Aukey makes a whole range of power adapters, wireless chargers, and power banks for Apple devices, and the Omnia 65W 2-port wall chargers are some of the company’s newest offerings, able to charge the 13-inch MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air, an iPad Pro, or an iPhone or standard iPad with a USB-C to Lightning cable.
Using the aforementioned USB-C to Lightning cable, the USB-C power adapters can fast charge a compatible iPhone, providing 50 percent charge in 30 minutes. For those who have mostly USB-C devices the version with two USB-C ports (PA-B4) is a solid choice, while those that have a mix of USB-C and USB-A devices might find the version with USB-C and USB-A ports (PA-B3) more useful.
When the top USB-C port is used alone on either charger, it can output up to 65W, and when both ports are in use, it offers 45W of power for charging a laptop device.
Design wise, these are simple black power adapters that use gallium nitride (GaN) technology to keep the size compact and smaller than Apple’s standard chargers. Aukey says that the Omnia chargers are 50 percent smaller and lighter than Apple's 61W power adapter.
Each charger includes retractable prongs, making it ideal for bringing when traveling, and there’s subtle Aukey branding plus an LED light that lets you know when the power adapter is receiving power. According to Aukey, there are multiple safeguards to protect devices when charging to prevent excessive current, overheating, and overcharging.
We have five of each of the power adapters to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
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The contest will run from today (June 12) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 19. The winners will be chosen randomly on June 19 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Father's Day celebrations will be kicking off in just over a week, and ahead of the holiday a few notable companies have introduced discounts on accessories and products that could work well as gifts for anyone shopping this week. All of the deals listed in this article have already kicked off, and most of them will last until Sunday, June 21, unless otherwise stated.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Below you'll find discounts from Satechi, Moment, Nomad, August, Ring, and more. With 9 days to go until Father's Day, most orders placed today should make it in time for the 19th, but with shipping constraints still in place you may have to pay extra for priority shipping.
Powerbeats Pro
The Powerbeats Pro have been discounted to $199.95 across numerous retailers, down from an original price of $249.95. This new sale includes the latest color options of the Powerbeats Pro that just launched on Tuesday: Spring Yellow, Glacier Blue, Cloud Pink, and Lava Red.
You can also save on the previous colors including Black, Ivory, Moss, and Navy. Retailers taking part in this sale are Amazon, Apple, B&H Photo, Walmart, and Best Buy.
Lutron is offering 25 percent off the Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer accessory through June 21. This device locks light switches into the on position, and provides easy access to dimmer controls by rotating the Aurora clockwise.
You can also connect the accessory to the Philips Hue app to program it to activate a Hue scene by pressing the button on the Aurora.
On Amazon, one dimmer is available for $29.95 ($10 off) and a two-pack is available for $59.90 ($20 off). You can also visit Home Depot, Lowe's, and Best Buy for the Father's Day discount.
Moment
Moment and its sister brands are offering up to 60 percent off iPhone camera lenses, drones, smartphone cases, gimbals, and more. These accessories come from brands like Moment, DJI, Nomad, and more.
Many of these accessories have been automatically discounted in the Moment sale, and if you spend over $150 you can take an extra $15 off with code DAD15. Additionally, if you spend over $250 you can take an extra $30 off with code DAD30.
Best Buy
Best Buy's "Dads & Grads" sale is offering solid discounts on the HomePod, Powerbeats Pro, Mac notebooks, and some related accessories.
Nomad is offering 20% off sitewide when using the coupon code DADSNGRADS through Sunday, June 21. Nomad offers a variety of accessories for Apple products, like Apple Watch bands, iPhone cases, wireless chargers, and more.
You can also save up to 30% off across a number of brands related to Nomad, including Ombras sunglasses, Kammok outdoor gear, and more.
August
At August, you can bundle and save 20 percent with the August Smart Lock + Connect with Keypad. This accessory is available for $207.99 with code GIFTDAD, down from $259.99.
The August Smart Lock allows you to control the locks on your doors via your smartphone or Apple Watch. The additional Smart Keypad lets you create custom entry codes for guests.
The Smart Lock Pro + Connect is available for $229.99 with code LOCKPRO50, down from $279.99. More deals will be emerging on August's website ahead of Father's Day, so be sure to browse every discount before they expire on June 22.
