MacRumors

Last week, Apple introduced a second-generation Apple Pencil that magnetically attaches to the new iPad Pro. It also features automatic pairing, wireless charging, tap to wake, double-tap to switch drawing tools, a more seamless design with no Lightning connector or cap, and a matte rather than glossy finish.

As the new Apple Pencil begins to arrive to customers around the world, we've learned some additional details about the drawing tool:

1. Unlike the original, the second-generation Apple Pencil does not include an extra tip in the box. Apple sells a four-pack of extra tips online and at many of its retail stores for $19 in the United States.
   

2. The new Apple Pencil wirelessly charges when attached to the new iPad Pro, but it is not compatible with Qi-based wireless chargers. Not too much of a surprise there, but good to know.
   

3. In a memo shared with its retail stores on Wednesday, seen by MacRumors, Apple said customers "may experience the new Apple Pencil as unresponsive after initial setup" and outlined steps to resolve this.

   First, pair the Apple Pencil to the iPad Pro. Once the iPad Pro has an internet connection, it will download an Apple Pencil firmware update and send it to the Apple Pencil via Bluetooth. The Apple Pencil will continue to work normally during the 10-minute transfer.

   The pairing update will begin the next time the Apple Pencil goes idle for 60 seconds, and will take roughly two minutes. The Apple Pencil will be non-responsive during this time. Once it resets, and the update is complete, it will start working normally again.

Apple has more details about the new Pencil on its website.

The repair experts at iFixit have completed their teardown of the new MacBook Air, providing a closer look inside the notebook.

iFixit started by confirming the keyboard on the new MacBook Air has the same silicone membrane under the keycaps as the latest MacBook Pro, as expected since they both use Apple's third-generation butterfly keyboard.

Next, they flipped the notebook onto its bottom side and encountered Apple's usual pentalobe screws that require a special screwdriver to unfasten. On the inside, there is a compact array of components, including a small logic board, a fan, a pair of large speakers, and a "radiator-esque heat sink."

iFixit proceeded to remove the logic board, providing a glimpse at the Apple T2 security chip, along with a Thunderbolt 3 controller from Intel, 128GB of flash storage from SanDisk, and 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM from SK Hynix.

Diving deeper, iFixit discovered that the two Thunderbolt 3 ports in the new MacBook Air are modular, and applauded Apple for this repair-friendly design consideration. "This MacBook is off to a good start as far as we're concerned," they wrote. "All the ports sit on their own boards and are easily replaceable."

Continuing the repair-friendly trend, iFixit uncovered ten pull-to-remove adhesive tabs securing the 49.9 Wh battery and speakers.

"The mere presence of stretch-release adhesive generally means that someone at least thought about possible repair and disassembly situations," the teardown says. "Are you there, Apple? It's us, iFixit. Have you heard our pleas?"

As first reported by MacRumors, the battery in the new MacBook Air is still glued into the top case — the aluminum enclosure that houses the keyboard and trackpad — but Apple will be providing Apple Authorized Service Providers with tools to remove the battery and reinstall a new one with no top case replacement required.

In all other MacBook and MacBook Pro models with a Retina display released since 2012, Apple has replaced the entire top case when a customer requires a new battery, so the change is good news for both repairability and the environment.

Last, iFixit confirmed that the Touch ID sensor is also modular in the new MacBook Air. According to the new MacBook Air's service guide obtained by MacRumors, the Touch ID button does not require a logic board replacement, but the notebook must pass Apple diagnostics in order for the repair to be completed.

While the new MacBook Air has improved repairability relative to Apple's standards, the notebook earned a low 3/10 repairability score from iFixit.

"The Air still uses external pentalobes to keep you out, requires lots of component removal for common fixes, and both RAM and storage are soldered to the logic board," said iFixit. "All together, that means Apple has an easy time with their knowledge and tools, but the average DIYer is left out to dry when it comes to upgrades."

Nevertheless, iFixit said it hopes this is "just the beginning of an upswing in repairable design" for Apple products.

RAM replacement guides for the new 2018 Mac mini have appeared online, detailing what's involved if users choose to go against Apple's advice and upgrade the removable memory modules themselves.

