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apple

Apple Officially Retires Lighting Charger for iPhones To Adopt USB-C Charging

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With the announcement of the iPhone 15 at Apple’s annual keynote conference, the company announced that they are officially retiring the iPhone’s lightning charger to adopt the USB-C charging technology that it has for its other devices.

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ipad

Apple Gearing Up For ‘Major iPad Pro Revamp’ For 2024

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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman’s recent report in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Apple is preparing for a “major iPad Pro revamp” for next year after years of minor revisions and adjustments to the company’s tablet sector. 

Gurman reported that 2024 will be a “light year” for the new iPad lineup, while this year will likely see no major updates for the iPad Pro, as well as the entry-level iPad, iPad mini, and the iPad Air. 

In 2024, however, Gurman reports that Apple “is readying a major revamp for the iPad Pro” specifically that will likely debut in the spring. Gurman is expecting an updated design to the tablet, as well as display upgrades involving an OLED display for the first time. 

“I don’t see any major updates coming in 2023 to the entry-level models, the iPad mini or the Air. The iPad Pro for sure isn’t getting anything of note this year. Instead, look for a major iPad Pro revamp next spring, complete with an updated design and OLED screens for the first time.”

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Apple is likely going to focus on upgraded releases of their other popular devices, such as the iPhone and various Macbook lineups, within this year and leave the major iPad upgrades to next year. 

Other reports have indicated that the newest upgrade to the iPad Pro could use a glass backing instead of the current aluminum unibody design. 

Glass backing to the iPad would be in line with the current line of iPhones that also have a glass backing design. MagSafe charging similar to current iPhone models will also likely be implemented in the new design. 

Tech Analyst Ross Youngalso recently reported that the first iPad Pro with an OLED display is on track to be released in 2024 as well as an upgraded Macbook Air model with the same display. 

It’s unclear whether or not Apple will also update the size options for the iPad Pro, but there have been reports that the company is considering a potential 14 inch display, as well as a potential whopping 16 inch display option. 

Additional tech leaks are likely to occur between now and the anticipated spring 2024 launch time, for now, however, the tech blogs and experts are anxiously awaiting what new information will be revealed regarding the future of the iPad, and Apple as a whole. 

macbook

Apple Is Reportedly Bringing Touchscreens to MacBooks As Early As 2025

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According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is working on adding OLED touchscreens to MacBooks as early as 2025. In the past, the Cupertino company refrained from adding the feature to its MacBook product line, even as its competitors widely embraced the tablet-computer model.

Bloomberg released the report on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Apple has added touchscreens to its other products, such as phones, tablets and smartwatches. However, many Apple execs did not support adding the capability to its MacBook line.

At a 2010 apple event, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs expressed that he found the concept of a laptop with a touchscreen tiring for a user.

“We’ve done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn’t work. Touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical. It gives a great demo, but after a short period, you start to fatigue, and after an extended period, your arm wants to fall off. It doesn’t work; it’s ergonomically terrible.“

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In 2012, his successor as CEO, Tim Cook, ridiculed Microsoft for merging its tablets and laptops, comparing the move to fusing a toaster and a refrigerator.

In 2021, Apple hardware engineering SVP John Ternus said that the company made the “world’s best touch computer on an iPad.”

“It’s totally optimized for that. And the Mac is totally optimized for indirect input. We haven’t really felt a reason to change that.”

Even while it’s unclear whether Apple will release the touchscreen laptop, doing so would help the company meet the changing needs of its customers and boost sales of its Mac computers.

Apple’s defiance of its co-founder’s vision is likely due to the increasing number of competitors providing touchscreen laptops, including Dell, Lenovo, HP, Samsung and Microsoft. 

Tablet and laptop customers can find what they are looking for in several of these brands’ laptops thanks to their 360-degree hinges and multipurpose features.

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Apple had reservations that adding touchscreens to its Mac product line may cut into iPad sales, which declined in previous years.

