O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: update

  • iFixit publishes iPhone 17e teardown, cites interchangeable components, possible MagSafe upgrade path for iPhone 16e owners

    iFixit publishes iPhone 17e teardown, cites interchangeable components, possible MagSafe upgrade path for iPhone 16e owners

    The cool cats at iFixit have done it again, this time publishing a teardown of Apple’s newly released iPhone 17e, which launched last Wednesday. The new model is almost identical to the iPhone 16e in design, but it does include a MagSafe back panel that supports ‌MagSafe‌ and faster Qi charging than the iPhone 16e.

    Interestingly enough, the staff at iFixit noted that the MagSafe panel for the iPhone 17e is the same size as the panel for the 16e, and that the two feature interchangeable components. This would allow users to take a back panel from an ‌iPhone 17e‌ and put it on an iPhone 16e, adding ‌MagSafe‌ to an iPhone 16e, and would allow for a relatively easy iPhone 16e upgrade. The downside is that the iPhone 16e doesn’t feature built-in software that recognizes ‌MagSafe‌ accessories to provide animations, and it’s not yet clear if it charges at the full 15W.

    Other interesting changes include the fact that Apple provided day one panels for the iPhone 17e, and the battery can be swapped off without having to remove the display, even though a considerable amount of adhesive still needs to be removed. The ‌iPhone 17e‌ continues to use adhesive for the battery that can be removed with an electrical pulse, which makes battery replacements simpler.

    Other notable changes between the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 17e include the fact that the iPhone 17e uses an A19 System on Chip, which replaces the A18. Apple also swapped out the C1 modem for the new, faster C1X modem, and there’s more starting internal storage at 256 GB. A number of components are also interchangable between the two models, including the logic board, which can be installed into an iPhone 17e chassis with almost no issues registering parts. The TrueDepth camera for Face ID didn’t work when swapped from iPhone to iPhone.

    Although iFixit generally liked the enhanced repairability of the iPhone 17e model, it noted that the USB-C port was too buried behind components, which will make DIY repairs daunting for people. Apple fixed the USB-C accessibility issue in its main flagship models, but has not made the port easier to get to in the “e” models. The company awarded the iPhone 17e a provisional repairability score of 7 out of 10.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and iFixit

  • Adobe files $150 million settlement with the DOJ regarding subscription-cancelation practices

    Adobe files $150 million settlement with the DOJ regarding subscription-cancelation practices

    This is what happens when you make canceling a software subscription really, really difficult.

    Software maker Adobe has agreed to a settlement with the US Department of Justice worth $150 million, including a $75 million fee paid to the DOJ and another $75 million in free services for users.

    The agreement allows Adobe to deny any wrongdoing, and the company released the following statement:

    “We have now finalized a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice that will bring to an end the litigation filed in June 2024 related to our disclosure and subscription cancellation practices. While we disagree with the government’s claims and deny any wrongdoing, we are pleased to resolve this matter. We have agreed to provide $75 million worth of free services to customers that qualify. We will proactively reach out to the affected customers once the appropriate filings with the Court are made and accepted. Additionally, we have agreed to a $75 million payment to the Department of Justice.”

    With any luck, Adobe will hopefully make it considerably easier to cancel a subscription.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and Adobe

  • Apple announces AirPods Max 2 headphones with H2 chip, other new features

    Apple announces AirPods Max 2 headphones with H2 chip, other new features

    If you’re a fan of headphones, you’re going to like this.

    Apple on Monday unveled its AirPods Max 2 headphones, which boas the following new features along with the inclusion of the company’s H2 chip:

    • Adaptive Audio adjusts the levels of ANC and Transparency in response to the environment automatically to optimize the audio experience.
    • Conversation Awareness helps lower content volume and reduce background noise when a user starts speaking to someone nearby.
    • Live Translation, powered by Apple Intelligence, helps users communicate across languages in person.
    • Voice Isolation uses advanced computational audio powered by H2 to prioritize the voice during calls, while blocking out ambient noise.
    • AirPods Max 2 also support Personalized Volume, which adjusts the volume based on a combination of your surroundings and your volume preferences.

    With the H2 chip, Apple says the AirPods Max 2 deliver up to 1.5× more effective active noise cancellation than the previous generation, and it promised that the Transparency mode that lets in some ambient noise sounds even more natural.

    The new headphones continue to feature a USB-C port for charging and lossless audio, and Apple has advertised 20 hours of battery life on a single charge with active noise cancellation enabled, which is unchanged compared to the previous generation.

    Similar to the previous AirPods Max headphones, the AirPods Max 2 support 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio with the included USB-C cable, for the highest-quality wired playback. For wireless connectivity, AirPods Max 2 support Bluetooth 5.3, whereas the previous AirPods Max support Bluetooth 5.0. Once again, the available options for the unit remain Midnight, Starlight, Orange, Purple, and Blue.

    The AirPods Max 2 will become available to order on the Apple website and in the Apple Store app as of Wednesday, March 25, in the U.S. and 30 other countries, and will launch to other regions on an unspecified day in early April. The units will retail for the same $549 price point as the previous generation, which Apple has stopped selling.

    Finally, the AirPods Max 2 come with a Smart Case, which has the same design as it always has. The headphones enter an ultra-low-power state when placed in this carrying case, which is fairly important, as the headphones still lack a power button.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Apple

  • iOS 27 to focus on bug fixes over new features, draws comparison to Mac OS X Snow Leopard

    iOS 27 to focus on bug fixes over new features, draws comparison to Mac OS X Snow Leopard

    Per the mighty Mark Gurman in his Power On letter for Bloomberg on Saturday, Gurman reiterated that iOS 27 will be similar to 2009’s Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that one of Apple’s biggest priorities is bug fixes for improved performance and stability as opposed to new features.

    At WWDC 2008, Apple showed a presentation that said Mac OS X Snow Leopard had “0 new features,” as it opted to focus on performance and stability improvements. Technically, the update did include some smaller new features, but Apple was overwhelmingly focused on bug fixes and under-the-hood changes on the Mac.

    It’s expected that iOS 27 will receive some new features, including a more personalized version of Siri. The upcoming operating system should be announced at WWDC in June and released in September.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Bloomberg

  • Additional iPhone Fold tech details leak, possible RAM configuration, storage, and pricing tiers noted

    Additional iPhone Fold tech details leak, possible RAM configuration, storage, and pricing tiers noted

    The rumors are flying about Apple’s foldable iPhone, and some interesting tidbits came out yesterday.

    Per a new report at The Bell, the iPhone Fold will have the same 12GB of RAM as Apple’s Pro models, including iPhone 17 Pro. Samsung is reportedly the supplier of Apple’s 12GB LPDDR5X RAM order. Once again, leaker Instant Digital has stepped forward, claiming the iPhone Fold will be available in the following storage tiers:

    • 256GB
    • 512GB
    • 1TB

    Unlike the iPhone 17 Pro Max, no 2TB option seems to be offered.

    Instant Digital also outlined its expected pricing for each model, citing prices of 15,999, 17,999, and 19,999 yuan, which would align with the following likely US prices:

    • $1,999 for 256GB
    • $2,199 for 512GB
    • $2,399 for 1TB

    These price points represent a significant leap over the most expensive iPhone models sold today, and the iPhone Fold could retail between $2,000 and $2,400, depending on the configuration.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac, The Bell, and Macworld