Latest iPhone 16 leaks, new iPad Pro specs, Apple browser power

Taking a look at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including new iPhone 16 camera leaks, new App Store rules, MacBook Air speedups, Apple Silicon designs revealed, new iPad Pro specs , of Apple Watch experiments and Apple’s power browser.

The Apple Loop is here to remind you of some of the many conversations surrounding Apple over the past seven days. You can also read our weekly roundup of Android news here at Forbes.

New iPhone 16 camera details leaked

The latest CAD drawings of the upcoming iPhone 16 reveal a new arrangement of the two camera lenses. Gone is the diagonal layout and in comes a vertical layout. The winner? Tim Cook’s plans for a Mixed Reality headset:

“One of the key beneficiaries of this deal will be Apple’s mixed reality headset. The Apple Vision Pro can play stereoscopic video—Apple has dubbed its version Spatial Video. The iPhone 16’s vertical camera setup, when held in traditional landscape mode for video recording, place the lenses next to each other, like digital eyes.”

(Forbes).

App Stores can only be one developer

One of the biggest changes made to the iPhone since Apple decided to allow third-party apps to run on a purchased smartphone is the ability for developers to run their own app store. Although this is a Europe-only feature, the dam has been unlocked and continues to open. When Apple said app stores outside of its jurisdiction had to be sold by multiple developers, it quickly changed its own rules to allow single-developer app stores:

“In response to the Digital Markets Act in the European Union, a rule change by Apple is updating how app purchases will work on the iPhone. These changes now apply to EU residents, but governments around the world will carefully consider whether they should adopt similar legislation… Today’s change means that marketplaces can choose to offer apps from only one developer.”

(Forbes).

Another Faster MacBook Air Tweak

Apple’s latest MacBook Air had a slight speed boost in terms of processing, but it also has a speed boost in accessing SSD storage. Going from one 256GB SSD to two 128GB SSDs has unlocked access speed.

“Not much has changed between the M2 MacBook Air and the M3 MacBook Air. The change in SSD storage, however, should not be overlooked. Testing has shown that the M3 MacBook Air has SSD write speeds that are approximately 33% faster and read speeds that are approximately 82% faster. These speeds match and sometimes exceed the speeds of the M1 MacBook Air.”

(iFixit via 9 to 5 Mac).

Not the M4 from Star Trek

Sticking with the MacBook, a timeline for the next generation of Apple Silicon was discussed. The M4 will continue the annual release cycle, which means we have a good idea of ​​when the next laptops, desktops and workstations will arrive.

“[Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman] touched on a few other topics, including that Apple has apparently “just started official development” of a new MacBook Pro with an M4 chip. He did not provide additional details about the chip, which has yet to be announced by Apple. [a traditional interval means] the M4 chip will be released in the first half of 2025. However, a release in late 2024 is also possible if the interval shrinks to a year.”

(MacRumors).

A new iPad is coming

With a refresh of the iPad lineup expected before the end of the month, what can we expect to see? Possibly new bright and vibrant screens across the Pro range!

“One of the most anticipated elements of the next iPad Pro is that it is expected to replace a miniLED-backlit LCD display for an OLED display. Not only is that exciting, but it means that both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will have the same screen technology for the first time in years. Right now, only the larger, 12.9-inch screen has the impressive miniLED lights. The 11-inch just has a regular LCD screen.”

(Forbes).

New Apple Watch movements are being planned

With half an eye on Apple Vision Pro, Apple is experimenting with new gestures for navigating the Apple Watch UI. A recently published patent talks about gestures performed away from the wearable’s screen.

“One of the more interesting new gestures described in the patent starts with the palm flat and the fingers extended, then moving the fingers from side to side horizontally. If you play blackjack, you’ll be familiar with this motion, as it’s the same as telling a trader that you want to stand… this side-to-side motion could be used to reply to a text message or answer a call and can be combined with other gestures.The clenched fist is central to many new user interface [UI] data.”

((Apple Insider).

And finally…

The team behind the privacy-focused Brave web browser has seen a spike in iPhone downloads, and it’s thanks to Apple offering users a web browser option instead of defaulting to Safari. Not surprisingly, now Brave is on the list, it can see an impact:

“Daily installs ranged from 7,500 to 10,000 for most of the period. However, on March 6th, after the release of the iOS update, there was a spike in installs, reaching just over 11,000…” Monopoly’s defenders argue that monopolies simply offer better products. But as you can see, when consumers have a clear choice of iOS browsers, they choose alternatives to Safari,” their Twitter thread notes.

(Bravevia Bleeping calculator).

The Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here at Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of the Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.