iPhone

Everything new in the iOS 14.5 Beta, including details on Apple Watch iPhone unlock

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Juli Clover, MacRumors:

Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 updates, and while the new software serves as a deadline for when app developers must comply with App Tracking Transparency rules, there are also a handful of other changes worth noting.

Follow the headline link for a detailed list of new features.

The most significant of these new features, to me, was the ability to use your Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone when Face ID is stymied by your mask.

I generally don’t install a first beta on my daily carry iPhone, but this feature pushed me to make an exception. I did the install and I have to say, this beta (at least so far) is rock solid.

If you do install the beta and want to enable Apple Watch unlock:

  • first you’ll need to install the watchOS 7.4 beta on your Apple Watch (also rock solid for me)
  • go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode
  • Scroll down to the new UNLOCK WITH APPLE WATCH section
  • Tap the Apple Watch switch
  • Make sure WiFi is enabled on your iPhone (no need to be connected to a network)

I threw on a mask and put this through it’s paces. It works really well. Kudos to the engineering team. Well done.

Apple posts Shot on iPhone 12 Pro Max, Chinese New Year film

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[VIDEO] Apple:

A Chinese New Year legend reimagined as a contemporary coming-of-age story, Shot on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Directed by Lulu Wang and created by the team behind the Golden Globe nominated film, The Farewell.

This is a lovely featurette. Make sure subtitles are enabled. And don’t miss the “Making of”. Both videos embedded in main Loop post.

Apple says iOS 14.4 fixes three security bugs ‘actively exploited’ by hackers

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Zack Whittaker, TechCrunch:

Apple has released iOS 14.4 with security fixes for three vulnerabilities, said to be under active attack by hackers.

The technology giant said in its security update pages for iOS and iPadOS 14.4 that the three bugs affecting iPhones and iPads “may have been actively exploited.” Details of the vulnerabilities are scarce, and an Apple spokesperson declined to comment beyond what’s in the advisory.

From that Apple security note:

Kernel impact: A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.

And:

WebKit impact: A remote attacker may be able to cause arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.

Note that this is an issue for both iPadOS and iOS. So update your iPhone and iPad both.

Shot on iPhone: Student films, Behind the Scenes

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[VIDEO] This short feature from Apple shows off some student films showcased by the Shot on iPhone campaign.

This “Behind the Scenes” is inspirational for folks interested in making their own movies, and continues to explore the possibilities of vertical filmmaking (think portrait mode, vs the traditional landscape mode).

Very interesting, worth watching. Video embedded in main Loop post.

Apple: Shot on iPhone 12

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Apple’s latest gallery, showing off the iPhone 12 series camera. Follow the headline link and scroll through these photos. Some beautiful work there.

A simple Shortcuts project

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If you’ve read about Shortcuts, but felt a bit overwhelmed by the learning curve, here’s a great, simple project, perfect for dipping your toes in the water.

In a nutshell:

  • Fire up the Shortcuts app on your iPhone
  • Tap the Automation tab at the bottom of the screen
  • Tap “Create Personal Automation”
  • Scroll to the bottom and tap “Charger”
  • Make sure “Is Connected” is selected
  • Tap “Next”
  • In the search field that appears (bottom of screen), type “Speak”. The action “Speak Text” should appear. Tap on it.
  • Tap the “Text” area and type some text to speak, like “Charging”
  • Tap “Next”
  • Tap to turn off “Ask Before Running”.
  • Tap “Done”

That’s it. Now plug in your iPhone and it will speak the text. Let the pranks begin!

One last note: To delete the shortcut (on the off chance that the novelty wears off), drag it to the left and tap Delete.

Apple’s new ProRAW photo format is neither pro nor RAW

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Kirk McElhearn, digging into ProRAW:

One of the key elements of raw files is that they are not demosaiced.

Demosaiced? That’s a new term for me.

From the Demosaicing Wikipedia page:

A digital image process used to reconstruct a full color image from the incomplete color samples output from an image sensor overlaid with a color filter array (CFA). It is also known as CFA interpolation or color reconstruction.

Most modern digital cameras acquire images using a single image sensor overlaid with a CFA, so demosaicing is part of the processing pipeline required to render these images into a viewable format.

Many modern digital cameras can save images in a raw format allowing the user to demosaic them using software, rather than using the camera’s built-in firmware.