Ring
The new Ring Video Doorbell 3 is on sale for $149.99, down from $199.99 through June 21. This is Ring's latest smart doorbell accessory, and it includes improved motion detection and enhanced Wi-Fi, allowing you to check who's at your front door from your smartphone.
The Video Doorbell Pro is also on sale, marked down to $189.00 from $249.00 through July 6. To enhance your Ring home security system, you can also browse various Ring Security Kits and Alarm Bundles for up to $50 off.
Miscellaneous
B&H Photo - Save on headphones, smartwatches, tablets, and more.
Fudge, a leaker who goes by @choco_bit on Twitter, often shares details on upcoming Apple products. With Apple's Arm-based Macs that use custom-made chips on the horizon, Fudge today shared some of his thoughts on how, why, and when Apple will roll out Arm-based Macs, including some speculation on how apps, Boot Camp, and other features might be impacted.
Apple has been following a multi-step approach to the rollout of Arm-based Macs, which began in 2016 with the inclusion of the T1 coprocessor in the MacBook Pro, which was later updated to the T2 coprocessor. These chips, which are Arm-based and Apple-designed, manage important security and controller functions and have served as important steps in the transition to a machine fully powered by Arm chips.
Unification between iOS and macOS is also something that Apple has been working towards with its Mac Catalyst project. Apple isn't merging iOS and macOS, but it is aiming for a system that will allow developers to create a single app that will work on all platforms, and its own custom Arm-based chips will further facilitate that goal.
Fudge outlines how Apple used the T1 and T2 chips and its software unification initiatives to prepare for a Mac with an Apple-designed processor, but perhaps the most interesting part of Fudge's narrative is his speculation about Apple's next step and what form it will take.
Based on tidbits from supply chain sources, Fudge believes that Apple could revive its now-discontinued MacBook, with a new 12-inch model unveiled as the first Mac with an Apple-designed Arm-based chip. Though hard to believe, he suggests that Apple could even perhaps revive the butterfly keyboard for the machine.
There are rumors that Apple is still working internally to perfect the infamous Butterfly keyboard, and there are also signs that Apple is developing an A14x based processors with 8-12 cores designed specifically for use as the primary processor in a Mac. It makes sense that this model could see the return of the Butterfly keyboard, considering how thin and light it is intended to be, and using an A14x processor would make it will be a very capable, very portable machine, and should give customers a good taste of what is to come.
The 12-inch MacBook could look the same as the retired version, and Fudge says it's unclear if there will be design changes. There could be 5G connectivity though, and we have heard rumors about Apple bringing cellular connectivity to Macs in some form.
Rumors have suggested that Apple's eventual goal is to use its Arm-based custom-designed chips in its entire Mac lineup. Bloomberg has said that Apple is currently developing at least three Mac processors that are based on the 5-nanometer A14 chip that will be used in the upcoming iPhone 12 models.
At least one of the three processors is said to be much faster than the A-series chips in iPhones and iPads, and the first Mac processors will have 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores. Apple is also working on a second generation of Mac processors based on the future 3-nanometer A15 chip.
Moving away from Intel chips has many benefits for Apple, including being untethered from Intel's unreliable release schedule. With its custom-designed chips, Apple can update Macs on its own internal timeline, and, as Fudge points out, with greater technology enhancements than Intel has been able to make.
Arm-based chips will offer many advantages over Intel-based Macs, in addition to allowing Apple to cut ties with Intel. The chips are expected to feature faster performance and reduced power consumption for better battery efficiency, and Bloomberg says internal testing has shown significant gains in graphics performance and apps using artificial intelligence.
Apple's transition away from Intel's chips won't be without difficulties. There's been a lot of talk about app support and potential issues. Mac App Store apps will run without changes, but apps outside of the App Store could be problematic. Fudge outlines multiple ways that Apple could handle apps when transitioning to custom chips:
- Developer will need to build both x86_64 and ARM version of their app - App Bundles have supported multiple-architecture binaries since the dawn of OS X and the PowerPC transition
- Move to apps being distributed in an architecture-independent manner, as they are on the App Store. There is some software changes that are suggestive of this, such as the new architecture in dyld3.
