Apple’s M1 System on A Chip (SoC) that powers their Mac products have been sensational. The Apple M1 chip that was launched late last year was all the rage for 2020 and most of 2021. The Apple M1 chip even found its way to the Apple iPad Pro for 2021. While it was a little undersold with the Apple iPad Pro series, it shows the world how versatile Apple’s M1 chip can be. At the same time, support for the integrated chip has increased over the year. It is now to a point that almost every conceivable app that is available on Apple’s MacOS are M1 optimised.
Apple’s M1 chip is nearly a year old though and that also means that it is time for a change. The new chip will not be called the M2 though. Instead, we will know it as the M1X SoC for the Mac ecosystem.
While rumoured and teased for most of 2021, there is not much that is known about Apple’s upcoming flagship MacBook Pro and its M1X processor. For those that have been waiting to get their hands on Apple’s silicon powering a MacBook though, their prayers might be answered with the new Apple MacBook line-up that is scheduled to appear in this month itself.
Rumours and reports all point to two variants of the Apple M1X chip. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg pointed out that the M1X will feature a 10-core processor within the chip. There is a choice of either 16-cores or 32-cores in the graphics department. There are also reports of higher-end SoCs that are developed for future MacBook series.
There are more rumoured changes to the MacBook Pro that is set to launch this month. Apple is reportedly bringing back full-sized HDMI and SD card slot into the new MacBook Pro line-up which is good news for content creators. The MacBook Pro is also expected to lose the Touch Bar that was introduced in 2016.
There might be other things that will be launched later in the year. We also must remember that Apple’s iPhone 13 launch did not see the launch of the third generation Apple AirPods. There is still plenty of unknown though. For now, we can only guess. Apple’s next launch event is expected to happen this month or early November 2021 at the latest.
The Apple iPhone 13 series was just launched about two weeks ago. The Apple iPhone 13 series is Cupertino’s latest and greatest pride. The new device features an all-new 5nm A15 Bionic System on a Chip (SoC). It is also Apple’s first iPhone to exclude the 64GB version and the iPhone 13 Pro series is the first smartphone in Apple’s line-up to also offer 1TB of storage.
Now you have the chance to be the first people in Malaysia to own Apple’s latest and greatest iPhone. Maxis and Celcom has opened their pre-order programmes for the Apple iPhone 13. There is no word on pre-orders from U Mobile and Digi just yet.
Source: Maxis
Source: Maxis
Source: Maxis
Source: Maxis
Source: Maxis
From Maxis, the iPhone 13 Mini will set you back from MYR 66 a month onward with a three-year commitment on Maxis Zerolution Postpaid 188 plan. The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, in this case, will set you back MYR 115 a month. Maxis’ pre-order will end on the 7th of October 2021 though and you can expect your devices to come from the 8th of October 2021 onward. If you do not want to be tied down to a contract with Maxis, you can buy the device from Maxis from as low as MYR 1,736, which will still be lower than retail anyway.
Source: Celcom
Source: Celcom
Source: Celcom
Source: Celcom
Source: Celcom
Celcom is approaching the pre-order in a slightly different way though. Their pre-order also started 12.01 a.m. this morning. The first 1000 customers to pre-order the device will get an MYR 250 (up to) rebate on their iPhone 13 pre-orders with Celcom. You can also order Apple’s new accessories that are available from Celcom’s stores with the Celcom Mix and Match. Celcom is also offering a 6-month subscription of iQiYi complementary to your iPhone 13 pre-order with them.
For more information on Maxis’ pre-order programme, you can check out their website. You can also visit Celcom to find out more about their pre-order programme and compare prices if you want. Of course, you can find information on Apple’s latest iPhone 13 on their own website. Now we wait for the Apple iPad Mini with the A15 Bionic to be available in Malaysia.
Apple’s September 2021 event has just concluded yesterday. They kick it off with the 9th generation Apple iPad. While it is not the most powerful Apple iPad available in Apple’s tablet line-up, it is technically the most accessible and the most popular Apple tablet ever.
