MacRumors

We've already seen iPad Pro reviews from media sites that Apple invited to test the tablet ahead of its release, but now that the iPad Pro has officially launched, first impressions from regular Apple customers are now available.

New iPad Pro owners on Reddit, Twitter, and the MacRumors forums have been sharing their opinions on the device, and for those considering a purchase, opinions from average consumers provide useful insight.

MacRumors reader TrueBlou shared some images of the old 12.9-inch iPad Pro next to the sleeker, slimmer 2018 12.9-inch version, providing a look at just how much smaller the new model is. He says the difference is an "incredible improvement."

It's an incredible improvement, I really cannot overstate just how much of a difference it is. It's one of my favourite things about the new iPad.

It's not just that it's smaller, lighter and thinner - which of course it is. But the combination of all of those things also changes its centre of gravity a little and it's really noticeable.

Reddit user SlightCriticism offered up a look at the 10.5-inch iPad Pro on top of the new 12.9-inch model, which gives a good idea of how much bigger the 12.9-inch model is.

He says he's ultimately going to swap the 12.9-inch model for the 11-inch because the 12.9-inch model is still too heavy for one-handed use.

I had a first gen 12.9 which was too big and sprung for the 10.5 when it came out last year. I found the original 12.9 to be too difficult to hold on the train etc but the 10.5 has been the perfect companion. I did miss the extra screen space, but its size was harming my productivity and I decided I valued that more. I really thought the size decrease of this gen was going to be the perfect solution for me, and my first impressions were positive, but after using it for a while I've found it still a bit too heavy for prolonged one-handed use. Of course this isn't the case for everyone and I'm sure a lot of people will find it a terrific size.

MacRumors reader ryuok pointed out that because the new 11-inch iPad is using a different aspect ratio, apps that are not updated have black bars on both sides. Apps will get updates eventually, but it's something to be aware of.

There are two kinds of black bars:

1) Rounded corner black bars: This is similar to the iPhone X situation, before apps are updated to accommodate the extra spaces extended by the rounded corners. This affects both the 11" model and 12.9" model.

2) Aspect ratio black bars: This only happens on 11", and it is far worse and far more notifiable than the "Rounded corner black bars". If an app is not coded to dynamically adapt to aspect ratio, you'll see horrifyingly large black bars especially in landscape mode. It's almost like seeing an iPad mini sized app, inside an 11" screen. Populars apps such as Facebook and Netflix are affected by this.

Reddit user atru22 said the new Smart Keyboard Folio takes some getting used to, but he likes it a lot more than the previous-generation keyboard. He also says the 12.9-inch model feels surprisingly small.

On the topic of the Apple Pencil, Reddit user essjay2009 said that the Pencil feels quite different in the hand and that there's more friction when using it. Charging and pairing is much improved, of course, since it just needs a magnetic attachment to the iPad Pro.

I will say that the pencil feels very different in the hand. It's a little shorter but that makes a huge difference. I always thought the gen 1 felt a little ridiculously large (length wise). This feels more like a normal pencil. The double tap feature is really nice and far more forgiving than I was expecting. I thought you'd have to tap specifically on a certain spot, but it seems to just pick up double taps pretty much anywhere reasonable.

Pairing and charging is soo much better. And that's coming from someone who didn't have any particular issue with the way the old one charged.

Reddit user dvegi also thought there's much better drag with the Apple Pencil 2 and the iPad Pro's new display.

So, just wanted to let you guys know that there is a much better drag with the Apple Pencil 2 and the iPad Pro, than before (a lot of people didn’t like how the pencil felt on glass so resorted to getting a matte screen protector— but no need with the new iPad Pro!)

Reddit user GottaDeal confirms that the new 11-inch iPad Pro on-screen keyboard has a 12.9-inch keyboard layout thanks to the extra room from the removal of the bezels. It offers up tab, caps lock, and left side shift keys, unlike the 10.5-inch iPad Pro.

MacRumors reader ninethirty wasn't a fan of the Smart Keyboard Folio, calling it a "design nightmare."

