insideapplepark

[insideapplepark]

Beats Are Still Great

AirPods have become a worldwide phenomenon, but Apple makes a wide variety of headphones through their subsidiary Beats. I’ve never been a big fan of Beats and used to think their quality was subpar. Once they were acquired by Apple though in 2014, the quality of their products improved a lot. I’ve owned several pairs of Beats, including the Solo 2 headphones. The Solo 2 headphones were the first models introduced after the Apple acquisition. They were great. But after AirPods, I hadn’t even considered using another pair of headphones. As my life gets crazier, my job gets busier, and school gets tougher I decided that I needed some headphones that tune the world around me out. Best Buy is currently selling my favorite color of the Solo 3 Wireless headphones, matte gold, for just $159. It’s a steal of a deal and I had to pick them up. I’ve been using them in my apartment and they are so comfortable and so great for focusing on work. Unlike AirPods, they have volume controls built in and a battery life indicator. Unfortunately they charge with micro usb and not lightning but it’s not the end of the world. As an early adopter of AirPods, I now expect any wireless headphones to work just like AirPods. Fortunately, the Solo 3 Wireless headphones have the same W1 chip as the AirPods. That means they pair the same way, they connect the same way, and they sync across your Apple devices the same way. Long story short, these are a killer deal at just $159.

Buy them here 

[insideapplepark]

The First Apple Upfront

BuzzFeed technology editor, John Paczkowski reported earlier this week that Apple is planning to host a keynote at the Steve Jobs Theater on March 25th to unveil their paid news service as well as Apple News Magazines. Following this report, Bloomberg’s notorious Apple leaker Mark Gurman dropped another that says Apple has invited the stars of its original series to the same event. Bloomberg specifically notes a few stars including: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner, and JJ Abrams. We have already known about these actresses’ involvement in Apple’s upcoming service and Abrams has an existing relationship with Apple, popping up at events in the past and being spotted with unreleased (at the time) Apple watch bands. 

While most outlets are talking about this as the first services only Apple event, I’m looking at these reports and seeing the first Apple “Upfront” coming together. Studios host upfront presentations annually to unveil their upcoming portfolios with the stars in attendance. I think this Apple event is going to be very different from any in the past. It sounds to me like Apple is planning their first Upfront and we’ll see the stars of these shows on stage alongside Tim Cook and Eddy Cue, introducing their new series. I’m stoked, especially since this service has been so many years in the making. I just didn’t expect it to happen this early. One thing is for certain though, if Paczkowski and Gurman say it’s happening, it probably is. Get ready for Apple Video.

[insideapplepark]

A Tale of Two iPhones

The iPhone 5c is one of the most underrated products Apple has ever made. Widely regarded as a commercial failure, the iPhone 5c represented the first real product of the Tim Cook era. Its predecessor, the iPhone 5, was designed while Steve was still alive. That means that the premium model at the time, the iPhone 5s, was essentially still a Jobs era product. iPhone 5c represented an entirely new direction for the iPhone family. It was an attempt to diversify the portfolio. Putting it alongside the iPhone XR, its design still holds up today. It has one of the most stunning chassis designs. The seamless polycarbonate case feels excellent in the hand and the colors are still beautiful to this day. I really wish Apple would make a green iPhone XR. I wrote in an earlier post that iPhone 5c sabotaged iPhone XR. But now I wonder if Apple had given the iPhone 5c the same internals as the 5s or just Touch ID, if it would have been a smash hit. The iPhone XR should be a smash hit, it’s an iPhone XS with longer battery life and a fun coat of paint. It’s not last year’s iPhone in a new shell. Unfortunately though, the iPhone XR was positioned by Apple no differently than they positioned the iPhone 5c. iPhone XR should have launched alongside the XS and it should have been advertised differently. They should have highlighted the things that make it great right out of the gate. Even though iPhone XR is no iPhone 5c, Apple’s strategy made it appear on par.

[insideapplepark]

Get the Apple Silicone Case Look for iPhone XR

For some reason Apple decided not to make their excellent silicone cases for the iPhone XR. When Apple released the smart battery case for the iPhone XR, designer over at 9to5mac Michael Steeber, noticed how great the pop of color looked around the camera lense. He mocked up a few images of what Apple silicone cases would look like on the iPhone XR. 

Spoiler alert: they look great. I scoured the web for a third party alternative to try and get this look. Luckily, I found a great third party silicone case on Amazon that matches Apple’s silicone cases almost perfectly. Sure they don’t have the Apple logo, but they still look great. They’re made by a company called Miracase and they come in 11 colors. The best part, they’re only $13.99 and they’re prime eligible. I picked up a few colors to mix and match.

