as the 14-inch screen offered in a Toyota Tundra.
• There was lots of good news this week for users of the Apple Vision Pro. I reported a few days ago that visisionOS 2.4 will be released in April and will feature a new Spatial Gallery app. Additionally, Mike Fleming, Jr. of Deadline reports that Apple TV+ has a new documentary coming out on May 30 called Bono: Stories of Surrender. That film about the U2 singer and songwriter will have not only a regular version but also an immersive version designed for the Apple Vision Pro.
• Andrew Orr of AppleInsider reports that visionOS 2.4 will also make it substantially easier to let a guest use your Apple Vision Pro thanks to a new iPhone/iPad app.
• Zac Hall of 9to5Mac reports that an Apple Watch helped to save the life of a man in Texas when it notified him of an irregular heart rate and detected Afib.
• Off and on for a while now, you were able to purchase a four-pack of AirTags from Amazon for a record-low price of $69.99. Now the price is down to $67.99, a new record low (as shown on Camel Camel Camel). I suspect that Apple is clearing out inventory so that it can release a second-generation AirTag with new features, but the current AirTag is so useful that I wouldn’t discourage anyone from taking advantage of this sale if you have something that you want to be able to track.
• I enjoyed this interview by Sarah Bahr of the New York Times with actor Tramell Tillman, who plays Mr. Milchick on the Apple TV+ show Severance.
• And finally, Steve Jobs would have turned 70 years old this week, and the Steve Jobs Archive shared a Steve Jobs video clip from 2007 that is one of my personal favorites. By almost any measure, Tim Cook has done a fantastic job leading Apple since Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, but I was thinking of Steve Jobs when I watched the recent SNL50 show and found myself laughing at another Steve: Steve Martin. Between the opening monologue on that special and his hit show Only Murders in the Building, Steve Martin is doing some of his best work ever at age 79. If Apple could have had the benefit of another two decades or more of contributions by Steve Jobs, the results could have been something special for all of us. The video clip released by the Steve Jobs Archive is nice because you can see Steve Jobs speaking, but I prefer the slightly longer version that Apple played (audio only) at the beginning of its special event on September 12, 2017, which was the first presentation in the Steve Jobs Theater on Apple’s campus and was the occasion when Apple introduced the revolutionary iPhone X. I encourage you to hit play on the below video and listen to the first 90 seconds:

The very best spatial videos for the Apple Vision Pro are available in the Apple TV app. These are 180-degree 8K recordings captured with Spatial Audio. And they are stunning. Apple has released quite a bit of this content since the Apple Vision Pro first went on sale on February 2, 2024, but I haven’t found a good source that lists all of it in one place. So I made this list.

If you are new to the Apple Vision Pro and want to know what you should watch, or if you want a reminder of all of the immersive video content that has been released, here is an up-to-date list.

Last update: February 23, 2026.

Total videos on Apple TV (some not yet released): 45.

Adventure. Join pioneering athletes as they take on awe-inspiring challenges in some of the world’s most spectacular locations. Apple TV link. Episodes:

• Highlining. Step into thiin air with highliner Faith Dickey as she take on her biggest challenge yet—a daring traverse 3,000 feet above Norway’s breathtaking fjords. (2-2-2024)
• Parkour. Join the world’s leading parkour athletes on a gravity-defying trek across the streets and rooftops of Paris. (5-24-2024)
• Ice Dive. Plunge into the Arctic’s frigid waters as diver Ant Williams attempts to shatter the world record for swimming the longest distance under ice—on just one breath. (12-20-2024)
• Deep Water Solo. Scale the craggy seaside cliffs of Mallorca, Spain, with world-class climber Kai Lightner as he makes a risky free-solo ascent on Cova del Diablo. (2-28-2025)
• Hill Climb. Ride along with driver Laura Hayes for an exhilarating rally car race against the clock. Will she become the fastest woman to finish the notoriously tough Pikes Peak International Hill Climb? (4-25-2025)

Music. Apple has released stand-alone music content for the Apple Vision Pro since the very beginning. Individual titles released so far:

