March 15, 2016 Apple media event: iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3?

[TheStu]

Ok, but what if this functionality is being removed now so that different functionality can be added later? Like being able to use the Pencil to annotate on anything, anywhere? Without having to tap a little thing and switch to 'highlight' or 'comment' or anything?

I don't have a Pro, and probably would get a Mini 5 (or 6, or 12) with Pencil support over an Air, but it's maybe not all doom and gloom.

 

[Red Storm]

How often are you going to annotate compared to navigating your device? A million times less often. The stylus should mimic your finger when not being used to write. It makes using it a much more seamless experience. I actually like to use a stylus when browsing the web. Unfortunately this doesn't work well on the Surface.

I tried the Pencil for the first time last night and was impressed with it's writing. Definitely better than the Surface Pen, not much better but it felt more natural. They definitely need to shrink the pencil a bit though, it's too large, and they gotta figure out a way to store it on the device.

 

[midwestfisherman]

You can look forward to iOS 9.3... and the removal of navigation support with Apple Pencil.

That's right, you can no longer use Pencil as a replacement for your finger. That functionality, which currently exists in iOS 9.2, has been completely removed for iOS 9.3.

I must say, if I had an iPad Pro, this would royally piss me off. And it would also remove any little desire for the iPad Air 3 I might have.

Actually they're putting it back in. Supposed to be enabled again in the next 9.3 beta.

http://forums.macrumors.com/threads...ality-to-return-in-next-ios-9-3-beta.1957893/

 

[Eug]

Sounds like Apple caved. It's been missing for four consecutive betas, and people were starting to freak out about it.

 

[Midwayman]

Sounds like Apple caved. It's been missing for four consecutive betas, and people were starting to freak out about it.

Yah, that was my take when I read the news.

 

[TheStu]

How often are you going to annotate compared to navigating your device? A million times less often. The stylus should mimic your finger when not being used to write. It makes using it a much more seamless experience. I actually like to use a stylus when browsing the web. Unfortunately this doesn't work well on the Surface.

I tried the Pencil for the first time last night and was impressed with it's writing. Definitely better than the Surface Pen, not much better but it felt more natural. They definitely need to shrink the pencil a bit though, it's too large, and they gotta figure out a way to store it on the device.

Like I said, I don't have a Pro, or any tablet with a stylus, so I can't say if I would want to use it to navigate or not. My gut says that I wouldn't and I probably wouldn't even get the Pencil with any iPad unless it was really cheap, or there was a killer iOS SketchUp app.

 

[Spineshank]

I have the Pro. Dont have the pencil but have a stylus. I use it a lot actually.

 

[TheStu]

I have the Pro. Dont have the pencil but have a stylus. I use it a lot actually.

Well, other stylii are emulating your finger, the Pencil is supposed to be a different animal, and as such having it get special treatment by the OS makes sense to me.

 

[Eug]

Just a reminder:

The A8X in the iPad Air 2 does remarkably well against the A9X in the iPad Pro in multi-core CPU benchmarks. It will be interesting to see if the A9X in the 9.7" iPad Pro will be downclocked significantly. If so, then it could actually end up being slower than the iPad Air 2 in some tests. I doubt that though. I expect the A9X in the iPad Air 3 / 9.7" iPad Pro to be downclocked, but only slightly, so that it will continue to easily outperform the A8X.

BTW, just look at my poor iPad 2. Roughly 1/10th of the speed. Not surprisingly, it is painfully slow in iOS 9.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2015/1...-with-all-the-virtues-and-limitations-of-ios/

BTW, in multi-core CPU tests the A8X outperforms the A9. This pretty much guarantees the iPad Air 3 / iPad Pro 9.7 will get the A9X and not A9.

Multi-core CPU speed won't be a good reason to upgrade from the iPad Air 2 to the iPad Air 3 though. The reasons for upgrading will be 4 GB RAM (hopefully), GPU speed (if you're into gaming), and Pencil + Smart Connector. Of those the only thing that really interests me is the RAM.

 

[ultimatebob]

I'm hoping that they surprise us with something new and cool... but I doubt it.

 

[pcslookout]

I'm hoping that they surprise us with something new and cool... but I doubt it.

Actually they will.

iPad Air 3 Pro!

 

[Blackjack200]

So this is pretty weird, but it seems that the date will actually be week of March 21st rather than March 15th like everyone thought...

 

[Eug]

It seems iPhone SE will not have 3D Touch.

 

[saratoga172]

The iPhone SE sounds like everything I've been waiting for in a smaller phone from Apple or any other manufacturer. Premium specs in a smaller phone.

It'll be an iPhone 6s without the 3D Touch (don't care for it personally), and with the iPhone 6 camera (works great for me). All the other same internals and I'm assuming and hoping for 2gb of ram as well although it isn't really necessary for me and my needs.

Looks like I'll be upgrading my personal 6 and maybe I'll order myself a replacement for my 6s at work. Someone else will be happy with the 6s and the SE will suit me perfectly since I mainly use it for fielding calls and checking some email.

 

[IronWing]

Splitting the iPhone line seems very un-Apple like. I guess the user base is so large and diverse now that they have to appeal to vastly different needs in order to encourage folks to buy new phones.

 

[badb0y]

Where's the MacBook updates doe.

 

[Eug]

Where's the MacBook updates doe.

Now!

A new 12" Retina MacBook is due out imminently with Core m7 Skylake, considering other competing laptops are already out with this CPU generation. So I wouldn't be surprised to see it at the event.

Expect maybe a 10-15% CPU speed boost, up to about a 40% GPU speed boost, and perhaps somewhat better battery life. It still won't hit 4000 in CPUMark though. Not that really matters, but it'd be cool to have such a laptop hit that arbitrary benchmark threshold in my mind. That might happen next year with Core m7 Kaby Lake, which also may bring generational video improvements (esp. with regard to 4K support).

 

[Eug]

It looks like the iPhone SE will come with 16 GB in the base model. Not surprising, but mildly disappointing nonetheless. Hopefully, the iPhone 7 will get more.

http://weibo.com/1385874017/Dm6v9lj6k?type=comment#_rnd1458243567732

 

[Herr Kutz]

TBH, I am surprised they aren't putting 8GB as the base storage in the lower end phone.

 

[Ns1]

this is an image from the verge livecast

 

[Ns1]

Price drop on the iWatch to 299. That's it?

 

[TheStu]

The iPhone SE (aka the iPhone 5s...s) looks like everything I want... IFF it has TouchID 2. I have a work 5s, and a personal 6s... the nearly instant TouchID spoils me a little too much.

 

[maddogchen]

I like Engadget's summary: It's basically an iPhone 6S in a 5S case.

 

[Ns1]

DIETER BOHN10:39:54 AM PDT
We're talking features in iOS 9.3 now. Night Shift can remove the blue from your display so it "may help you sleep better."

I need this in my life immediately.

 

[Oyeve]

Ipad pro 9.7 is developmentally challenged word priced.