A+ Report

The Vision Pro headset leaves me with a lingering impression of loneliness, as the majority images it conjures up in my imagination based on what I have seen are solitary and not social.

In a recent podcast, I discussed how the iPhone remains central to the Apple ecosystem, while devices like the Vision Pro seem soulless and unsociable.

This could be true for all virtual reality headsets, to be fair.

Interestingly, I don’t recall having seen any photos or videos of Apple executives wearing or demonstrating the Vision Pro headset, unlike Zuckerberg's live demo with the Quest headset for the Metaverse. Is it because they've tested it and found that people have negative perceptions about wearing one? Or is there an "uncanny valley" effect at play?

In my podcast on The Business of Tech, I suggested that people need eye contact to fully engage with others. While projecting eyes onto the outside of a Vision Pro headset may work technically, it might leave users feeling uncomfortable in practice. Perhaps this is why Apple executives haven't been seen wearing them – they're concerned about managing impressions.

Apple may still be working out how to create a positive experience for both customers using their products and those interacting with them in real life while inside these headsets. Impression management will be critical - not just how Apple is perceived by the world, but how Vision Pro users will be perceived by others.

I still remember when AirPods looked weird on people. I’m not seeing us approach a point where googles won’t look weird any time soon.

Mark Gurman has just written about how there is already a consumer version of the Vision Pro in the works. Apple's hoping the Vision Pro's price doesn't scare people away, and that they can buy a cheaper version in 2026.

That cheaper, consumer version is also going to have to solve the problem of glasses vs goggles so people can see your eyes in real-life, and how to move from solitary to social. Because no matter how you spin in, wearing goggles and interacting with 4K screens dangling before your eyes while other people perceive you as closed off to them is going to slam into the psychological problem of eye contact for engagement.

And I’m betting that a projection is not going to solve that conundrum.

Now we have the Vision Pro announcement out of the way, and all the iOS17 launch stuff too, attention will linger on processing that for a while. But then, it’s eyes on September and all the leaks leading up to the launch of the iPhone 15.

Here’s why this still matters more than the Vision Pro

Replacing the iPhone with the Vision Pro headset would be unthinkable for Apple for at least another 5 years at the earliest. The iPhone makes up half of the company’s profits and is one of the most lucrative products in tech.

Even though iPhones only account for less than 20% of all phone sales, it still makes up to three-quarters of the industry's profits.

The iPhone is a dream product with huge brand value. Recreating this prestige would be a massive undertaking.

But there’s even bigger value that the iPhone brings Apple. Right now, Apple's transitioning into a services company to make money from monthly subscriptions. The iPhone keeps working its magic, getting more people to subscribe.

Apple services like Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, etc. are growing in importance to keep people committed to the Apple ecosystem. The iPhone provides a doorway into that ecosystem.

Factoring in inflation, iPhones are actually becoming more affordable, letting more people join the Apple ecosystem and sign up for Apple services. The Vision Pro is way too pricey at $3,499 to draw in many new users.

The iPhone is essential for the Apple ecosystem. Apple products like AirPods, Apple Watch, AirTag, MacBooks, iPads, HomePod, etc - all made to work with the iPhone. It really is the heart of Apple.

Yes, the Vision Pro seems super-immersive and intuitive too. App developers may innovate with the technology to offer new experiences for productivity, entertainment, gaming and networking. But as an apex device at the top of the chain, the Vision Pro will still be dependent on the beating heart of Apple bringing in new cash, and pumping it through the ecosystem.

That heart is still the iPhone, and it has a way to go yet.

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Recent years have seen Apple really up their game on keeping your information secure, and protecting you from unwanted and unsafe content. As well as CheckIn, NameDrop and Live Voicemail, here are a few of more the features announced at WWDC that you may not have heard about, coming to you in a free update in September.

First, let’s talk about privacy, with major updates to Safari Private Browsing.

