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Apple's AirTags may still be nowhere to be seen nearly two years after signs of them were first discovered, but Apple this week launched its Find My network accessory program that will let third-party devices integrate with the Find My app on Apple's platforms to make it easy to keep track of your items.

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This week also saw fresh rumors about the upcoming "iPhone 13" and new iMacs, while Microsoft and Samsung continue to take aim at Apple with their marketing. Read on for details on these stories and more!

Apple Announces Find My Network With Support for Third-Party Devices

Apple this week announced the launch of its Find My network accessory program, allowing the location of compatible third-party accessories to be tracked in the ‌Find My‌ app right alongside Apple devices. The first products that work with the Find My app will include a new Chipolo item tracker, Belkin earbuds, and select VanMoof e-bikes.

apple-findmy-network-feature.jpg

The updated Find My app with a new Items tab is available now on devices running iOS 14.3 and later, iPadOS 14.3 and later, and macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later, following a server-side change.

Apple also announced that third-party device makers will be able to take advantage of Ultra Wideband technology in U1-equipped Apple devices, like iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models. According to Apple, third-party accessories that offer Ultra Wideband support will be able to offer a "more precise, directionally aware experience when nearby," which should make it easier to pinpoint the specific location of these items when lost.

It has long been rumored that Apple is planning its own item trackers called AirTags, but at this point, it's unclear if and when they will be released. It is possible that Apple is giving competitors like Chipolo a head start over AirTags to avoid potential antitrust complaints.

iPhone 13 Pro Mockup Shows Smaller Notch, Repositioned Earpiece and Front Camera

While we are still several months away from the launch of iPhone 13 models, accessory makers are already preparing for the upcoming devices by creating dummy versions based on rumors and leaked specifications from Apple's supply chain.

iphone-13-pro-macotakara.jpg

This week saw Japanese blog Mac Otakara share an alleged dummy model of the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro, providing a closer look at the device's rumored smaller notch with a relocated earpiece and front camera. While the dummy model is quite rudimentary, it supposedly has accurate dimensions, allowing accessory makers to get a head start on iPhone 13 cases and accessories.

iPhone 13 models are expected to be announced in September, with mass production of A15 chips for the devices reportedly set to begin in late May, which is apparently slightly ahead of schedule.

New iMac Expected to Feature 'Really Big' Display Larger Than Current 27-inch Model

Apple is widely rumored to be planning a redesigned iMac with an Apple silicon chip for release later this year, and a credible leaker known as "l0vetodream" this week claimed that at least one of the new models will feature a larger display than the current 27-inch iMac.

2020-iMac-Mockup-Feature-27-inch-text-1.jpg

A larger display on the next-generation iMac would not be too surprising, as rumors suggest that the computer will feature a similar design as Apple's high-end Pro Display XDR monitor, including slimmer bezels around the screen and a flat back. The new iMac is also rumored to come in a variety of new iPad Air-like colors.

In June 2020, Apple said that its transition away from Intel processors in Macs would take around two years to be completed. In addition to the iMac, Apple is rumored to be working on redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon for release in the second half of this year.

Microsoft Says Surface Pro 7 is 'Better Choice' Than iPad Pro

A few months ago, Microsoft said the Surface Pro 7 is the "better choice" compared to the MacBook Pro. In a continuation of this ad campaign, Microsoft has now shared a video claiming that the Surface Pro 7 is "still the better choice" when compared to the iPad Pro.

microsoft-throws-shade-at-iPad-dongles.jpg

The ad highlights how the Surface Pro 7 has a kickstand, unlike the iPad Pro, and it calls the ‌iPad Pro‌'s keyboard folio "a lot heavier" than the Surface option.

Microsoft also points out that the ‌iPad Pro‌ only has a single USB-C port while the Surface Pro 7 has several available ports. "You wanna be this guy?" says the actor in the ad, while holding up an ‌iPad‌ with a dongle attached.

"‌iPad Pro‌'s just a tablet," adds the actor. "Surface is a whole computer and a tablet."

Samsung's 'iTest' Lets You Try a Galaxy Device on Your iPhone

Samsung has launched "iTest," an interactive website experience that's designed to allow iPhone users to test out a simulated version of Android on a Galaxy device, or "sample the other side," as Samsung puts it.


Visiting the iTest website on an ‌iPhone‌ prompts users to install a web app to the Home screen. From there, tapping the app launches into a simulated Galaxy smartphone home screen complete with a range of apps and settings options. You can open the Galaxy Store, apply themes, and even access the messages and phone apps, complete with a simulated phone call and messages.

Samsung's interactive experience is neat, and if you are looking to kill some time, it is worth playing around with it for a few minutes.