• Alicia Keys: Rehearsal Room. Get a rare glimpse into the GRAMMY winner’s creative process with this intimate rehearsal session featuring renditions of her hits “No One,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” and “You Don’t Know My Name.” (2-2-2024)
• The Weeknd: Open Hearts. Journey alongside The Weeknd as he weaves his way through a surreal, haunting cityscape in this electrifying sonic voyage. (11-14-2024)
• Metallica. Immersive concert filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year finale of the band’s M72 World Tour. Features full performances of “Whiplash”, “One,” and “Enter Sandman.” (3-14-2025)
• Bono: Stories of Surrender. Through words, music, and mischief, Bono pulls back the curtain on his deeply personal experiences that have shaped him as a son, father, husband, activist, and U2 frontman. (5-30-2025)
• HYBE: Nearest Cortis. Hang out in the rehearsal room with the breakout K-Pop sensations for a personal, high-energy performance of their smash hit “GO!” (1-16-2026)
• Debut at the BBC Proms. Pianist Lukas Sternath makes his BBC Proms debut performing Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and their Chief Conductor, Sakari Oramo. With this special experience—the first classical music concert available in Apple Immersive—viewers will enjoy the performance inches from the pianist’s hands, while being surrounded by the power of the orchestra in Spatial Audio, and enveloped by the historic architecture of one of the world’s most iconic music venues, the Royal Albert Hall. (3-27-2026)

Prehistoric Planet Immersive. Transport yourself into the daily lives of dinosaurs, and follow the struggles and triumphs of these majestic animals amid spectacular scenery. Apple TV link. Episodes:

• Pterosaur Beach. Along a rugged ocean coast, a pterosaur colony settles in for an afternoon nap—one that proves to be anything but restful. (2-2-2024)
• Triceratops Forest. Deep in the woods, a curious baby triceratops learns a valuable lesson about family bonds. (4-19-2024)

Wild Life. Get up close and personal with some of the most charismatic creatures on the planet—and uncover what makes them unique with the experts who know them best. Apple TV Link. Episodes:

• Rhinos. Explore the world’s largest sanctuary for these gentle giants—and meet the woman who dedicates her life to rescuing, raising, and rewilding them. (2-2-2024)
• Elephants. Join orphaned elephants as they find their footing at Kenya’s Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, forming a chosen family with each other, their caregivers, and wild elephants. (8-9-2024)
• Sharks. Suit up with a bold team of scuba divers in the Bahamas—and come nose-to-nose with one of the most misunderstood creatures in the ocean. (12-13-2024)
• Orangutans: Bond with young orangutans at an extraordinary rehab center in Borneo as they grow, play, and learn the ropes of jungle life. (8-8-2025)

Sports. Sports content is especially compelling in immersive video because you are so close to the action, sitting in seats that you could never afford. The following sports-related titles have been released by Apple so far:

• 2023 MLS Cup Highlights. Join MLS superstars on the pitch as Columbus make their heart-pounding push for the club’s third MLS crown. (3-28-2024)
• 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend. Take the court as gravity-defying icons and emerging stars ignite the NBA’s star-packed weekend. (10-18-2024)
• 4 Minutes Inside Super Bowl LVIII. Join the NFL’s best on the gridiron—and go behind the scenes—as the Chiefs and 49ers battle for football’s ultimate prize. (9-6-2024, but not currently available)
• Man Vs. Beast. Hang on tight as professional bull riders take you inside the rodeo and show you what it takes to compete in the dangerous sport. (1-31-2025)
• VIP: Yankee Stadium. An all-encompassing look at how elite athletes, die-hard fans, dedicated staff, and epic moments make the Bronx ballpark legendary. (2-4-2025)
• NBA games. As Apple announced in this press release, and as I explained in more detail in this post, Apple is broadcasting in Immersive Video six Lakers basketball games in January, February, and March, 2026.
  • Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Lakers (1-9-2026)
  • Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers (2-5-2026)
  • Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers (2-20-2026)
  • Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets (3-5-2026)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers (3-10-2026)
  • Washington Wizards vs. Los Angeles Lakers (3-30-2026)

Boundless. Embark on the kind of bucket-list trips you’ve only dreamed of as you explore extraordinary places and meet inspiring people. Apple TV link. Episodes:

• Hot Air Balloons. Take a stunning journey above Türkiye’s iconic rock formations with the first woman hot-air baloon pilot from Cappadocia as your guide. (7-18-2024)
• Arctic Surfing. Paddle into icy waters with a group of intrepid surfers and feel the rush of riding Norway’s wintry waves. (2-21-2025)

Elevated. Gain an all-new perspective as you take aerial tours of the world’s most remarkable landscapes, led by well-known guides with a special connection to each place. Apple TV link. Episodes:

• Hawai’i. Soar over simmering volcanoes, rushing waterfalls, and breathtaking ocean cliffs. It’s all in this epic voyage across the islands, guided by actor and Hawai’i native Auli’i Cravalho. (9-6-2024)
• Maine. Fly above the Pine Tree State’s stunning autumn landscape with Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins as your guide. Sweep over rugged coastlines, pristine lakes, and forests bursting with fall’s fiery palette of orange, crimson, and gold. (10-3-2025)
• Switzerland. Walk on air where snow-powdered peaks scrape the sky. Swiss actor Carla Juri joins you on an exhilarating flight above mountaintop castle ruins, chasm-spanning railways, and the jaw-dropping majesty of the Matterhorn. (2-27-2026)

Concert for One. Enjoy exclusive, up-close access to private performances from today’s most electrifying artists. Apple TV link. Episodes:

• RAYE. Singer-songwriter RAYE sings her hits “Genesis” and “Escapism” from AIR Studios in London in this captivating, intimate set. (10-10-2024)

Movies and short videos. The following stand-alone immersive movies and short videos are available on Apple TV:

• Submerged. A WWII submarine crew combats a harrowing torpedo attack in this adrenaline—pumping thrill ride. From filmmaker Edward Berger, director of the Academy Award-winning All Quiet on the Western Front. (10-10-2024)
• F1 The Movie: Hot Lap Immersive. Go for a high-speed test drive with Brad Pitt. (6-19-2025)
• Tour De Force from CANAL+ and MotoGP. Documentary that follows MotoGP rider Johann Zarco through his dramatic victory in the rain during the French Grand Prix at Le Mans. (9-22-2025)
• Flight Ready. Report to the flight deck of the USS Nimitz and strap in with F-18 fighter pilots for a full-throttle ride through the skies. (11-11-2025)
• Top Dogs. They’re chasing greatness—and they’ll stop at nothing to win. Get up close with these cute, fiercely competitive canine stars (and their humans) as they face off at Crufts, the world’s biggest dog show. (1-30-2026)

World of Red Bull. Get ready for a rush like no other. Tackle the biggest waves, tallest mountains, and fastest speeds with Red Bull’s fearless athletes. Apple TV link. Episodes:

• Backcountry Skiing. Venture deep into the snowcapped mountains of British Columbia with a trio of pioneering professional freesiers. Feel the unmatched thrill of blazing fresh trails down unforgettably epic slopes—all in a pristine alpine landscape. (12-5-2025)
• Big-Wave Surfing. (available in 2026)

Other upcoming immersive content

Apple has announced other upcoming immersive content. For example, on September 22, 2025, Apple issued a press release to announce that a number of companies will be releasing new immersive content using the new Blackmagic Design’s URSA Cine Immersive camera. Titles announced by Apple that are not yet available are:

• Journey to Antarctica to Find Emperor Penguins. Documentary from CNN featuring chief climate correspondent Bill Weir.
• Julaymba. Documentary from PHORIA featuring the lush Daintree Rainforest of North Tropical Queensland, Australia. (Scheduled for October 2025, but not out yet)
• Experience Paris. A film for The Explorers that celebrates French heritage.

There was also an an article in Adweek that mentioned an upcoming immersive horror film. Also, an article in the New York Times mentioned an immersive documentary about the Real Madrid team. I presume that both will be available in the Apple TV app.

Great content outside of Apple TV

Finally, while the focus of this post is on the immersive video content available in Apple’s own Apple TV app, I would be remiss if I did not mention that some third parties are also doing amazing work in this area and releasing their own apps containing immersive content for the Apple Vision Pro. While there are many such apps, I think that two deserve special mention.