- An x86_64 instruction decoder in silicon - very unlikely due to the significant overhead this would create in the silicon design, and potential licensing issues. (ARM, being a RISC, "reduced instruction set", has very few instructions; x86_64 has thousands)
- Server-side ahead-of-time transpilation (converting x86 code to equivalent ARM code) using Notarization submissions - Apple certainly has the compiler chops in the LLVM team to do something like this
- Outright emulation, similar to the approach that was taken in ARM releases of Windows, but received extremely poorly (limited to 32-bit apps, and very very slow)There could be other solutions in the works to fix this but I am not aware of any. This is just me speculating about some of the possibilities.
When it comes to Boot Camp, Fudge believes that because of performance issues and difficulties emulating x86_64 on Arm-based machines, Apple could abandon the functionality entirely until Windows becomes more friendly to the new architecture.
It may take some time for Apple to bring its custom chips to the full Mac lineup, but we could get a hint at what it's working on behind the scenes as soon as WWDC. Bloombergrecently said that Apple plans to announce its upcoming transition to Arm-based Macs with custom-designed chips at WWDC 2020, and that the first Arm-based Mac will be released in 2021.
As we wait for Apple's WWDC event on June 22 with the possible Arm-based Mac announcement, Fudge's full piece exploring Apple's work on custom chips and its potential future plans is worth checking out, and can be read over on Reddit.
Explore lost civilizations, undersea kingdoms, prehistoric jungles, and lands beyond imagination in side-scrolling adventure game "Little Orpheus," this week's addition to Apple Arcade on the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. The game hails from award-winning game development studio The Chinese Room, part of Sumo Digital.
From the App Store description:
Little Orpheus is a technicolor side-scrolling adventure game inspired by classic movies like Flash Gordon, Sinbad and The Land that Time Forgot. Delivered in eight bite-size, commute-friendly episodes, Little Orpheus is simple enough for casual players but rich enough for seasoned adventure fans.
If you’re a fan of old school family blockbusters, want a rollercoaster story that'll take you to the Earth’s core and beyond, or are just in some need of ideologically correct entertainment, join the most unlikely hero to hit Apple Arcade on an adventure beyond belief. With stunning visuals, brilliant acting and a world-class score, Little Orpheus is a pocket-epic you'll never forget.
"Little Orpheus" is available on the App Store with an Apple Arcade subscription. The service provides iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac users with access to over 100 games with no in-app purchases or ads for $4.99 per month.
Apple today announced that its 32 retail stores in England and one in Northern Ireland will be reopening on Monday, June 15. The company's stores in Wales and Scotland will remain closed until restrictions are eased in those countries.
In a statement shared with The Independent, Apple reiterated the safety procedures that it has implemented at its reopened stores, including temperature checks, social distancing, increased cleaning, and a limit on how many customers are allowed inside its stores at once. Apple is also requiring that all employees and customers wear a face covering while inside its stores and will provide one to customers who do not bring one.
While in-store sales will be permitted, Apple has placed an emphasis on Genius Bar service and support for the time being. Apple continues to remind customers that its products can be ordered on its website for home delivery.
Apple has reopened over 300 of its retail stores around the world — around 60 percent of its locations. In a letter to customers last month, Apple said that it looks at all available data before deciding to reopen a store, including local cases, near and long‑term trends, and guidance from national and local health officials. Apple also said that it would not rule out the possibility of closing a store again should local conditions warrant.
Apple is gearing up to launch new iMac and iPad models in the second half of this year, according to DigiTimes, casting uncertainty on whether we'll see a redesigned iMac at WWDC just 10 days from now as recently rumored.
The second half of the year begins just over a week after the WWDC keynote, so it's possible we could see an announcement there with shipping happening a bit later, but DigiTimes would likely have used a more specific timeframe than the vague "second-half 2020" if the launch were that close.
DigiTimes also lists a series of new screen sizes for various iPads and the iMac, although this appears to largely be a regurgitation of previous rumors.
Apple's new offerings for second-half 2020 are likely to include a 10.8-inch iPad Air and a 23-inch iMac device, with prospects to also release an 8.x-inch iPad mini and 12.9-inch iPad Pro with mini LED display in the first half of 2021, said the sources.