However, Bloomberg reports that laptop sales have brought in more revenue. Therefore, it is not surprising that Apple has decided to use touchscreens. Interest in Apple computers has been growing due to Apple’s inclusion of its new in-house processor that improved battery life and performance. MacBook revenue increased 14% in Apple’s 2022 fiscal year to $40.1 billion. 

David McQueen, research director at ABI Research, commented that the distinction between high-end iPads and MacBooks is becoming increasingly hazy thanks to new chips, battery life, and thinner designs. 

By using an Apple Pencil with a 12.9-inch iPad Pro attached to a Magic Keyboard, there is “not much to tell it apart from a laptop experience,” according to McQueen.

“The market has embraced 2-in-1 laptop-tablet hybrids, and maybe now Apple sees the rationale for also adding one to its armory.”

iOS 14

New iOS 14 Features iPhone Users May Not Know About Yet 

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Now that Apple has released their much anticipated iOS software update for their mobile devices, iPhone and iPad users everywhere are taking advantage of all the new features and layout changes that came with it. There’s often so many new features that come along with these annual updates that tech lovers can sometimes overlook some of them, so here’s a list of some of the more unique and unknown ones: 

Setting Your Default Email/Web Browser: After years of complaints from users that they cant change their default search engine on their device, Apple has finally decided to let them not only delete the standard ‘Mail’ and ‘Safari’ apps from their devices, but assign their own defaults as well. Users simply open settings and scroll to the bottom where it lists every installed app on your device. Find the mail or Safari app and tap on it, here’ you’ll see them listed as the “Default” browser or email app. Once there you can select and choose your own!

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Getting Rid Of App Home screens: If you’re the type of person who puts every app that they rarely use on a specific page, tucked away, now you can literally hide the entire page from your device’s main set up. Just long-press a single area of your home screen to trigger the new “edit mode,” which will then allow you to tap on the page indicator and remove the page itself. This will not delete the apps on those pages, but will instead move them into the App library where they’re more hidden. 

Searching The Emoji Keyboard: Emoji’s are arguably the most popular keyboard shortcuts available on any device, and now, users can finally search for which emoji they want at any given moment instead of having to endlessly scroll through general categories to find one. All you have to do is launch the emoji keyboard like you normally would and you’ll now find a search bar at the top of the keyboard!

Hidden Photo’s Get A Much Needed Security Update: Previously, if you were to select any number of photos to be “hidden” away from your Photos App’s main page, the photos were simply moved to a hidden folder on the app that practically anyone could go to and click on. With iOS 14, Apple has now added an option to hide the hidden album completely. Users can go into Settings, Photos and then make sure the Hidden Album is switched to “off.” Once this setting is activated, users can only access the pictures in that album if they go back into settings and turn the switch on. 

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Picture In Picture: iPhone users can finally take advantage of Picture In Picture viewing, a setting that was previously only available on the iPad. Now users can make FaceTime calls while replying to emails or text messages without that blurred “Paused” window appearing to the other users. This feature also allows for individuals to continue to watch YouTube videos or TV Shows while scrolling through social media. 

Faux Eye Contact In FaceTime: With iOS 14, users who are facetiming will be able to give their friends/family/loved ones the illusion that they’re looking right at them when they’re looking directly at their screen. It’s one of the more subtle features of the update, but nonetheless, many are excited to see how it looks to make “eye contact” with the people they’re talking to as if they were in person. 

Back Tap: A new accessibility feature now allows users to trigger certain system functions by tapping on the back of their phone. By going into Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap, users can select the amount of taps they want to use and the action they want to initiate. These actions include triggering the Control Center to appear, launching Siri, taking a screenshot, and more!

What Apple Fans Are Expecting For The Next iPad Pro

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Apple recently announced the launch of the next generation for the iPad Pro in March, however, Apple fanatics are already predicting what they’re expecting from the next revision. Apple is fairly cyclical when it comes to their device releases. Depending on the device they typically have a soft update of everything in the winter/beginning of spring months of the year; “soft update” meaning more internalized upgrades that help the device run better. 