Apple's official line is that it doesn't consider the new Space Gray Mac mini to be user-configurable, therefore the company recommends that later memory upgrades be performed by a certified Apple service provider.

However, going down that route increases costs significantly, because users need to factor in the relatively high price of Apple-supplied RAM as well as the additional labor charge for installing said modules.

On the other hand, while upgrading the memory yourself can save money, it also carries inherent risks.

For one, any damage done to the Mac mini during installation isn't covered under warranty, and even if the internals remain unscathed, Apple service staff will likely refuse to repair a 2018 Mac mini under warranty if they see third-party RAM modules have been inserted.

Having said that, experienced upgrade enthusiasts will be happy to learn that the process of opening up the 2018 Mac mini isn't too dissimilar to the 2014 Mac Mini (although that model had the much-maligned soldered-on RAM).

YouTuber Brandon Geekabit has uploaded a video detailing the process. And with help from MacRumors forum readers, Rod Bland has posted steps of the procedure on the iFixit website, along with the recommended opening tools, which include a TR6 Torx Security screwdriver, a T9 Torx screwdriver, and a Pentalobe screwdriver (also used to open the Retina MacBook Air and Pro). The entire process is said to take between 10 and 20 minutes.

Briefly, users must pop off the bottom cover using a plastic opening tool, then unscrew and remove the antenna plate below along with its attaching cable. Next, the fan assembly is unscrewed and removed. Then the mainboard is unscrewed so it can be slid out, after which the screws holding the RAM cage are undone to reveal the RAM modules.

Removing the rubber stabilizers and pressing the spring clips enables careful replacement of the existing RAM modules with the new ones, after which users must work their way back through the previous steps in reverse to re-assemble the mini.

The process allows users to install up to 64GB of RAM, using any combination of 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB DDR4-2666 SODIMM RAM modules, which are available from third-party brands like Crucial, Kingston, and Corsair at prices that significantly undercut Apple-supplied RAM.

Ultimately, customers wanting more RAM must decide which route suits them best: upgrade the Mac mini themselves and accept the risks; avoid the hassle by paying Apple a premium to upgrade the base configuration at checkout; or upgrade at a later time through an Apple authorized service provider, at additional cost.

At its 2018 Developer Conference, Samsung today showed off its new foldable display technology, called Infinity Flex.

Samsung is using the Infinity Flex technology for a device that features 7.3-inch flexible display that can be folded in half. While in full screen mode, the device is meant to be used as a tablet, and when folded in half, it functions as a smartphone.

Samsung's Infinity Flex demo begins at about one hour and 22 minutes into the developer conference video

Samsung says that the Infinity Flex display is the "future of mobile display technology" and the foundation for the "smartphone of tomorrow."

Today is a big milestone and I'm sure you're all wondering what it looks like in real life and how it works. Wonder no more. When it's open, it's a tablet, offering a big screen experience. It's gorgeous. When it's closed, it's a phone that fits neatly inside your pocket.

Samsung says that that to design the Infinity Flex technology, it had to invent new materials and reimagine the display from the ground up. The company developed an advanced composite polymer that's "flexible and tough" to replace the glass that's usually used as a display cover in smartphones.

Samsung also developed a flexible, malleable adhesive that's durable enough to withstand hundreds of thousands of folds, and to make the display thinner than ever, Samsung created a new ultra thin polarizer that's 45 percent thinner than the technology used in its current displays.

A new software platform is being developed in partnership with Google that supports two UIs, one when the device is open and one when it's closed. Features like app continuity will allow for a seamless experience by keeping an app open when swapping displays, and up to three apps can be run at the same time.

According to Samsung, the Infinity Flex technology shown off on stage is part of an upcoming device that had elements of the design obscured. Samsung says that the device is not a concept, and that thanks to breakthroughs in manufacturing, mass production of the foldable smartphone/tablet is set to begin "in the coming months."

In the future, Samsung also plans to introduce new display technology that includes rollable and stretchable displays.

Today is the official launch day for the 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, and we got our hands on one of the new larger versions along with a Smart Keyboard Folio and an Apple Pencil 2, the new accessories that go along with the updated tablet.

