Top Stories: New iPads Launch, Apple Previews iOS 18 Accessibility Features, and More
[[{“value”:”The new iPads are here! Following their unveiling at last week’s “Let Loose” Apple event, the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models launched this week alongside the Apple Pencil Pro and revamped Magic Keyboard, bringing the first updates to Apple’s iPad lineup in over 18 months.
This week also saw the release of iOS 17.5 and related operating system updates, while Apple previewed some clever new accessibility features coming later this year and we got an intriguing rumor about the 2025 iPhone lineup, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
Hands-On With New iPad Pro: M4 Chip, OLED Display, and More
The new iPad Pro and iPad Air models launched on Wednesday after being unveiled by Apple last week.
We shared a hands-on video for the new iPad Pro, which has several new features compared to the previous model, including a faster M4 chip, a brighter OLED display, a thinner design, the front camera and Face ID sensors moved to the landscape edge of the device, and compatibility with the redesigned Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro.
Hands-On With the New M2 iPad Air
In addition to the new M4 iPad Pro, we also picked up an M2 iPad Air in order to see what’s new with the mid-tier iPad family and shared our early thoughts in a hands-on video. The new 13-inch size option is of course the most obvious change, but the new M2 chip is a welcome spec bump and the relocated front camera is great for those who want to use their iPad in a landscape orientation.
The M2 iPad Air is at least $400 cheaper than the M4 iPad Pro, so you can save quite a bit of money while still getting a very capable device that will last you for years.
iPhone 17 Lineup Rumored to Feature All-New Slim Model Above Pro Max With ‘Major Redesign’
We’ve been hearing a few rumors about an “iPhone 17 Slim” to replace the current “Plus” model for the 2025 iPhone lineup, and this week we got additional detail on what this device might be.
According to The Information, Apple is aiming to discontinue the Plus model with the iPhone 17 lineup, and this new “Slim” model will sit at the top of the lineup above the Pro Max model. The new high-end model will feature a significant redesign that could be much thinner than current iPhone models and see changes like relocating the rear camera array to the top middle of the device from the corner where it has been since the original iPhone in 2007.
Here’s How the New iPad Pro Holds Up in Bend Tests
Given that the new iPad Pro is advertised as being the thinnest Apple product ever, it was only a matter of time before the first bend test videos for the devices surfaced on YouTube.
The new 13-inch iPad Pro has a thickness of just 5.1mm, making it slimmer than even the seventh-generation iPod nano released in 2012. Apple made internal design changes to the new iPad Pro to ensure it remains strong.
Apple Previews iOS 18 Accessibility Features, Including Eye Tracking
Ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day this week, Apple previewed many new accessibility features coming later this year with updates like iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, and visionOS 2.
Two notable features coming to the iPhone and iPad include eye tracking, and visual cues that can help to reduce motion sickness in a moving vehicle. There are also new accessibility features for CarPlay.
Apple Releases iOS 17.5 With These New Features
Apple released iOS 17.5 this week following around six weeks of beta testing, and there are a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone, such as expanded support for item tracking alerts, and a new Quartiles game for Apple News+ subscribers.
iOS 17.5 also includes 15 security patches, so make sure to update your iPhone as soon as possible to keep yourself protected from software vulnerabilities.
iPhone Emulators on the App Store: Game Boy, N64, PS1, PSP, and More
In April, Apple updated its guidelines to allow retro game emulators on the App Store, and several popular emulators have already been released for consoles like the Game Boy, Nintendo 64, original PlayStation, PlayStation Portable, SEGA Genesis, and others.
Check out our list of popular emulators available on the App Store so far for the iPhone, iPad, and/or Apple TV, including Delta, RetroArch, and more.
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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.
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