Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2018/07/tuesday-morning-news310718/
Dummy models of this year’s rumoured 6.1 and 6.5-inch iPhones have been shown off by prominent leaker Ben Geskin. If the dummy devices hold true, the smaller of the two will feature a single-lens rear camera, unlike the dual rear cameras of the iPhone X or any Plus-sized iPhone. The 6.5-inch device, on the other hand, is expected to be the Plus-sized version of the iPhone X, so will keep its dual cameras.
What’s purported to be a CAD drawing of this year’s iPad Pro tells us about a new rounded section on the rear of the device, just above where the Lightning connector is. Speculation says this is the relocated Smart Connector, which supports previous rumours of a portrait-only Face ID setup on the new iPad Pro, with a portrait-mode Smart Keyboard also on the cards if all of this turns out to be true.
Speaking of which, portrait-only Face ID rumours don’t make much sense. While it’s true that Face ID only works in one orientation on the iPhone, it seems crazy that Apple would bring that kind of a limitation to a device which is inherently designed to be used in any orientation. While portrait mode on iPads is useful for some tasks, many iPad multitasking features are based on using the device in landscape.
There are new developer betas of all the things out this morning. If you’re keeping score, it’s the fifth iOS 12 beta, fifth tvOS beta, fourth watchOS and fifth macOS Mojave beta. Provided there’s no show-stopping issues, we’ll probably see a public beta release of iOS and macOS tomorrow.
Which means now is probably as good a time as any to tell you about useful iOS 12 features you might not know about. The iOS camera has built-in support for QR codes now, you can search for songs by their lyrics in Apple’s Music app, and quitting apps on an iPhone X is now just a short flick away.
A rumour says Intel’s refreshed Kaby Lake processors will be used in any potential successor to the MacBook Air. Although it’s currently unknown if this portable Mac will be branded as the new MacBook Air or merely a successor to the current MacBook, it’s also possible that it will be a lower cost option to the MacBook Pro, although in that case Apple would probably have to do something about offering three distinct kinds of laptops other than the MacBook Pro.
The latest exclusive documentary to join the ranks of Apple Music will tell us about the making of Kesha’s 2017 album “Rainbow”. There’s a trailer out now if you want a sneak peek at what to expect, otherwise you’ll be able to see the full thing on August 10, presumably only if you’re an Apple Music subscriber.
Over in the US, certification firm Certiport now offers certification for App Development with Swift. While it’s mostly aimed at secondary and college students, Certiport worked with Apple engineers and educators to create the curriculum, so you can be sure that it’s at least semi-legit.
Six Color’s Dan Moren wants improvements to tapbacks, following the great Messages improvements of 2016. More reactions are needed to messages, and while we’re at it, how about being able to react with any emoji, and send it as a tapback? They’re handy for subtle communication, if you’ve never used them before.
Ars Technica says phishing attempts targeting Apple users are getting better all the time, with the latest pushing users to call “AppleCare” to unlock their device, with a legitimate-looking iOS call dialog box. As a reminder, the only solid defence against scams is constant vigilance. Be suspicious of everything!