Safari was way ahead of the game with private browsing. This year, an important update gives you more security from trackers when you're online and from people who could access your device. Advanced tracking and fingerprinting protections go even further to help prevent websites from using the latest techniques to track or identify a user’s device. Private Browsing now locks when you're not around, so your tabs stay open when you're not using it.

We will also see Photos privacy permission improvements.

There's a new embedded Photos picker that can help users share certain pics with apps while keeping the rest of their library private. Apps asking for the user's whole photo library will show the user more information about what they're giving, plus regular reminders of their decision.

There’s better link tracking protection in Messages, Mail, and Safari Private Browsing.

Certain websites slip tracking details into their URLs so they can keep tabs on users across other sites. This information will be taken off the links people share in Messages and Mail, but the links will still work as they should. This info will also get cut out of links in Safari Private Browsing.

What about better user safety? What’s new?

Communication Safety, which warns kids about nudity in Messages when sending or receiving photos, now covers video content as well. Developers can now get Communication Safety in their apps with this API. Plus, the feature will help keep kids safe when they AirDrop, do a FaceTime video call, use the Phone app to get a Contact Poster, and pick content to send in the Photos app. All image and video processing for Communication Safety happens on device, meaning Apple and any third parties have no access to the content. The child accounts in the Family Sharing plan will have these warnings on, but the parent can turn them off.

We'll also get Sensitive Content Warnings to help adults avoid seeing unwanted nude pics and videos when they get them in Messages, AirDrop, FaceTime video message, and the Phone app when they get a Contact Poster, all using the same privacy tech at the heart of Communication Safety. This feature is optional and can be turned on in the Privacy & Security settings. Doing Communication Safety and all image/video processing for Sensitive Content Warning on-device stops Apple or anyone else from seeing it.

Finally, we will see new safeguarding measures for user data.

Making password and passkey sharing easier and more secure, users can create a group and share a set of passwords. Everyone in the group can add and edit passwords to stay up to date. Sharing is safe with iCloud Keychain's end-to-end encryption. Plus, you can now use one-time verification codes you get in Mail to quickly log in to Safari without leaving the browser.

Lockdown Mode has grown to give even better security to those who may be targeted by a malicious spyware due to their identity or activities. The new protections cover more secure wireless connections, how media is handled and shared, sandboxing, and better network security. Setting Lockdown Mode revs up device defenses and severely restricts certain functionalities, drastically reducing the attack surface for those needing extra safeguards. Lockdown Mode will also be available on watchOS.

I’m Sarb Johal - be sure to subscribe to the A+ report on your favourite audio podcast platform, Youtube and Substack too. Thanks for listening.

Apple often gets a hard time because of how much it charges for its products. On the other hand, you get years of updates of the operating system for free.

WatchOS10, might just be the most significant update to the Apple Watch in some time, possibly offering an even bigger jump forwards than what looks like might be on sale in terms of extras in the upcoming Apple Series Watch 9. And this watchOS10 update will cost you absolutely nothing.

Let’s run down some of those main new features in this update - because it is indeed, a humdinger of an upgrade.

New features include a new simplified way to navigate the interface and quickly access content, redesigned apps, more focus on Widgets via the Smart Stack, and new cycling and hiking features.

You can access the new Smart Stack from any watch face with a turn of the Digital Crown. There's a collection of widgets watchOS has picked to fit your needs, based on your location, the time, and your habits. You could see the Weather widget first thing in the day, while the Timer widget will pop up when you set a timer. Basically, widgets can be shown when they're useful and hidden when not.

With watchOS 10, the Control Center can be accessed on the Apple Watch with the side button. This should be simpler than the existing way (swiping up from the bottom), which can be tricky, especially when you're in an app. It’s not clear, however, how you will access the dock, which in watchOS 9 is triggered by pressing the side button. It’s possible that it may have been terminated.

