Now that we have had two days to dig into each little element Apple shared at Monday’s “It’s Glowtime” occasion, it is time to concentrate on the stuff that was left unsaid.
There have been fairly just a few particulars Apple by no means talked about — however maybe ought to have — on the occasion. For the customers, a few of these are good, some dangerous, and a few ambiguous, however they’re all fairly vital, particularly if one is seeking to purchase one of many new Apple devices proven on the occasion.
This is our record of all of the hidden particulars that Apple kind of glossed over on Monday, and if you happen to’ve seen any others, do tell us within the feedback!
FineWoven instances are out, however FineWoven wallets are nonetheless right here
You possibly can’t purchase this case anymore, however you possibly can nonetheless purchase the pockets.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
Forward of the occasion, rumors swirled that Apple wasn’t too completely satisfied about customers being very sad about the corporate’s FineWoven equipment. The FineWoven stuff, studies stated, is on its method out, and the studies had been correct — effectively, partially.
Apple’s FineWoven equipment didn’t get a point out from Apple at its occasion this yr, however all the FineWoven instances for the iPhone had been faraway from the Apple Retailer. Oddly sufficient, the FineWoven wallets are nonetheless accessible. It is exhausting to invest on why Apple selected to take away the instances however depart the wallets, however my guess is that the instances, being the dearer gadget, drew extra anger from customers after they began to put on down.
It is also price noting that Apple did not substitute the FineWoven instances with a brand new, leather-like-but-environmentally-friendly materials. As an alternative, the corporate now solely provides Apple-branded clear instances and silicone instances for iPhones.
All of this makes it just a little exhausting to present a transparent verdict; FineWoven instances clearly did not stand the take a look at of time, however we hoped for a substitute, which simply hasn’t occurred.
Verdict: Combined
The thriller of iPhone 16’s battery life
Now we all know. Properly, kind of.
Credit score: Apple
All through the occasion, Apple stored saying that the brand new iPhones, each the 16 and 16 Professional selection, have improved battery life, however the firm would not share a single, exact determine associated to it.
Mashable Gentle Pace
These battery life figures got here later within the type of Apple’s spec sheets for the gadgets, and the figures look nice, promising (roughly) a 15 % enchancment in battery life throughout the board (learn my detailed report for extra).
Nonetheless, one has to marvel: Why was Apple so coy in regards to the battery life enhancements? Maybe the corporate simply determined to not drown the viewers in additional numbers. Or, if we’re being actually optimistic, perhaps the corporate is aware of the battery life enhancements are so good, that it desires impartial reviewers to be amazed after they take a look at the telephones themselves.
We’ll know for certain once we spend some extra time with the gadgets. Till then, based mostly on the official specs, we’ll name this a win.
Verdict: In all probability good
AirPods Max nonetheless do not help lossless audio
We had our fingers crossed, but it surely was not meant to be.
Credit score: Apple
The AirPods Max didn’t get a real improve on Monday; as an alternative, it acquired the AirPods Professional 2 remedy, through which Apple added new colours, just a few software program options, and switched the Lightning port out in favor of the extra common, and EU-preferred, USB-C port.
One factor that irked me when the AirPods Max launched was that they did not help Apple Music Lossless (lossless audio compression) in any method, form or kind. This is Apple’s personal doc confirming it. That was 4 years in the past, when the AirPods Max had been initially launched and now, in 2024, there is a barely up to date model of AirPods Max which…nonetheless would not help lossless.
Did we actually anticipate it to occur? No, but it surely’s nonetheless a bummer.
Verdict: Unhealthy
However you should purchase cushions in new colours on your present AirPods Max
Actually love the purple AirPods Max? You will get simply the cushions, for $69.
Credit score: Apple
When you have the outdated model of AirPods Max, you most likely need not improve to the brand new AirPods Max, as the one massive variations are the colours and the USB-C port changing Lightning.
However if you happen to actually like the brand new colours, that are specifically Blue, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, and Orange, you will get official ear cushions for the AirPods Max in these new colours. It’s going to value you $69, but when the outdated cushions are worn out, maybe that is a greater improve than allotting $549 for the complete headphones.
Verdict: Good
The shows on the iPhone 16 and 16 Professional have a brand new trick
1 nit minimal brightness: verify!
Credit score: Apple
The dangerous information right here is that iPhone 16 and 16 Plus nonetheless do not help ProMotion, that means their shows are capped to 60Hz. In addition they don’t help All the time-On, which stays reserved for the Professional fashions. It is a bummer, provided that many mid-range Android telephones today have 120Hz shows.
We like the very fact, nevertheless, that all the new fashions — iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Professional, and iPhone 16 Professional Max — help 1 nit minimal brightness.
If I needed to clarify how that can profit the iPhone 16 fashions, I would mutter one thing unintelligible whereas awkwardly staring on the ground, as a result of the 1 nit minimal brightness makes essentially the most sense when paired with All the time-On and StandBy, saving battery life and making the cellphone simpler to have a look at in near-total darkness. However these options stay reserved for the Professional fashions for now; maybe the 1 nit minimal brightness is sign that Apple will deliver them to the common iPhones, too?