Got my 12.9 today. The iPad itself is absolutely beautiful, but the design of the smart folio keyboard is awful. It doesn't fold around as easily as the previous keyboard, it makes everything a lot thicker, and quite frankly, the materials of the folio itself feel cheap, which is a shame. But worst of all, when you fold the folio to the back of the ipad, to hold and watch a video or something, the keys are exposed on the back.

MacRumors reader largefarrva disagreed, though, saying that he likes it a lot and is impressed with the key feel.

I actually like it quite a bit. I was a bit worried that the keyboard would feel like the butterfly keyboards of the MacBooks nowadays but it doesn't at all. Hell, if the MacBooks had keys that felt like this they wouldn't be nearly as bad. Granted it is very little travel in a keystroke, but the feedback is a ton times better than the MacBook keyboards.

Have a new 2018 iPad Pro? Share your first impressions and photos in the comments below. We'll have an unboxing video and our own hands-on later today, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors for more iPad Pro coverage.

GigSky, a company that offers pay-as-you-go cellular data plans in more than 190 countries around the world, today announced that it now supports the eSIM in the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

eSIM-based GigSky data plans are available on Apple's new devices through the latest version of the GigSky World Mobile Data app, which was updated today.

Adding a GigSky data plan when traveling can be done by downloading the app on an iPhone XR, XS Max, or XS running iOS 12.1 or later. GigSky says that built-in data connectivity will activate the eSIM with a cellular data only plan with no need to acquire a GigSky physical SIM card.

GigSky offers data bundles from 300MB to 5GB, which span from one day to 30 days. Pricing in select regions in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean starts at $10 for 300MB of data. For other countries not included in these regional plans, pricing and data caps vary.

GigSky is one of the only ways for iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max customers to use the eSIM on the new iPhones at the current time.

Apple implemented eSIM support in the recent iOS 12.1 update, but no U.S. carriers support it at this time. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are working to implement support later this year.

In other countries, eSIM functionality is available from various carriers, with Apple providing a list of all the carriers around the world that support the eSIM at the current time.

Apple today announced an update for its Clips app for the iPhone and the iPad, which is adding new Selfie Scenes, additional filters, fresh posters, and new stickers, text labels, and soundtracks.

Clips, for those unfamiliar with the concept, is a video editing app designed to allow users to combine several video clips, images, and photos with voice-based titles, music, filters, and graphics to create enhanced videos that can be shared on social media sites.

Clips was released in early 2017 and has since seen several updates to add new features.

Today's update brings a total of six new Selfie Scenes, which are 360-degree backgrounds that work with devices equipped with a TrueDepth camera system. New Selfie Scenes include a rainforest, a mad scientist's lab, and a scene from "Incredibles 2."

There are three new filters, including aged film, a monochrome watercolor painting, and a black-and-white comic book, along with new posters that have themes like science, sports, and silent movies, plus content from "Coco" and "The Incredibles 2." Posters can be used as title cards for videos.

Apple has also added new stickers and text labels, plus there are 17 new royalty-free soundtracks that can be used in Clips creations.

The newly updated version of Clips is available starting today from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Clips is compatible with the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad Air and later, and the iPad mini 2 and later. Style transfer effects will require the iPhone 7 or 2017 iPad Pro or later, while Selfie Scenes require an iPhone or iPad Pro with TrueDepth Camera.

Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller and Apple chip expert Anand Shimpi, who created AnandTech, recently sat down for an interview with Ars Technica to provide a walkthrough of the A12X chip in the iPad Pro and some insight into Apple's chip development techniques.

The A12X is an 8-core chip with four performance and four efficiency cores, all of which can be active at once. The iPad Pro is the first iPad able to use so many cores simultaneously, and you're going to see major gains over the A10X when running heavily-threaded workflows, according to Shimpi.

"You typically only see this kind of performance in bigger machines--bigger machines with fans," Shimpi claimed. "You can deliver it in this 5.9 millimeter thin iPad Pro because we've built such a good, such a very efficient architecture."