Buy them here ⬇︎

https://amzn.to/2TMVsOn

[insideapplepark]

How the iPhone 5C Sabotaged the iPhone XR

When the iPhone 5C was first leaked, it was heralded as the low cost iPhone that would save Apple in emerging markets. All the way, up until the keynote when Apple unveiled the device people speculated what the iPhone 5c would cost. When it was eventually revealed that it would be priced at $99 on a two year contract, the world just kind of shrugged. The iPhone 5c wasn’t a low cost iPhone, it was meant to be the new mainstream iPhone. Apple even had an entirely separate event in China to give the device an extra boost in a market that Apple had huge ambitions for. Apple’s strategy was interesting albeit flawed. Instead of making the iPhone 5C new on the inside, it made it different on the outside. iPhone 5S, introduced alongside the 5C, was substantially better than the iPhone 5. It had touch ID, the A7 chip, a much better camera with slo-mo, and a few other nice touches. It was new inside and out, even though it carried most of the same design traits as its predecessor. iPhone 5C looked fun and its colors popped, but everyone knew that it was just an iPhone 5 with some makeup on. It didn’t look as nice as the iPhone 5 and it wasn’t as good as the iPhone 5S. Even though Apple sold millions of iPhone 5Cs, the iPhone 5S outsold it three to one. Apple had to cut its supply chain and Tim Cook even admitted that they had stocked too many iPhone 5Cs. Even though it was a great device, it just didn’t deserve the attention it got and therefore is widely considered the only real flop of the iPhone family. 

This didn’t bode well for the iPhone XR. During rumor season, lots of comparisons were made between the leaked iPhone and the old iPhone 5C. Apple probably thought that it had been long enough since the iPhone 5C and that they could introduce a less expensive iPhone in colors again. Maybe this was the right time for such a strategy. Apple failed to properly position the iPhone XR as the best iPhone for most people, especially by launching it after the iPhone XS and XS Max. To unobservant consumers it looked like an afterthought. Plus even though the iPhone XS and XS Max are both more expensive with their OLED displays and stainless steel bands they are technically better positioned to last through future software updates. All of this led consumers to see the iPhone XR as another attempt to sell last year’s phone in a new shell. Of course that isn’t the case. iPhone XR is the best iPhone for most people. It’s actually better than the iPhone XS in several ways that are more important to consumers than materials and RAM. The iPhone 5C left a sour taste in people’s mouths. The iPhone XR is no iPhone 5C and it doesn’t deserve the same treatment. It’s the iPhone I’m using right now and I love it. But how can Apple implement a similar strategy in the future without meeting the same issues? I’ve got some ideas for a future post.

[insideapplepark]

Angela’s Leaving Apple

I’m really disappointed by this news. I think Angela did a stellar job redesigning and revitalizing Apple stores around the world. I met Angela a few months ago after the keynote in Brooklyn. We chatted for a few minutes, she was a spectacularly nice person. I admire her greatly. Many believe Apple store service has declined as the stores themselves have gotten nicer. I hope that’s not the reason for her departure. I’m expecting Angela to re-enter the fashion world shortly after she departs Apple in April.

Apple veteran Deirdre O’Brien, who previously led Apple’s people team will now be pulling double duty as head of both people and retail. I’m not sure this is the best idea given the sheer scale of Apple and its retail ambitions. I’d prefer Apple bring someone who can breathe fresh air into Apple stores. There are still lots of problems to fix, like the Genius Bar, repair costs, employee training, and more. Maybe I’m wrong though, an HR person might just be the right fit to take on those tasks.

[insideapplepark]

Apple Should go to War with Facebook

Apple should go to war with Facebook. Much like how countries that are defenders of freedom go after countries who deny human rights, Apple should assert itself as the standard bearer of privacy by being the first major technology company to strike Facebook right where it hurts.

The events of this week highlight just how far Facebook is willing to go to collect data, even if it means violating the privacy of young teenagers. Facebook abused Apple’s enterprise certificate program in an effort to, I’d argue, illegally collect the data of minors. Apple took the right step of revoking Facebook’s enterprise developer account, crippling their internal apps that run on Apple platforms, as well as removing their ability to distribute apps outside the App Store. But I don’t think this is enough. This is Apple’s opportunity to put itself on a level above Google, Facebook and Amazon. We already know that they want to be the moral authority on digital privacy, this could guarantee them that.

