Welcome back to the end of another exciting week in the world of Apple news. We're just in the beginning of August, but as a whole, we're already past the halfway point in 2021 — pretty nuts. Seriously, time has been flying by, hasn't it? Or is it just me?
Apple's fall event is fast approaching, which definitely means it's almost iPhone 13 time. But that's not all that the fall usually holds. No, this year, we're also expecting brand new, redesigned AirPods, and of course, Apple Watch Series 7.
With AirPods, it's been rumored numerous times this year that we'll be seeing a big redesign, so don't be surprised if that's what we get. After all, the AirPods haven't had any significant changes to its design since it was introduced back in 2016, so it's long overdue, honestly. All rumors point to an AirPods Pro-like redesign, with shorter stems and even silicone ear tips for a better fit (let's face it, the regular AirPods currently fit terribly, at least for me). However, don't expect the AirPods to get Active Noise Cancellation — they still have to have a selling point for the Pros, right? There were also rumors about health features coming to AirPods, though I personally think that's probably less likely for regular AirPods and more for the Pros when they get an overhaul. Regardless, I'm excited to see a revamped AirPods design this year, though I'm definitely still going to hold out for AirPods Pro 2 just for the better feature set (ANC all day, every day, baby!)
As far as the Apple Watch Series 7, this year could be an exciting one for the Watch, more so than the iPhone 13 itself. According to the rumors swirling around, the Series 7 may be getting a brand new case design, bringing it more in line with the rest of Apple's lineup with the iPhone 12, iPad Pro and iPad Air and even the iMac (2021) with the flat edges and squared-off designs. Oh, and possibly new colors, including a fresh, minty green (yes, please!)
I'm really curious if this will come to fruition, though — would a brand new case design make all previous bands incompatible? I mean, it's hard to tell from these Series 7 concept renders I keep seeing, but it might. If so, that would be sad, as I'd need to buy all new bands, and I'd be unsure of what to do with my previous collection. But perhaps Apple can figure out a way to make a new case while not rendering all of those old bands obsolete. Who knows? I guess we'll find out in a few more weeks.
The other rumor that I've heard this week, which I'm not too happy about, is the possibility of the Series 7 getting a longer-lasting battery instead of new health sensors. Apparently, the possibility of new sensors, such as for blood glucose monitoring, may be delayed until 2022. If this is the case, I'm going to be pretty bummed out, as blood glucose monitoring is one of the features that I'm eagerly awaiting to see in an Apple Watch. However, it wouldn't surprise me because the technology for noninvasive glucose monitoring may not be perfected just yet. Regardless, I still plan to pick up a Series 7 this year, just because the battery on my Series 5 has been less than stellar these days. Plus, again, if it's going to have a new design and colors, I'm up for a change. No doubt it will become the next best Apple Watch.
Speaking of change, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg claims that the next MacBook Air will be coming next year, and it will bring back MagSafe. I've honestly been contemplating getting a new MacBook Air to replace my aging 2018 one, especially since I have yet to own an M1 Mac myself. If this report is true, I am eager to wait for the next iteration of Apple's most affordable laptop because I absolutely loved the MagSafe system on the old laptops. The magnetic chargers were much easier to plug in since they attached magnetically and didn't need me to fumble around with USB-C. Plus, if you're around others, you didn't need to worry about people dragging your computer to the ground if they tripped on the cable, which was a lifesaver. Hopefully, this comes true, and at which point, sign me up!
And as we get closer to September, that also means iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15. An interesting development in the latest iOS 15 betas seems to be that the infamous iPhone lens flare effect may be going bye-bye. Honestly, this is a tiny thing, but I'm glad that it's happening — I often notice that little green lens flare in a lot of my images, and it bothers me a lot. So if this remains in place for the final release, then huzzah! I don't need to be like J.J. Abrams and add lens flare to everything.
Anyways, until next time!
- Christine Romero-Chan
