Top Stories: WWDC 2021 Announced, iPhone SE Rumors, ‘Cheese Grater’ iPhone Design?

While we are still waiting for reports of a possible Apple event in April, we received confirmation of another upcoming Apple event this week, WWDC 2021, which returns to its usual early June timeframe, but remains in a fully virtual format. resembles last year’s edition.

Other Apple news and rumors this week included a report on future iPhone SE models, a crazy Apple patent filing showing an iPhone with the same metal grille design as the latest Mac Pro, and some new changes in the latest iOS 14.5- beta while we wait patiently for the public release. Read on for details on these stories and more from the past week!

Apple will announce the WWDC 2021 digital event in June

Apple announced this week that the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be held June 7 through June 11. For the second consecutive year, the conference will be held in a fully online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An advantage of keeping WWDC 2021 digital is that admission is free for all developers, with sessions and other content available for sharing on the Apple Developer website and in the revamped Apple Developer app. In comparison, Apple has in the past required developers to purchase a $ 1,599 ticket to attend WWDC in person, and only after winning a lottery.

As usual, Apple says WWDC 2021 will take a look at the future of its software platforms, which will likely include iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15. There’s always a chance of one or two hardware announcements also at WWDC, such as redesigned MacBook Pro and iMac models with Apple silicon.

Now through April 18, Apple is accepting entries for the annual Swift Student Challenge, a programming competition that requires students to create an interactive scene in the Swift Playgrounds app. Winners will receive exclusive WWDC 2021 outerwear, a custom pin set and a one-year membership to the Apple Developer Program.

All in all, WWDC is always one of the most exciting weeks of the year in the Apple world for developers and users alike, and we’ll be covering the conference in detail as it unfolds!

Next iPhone SE with 4.7-inch display, 2023 version with full-screen hole punch

The third-generation iPhone SE, which is rumored to hit the market in the first half of 2022, will have the same 4.7-inch display as the current version, according to analyst Ross Young.

Young said he also hears that a 2023 model of the iPhone SE could have a so-called “hole punch” display design, like some Samsung smartphones, which would result in a nearly full-screen, notched design with just a tiny bit of hole. for the front camera. It’s unclear where the Face ID sensors with such a design would be housed if Apple continues to offer Face ID, but under-display fingerprint and facial recognition systems exist for smartphones. In fact, under-screen Touch ID is rumored for at least some iPhone 13 models.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said the “hole punch” display will debut on at least some high-end 2022 iPhone models, so the design is likely to be extended to the iPhone SE the following year. .

iOS 14.5 adds new Siri voices, no more default settings for women

The sixth beta of iOS 14.5 released this week adds two new Siri voices for the English language, and introduces a new install option that allows people to choose their preferred voice for Siri, which is currently a female voice by default in the United States.

“This is a continuation of Apple’s longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, and products and services designed to better reflect the diversity of the world we live in,” Apple said in a statement on the change.

Apple also announced that iOS 14.5 will recalibrate maximum battery capacity and peak performance on iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max models to correct inaccurate battery health reporting estimates for some users. Apple said the bug does not reflect an issue with the actual battery health.

iOS 14.5 has been in beta testing since February 1 and is packed with new features, such as the ability to unlock an iPhone with an Apple Watch while wearing a mask, support for 5G in Dual-SIM mode on iPhone 12 models, new Waze – like features in Apple Maps, new emoji, AirPlay 2 streaming for Apple Fitness + workouts and much more. Apple previously said the software update will be released for all compatible devices in “early spring”.

Apple is researching Mac Pro’s ‘Cheese Grater’ design for other devices such as the iPhone

Apple is considering extending the 2019 Mac Pro’s signature “cheese grater” grid design to other devices, including the iPhone and a “trash” -style “Mac Pro”, according to a recently granted patent application.

In 2019, Apple introduced the innovative milled grid pattern on the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR, which is created by machining a spherical array into the internal and external surfaces of the aluminum. The result is a lightweight grille pattern that maximizes airflow while creating an extremely rigid structure.

While patent filings are typically comprehensive and cannot be considered solid evidence of Apple’s plans for actual consumer hardware, they can provide an interesting picture of the company’s research areas.

Bitcoin Scam App Approved by Apple Robs iPhone User from $ 600,000 +

A scam bitcoin app designed to look like a real app was accepted by Apple’s App Store review team and ended up costing an iPhone user 17.1 bitcoin, or over $ 600,000 at the time of the theft, according to The Washington Post

In a statement, Apple said that in the “limited cases” where criminals defraud its users, the company is taking “swift action” to prevent similar violations in the future.

“User trust is the foundation of why we created the ‌App Store‌, and we’ve only deepened that commitment over the years,” said Apple. “Study after study has shown that the ‌App Store‌ is the most secure app marketplace in the world, and we are constantly working to maintain that standard and make the ‌App Store‌ even more secure.”

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