The GPU in the iPad Pro is the first 7-core implementation of Apple's custom-designed GPU, Shimpi told Ars Technica. Each core is "faster and more efficient" than the GPU in the previous-generation A10X, leading to 2x improved graphics performance. "It's unheard of in this form factor, this is really an Xbox One S class GPU," said Shimpi.

With more memory bandwidth, the GPU is faster than what you might get on the iPhone with workloads that are able to take advantage of a 2x bigger memory subsystem. According to Shimpi, Apple takes content from the desktop, profiles it, and uses the data to drive its GPU architectures.

On the topic of why Apple designs its own custom silicon, Shimpi said the company wants to make sure it can deliver "whatever vision" it has for a given product, while Schiller says that Apple keeps pushing for more performance not because Apple is competing with other companies, but because employees are passionate about making things better for users.

What do we think we can do? It becomes this incredibly self-perpetuating thing. When you realize you can create a Neural Engine, you want to create a better Neural Engine! You realize you can create great graphics, you want to create even better graphics! And it just accelerates. It picks up speed within the organization.

If you're a team that makes an incredible, great Apple-designed A-series chip, well, next year you want to make an even better one, right? That's your passion. That's what you see across all Apple, is teams that take responsibility for their things are so passionate about making that thing better and better and better. It doesn't even matter what anyone else is doing.

Apple's success with creating high-powered chips can be attributed to the way teams inside of Apple work together on an ongoing basis, says Schiller.

Schiller and Shimpi declined to talk about Apple's future plans for its custom chips, but there have been multiple rumors suggesting Apple will eventually transition its chips from mobile devices to the Mac, with the change to happen as soon as 2020.

Ars Technica has a much deeper look at the A12X that you're going to want to read in full over at the site if you're at all interested in chip architecture and Apple's future chip plans.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.2 update to developers, one week after seeding the first beta and a little over a week after releasing the macOS Mojave 10.14.1 update.

The new macOS High Sierra 10.14.2 beta can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after the proper profile has been installed from Apple's Developer Center.

We don't yet know what improvements the second update to macOS Mojave will bring, but it is likely to include bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS 10.14.1 update.

No new features were discovered in the first 10.14.2 beta, but we'll update this post if anything new is found in the second beta.

macOS Mojave 10.14.2 comes shortly after the release of macOS 10.14.1, an update that brought support for Group FaceTime on the Mac and introduced new emoji characters.

Update: Apple has also made a new beta of macOS Mojave 10.14.2 available for public beta testers.

Big news for repairability and environmental responsibility: the battery can be individually replaced in the new MacBook Air, according to Apple's internal Service Readiness Guide for the notebook, obtained by MacRumors.

In all other MacBook and MacBook Pro models with a Retina display released since 2012, when a customer has required a battery replacement, Apple has replaced the entire top case enclosure, including the keyboard and trackpad. This is because the battery is glued into the top case in Mac notebooks with Retina displays.

The battery in the new MacBook Air is still glued into the top case, the aluminum enclosure that houses the keyboard and trackpad, but Apple will be providing Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers with tools to remove the battery and reinstall a new one with no top case replacement required.

Once the new battery is installed, technicians are required to place the notebook in Apple's existing iPhone display press tool to activate the new adhesive. The glue strips are exactly the same as those used for iPhone batteries.

"This is a huge step forward," said Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, a popular website dedicated to repairing Apple products. "Apple's glued-down battery design has been a challenge for consumers, recyclers, and for Apple's own technicians. Preserving the removability of the MacBook Air's battery is really important."

The trackpad in the new MacBook Air can also be individually replaced, according to the Service Readiness Guide, obtained from a reliable source.

We'll have to wait until iFixit tears down the new MacBook Air for a closer look inside the notebook, but Apple has presumably made design changes that allow for Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers to more easily replace the battery and trackpad, eliminating the need for a full-out top case replacement.

