That is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac providing a fast rundown of the newest Apple product rumors, with evaluation and commentary. At the moment: new iPads are on the way in which, plus a curious iOS Invitations app, and extra. Listed below are this week’s Apple rumors.
New iPads and iPhone SE 4 launching ‘by April’
There was a rumor this week broadly misconstrued as claiming new iPads and the iPhone SE 4 could be launching as early as January. Mark Gurman rapidly refuted the concept, and within the course of provided his personal anticipated timeline.
He stated that new iPads and the iPhone SE 4 could be coming by April, a while earlier than iOS 18.4 launches.
My takeaways
This rumor largely simply confirms what we have been already anticipating, however with a possible iPad Air tidbit.
The forthcoming iPhone SE 4 and new base iPad have been all the time rumored to launch round March. However Gurman references ‘iPads’ plural in his submit, which presumably references the forthcoming M3 iPad Air.
Gurman had beforehand talked about the brand new iPad Air would debut ‘across the similar time’ because the iPhone SE 4, however since we simply obtained the M2 Air final Might, I personally wasn’t anticipating the M3 revision till April on the earliest, and extra possible Might or June. Such a launch might nonetheless match the ‘across the similar time’ window.
Now although, it appears like the brand new iPad Air might debut in March concurrently a revised base iPad and iPhone SE.
Invitations app within the works at Apple
This week my 9to5Mac colleague Filipe Espósito completely reported on indicators of Apple creating a brand new ‘Invitations’ app.
Code was found within the newest iOS 18.3 beta to point ongoing work of the app, which may very well be a standalone app or presumably built-in into different elements of iOS like iMessage.
My takeaways
Little or no is understood about this potential app. My preliminary thought, although, is that it sounds extra like a brand new characteristic set than a full-blown app.
I might undoubtedly see Apple deliver an upgraded invite system to the Calendar app. And possibly even make an API that’s utilized by different built-in iOS apps and even third-party calendars.
Fantastical, for instance, provides an important system for managing calendar invitations, polling invitees for availability, and sharing a bookable schedule with others. Apple’s Calendar app might use related upgrades—all of which can probably be lined by Invitations.
iPhone 17 Professional design change
It’s changing into extra clear that Apple is planning to deliver design modifications not simply to the iPhone 17 Air, however its 17 Professional line too.
The most recent on that entrance: Weibo leaker Fastened-focus digital shared that the iPhone 17 Professional will use a ‘slope reasonably than a step’ for the connection between the again shell and the primary physique.
My takeaways
It’s laborious to learn an excessive amount of into this leak, because it’s a translation and doesn’t appear totally clear anyhow.
It sounds just like the iPhone 17 Professional might return to extra of a curved sides design. Each mannequin for the reason that iPhone 12 has used flatter sides.
This might go hand-in-hand with the shift towards an aluminum body, as has been reported elsewhere.
Personally, I do like curved sides on the iPhone. Nonetheless, iPhone sizes have elevated lately, so I’m involved curved sides might negatively impression grip.
What do you make of this week’s Apple rumors? Tell us within the feedback.
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