Apple should revoke Facebook’s entire developer account, not just their enterprise certificates. The big blue bloated Facebook app should be kicked off the App Store and Messenger and Workplace along with it. Instagram should be exempt, given that it is technically operated under a different developer account. By taking away Facebook’s access to the App Store, they could no longer collect the amount of user data that they need to survive. They wouldn’t be able to spy as easily on users and it would put a ginormous dent in usage of Facebook on Apple products. Apple should force anyone who wants to use Facebook on iOS to use the mobile website. Since Safari is built specifically with privacy in mind, the mobile website wouldn’t be able to gather nearly the amount of data Facebook traditionally does.

This move would put Facebook and Apple at war. And I see that as great PR for Apple. It gives them the moral high ground and lets them put Facebook in timeout. It also would force Facebook to adapt and serve its users, rather than itself. The only ones outside our inept government that can do anything to reign in Facebook are Apple and Google. Google won’t do anything about it, so Apple should.

Tim, this is your time to shine.

[insideapplepark]

What I’m Using Right Now

Halide is the best camera app for iPhone XR not just because it adds portrait mode for objects, but because it allows much more granular control. WeatherKit is a beautiful weather app. It has less personality than apps like Carrot but it feels much simpler and is much cleaner. I’ve switched to the first party Twitter app in order to get a better sense of the intended experience that the company is trying to offer right now. It’s also the only way to triage notifications on Twitter now given how much they have pulled back support for third party clients. Things is my favorite productivity app and I’m using it to organize my life more than ever before. The Things Mac app is also one of the best on that platform. Soor is an upcoming music app that tries to create a better Apple Music experience. Spoiler: it does. Fantastical is a great calendar app althought I often find myself using the Google Calendar app. Overcast is simply the best podcast player and Pixelmator is an essential photo editing tool on-the-go. Apollo is a spectacular Reddit client and is a must have for anyone who likes to scroll through news. You may notice the folder that includes lifestyle apps. I’ve got PCalc, my favorite calculator as well as shopping, food and travel apps.

[insideapplepark]

Switching to iPhone XR

Today I finally moved my SIM card into my iPhone XR. For the past five months I’ve been using the iPhone XS Max. I’ve loved every minute of using that gargantuan gold stainless steel powerhouse. But iPhone XR is a special device, one that has earned its place in my pocket. It’s a unique iPhone, not intended to be the flagship yet it somehow finds itself better than the one they want you to buy. It seems that even though the iPhone XR is being positioned as a failture by analysts and Wall Street, it’s a smash hit. Reviewers and writers alike love iPhone XR. Joanna Stern of the Wall Street Journal and Dieter Bohn of The Verge are the phone’s two biggest supporters. Why though? 

Battery life is incredible on iPhone XR. It’s not just longer than the XS and XS Max, it has the longest battery life ever in an iPhone. Combined with the new Smart Battery Case, you could presumably get two days out of iPhone XR without plugging it in. The size of iPhone XR is also right in the sweetspot. It is bigger than the XS and smaller than the XS Max. It is perfectly sized. The slightly chunkier body of the device is also a welcome change from the status quo. It feels more substantial in my hand, even if the XS Max’s stainless steel chassis makes it heavier. The colorful body of iPhone XR is beautiful and has a personality that its more expensive siblings don’t. It has everything you want in a new iPhone plus a bunch of extras Apple does not usually hand out.

Another odd thing about iPhone XR is its display. The liquid retina display is an LCD panel and the primary difference between it and the OLEDs on iPhone XS is that iPhone XR has less deep blacks. The resolution is indistinugishable to the normal eye. Colors are vibrant on the liquid retina display and you could argue that the color reproduction is better given that it is less phantasmagoric than the OLED on iPhone XS. I have also noticed that motions look different on the liquid retina display than they do on the OLED super retina display. It feels smoother and closer to the pro motion display on iPad Pro. I do not know enough about display technology so I am going to look into this. 

Long story short, iPhone XR is the iPhone to get. I am excited to use it as my daily driver. 

P.S. I’ve got the blue one and I love it.

[insideapplepark]

Looks like we now know what became of Texture. This looks great, even if it’s just placeholder imagery. I’m really excited for Apple News Magazines.

[insideapplepark]

This is a very good move on Apple’s part. Glad that they reversed course and are now going to compensate the winners.

[insideapplepark]

This sounds pretty sweet. I’m willing to bet that there’s going to be an event in March and these will be a part of it. AirPods have become so big that they are certainly keynote material. If I had to guess, they’ll be accompanied on stage by the new low end iPad models, new watch bands, and maybe some other accessories. It would be interesting to see these at a media focused event where we see the video service for the first time too.

