Tag Archives: Handheld & Connected Devices

The Morning After: iOS 17.4 is here

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Apple’s latest update to iOS has an important addition — at least in the European Union. With the arrival of iOS 17.4, Apple now officially supports third-party app stores on the iPhone. Web browser makers no longer need to base their apps on Apple’s WebKit, and Apple is opening up the NFC chip to wireless payment methods that are not Apple Pay. These changes all adhere to strict new rules in the EU. (Expect to hear more changes from Apple, Google and other major tech players as the EU’s Digital Markets Act comes into power.)

If you’re not in the EU (same), Apple Podcasts now offers automatic transcriptions in English, Spanish, French and German. You can search text and tap it to play the audio at the granular word level. It wouldn’t be an iOS update with even more emoji (finally, phoenix emojis), lots of bug fixes and more.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Microsoft is ending support for Android apps on Windows

The best thing about the M3 MacBook Air is… the M2 MacBook Air

Mini’s first electric Countryman has a wild interior

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

Nothing Phone 2a review

A budget phone packed with personality.

TMA
Engadget

Cheap midrange smartphones don’t have to be boring, contrary to popular belief and the phones on sale at your nearest electronics store. Taking a leaf out of the Pixel’s strategy book, Nothing’s latest phone, the 2a, is cheaper, slightly lower specced and still delivers on most of the essentials, with a particularly eye-catching screen on the $349.

There’s a caveat, of course. Folks in the US will need to sign up for the company’s Developer program to buy the Phone 2a, and while the handset supports 5G on T-Mobile, you won’t get any 5G on AT&T or Verizon. Check out the full review.

Continue reading.

Facebook, Instagram and Threads all dropped for a couple of hours

Meta even logged out some users.

Meta says it has resolved an issue that prevented people from accessing Facebook, Instagram and Threads. The problem started at around 10AM ET, with outage reports for the services (and WhatsApp) spiking. “Earlier today, a technical issue caused people to have difficulty accessing some of our services,” Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone wrote on X. “We resolved the issue as quickly as possible for everyone who was impacted, and we apologize for any inconvenience.”

Continue reading.

Colorware takes you back to grade school with the Apple Number 2 Pencil

‘Do not sharpen.’

TMA
Colorware

Colorware has painted many items over the years, going back to the iPhone 3G and beyond, but its latest product is particularly clever. The limited edition Apple Number 2 Pencil transforms Apple’s second-gen stylus into a facsimile of a standard HB #2 pencil. Under the clever skin, you still have a high-latency Apple Pencil. The Apple Number 2 Pencil costs $215, while the boring, buttoned-down white second-generation Apple Pencil is $79.

Continue reading.

TikTok to creators: make longer videos, get paid

Creator Rewards is now out of beta and will pay for videos longer than a minute.

Last year, TikTok rolled out a new monetization system called the Creativity Program for streamers, to encourage longer videos that sell more ads. Now, the company is rolling the scheme out widely with a new name, the Creator Rewards Program, which only pays for videos longer than one minute. Time for us to get our TikTok on.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-ios-174-is-here-121539723.html?src=rss

The Morning After: iOS 17.4 is here

Posted on by

Apple’s latest update to iOS has an important addition — at least in the European Union. With the arrival of iOS 17.4, Apple now officially supports third-party app stores on the iPhone. Web browser makers no longer need to base their apps on Apple’s WebKit, and Apple is opening up the NFC chip to wireless payment methods that are not Apple Pay. These changes all adhere to strict new rules in the EU. (Expect to hear more changes from Apple, Google and other major tech players as the EU’s Digital Markets Act comes into power.)

If you’re not in the EU (same), Apple Podcasts now offers automatic transcriptions in English, Spanish, French and German. You can search text and tap it to play the audio at the granular word level. It wouldn’t be an iOS update with even more emoji (finally, phoenix emojis), lots of bug fixes and more.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Microsoft is ending support for Android apps on Windows

The best thing about the M3 MacBook Air is… the M2 MacBook Air

Mini’s first electric Countryman has a wild interior

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

Nothing Phone 2a review

A budget phone packed with personality.