WatchOS 10's also got two fresh faces: Palette and Snoopy. Palette's different colors and layers move and change throughout the day. It's a laid-back, minimal face. The Snoopy watch face, brings Snoopy and Woodstock from Peanuts to the Apple Watch. They can jump in on your workout, interact with the clock hands and respond to the weather. Weird, maybe cute, and with you very soon.

The Mindfulness app is going to have some features for mental health, like tracking your feelings and moods every day. The Health app provides resources to help folks see their risk for depression and anxiety, with assessments in the app. The Medications app can now give you a nudge if you don't log a scheduled dose.

An Apple Watch will be able to measure the amount of time its owner spends in daylight during the day, using its ambient light sensor, and there’s also a focus on vision health, especially for children.

Fitness is going to see some updates and new trainer tips - I wonder about how personalised this will be and I’m looking forward to checking this out, along with improvements to the Compass app focused on hiking. This will be able to store waypoints that might be useful, such as the last time they had a cellular connection. There is also a Last Emergency Call Waypoint. Users will be able to search for trails and see details such as length, type, and difficulty but this will be U.S. only initially.

WatchOS 10 is adding new features specific to cyclists too, including more support for bluetooth enabled cycling accessories like power meters and speed and cadence sensors.

We are also going to see some re-designed apps like Weather, Stocks, Maps and Messages as well as Namedrop - making it easier to share contact information by bringing Apple devices close together–but you still need to tap Share to agree to the transfer.

As expected, watchOS 10 runs on the same devices as watchOS 9. That means the Apple Watch Series 4 and later. Expect the first public Beta in July, with the official launch in September. I’m Sarb Johal - be sure to subscribe for more from the A+ Report, and please leave a like or even a review - it really helps the show, especially in these early stages for me - I’d love your support. Thanks.

WWDC happened and today I’m going to round up just a few of the headline details revealed for iOS17. There really was a lot, so here’s what caught my attention in particular.

First, FaceTime is adding Audio and Video Messages, Reactions, and Extends to Apple TV

FaceTime now supports audio and video messages so when users call someone who is not available, they can share a message that can be appreciated later.

FaceTime calls get more fun too with reactions like hearts, balloons, fireworks, laser beams, rain and more.

Apple TV 4K has a cool new update - FaceTime is now available on the biggest screen in the house. With Continuity Camera, users can easily start a video call from Apple TV or begin it on their iPhone and then move it to the TV - so they can talk to friends and family on the big screen. Centre Stage keeps your framing on point as you move around.

iOS 17 has lots of new updates for Messages, including emoji stickers and the option to make Live Stickers from photos. Users can make Live Stickers come alive with effects, and the keyboard now has a drawer that keeps all stickers together for simple access on iOS.

The Messages update makes it easier to stay in touch. Lost a message but know it’s in there somewhere? Search gets sharper and more accurate with filters, so users can start a search and add filters to refine their results and find what they want. A new catch-up arrow indicates where the user last left off in the conversation, and replying inline is as simple as swiping on a text bubble. If someone shares their location, it'll show up instantly in the chat. Transcription automatically happens when you send audio messages, so you can read it on the spot or listen later.

Messages also introduces Check In, an important feature for when a user wants to notify a family member or friend that they have made it to their destination safely. After a user initiates a Check In, their friend or family member will automatically be notified as soon as the user arrives. If they are not making progress toward their destination, useful information will be temporarily shared with the selected contact, such as the device’s location, battery level, and cell service status. Any information shared is end-to-end encrypted.

iOS17 also brings a well-overdue update to autocorrect with a transformer language model, explained as a state-of-the-art on-device machine learning language model for word prediction — improving the experience and accuracy for users every time they type. And Dictation will leverage a new speech recognition model to make it even more accurate. This is also well overdue.

