Hello, and welcome to another edition of Editor's Desk from yours truly. After this week, there will only be two more of these from me, because well, I'll be taking some time off to enter a new chapter of my life: parenthood! We still have a few weeks, but I must say, it's been a roller coaster of a ride these past eight months, and I'm honestly ready to get off. Anyway…
Tomorrow is Apple's "Unleashed" event, which will feature new MacBook Pros and (very likely) AirPods 3. If you've been in the market for a new MacBook Pro, then I'm sure that you're eager for tomorrow, so make sure to tune in!
So far, based on the rumors that we've seen for the past few months, the updated MacBook Pros will include an updated 16-inch model, as well as a new 14-inch variety. These are certain to include the next generation of Apple's silicon, which has been called "M1X," and perhaps mini-LEDs, which would make them the best MacBooks yet. A recent rumor that we saw in the past week is the possibility of a new 1080p FaceTime HD camera and a base of 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage.
As exciting as these rumors are, I've been a little hesitant on the rumor mill lately, since the Apple Watch Series 7 turned out to be nothing like what we had been hearing about for months. Yes, I'm still a bit sour about it, despite all of the positive reviews. And now we even hear that the Series 8 may come in three sizes! Honestly not sure how to feel about this one — I mean, do we really need a third size? Of course, this new "size" could also be a more rugged model for withstanding the elements too, which would make more sense than just a third size option, I think.
Since the news cycle has been a little mum in the past week (after all, everything exciting will happen tomorrow), let's talk about some existing iOS 15 and iPhone 13 features, specifically about Focus and Notifications. As much as I love using Focus, it seems that the problem with it is that it takes a lot of work to set up, so a lot of folks just haven't bothered with the feature. I get it — it's just another thing to do, and for plenty of people, they already have their setups the way they like already. Not all new features are for everyone, but I've found Focus and the new notification system to be pretty handy for my daily workflow. I just hope Apple continues to improve Focus in future releases because as good as it is for me, it's not perfect.
Also, if you've been considering the new entry-level iPad, make no mistake — it's a fantastic option if you just need the basics. Our own Luke Filipowicz gives high praise for the iPad (2021) in his review, and some of the best features are the new front-facing camera improvements and Center Stage feature. And you just can't beat it at that price point.
Now, let's get ready for another exciting Apple event tomorrow! I hope you're all rested up and ready for new MacBook Pros and AirPods!
- Christine Romero-Chan
