Apple iPhone 13 Release Date

Despite the recent release of the iPhone 12, Apple is now believed to be preparing to introduce the iPhone 13. According to trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we could be seeing the next flagship smartphone sooner than expected. Kuo is predicting that we will see Apple hold its usual September Keynote event, after being skipping its tradition in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also expected that the event will unveil four versions of the new phone iPhone 13, the iPhone 13 Mini, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. If Apple follows its previous pattern of releasing a new phone about a week and a half after an unveil, the iPhone 13 could release around the third week of September.

In the investor note obtained by 9to5Mac, Kuo writes that all 2021 iPhone models will include a Lightning connector, ruling out the possibility of USB-C or a port-less design completely, at least in 2021. Kuo specifically writes that the iPhone 13 will be available in “four models and the same screen sizes.” This is the strongest evidence yet that the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini design will stick around for another year.

The analyst also corroborates that the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max display will use more power-efficient LTPO technology and add 120Hz support, similar to the ProMotion display on the iPad Pro. The iPhone 13 will also include a “reduced notch area” as one of the “main hardware specification changes.”

The camera will feature serval changes with the iPhone 13 lineup. Kuo writes that the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will feature an upgraded ultra-wide camera, going from 5P (f/2.4) and fixed focus (FF) to 6P (f/1.8) and autofocus (AF).

What about Touch ID? Kuo says that he’s not quite sure about this just yet, but it doesn’t sound like it’s happening:

    The market expects the iPhone to abandon Lightning in favor of USB-C and equip the power button with the Touch ID sensor, but our latest survey indicates that there is no visibility on the current schedule for the iPhone to adopt these two new specifications.

    We believe that the iPhone will significantly improve the user experience if it adopts the power button with the Touch ID sensor. However, currently, there is no visibility on the timing of adopting this new specification.

Other tidbits on the iPhone 13:

    iPhone 13 will include a larger battery capacity compared to iPhone 12, making the devices heavier.
    Internally, Apple is adopting new space-saving designs such as integrating the SIM card slot with the mainboard, reducing the front optical modules’ thickness, and more.
    LiDAR still only available on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
    Qualcomm’s 5G modem upgraded to the 5nm X60M (vs the iPhone 12’s X55M made by 7nm).

Here Are The Best Ipad Best Deals For 2021

Deals on Apple’s iPad are more common than you might think. Whether you’re after the affordable iPad, the high-end iPad Pro, or something in between like the iPad Air or iPad Mini, there’s usually some sort of price cut happening somewhere. Of course, it’s difficult to know exactly where you can find those deals unless you’re looking around at all of the major retailers. But that’s what we’re doing each day when we hunt for deals, so let us help you out.

Below, we’ve listed each of the current iPads available for purchase. Most of the time, there’s some sort of discount happening on a new or refurbished model. When there is a deal we think is worth telling you about, we’ll let you know, along with any info you need to keep it in context. If there isn’t a current deal, we’ll tell you how much the most recent sale price was for, so you’ll know when to take the plunge.

If you need a little help figuring out exactly which iPad is best for you, we’ve got you covered with a comparison post featuring all of the latest models.

 

iPad (2020) deals

This is Apple’s most affordable iPad, usually costing $329 for the model with 32GB of storage or $429 for the 128GB model. Each has a 10.2-inch display and features the A12 Bionic processor, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and a Smart Connector for connecting a Smart Keyboard.

You can currently get the base iPad with 32GB of storage for $299 at Amazon and Walmart. If you need more storage, Walmart has the 128GB configuration available for $395 in space gray and gold; that’s $34 off its usual retail price of $429.

iPad mini (2019) deals

Apple released a new iPad mini in early 2019, equipped with the same 7.9-inch display and design as previous iterations, but with refreshed internal specs. It has the A12 Bionic processor found in the base iPad, along with Wi-Fi support. Apple makes a 64GB and 256GB model of the iPad mini, with prices set at $400 and $500 respectively. If you want LTE connectivity, the starting price is $530.

Sales on the basic Wi-Fi model are rare, but you can buy the 64GB iPad Mini in gold for as low as $384 at Amazon or for as low as $394 at B&H Photo.

Amazon also has the 256GB model on sale for $529 in space gray or for $530 in silver.

iPad Air (2020) deals

The 2020 iPad Air has a slightly larger 10.9-inch display compared to last year’s 10.5-inch display, and features thinner bezels around the display. It has relocated the Touch ID fingerprint sensor to the power button, located on the top of the device.

Like its predecessor, the fourth-gen iPad Air model comes in 64GB or 256GB storage configurations. The Wi-Fi models start at $599 and $749 respectively, making the starting price slightly more than last year’s models. The model that supports LTE starts at $729.

Amazon currently has the fourth-gen iPad Air 64GB model with Wi-Fi for $559, with all the colors available at a discounted price. Walmart is price-matching the e-commerce site, with all the 64GB color variants on sale for $559 each.

The 256GB configuration has also been discounted at Amazon; you can get this model for $699 ($50 off) in green, rose gold, space gray, and sky blue.