Apple is also expected to enlarge the size of 2020 iPad Air to 10.8-inch compared to the 10.2-inch one launched in 2019, said the sources, adding that volume production of the new iPad Air is to kick off in the third quarter 2020.
Major panel suppliers for the planned 10.8-inch iPad Air include LG Display, BOE Technology and Sharp, with Radiant being the sole BLU supplier, the sources added.
There has been some uncertainty about this new 10.8-inch iPad and whether it is a basic iPad or an iPad Air, and DigiTimes' report today only adds to the confusion by claiming that it is an iPad Air that will see an increase of from 10.2 inches to 10.8 inches. The iPad Air in fact has a 10.5-inch screen, while it is the entry-level iPad that has a 10.2-inch display.
Apple's HomePod has again reached its lowest-ever price of $199.99 today at Best Buy. This sale is a solid $99 discount on the original $299.00 price of the HomePod, and it's one that Best Buy has offered a few times throughout 2020.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The discount is part of Best Buy's new "Dads & Grads" sale, which includes $50 off Powerbeats Pro, up to $200 off MacBook Pro, $100 off MacBook Air, and more. There are also discounts on 4K TV sets, smart home products, and Windows laptops.
Best Buy offers free next-day delivery for most shoppers in the United States, and there are also options to pick up devices at a local store. Both the White and Space Gray color options are on sale at Best Buy.
We track the best deals on HomePod every week, so be sure to bookmark our guide if you're on the hunt for solid HomePod discounts.
Chinese display maker BOE reportedly failed to deliver the first shipment of OLED panels for Apple's so-called iPhone 12, which is expected to be released later this year. According to Korea's DDaily, the failure was down to BOE's inability to pass OLED quality control tests.
It's unclear from the Korean-language report when the tests where carried out and whether they will have any material impact on the so-called iPhone 12's production and launch. Apple was said to be "aggressively testing" flexible OLED screens made by BOE as early as August last year.
BOE is the world's top producer of large liquid crystal screens and already makes liquid crystal displays for Apple's iPads and MacBooks, but the firm has had its sights set firmly on the expanding OLED panel market, which is growing year on year.
Despite Apple's focus on diversifying its suppliers for various components in its products, Samsung Display is still expected to provide nearly 80 percent of the OLED displays used in this year's "iPhone 12" lineup.
Samsung was the exclusive display supplier for Apple's first OLED iPhone, the iPhone X back in 2017. LG came on board the following year as a second supplier, and BOE is reportedly entering Apple's supply chain for the 2020 phones as Apple goes all-OLED in its flagship lineup for the first time.
Apple plans to release four "iPhone 12" models with OLED displays in the fall, including one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. All of the devices are expected to support 5G and they may sport a new design that includes more of a flat edged metal frame like the iPad Pro or iPhone 4.
BOE has reportedly partnered with touch panel maker General Interface Solutions as both companies aim to become suppliers of the rumored 5.4-inch iPhone.
Apple has shared a new trailer on its Apple TV+ YouTube channel for upcoming documentary film "Dads," which will air this coming Father's Day, June 21.
Directed by actress Bryce Dallas Howard, the documentary is described as a "joyful exploration of contemporary fatherhood," and includes anecdotes and wisdom from celebrities like Will Smith, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, Kenan Thompson, Ken Jeong, and more, along with portraits of non-celebrity dads around the world.
Dads is a heartfelt and humorous documentary that celebrates the joys and challenges of parenting in today's world. Featuring six extraordinary fathers from across the globe, this film offers a firsthand glimpse into the trials and tribulations of modern-day parenting through revealing interviews, rare home-movie footage, viral videos, and hilarious and thoughtful testimonials from some of Hollywood's funniest celebrities, including Judd Apatow, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, Ron Howard, Ken Jeong, Jimmy Kimmel, Hasan Minhaj, Conan O'Brien, Patton Oswalt, Will Smith and more.
Apple TV+ can be accessed through the TV app on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, Mac, select Samsung and LG smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, as well as online at tv.apple.com.
In addition to regular public transport information, Apple now highlights several regions in which transit information is displayed in real time. These include the whole of Canada, England, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden and Wales, as well as 32 metropolitan regions in Australia, China, and the United States.