TMA
Engadget

Cheap midrange smartphones don’t have to be boring, contrary to popular belief and the phones on sale at your nearest electronics store. Taking a leaf out of the Pixel’s strategy book, Nothing’s latest phone, the 2a, is cheaper, slightly lower specced and still delivers on most of the essentials, with a particularly eye-catching screen on the $349.

There’s a caveat, of course. Folks in the US will need to sign up for the company’s Developer program to buy the Phone 2a, and while the handset supports 5G on T-Mobile, you won’t get any 5G on AT&T or Verizon. Check out the full review.

Continue reading.

Facebook, Instagram and Threads all dropped for a couple of hours

Meta even logged out some users.

Meta says it has resolved an issue that prevented people from accessing Facebook, Instagram and Threads. The problem started at around 10AM ET, with outage reports for the services (and WhatsApp) spiking. “Earlier today, a technical issue caused people to have difficulty accessing some of our services,” Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone wrote on X. “We resolved the issue as quickly as possible for everyone who was impacted, and we apologize for any inconvenience.”

Continue reading.

Colorware takes you back to grade school with the Apple Number 2 Pencil

‘Do not sharpen.’

TMA
Colorware

Colorware has painted many items over the years, going back to the iPhone 3G and beyond, but its latest product is particularly clever. The limited edition Apple Number 2 Pencil transforms Apple’s second-gen stylus into a facsimile of a standard HB #2 pencil. Under the clever skin, you still have a high-latency Apple Pencil. The Apple Number 2 Pencil costs $215, while the boring, buttoned-down white second-generation Apple Pencil is $79.

Continue reading.

TikTok to creators: make longer videos, get paid

Creator Rewards is now out of beta and will pay for videos longer than a minute.

Last year, TikTok rolled out a new monetization system called the Creativity Program for streamers, to encourage longer videos that sell more ads. Now, the company is rolling the scheme out widely with a new name, the Creator Rewards Program, which only pays for videos longer than one minute. Time for us to get our TikTok on.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-ios-174-is-here-121539723.html?src=rss

Colorware takes you back to grade school with the Apple Number 2 Pencil

Posted on by

Colorware has painted a lot of items over the years going back to the iPhone 3G and beyond, but its latest product is particularly clever. The limited edition Apple Number 2 Pencil transforms Apple's 2nd-gen stylus into a facsimile of a standard HB #2 pencil, with the only thing missing being chew marks on the eraser.

"What sets it apart? It connects with your iPad in a snap, charges without a hitch, and delivers precision that feels just right," the company states on the product page. "And it’s styled after the familiar pencil we all know, upgraded for today’s tech. It’s not just smart; it’s a smart looker too." (As a reminder, the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil offers features like "pixel-perfect precision, tilt and pressure sensitivity, and imperceptible lag," according to Apple.)

Colorware takes you back to grade school with the Apple Number 2 Pencil
Colorware

Colorware goes on to describe other ways that it will change your life. "It’s that unspoken impact, the quiet ripple of intrigue it sends through the room. This isn’t just about having a piece of technology; it’s about carrying a symbol of uniqueness that speaks volumes before you do." 

That paint sure is doing a lot of work! But it ain't cheap — the Apple Number 2 Pencil costs $215, which is a $136 premium over the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil, currently priced at $79. Still, it's undeniably adorable and could be a great gift for an iPad artist. Just don't try to sharpen it (or chew on it). 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/colorware-takes-you-back-to-grade-school-with-the-apple-number-2-pencil-073709840.html?src=rss

1Password adds passkey support for Android

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Passkey availability has been on the rise and is only continuing to grow. The latest example comes from 1Password, the aptly named password manager, which has announced support for passkeys on Android devices. Now, anyone using a phone or tablet with Android 14 or higher can access 1Passwords's passkeys right on their device's apps. Last September, the company made passkeys available on iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 devices, along with browsers such as Chrome and Safari. 

So, what is a passkey anyway? Unlike a password that someone can guess or potentially obtain in a hack, passkeys consist of public and private keys. The public key belongs to whatever site an account is made with, while the private key exists solely on the device and is never seen by the involved company. Basically, it works as a puzzle of sorts, and instead of typing in a password, it uses an API to connect the private and public keys. 