Check out our latest YouTube video for an unboxing and feature overview of the new device, which has been radically overhauled compared to the previous-generation model.

Apple's new iPad Pro models feature an entirely new design with a near edge-to-edge display that replaces the Touch ID Home button with a TrueDepth camera system and Face ID for authentication purposes.

The all-screen design is, unsurprisingly, gorgeous, especially when paired with True Tone, ProMotion for 120Hz refresh, and wide color support for vivid, true-to-life colors.

Design wise, the iPad Pro models no longer use smooth, rounded edges that taper into the back of the tablet, instead featuring a flat, more industrial band around the sides that's reminiscent of the iPhone 5.

The 11-inch model is the same size as the 10.5-inch model just with a bigger display, but for the 12.9-inch model, Apple kept the 12.9-inch display and shrunk the body size, so it's smaller and more compact, and easier to hold.

There's a new USB-C port that replaces the Lightning port, so you can plug in all manner of things, like 4K displays, cameras, and even your iPhone. Over USB-C, the iPhone can charge from the iPad Pro, much like it would from a Mac.

Face ID on the new iPad Pro works great, and unlike the iPhone, it can unlock the iPad in either portrait or landscape orientation. You need to be careful not to cover up the sensor with a hand when using it in landscape mode, but it's otherwise pretty flawless.

The A12X in the iPad Pro is super speedy and faster than many notebooks on the market, but there's one thing to be aware of. All 64, 256, and 512GB iPad Pro models feature 4GB RAM, while the 1TB models have 6GB. It's not yet entirely clear why the higher-capacity models have more RAM, but it's worth noting if you're aiming for maximum performance.

Apple designed two accessories to go with the iPad Pro: the Apple Pencil 2 and the Smart Keyboard Folio. If you like to sketch and draw, the Apple Pencil 2 is a must have. It's smaller than the original and it charges and syncs when you connect it to the iPad Pro using magnets.

The Smart Keyboard Folio feels similar to the previous-generation Smart Keyboard with the same general key feel, but the folio style is nice because it offers all-around device protection.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro isn't going to be for everyone because of its size, but it offers maximum display for making art, gaming, and other purposes. For those who think the 12.9-inch model is just a bit too big, the 11-inch iPad Pro is a great compromise, offering a lot more screen real estate than the previous 10.5-inch model.

Unfortunately, neither of these two new iPads is cheap, which is the biggest negative. The 11-inch model starts at $799 for the 64GB version, while the 64GB 12.9-inch model starts at $999.

Did you get a new 2018 iPad Pro? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1.1 update to developers, one week after seeding the first beta and a little over a week after the release of iOS 12.1, a major update that brought multiple new features to iOS.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.1.1 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.

The iOS 12.1.1 update reintroduces the feature that lets you take a Live Photo while on a FaceTime call, and it brings improvements for the FaceTime user interface.

Following the update, FaceTime features a reworked bottom bar that includes quick access buttons for muting a call and flipping the camera. Sliding up on the bottom bar brings up additional options with conversation participants. Previously, FaceTime users were required to tap on three dots to access a secondary menu with these features.

For the iPhone XR, iOS 12.1.1 allows Haptic Touch to be used to expand notifications on the Lock screen. iPhone XR owners are able to long press on a notification banner to see additional content, much as other iPhone owners can 3D Touch on a notification to expand it.

iOS 12.1.1 also adds a new option in Apple News to hide the side bar on the iPad when using the app in landscape mode, it introduces an option to turn off the physical SIM in the device in favor of the eSIM, and it tweaks the icon of the Apple Watch app so it looks like the Apple Watch Series 4.

Update: Apple has made a new beta of iOS 12.1.1 available to public beta testers.

We've already seen iPad Pro reviews from media sites that Apple invited to test the tablet ahead of its release, but now that the iPad Pro has officially launched, first impressions from regular Apple customers are now available.

New iPad Pro owners on Reddit, Twitter, and the MacRumors forums have been sharing their opinions on the device, and for those considering a purchase, opinions from average consumers provide useful insight.