Meanwhile, support for Apple's "Nearby" feature has been expanded and is now available in the following 31 countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Macau, Mexico, Montserrat, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.
Turn-by-turn navigation now also covers Aland Islands, Anguilla, Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Greece, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Palestinian Territories, St. Barth, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands and Uruguay.
Elsewhere, Apple has added 45 more airports where indoor maps are available, including Madrid, Prague, and Istanbul airport. Apple has also listed the 10 U.S. cities where Look Around is available: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Oahu, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington.
In many of cases, these features have been available in the listed locations for a few weeks, but Apple is often slow to confirm with updates to its Feature Availability page.
Apple could bring the iPad Pro's Magic Keyboard to additional iPad models, or at least that's the suggestion from increasingly reliable Twitter account L0vetodream.
The Magic Keyboard is available for Apple's latest 11-inch and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It's also backwards compatible with both of Apple's 2018 iPad Pro models, the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) and the iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation), but currently that's as far as it goes.
The leaker didn't name any iPad models, but Apple is rumored to be working on a new iPad Air that's based on the 11-inch iPad Pro, which could be a candidate to get a Magic Keyboard.
According to one report, the fourth-generation iPad Air may be equipped with a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port. Apple transitioned to USB-C for its iPad Pro models in 2018, but other iPads have continued to feature a Lightning port for charging purposes.
Rumors earlier this year suggested that Apple is working on an 11-inch iPad Air, which could launch in the second half of 2020. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuorecently said that Apple is working on a 10.8-inch iPad, and while he didn't say it was an "Air" model, it fits in with other rumors about a new iPad Air.
An earlier rumor from L0vetodream has indicated the upcoming iPad Air could feature a mini-LED display with an under-display version of Touch ID instead of Face ID, but we've yet to hear the same from other sources.
in my dream Magic keyboard not only for the iPad Pro
— 有没有搞措 (@L0vetodream) June 11, 2020
The Magic Keyboard attaches magnetically to iPad Pro and includes a floating design that works on either a lap or a desk, and an integrated trackpad for controlling an onscreen pointer, which allows users to enhance their workflows.
It features USB-C pass-through charging and cantilevered hinges for smooth adjustments of the viewing angle up to 130 degrees, including a full-size keyboard with backlit keys and a scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm travel.
When Apple unveiled new iPad Pro models and the Magic Keyboard with trackpad, Logitech also introduced keyboard cases with trackpads designed for the 10.2-inch 7th-generation iPad and the 10.5-inch iPad Air. If there's any substance to the latest rumor, they could soon have some competition from Apple.
Apple today shared the first trailer for "Greyhound," a WWII movie that stars Tom Hanks as George Krause, a career naval officer given command of Navy destroyer Greyhound in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Inspired by real events, Captain Ernest Krause (Tom Hanks) leads an international convoy of 37 ships on a treacherous mission across The Atlantic to deliver thousands of soldiers and much-needed supplies to Allied forces. Stephen Graham, Rob Morgan, and Elisabeth Shue star alongside Hanks. The Apple Original film was directed by Aaron Schneider and produced by Gary Goetzman.
"Greyhound" will premiere in the Apple TV app on Friday, July 10. "Greyhound" was originally meant to be released by Sony Pictures on Father's Day, but it was picked up by Apple amid the ongoing health crisis and will instead see a streaming launch before it comes to theaters.
Apple TV+ has few films at the current time, offering up "The Banker," "Hala," and "The Elephant Queen," but "Greyhound" will be its biggest release to date and the first time a major Tom Hanks movie has been released through a streaming service rather than in theaters.
Apple paid Sony $70 million for 15 years of streaming rights for "Greyhound," but Sony retains the right to distribute the movie in China, where it could see a theatrical release.
Apple TV+ provides original movies and TV shows for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, plus there's a free year of service for those who have recently purchased an Apple device. For those who don't qualify for the free year, Apple offers a one-week free trial. Check out our step-by-step instructions for getting up and running from various devices.
Most iPhone users will be aware of their device's built-in calculator, but not everyone will know some of the tricks that you can perform with the app that can save you time. Here are some of our favorite tips.
It's a common misconception that if you type the wrong number into the Calculator app, you have to start the whole sum all over again. Happily, that isn't the case: Simply swipe right or left with a finger across the number display to remove the last number you typed, and repeat the action if necessary to remove several numbers.
