Vratislav Holub In this regular column, every day we look at the most interesting news that revolves around the California company Apple. Here we focus exclusively on the main events and selected (interesting) speculations. So if you are interested in current events and want to be informed about the apple world, definitely spend a few minutes on the following paragraphs.
It could be interest you
The redesigned 14″ MacBook Pro will bring a number of great novelties
At the end of last year, we saw the presentation of the highly anticipated Macs, which were the first to boast a special chip from the Apple Silicon family. The Cupertino company already announced on the occasion of the developer conference WWDC 2020 that it is going to switch from Intel processors to its own solution for its computers, which should offer significantly higher performance and lower energy consumption. The first pieces, respectively 13″ MacBook Pro laptop, MacBook Air and Mac mini, with their M1 chip, completely exceeded their expectations.
Gallery
There is currently speculation in the apple world about other successors. According to the latest information from the Taiwanese supply chain shared by the DigiTimes portal, Apple plans to introduce the 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro in the second half of the year, which will boast a display with Mini-LED technology. Radiant Opto-Electronics should be the exclusive supplier of these displays, while Quanta Computer will take care of the final assembly of these laptops.
These reports mostly confirm the earlier claims of the renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who also expects the arrival of 14″ and 16″ models, which dates to the second half of 2021. According to him, these pieces should still offer a Mini-LED display, a chip from the family Apple Silicon, new design, HDMI port and SD card reader, return to magnetic MagSafe port and removal of Touch Bar. Almost the same information was shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who was the first to mention the return of the SD card reader.
It could be interest you
The classic 13″ model, which is available now, should become a 16″ model, following the example of the 14″ variant. In fact, already in 2019, in the case of the 15″ MacBook Pro, Apple slightly improved the design, noticeably thinner the frames and was able to offer an inch larger display in the same body. The same procedure can now be expected in the case of the smaller "Proček."
Belkin is working on an adapter that will add AirPlay 2 functionality to speakers
Belkin is extremely popular among Apple users, which it has earned for developing high-quality and reliable accessories. Currently, Twitter user Janko Roettgers reported on Belkin's interesting registration in the FCC database. According to the description, it looks like the company is currently working on the development of a special adapter "Belkin Soundform Connect,” which should connect to standard speakers and add AirPlay 2 functionality to them. This piece could theoretically be powered via a USB-C cable and, of course, will also offer a 3,5mm jack port for audio output.
Looks like it will retail for around 100 Euros. pic.twitter.com/KwbwxNjxD0
- Janko Roettgers (@ jank0) February 24, 2021
The functionality itself could be very similar to the discontinued AirPort Express. AirPort Express was also able to deliver AirPlay capabilities to standard speakers via a 3,5mm jack. It can also be expected that Belkin Soundform Connect could bring HomeKit support together with AirPlay 2, thanks to which we could subsequently manage the speakers smartly through the Home application. Of course, it is currently not clear when we will receive this news. However, it can be expected that we will have to prepare approximately 100 euros for it, i.e. around 2,6 thousand crowns.
The 21,5″ iMac 4K cannot be purchased now with 512GB and 1TB storage
During the last few days, it is not possible to order a 21,5″ 4K iMac with higher storage, namely with 512GB and 1TB SSD disk, from the Online Store. If you choose one of these variants, the order cannot be completed, and you have to settle for either a 256GB SSD disk or a 1TB Fusion Drive storage in the current situation. Some Apple users began to associate this unavailability with the long-awaited arrival of an updated iMac.
However, it can be expected that the current situation is rather due to the coronavirus crisis, which has noticeably slowed down the supply of components. Both mentioned variants are extremely popular and Apple users are happy to pay extra for them rather than being satisfied with basic or Fusion Drive storage.