The new 9th generation Apple iPad is a much-improved Apple iPad even compared to the 8th generation they introduced last year though. For starters, the latest Apple iPad comes with a powerful A13 Bionic chip that is even more powerful than the chip that came before while offering an extended battery life. The new A13 Bionic chip also allows the iPad to be an even more powerful learning and productivity tool than ever.
The 10.2-inch Retina display now packs True Tone technology that ensures that you get the best viewing experience in any lighting conditions. It still supports the 1st generation Apple Pencil for more intuitive note taking. You can pair it to Apple’s Smart Keyboard too for productivity purposes.
The front-facing camera is now a 12-Megapixel ultrawide shooter that works with Center Stage. Center Stage on the new iPad engages the A13 Bionic’s neural engine to automatically recognise faces through your front-facing camera and optimises the camera angle and frame to fit a single subject or multiple subjects. Center Stage is now supported by Zoom, Webex, and Bluejeans. Of course, you get the same functionalities on FaceTime.
The new iPadOS 15 powered iPad also comes with at least double the storage compared to the previous generation iPad at 64GB. There is also a larger 256GB storage option if you really need the space.
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
The Apple iPad starts at US$ 329 (MYR 1,499*). There is also a WiFi + Cellular variant with prices starting from US$459 (MYR 2,119*). The new Apple iPad will come in either the silver or space grey finishes. The new Apple tablets will be shipping to customers in 28 countries and regions, including the United States (US), from the 24th of September 2021. Pre-orders has not started for Malaysia just yet though. You can find more information on the new Apple iPad on their website.
Apple’s iPad Air that was launched in 2020 was a game changer for the Apple iPad. It marked a shift for Apple’s product direction. It is Apple’s first mobile based device that features a USB Type-C port instead of the regular Lightning port.
The move to USB Type-C is a welcome change for users. It is also another door for whole new possibilities for the Apple iPad ecosystem. The availability of USB Type-C now allows Apple to develop even faster charging devices too for the Apple iPad ecosystem. But before the Apple event launch yesterday, the only Apple mobile device that sports the USB Type-C port is only the Apple iPad Air.
There is a new USB Type-C device in Apple’s stables though. The new iPad mini is finally refreshed and is a lot more powerful than before. It features the highly requested USB Type-C port.
Source: Apple
The iPad mini share plenty of similarities to the iPad Air launched in 2020 though. It is void of any physical button on the display plane, for example. The Touch ID button is now integrated with its power button on the top right corner of the device. That also allows the display to occupy a larger real estate on the device.
The 8.3-inch display is a Liquid Retina panel that boasts 500 nits in brightness. It is also a highly accurate display with P3 wide colour gamut coverage. To ensure that you get the best experience in any lighting conditions, True Tone technology on the display will adjust its colour profile based on the lighting conditions in your environment.
The Apple iPad mini now supports Apple’s 2nd generation Pencil which attaches to the iPad Mini magnetically. At the same time, the Apple Pencil will be wirelessly charged while attached to the iPad mini. Of course, with the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, the iPad Mini becomes a completely different workhorse.
Source: Apple
Power comes in the form of Apple’s latest A15 Bionic chip, the same one you find on the Apple iPhone 13 Pro. That also means you get a combination of two high-performance cores and four low-power cores for a total of six cores from the 5nm system on a Chip (SoC). With five dedicated GPU cores, the new A15 Bionic delivers 80% more graphical performance compared to the older iPad mini the 2021 variant replaces. At the same time, the dedicated 16-core Neural Engine and new Machine Learning (ML) accelerators offers twice the ML performance of the older iPad mini. That also means that Siri on the Apple iPad mini is more powerful than ever.
The rear camera is now a 12-Megapixel sensor. No, it ends there. There is only one camera out the back of the iPad mini that is paired to a True Tone LED flash. Clearly the iPad mini is not made for photography.
It is made to be a productive machine that you can work remotely with though. The compact iPad features a 12-Megapixel ultra-wide sensor out the front of the device. That allows Apple to inherit the Center Stage technology from the iPad Pro devices. The ultra-wide sensor allows for a larger frame, but at the same time, with the clever AI engine on the A15 Bionic SoC, the camera can cleverly focus on you, zoom in and out of scenes to include more users to be in the frame, and even for users to scale in and out of video calls. The feature is also now supported on Zoom, BlueJeans, and Cisco’s Webex apps.