2. Scientific calculator
The default calculator app includes a built-in scientific calculator that you can use to perform logarithms, square roots, trigonometric calculations, and more advanced math equations.
To access the scientific calculator, simply rotate your iPhone to landscape mode. If it's not showing up, make sure the portrait orientation lock is disabled in Control Center. To switch back to the regular calculator, rotate your phone to portrait mode.
3. Copy and Paste
You don't need to memorize the results of your calculations to input them into other apps. Use the clipboard functions instead - just long press on the number field to copy or paste the result.
4. Copy Last Result
If you've switched to another app, you can still quickly paste the last figure that you calculated without returning to the calculator to copy it.
Using either a swipe up or a swipe down, launch the Control Center on your iPhone, then long press the Calculator button, and you'll see a handy option to Copy Last Result.
5. Spotlight Calculations
Did you know that calculator functions are built into Spotlight Search on your iPhone?
Simply swipe down from the Home screen to bring up Spotlight, and you can perform basic calculations by typing them directly into the Search field at the top of the screen without having to open the Calculator app.
Belkin is known for its range of iPhone accessories that include wireless chargers, and one of the company's latest offerings is unique because it pairs wireless charging functionality with a home speaker.
The SoundForm Elite Smart Speaker + Wireless Charger, which is priced at $300, was released in May, and while it's something of a niche product because of its price point, it may fill a void for those who are looking for devices that have a range of functions.
Design wise, the speaker looks a little bit like a HomePod with the top cut off, though it's wider than the HomePod. It has the same rounded body shape with an angled top area that's designed to fit a smartphone for wireless charging purposes. I have an iPhone 11 Pro Max and it fit well, but any size iPhone will work here.
I was concerned that the speaker would look unfinished without a smartphone charging on it, but the angled smartphone charging platform looks like a deliberate design decision. The speaker is covered in a mesh fabric, but it's clothlike and has give, so it almost feels more like a sleeve than a part of the speaker.
The mesh fits tightly over the body of the speaker, but I'm concerned the fabric texture could rip or tear if any accidental damage occurs, especially since this is a speaker that's meant to be in hand's reach for the charging platform.
As with the HomePod, the speaker is available in either black or white, and my test version is black. There are touch controls on the top for activating Bluetooth, changing the volume, playing/pausing music, or turning off the microphone (and thus preventing Google Assistant from listening), but I wish these buttons had some texture because they're hard to find without looking at the speaker. The icons are also a little bit light in color and difficult to see in lower lighting.
A small light on the wireless charging pad lets you know when your smartphone is charging, and there are a series of LEDs on the front that shine through the fabric cover to give you a visual on when Google Assistant is interacting with you.
The wireless charger is 10W, so it's able to charge an iPhone at the maximum 7.5W speed, and I appreciated the design of the wireless charger and how easy it was to drop my iPhone and go.
This is a smart speaker, and setting it up requires the Google Home app on an iPhone or Android smartphone. I'm not a Google Assistant user and I have no other Google devices in my home. I suspect that's going to be the case for many who are in the Apple ecosystem, so right off the bat, this limitation is something to be aware of.
To get the speaker working, I downloaded the Google Home app, which detected it right away. Since I don't have a Google Home setup, I had to walk through the steps of adding a home and giving Google my location (the location bit is skippable, but will prevent accurate weather and directional information). After the home setup, something went wrong, and I could not for the life of me get the speaker added to Google Home.
Resetting and trying again solved the problem, but then I ran into another issue with the speaker being unable to play music from my chosen music source until I turned on Web & App Activity. All in all, it was a frustrating setup experience, and I'm not a fan of all of the permissions I had to enable, but that won't come as a surprise to those who already have a Google setup. It's worth noting again that the microphone does mute, so you can prevent the speaker from listening if desired.
With Google Assistant, the speaker can play music automatically when asked from these linked services: YouTube Music, Google Play Music, Spotify, Pandora, and Deezer, with a default able to be set in the Google Home app. Missing here is Apple Music, which is the music service that I subscribe to.
The only way for me to play Apple Music to the SoundForm Elite Smart Speaker is by connecting it to my phone using Bluetooth. There's no AirPlay 2 support, so no way to play it using WiFi.
