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Apple |OT| TV/Arcade/iPad/mac/iPhone

TTOOLL

Member
Looking pretty good indeed! I don't think I'll be able to get a new Mac next year so I might just wait for M2, and knowing Apple the leap will be gigantic.
 

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
The new mini is doing the same numbers as last years macbook pro 16.

It's pretty fucking metal.

And hey, the air is almost there... and that's fanless, it probably tops at 10w...

edit: I forgot... so they did a premiere render test (which is a non native rosetta app) and it matched the intel 16 pro... that's fucking magic
 
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TTOOLL

Member
Anybody here trying not to use Google for anything? The famous degoogle?

I'm still getting work e-mails through the mail app but so far this is the only google contact I have on my phone. I'm even using YouTube within Safari. Coming from an Android it's kinda liberating
 

dottme

Member
Anybody here trying not to use Google for anything? The famous degoogle?

I'm still getting work e-mails through the mail app but so far this is the only google contact I have on my phone. I'm even using YouTube within Safari. Coming from an Android it's kinda liberating
I’ve used gmail for so long I cannot drop it easily. And I used google voice which is really cheap to call internationally.
ive used YouTube on Safari for a long time and I’ve got used to DuckDuckGo for some time.
 

TTOOLL

Member
I’ve used gmail for so long I cannot drop it easily. And I used google voice which is really cheap to call internationally.
ive used YouTube on Safari for a long time and I’ve got used to DuckDuckGo for some time.

During this transition moment I'm just forwarding all e-mails from my personal gmail to my Outlook account. I know Microsoft is not that better but still...I'm also using DDG (they need a name change in order to catch up btw).
 

Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member
Anybody here trying not to use Google for anything? The famous degoogle?

I'm still getting work e-mails through the mail app but so far this is the only google contact I have on my phone. I'm even using YouTube within Safari. Coming from an Android it's kinda liberating

I moved away from Google for everything except Google Fi. No complaints here.
 
I just ordered a MacBook Pro. It will be my first Mac. I have no idea what to expect, although I've been using an iPad awhile now so I'm not totally unfamiliar with Apple products. However I don't use iPhone, my regular phone is an Android. So we'll see how it goes. I'm not unhappy with Safari on my iPad so I don't know right off the bat if I'll prefer Safari or Chrome on the MacBook, although Chrome being able to sync with all my Google ecosystem stuff is nice.
 

TTOOLL

Member
I just ordered a MacBook Pro. It will be my first Mac. I have no idea what to expect, although I've been using an iPad awhile now so I'm not totally unfamiliar with Apple products. However I don't use iPhone, my regular phone is an Android. So we'll see how it goes. I'm not unhappy with Safari on my iPad so I don't know right off the bat if I'll prefer Safari or Chrome on the MacBook, although Chrome being able to sync with all my Google ecosystem stuff is nice.

Let me tell you something as someone who had to get a windows laptop to replace my MacBook air. I regret it every single day. You’ll love it. A
And buy yourself an iPhone too. The integration is worth it.

chrome will destroy your battery life for sure. Safari is also much better in terms of privacy.

Congrats on the new purchase!!
 
I moved away from Google for everything except Google Fi. No complaints here.
I wish I could. Been trying to use DuckDuckGo but when it comes to programming questions or something more technical, it's pretty useless.


I'm also in China so it's easier for me not to use anything Google. I use basically everything Apple, even the their work suite (Pages, Keynote and Numbers). Couldn't be happier because every single thing from them works here, including Apple TV+ and Arcade.


Another thing: I have a MacBook Pro 13 from 2015 and an iPhone 8. Seeing all these updates makes me excited about the future, but also looking at my perfectly fine devices makes me feel like I made the right choice by going with Apple and I'm more than happy to keep them for long. The long term support is incredible, my devices look pretty much new even though I put them to test basically every day. And my gf gave me the AirPods Pro a few months ago and I fucking love them - the switching between my devices is so seamless (I love when my Mac tells me "Your AirPods are near" every time I start using my Mac).

I was thinking on getting an iPhone 12 but after playing around with my iPhone 8, for what I use, is more than capable. I love this little machine and has NEVER disappointed me. Apple finally added the public transportation card to Wallet and this little guy is now my bus card.
 

Celcius

°Temp. member
I’m really impressed with how the A14 doesn’t use power if you’re not using the phone. Last night I charged my phone to 100% and took it off the charger. This morning I woke up, checked my phone, and it was still at 100%. My iPhone 8 definitely wouldn’t have still been there.
 

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
I’m really impressed with how the A14 doesn’t use power if you’re not using the phone. Last night I charged my phone to 100% and took it off the charger. This morning I woke up, checked my phone, and it was still at 100%. My iPhone 8 definitely wouldn’t have still been there.

