Will the 💊 replace the notch?

January 10, 2022

The notch will be replaced by a pill, according to the latest iPhone 14 rumors, which form the basis for some new mockups.

The renders show the iPhone 13's notch being replaced by a pill-shaped cutout for the front-facing camera and other Face ID hardware.

It looks pretty nifty to me, but I wonder if Apple loses something by ditching the notch.

It's not as bad IRL as critics alleged, and it's become iconic. See a notch, you know it's an iPhone. (And perhaps this is partly the reason there's a notch on newer MacBooks -- it's become part of the Apple design language.)

Either way, I'm looking forward to battery percentages again.

In other news:

  • Cell carriers are starting to block Apple's new Private Relay service, which is puzzling because it operates like a good old VPN. Why now?

  • Apple's upcoming AR/VR headset will be more AR than VR.

  • What's Apple's best feature in years? Autofilling 2F authentication codes in Messages, or sending Wi-Fi passwords to contacts? See the tweets below.

-- Leander Kahney.

Rumor has it the iPhone 14 Pro will dump the screen notch for a pill-shaped camera hole. A concept artist turned the unconfirmed report into a possible design for Apple’s 2022 flagship phone. He even put the additional screen space to good use. Get ready for the iPhone 14 Pro 💊.

Apple introduced the feature in iOS and iPadOS 15 to bolster privacy protections, but it seems some have already begun disabling it on cellular plans.

Google once again calls on Apple to adopt a more open text-messaging standard, after a report highlights the struggle some teens face when using an Android device in chats with iPhone owners.

While Cupertino is creating a VR headset, it’s reportedly not developing a complete virtual world for users. Apple plans on virtual reality games, video and other experiences. But these supposedly won‘t be connected into a single VR metaverse.

Why wear Apple Watch on your wrist like a filthy commoner when you can carry it like a pocket watch? Bucardo’s new Pinstripe collection takes the smartwatch back to the 16th century in the coolest, flashiest way possible. Get yours in gold, silver or black and join the Apple Watch aristocracy.

Consumer tech and automotive tech keep blending more and more, and automakers like BMW, Cadillac, Hyundai, Mercedes and Sony — wait, who? — really put some crazy futuristic concepts into high gear.

The streaming service also signed a multi-year deal with WGA Award winner Charlotte Stoudt to be the third season’s showrunner and executive producer, and to produce other scripted series.

Sudeikis again bags the best actor in a TV musical or comedy award for his leading role in the Apple TV+ hit.

On January 9, 2007, the Apple CEO gave the world its first look at the iPhone. The initial reaction at Macworld was mixed, but Jobs remained confident that Apple had created a product that people would want -- even if they didn't know it yet.

Reader and technologist Andrew (last name redacted, so to speak) runs a “boutique AV, IT [and] cyber systems integration company from a home office” in London — though he supports sites worldwide. Clearly, he has a lot to do. And he does it using a late-2013 Mac Pro he fondly said should be on the Death Star from Star Wars, plus a 2017 MacBook Pro he described to Cult of Mac as “perhaps the worst-constructed laptop I have ever owned.”

Tweets o' the day

One more thing ...

"I don't store anything anymore, really. I use a lot of e-mail and the Web, and with both of those I don't have to ever manage storage. As a matter of fact, my favorite way of reminding myself to do something is to send myself e-mail. That's my storage." -- Steve Jobs

Reply

or to participate.