Google Assistant is capable of all kinds of other things in addition to playing music, such as answering queries, translating, providing weather information, adjusting volume, controlling linked smart home products, providing daily news, setting timers, setting up music routines, broadcasting voice messages, and more.
Depending on the level of access you give Google and the smartphone you're using, it can also make phone calls, access your calendar, set reminders, send messages, add items to a shopping list, and more. I'm not going to get deep into what Google Assistant does, but suffice it to say that the Belkin SoundForm Elite does what other Google Home-compatible speakers are able to do.
Belkin designed the SoundForm Elite in partnership with Devialet, a well-known high-end speaker company that offers a range of speakers that cost thousands of dollars, which is definitely going to catch the attention of Devialet fans.
Belkin says it's using several Devialet technologies, including Devialet's acoustic architecture, Speaker Active Matching technology for high-fidelity sound in any size factor, and "Push-Push" woofer architecture for powerful bass without vibration, which is good since this is a wireless charger and you don't want your phone bouncing all over the place.
I don't have a Devialet speaker to compare the SoundForm Elite to, but for the size of the speaker, it was very bass heavy, more than I prefer, in fact. Those who like a deep, rich bass are likely to appreciate this speaker. Vocals were clear and the highs came through, but I thought the mids left something to be desired on the default settings. Luckily there are equalizer settings available in the Google Home app so sound can be adjusted to personal preference.
Most of my music listening is done on the HomePod, so comparatively, the SoundForm Elite had deeper bass, but both sounded comparable. I had no complaints with the sound coming from the SoundForm Elite, and I think for its size and its price, it's putting out some great sound.
It's loud enough that it's able to fill a room with sound, provided the room isn't super large, and even at high volumes, the music is unmuddled. I'm not an audiophile by any means, I'm not an expert on sound quality, and music preference is subjective, so I definitely recommend reading multiple reviews to get a fuller picture of what the Devialet tech in this speaker is capable of.
Note that my testing was done using Apple Music on the HomePod and Spotify on the SoundForm Elite rather than using Apple Music over Bluetooth and risking poorer sound due to compression. Streaming directly from Spotify did seem to sound just a bit better than using Bluetooth, which is something to keep in mind if you don't plan to use the smart features.
Bottom Line
If you're in Apple's ecosystem and use Apple Music and Siri, the Belkin SoundForm Elite Hi-Fi Smart Speaker and Wireless Charger isn't going to be worth the purchase because it's just not set up for Apple's devices and services. It doesn't work with Apple Music except over Bluetooth, there is no AirPlay 2 support, and it isn't HomeKit compatible.
If you have a mix of Apple and Android devices and also have a Google Home setup, it's a different story. In that situation, it's a solid speaker that offers high-quality Devialet sound at a reasonable price, and provides all the bells and whistles you get with Google Assistant integration. And to top it all off, there's a handy wireless charger, making the speaker a versatile and useful desktop companion.
Note: Belkin provided MacRumors with a SoundForm Elite Hi-Fi Smart Speaker and Wireless Charger for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced four years ago in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 108 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Web Inspector, Accessibility, Web API, CSS, JavaScript, Scrolling, Rendering, Async Clipboard API, Web Animations, and Media.
The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS Mojave and macOS Catalina, the newest version of the Mac operating system that was released in October 2019.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
MacRumors and Zagg have partnered up again to offer our readers a 30 percent off coupon code across Zagg's family of brands. In total, this includes Zagg, Mophie, Braven, Invisible Shield, iFrogz, Gear4, and Halo.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Zagg. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
To get the discount, head to Zagg's website, browse for an item, add it to your cart, and when you do you'll notice a pop-up on the right where you can view your cart. Here you can enter the promo code MACRUMORS30 and click apply to see the 30 percent discount taken off the item in your cart.
This coupon code will not work on items that have already been discounted, and can only be applied to regularly priced products. The code can be used for the rest of the month, so you'll have until Tuesday, June 30 before it expires.
Mophie and the rest of Zagg's brands have a wide variety of useful accessories for Apple products, including battery cases, Lightning and USB-C cables, Bluetooth headphones and speakers, and screen protectors. On Invisible Shield, this even includes antibacterial screen protectors and disinfecting wipes for your iPhone and iPad.