MacRumors reader TrueBlou shared some images of the old 12.9-inch iPad Pro next to the sleeker, slimmer 2018 12.9-inch version, providing a look at just how much smaller the new model is. He says the difference is an "incredible improvement."

It's an incredible improvement, I really cannot overstate just how much of a difference it is. It's one of my favourite things about the new iPad.

It's not just that it's smaller, lighter and thinner - which of course it is. But the combination of all of those things also changes its centre of gravity a little and it's really noticeable.

Reddit user SlightCriticism offered up a look at the 10.5-inch iPad Pro on top of the new 12.9-inch model, which gives a good idea of how much bigger the 12.9-inch model is.

He says he's ultimately going to swap the 12.9-inch model for the 11-inch because the 12.9-inch model is still too heavy for one-handed use.

I had a first gen 12.9 which was too big and sprung for the 10.5 when it came out last year. I found the original 12.9 to be too difficult to hold on the train etc but the 10.5 has been the perfect companion. I did miss the extra screen space, but its size was harming my productivity and I decided I valued that more. I really thought the size decrease of this gen was going to be the perfect solution for me, and my first impressions were positive, but after using it for a while I've found it still a bit too heavy for prolonged one-handed use. Of course this isn't the case for everyone and I'm sure a lot of people will find it a terrific size.

MacRumors reader ryuok pointed out that because the new 11-inch iPad is using a different aspect ratio, apps that are not updated have black bars on both sides. Apps will get updates eventually, but it's something to be aware of.

There are two kinds of black bars:

1) Rounded corner black bars: This is similar to the iPhone X situation, before apps are updated to accommodate the extra spaces extended by the rounded corners. This affects both the 11" model and 12.9" model.

2) Aspect ratio black bars: This only happens on 11", and it is far worse and far more notifiable than the "Rounded corner black bars". If an app is not coded to dynamically adapt to aspect ratio, you'll see horrifyingly large black bars especially in landscape mode. It's almost like seeing an iPad mini sized app, inside an 11" screen. Populars apps such as Facebook and Netflix are affected by this.

Reddit user atru22 said the new Smart Keyboard Folio takes some getting used to, but he likes it a lot more than the previous-generation keyboard. He also says the 12.9-inch model feels surprisingly small.

On the topic of the Apple Pencil, Reddit user essjay2009 said that the Pencil feels quite different in the hand and that there's more friction when using it. Charging and pairing is much improved, of course, since it just needs a magnetic attachment to the iPad Pro.

I will say that the pencil feels very different in the hand. It's a little shorter but that makes a huge difference. I always thought the gen 1 felt a little ridiculously large (length wise). This feels more like a normal pencil. The double tap feature is really nice and far more forgiving than I was expecting. I thought you'd have to tap specifically on a certain spot, but it seems to just pick up double taps pretty much anywhere reasonable.

Pairing and charging is soo much better. And that's coming from someone who didn't have any particular issue with the way the old one charged.

Reddit user dvegi also thought there's much better drag with the Apple Pencil 2 and the iPad Pro's new display.

So, just wanted to let you guys know that there is a much better drag with the Apple Pencil 2 and the iPad Pro, than before (a lot of people didn’t like how the pencil felt on glass so resorted to getting a matte screen protector— but no need with the new iPad Pro!)

Reddit user GottaDeal confirms that the new 11-inch iPad Pro on-screen keyboard has a 12.9-inch keyboard layout thanks to the extra room from the removal of the bezels. It offers up tab, caps lock, and left side shift keys, unlike the 10.5-inch iPad Pro.

MacRumors reader ninethirty wasn't a fan of the Smart Keyboard Folio, calling it a "design nightmare."

Got my 12.9 today. The iPad itself is absolutely beautiful, but the design of the smart folio keyboard is awful. It doesn't fold around as easily as the previous keyboard, it makes everything a lot thicker, and quite frankly, the materials of the folio itself feel cheap, which is a shame. But worst of all, when you fold the folio to the back of the ipad, to hold and watch a video or something, the keys are exposed on the back.

MacRumors reader largefarrva disagreed, though, saying that he likes it a lot and is impressed with the key feel.