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
The iPadOS 15 powered Apple iPad mini for 2021 will be available in 28 countries, including the United States (US) from 24th September 2021. The iPad mini for 2021/2022 should be available in Malaysia October 2021 onward. it will be available in two storage options – 64GB and 256GB options. You can choose between Space Grey, Pink, Purple, and Starlight colour options. The Apple iPad mini will set you back US$ 499 (MYR 2,299*) onward for the WiFi only version and US$ 649 (MYR 2,949*) onward for the WiFi + Cellular variant. More on the Apple iPad mini for 2021/2022 can be found on their website.
* Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.16 on xe.com as of 16/09/2021
The Apple Watch has become one of the most popular fitness wearables since its launch. This year, we’re seeing Apple bring some of the most requested features to the smartwatch as well as expanding its fitness offerings with Fitness+.
The Apple Watch Series 7 drops all the vanities for functional upgrades this year. Unlike the version circulating in rumors, the Series 7 continues to have its familiar design with one big difference. It now sports even slimmer bezels and a larger display. Coming at a minute 1.7mm, the bezels on the Apple Watch Series 7 are the slimmest to date – 40% slimmer than the Series 6. The always-on display is also 70% brighter than the series 6 making it easier to see without waking the screen.
To take advantage of the larger display space, Apple is also enabling a full QWERTY keyboard on the Apple Watch. To ease typing the keyboard will take advantage of QuickPath which will allow input by swiping with a single finger. There are also two additional larger font sizes.
In addition, the Apple Watch Series 7 is also coming with new enhancements that are not only more environmentally kind but also more durable. Cupertino is claiming that this is their most durable watch yet. The front of the watch is now made of thicker crystal with, what they say is, a stronger more robust geometry and is 50% thicker than the series 6. It’s more crack-resistant as well. It’s also IP6X dust resistant and maintains its WR50 water resistance rating.
The Apple Watch Series 7 marks a milestone in watch OS as it brings new software features. This time, watch OS 8 brings features that enhanced features that take advantage of the new, hardier build. Apple has enhanced its watch OS algorithms to make tracking cycling more reliable. Using the GPS, heart rate, accelerometer and gyroscope the Apple watch is now able to detect when you start, stop and even have a tumble while cycling. It is also able to detect pedal assist on e-bikes.
Apple Fitness+ Gets More Interactive and Expanded Availability
Together with the new Apple Watch Series 7, Apple is also expanding the availability of their Apple Watch-centered fitness service: Fitness+. Apple Fitness+ will be making its way to 15 new countries including Austria, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, and Mexico among others.
In addition to the expanded availability, Apple Fitness+ will be introducing even more activities to get you moving. Joining the arsenal of fitness activities is guided meditation and pilates. Users can now get guided meditation sessions to help with mindfulness and stress as well as work on their core and body conditioning with trained experts on Fitness+.
You don’t have to do kick off your fitness journey alone either. Apple Fitness+ is bringing group workouts. You’ll be able to work out with your friends and family thanks to SharePlay. Simply text or FaceTime to set up the session and work out together remotely. You will be able to see your friends’ milestones to celebrate together in group workouts. It will also contribute to your own progress as you work to close that ring!
Pricing & Availability
The Apple Watch Series 7 will be available in 42mm and 45mm versions later this fall. It will be available in five new aluminum case colors: midnight, starlight, green, and a new blue and (PRODUCT)RED. It will also be available in standard stainless steel as well. Prices start at USD$399 (MYR1,659.13).
Apple Fitness+will be available later this year priced at USD$9.99 (MYR41.54) per month or $79.99 (MYR332.63) per year. It’s also included as part of the Apple One Premier Plan which is available for USD$29.95 (MYR124.54). The Apple One Premier subscription also includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and 2TB of iCloud storage.
What is an Apple event without an Apple iPhone? We do not actually know the answer to that. Whatever though, because the new Apple iPhone for 2021/2022 is here; the Apple iPhone 13 and its Mini version is here.
