If you’ve been having problems syncing data across your Apple devices, you’re not alone. Apple is reporting (via 9to5Mac) outages across several of its iCloud services, including backups, calendars, Find My, photos and even sign-ins. The company only noted on its status page that “some users” were affected, but the failures appear to have started around 9AM Eastern and were still ongoing as of 1PM.
We’ve asked Apple for comment. Other major services like Apple Music, FaceTime and Siri were still working properly as we wrote this.
The issue comes weeks after an outage that affected both iCloud and Apple’s media services. It also follows mere days after the debut of Apple One, where iCloud storage (also affected by the outage) plays an important role. The timing is less than ideal, to put it mildly, even if this is likely to be a small interruption in the grander scheme of things.
Update 11/1 5PM ET: The outages appear to have been resolved later in the afternoon.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro will be equipped with the same LiDAR depth camera lens that is found in this year’s iPad Pro, as per a report by Fast Company. The report quotes people with the knowledge of the company’s plans.
The Cupertino-based tech giant is planning to use the Sony technology specifically in the iPhone 12 Pro/ Pro Max. “Manufactured by Sony, this lidar system uses pulses of light to precisely measure the distances of objects from the camera lens,” says the report. With the help of the LiDAR lens, Apple hopes to have more accurate autofocus and clearer distinction between background and foreground, which will help in having improved portrait mode shots. The depth camera is also supposed to help AR applications put “digital objects in real environments more realistically”, says the report. Apple introduced this technology to the 2020 iPad Pro launched in April this year. Apple is expected to launch four new iPhones under the iPhone 12 series in October. As per earlier reports, the iPhone 12 Pro will offer a refresh rate of 120Hz ProMotion display, a 3x rear camera zoom and an improved Face ID. This has been claimed by Max Weinbach who disclosed this to EveryThingApple Pro.
Rumors have circulated of a larger entry-level iPad with thinner bezels, but it’s now clearer what that tablet might look like. The 91mobiles team has posted what it says are design schematics for the update to Apple’s more affordable iPad. If accurate, the new slate would effectively be a cut-down iPad Pro with similarly slim bezels and a boxier design. It would use Face ID instead of Touch ID, and a Smart Connector hints at possible Magic Keyboard support.
Like with earlier reports, the new iPad would reportedly revolve around a 10.8-inch screen. Apple would keep costs down by offering a single rear camera instead of the two (plus LiDAR) on the Pro. It would reportedly pack USB-C as well, although it’s not certain claims of dual speakers hold up. Apple has sometimes included two grilles at the bottom even if there’s only one speaker — this may be more for symmetry than functionality.
It’s not certain what kind of performance the new iPad could offer, although t’s likely to include a newer processor than the A10 from the current starter model.
As for when the new iPad might arrive? Apple is rumored to be holding its customary hardware event (albeit in virtual form) in mid September and might introduce the new iPad alongside the iPhone 12 series. With the COVID-19 pandemic creating chaos, however, that’s not guaranteed. There’s a chance you’ll have to wait a while to see an iPad revamp.
