Add another important voice to the chorus of those who claim the next iPhone could have an always-on display. As 9to5Mac notes, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in his weekly “Power On” newsletter that the 2021 iPhone will potentially have an “Apple Watch-like” always-on display with better battery life, in addition to a 120 Hz refresh rate, a smaller screen notch, an A15 chip, and video recording upgrades.
Gurman hasn’t outlined the always-on-screen functionality. However, a leak from Max Weinbach in the past suggested that Apple would use an LTPO (low temperature polycrystalline oxide) panel that, like the Apple Watch and some Android phones, could drop to extremely low refresh rates to display persistent information without provide great hits on battery life. You might see some notifications, battery life, and clock without waking up your phone.
The author also used his newsletter to narrow the time frame for a long rumored MacBook Pro redesign. He now assumes that Apple will begin mass production of the mini-LED-equipped laptops in the third quarter of 2021 (also known this summer) with a market launch between September and November. That’s still a bit vague, but it suggests that you don’t have to wait until next year (or look for a surprising early announcement).
Rumor has it that the new MacBook Pros have a “flat” design like the new iMac (minus the colors), while using a more powerful version of Apple’s M1 chip that could support up to 64GB of RAM and more ports. Mini LEDs could provide a screen that offers high contrast ratios and brightness while keeping battery life in check.
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