rare comment

Weird - the stereo separation issue has echoes of the W1 syncing issue for AirPods - harder than it looks to solve. And, in the case of HomePod, the distance between the units is variable (whereas AirPods are always the same distance from the applicable ear). For other thoughts (really just questions, no answers) on HomePod's release and features, see here: http://q10a1.blogspot.com/2018/01/lots-of-homepod-questions.html

fasterquieter said:

I would love for new iPads to have A12X chips, but suspect A11Xs are more likely. I don't recall Apple ever releasing iPads with brand new generation chips. They usually have whatever the iPhone had last. Presumably because yields aren't high enough for lower-margin products.

A4 was the first Apple chip. And it debuted in iPad.

I have a mini 4 and it is by far my favorite Apple device (out of an X, HomePod, AppleTV, 8, AirPod and iPad Pro).  I like it so much that I was planning on buying a second mini 4 as a backup immediately upon any confirmation of the death of the mini line.  If this is true (that the mini is refreshed), that would be great news.  Even though it is old (it runs an A8!), the mini 4 still runs super fast, it weighs nothing, battery life is amazing, etc.  It's just a great blend of lots of things. Or, put otherwise, every device (even an XS) is a compromise in some dimension - the mini 4 feels like it balances qualities in a way to deliver the fewest possible compromises.

mac_128 said:

mike1 said:

brucemc said:

Doesn't seem to make any sense to change away from Lightning.  As noted, it is possible for iPhones to have fast charging provided it is a USB-C at the other end and the right power adapter.  What other benefits are there (other than "I don't have to carry a separate cable for my other theoretical devices...")?

I would say the next move Apple makes is to do away with such a port completely - going with inductive charging completely and high speed wireless.  That might not be for a number of years, but switching to USB-C on the iPhone itself seems an "un-Apple" move.

Wireless charging is not for everyone. Personally, not being able to use the phone or iPad while it's charging is a major problem for me.

To be clear, you’re saying you’re against this because you think you can’t use an iPhone X while it’s charging?

I think mike1 is saying that wireless charging means one cannot easily use a phone while charging whereas wired charging means one can use the phone while charging.  Which is absolutely correct and a big part of many people's workflow.

I'm sure the iPad is better but the article seemed to be more about assertions of superiority rather than presenting examples (save noting the absence of Word). For example, how was email on the Fire? Skype? Maps? I assume that music and videos are about the same but these non-work uses of a tablet seem worth reviewing.

Our household is full of iDevices (1 big Pad pro), at least 5 iPads (various ages and utility), and 3 minis). I use the mini4 the most. It's a great size for reading, extremely light, etc. And the mini4 still runs quickly so I don't even know what hardware Apple would need to update to keep the form factor alive other than the processor; the camera is fine, I don't expect great sound from a small device, etc. My best guess: most buyers in the store saw the small price difference between the mini and full size iPad and opted for bigger which kept the mini from getting enough traction. I think everyone with a mini (which, obviously, is a self-selected group) loves theirs and loves theirs relative to a full size iPad.

It took me years before I saw the parallel: "App.. Store" & "Apple Store"

discountopinion said:

Absolutely love my HomePods, have the 1st get, 2nd get and the mini. 

Siri is acting drunk most of the time these days, but still a great product.

Hoping for a HomePod 3 this fall.

I love mine also (2 originals, 4 minis) but man is Siri crazy these days.  Saying it has problems connecting to the internet and then suddenly playing music anyway.  And then stopping.  Sometimes showing up on the watch while playing.  There seems to be some weird multiple user account issues going on.

chat GPT to the rescue.  "only the east wind" apparently means that "everything is prepared and ready, except for one last small thing".  

I have been hoping for years that walkie-talkie would be exported to AirPods.  

My vision was that one could create ad hoc voice groups in small geographies that allowed regular people to have the same sort of always on communications as you see for security teams (like in the movies, but in less exciting situations).  My use case was for situations like crowds or walking with a group down a city street where, with noise cancellation, you could have a conversation without yelling or needing to stand right next to someone.  

And, in some future vision, if AI got good enough, it might be able to guess whom you were speaking with (maybe the start of the conversation is with all but then narrows to a pair when obvious whom the participants are).  And dynamically adjust volume so others can sort of hear but assume they don't really need to pay attention until context makes it clear that something was meant for everyone.