While we here at Macworld read and write about Apple all week long, we totally get that you might not. But since you’re here now, allow us to catch you up on all of the stuff you need to know from the past week.
All the preorders
If you were waiting for anything other than the AirTag trackers or the purple iPhone 12, your time has arrived. Apple opened up preorders for the 24-inch iMac, 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and the Apple TV HD and 4K with Siri Remote on Friday and we learned when new things are due to start arriving on our doorsteps. Orders are due to arrive the week of May 21, but as with all things Apple, delivery estimates are already slipping into June.
All the new features
Apple on Monday finally released the OS updates its been working on since February—iOS 14.5, iPad OS 14.5, tvOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4, and macOS Big Sur 11.3. If you own any of the devices that are eligible for these upgrades, you should stop reading this and go install it right now. Here are just a few of the reasons:
iOS 14.5: App Tracking Transparency
iPad OS 14.5: Emoji search
watchOS 7.4: Unlocking iPhone when wearing a mask
tvOS 14.5: Calibrate color with your iPhone X or later
Big Sur 11.3: Major vulnerability patched
We have lots more on iOS 14.5 and Big Sur 11.3, as well as app tracking transparency, so go read up while you’re downloading.
All the money
Apple made an insane amount of money last quarter. But it wasn’t just the near-$90 billion in revenue, it was also how it navigated the quarter. With no new product launches, it managed to set records for nearly every product category. We analyzed how they did it, but honestly, a lot of it is beyond explanation.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.