What else? Well, I spoke about the new Journaling feature in yesterday’s show, so catch up with that there. But there’s also StandBy: giving users a full-screen experience with glanceable information designed to be viewed from a distance when iPhone is on its side and charging. Put StandBy on your nightstand, counter, or desk and customize it however you want with clock styles, photos, or widgets like Smart Stacks- which only show you what you need when you need it. StandBy adds a whole bunch of new features like Live Activities, Siri, incoming calls and bigger notifications, meaning you can use your iPhone from further away.

The list goes on, it really does. This is a pretty mammoth update.

The Health app's got some fresh mental health features. Users can keep track of their moods and emotions each day. Furthermore, viewing the device from a greater distance can help kids reduce the risk of myopia and adult users can reduce digital eyestrain. Screen Distance in Screen Time uses the TrueDepth camera to encourage users to move their device farther away after holding it closer than 30 centimetres from their face for an extended period of time.

Maps adds offline maps so users can download a specific area and access turn-by-turn navigation, see their estimated time of arrival, find places in Maps, and more while offline. 

AirTag can be shared with up to five other people, allowing friends and family to keep track of an item in Find My. Everyone in a group will be able to see an item’s location, play a sound, and use Precision Finding to help pinpoint the location of a shared AirTag when nearby. 

Siri can be activated by simply saying “Siri.” Once activated, you can issue multiple commands in succession without needing to reactivate the assistant.

And there’s more for the Home app, Photos, accessability, and even visual look up which can now be used for paused video frames. It’s a crazy big update and I’ve only told you the headlines. Expect the p[ublic beta out next month, and it’s already out there for developers.

It will be available for iPhone Xs and newer - so if you’re on an iPhone X or 8 and you want these features, now’s the time to upgrade either to a 14 or something on the second-hand market.

Have fun when it comes - I’ll be going through some of the features I’m most interested in on my main Youtube channel @TheSarbJohal. See you there, and keep listening for more here at the A+ Report.

Cheers.

WWDC happened, and it was a heady mixture of new pioneering hardware but also delivering a mix of upsell and value that it needs to hit several places in the Apple and wider electronics and services market.

To cut a long story short - this was a promising event.

Let’s start with that headset. But actually let’s not, because I think Apple is deliberately trying to avoid going down that road of being defined as a headset, but calling what people thought was going to be called the Reality Pro the Vision Pro.

But here’s the thing - this is not a mixed reality headset as far as Apple is concerned. No, this is Apple’s first spatial computer. And my initial hunch is that this is a very smart move. I was looking to see how Apple would define this new device in relation to how it will function with its other offerings. Some people thought that this was going to be an iPhone replacement. I never thought that was going to be the case. But the challenge was always going to be how it was going to fit into the existing ecosystem so you could bring those assets into the new functionality and capability offered in this spatial computer. And now, I think we can see a little of Apple’s Vision taking shape - excuse the pun.

Before I return to that, let’s cover some of the basics. VisonOS features a three-dimensional interface with low-latency with an entirely new input system controlled by a person’s eyes, hands and voice. Users can browse through apps by simply looking at them, tapping their fingers to select, flicking their wrist to scroll, or using voice to dictate.

Vision Pro crams 23 million pixels into two postage stamp-sized displays, offering a wide range of colours and high dynamic range. This tech breakthrough, with special lenses that give a high level of sharpness and clarity, designed blow you away. People who need vision correction will be able to use ZEISS Optical Inserts to make sure their vision is clear and they can track accurately.

Apple Vision Pro's Spatial Audio system is essential, giving you the feeling that sounds come from the environment and is totally tailored to the space. Each audio pod has two separate speakers to give out Personalized Spatial Audio based on the user’s head and ear shapes.

Besides this already impressive feature-set for display and audio, the Apple Vision Pro's eye tracking system uses high-speed cameras and a circle of LEDs that cast invisible light patterns onto the user's eyes for a responsive and natural input.

Let’s talk about security features. The new Optic ID authentication system inspects a user's iris under various invisible LED light exposures and then compares the results to the protected Optic ID data held in the Secure Enclave to instantly access Apple Vision Pro. All of a user's Optic ID data is encrypted, inaccessible to apps, and never leaves their device, meaning it won't be stored on Apple's servers. 