You will now that you have the new Apple iPhone 13 though if you put it beside an iPhone 12. While most of its overall dimensions stays similar, the camera array on the Apple iPhone 13 is just a tiny bit different. It is distinct enough to notice though. Instead of the cameras arranged in a straight line down, it is now diagonally placed across each other. There is a reason for this, and we will talk about it later.
Source: Apple
Flip it to the front and the only differentiator between the 12 and 13 is the size of the notch that houses the Face ID sensor alongside 12-Megapixel front-facing camera. It is still the same Super Retina XDR OLED display that you get from before though at 5.4-inch on the Mini and 6.1-inch on the regular iPhone 13. Except they are now brighter at up to 1200 nits.
At the back are two 12-Megapixels that handles different jobs. The one at the bottom is the main 12-Megapixel sensor that features a larger sensor than before for even better looking low-light photos. The main sensor also features Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) for steady handheld shots whenever and wherever you are. The other camera is an Ultra-Wide sensor.
The cameras also features Photography Styles where users can choose between a collection of pre-set colour settings to really bring out their creativity in photos. At the same time, the camera is capable of shooting videos in Dolby Vision HDR at up to 4K 60p resolution. On top of that you also get Cinematic mode with Rack Focus effects on the Apple iPhone 13.
All the added features are possible thanks to the new Apple A15 Bionic System on a Chip (SoC). It is made with 5nm process, which is still the standard we are used to today. The most advanced chip from Apple is now a six-core SoC though with two of its cores being high-powered cores for the best-in-class processing performance. It also features a 4-core GPU which is powerful enough to drive the most demanding mobile games you can find on Apple’s App Store. With a 16-core Neural Engine, Siri on the iPhone 13 is more powerful than ever.
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
The Apple iPhone 13 will be available for pre-orders starting from 17th of September 2021 onward. It will start shipping out in Apple’s major markets from the 24th of September 2021 onward. Unfortunately, Malaysia is not a part of the first markets to get the Apple iPhone. We do not have to wait for that long though since the Apple iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini will be available 1st of October 2021 onward. You get to choose from pink, blue, midnight, starlight, and RED colour options for both the iPhone models. Storage options start at 128GB and tops out at 512GB. The Apple iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini starts at US$ 799 (MYR 3,899*) and US$ 699 (MYR 3,399*)respectively. You can find more information on Apple’s latest iPhone from their website.
Apple’s Event just happened, and of course, as expected, we are graced with Apple’s latest iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. For good measure, they keep the best for last. They launched the Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max at the end of their show instead. It is the star of the show anyway, the most anticipated Apple device for the year 2021.
So, what changed? The design of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro series has not changed all that much compared to the Apple iPhone 12 Pro series. In fact, they feature the exact same dimensions that should also allow your iPhone 12 Pro cases to work with the newer Apple iPhone 13 Pro devices that was just launched. Even the camera module looks similar. There is no additional notches or dips on the device’s body itself that makes it stand out over the Apple iPhone 12 Pro series.
Put the devices side by side and you might notice a small difference on the forehead of the devices. The Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max now features a smaller notch compared to the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro. The iconic notch has not changed in shape though. You get slightly more in terms of the display real estate in this case. They remain the same sizes though at 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch for respective model.
Source: Apple
The new ultimate Apple iPhone variants still feature the same Super Retina XDR display that you would find on the Apple iPhone 12 Pro models from before. Of course, the bigger displayed Pro Max will pack a bit more pixel on the 6.7-inch OLED display than the 6.1-inch OLED of the regular Pro device. They now come with something Apple calls ProMotion. To be fair, ProMotion is a fancier way of saying that the new device now features up to 120Hz (as low as 10Hz) in refresh rate. It is also a variable refresh rate that brings the display up to speed with other Android flagships.
You still get the usual HDR display with TrueTone technology on the Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. Of course, wide colour gamut coverage is still available on the Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, important since they sold the device as a content creator’s ultimate tool. The ceramic shielded display now can display at up to 1200 nits in brightness though, which is brighter than the iPhone that came before.