OK, got it, back to Kirk:

When you open a raw file in an editing, your software processes the file, performing the demosaicing, along with some other processing, and then allows you to then proceed with other edits. Because of this, there are a number of photo editing apps that perform this demosaicing in slightly different ways; photographers choose the app they prefer according to the results (and for other editing capabilities as well).

But Apple’s ProRAW has already done this demosaicing, which means that, well, it’s not a raw file.

This is just the beginning of a long, interesting take on ProRAW. If you are into the camera side of your iPhone, this is definitely worth a read.

MKBHD: Apple removing stuff from the iPhone — Solve + Justify

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[VIDEO] Marques Brownlee walks through major iPhone removals over the years, including the home button and the 3.5mm headphone jack. This leads up to a discussion of the potential removal of the lightning port.

To add depth to the discussion, Marques brings on Mark Gurman. Don’t miss the snarky comment about MacBook Pro webcams. Great video, embedded in the main Loop post.

Rene Ritchie and Sebastiaan de With talk iPhone 12 Pro Max camera

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[VIDEO] If time is limited, jump to 4:28 to skip over the introduction and convivial conversation and get to the heart of the video (embedded in main Loop post).

This video offers a great opportunity to meet and get to know Sebastiaan de With, who is highly regarded for his camera knowledge and fantastic work on the Halide camera app. I love the opener of this segment, where Rene lays out his theory on why some reviewers see no difference between the iPhone 12 Pro camera and the 12 Pro Max camera.

Good stuff.

iPhone zero-click Wi-Fi exploit is one of the most breathtaking hacks ever

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[VIDEO] First things first, this exploit has been patched by Apple.

But what I found fascinating about this is the video, showing off the hacker doing their proof of concept thing. As you watch it (video embedded in the main Loop post), imagine being in a hotel room and the hacker being in the room next door. Frightening, no? But also good that Apple has your back here.

iPhone 12 water test: We tested it way beyond the claim

Written by

CNET:

We know the iPhone 12 can handle spills and splashes, but Apple may be downplaying just how water-resistant this phone really is. The iPhone 12’s IP68 rating means it can survive up to 19.6 feet (6 meters) of water for 30 minutes. This applies to all four iPhone 12 models: the iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. But we discovered that like its predecessor, Apple’s newest iPhone can handle a great deal more than that. Both of the iPhone 11 models far exceeded the official rating, surviving a 39-foot dive in salt water in Monterey Bay, California. This year we took a brand-new iPhone 12 for a swim in the frigid fresh water of Lake Tahoe, on the other side of the Golden State, to test it out.

This is a bit of fun, testing Apple’s iPhone 12 water resistance claims, both at 19.6 feet for 30 minutes, then much deeper for a bit longer.

Halide’s Sebastiaan de With digs deep on the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera

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If your iPhone purchases are driven by the camera, this is an excellent read. Sebastiaan lends his expertise here and shows the difference in the iPhone 12 Pro Max sensor, both in comparison to the older sensor, and in terms of what that bigger sensor means in practical terms.

In a nutshell:

Giving these sensor sites more room and making them larger makes them more sensitive to light. More light means more signal, less noise, and sharper results.

This point is backed up with images. As you scroll through, make sure you get all the way to the low light images as the sun starts setting. The lower the light, the more value the sensor brings to the table.

Apple. Details.

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Watch the video embedded below. It shows the iOS MagSafe animation when an iPhone is placed on different color MagSafe cases. Note the color of the case and the color of the animation.

Is this real? If so, that’s a great little detail. One of those things I love about Apple design.

Dear Linus…You’re wrong about the Apple M1

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[VIDEO] Jonathan Morrison fires up a reasonably high end Intel Mac and starts up a render. He then casually picks up an iPhone 12 mini and talks about the fact that the mini has Apple Silicon inside, much like the M1.

He then proceeds to thumb his way through doing the exact same render on the iPhone 12 mini. I’d be amazed if the mini (thin, tiny, no fan) could do this render at nearly the same speed.

Watch. Just watch. Video embedded in main Loop post.

Two takes worth reading on the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera

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First things first, there’s Austin Mann’s comprehensive review. Read the detailed comments, check out the images and videos. There’s a lot to process.

Don’t miss the wish list and low light shooting tips at the end of Austin’s post. And, most importantly, don’t miss the decision tree at the very end, which lays out the questions you should ask yourself before you plunk down your hard earned cash for the upgrade.