Apple’s September Keynote event is when the larger upgraded devices are announced, normally,  hence why fans are already anticipating the next iPad launch, as that upgrade is likely to be a lot more extensive. 

The iPad Pro upgrade in March gave the device a brand new camera system that is similar to that on the iPhone, and a new Magic Keyboard, which is compatible with some older iPad models as well. As previously stated, the main updates to the device were internal, the Pro now has an A12Z Bionic processor and 6GB of RAM.

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One of the biggest changes that will be expected of the next generation iPad will be an improvement in the screen quality. Fans are expecting Apple to upgrade the way they use mini LED’s in the screen in order to improve the display quality and give the device a longer battery life (as it will have to work less to display more quality images). 

Right now all iPads use one large black-light screen that engulfs the entire device. Mini LED displays would be made up of smaller “dimming zones” that can be turned on and off individually depending on what’s being displayed on the screen; in terms of color and image resolution. Mini LED’s would also allow Apple to reach a wider color gradient, which is fairly impressive considering they already have such an advanced spectrum of colors for their displays. 

For the next generation of iPad Pro’s, fans are expecting that Apple will finally give 5G connectivity to the tablets. The newest generations of iPhone are expected to also adopt 5G technology, so it’s likely that Apple will implement it into all of its mobile devices at the same time. 

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On the internal side, the next iPad Pro will likely contain an A14 processor chip, which is still in its early stages of manufacturing in general. The chip, like the 5G connectivity, will also be implemented into the next generations of iPhone; as you can tell, Apple is very much a “two birds one stone” company, and it’s the reason they’ve remained so successful for so long, as they always wait to release new internal upgrades unless multiple devices can also contain those upgrades. 

As of right now it’s fairly unclear how much the next generation of iPad’s will cost, however, the addition of features such as 5G and mini-LED lights, along with an extended battery life and more powerful processor will likely increase the price. The current iPad Pro models start at $799 but can cost up to $1100 depending on the model. 

Normally, as mentioned, Apple saves its bigger launches for their September Keynote, however, thanks to Covid-19 it’s unclear as to when any sort of keynote event will be able to occur again. Fans are predicting that Apple will delay the launch of all these new upgrades, along with their other devices until the beginning of 2021, so for now, only time will tell when we’ll see all these updates actually put into fruition. 

Man Reading Email on iPad

The Best iPad Apps To Have For Work And Productivity

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The digital workplace is an atmosphere that’s taking over every company in the world. The image of the average 9-5 workers desk used to be one of chaos; papers everywhere, a chunky desktop modem, thick planners stacked up, and files in every drawer. Now, that image is more so just a picture of a personal device that has the capability to fully run any given workplace obligation. Many office workers are making the transition to a tablet as their digital means of working. 

What’s so great about a device such as the iPad is the fact that you can download an app for every office need you could possibly have, and the portable nature of a tablet makes it much easier to share certain documents or emails with co-workers; you can simply get up and show them yourself. However, to make the transition to a digital workplace, one needs to know and understand the standard apps to download in order to give them the smoothest work experience. 

Emailing has been the most common office practice since the creation of the internet. In order to run your work life on a tablet, you need a solid email app that can help you organize the dozens of incoming messages you get daily, and filter out all of the spam. Apple or Yahoo Mail, for example, are two great applications that make organizing your inbox super simple. Both apps flag any mailing list items you receive and make it easy to unsubscribe from them if you so desire. In addition, you can compose multiple emails at once, multi-task through your inbox while composing (in case you need a specific reference from another message), and you can keep all your current domains and simply log-in through the third-party systems. 

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The next basic necessity you’ll need is a solid calendar app that will help organize every appointment, meeting, or lunch that you have during a given month. Fantastical 2 is a popular paid option (it runs for $9.99) that syncs up your tasks and calendar entries. It allows for simple entry and navigation, for example, you could enter “lunch with head of HR next Friday at 4” and Fantastical will automatically place that event at the proper date and time. Google Calendar is a free alternative that’s also widely popular, mainly for its social feature. Google makes it easy to sync up your appointments and events with friends, families, and co-workers so that you all can easily see when each other is most available.