I actually like it quite a bit. I was a bit worried that the keyboard would feel like the butterfly keyboards of the MacBooks nowadays but it doesn't at all. Hell, if the MacBooks had keys that felt like this they wouldn't be nearly as bad. Granted it is very little travel in a keystroke, but the feedback is a ton times better than the MacBook keyboards.

Have a new 2018 iPad Pro? Share your first impressions and photos in the comments below. We'll have an unboxing video and our own hands-on later today, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors for more iPad Pro coverage.

GigSky, a company that offers pay-as-you-go cellular data plans in more than 190 countries around the world, today announced that it now supports the eSIM in the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

eSIM-based GigSky data plans are available on Apple's new devices through the latest version of the GigSky World Mobile Data app, which was updated today.

Adding a GigSky data plan when traveling can be done by downloading the app on an iPhone XR, XS Max, or XS running iOS 12.1 or later. GigSky says that built-in data connectivity will activate the eSIM with a cellular data only plan with no need to acquire a GigSky physical SIM card.

GigSky offers data bundles from 300MB to 5GB, which span from one day to 30 days. Pricing in select regions in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean starts at $10 for 300MB of data. For other countries not included in these regional plans, pricing and data caps vary.

GigSky is one of the only ways for iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max customers to use the eSIM on the new iPhones at the current time.

Apple implemented eSIM support in the recent iOS 12.1 update, but no U.S. carriers support it at this time. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are working to implement support later this year.

In other countries, eSIM functionality is available from various carriers, with Apple providing a list of all the carriers around the world that support the eSIM at the current time.

Apple today announced an update for its Clips app for the iPhone and the iPad, which is adding new Selfie Scenes, additional filters, fresh posters, and new stickers, text labels, and soundtracks.

Clips, for those unfamiliar with the concept, is a video editing app designed to allow users to combine several video clips, images, and photos with voice-based titles, music, filters, and graphics to create enhanced videos that can be shared on social media sites.

Clips was released in early 2017 and has since seen several updates to add new features.

Today's update brings a total of six new Selfie Scenes, which are 360-degree backgrounds that work with devices equipped with a TrueDepth camera system. New Selfie Scenes include a rainforest, a mad scientist's lab, and a scene from "Incredibles 2."

There are three new filters, including aged film, a monochrome watercolor painting, and a black-and-white comic book, along with new posters that have themes like science, sports, and silent movies, plus content from "Coco" and "The Incredibles 2." Posters can be used as title cards for videos.

Apple has also added new stickers and text labels, plus there are 17 new royalty-free soundtracks that can be used in Clips creations.

The newly updated version of Clips is available starting today from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Clips is compatible with the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad Air and later, and the iPad mini 2 and later. Style transfer effects will require the iPhone 7 or 2017 iPad Pro or later, while Selfie Scenes require an iPhone or iPad Pro with TrueDepth Camera.

Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller and Apple chip expert Anand Shimpi, who created AnandTech, recently sat down for an interview with Ars Technica to provide a walkthrough of the A12X chip in the iPad Pro and some insight into Apple's chip development techniques.

The A12X is an 8-core chip with four performance and four efficiency cores, all of which can be active at once. The iPad Pro is the first iPad able to use so many cores simultaneously, and you're going to see major gains over the A10X when running heavily-threaded workflows, according to Shimpi.

"You typically only see this kind of performance in bigger machines--bigger machines with fans," Shimpi claimed. "You can deliver it in this 5.9 millimeter thin iPad Pro because we've built such a good, such a very efficient architecture."

The GPU in the iPad Pro is the first 7-core implementation of Apple's custom-designed GPU, Shimpi told Ars Technica. Each core is "faster and more efficient" than the GPU in the previous-generation A10X, leading to 2x improved graphics performance. "It's unheard of in this form factor, this is really an Xbox One S class GPU," said Shimpi.

With more memory bandwidth, the GPU is faster than what you might get on the iPhone with workloads that are able to take advantage of a 2x bigger memory subsystem. According to Shimpi, Apple takes content from the desktop, profiles it, and uses the data to drive its GPU architectures.

On the topic of why Apple designs its own custom silicon, Shimpi said the company wants to make sure it can deliver "whatever vision" it has for a given product, while Schiller says that Apple keeps pushing for more performance not because Apple is competing with other companies, but because employees are passionate about making things better for users.