Apple CEO Tim Cook today took to Twitter to announce Apple's Racial Equity and Justice initiative, with a $100 million commitment.
The effort will be led by Apple's vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, Lisa Jackson.
Beginning in the United States and expanding globally over time, the initiative will challenge the systemic barriers to opportunity and dignity that exist for communities of color and particularly for the black community with special focus on issues of education, economic equality and criminal justice reform.
Cook says the initiative will build on Apple's existing work in the racial justice space, significantly broadening its scope and impact through a model that was also used for Apple's environmental efforts.
Lisa has revolutionized our environmental work by looking across the company, bringing existing teams and projects together under one umbrella, dramatically expanding those efforts and compounding and magnifying their results. We want to bring that same holistic focus and companywide scale to racial justice and breaking down barriers to opportunity across our society.
Apple says the effort will build on its work with historically black colleges, community colleges, STEM education, and underserved students and teachers, as well as forging new partnerships with organizations like the Equal Justice Initiative.
The unfinished work of racial justice and equality call us all to account. Things must change, and Apple's committed to being a force for that change. Today, I'm proud to announce Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, with a $100 million commitment. pic.twitter.com/AoYafq2xlp
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 11, 2020
Apple is announcing a new developer entrepreneurial camp for black developers ahead of WWDC 2020. In the supply chain, Apple is also committing to increasing its spending with black owned partners and increasing representation across companies it does business with.
Fighting for equality and justice for my community has driven my career as an environmentalist. I’ll continue the work leading Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative. #BlackLivesMatterhttps://t.co/JKuaQP3I2r
— Lisa P. Jackson (@lisapjackson) June 11, 2020
Cook says that within Apple, "significant new steps" toward diversity and inclusion will be made because there is more "we can and must do to hire, develop, and support those from underrepresented groups."
This is a comprehensive effort governed by three principles: representation, inclusion, and accountability. I think accountability deserves special attention. Whether it is at Apple or anywhere else in society, the burden of change must not fall on those who are underrepresented. It falls heaviest on those in positions of power, leadership, and influence to change structures for the greater good.
Our commitment is to meet this challenge. Listening, learning, and acting collaboratively. Apple has never shied away from tough conversations about tough topics. In fact, they're the only way we make progress and that is still true today. We will do our part, and I want to send our gratitude to everyone who is pushing needed changes forward in their communities. Thank you.
Apple already maintains an inclusion and diversity website and shares regular updates on its efforts to diversify its workforce, push pay equity, and work with underserved communities to empower students and educators.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple today shared details on the schedule for its upcoming WWDC 2020 event, which is set to take place in a digital only capacity for the first time. Though digital, Apple says that this year's event will be the "biggest WWDC to date," as all developers are able to attend for free.
The WWDC Keynote event will take place on Monday, June 22 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and it will be streamed directly from Apple Park. Developers and Apple users will be able to watch on Apple.com, the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube.
A Platforms State of the Union, which is designed to provide developers with a deeper look into the newest updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS, will take place on June 22 at 2:00 p.m. and it will be available in the Apple Developer app and the Apple Developer website.
From June 23 to June 26, Apple plans to hold more than 100 technical and design-focused engineering sessions, with new videos posted each day at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time in the Apple Developer app and the Apple Developer website.
Apple is unveiling all new Apple Developer Forums on June 18, wihch will connect the developer community with over 1,000 Apple engineers who will be able to answer questions and engage in technical discussions. On the first day of WWDC, anyone can search and view the forum discussions, and Apple Developer Program members can post their own questions.
Apple is also hosting one-on-one developer labs from June 23 to June 26, with developers able to request an appointment with an Apple engineer for technical guidance and in-depth details on how to implement new features. For students who entered the Swift Student Challenge this year, Apple plans to announce the finalists on June 16.
Apple recommends that all developers download the Apple Developer app, as Apple plans to share additional WWDC 2020 information ahead of June 22.
For those unable to watch Apple's livestream, MacRumors will provide live coverage of the keynote on the MacRumors website and through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account, plus we'll have in-depth coverage of all of Apple's announcements throughout the week.
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Apple today 
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