An unexpected need that you should have on your device is a password protection app. There are plenty of free options that offer a password-protected space for you to store all of your accounts many passwords, however, with cyber-security being one of the largest threats in the world currently, you might want a more secure option. 1Password is a paid app ($3.99) that creates and stores all your passwords for you. Because the app creates a password for you, it automatically enters it as well when you open the specific app or website. If you’re a little skeptical, no worries, 1Password offers a 30 day free trial, so you can test how secure you feel about it for the month. 

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Depending on what specific “suite apps” your company uses, you can go one of two ways with how you want to transfer and create all of your documents on your new tablet. Microsoft’s Office 365 is a subscription based app service that offers programs like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint on your tablet, and makes them all easy to use. However, if your company is more on the Google Docs wave, have no fear, as all of the Google Suite Apps (such as Docs, Sheets, Drive) are also available in the app store and, unlike Microsoft, most of them are free. 

PDF’s are another one of those foundational aspects of any workplace. The amount of PDF documents that come in and out of our inboxes on a given day can be staggering. What can be even more staggering is how to edit and annotate these documents once we download them, especially on a tablet. PDF Expert is an app that goes beyond that of a traditional PDF reader. You can edit text and images, annotate documents, fill out forms, sign contracts, etc. It has all of your possible PDF needs in one spot and makes it easy to download them from other third-party apps. 

Finally, we have an app for one of the more popular means of office communication as of late. Slack is like Twitter and LinkedIn combined, but specified to fit your specific companies needs. The app, and service in general, allows you to easily DM your connections/co-workers, send reactions and GIF’s, and mute certain threads or channels. It’s perfect for large offices with dozens of workers. 

Making the switch to a digitized platform for your job can be tough, however, with the right apps, organizing your entire career on one device becomes just as easy as hitting send on that last email of the week.

Apple Store

Tim Cook: Building on an Almost-Superhuman Legacy

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Though he was a relatively unknown figure before Steve Jobs’ death, Cook, who considered Jobs a close friend and mentor, was nevertheless integral in the company’s success since he joined Apple in 1998.

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Wireless Charger

Wireless Charging Might Be The New Standard For Apple In 2021

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Apple is known worldwide as one of the most innovative top tier technology brands. Every year the company upgrades itself and its line-up of personal devices, a collection which seems to grow annually as well. Whether it be removing the home button from the coveted iPhones, creating a 16 inch screen for their Macbook Pro line, or creating a mini version of the iPad, Apple has never been one to hold back from an upgrade, no matter how tiny, and no matter the controversy amongst buyers. Now, after seven years of lightning cable charging, Apple may be getting rid of the port in its entirety on their mobile devices. 

The report comes from Ming-Chi Kuo, a top Apple analyst who stated that the company is looking to get rid of the charging cable and port on all of its premium iPhones by 2021. Instead, Apple will convert all of their phones to wireless charging. Any iPhone above, and including, the 8 model already has wireless charging capabilities; however, they also all still contain the lightning cable port for standard charging practices. Now, it seems as though the company is ready to keep moving into the direction of “what’s next” in terms of technology trends. 

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Apple has long been known to set the standard for the tech world in regards to what consumers want to see and use. They set a standard with their sleek and modern Airpods, and they weren’t even the first brand to come out with wireless earbuds. Additionally, they were one of the first to come out with a phone that you unlock with your fingerprint, setting a precedent for other mobile phones that you open with some sort of personal body scan such as the face, fingers, eyes, etc. They also were one of the first companies in general to create, mass produce and distribute tablet devices with their now iconic line of iPads. With all of these examples and more, Apple didn’t have to be the first to come up with the concept, but they memorialized themselves as pioneers for nearly every technology trend since its creation. 