Next up, there’s Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max review: The best smartphone camera you can get, by The Verge’s Nilay Patel.

While it’s expensive, it’s not that much more expensive than the smaller iPhone 12 Pro: it’s just $100 more at every storage level, starting at $1,099 with 128GB of storage and going up to $1,399 for 512GB of storage. For that money, you get a larger display, a bigger battery, and a very different camera system. I’ll just cut to the chase and say it’s absolutely worth it over the standard 12 Pro if you can deal with the size — but it’s a lot of size. And the camera is worth exploring in depth, because there’s a lot going on.

And that says it all. Bigger sensor, better camera, more battery, bigger display, at $100 and some not insignificant pocket size/weight.

As you make your way through these reviews, think about the types of photos you take. On my end, I take a lot of photos of moving things, like cats, birds, and people. If that’s you, make sure you read the reviews with that in mind, keep your eye peeled for those sorts of examples.

If you hew more toward nature photography, I would definitely dive deep into Austin Mann’s immersive review. And if you are exploring the difference between different high-end smartphone cameras, spend some time on the slide-over shots in Nilay’s review.

PetaPixel interview: Apple reveals iPhone camera design philosophy

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PetaPixel:

Since the Pro Max marks the first time in a while that Apple changed the size of its camera sensor, PetaPixel spoke to two Apple executives who outlined the company’s vision and design philosophy behind camera development.

In an interview with Apple’s Product Line Manager, iPhone Francesca Sweet and Vice President, Camera Software Engineering Jon McCormack, both made clear that the company thinks of camera development holistically: it’s not just the sensor and lenses, but also everything from Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, to the image signal processing, to the software behind its computational photography.

This is an interesting read, especially the discussion of the new, bigger sensor in the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Hands on video of Apple MagSafe Duo charger

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[VIDEO] Looks pretty cool. I like the foldability and the popup Apple Watch feature that makes it work with the Solo Loop band. Video embedded in main Loop post.

Apple’s iPhone 12 Studio, a lot of fun to play with

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Open the headline link on your iPhone or iPad (not your Mac) and start playing. This is a great way to get a sense of all the different colors and materials, cases and finishes.

Pick an iPhone, case, wallet, customize the colors, switch ’em up. Fun.

Sort of like Apple Watch Studio, but Apple Watch Studio works on the Mac. Wonder what’s different.

Hands-on: iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe offers a compelling but tricky experience

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Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac, digs into the new MagSafe iPhone Leather Wallet.

My biggest concern is the stickiness of the wallet. If I wedge my iPhone into a tight pocket, how hard would it be to accidentally dislodge the wallet, especially with a rear pocket?

It can definitely fall off easier than you’d hope. But I think once you get used to it, you’ll be aware of how to carefully put it in your pocket (especially with tight jeans/pants etc.) so you don’t knock it off.

So awareness is key here. No worries on demagnetizing your credit cards, but know that you’ll need to pay attention when you pick up and pocket your iPhone with wallet attached.

iPhone 12 Pro and People Detection

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Lory Gil, iMore:

Coming soon to iOS 14.2, alongside iPhone 12 Pro, and soon iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple is introducing another amazing new accessibility technology that makes fantastic use of the LiDAR scanner. It’s called People Detection, and it is astounding.

And:

People Detection uses People Occlusion in ARKit and the LiDAR scanner on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, as well as the iPad Pro. The LiDAR scanner measures the distance from the device to objects within 15 feet, in real-time. Then combining this data with People Occlusion with ARKit to determine if there are any people in the field of view and then gives continuous feedback about how far away that person is.

Important distinction: The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max support People Detection, the iPhone 12 and mini do not.

Read the rest of Lory’s post for details.

From this post by Stephen Aquino:

The goal is to help the visually impaired understand their surroundings—examples include knowing how many people there are in the checkout line at the grocery store, how close one is standing to the end of the platform at the subway station, and finding an empty seat at a table.

And:

Users can set a minimum distance for alerts—say, six feet for the aforementioned social distancing—as well as having an option to use haptic feedback to deliver those notifications. There also is audible feedback; if a person is wearing one AirPod, they will be notified when they’re in close proximity of a person or whatnot. People Detection is fully compatible with VoiceOver, Apple’s screen-reader technology.