[insideapplepark]

The Best Products of the Tim Cook Era

One of the most prevalent topics of discussion in the Apple community is whether or not Tim Cook’s Apple is less innovative than Steve’s. Before Tim Cook became CEO, Apple churned out hit after hit after hit. Apple’s astronomical success gives the illusion that the hits stopped. They didn’t. Apple has continued to release great products under Tim Cook’s leadership. Some of the best Apple products ever made have been released in the past eight years. Because we live in a post-iPhone world, earth shaking products are not only harder to spot but harder to make. We have become numb to innovation in a way we were not before the iPhone was introduced. Everyone knows that Steve Jobs’ greatest triumphs were the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. What will people say were Tim Cook’s greatest triumphs? I’ve got an idea.

Tim Cook’s Apple has carried itself very differently. It’s more open, it’s more charitable, and it’s way bigger. That means Tim has had to deal with challenges that Steve did not. Regardless of who the next CEO was, Steve’s successor was always going to get charged with the accusation that they were somehow less capable. While Tim has certainly suffered from supply chain problems, international debacles, and so on, Apple has still churned out great products.

Long story short, the best products of the Tim Cook era (so far) are without a doubt AirPods, Apple Pay, and Apple Watch. AirPods and Apple Pay are both products that would surely have been released by Steve. That’s the most common diss, “Steve would never have done _______.” But AirPods are so seamless and so invisible, that they “just work.” You can see them everywhere you go. They have become as synonymous as the original white earbuds. Apple Pay is the first digital payment system that actually works. Just today Apple announced that the service is usable at 74 of the top 100 retailers in the US. The even more staggering number is that 65% of all retail locations in the country will allow Apple Pay. Apple Pay, like AirPods, “just works.” Whether you are shopping on the web, through an app, or in a store, Apple Pay is a phenomenal experience. Apple Watch was a tougher one for me to decide to put on this list. I see Apple Watch as the definitive product of the Tim Cook era. It’s beautiful, it’s useful, but it was far from perfect upon launch. I don’t believe Steve would have shipped it when or how Tim did. I love the watch, I wear it everyday and have had one since it launched in April of 2015. Apple Watch is groundbreaking because it literally saves lives, not because I can read my Twitter feed on my wrist. In retrospect though, in 8 years Steve launched the iPod, the iTunes Store, the iPhone, the App Store, the entire Intel lineup, and more. Do with that what you will.

[insideapplepark]

My First Few Days with the New iPad Pro

The new iPad Pro is a triumph. I'm an Apple loyalist, so it hardly comes as a surprise that I love the new iPad Pro. Something is different this time though. Each iteration of the iPad was marginally better in terms of functionality, but each one quietly made major strides towards overcoming the horsepower of the Mac. Not only has Apple created what's arguably their most powerful portable machine, they've also blessed the new iPad Pro with their most beautiful industrial design ever. I've owned almost every generation of iPad and with each new model, I've inched closer and closer to using it as my main computer. With the iPad Air 2, I was about 45% of the way. With the first iPad Pro, I took a huge leap to about 75%. With the last iPad Pro, I inched closer to around 85%. But with this latest iPad Pro, I've hit 99%. So for all it's worth, the new iPad Pro is most definitely able to be your only computer, but it does have its shortcomings.

Design

The new iPad Pro's chassis is a stunning achievement. It's unapologetically badass. It's the first iPad to deviate from the original iPad mini design from late 2012. It's also the first iPad to pay tribute to the first generation iPad. If you put the new silver iPad Pro side-by-side with the original iPad, it looks like you could've just fast forwarded 8 years. It's the most natural progression of the original iPad design yet. It feels incredible in your hands in the way the original one did when you first picked it up. Like Shaan Pruden said at Apple's keynote in Brooklyn last week, it truly is a "magical piece of glass that can be anything you need it to be."

Accessories

The new iPad Pro is fantastic in its own right. But once you add the new Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard, it becomes something unlike anything else. The new Apple Pencil feels infinitely better in between your fingers. Its matte finish is grippier, making writing with the pencil so much more enjoyable. The pencil is also weighted differently, it feels much lighter. The flat edge is there to keep the pencil linked with the iPad, but it helps with writing too. I'm still stunned by the new pencil's completely natural design. Without the cap and lightning connector, it feels like it's just another pencil. It doesn't feel like technology at all. It's so nice that the pencil is always charged. With the previous pencil, I found myself having to charge it every single time before using it. The first Apple Pencil's battery would be drained in my bag sitting next to the connected iPad.