The interesting thing I was looking for was how this new spatial computer would interact with other Apple devices. I was even hoping for the Apple Watch to act like a Nintendo Wii controller in games. I didn’t get an answer on that exactly, but here’s what we do know.

They are talking about infinite screen real estate enabling access to all your favourite apps, but also with support for the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad where you can set up your workspace, or bring the capabilities of your Mac into Vision Pro wirelessly to create an enormous, private and portable 4K display with crisp text. There’s also new engaging and immersive gaming possibilities being trailed, as well as immersive chill-out environments, diving into your own spatial photos and videos to relive memories, even wrapping a panorama photo taken on your iPhone around you creating the sensation being in that very place where you captured the panorama.

And yes, FaceTime becomes spatial too with everyone on the call being represented by life size tiles, as well as spatial audio so it sounds like callers are speaking right from where they are positioned.

It all sounds fantastic - I can’t wait to get my hands on one.

Oh wait.

The Vision Pro will cost even more than we thought it would - $500 over the estimated price at $3500, available early next year in the USA and rolling out in other countries after that. I think it’s pretty clear that we won’t be seeing a consumer version until some time after that, most likely 2025, or even 2026.

Just a quick update today, so let’s run through the major headline news. There’s the new 15” Macbook Air with M2 chip and big liquid retina display, with up to 18 hours of battery life in what they claim to be the world’s thinnest 15-inch laptop. The 13-inch Macbook Air with M2 even gets a slight price reduction. There’s also updates to the Mac Pro and Mac Studio with M2 Ultra chips. No word on the M3 - which is not entirely surprising at this moment.

As expected, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, macOS and watchOS are all getting significant upgrades, with some tasty new features that I will cover in my main channel and here over the next few days and weeks as they become available for users. But some of those features include Facetime now supporting audio and video messages that can be viewed or heard later - something that I am very pleased about. There’s also the new Journal feature using on-device machine learning with personalised suggestions to help you get started in building a journaling habit. There will also be a journaling suggestions API which enables developers to add journalling suggestions to their apps too.

Then there’s the new feature update for Apple Airpods - adaptive audio - combining transparency and noise cancellation modes to adjust dynamically and match the conditions that you’re in.

There really is a lot to take it - so stick with my daily podcasts over the next few days as we dive deeper into the various parts of all these announcements.

Vision Pro though - I can’t help but think of the Avengers character when I say that to myself. I wonder if it will also have Jarvis’s voice, too? I think it’s a knowing wink and I like it.

Come back for more as I unpack WWDC as a daily run of podcasts over the next few days. There’s a lot in there to discuss.

Apologies for the audio quality of my last recording. That was done on my iPad and I won’t do that again. Today. I’m using a Ulanzi J12 mic attached to my iPhone (check out my review at the link).

It’s the morning of WWDC - well, at least here in New Zealand it is, though we’ve quite a few hours to go before showtime. I went online to see if I could find any leaked info on what is coming down the line later today, but nothing. So here’s a quick roundup of what we can expect.

First, it’s the AR/VR headset, which will be the showpiece of the event, I’m sure. Apple has been acquiring headset-related start-ups for years now, and it looks like we will finally see the first iteration of Apple’s headset and get some clues about how it’s going to fit into the ecosystem. I would not be surprised if we see how Apple’s many devices fit into how we can use this new headset.

Expect to pay a pretty penny to join what will in effect be a super beta release where Apple will monitor use carefully, and how developers run with the new suite of tools they will release.

So what else - well, iOS17 and iPadOS17 will get a hit out, including rumoured journaling and mood-tracking feature, as well as tweaks to control centre and accessibility functions like Live speech too. Though I expect these feature results won’t necessarily a big bang on Day One, but more of a gradual unfurling.