This would also not be the first time Apple has removed some sort of input technology from its devices to most consumers dismay. A few years back the company removed all CD drives from its Macbook line, as well as standard USB ports and other input ports, to the point that now the standard Macbooks just have a port for their charger and headphones. The removal of these ports may seem like it’s to make the devices more sleek, modern, and easy to use, but the reality is it can make consumers lives’ a lot more difficult depending on what they plan on using the devices for and what additional attachments they need to buy to accommodate those plans. 

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The significant changes, however, are what arguably keep Apple relevant and in the spotlight in regards to trailblazing technological trends. While the upgrades may not always be what the public thinks they want, they keep the company heavily involved in the conversation, and the sales speak for themselves, especially when it comes to iPhones. The iPhone is Apple’s biggest source of revenue, but sales have seemed to decline within the past few quarters. That being said it makes sense that the company would want to give its most beloved product a headline-worthy upgrade. 

Kuo’s report also “estimates that Apple will release five new iPhone models next year. [He] predicts the company will release a 4.7-inch model in the first half of the year and four 5G-enabled versions — 5.4 and 6.1 inch lower end models and 6.1 and 6.7 higher end models — in the second half of the year. [His] predictions for release in the second half of 2020 echo those in a report from JP Morgan analysts released earlier last week,” (CNN).

The lightning cable was originally introduced in 2012, after Apple got rid of its then-standard 30-pin charging system. That transition shook up a lot of tech consumers when the decision was initially made, but they eventually came around, as they always do. Only time will tell how valid and to what extent this predictions and reports hold up, but if there’s one thing we all can agree upon, it’s that we all will be talking about when the time does come. 

Cyber Monday

Top 5 Best Cyber Monday Deals for 2019

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In recent years, Cyber Monday has eclipsed Black Friday as one of the best days of the year for deals on all manner of products. The number of items on sale across the Internet is surely in the thousands, and it can be difficult to find the best deals. As such, this article details some of the best deals on some of the most popular products this holiday season.

1) Apple Airpods

Wireless earbuds are all the rage as of late, and for iPhone users, there’s perhaps no better option than Apple’s own Airpods. Normally $159, they can be purchased for $144 today only from Walmart. While this is not the best deal on this list, Airpods are an extremely popular gift this holiday season, and the wireless earphones are, as of this writing, currently sold out on Amazon and other retailers. Apple products rarely go on sale, so if you’re planning on giving Airpods as a gift this year, it’s a good idea to buy them today before the deal ends or they’re sold out.

2) Apple iPad

An even better deal can be found for the newest versions of Apple’s iPad, which can be purchased for up to $100 off today. The new iPad can be bought at a discount from various retailers, including Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy today. On Target’s website, the 10.2 inch 32 GB iPad is $229.99, $100 less than its usual price. If you want to buy the tablet in other colors, however, you’ll have to spend $249.99, which is still a substantial discount. Apple’s latest version of its popular tablet is its best yet, and thanks to software updates and a wide range of accessories, the iPad is a powerful mobile computer which can be had for an excellent price.

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3) Xbox One X

Video game consoles are often a great holiday gift for children and teenagers, and the most recent gaming consoles are as affordable as they’ve ever been. The Xbox One X, Microsoft’s answer to Sony’s Playstation 4 and Nintendo’s Switch, can be purchased at a $200 discount for $299 from B&H today only. The Xbox One X is an update to the Xbox One, and supports 4K and HDR output. As such, the console makes a great gift for fans of video games who want to enjoy some of the best graphics console gaming has to offer, as long as they have a TV compatible with the console’s advanced visual features.

4) Amazon Fire TV Stick

Another great entertainment option is Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, which plugs into the HDMI port on a TV and grants access to a wide variety of streaming video services, including Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and Amazon Prime Video. The Fire TV Stick is offered for $19.99, half of its usual price, on Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The Fire TV Stick transforms any HDTV into a Smart TV, and its easy-to-use interface is ideal for accessing movies and TV shows. The device’s remote even offers a voice input feature through Alexa. For just under $20, the Fire TV Stick is a great option for streamlining one’s TV-watching experience.

