TRICKLING DOWN THE TECH

Apple is really starting to dominate in the 5G smartphone arena. Its latest handset to join the 5G fold is the new iPhone SE, and it means that super–fast mobile internet will be available to even those on a budget, provided you can access it of course. There’s a comprehensive review of the new handset on page 42, co–written by yours–truly, highlighting the new features that have been brought to the entry–level iPhone. Spoiler: it’s basically the same as the previous iPhone SE, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the small device made a lot of people happy at a time when Apple was making the rest of its iPhones bigger and bigger. While it might not look different, it’s now got the power of a flagship device, which is pretty impressive — and it means that Apple isn’t intentionally restricting the capabilities of its devices, just because they’re not big and beautiful.

The same goes for the iPad Air, the review of which you can also find in this issue (p44). Though it’s admittedly not as cheap as the entry–level iPad, its M1 chip offers the same performance capabilities as the iPad Pro, and it’s almost $200 less expensive than the similarly–sized iPad Pro 11–inch model. Of course, there are some features that are missing, but again it’s great to see the cheaper models in Apple’s lineup getting the power they deserve. Will we see an A15 in the 10th–generation $329 iPad model? It’s certainly a possibility.

Two other new and exciting devices to drop from Apple are the Mac Studio and Studio Display. I almost managed to sneak the reviews into this issue, but I decided that I wouldn’t spoil you with every new thing at once, so those will be available to pore over in next month’s Mac|Life. In the meantime, read the lowdown on both machines and what they bring to the game, over on page 8.

As usual, drop me a line at letters@maclife.com, whatever your thoughts — problems, ideas, likes or dislikes — I’ll accept them all, and reply to each email when I can. Have a great one!