First, the Prima Immersive app premiered on February 10, 2025, with the first episode of the Sessions immersive video series from The Spatialists, which features bluegrass band AJ Lee & Blue Summit. It is stunning, as good as anything released by Apple. In January 2026, a representative of The Spatiliasts wrote in a post on Reddit that they “have hit delays in getting new content produced” but they “ARE working on it and there is a promising path forward for getting production on the full series started later this quarter.”

Second, the Explore POV app (App Store link) features lots of great immersive content. On December 4, 2025, Apple announced that the Explore POV app won the award for 2025 Apple Vision Pro App of the Year.

I hope to see more great content like this from third parties!

Thank you to SaneBox for sponsoring iPhone J.D. this month. SaneBox is a service that sorts emails based on who the email is coming from and the subject line of the email. That sounds so simple, but it makes such a difference. Using SaneBox can vastly reduce the number of interruptions in your day.

Whether you are drafting a brief, doing legal research, or preparing a contract, you need uninterrupted focus time to do your best work. But of course, getting uninterrupted time is a luxory, and email is often one of the biggest obsticles. Even if you can deal with each email quickly, every time you do so, you need to take the the time to return focus to what you were working on.

You cannot get rid of interruptions completely. But you can minimize them by using SaneBox. I’ve written in the past about how SaneBox can improve your relationship with email by automatically filing your less emails into different folders. For example, by turning on the SaneLater feature, messages that are likely to be less important automatically go into a separate folder. And every email that doesn’t show up in your Inbox is one less interruptinos to your day. By turning on the SaneNews feature, newsletters—which you almost certainly don’t want to take the time to read while you are focusing on a project—automatically go into the @SaneNews folder. SaneBox keeps these less important emails out of sight and out of mind, until a later point in the day when you are ready to take the time to look at them. Meanwhile, important emails still go straight to your Inbox.

What if SaneBox makes a mistake, putting an email into your @SaneLater folder when it is the type of email that you normally want to see right away? You can fix this without fiddling with any control panels or settings. Simply drag the email from the @SaneLater folder into your Inbox. That’s it. That will train the SaneBox AI so it does what you want in the future.

There are other SaneBox features that you can also use to minimize interruptions such as the Snooze feature. You can enable folders such as @SaneTomorrow, @SaneNextWeek, and @SaneNextMonth. (Or you can configure any other time period.) Move an email into the @SaneTomorrow folder and it will disappear from your Inbox until sunrise the next day, keeping your Inbox clean for today. If you want, you can enable auto-replies for snoozed emails to let the sender know that you will get back to them soon.

You can also free up your headspace by setting reminders right from your Inbox. Just forward a message to a reminder address like 1day@sanebox.com and you’ll get a reminder in your chosen time frame.

With SaneBox automatically organizing your emails, you can spend much less time in your Inbox, which means more time getting your important work done with fewer interruptions.

If this sounds interesting to you, click here to get a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. If you decide that you prefer getting all of the intrruptinos, then just don’t sign up. But if you appreciate having more time to focus on getting your work done, using this link in this post will give you a generous $25 credit for when you pick a plan. I’ve been using SaneBox since 2022, and I really like the service, so perhaps you will too.

Thanks again to SaneBox for sponsoring iPhone J.D. this month.

Apple does not introduce a new iPhone very often, especially one that has a new type of name. But a few days ago, Apple announced the iPhone 16e, and that is what we focus on in this week’s episode of the In the News podcast. We talk about what the “e” might stand for, what features are included and which are missing, and what the iPhone 16e might tell us about future iPhone models. We also talk about how to store multiple Apple Watch bands, the latest immersive video for the Apple Vision Pro called Arctic Surfing, the Severance show on Apple TV+, and more.

In our In the Know segment, Brett shares a tip for changing the size of app icons on your iPhone. And I remind you that if your speaker or microphone on your Apple Watch isn’t working as intended, then it may be time for it to take a shower.

