Going all Apple in 2021: A14X, Apple Silicon

The interweb has been going mental with Apple-related news. The new A14X processor will likely appear in the next MacBook Pro (and other devices to follow) along with the first of the much-hyped ’Apple Silicon’, the Arm chip made by Apple for Apple as it breaks away from Intel. There is also the imminent Big Sur and the launch of micro/mini LED iPads.

It’s a heady time for Apple fans. Or at least it will be. The A14 chip is already in the new iPad Air and iPhone 12s. It has not been confirmed but I have been obsessing over technology recently and it seems likely there will be another Apple event in November. That’s three in three months but with the lockdown, it makes more sense to do things that way as there are no crowds of tech journalists to fly in to attend events.

By a happy coincidence, I happen to need a new phone, iPad and laptop.

New iPad Pros likely to be out in 2021

There have been rumours all year that the first micro or mini LED iPad Pros (don’t really know the difference) were due this year but it seems more likely they will be out next year. There are already new iPad Pros this year and the naming would be confusing for one thing and all the poor bastards who just bought the 2020 version would be annoyed if there was a new one out so soon. Which is fair enough. The event that happens every March seems the most likely for the iPads. It is possible they will be announced in November but really unlikely.

My iPad Pro (2015) is my favourite device in the world (I’m writing this post on it) so this is a no brainer. I will wait. Eagerly.

iPhones12s are here

After around 6 or 7 years on Android, I will switch back to iPhones. The reason I switched in the first place was because of Apple’s insistence back then with the iPhone 4 and then 5, that people didn’t want big phones. I did, so I got a Samsung Note 2. Then came other developments like waterproofing, wireless charging and so on and Apple always stayed behind the curve. Until more recently. Now everything seems on par and I am already in the ecosystem thanks to my iPad and previous exposure.

November 2021 Event

As I said, I need all new technology. I wrote six months ago that all my technology is old and getting slower (I know how it feels). Limping on with old tech feels kind of nice as you realise you are getting value for money. There is mega excitement at getting new gadgetry but also the strange desire, for me at least, to wait for the next release after this one, as it will be better.

Six months ago, I was going to get a new iPad Pro 2020 and a magic keyboard. Then I heard rumours of new chips, screens and better battery life. I am now using a Samsung S8+, an iPad Pro 2015, and Microsoft Surface from 2017. None are firing on all cylinders.

I know all the tech types on YouTube say that there is no real point waiting for the next thing, just buy something when you need it. My problems normally stem from gradual slowdowns as opposed to breakdowns. So there is no hurry, except for when the battery utterly dies. But as discussed above, the new phones are out and new iPads are likely coming in March 2021, so I’ll just wait.

So what about new laptops?

According to leaky people on the internet, there is going to be an event on the 17th of November. Although the specific date seems speculative, it does make sense. The main source of the leak said that virtual invites will be sent out on the 10th. We shall see.

What is likely, are the new A14X chip and ARM-based shenanigans with the new Apple Silicon. These are likely to appear in a new MacBook Pro 13 inch. (14 inch has been rumoured but probably later next year.) For a leak or speculative guess, everyone seems to be in agreement. More iffy guessworks says there maybe be a new 27 inch Mac and Apple tags.

If the leakers and guessers are right, that will be a great time to get a new laptop. I have decided to go Apple instead of Windows because my MacBook Air lasted for years and where I live in Asia there are a ton of Apple Stores. So if something goes wrong, I know I can get it fixed more easily or get a replaced without having to mail things to possibly dubious locations or go to dodgy stores.

I am not one of those people who hates the other platform. Windows 10 and Mac OS are both great and easy to use and anyone who has trouble switching between them is an idiot. In which case, yeah, they should stick with what they like.

Another issue before was price but the main competitors I was looking at were a Dell XPS or a Microsoft laptop and the price differences aren’t all that big anymore.

Being all in one ecosystem

It will be interesting to see how great being in an ecosystem is. People are always banging on about it. I have been in the Apple one before but it was a while back and now there are things like airdrop and better syncing. I have never bought books or music or whatever from Apple-specific apps as they are sometimes not cross-platform. Also, Spotify and Kindle are just better. I buy hundreds of books a year and Kindle also happens to be cheaper.

That’s enough waffle. I basically wanted to talk about Apple rumours and upcoming events as well as justifying my switch to Apple like the happy little sheep I intend to become. In my experience, the difference these days in pricing, abilities and specs are narrowing, so it makes sense to plunge into an ecosystem. Apple, I’m coming!