Hands-On With the New Sonos Roam Speaker

Sonos in March introduced a new portable smart speaker called the Sonos Roam, which is priced at $169, making it the most affordable Sonos speaker to date. We were able to check out the Sonos Roam to see if it's worth the asking price and how it compares to other portable speakers on the market.

sonos-roam-feature.jpg

We were impressed with the sound quality that the Sonos Roam delivers relative to its size, and with AirPlay 2 support, it is an ideal choice for wirelessly streaming audio from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Sonos said the Roam will be released on April 20, and it is available for pre-order for $169 ahead of that date.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Article Link: Top Stories: 'Find My' Expansion, iPhone 13 Pro Mockup, Largest-Ever iMac?
 

travelsheep

macrumors 6502a
May 30, 2013
918
1,057
As someone with MacBook Pro + iPhone I have not yet found a use-case to justify buying an iPad Pro. But it sure looks like a fun device! ProCreate Pocket especially. If I ever get rich I will buy one, just for fun! And a magic keyboard. And a stylus. And an adapter. And a sleeve that fits all that.
 

Corsig

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2008
660
1,828
Not a bad week in the rumor department. Things should be heating up as we get into summer (yes pun intended)
 

Freeangel1

Suspended
Jan 13, 2020
1,191
1,753
Ironic how they make the picture of the large iMac look like a giant iPad.

Thats truly where the Mac seems to be headed with ARM processors.

A Mac OS that looks more like iPadOS and Mac hardware that resembles an iPad.

LOVELY.

Not everybody, myself included wants our computer desktop to look like an iphone or iPad.

I love how APPLE forces it's designs down APPLE users throats and does not allow any desktop modifications

Both Windows and Android you can run 3rd party software to make your computer desktop or phone to your liking

I may just fully convert to LINUX. It's FREE. Its safer than Mac or Windows and its fully customizable.
 
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lars666

macrumors 65816
Jul 13, 2008
1,188
1,270
As someone with MacBook Pro + iPhone I have not yet found a use-case to justify buying an iPad Pro. But it sure looks like a fun device! ProCreate Pocket especially. If I ever get rich I will buy one, just for fun! And a magic keyboard. And a stylus. And an adapter. And a sleeve that fits all that.

For magazine/book/newspaper consumption (and music sheets in my special case), iPad Pro beats the MacBook Pro. However, now that the MacBooks can run iPad apps, too, it's hard to justify the additional iPad buy.
 

GeoStructural

macrumors 65816
Oct 8, 2016
1,151
3,900
Colombia
Or even a slightly larger one. Probably beating a dead horse, but I still miss the 17".

Same here. If Apple were to surprise us with a 17-inch version that would be an instant buy for me. In the past laptops used to be large and clunky, with today's technology it is possible to make a near bezel-less laptop with sufficient heat dissipation in a small chassis.
 

ajfahey

macrumors 6502a
Jun 28, 2001
684
897
Moorpark, CA
For magazine/book/newspaper consumption (and music sheets in my special case), iPad Pro beats the MacBook Pro. However, now that the MacBooks can run iPad apps, too, it's hard to justify the additional iPad buy.
I disagree. Web surfing, reference searching, texting, email and most other iOS apps are portable use cases where bulky desk or even somewhat portable laptops are computationally unnecessary and even a use case hindrance. Full computers now are useful to the extent where the utility of a larger display and computational power are required or just desired or when a keyboard and mouse are required to provide more efficient means of computational interaction.

Full computers, increasingly, are becoming corner case use cases in the full spectrum of human digital interaction. I see a time where virtual displays will be worn and human interfaces to the Digital world will abandon the keyboard and the mouse in favor of more efficient means of interaction. With this evolution, personal computing will evolve into an even more personal experience as it follows a trajectory to full a complete symbiosis.

Is this a scary future? Yes, for those of us that started with computer facilities the size of gymnasiums or even the 1980s advent of personal computing. For our grandchildren or great grandchildren, however, it will seem as natural as breathing. They will not understand how we managed life without the tech they grew up with.
 

lars666

macrumors 65816
Jul 13, 2008
1,188
1,270
I disagree. Web surfing, reference searching, texting, email and most other iOS apps are portable use cases where bulky desk or even somewhat portable laptops are computationally unnecessary and even a use case hindrance. Full computers now are useful to the extent where the utility of a larger display and computational power are required or just desired or when a keyboard and mouse are required to provide more efficient means of computational interaction.

Full computers, increasingly, are becoming corner case use cases in the full spectrum of human digital interaction. I see a time where virtual displays will be worn and human interfaces to the Digital world will abandon the keyboard and the mouse in favor of more efficient means of interaction. With this evolution, personal computing will evolve into an even more personal experience as it follows a trajectory to full a complete symbiosis.

Is this a scary future? Yes, for those of us that started with computer facilities the size of gymnasiums or even the 1980s advent of personal computing. For our grandchildren or great grandchildren, however, it will seem as natural as breathing. They will not understand how we managed life without the tech they grew up with.
Totally fine if somebody choses an iPad over an MacBookPro if it can serve the personal workflow as good or even better (wouldn't for me though - even "only" web surfing, email etc. will always stay more clumsy for me on an iPad, even with external keyboard as I switch between apps more quickly and "natural" on my MacBook). What I wrote was that it got hard to justify an iPad in ADDITION to your MacBook now that the M1 even can run iPad apps. But, as also written, I still love my iPad in addition to my MacBook as a magazine / news paper / music sheet reader which is much more comfortable on the sofa to read.
 

fbr$

macrumors 6502a
Feb 6, 2020
543
1,109
No way an iPad can replace a Mac for me, I own both a 2020 iPad Pro 11" with Magic Keyboard and a 2019 MacBook Pro 16".