Click here to listen to the audio podcast, or just listen using your podcast player of choice. You can also watch the episode on YouTube:

For a long time, Ted Lasso was the most popular show on Apple TV+. Nellie Andreeva of Deadline reports that Severance is now the #1 show on Apple TV+. My podcast co-host Brett Burney revealed last week that he finally started watching Severance, so perhaps Brett was the one that put the show over the top. As one sign of the show’s popularity, there is a new commercial for State Farm Insurance set in the Severance universe. Yes, you heard that correctly. It’s pretty funny, actually, and what a bizarre juxtaposition to see Mark S. next to Jake. I’m excited to watch this week’s new episode tonight. And now, the news of note from the past week:

• The transition of iPhone J.D. to the WordPress platform is now complete, and to my knowledge, I fixed everything that broke along the way … at least, everything that I came across. If you see something that doesn’t seem right, I’d appreciate it if you posted a comment on this website or sent me an email. You should notice that this website loads MUCH faster now, and everything is far more stable. Thanks again for your patience during the last 48 hours.
• Apple introduced the iPhone 16e this week, the replacement to the iPhone SE (third generation). One of the best articles I saw about the new iPhone 16e came from John Gruber of Daring Fireball. Worth reading if you are interested in this device—even if you are not interested in buying one for yourself.
• The only new feature in the iPhone 16e is the first cellular modem made by Apple, which it calls the C1 chip. Stephen Nellis of Reuters interviewed a number of folks from Apple to discuss what makes the C1 special and what it means for the future. For example, Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, said: “We build a platform for generations. … C1 is the start, and we’re going to keep improving that technology each generation, so that it becomes a platform for us that will be used to truly differentiate this technology for our products.” Srouji noted that Apple has an advantage over Qualcomm, the company that has traditionally made the modem for the iPhone and many other smartphones, because Apple can design its modem to meet the specific needs of the iPhone and can integrate it with other processes on the iPhone.
• In an article for Six Colors and Macworld, Dan Moren discusses what the iPhone SE meant for users and Apple and how the new iPhone 16e fits into that.
• Juli Clover of MacRumors reports on some of the common iPhone features that are missing from the iPhone 16e, including some minor ones that I didn’t discuss in my post from yesterday, such as the Photographic Styles feature.
• William Gallagher of AppleInsider argues that one of the features missing from the iPhone 16e that Apple should have found a way to include is MagSafe. I understand his point; I love StandBy mode and use it every day that I am in my office by placing my iPhone on my Anker MagSafe Charger Stand. And there are lots of other useful things that you can attach to an iPhone that has MagSafe. Nevertheless, in my opinion, it is still a “nice to have” not a “need to have” feature, and I presume that Apple had a good reason for not including it, even if it was just to keep the cost lower.
• If you have a lot of bands for your Apple Watch (yep, that’s me), you need a place to store them. Back in 2023, I mentioned a new watch band storage solution called the TimePorter from a company called Twelve South that makes lots of great products. Andrew O’Hara of AppleInsider posted a review of the TimePorter, and he likes it. If I had an appropriate wall space for a TimePorter, I would definiteily get one of these. I instead keep the watch bands that I use most often in the large white box that used to come with some of the early premium Apple Watch models (like the ones with stainless steel).
• Apple released a new immersive video for the Apple Vision Pro last night, and it is really impressive. It is the second episode of the Boundless series, which lets you explore new locations and trips, and it is called Arctic Surfing. We have all seen people surfing next to sandy beaches and perhaps some sand dunes. In this video, people surf in icy waters in Norway surrounded by snow-covered mountains. It is beautiful, but it made me cold to watch it.
• Andrew Orr of AppleInsider explains how you can watch an NBA basketball game in an Apple Vision Pro in tabletop mode. Interesting.
• Filipe Espósito of 9to5Mac discusses some recent updates to the Tripsy app, an alternative to TripIt.
• Apple TV+ is unquestionably a great service if you like Sci-FI. Severance is amazing, and so is For All Mankind, Dark Matter, and Foundation. And Apple just announced its next one, a Sci-Fi/thriller/comedy called Murderbot. But Apple TV+ is not just for Sci-Fi. Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac says that Apple TV+ is also becoming a great destination for crime thrillers thanks to the upcoming show Dope Thief and existing titles like Hijack, Presumed Innocent, Black Bird, and Criminal Record.
• And finally, here is the video released by Apple to introduce the iPhone 16e:

Yesterday, Apple announced the successor to the iPhone SE (third generation), which was released three years ago. Instead of calling it the iPhone SE (fourth generation), we have a brand-new name: the iPhone 16e. Given the number of changes, I think that this new device earns a new name. For example, the iPhone SE was the last iPhone that still had a button on the front (used for Touch ID); the new iPhone 16e removes the button to have more usable screen space and uses Face ID like every other modern iPhone. The iPhone SE was also the last iPhone to have a Lightning port; the new iPhone 16e has a USB-C port like every other modern iPhone. But the primary purpose remains the same: just like the iPhone SE, the iPhone 16e is the least expensive iPhone. It is the device to get if you want something new but don’t want to pay more than you have to.