Users will need to download the 1Password app and, when creating new accounts, choose to make one with a passkey instead of a password. To clarify, this function is currently only available for Android apps, not Chrome for Android. According to 1Password, Google is in the midst of building a new API that will allow for passkeys on mobile Chrome. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/1password-adds-passkey-support-for-android-140058482.html?src=rss

1Password adds passkey support for Android

Posted on by

Passkey availability has been on the rise and is only continuing to grow. The latest example comes from 1Password, the aptly named password manager, which has announced support for passkeys on Android devices. Now, anyone using a phone or tablet with Android 14 or higher can access 1Passwords's passkeys right on their device's apps. Last September, the company made passkeys available on iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 devices, along with browsers such as Chrome and Safari. 

So, what is a passkey anyway? Unlike a password that someone can guess or potentially obtain in a hack, passkeys consist of public and private keys. The public key belongs to whatever site an account is made with, while the private key exists solely on the device and is never seen by the involved company. Basically, it works as a puzzle of sorts, and instead of typing in a password, it uses an API to connect the private and public keys. 

Users will need to download the 1Password app and, when creating new accounts, choose to make one with a passkey instead of a password. To clarify, this function is currently only available for Android apps, not Chrome for Android. According to 1Password, Google is in the midst of building a new API that will allow for passkeys on mobile Chrome. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/1password-adds-passkey-support-for-android-140058482.html?src=rss

Nothing Phone 2a review: A budget phone that’s packed with personality

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Nothing says its latest device – the Phone 2a – is a mid-range handset. And just going by its specs, which include a 6.5-inch 120Hz OLED screen, up to 12GB of RAM and a big 5,000 mAh battery, that seems right. But starting at $349, it’s positioned more like a budget offering which makes it even more appealing. That’s because in a category where device makers often cut corners to hit a specific price, the Phone 2a combines solid components with a unique design to deliver a handset that looks good and is big on value. So while there are a couple of hiccups for potential buyers in the US, Nothing has created an engaging option in a sea of boring budget phones.

Design and display: Definitively distinctive

Nothing’s aesthetic is unmistakable. It’s inspired by ‘90s retro gadgets with translucent plastic like old Gameboys but remixed with a more modern and cohesive finish. This lets you see a number of its components like NFC antennas (which is the disc surrounding the rear cameras) without it becoming distracting. That said, on the Phone 2a, Nothing switched things up by moving its cameras to the middle and rearranging its Glyph lights, which gives the back more of a face while a small red accent provides a pop of color. It’s available in black and white color schemes, with the former sometimes making me feel like I’m looking at Wall-E’s emo cousin.

The Nothing Phone 2a features a 6.5-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Another departure from Nothing’s previous handsets is that the Phone 2a features a polycarbonate back instead of a glass one. Now this might seem like a bad thing, but this device is a reminder of how nice plastic can be when it’s done well. Nothing says the phone’s subtly rounded edges wouldn’t be possible to do with glass. While I’m not sure that feature is a bona fide selling point, it does feel good. Additionally, the choice of material results in something that feels a lot lighter than it looks, which is nice compared to traditional glass bricks. The Phone 2a weighs just 6.7 ounces (190 grams), which is less than a Pixel 7a (6.82 ounces/193.5 grams) despite the latter boasting a significantly smaller 6.1-inch display.

As for the screen itself, the 6.5-inch OLED panel delivers punchy colors and surprisingly good brightness of around 700 nits during normal use with peaks of up to 1,300 nits. The only thing I struggled with was the in-screen fingerprint reader, which took a few registrations to get it dialed in before it would unlock every time.

Performance: More than good enough for the money

The camera placement on the back of the Phone 2a gives the device a face that reminds me of Wall-E.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Nothing is bucking conventional wisdom by opting for a Mediatek Dimensity 7200 Pro chip instead of something from Qualcomm. Memory starts at 8GB, though in the US, the only config features 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. And while its Geekbench 6 scores (1,123 single-core and 2,603 multi-core) were a bit behind what I got from a Pixel 7a (1,442 single-core and 3,639 multi-core), it felt speedy and responsive during normal use. The only small issue is that sometimes scrolling through websites or social media wasn’t quite as smooth compared to more expensive rivals. But unless you’re hoping to do some serious mobile gaming, the Phone 2a has more than enough oomph to go around.