What do we think we can do? It becomes this incredibly self-perpetuating thing. When you realize you can create a Neural Engine, you want to create a better Neural Engine! You realize you can create great graphics, you want to create even better graphics! And it just accelerates. It picks up speed within the organization.

If you're a team that makes an incredible, great Apple-designed A-series chip, well, next year you want to make an even better one, right? That's your passion. That's what you see across all Apple, is teams that take responsibility for their things are so passionate about making that thing better and better and better. It doesn't even matter what anyone else is doing.

Apple's success with creating high-powered chips can be attributed to the way teams inside of Apple work together on an ongoing basis, says Schiller.

Schiller and Shimpi declined to talk about Apple's future plans for its custom chips, but there have been multiple rumors suggesting Apple will eventually transition its chips from mobile devices to the Mac, with the change to happen as soon as 2020.

Ars Technica has a much deeper look at the A12X that you're going to want to read in full over at the site if you're at all interested in chip architecture and Apple's future chip plans.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.2 update to developers, one week after seeding the first beta and a little over a week after releasing the macOS Mojave 10.14.1 update.

The new macOS High Sierra 10.14.2 beta can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after the proper profile has been installed from Apple's Developer Center.

We don't yet know what improvements the second update to macOS Mojave will bring, but it is likely to include bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS 10.14.1 update.

No new features were discovered in the first 10.14.2 beta, but we'll update this post if anything new is found in the second beta.

macOS Mojave 10.14.2 comes shortly after the release of macOS 10.14.1, an update that brought support for Group FaceTime on the Mac and introduced new emoji characters.

Update: Apple has also made a new beta of macOS Mojave 10.14.2 available for public beta testers.

Big news for repairability and environmental responsibility: the battery can be individually replaced in the new MacBook Air, according to Apple's internal Service Readiness Guide for the notebook, obtained by MacRumors.

In all other MacBook and MacBook Pro models with a Retina display released since 2012, when a customer has required a battery replacement, Apple has replaced the entire top case enclosure, including the keyboard and trackpad. This is because the battery is glued into the top case in Mac notebooks with Retina displays.

The battery in the new MacBook Air is still glued into the top case, the aluminum enclosure that houses the keyboard and trackpad, but Apple will be providing Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers with tools to remove the battery and reinstall a new one with no top case replacement required.

Once the new battery is installed, technicians are required to place the notebook in Apple's existing iPhone display press tool to activate the new adhesive. The glue strips are exactly the same as those used for iPhone batteries.

"This is a huge step forward," said Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, a popular website dedicated to repairing Apple products. "Apple's glued-down battery design has been a challenge for consumers, recyclers, and for Apple's own technicians. Preserving the removability of the MacBook Air's battery is really important."

The trackpad in the new MacBook Air can also be individually replaced, according to the Service Readiness Guide, obtained from a reliable source.

We'll have to wait until iFixit tears down the new MacBook Air for a closer look inside the notebook, but Apple has presumably made design changes that allow for Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers to more easily replace the battery and trackpad, eliminating the need for a full-out top case replacement.

If there are indeed design changes, then Apple likely won't extend its new method to individually replace the battery to existing MacBook and MacBook Pro models with Retina displays, but it is certainly possible with next-generation models.

iFixit does have do-it-yourself guides for replacing the battery in MacBook and MacBook Pro models with Retina displays, which requires purchasing its battery replacement kit, but the process requires quite a bit of work and a careful hand. Do-it-yourself repairs also void Apple's warranty.

For comparison, the previous-generation MacBook Air has a screwed-down battery that can be removed and replaced by Apple and its service providers without a top case replacement, in line with other non-Retina notebooks.

In related news, Apple also states that replacing the Touch ID button on the new MacBook Air does not require a logic board replacement, but the notebook must pass Apple diagnostics in order for the repair to be completed.

Apple replacing the entire top case for a simple battery swap-out has always been a point of contention, so this change should be well received by the repair industry. It's also better for the environment, and will likely save Apple money, so it's a win-win-win. We've reached out to Apple for comment.