The AppAdvice tech week in review: Getting ready for Apple's 'iPad Pro'
The biggest story of the week: Details emerge about the “iPad Pro”
Last fall was dominated by Apple Watch news and the arrival of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. This year, all eyes should be on the so-called “iPad Pro,” which Apple is likely to unveil in just a few weeks.
Long rumored, the 12.9-inch device should make its debut in October and feature a resolution of 2,732 by 2,048 pixels. Other reported features on the new tablet: a Force Touch display, support for an Apple-branded stylus, and a possible USB-C connection.
Also making news: The end of “Bendgate”
In June, we reported on rumors that the next generation of the iPhone would use the same custom Series 7000 aluminum as the one used for the Apple Watch, allowing the handset’s case to be up to 60 percent harder than that of the iPhone 6. This week, a video from Unbox Therapy surfaced, which seems to confirm this:
In 2014, some early iPhone 6 Plus owners complained that their new devices were easy to bend. This led to a month-long controversy known as “Bendgate.”
Other top news stories
Here are other tech stories in the news during the past week:
Trying to stay relevant, Samsung unveiled two new handsets, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5. A few days later, the Korean company unveiled an “Ultimate Test Drive” to try to lure iPhone 6 users to come to the dark side.
AppAdvice unveiled a new column, “The Weekly Echo.” Each week, the forum will focus on the “Internet of Things.”
Sprint unveiled an “iPhone Forever” plan, which allows subscribers to lock in the ability to be eligible for an upgrade whenever a new iPhone is released.
Big app news
If you miss the ability to flip through album covers on your iOS device, consider purchasing the new TurnTable Pocket app. The iPhone only music player lets you see all of your tunes with their art, bringing some old time album-flipping to the digital world.
Other apps making news:
- What if you could share just OneMinute with the world?
- Put the pedal to the metal in Horizon Chase, a retro racer
- Power up to defeat ghosts and the Glitch in Pac-Man 256
- Paper by FiftyThree is finally coming to iPhone
- Take a chance with Dice Mage, a bite-size RPG
- Get even more cool podcasts with the new Howl Premium
Say what? Our readers weigh in on the week that was
On the news that the Apple TV has slipped to fourth place among video streaming players, Alex Corvius rightly notes:
There are two reasons why this happened.
1. Apple TV hasn’t been updated since 2012.
2. The fire TV in hackable and you can stream any channel.
Mr. Luigi remains unconvinced about the iPad Pro, explaining: “One Less Thing.”
Finally, many readers wondered whether AppAdvice should have published news about Samsung’s Ultimate Test Drive Plan. Some, like Frank A., believe the news was worth covering:
There are many users and developers here who would love to hear such opinions on a single tech. Info. hub at least for a change! We are not obliged in anyway to read all articles or to force our opinions on other readers or on the website. I read and honor what I like and ignore what I don’t. That’s freedom.
Others, like Chowdang disagreed:
Honest question: why was this article published? Seriously. There are hundreds of thousands of apps in the app store. Couldn’t this space be better served by another review of one of those apps? Or even an editorial about apps? Or, I don’t know, ADVICE about an app? What was it you hoped to achieve by publishing this article? Letting people know that they can try a Samsung phone for free? What does that have to do with App Advice? Why would you point people to a phone that doesn’t run iOS on a site about iOS apps?
What’s coming up? The week ahead
The last full week in August could see the arrival of new betas for iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan. Otherwise, it should be a quiet week, as techies trade keyboards for beaches, boats, and other tools to enjoy the last few days of summer.
What will be happening in the week ahead? Visit AppAdvice to find out.