Apple’s fantastic iPhone 12 Pro movie making ad

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[VIDEO] Yeah, I love this one (video embedded in main Loop post). Makes me feel like grabbing a wheelie chair, some duct tape, and a bunch of props and making a some experimental films.

Just the feelings Apple was trying to inspire, I suspect.

New York, shot on an iPhone 12 Pro in 4K

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[VIDEO] This is just gorgeous (video embedded in main Loop post). Andy To shot the whole thing in HDR video, no external lenses, edited it on his MacBook Pro in Final Cut Pro.

Side note: If you are watching this on your Mac in Safari and not seeing the 4K option on playback, switch over to Google Chrome.

The iPhone 12, 12 Pro battery life takes a big hit over 5G

Written by

Mark Spoonauer, Tom’s Guide:

Here’s how the Tom’s Guide battery test works. It surfs the web continuously at 150 nits of screen brightness, launching a new site every 30 seconds until the battery drains. For the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, we ran this test over 5G and 4G, and the difference was pretty dramatic.

And:

The regular iPhone 12 lasted just 8 hours and 25 minutes over AT&T’s 5G network. Last year’s iPhone 11 lasted a whopping 11 hours and 16 minutes over 4G. To compare, we switched the iPhone 12 to 4G-only, and it endured for 10 hours and 23 minutes.

Follow the headline link, scroll down to the chart for the details but, in a nutshell, 5G took about 2 hours off the battery life for both the 12 and 12 Pro.

This shouldn’t stop you from buying an iPhone 12, and it shouldn’t stop you from using 5G. Just keep this in mind and plan accordingly.

Peter McKinnon: iPhone 12 Pro camera test

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[VIDEO] Peter McKinnon puts the iPhone 12 Pro camera through its paces (video embedded in main Loop post). What I loved about this video are the zoomed in focus on images to see where they shine, and even where they fall flat.

One thing Peter points out that I’ve definitely experienced is the incredible sharpness throughout an image that machine learning makes possible, even in low light. Detail that would be difficult to replicate in a DSLR.

Gruber on real-life, Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband speeds

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First things first, this entire iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro review is chock full of detail, and entertaining to boot.

But this one bit struck me:

And — I’ll repeat — holy shit is Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband fast. Using Ookla’s Speedtest app for testing, my LTE service here in Philly is generally in the range of 50-120 Mbps down, 10-20 Mbps up. Not bad. With 5G Ultra Wideband, I typically saw 1,200-1,800 Mbps down, 25-70 Mbps up. At a few spots I consistently saw 2,300-2,700 Mbps down. Wowza. Apple’s and Verizon’s advertised maximum under “ideal conditions” is 4,000 Mbps. That’s gigabit speeds in real life over a cellular network.

But:

But these mmWave coverage zones really are like Wi-Fi hotspots in terms of range. At some spots, the coverage is literally just half a city block.

And there’s the rub. How often will you be in just the right spot to take advantage of these speeds?

That said, 5G will evolve, and mmWave coverage will continue to grow. If you buy into 5G now, you’ll get the benefit of that growth over time.

The special, anti-fingerprint finish on the gold iPhone 12 Pro

Written by

Matthew Panzarino, TechCrunch:

Most of the iPhone 12 Pro finishes still use a physical vapor deposition process for edge coating. But the new gold (which I do not have in person but looks great) uses a special high-power, impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) process that lays down the coating in a super dense pattern, allowing it to be tough and super bright with a molecular structure that mimics the stainless steel underneath — making it more durable than “standard” PVD. One side effect is that it’s easier to wipe clean and takes on less fingerprints, something that my blue model was, uh, definitely prone to.

From the HiPIMS Wikipedia page:

HIPIMS has been successfully applied for the deposition of thin films in industry, particularly on cutting tools. The first HIPIMS coating units appeared on the market in 2006.

The gold version of the Apple iPhone 12 Pro uses this process on the structural stainless steel band that also serves as the device’s antenna system.

There’s nothing I can find that says Apple’s other stainless steel colors can’t take a HiPIMS finish. I asked Panzer about this, his reply:

As far as I understand it, it should be able to be used with many different coatings — it is not a gold specific thing. My guess is that gold proved difficult or had fingerprinting issues.

I’m curious about Apple’s future use of HiPIMS. Will we see it applied in more places? Is the gold iPhone 12 Pro a one-off, or a test case for future stainless iPhones, Apple Watches?