WatchOS10 is also expected, bringing a substantial redesign to the interface. And MacOS14 will get some kind of launch too - this has flown under the radar a little, and we actually know very little about what might be in that.

Watch out for a couple of surprise announcements too, perhaps centred around the M3 chips - with an actual rollout in 2024. But the big surprise might be a release for the 2023 holiday season.

I’ll catch you on the other side of WWDC with a rundown of the main news - be sure to subscribe and I’ll see you then.

A+ Report is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple is evaluating two desktop Macs with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. The ‌M2‌ Max chip was unveiled in January with the release of the 2023 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, but the ‌M2‌ Ultra chip is brand new and would be an upgrade from the M1 Ultra chip used in the Mac Studio.

Gurman has no knowledge of which Macs will contain the chips, but the machines inside are labeled “Mac 14,13” and “Mac 14,14”. It has been suggested that the advanced Apple silicon Mac Pro might include the ‌M2‌ Ultra chip. Internally, the ‌Mac Pro‌ is identified as “14,8”, so the desktops in the testing stage may be something else, possibly fresh iterations of the ‌Mac Studio‌. Apple is also creating new iMacs, with the expectation that these will be M3 chips.

Gurman said back in April that updated ‌Mac Studio‌ computers were on the way, but he also mentioned that it was unlikely for Apple to release a ‌Mac Studio‌ with an ‌M2‌ Ultra chip since its power would be equivalent to the upcoming ‌Mac Pro‌, making it hard to convince customers to choose a ‌Mac Pro‌.

That’s it for today - be sure to subscribe to get the next episode very soon. See you then.

Some news about the podcast today: A+ Weekly is changing format slightly.

Expect bite-size episodes 2-3 times a week, 5 minutes or so or less, on the latest news views and rumours on the Apple ecosystem. The A+ Report - the slightly altered and improved name can also be found on a new dedicated YouTube channel, as well as all podcast platforms and my Substack too. All the details are in the notes.

Expect a more raw workflow, but news more quickly as I find out about it.

Let's begin this new format with the news that Apple is investigating how to make iPhone cases that can communicate with the device to show battery level, unlock it for you, and more.

Battery cases that show a green or red status light when they’re charging an iPhone - you've seen that before. Not needing these batteries would be ideal, but getting more information from them would be a plus.

An Apple patent recently awarded suggests we could get cases that actually show the battery level. The patent's title mentions just one example, but it goes into detail about lots of other uses that make it like an iPhone extension.

The patent, “Electronic Device That Provides Battery Charging Status,” is really focused on communication between any two devices, and at one point even shows an AR headset with an iPhone being connected. Although the primary concern is about what looks like being that iPhone case, it seems to have thought up a lot of other uses as it explored the topic, like being able to unlock a device for a user - a bit like the Apple Watch does now.

It also looks like it could theoretically have the capability of changing color to match your device too, or maybe give it a completely different look, when you choose to.

I’m not sure anything like this is going to be announced at WWDC in just a few days time, but it would be nice, right?

I’m Sarb Johal - I hope you’ve enjoyed this new format. Be sure to leave a rating or a review, subscribe, and please come back again soon.

News this week: 3 reasons to get excited about the AR/VR headset, more Android users are switching to iPhone than recent years, is your iPhone about to get a smart-home screen display? Final Cut Pro for iPad is here and I for one can’t wait to download it and start playing with it. And iOS 16.5 is an urgent security update that you should pay attention to.

UPDATE: I’ve downloaded Final Cut Pro for iPad and I have views. Go to my YouTube channel later this weekend to see my video.

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Out first on my video podcast at A+ on YouTube. Come subscribe over there to help support the channel, and watch me as well as listen too.

I’m currently reviewing the status of the show. I’m toying with the idea of axing the video version and going to a much shorter format, 2-3 times a week, straight to audio podcast from my Apple Watch.

Thoughts welcome.

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