If there are indeed design changes, then Apple likely won't extend its new method to individually replace the battery to existing MacBook and MacBook Pro models with Retina displays, but it is certainly possible with next-generation models.

iFixit does have do-it-yourself guides for replacing the battery in MacBook and MacBook Pro models with Retina displays, which requires purchasing its battery replacement kit, but the process requires quite a bit of work and a careful hand. Do-it-yourself repairs also void Apple's warranty.

For comparison, the previous-generation MacBook Air has a screwed-down battery that can be removed and replaced by Apple and its service providers without a top case replacement, in line with other non-Retina notebooks.

In related news, Apple also states that replacing the Touch ID button on the new MacBook Air does not require a logic board replacement, but the notebook must pass Apple diagnostics in order for the repair to be completed.

Apple replacing the entire top case for a simple battery swap-out has always been a point of contention, so this change should be well received by the repair industry. It's also better for the environment, and will likely save Apple money, so it's a win-win-win. We've reached out to Apple for comment.

Apple and Qualcomm are not in talks "at any level" to settle a wide-ranging legal dispute spanning multiple countries, according to Reuters.

The report cites an unnamed source on Apple's side who said "there is absolutely no meaningful discussion taking place between us and Qualcomm, and there is no settlement in sight," with Apple "gearing up for trial."

The case is set to go to trial early next year, should the companies fail to reach a resolution, according to the report.

Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf had told investors on the company's quarterly earnings call in July that the two companies were in talks to resolve the litigation. "We hope that through the combination of either those paths, we could get to a resolution, and we're confident that we will," he said at the time.

The saga began when Apple sued Qualcomm in January 2017 for allegedly withholding nearly $1 billion in royalty rebates as retaliation for Apple "responding truthfully to law enforcement agencies investigating them," referring to the FTC's investigation into Qualcomm's anticompetitive business practices.

Qualcomm countersued Apple in April 2017, accusing the company of failing to engage in good faith negotiations for a license to its 3G and 4G standard essential patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms. Qualcomm also accused Apple of encouraging regulatory attacks on its business in multiple countries.

Qualcomm's countersuit said Apple "could not have built the incredible iPhone franchise" without relying upon the chipmaker's "fundamental cellular technologies." Qualcomm went as far as alleging that Apple "contributed virtually nothing to the development of core cellular technology."

Qualcomm also accused Apple of making "misleading statements" about the performance of Qualcomm and Intel modems in iPhones. In testing, iPhone 7 models with Qualcomm's modem achieved faster wireless speeds than those with Intel's modem, but Apple said there was "no discernible difference" between the two.

Apple broadened its lawsuit against Qualcomm in June 2017, accusing the chipmaker of "double-dipping" with unfair patent licensing agreements. Apple said Qualcomm charged it royalties based on a percentage of the entire iPhone's value, despite supplying just a single component of the device - the wireless modem.

The legal dispute encompasses several other claims, including Qualcomm's allegation that Apple shared Qualcomm's trade secrets with Intel to help improve its LTE modems, allowing Apple to stop using Qualcomm's modems.

Qualcomm was the exclusive supplier of wireless modems in iPhones until the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, when Apple added Intel as a secondary supplier. Likely due to this legal dispute, Intel became the exclusive supplier of wireless modems starting with the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR.

Apple is reportedly $7 billion behind in royalties owed to Qualcomm as it withholds payments as a result of the legal dispute.

Reviews for the new 2018 MacBook Air and Mac mini went live this morning ahead of tomorrow's launch, and in a press release, Apple this afternoon highlighted reviews from several media sites that were able to spend some time with the new machines.

Apple shared review passages from sites that include CNBC, WIRED, Daring Fireball, PC Mag, Six Colors, Tom's Guide, and more.

Daring Fireball, for example, called the MacBook Air the MacBook that "most people should buy," and the Daily Express said "fans of this laptop" will love the new update because "it takes the concept of power and ultimate portability to a whole new level."

Gear Patrol said the MacBook Air is the "perfect computer" for anyone looking to do "normal things" like web browsing, answering emails, and watching movies, while Refinery29 highlighted the MacBook Air's 12-hour battery life.

