Category: Mac

The rumored specs of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

Apple has confirmed that its next major product showcase will take place on September 9. Titled ‘It’s Glowtime’, the event will almost certainly bring official news of the iPhone 16 lineup, which we expect to include the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

We reckon we’re not the only ones looking forward to seeing the official specs of Apple’s highest-end smartphones, as the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max were the two best-selling smartphones worldwide in 2023.

If, as we predict, resource-heavy AI in the form of Apple Intelligence lands on the iPhone soon, it will be crucial for Apple to ensure that its very best iPhones have the power to handle these new features.

Naturally, leaks and rumors regarding the spec sheets of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have been circulating for a while, and below, we’ve rounded up the most relevant predictions regarding Apple’s next powerhouse phones.

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Incremental internal upgrades

We expect to see some changes to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max in the chipset and storage capacity departments, but nothing as revolutionary as on the software side of things.

The new Pro iPhones will likely receive a new ‘A18 Pro’ SoC, offering a boost in performance when compared to the A17 Pro chip found in the previous generation, especially when it comes to AI.

According to Geekbench, the iPhone 15 Pro saw an 11.4% increase in single-core CPU performance and a 7.5% increase in multi-core CPU performance compared to the iPhone 14 Pro, with similar changes for the Pro Max.

If the trend continues, we can expect a small but noticeable improvement in performance for the supposed ‘A18 Pro’ – we will, of course, do our own testing once we have the new iPhones in-hand.

As for RAM, we aren’t expecting any change from last year, and one leak even specifically paired the A18 Pro with 8GB of RAM. This has raised questions over the iPhone 16 Pro’s ability to handle AI, though with the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus tipped to match the Pro models at 8GB of RAM, it could just be that Apple Intelligence is optimized for this amount of memory.

There may be a bit more movement when it comes to storage. We expect to see the same 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options present, though one leaker with a mixed record suggests a 2TB option will join the lineup.

It’s worth noting that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will likely continue to eschew the 128GB option its smaller sibling starts with, and instead come with 256GB as a minimum.

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Bigger screen, bigger battery

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will probably still sport OLED panels with a 1-120hz adaptive refresh rate (which Apple terms ‘ProMotion’), but there are some suggestions that the size of these panels could be changing.

In April, leaker Sonny Dickson shared images through X (formerly Twitter) which seemed to show prototypes of the iPhone 16 lineup, with the Pro models both measuring 0.2 inches larger than the previous generation.

This same amount – 0.2 inches – was suggested by another leak in October 2023. Other leakers suggest that part of the increase could be due to reduced bezels, which MacRumors proposed could be the thinnest ever on a smartphone.

We expect Apple will fill that larger frame with a slightly larger battery, with the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery increasing from 3,290mAh to 3,355mAh and the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery increasing from 4,422mAh to 4,676mAh.

Camera upgrades

(The iPhone 15 Pro Max Image)

In the case of the iPhone 16 Pro, this larger frame is also rumored to make room for a 5x telephoto lens inherited from the Pro Max, an improvement on the present 3x lens.

Any potential parity hinges on whether the iPhone 16 Pro Max will get the ‘super telephoto’ camera suggested by an old leak, which could finally allow Apple to challenge the 10x lenses used by Samsung and Huawei.

Other rumored iPhone 16 Pro camera upgrades include a larger sensor, a bump from 12MP to 48MP for the ultra-wide camera, a new artifact-reducing lens coating, and a ‘stacked camera’ design that could allow the capture of much more light. The front camera is unlikely to change, meaning any sharper selfies would be the product of better software or AI.

What happened at the last Apple Event?

• WWDC 2024 revealed big upgrades to iOS, macOS, wachOS and more
• Apple Intelligence is Cupertino’s push into AI
• A smarter Siri with generative AI powers
• Apple Vision Pro finally gets global launch dates

Apple’s last event was at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10, 2024. We’ve seen official updates for all of Apple’s major software platforms.

These include smarter features for iOS (and new game modes), more flexible fitness tools for macOS, and watchOS and… Errrm… Local calculator application for iPadOS 18. If you want to try out early versions of these updated operating systems, check out our guide on how to download the iOS 18 beta on your iPhone, and how to download the watchOS 11 beta on your Apple Watch.

But most notable was the release of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s big move into consumer-focused artificial intelligence; So bring AI tools and services to iphones, ipads, and Macs while keeping user data as private as possible.

With ChatGPT, Siri gains a lot of intelligence, allowing users to naturally talk to the virtual assistant and let it understand them better. On top of that, the smart Siri will be deeply integrated, allowing you to type questions into Siri and switch between voice and text by double-tapping the bottom of the screen.

When is the next Apple event or product reveal?

• Expect the iPhone 16 to debut on September 9
• The Apple Watch 10 could be revealed in the same month
• We could even see the rumored AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2

Apple has revealed that the next Apple event will take place on September 9, which is traditionally the timing when Apple reveals new iPhones. This event will start at 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm BST on September 9, 2024, which is 3am on September 10 AEST.

We expect to see the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. And we could also get a new Apple Watch, and maybe even the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2.

Expect design changes and smart software tools and features for these devices.

Best laptops 2024 tested — August top picks

The best laptops are powerful enough to handle both work and play, comfy enough to carry all day and efficient enough to ensure you won’t run out of juice when you’re in the lurch.