The new Smart Keyboard is virtually identical when it comes to the typing experience. The actual structure of the case however, is different. It now covers the back of the iPad Pro and has two angles. Gone are the weird Smart Cover style modules that folded up into a triangle shaped stand, replaced with a simpler folding mechanism.

Software

The new iPad Pro runs iOS 12 just like every other iPad released over the past few years. This has been the number one knock that reviewers have leveled against it. I however, think that the limitations aren't as prevalent as others do. The iPad app ecosystem is incredibly strong, even if it is missing a few key apps. At the moment, there are alternatives to virtually every Mac app. If you need a Photoshop alternative, you can use Pixelmator or Affinity Photo. Adobe is even bringing the real desktop Photoshop to the iPad next year. If you're a video editor, you can use Premiere Rush, iMovie, or a number of other great iPad video editing apps. Vector files can be edited, made and exported in apps like Vectornator or Affinity Designer. Music creators can use GarageBand, DJay, Music Memos, and more.

iOS has gotten better at handling these desktop class apps too. Split view is smooth, the dock is easily accessible from anywhere, and the new app switcher maintains your app instances. iOS 12 didn't make many strides towards improving the iPad experience, but I fully expect iOS 13 to do just that.

Project Marzipan, otherwise known officially as Apple's effort to make iOS apps run on macOS, is also on its way next year. Not only will the Mac get more apps, but the iPad will benefit from pro apps that can more easily be ported over to and from macOS.

USB-C

Lightning has been erased from the new iPad Pro and has been replaced with USB-C. It's one of my favorite things about it. While it's nice to be able to directly connect cameras and a few other accessories, the best thing about it is being able to charge other devices. If you've got a lightning to USB-C cable, you can charge your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch from your new iPad Pro. You can even use a standard USB-C cable to charge a Nintendo Switch through the iPad Pro. My biggest gripe with it though, is that you cannot connect external storage to the new iPad Pro. Nothing happens if you connect an external hard drive to the new iPad Pro. And even if you connect an SD card, it will force you into Apple's Photos app to import only the images on the card.

Liquid Retina Display

I love that the display on these new iPad Pros goes as close to the edge as possible. There's still a thin black bezel that hugs the display, but it's far less annoying than the old forehead and chin. It's nice to have the rounded corners from the iPhone XR, but I'm noticing (much like Matt Panzarino at TechCrunch) that there's an odd, yet subtle drop shadow effect on the edges of the display close to the corners. I assume this is a direct result of the pixel masking and anti-aliasing that Apple's doing to make those corners perfectly round.

The Liquid Retina display on the new iPad Pro is bright, vibrant, colorful, and the 120 hertz refresh rate introduced with last year's iPad Pro shines. This is the best display most people will have ever purchased.

Face ID

I love Face ID on the iPhone, so it's natural that I love it on the new iPad Pro. Apple made it even better this year though, because it now works in any orientation. I really hope this makes its way to next year's iPhones. Touch ID now feels ancient.

Should You Buy It?

Yes. If you love using an iPad and want the best one you can buy, the new iPad Pro is it. I think most people should buy the smaller 11 inch model, but if you want a larger canvas or are replacing an old laptop with the new iPad Pro, you should get the 12.9 inch. The new iPad Pro also comes into two finishes, silver and space gray. I purchased the silver model and find it far more beautiful. It looks strikingly similar to the iPhone 4 and the first generation iPad, two of my favorite Apple designs ever.

If you just want a great tablet and don't plan to use it to write or create content, I'd suggest getting the 9.7 inch 2018 iPad. It's only $329 compared to the starting price of $799 with the iPad Pro. Long story short, the iPad Pro is for people who want to use an iPad as their main device and it's fantastic.

[insideapplepark]

With the launch of the new iPad Pro today, I wanted to take a look back at the original iPad launch. My favorite thing about this one is Steve’s obvious pure joy. I think the iPad was truly his baby.

[insideapplepark]

About Last Night

The midterms are mostly over and while we are still waiting for some race results, it is clear that the democrats will control the house and the republicans will continue to hold the senate. This is exciting and it is a big deal as a democrat. But lots of people are saddened by the losses of Beto O’Rourke, Andrew Gillum, and likely Stacy Abrams. I wouldn’t blame this on the candidates, but on the media. Lots of pundits acted as though they had really good chances or in Gillum’s case, in the bag. Those three races were always likely to be won by republicans. So don’t fret. Trump now has a check and what we expected to happen, happened. The next step is taking back the white house and if we can do that, we can also take back the senate.

[insideapplepark]

“The 2018 Mac Mini is real, and it’s spectacular.” - Marco Arment