Cameras: Better than your average budget handset

A challenge for both budget phone makers and smaller companies like Nothing is keeping up with big names like Samsung and Google. But unless you’re a real stickler for image quality, the Phone 2a is good enough. It did a fine job during the day of producing pics that you won’t be embarrassed to post on social media. Both the main and ultra-wide cameras are based on 50-megapixel sensors that capture warm tones and produce color saturation that’s a touch richer than what I got from a Pixel 7a. That said, if you zoom in, you’ll notice that Google’s phone delivers slightly sharper photos with more detailed textures. At night, when budget phones tend to struggle a bit more, the Phone 2a’s images were slightly darker than similar shots taken with a Pixel 7a, as expected, but they were still more than serviceable. Sometimes, Nothing’s pics were actually less grainy than Google’s.

Battery life: 5,000 mAh goes a long way

The bottom of the Nothing Phone 2a features a speaker and a USB-C port for charging and data transfer.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Thanks to its large 5,000 mAh battery, the Phone 2a turned in one of the best times we’ve seen from a budget handset. On our video rundown test, it lasted 23 hours and 47 minutes, which is just shy of the Nothing Phone 2’s mark of 24:25 and way better than similarly priced rivals like the Pixel 7a (17:41).

When it comes to charging, though you don’t get support for wireless power (which is understandable on a phone in this price range), the Phone 2a does support wired charging at up to 45 watts, which is faster than some flagship phones like the Pixel 8.

US availability and carrier info

One of the biggest bummers about the Nothing Phone 2a is that while it will be readily available online in Europe, folks in the US should know that there are a few extra hurdles to jump through. The first is that in order to buy one, customers will need to sign up for the company’s Developer program. Thankfully, this can be done for free and as soon as you do, you’ll get a link to purchase the Phone 2a directly from Nothing. Additionally, while the handset does support 5G on T-Mobile via the N41 band, you won’t get any 5G on AT&T or Verizon, which severely limits the appeal for people on those networks.

Wrap-up

Like a lot of more expensive Android handsets, the Phone 2a features an in-screen fingerprint sensor.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

On paper, the Phone 2a has pretty much everything I look for in a good budget device. It’s got a solid build including IP54 water resistance, a bright screen and excellent battery life. While its performance isn’t earth-shattering, it still feels snappy even when compared to slightly more expensive rivals. But what really elevates the Phone 2a is that it accomplishes all this without erasing its personality in the name of cost-cutting. There simply isn’t another handset in this price range that looks this good. Nothing also pays attention to small details like the phone’s crunchy pseudo-analog sound effects that help marry its distinctive design with its custom UX and dot-matrix-inspired widgets. I just wish the Phone 2a was easier to buy and had better 5G support in the US.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nothing-phone-2a-review-a-budget-phone-thats-packed-with-personality-123040337.html?src=rss

Nothing Phone 2a review: A budget phone that’s packed with personality

Posted on by

Nothing says its latest device – the Phone 2a – is a mid-range handset. And just going by its specs, which include a 6.5-inch 120Hz OLED screen, up to 12GB of RAM and a big 5,000 mAh battery, that seems right. But starting at $349, it’s positioned more like a budget offering which makes it even more appealing. That’s because in a category where device makers often cut corners to hit a specific price, the Phone 2a combines solid components with a unique design to deliver a handset that looks good and is big on value. So while there are a couple of hiccups for potential buyers in the US, Nothing has created an engaging option in a sea of boring budget phones.

Design and display: Definitively distinctive

Nothing’s aesthetic is unmistakable. It’s inspired by ‘90s retro gadgets with translucent plastic like old Gameboys but remixed with a more modern and cohesive finish. This lets you see a number of its components like NFC antennas (which is the disc surrounding the rear cameras) without it becoming distracting. That said, on the Phone 2a, Nothing switched things up by moving its cameras to the middle and rearranging its Glyph lights, which gives the back more of a face while a small red accent provides a pop of color. It’s available in black and white color schemes, with the former sometimes making me feel like I’m looking at Wall-E’s emo cousin.