The 12 is a BEAST.
 

Celcius

°Temp. member
I see that Airpods Max (over-ear headphones) got announced today... I'm interested in seeing the reviews to see how they stack up against the Sony WH-1000XM4's
 
Well, I got my MacBook Pro. Being an early adopter is pretty interesting so far, Google Drive Backup and Sync app seems completely broken on M1 Macs, it just throws an error and quits instead of starting to sync anything. Google and Apple seem to be aware of this but no one has said anything about when it might be fixed.

As much as I do like Safari, only Chrome supports a true adblocker like uBlock Origin and also the extension I use to bypass media paywalls and I'm deeply enmeshed in Google's ecosystem anyways so for now I'm still on Chrome. The good news is battery life is apparently as amazing as promised, even Chrome can't drain this laptop to any significant degree.
 
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MaestroMike

Gold Member

Apple posts record profit as China sales soar​

Pent-up demand for 5G-enabled iPhone among factors cited in forecast-busting earnings​

January 27 2021

Apple reported its highest-ever net profit in the fourth quarter as revenues surpassed forecasts to hit $111.4bn, driven by a 57 per cent rise in sales in greater China.

Net profits rose 29 per cent to $28.8bn, against forecasts they would increase 6.3 per cent, while earnings per share jumped 35 per cent to $1.68. Forecasters expected revenues of about $102bn.

“We couldn’t be happier with the December quarter and we couldn’t be more optimistic about the future,” Luca Maestri, Apple’s finance chief, told the Financial Times.

Sales in all five of the $2.4tn company’s product categories grew at double-digit percentages, led by a 41 per cent gain in iPad sales and a 30 per cent climb in its wearables unit, which includes AirPods and the Apple Watch.

The iPhone — sales of which grew 17 per cent compared to the same quarter a year ago to hit $65.6bn, reflecting 59 per cent of Apple’s revenues — was the group’s slowest growing category because of supply constraints and the delayed launch of its first 5G-enabled smartphones. Despite these pressures, “Apple shipped the highest number of smartphones ever by any vendor in the history of the smartphone”, according to Francisco Jeronimo at IDC.

Apple no longer discloses unit sales but Mr Jeronimo estimated the company shipped 90.1m iPhones, beating Samsung’s long-held record of 88.5m smartphones in the first quarter of 2014. He calculated the average selling price was $728, down from $869 the previous year.

“Apple is championing 5G sales and it will be the catalyst for 5G adoption in many countries across the world,” Mr Jeronimo said.

Apple shares fell more than 3 per cent in after-hours trading but analysts credited factors other than the company’s results. “It’s fair to say it’s a ‘sell on the news situation’,” said Scott Kessler, an analyst at Third Bridge, a research company. “There’s no question the results are strong all around, operationally and financially.”

One disappointment for investors was that Apple declined to offer any guidance for the March quarter, citing uncertainties around the pandemic.

“It becomes very easy for things to get really difficult, really quickly,” Mr Maestri said, adding that many Apple stores remain closed in the Americas and Europe.

Revenues from “everything-but-the-iPhone” increased 28 per cent, a record, after the company hit its previous goal of doubling revenues between 2016 and 2020 six months ahead of schedule.

The results underscore the success of Mac computers, AirPods earphones and Apple Watches, as well as the company’s efforts in marketing services such as Apple Music to 1bn iPhone users.

In greater China, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, revenues surged 57 per cent to $21.3bn, reflecting pent-up demand for 5G iPhones, Mr Maestri said.

Tim Cook, chief executive, added in an earnings call that China was more than just an iPhone story, however, as sales of iPads, Mac, wearables and accessories were all above average as the economy recovered from the pandemic.

China demonstrated that it “is sort of beyond Covid”, he said. “They were very much in the recovery stage. This quarter, there are different reports about some cases in some places, and lockdowns occurring, but we haven’t seen that in our businesses yet.”

All other geographic segments also set records, with revenues in the Americas up 12 per cent to $46.3bn, European sales rising 17 per cent to $27.3bn, Japan revenues up 33 per cent to $8.3bn and the rest of Asia up 11 per cent to $8.3bn.

Mr Cook suggested growth would continue at a high level as more countries adopted 5G mobile technology and non-Mac users switched to iPhones or bought Apple computers.

In November, Apple introduced two laptops and a desktop Mac Mini equipped with the company-designed M1-chip, which had the potential to lure more consumers. “The M1, I think, gives us a new growth trajectory that we haven’t had in the past,” he said.

Mr Cook added that the company still believed it would continue to report growth in wearables. “We’ve brought this thing from zero to a Fortune 120 company, which was no small feat, but I still think we’re in the early stages of those products,” he said.