On my Mac I can open multiple apps/windows at same time and resize them individually the way I want. Multitasking on an iPad is a pain, multitasking on the 1990 Windows 3.0 was easier.

And if I want to use my Mac on an external 4K TV, I'll get a 4K output. The iPad output is fixed on the iPad's screen resolution.

And I install a lot of apps on my Mac not available on the Mac App Store, some of them are for command line on the Terminal.

But I agree that for some people the iPad may be better. I would never buy a Mac for my mother, for example.

In my case, the iPad is mainly for reading pdfs and watching films/videos.
 

Darragh83

macrumors newbie
Oct 4, 2019
6
14
Limerick, Ireland
New 16“ MacBook Pro please, I have the new iPad Air and I love it. Using windows for over 20 years and macs for the past 10 years, there is no comparison, apple are just brilliant, windows 10 and android (which I have tried out) yuck!​
 
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odonnelly99

macrumors regular
Jan 9, 2013
174
256
Austin, TX
As someone with MacBook Pro + iPhone I have not yet found a use-case to justify buying an iPad Pro. But it sure looks like a fun device! ProCreate Pocket especially. If I ever get rich I will buy one, just for fun! And a magic keyboard. And a stylus. And an adapter. And a sleeve that fits all that.
It is a lot of fun! My iPad Pro 11 might be my most treasured piece of tech I own. I got the Magic Keyboard when it was on sale for $199, and it’s a game changer.

I also recently bought the Pitaka magnetic case from Amazon, which is this neat, carbon fiber-ish piece that you attach to the back of the iPad, and not only does it feel great to hold, it also works great with the Magic keyboard, because they added the three smart connector things to the bottom of the case. I attached a pic of it to this comment.

I don’t understand what you mean by Procreate Pocket, though. I think that’s the iPhone version, because it’s just Procreate on my IPP. And yeah, it’s a blast to use with the Apple pencil. I’m attaching a pic of that, too.

That being said, there is some truth in what MS is saying; there have been many occasions where I couldn’t do something on my iPad and had to use my Mac Mini. As advanced as the current iPad Pro is, it’s not yet at the point for me where I can use it as my only computing device.

If you ever get to the point where you have the expendable income for one, I’d say go for it! Or, as an alternative, if you finance your phone through AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc you can also finance an iPad Pro. If you do that, you’ll get the LTE model, but you don’t have to use it. You can deactivate the line and reactivate it whenever you want — at least that’s been my experience.

Wish ya the best!
 

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subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
5,523
5,831
I like Microsoft’s kickstand, but not for my iPad Pro; I would want it on my iPad mini (if it doesn’t increase the weight too much). For my pro (12.9”) I actually want a convertible form factor (probably 360 hinge). Not that I think either is going to happen.
 

code-m

macrumors 68040
Apr 13, 2006
3,638
3,398
Hate to say it but Microsoft makes a legit point w/ the dongle jab. At least the iPad pro should have some port options.
Let’s us take some steps in Microsoft’s history to see if their know mobile hardware. iPod versus Zune, Windows Phone versus iPhone, Windows Tablets versus iPad and here is a bonus but it’s a hardware software combination WindowsOS - ARM.

Yes, I know who I am going to place a wager on this game. /s
 
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code-m

macrumors 68040
Apr 13, 2006
3,638
3,398
I like Microsoft’s kickstand, but not for my iPad Pro; I would want it on my iPad mini (if it doesn’t increase the weight too much). For my pro (12.9”) I actually want a convertible form factor (probably 360 hinge). Not that I think either is going to happen.
The KickStand works well on a desk like the MagicKB Cover but on a laptop not so stable. Plus it’s one point of failure especially with children and people with butterfingers.
 
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iPadified

macrumors 68000
Apr 25, 2017
1,808
1,967
Ironic how they make the picture of the large iMac look like a giant iPad.

Thats truly where the Mac seems to be headed with ARM processors.

A Mac OS that looks more like iPadOS and Mac hardware that resembles an iPad.

LOVELY.

Not everybody, myself included wants our computer desktop to look like an iphone or iPad.

I love how APPLE forces it's designs down APPLE users throats and does not allow any desktop modifications

Both Windows and Android you can run 3rd party software to make your computer desktop or phone to your liking

I may just fully convert to LINUX. It's FREE. Its safer than Mac or Windows and its fully customizable.
It is not ironic, just lazy visualisation based on copy and past iPad plus current iMac foot. The low power usage of the M chip makes bulky cases unnecessary. A low end 24 inch iMac with 1 cm thick case and no fan will likely be very popular (well outside this site).

The larger iMac (iMac Pro?) will likely be thicker and I would not be surprised if it has the same design as the XDR screen. A panel with lower power draw will allow for a decent "M" chip to be put into the the same package as the current XDR screen which is fairly well ventilated.
 
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