Apple News Today: "Pro and Tell" MacBook Event, iPhone Duo Sales, Apple Music Updates and More

With a new CEO (John Ternus), Apple is being praised for its return to its innovative roots, and the new product line and updates hint at a promising future for the company. With a "Pro and Tell" event on October 28th, a major recent iPhone launch with the Duo, an updated version of Apple Music, and more service updates, Apple is poised to thrill tech enthusiasts and lay users alike.

What is the "Pro and Tell" event, and what can you expect from it?

On October 19th, Apple sent out media invites for a "Pro and Tell" event on October 28th in Los Angeles at 10:00 AM Pacific time (10:30 PM IST), and set the tech world abuzz with predictions of the first-ever touchscreen MacBook Pro featuring an OLED display. What's more, the new MacBook Pro might also include a Dynamic Island, typically found on the iPhone. The new model might reportedly continue with Apple's M5 Pro and M5 Max chips while introducing the next M6, as in the recent Mac mini, in the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 24-inch iMac. (TOI)

But that's not all. Analysts expect the iPad mini to also get the OLED display revamp, along with a better sound system, possibly capitalising on haptic audio technology. These are still unconfirmed, and the average user will not know for sure until the products hit the market, but the wait may be short, with the launch being anticipated in the early weeks of November.

Want to buy the new iPhone Duo? Join a very, very...long line

But John Ternus remains truly booked and busy. Following the highly anticipated and successful launch of the iPhone Duo, among a series of new hardware launches, the numbers speak for themselves. As of October 22nd, Apple stock is at an all-time high, and iPhone Duo sales are through the roof with worldwide stock shortages for walk-in customers. In many countries, including India, Apple has even been forced to enforce a purchase cap (2 per customer on the official website) on units and extend the rule beyond the Duo to earlier models. Communications Today cites the measly 6,000 Duo units for the country as one reason for the decision.

But one can not really blame the customers for wanting more, more, and yet more. Perhaps because they waited 7 years since its most avid competitor, Samsung, launched its foldable line in 2019, the thrill of the Apple version of the foldable traded the first-mover advantage for a strategic delay—what Apple claims was to perfect the product. But they seem to have won out big time.

As the first reviews rolled out, very few complaints, with the actual size and the price being two of them. Mostly, though, the Duo scores quite well on tech review platforms: Wired rates it 7/10; CNET gives it 8.7/10; and TechRadar a whopping 4.5/5! But Marques Brownlee, one of the most trusted reviewers, raves about its novelty, especially its "polish" (which has been the saving grace for many iPhone models). Rather, he seems more hopeful about the next generations with improvements and optimisations.

All in all, the iPhone Duo is a GREAT phone. Really! But do you need to buy it? Maybe not. But hey, if you have the means, it is perhaps one of the more exciting ventures that Apple has put out there in recent years, and the finish of an iPhone remains unparalleled.

Apple Music's Rebrand

But moving away from the hardware updates—Apple Music has a new look. Unveiled on October 21st, under the concept "Made by Sound." The rebrand introduced a redesigned monochromatic logo and a bolder wordmark, all made possible through sonic affordances in collaboration with British producer Fred again.. and NEST Acoustics.

But so far, there haven't been any announcements of software updates for the service itself, and only time will tell how the new visual identity will translate into actual use.

Other Launches and Updates

Apple seems to be on a roll, with these aforementioned updates coming on the heels of many recent launches and updates. A collated list is as follows, for those who might have missed it:

1. Homeview: Launched on October 13th, it develops the HomePod line by introducing a 7-inch Liquid Retina display.
2. Apple TV 4K: Also on October 13th, the new Apple TV 4K features the new Siri AI, far-field microphones, and optimised pairing with HomePod speakers.
3. Apple Pay for India: As India's own online payment scene is undergoing massive revisions, Apple Pay entered (for now, only for Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit card holders). One can expect more banks to be slowly brought into the fray.
4. iOS 27: Earlier in September, the OS 27 was launched and is gradually being rolled out across all devices. This is the OS update that formally introduced Siri AI, refined the liquid display, and optimised cross-app information sharing within what can only be called a 'personal' AI model.

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