 

Karmic Raze

Member
I just got an iPad Air 4 and a Magic Keyboard for it. I’m pleasantly surprised with it. I’ve had like 4 12.9” iPad Pros, 1 11” inch iPad Pro, an iPad Mini, and 2 iPad Regulars, but this one feels like a perfect fit for me. This is the first time I’ve tried out the 11” Magic Keyboard and I like it much better than the 12.9” version. It seems more manageable and it’s not wanting to tip up in my lap as much and I can sit Indian style in my chair with no problems. Pretty cool! I got the iPad Air 4 on Amazon for $559 which was a steal. $40 off MSRP. The 11” Magic Keyboard which is compatible with both the iPad Air 4 and the 11” iPad Pros is on sale too for only $199, so man, I got a helluva deal there. The speakers are good, but not as loud as the ones on the iPad Pro, but I invested in the AirPod Pros and using them are such a pleasure. Definitely a sound $1,000 investment with these three products. I’m oh so satisfied.

But I will say that I have every intention of throwing this iPad Air 4 and Magic Keyboard up on Swappa in March so I can cop me the new 12.9” Mini-LED iPad Pro and the Magic Keyboard which might be getting a second generation upgrade. I’m thinking about buying an Apple Pencil 2 for my iPad Air 4, but I don’t know... There’s rumors an Apple Pencil 3 might be coming with the new iPad Pros, so I’m being cautious about it.

What would you do, GAF?
 

Cyberpunkd

Gold Member
Anybody here trying not to use Google for anything? The famous degoogle?
If Safari copied Chrome plugin marketplace I would throw away Google services without a second thought. It’s so annoying all the edgy SaaS platforms with all employees using Macs support almost exclusively Google with their extensions.
 

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
If Safari copied Chrome plugin marketplace I would throw away Google services without a second thought. It’s so annoying all the edgy SaaS platforms with all employees using Macs support almost exclusively Google with their extensions.

firefox.com

Join the resistance!
 

Durask

Member
Anybody here trying not to use Google for anything? The famous degoogle?

I'm still getting work e-mails through the mail app but so far this is the only google contact I have on my phone. I'm even using YouTube within Safari. Coming from an Android it's kinda liberating
Yes.
 
I'm going to trust they know what they're doing with TV+. Their M Night Shyamalan series Servant is just fantastic. I'm dying for the next episode. (Please talk to me about the show)
 

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
It does look interesting.

I don’t get why Arcade isn’t a huge success, if you’re a mobile gamer it’s great value and the games are generally good.
 

Cyberpunkd

Gold Member
It does look interesting.

I don’t get why Arcade isn’t a huge success, if you’re a mobile gamer it’s great value and the games are generally good.
Arcade doesn't have the freemium AFK or grinding apps. The ones that exist on the App Store are also free, so people do not feel the need to pay for Arcade.
 

Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member
Popular app Notability is on sale for $4:
 

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
Popular app Notability is on sale for $4:

thank you, grabbed it!
 
Just bought an Apple Watch SE two days ago, fucking love this thing.

Great health tracker, just a shame about the battery. But no biggie, always charge it when I get home and leave it until I go to bed.

EDIT: Just saw that Fantasian game. It looks pretty good, I just wish Apple would double down on Arcade with quality titles like that. They have some really good ones there like NeoCab or Assemble with Care. Lately I've been playing The Pathless, but there's so much trash on AA. They should double down on it and make it a really good gaming sub with some heavy hitters.

Dunno if it's gonna happen though.
 
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Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member
Just bought an Apple Watch SE two days ago, fucking love this thing.

Great health tracker, just a shame about the battery. But no biggie, always charge it when I get home and leave it until I go to bed.

EDIT: Just saw that Fantasian game. It looks pretty good, I just wish Apple would double down on Arcade with quality titles like that. They have some really good ones there like NeoCab or Assemble with Care. Lately I've been playing The Pathless, but there's so much trash on AA. They should double down on it and make it a really good gaming sub with some heavy hitters.

Dunno if it's gonna happen though.

I love the activity stuff. I bought a lot of smart watches & activity trackers over the years but each had caveats that made them terrible long-term. Apple Watch was the first for me that handled both activity and smart watch features well. Those little achievements keep my motivation up each day to make sure I close all of my rings.
 
My Mac is shitting itself while running Xcode and now my iPhone 8 is also getting super slow. I don't want to spend any money on a new Mac or iPhone... fuck.
 

Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member
hhvujp3tz5q61.png
 

dottme

Member
Redmi has always been such a blatant rip-off. The ceo even copied the turtleneck and the one more thing - China don’t give a fuck, China don’t care.



Wait, aren’t there Apple silicon macs for sale already?
Only one and clearly the entry level. I wonder what they are going to use to replace higher ends Mac.
 
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