Like an iPhone 16, minus a few features

I suspect that most people considering the purchase of an iPhone 16e will be comparing it to the iPhone 16, which was announced on September 9, 2024. The iPhone 16 starts at $799 but the new iPhone 16e starts at $599, so you save $200. The two devices are virtually the same physical size. (The iPhone 16 is .03 inches taller and weighs .12 ounces more, and I doubt you would notice the difference unless you held them close to each other.) Both have a 6.1" screen. Both devices have an Action button on the left side. Both devices use the A18 chip. Both devices start at a 128GB capacity, or you can pay more for 256GB or 512GB. Both devices use USB-C instead of Lightning.

So what is different? The camera system is very different, and this is immediately apparent when you look at the back because the iPhone 16e has only a single camera whereas the iPhone 16 has two cameras (and the iPhone 16 Pro has three cameras).

The iPhone 16e has the 48MP Fusion camera, which is a big improvement over the iPhone SE’s 12MP camera. But you don’t get the second lens, the 12MP Ultra Wide lens that is used for wide-angle photography and for macro photography. Having only a single camera means that you cannot take spatial photos or videos for viewing on a device like the Apple Vision Pro. The iPhone 16e also lacks the Camera button on the right side that is on the iPhone 16.

The iPhone 16 also lacks the Dynamic Island, a useful feature introduced with the iPhone 15 that allows you to use one app on most of the screen but get updates from another app at the top of the screen.

The iPhone 16e also lacks true MagSafe support. It does support Qi charging up to 7.5W, so you can do wireless charging. But the charger won’t attach to the back of the iPhone (nor can you use other devices that take advantage of the magnet part of MagSafe to attach to the back of an iPhone) and you don’t get the faster 15W charging of MagSafe and Qi 2.

Those are all of the big things that you miss when you save $200. There are also some very minor additional differences, but they are things that most folks won’t notice. For example, the iPhone 16 has an A18 chip with a 5-core GPU; the iPhone 16e has an A18 chip with a 4-core GPU, so it will be a little bit slower on some tasks. But again, I doubt you will really notice this. There are also some other minor differences regarding photographs and videos, how dim the screen can get, color choices (the iPhone 16e only comes in black or white), etc. But the big omissions are one camera lens versus two, no Camera Control, no Dynamic Island, and Qi instead of MagSafe. For a lot of people, those features will not be worth an extra $200.

A different modem that might be better

Another big difference is that the iPhone 16e is the first iPhone to use a modem designed and built by Apple instead of Qualcomm. Apple calls this the C1. It is more power-efficient than a Qualcomm modem, and Apple says that this translates into better battery life. For example, Apple says that you get up to 26 hours of video playback, compared to 22 hours on the iPhone 16.

What remains to be seen is how the C1 modem performs as a modem. There is a reason that Qualcomm has been the leader in the cellular modem business for so long. Its modems are really good. I hope that we soon see reports that the C1 modem is as good (or better?) than a Qualcomm modem. But we could see just the opposite since this is Apple’s first effort. When we start to see Apple-built modems in the high-end iPhones, then we will know that Apple is confident that its modems are better. For now, the jury is out.

A more modern budget iPhone

In the past, when Apple has introduced a new generation of the iPhone SE, it has included many (although not all) of the features from the high-end iPhones. Each generation of the iPhone SE would remain on sale for several years, so near the end of the product cycle, the device would be noticeably behind the latest-and-greatest iPhones, but it would remain a good model. Both my wife and my daughter use the iPhone SE (third generation), and it remains a good, functional iPhone for them.