Walmart is selling the 256GB model for $699 in rose gold, silver, sky blue and space gray.

iPad Pro (2020) deals

Apple’s 2020 iteration of the iPad Pro looks a lot like the 2018 model, aside from its dual-lens rear camera array. Unlike the less expensive iPad models, the iPad Pro ditches the headphone jack and uses a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port. It also has Face ID to help you unlock the tablet instead of relying on the Touch ID fingerprint sensor; it also has a high refresh display. In fact, the iPad Pro has the most stacked spec sheet of Apple’s entire iPad lineup, which comes at a price.

The 11-inch model with 128GB of storage starts at $800; bumping the screen size up to 12.9 inches raises the price to $1,000. Each model supports up to 1TB of storage, with the top-spec models going for $1,299 (11-inch) and $1,499 (12.9-inch).

If you are looking to pick up the 11-inch model at a discounted price, Amazon has the 128GB model with Wi-Fi in silver marked down to $759.05 (with a coupon applied) and the 256GB configuration as low as $845. If you are okay with spending $1,000 or more, you can get 512GB of storage for as low as $1,040 at Amazon.

Of course, if you have money to spend and want a ton of storage, you can buy the 11-inch 1TB configuration in space gray for only $1,230; that’s $69 off its usual retail price of $1,299.

If you want a slightly bigger screen, Amazon has the 12.9-inch iPad Pro on sale starting at $949 for the base model, which includes 128GB of storage. If you need more storage, you can get the 256GB model for $999 or you can buy the 512GB for $1,224 in space gray or for $1,225 in silver.

The 12.9-inch 1TB model with Wi-Fi only is also discounted at Amazon. You can get it in space gray for $1,424 (with the coupon applied) or $1,439 for silver.

COD Mobile Celebrates 1st Anniversary With A Biggest Update Ever

Call of Duty: Mobile released one year ago this day, October 15, and Activision is celebrating by updating the game with a lot of new content and activities. The Anniversary update is out now on Android and iOS, and Activision says it represents the "biggest injection of content ever" in the game's life. Included with the update is a brand-new battle royale map called Alcatraz. If the name sounds familiar, it's because it's inspired by the Alcatraz location in Black Ops 4's Blackout mode.

 

The Anniversary update also introduces a new social space called "The Club." As its name suggests, this is a hangout area where players can take part in various mini-games like darts or various arcade games. The Anniversary update also introduces a new battle pass with 50 tiers to progress through to earn various cosmetics and other extras. Additionally, there is a new map, King, which can be played in the Gunfight and Duel modes. And just in time for Halloween, the update adds the map Halloween Standoff, which is a nighttime version of the Standoff map featuring jack-o-lanterns and other spookiness. What's more, the Anniversary update adds the Cranked mode that debuted in Call of Duty: Ghosts years ago. The twist with the mode is that, when a player is eliminated, a 30-second timer kicks off, and during this period you move faster and earn double points for kills. For lots more on the Anniversary update, check out the image above to see what's in the Battle Pass, while you can also have a look at Activision's blog post for a detailed rundown. In other Call of Duty news, the cross-play beta for Black Ops Cold War kicks off very soon--here's everything you need to know.

Apple Inc. is now a $2 trillion company

Apple has become the first US company to hit a market cap of $2 trillion. It’s an arbitrary milestone but a significant one all the same, testimony to the pandemic-defying performance of the iPhone maker. It’s also been just two years since Apple hit a $1 trillion market cap, meaning the company has essentially doubled in value in just over 24 months. Apple is not the first company in the world to hit the $2 trillion benchmark. Saudi Aramco, the gas and oil giant headquartered in Saudi Arabia, did so first. Aramco briefly hit the $2 trillion mark in December 2019 but has since dropped below that figure as its stock price wavers.

Apple surpassed it as the world’s most valuable company on August 4th, 2020. Today, shares in the company crossed the $467.77 mark that gives Apple the $2 trillion valuation, as reported by the Financial Times. But they may well dip below that in future. Shares in Apple have been on a tear for years, but they’ve performed particularly well in 2020, gaining by more than 50 percent, despite the disarray caused by COVID-19. The company’s stock has gained, on average, 3.5 percent every week since the beginning of June, reports The Wall Street Journal. And its share price jumped significantly after its most recent earnings report in July, where the company reported record sales and a total of $59.7 billion in revenue up 11 percent compared to the same quarter last year. But although revenues are booming, Apple is facing a string of regulatory headwinds regarding the ecosystem of apps that underwrite its hardware. Most notable of these is the legal challenge from Fortnite creator Epic Games, which is currently suing Apple for kicking Fortnite off iOS after Epic tried to circumvent Apple’s payment systems. Part of Epic’s complaint (and one echoed by many other companies who reach customers through Apple’s App Store) is that the company’s 30 percent cut on transactions is extortionate. Along with Apple’s growing revenue from its services and its reported plans to launch various subscription bundles later this year, this shows how the iPhone maker’s future depends not just on its hardware, but on the software that keeps customers loyal. The iPhone got Apple to $1 trillion. Services, arguably, got it $2 trillion. What can keep it there?