Acer TravelMate P6 – Best ultraportable

Pros

• Long battery life
• Light and portable
• A good price for a business laptop

Cons

• Keyboard is a tad mushy
• No NPU for future Windows AI features
• Consumer laptops deliver similar specs for a lower price

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Why we like the Acer TravelMate P6

The Acer TravelMate P6 is featherlight at just 2.65 pounds. The chassis is made of magnesium-alloy, which is a very light yet durable material. According to our review, “the ports are reinforced with additional metal brackets to hold up wear and tear.” In other words, this machine is built to last. It also has fantastic battery life, which is what you want in an ultraportable laptop. The 65 watt-hour battery lasted nearly 13 hours on a single charge–more than a full workday! This laptop offers reliable performance, too. The Acer TravelMate P6 turned in a respectable Cinebench R20 score of 3,065, which isn’t far behind the more powerful HP Pavilion Plus.

Who should buy the Acer TravelMate P6
Anyone looking for an affordable ultraportable. In addition to the featherlight form factor, it also comes with a 1080p webcam with a physical privacy shutter and a 14-inch 1200p display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The taller screen makes it easier to scroll through documents or webpages, and the 1080p webcam will make you look good on videoconferencing calls. The keyboard provides a nice typing experience, too. It even boasts white backlighting, which is perfect for typing in low light environments.

Asus Zenbook 14 OLED

Pros

• Robust build quality
• Attractive OLED touchscreen
• Good CPU and integrated GPU performance
• Outstanding battery life

Cons

• Blah design
• Keyboard isn’t memorable
• Mediocre connectivity options

Why we like the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED

The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED wowed us with its zippy CPU performance,phenomenal battery life, and attractive OLED touchscreen display. According to our review, “movies and games look realistic and vibrant” on the 1200p OLED touchscreen, although it can be difficult to use in bright environments due to the reflective surface. It also lasted 16 hours on a single charge, which is absolutely wild! That result really trumps otherwise excellent competitors like the Lenovo Slim 7 14 Gen 9 and the HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14. As for performance, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED absolutely crushed the PCMark 10 benchmark with an impressive score of 6,772. That means it’s very fast and responsive during real-world tasks like web browsing, video conferencing, and so on.

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Who should buy the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED
Anyone looking for a powerful, affordable laptop with an OLED display! It’s so much more than its OLED screen, though. The build quality is quite good and day-to-day performance is zippy. Plus, you won’t have to go looking for an outlet often thanks to the long battery life. Connectivity options are a bit limited, but that’s not unusual for a laptop in this price range. Overall, it’s a great Windows machine that hits all the right marks.

Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (2024) – Best overall

Pros

• Strong performance
• Exceptional battery life
• Wonderful typing experience

Cons

• CPU throttles under heavy loads
• No user upgrades

Why we like the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is one of the most well-rounded laptops money can buy. It offers strong performance, exceptional battery life, and a vibrant display. which is a reasonable price point considering the price to performance ratio. In fact, it performed exceptionally in PCMark 10’s benchmark, according to our review. With a PCMark 10 score of 7,061, it beat out the Acer Swift Go 14, which has similar specs to the Dell, and the more expensive Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. The Inspiron 14 Plus also lasted an impressive 17 hours on a single charge, which is definitely more than a full workday or school day. You don’t have to worry about finding a wall outlet to charge up.

Who should buy the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
Anyone looking for a really good, well-rounded laptop. In addition to the impressive performance and battery life, it also has a lovely 14-inch 1400p display. According to our review, “the display is exceedingly well suited to office work and static imagery.” It has a peak brightness level of a stunning 418 nits as well as an anti-glare coating, which means you can use this laptop in different lighting environments. It may not have the prettiest design we’ve ever seen, but its hardware capabilities and astoundingly long battery life make up for the blah aesthetics.

MacBook Air (M3)-Best Mac book

Pros

• Excellent battery life
• Great combination of price, features, and performance
• 256GB SSD is now two NAND chips, maintaining performance

Cons

• Expensive memory upgrades
• Dual external display support requires closed lid

Why we like the MacBook Air (M3)
In fact, it received high marks across the board thanks to the 8-core CPU (M3) and the 10-core GPU. It’s capable of chewing through office work as well as casual use tasks. While performance is comparable to the MacBook Pro (M3), there is one difference: the fans or lack thereof. The MacBook Air doesn’t have any fans, which results in quieter operation before heavy-duty tasks will likely put more pressure on the chip. That said, battery life is the real star of the show here. The MacBook Air (M3) breathed its last breath at the 19 hour mark, which is perfect for those with busy schedules.

Who should buy the MacBook Air (M3)
Anyone who prefers MacOS over competing operating systems. Battery life is outstanding and the laptop itself is both slim and light, weighing in at just over three pounds. The 15-inch Liquid Retina (LED) screen might be considered a step-down from the MacBook Pro’s Liquid Retina XDR (mini-LED) display, but that doesn’t mean it’s a poor screen. It still looks fantastic for day-to-day use.

FAQ

• What form factor is best for a laptop?
  The first question you should ask yourself is what kind of laptop you’re looking for. There’s traditional clamshells, 2-in-1’s, Chromebooks, and much more. The displays on convertible laptops (aka 2-in-1’s), for example, can swing around 360 degrees. This allows you to use the laptop like a tablet. They can also be propped up like a tent for viewing movies or participating in video calls. Chromebooks, on the other hand, exclusively run Google’s web-focused Chrome OS and are generally used for everyday tasks. All you need is a Gmail account and boom, you’re in. There are pros and cons to each of them. Chromebooks are affordable and generally have good battery life whereas convertibles are normally lightweight and portable.
• Do I need a big display on a laptop?
  If you’re a video editor or someone who does a lot of multimedia work, you’ll want a display that’s anywhere from 15- to 17-inches. The sweet spot is really anywhere from 13- to 14-inches, though. The bigger the display, the heavier your laptop is going to be. A 13- or 14-inch display is the best in terms of portability and value.