As for the Mac mini, Six Colors said that the new update allows it to fill a wide range of needs, from basic server needs to "high-end applications that require a great deal of processor power."

Tom's Guide said that the Mac mini is the best option for those who want a compact Mac desktop for streaming media or getting into Apple computing, and ZDNet said the new version is "designed for all types of users" and is "no longer serving a niche market."

As with prior reviews roundups for devices like the iPad Pro, Apple has only highlighted the positive elements from each review. For anyone considering a purchase of one of these machines, it's worth taking a deeper dive into the reviews to get a full picture of both the positives and the negatives.

Apple's full list of Mac mini and MacBook Air review selections can be seen in the article shared through the Apple Newsroom, while additional reviews can be found in our Mac mini and MacBook Air review roundups.

The new 2018 MacBook Air and Mac mini models officially launch tomorrow and base configurations will be available in Apple retail stores and from third-party retailers.

The first pre-orders for the machines are also set to be delivered on November 7 and have already started arriving in Australia and New Zealand.

Apple customers in Australia and New Zealand are always the first to get their hands on new devices on launch day because of time zone differences, and the Apple's newest devices are no exception.

It's morning time in Australia and New Zealand and customers who pre-ordered one a new iPad Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac mini are beginning to receive their shipments and have started sharing arrival news on Twitter, Instagram, and the MacRumors forums.

There are no Apple Stores in New Zealand, so customers in Australia are the first to be able to purchase one of Apple's new devices from an Apple retail location. Apple should have iPad Pro models available for walk-in purchases along with base models of the MacBook Air and Mac mini.

iPad Pro pre-orders sold out quickly after the new tablet was announced, so how much stock will be available for walk-in purchases is unknown.

Following New Zealand and Australia, iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini sales sales will kick off in Asia, Europe, and finally, North America. Apple Stores globally are opening up at their standard times to allow customers to pick up reserved devices and make walk-in purchases.

In the United States, the first new device deliveries and sales will take place on the East Coast starting at 8:00 a.m.

Aside from Apple, other retailers including carriers and big box stores should also be stocking the new devices.

We'll be sharing first impressions of the new device from actual Apple customers in Australia and New Zealand, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors and if you've received a new MacBook Air, Mac mini, or iPad Pro, let us know what you think.

Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12.1 for the iPhone XR, one week after the initial launch of iOS 12.1 and a little over a week since the iPhone XR's October 26 launch.

The new iOS 12.1 software for the iPhone XR carries a build number of 16B94, a slight change from the original 16B93 build number.

The update doesn't appear to be showing up on devices that have already installed iOS 12.1, suggesting the new version of the software is designed for customers who have not yet upgraded their iPhone XR devices to the iOS 12.1 update. Why Apple released an updated version of iOS 12.1 for the XR is unknown, but it's likely to include minor bug fixes.

iPhone XR owners who have not yet installed iOS 12.1 can do so over-the-air by going to Settings --> General --> Software Update.

iOS 12.1 is a major update that brings a host of new features to the iPhone XR. It brings support for the eSIM, a digital SIM that lets you activate a cellular plan from a carrier without the need to use a physical SIM card.

eSIM support is not yet available from U.S. carriers, but AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are working on implementing support before the end of the year. Other carriers around the world have begun introducing eSIM support.

iOS 12.1 also brings a new real-time Depth Control feature, which lets you adjust the depth of field of your Portrait Mode photos before you capture them, and it adds support for Group FaceTime calls with up to 32 people.

Other new features include more than 70 new emoji and several important bug fixes that should entice anyone who has not yet installed the update to do so.

Excessive skin-smoothing with the front-facing camera, for example, has been addressed, with Apple updating the Smart HDR feature of the iPhone XR's camera to use a sharper base frame to preserve more detail.

The update also improves cellular connectivity on the iPhone XR and fixes bugs with voicemails, the phone app, Screen Time, Family Sharing, and more.