Welcome back!🍎
Here’s the latest with Apple.

• Apple’s next product category is coming sooner than we thought

• A recap of the M4 Mac’s

• & more!

📊 Poll

Last week, we asked: Did you get any of the M4 Macs?

Here were my favorite replies:

This week: If Apple made an indoor home security camera, would you feel comfortable with it monitoring your home? Why or why not? More on this later.

🗞️ The Latest

🍎 Apple HomePad

We’ve heard murmurings for the past few months, but now we have real details on Apple’s next big product category: a smart home command center!

• Apple is nearing the launch of a new wall-mounted display that will be able to control home appliances, chat with Siri, and take FaceTime calls.

• It will also include Apple apps, such as Safari, News, Music, Calendar, Notes, and Photos (where the device can turn into a slideshow display).

• This will be positioned as a competitor to the Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show.

• The device has a 6” screen and will allegedly resemble a small, square iPad with a front-facing camera, a built-in rechargeable battery, and internal speakers.

• The interface will combine elements of watchOS and the iPhone’s StandBy mode.

• But it’s primarily designed for voice interaction with Siri + Apple Intelligence.

• We previously saw reports of a smart home display with a robotic arm. That is allegedly the more expensive, follow-up version to this device.

Smart Home Camera

• Apple is also reportedly working on an indoor security camera.

• It’s expected to be a WiFi-connected camera and have deep integration with ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

• It’s expected to launch sometime in 2026.

My take: This is an instant-buy for me. I’ve been waiting for Apple to enter this area of the smart home market for years.

It appears that the built-in camera on the “HomePad” might also function as a HomeKit security camera until the standalone camera comes in 2026.

I currently have a Google camera inside my home, but I would trust Apple a lot more with privacy, so I’d swap that out without thinking twice!

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🖥️ M4 Macs

Last week, Apple dropped the M4 Mac mini, MacBook Pro, and iMac. Here are my thoughts after using them all for the past 7 days.

M4 Mac mini

• The M4 Mac mini doesn’t seem real. It’s so tiny that you can easily travel with it in a backpack and use a Vision Pro as the monitor. Yes, I’m testing that out soon.

• 16GB RAM on the base spec has proven to be a big win & makes the base model sufficient enough for most.

• The front-facing ports are very convenient.

• There’s no better computer on the market for under $600.

• M4 Pro, on the other hand, is ridiculously powerful and I’m currently using it over my M1 Ultra Mac Studio.

• Here’s my comparison video on the M4 vs M4 Pro Mac mini.

MacBook Pro

• The best part about the M4 MacBook Pro is the nano-texture display. I’m in Florida, so being able to diffuse those reflections from the sun is a big deal for me. I can’t go back to a regular screen after this.

• Aside from that, I believe the base M4 Pro model is the best bang-for-buck MacBook this year. It runs laps around the M4, which is extremely powerful in its own right.

• M4 Max is just on another level, but it’s also $1000+ more than M4 Pro. Most will never need that type of power.

• Here’s my review & comparison video on the M4 vs M4 Pro models.

iMac

• The M4 iMac seems the same as M3 on the surface, but the addition of 16GB RAM and the option to choose all colors for the base spec are both solid additions.

• Also, if you go for the mid-tier model, all 4 of your ports are now Thunderbolt. Only 2 of the 4 were Thunderbolt on the M3 iMac!

• Here’s my unboxing and review video on the M4 iMac.

My take: Apple knocked it out of the park this year with the M4 Mac lineup. It’s the first time since M1 that I’ve recommended people to upgrade from their previous-gen machines. It’s compelling across the board, especially with the Mac mini.

📰 Quick Bites

• New Apple security feature reboots iPhones after 3 days, researchers confirm

• OpenAI's ChatGPT for Mac Now Works With Xcode

• AirPods Pro crackling issue target of new class-action lawsuit

• Google Releases Standalone Gemini AI App for iPhone

• Apple Arcade Adding These 15 New Games Through Early January

• Resident Evil 2 remake for iPhone, iPad, and Mac launches Dec 10

• iPhone 17 'Air' May Not Be Much Thinner Than iPhone 6

• The Weeknd's 'Open Hearts' Immersive Music Experience Launches on Apple Vision Pro

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