But the new iPhone 16e is much closer to the top-of-the-line iPhone models. If you just plan to use the “regular” iPhone camera lens, now you have a really good one. USB-C support means that your iPhone will now have the same connector as your other devices (and if that is not yet true for you right now, it will be soon because Apple done with using the Lightning port in its products). It supports Apple Intelligence, and to enable that support, it starts at 128GB of capacity, which is a perfect size for most people. And while some people may miss the button on the front, Apple decided long ago—and I certainly agree—that it is better to have more usable space on the screen.

At $599, the iPhone 16e is more expensive than the $429 iPhone SE, but it is still the cheapest iPhone in the lineup, and yet you get a lot of modern features for $599. Will the iPhone 16e remain for sale for two, three, or four years as was the norm for the iPhone SE? Or does the fact that “16" is in the name mean that we will see a new model every year: iPhone 17e, iPhone 18e, etc.? Time will tell.

Conclusion

There is nothing exciting about the iPhone 16e, unless you have been on the edge of your seat waiting to use a modem made by Apple. But that’s not the point. This is a very good iPhone and it is cheaper than the alternatives. If you compare the iPhone 16e to an iPhone 16 and decide that the missing features are important to you, then Apple would be delighted for you to spend an extra $200. But if those few missing features don’t matter, it is good news for you that you can now get a modern iPhone for $200 less.

UPDATE 8/27/2025: I see that today, TypePad announced that the service is shutting down on September 30, 2025. I am astonished that the service gave only one month notice to TypePad users. When I moved my website to WordPress earlier this year, it took me months to select a new host and move all of my content, and I had to hire someone to help me with a lot of the complicated details. I feel for anyone who is now trying to scramble, especially if they have been using TypePad for a long time. (I started using the service in 2008.) What follows is my original post that I published a few months ago when I was (finally!) just hours away from my final switch from TypePad to WordPress:

We interrupt this website’s regular broadcast schedule to alert you that this website is about to change. When I started this website in 2008, I used a website platform called TypePad. It was a good option at the time. But now, over 16 years later, it is no longer the best option for a website like this one. TypePad no longer keeps up with the latest website technology, and I’ve had many problems with things breaking behind the scenes. For example, have you ever noticed that a post seems to be missing a picture? Yeah, me too. Indeed, if you try to create a new website using TypePad, you are alerted that Typepad no longer accepts new customers. The service is simply servicing its existing customers until they move elsewhere.

So I am moving elsewhere. I’m changing to a web platform called WordPress. You may have heard of it before. WordPress is used to create almost half of the websites on the Internet. That’s a lot. WordPress offers numerous advantages over TypePad and is much more stable. However, it is also more complicated to use, and I’ve faced a steep learning curve over the last few months as I’ve been making the transition and getting all of the old posts moved over to the new digs.

If all goes well, once I make the move official, everything should be mostly the same for you as a reader. You will still be able to go to www.iPhoneJD.com to visit this website and see new posts. All of the old posts should still be there. And all of the old pictures in those old posts should still be there … with the exception of some that I’m sure I will need to fix, once I find them, which will take some time.

It will be obvious to you when the switch to WordPress takes place because instead of this being a website with a sidebar on both the left and the right, there will only be a single sidebar on the right. Here is what the website has looked like on TypePad for the last 16 years:

Here is a preview of what it will look like in WordPress:

It’s not just a new look on a computer or iPad; when you access this website from an iPad or iPhone, the page layout will be better than ever.

Many of you read iPhone J.D. when it shows up (at no charge to you) in your email Inbox thanks to a service I use called FeedBlitz. Others read iPhone J.D. using RSS and a newsreader. When the change occurs, it may take some time for those services to start working again. If you need to change anything on your end, I’ll let you know, and I appreciate your patience during the transition. You will always be able to visit the website in any browser, such as Safari, to see the new posts.

Once I move to the WordPress platform, I hope to never have to make a move like this again. At the very least, I hope this new platform will take us through the next sixteen years. Will we still even be using iPhones at that point? Will “iPhone J.D.” sound as antiquated as “Telegraph J.D.” or “Atari 2600 J.D.”? Let’s all plan to trade notes in the year 2041 and see where we are.

Thanks in advance for your understanding during the upcoming transition. Unless I encounter an unanticipated stumbling block, the change will happen soon.