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5) Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

While the Apple Watch is likely the best available smartwatch for iPhone users, people who have Android phones have a plethora of options for compatible devices. Probably the best smartwatch for Android users is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, which is currently $50 off on Amazon. Both the 40mm and 44 mm sizes are on sale today, and can be purchased for $229 and $249 respectively. Though it was released just months after Samsung’s other Active smartwatch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active, this watch offers a number of improvements over its predecessor, including more accurate heart-rate sensors and a 2-day battery life. The watch works especially well with Samsung smartphones, making the watch an excellent gift for someone who has a Galaxy or Note phone.

As always, time is of the essence when shopping for deals on Cyber Monday, as the products listed here as well as countless others are likely to be sold out by the end of the day. It’s a good idea to take advantage of these deals while they last and complete your holiday shopping when you can save the most money.

Apple Store

Apple Is Thriving And It’s Not Just Because Of The New iPhone’s

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Apple is one of the world’s biggest personal device companies and with good reason. Every year Apple releases the next generation of innovation within their slew of sleek devices, and smooth software systems. However, throughout the past few years Apple has been criticized by tech experts everywhere, claiming that they rely to much on their yearly iPhone upgrades to get them through sale periods. The claims have substantial evidence to back them, as the iPhone accounts for over half of Apple’s annual sales, according to CNN. 

The criticisms also came as a response to Apple’s overall sales taking a decline in the past, however, in the past few years the brand has been introducing more and more innovations to the tech world in an attempt to rebuild its image as more than just “the iPhone company,” and they’ve been successful. Air-pods are widely accepted as the new normal for headphone technology, so much so that companies such as Google, Amazon, Beats, etc. have all released their own wireless earbuds. Additionally, Apple has released a total of three generations of Airpods, all which have done amazingly sales wise. 

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Apple has also revolutionized the way people pay for things with their creation of Apple Pay. The app on everyone’s phone that allows you to attach your debit and credit cards digitally to your wallet account, so when you go to to pay at any retailer you can simply hold your phone over where you would normally insert your card and boom! You just bought a new shirt. 

Services such as Apple Pay are a huge part of the reason that Apple’s seen an increase in revenue. Apple Care for all Apple devices offers the best protection over any of your devices and ensures that if you have any sort of damage, internally or externally, done to your device you’ll be able to get it fixed at the cheapest price possible. Apple Music has also totally replaced iTunes and the iTunes Store. With this new subscription service, that’s reaching the same popularity level as other streaming services such as Spotify, Apple device users are able to access any and all music at any time from any device. According to CNN, quarterly sales from Apple’s services grew 18%, and their service division as a whole is now worth about $50 billion, not bad for a company only known for selling their phones. 

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Apple has also been one of the first major companies to take advantage of “wearable technology.” They revolutionized the smartwatch market with their Apple Watches. As previously stated, their Airpods are also one of the most popular wireless headphones on the market. CNN reported that all of Apple’s wearable technology has seen an increase in sales of 54%, growing their wearable division to the same size as their Mac division. 

Apple has also seen a major comeback in their iPad income. Tablets have seemed to take a backseat in the world of technology, as most companies, including Apple, have just been focusing on cell phones, or tech accessories like the Apple Watch. iPad sales reportedly have increased 17% this quarter (CNN). This most likely has to do with Apple releasing many different versions of the iPad, such as the mini and pro, all built with different software’s to ensure that anyone in the market for a new tablet can find the one best fit for them. 

A spokesperson for Apple recently discussed with CNN that while the company may be known to the greater public mainly for their iPhones, that doesn’t mean that every other aspect of their company isn’t thriving just as much. Additionally, their still beating out the competition. 

“Yes, there’s only so much Apple can do to improve the iPhone, and saturation of smartphones means Apple can no longer rely on iPhone sales to grow every quarter. But the big takeaway from Apple’s most recent quarter is all that talk about how Apple can’t innovate is a bunch of bologna.”