The Nothing Phone 2a features a 6.5-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Another departure from Nothing’s previous handsets is that the Phone 2a features a polycarbonate back instead of a glass one. Now this might seem like a bad thing, but this device is a reminder of how nice plastic can be when it’s done well. Nothing says the phone’s subtly rounded edges wouldn’t be possible to do with glass. While I’m not sure that feature is a bona fide selling point, it does feel good. Additionally, the choice of material results in something that feels a lot lighter than it looks, which is nice compared to traditional glass bricks. The Phone 2a weighs just 6.7 ounces (190 grams), which is less than a Pixel 7a (6.82 ounces/193.5 grams) despite the latter boasting a significantly smaller 6.1-inch display.

As for the screen itself, the 6.5-inch OLED panel delivers punchy colors and surprisingly good brightness of around 700 nits during normal use with peaks of up to 1,300 nits. The only thing I struggled with was the in-screen fingerprint reader, which took a few registrations to get it dialed in before it would unlock every time.

Performance: More than good enough for the money

The camera placement on the back of the Phone 2a gives the device a face that reminds me of Wall-E.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Nothing is bucking conventional wisdom by opting for a Mediatek Dimensity 7200 Pro chip instead of something from Qualcomm. Memory starts at 8GB, though in the US, the only config features 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. And while its Geekbench 6 scores (1,123 single-core and 2,603 multi-core) were a bit behind what I got from a Pixel 7a (1,442 single-core and 3,639 multi-core), it felt speedy and responsive during normal use. The only small issue is that sometimes scrolling through websites or social media wasn’t quite as smooth compared to more expensive rivals. But unless you’re hoping to do some serious mobile gaming, the Phone 2a has more than enough oomph to go around.

Cameras: Better than your average budget handset

A challenge for both budget phone makers and smaller companies like Nothing is keeping up with big names like Samsung and Google. But unless you’re a real stickler for image quality, the Phone 2a is good enough. It did a fine job during the day of producing pics that you won’t be embarrassed to post on social media. Both the main and ultra-wide cameras are based on 50-megapixel sensors that capture warm tones and produce color saturation that’s a touch richer than what I got from a Pixel 7a. That said, if you zoom in, you’ll notice that Google’s phone delivers slightly sharper photos with more detailed textures. At night, when budget phones tend to struggle a bit more, the Phone 2a’s images were slightly darker than similar shots taken with a Pixel 7a, as expected, but they were still more than serviceable. Sometimes, Nothing’s pics were actually less grainy than Google’s.

Battery life: 5,000 mAh goes a long way

The bottom of the Nothing Phone 2a features a speaker and a USB-C port for charging and data transfer.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Thanks to its large 5,000 mAh battery, the Phone 2a turned in one of the best times we’ve seen from a budget handset. On our video rundown test, it lasted 23 hours and 47 minutes, which is just shy of the Nothing Phone 2’s mark of 24:25 and way better than similarly priced rivals like the Pixel 7a (17:41).

When it comes to charging, though you don’t get support for wireless power (which is understandable on a phone in this price range), the Phone 2a does support wired charging at up to 45 watts, which is faster than some flagship phones like the Pixel 8.

US availability and carrier info

One of the biggest bummers about the Nothing Phone 2a is that while it will be readily available online in Europe, folks in the US should know that there are a few extra hurdles to jump through. The first is that in order to buy one, customers will need to sign up for the company’s Developer program. Thankfully, this can be done for free and as soon as you do, you’ll get a link to purchase the Phone 2a directly from Nothing. Additionally, while the handset does support 5G on T-Mobile via the N41 band, you won’t get any 5G on AT&T or Verizon, which severely limits the appeal for people on those networks.

Wrap-up

Like a lot of more expensive Android handsets, the Phone 2a features an in-screen fingerprint sensor.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

On paper, the Phone 2a has pretty much everything I look for in a good budget device. It’s got a solid build including IP54 water resistance, a bright screen and excellent battery life. While its performance isn’t earth-shattering, it still feels snappy even when compared to slightly more expensive rivals. But what really elevates the Phone 2a is that it accomplishes all this without erasing its personality in the name of cost-cutting. There simply isn’t another handset in this price range that looks this good. Nothing also pays attention to small details like the phone’s crunchy pseudo-analog sound effects that help marry its distinctive design with its custom UX and dot-matrix-inspired widgets. I just wish the Phone 2a was easier to buy and had better 5G support in the US.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nothing-phone-2a-review-a-budget-phone-thats-packed-with-personality-123040337.html?src=rss

Apple’s Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch iPad Pro and Air is 40 percent off

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Apple’s Magic Keyboard for iPad is 40 percent off right now via Amazon. That brings the price down to $180, which is a savings of around $120. It’s not the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the 11-inch keyboard, but it’s certainly close. Typical sales drop it to around $250 or so, so this is still one heck of a deal.

This is the perfect keyboard to turn your 11-inch iPad Pro or Air into a standalone workstation. There’s a reason, after all, why it ended up on our list of the best iPad accessories. It magnetically attaches to the tablet, with a hinge that keeps the screen floating above the keyboard. In other words, it basically turns your iPad into a laptop.

We praised Apple’s Magic Keyboard for its emphasis on comfort and the precise trackpad. There are dozens upon dozens of competing third-party products out there, but none of them get the job done quite like this luxury keyboard. The major issue here is the price, which this sale somewhat alleviates.

There is one other potential issue on the horizon. There are rumors circulating that Apple is about to announce a new range of iPads, which may or may not work with this keyboard. If you’re buying a keyboard for an iPad you already own, that’s no big deal. If you want to buy both at once, however, you should wait for an official announcement.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-magic-keyboard-for-the-11-inch-ipad-pro-and-air-is-40-percent-off-172148756.html?src=rss

Apple’s Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch iPad Pro and Air is 40 percent off

Posted on by

Apple’s Magic Keyboard for iPad is 40 percent off right now via Amazon. That brings the price down to $180, which is a savings of around $120. It’s not the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the 11-inch keyboard, but it’s certainly close. Typical sales drop it to around $250 or so, so this is still one heck of a deal.

This is the perfect keyboard to turn your 11-inch iPad Pro or Air into a standalone workstation. There’s a reason, after all, why it ended up on our list of the best iPad accessories. It magnetically attaches to the tablet, with a hinge that keeps the screen floating above the keyboard. In other words, it basically turns your iPad into a laptop.

We praised Apple’s Magic Keyboard for its emphasis on comfort and the precise trackpad. There are dozens upon dozens of competing third-party products out there, but none of them get the job done quite like this luxury keyboard. The major issue here is the price, which this sale somewhat alleviates.

There is one other potential issue on the horizon. There are rumors circulating that Apple is about to announce a new range of iPads, which may or may not work with this keyboard. If you’re buying a keyboard for an iPad you already own, that’s no big deal. If you want to buy both at once, however, you should wait for an official announcement.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-magic-keyboard-for-the-11-inch-ipad-pro-and-air-is-40-percent-off-172148756.html?src=rss

Apple may skip a spring event and announce new iPads, M3 MacBook Airs online instead

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Apple is expected to have some big releases coming up soon — including new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, and the M3 MacBook Air — but it’s reportedly not going to host a big spring launch event for the announcements. In the Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman reports that Apple is “planning to announce the new products on its website with a series of online videos and marketing campaigns.” If so, that’d be two years in a row that Apple has passed on a spring event, with this year being particularly stacked with new products.

Whatever format the announcements come in, rumors suggest they’ll be happening imminently. Gurman, however, predicts more conservatively that the hardware drop will come either this month or next. Along with the iPad Pro refresh and a new 12.9-inch iPad Air, Gurman reports that Apple is planning to announce new Apple Pencils and Magic Keyboards. It’s also expected to release the M3 MacBook Air in 13-inch and 15-inch models.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-may-skip-a-spring-event-and-announce-new-ipads-m3-macbook-airs-online-instead-211706684.html?src=rss