Within the IP68 rated body that is made with a combination of glass, stainless steel, and ceramic is a mighty Apple A15 bionic chip that boasts a new more powerful 16-core Neural Engine for an even more responsive Siri and cleverer camera functions. The A15 bionic chip also features a new 6-core 5nm process CPU block with 2 high-performance cores. It also features a 5-core GPU.
There is a relatively new camera system on both the Pro and Pro Max devices too. They are still boasting the same resolutions as before. The new most advanced Apple iPhone features a main camera with a slightly larger sensor with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) though. The direct result of that is supposedly better low-light performance from the camera.
Source: Apple
The ultra-wide camera can not only take great looking ultra-wide photos. It can also act as a macro camera with a minimal focal distance of 2cm. Thanks to the A15 Bionic too, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max’s camera app now features new Photographic Styles that allows users to quickly set their iPhone up to shoot photos with distinct colour profiles that reflects the users’ preferences. Night mode is also now available for all three of the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max’s camera app.
With better cameras and better neural programming, the video capabilities of the iPhone Pro models are extended. The most powerful iPhones can now shoot in ProRes format at 4K 30p resolution. You can also edit ProRes videos directly on the device. The most interesting addition to the video capabilities is Rack Focus via Cinematic mode on the. Rack Focus on Cinematic mode allows users or content creators to quickly change focus and add depth to films to force the viewers perspectives. The depth data is also built into the videos you shoot on the Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max so that you can go back to the video and choose your focus moments to the dot while editing the video on board.
While Apple never discloses their battery capacity information to the public, they say that they have made some breakthroughs with the battery life of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. They managed to make the new Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max last for 1.5 hours and 2.5 hours longer on average compared to their respective predecessors. The numbers are quite subjective though, meaning Apple did not really disclose the actual battery life of the devices.
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max is available for pre-order in the United States this Friday onward and will be available from the 24th of September 2021. There is some good news for Malaysia though. The devices will be available in Malaysia on the 1st of October 2021 onward. Both the Apple iPhone 13 Pro devices will be available in four finishes – Graphite, Gold, Silver, and Sierra Blue. You also get to choose between 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and now 1TB storage options too for both models. The smaller Apple iPhone 13 Pro will set you back US$ 999 (MYR 4,899*) onward. The larger Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max will set you back US$ 1,099 (MYR 5,299*) onward. There are no confirmed prices for the Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max in Malaysia just yet. You can find more information on the most powerful Apple iPhones ever from their website.
Switching digital platforms is still a thing in the modern world. Switching platforms today though is harder than ever before, especially when you buy a smartphone. You get to choose between an Android or iOS smartphone if you go out to the market today to buy yourself a new one. Most of the time as well, you are going to stick to what you had before.
There is a reason why it is difficult for you to change platforms when it comes to smartphones. A lot of times, your operating system (OS) and its apps require you to have a functioning account with its particular provider to take full advantage of the system and its ecosystem of apps and services. For example, if you are on an Android smartphone you are required to have a functioning Google account to access Google’s Play Store and their own apps like Gmail and Calendar. Likewise, if you are on an Apple iOS device, you are required to have a functioning Apple account.
There is an added complexity on Android devices too, because Android devices come from different manufacturers. Different manufacturers have their own unique ecosystem too that requires you to have a functional account that could be tied to their ecosystem. One of the most famous ecosystems outside of Apple and Google right now is Samsung’s ecosystem which requires you to have a functioning Samsung account.
Of course, there are ways manufacturers have made porting from one platform to another easier over the years. The most notable effort of all is Samsung’s Smart Switch which makes porting and transferring data over any Android or even Apple device a breeze. It is not perfect though.
For the longest time, one of the most popular messenger apps that is available on both iOS and Android has been the biggest obstacle to switching platforms. That app is WhatsApp. There is a clear problem why too.
WhatsApp stores its data on your device. It regularly backs your messaging data into a cloud storage. On an Android device, the cloud storage of choice is Google Drive, which requires you to run a Google account anyway. On an Apple iOS device, you are relying on Apple’s iCloud storage services, which incidentally requires you to have an Apple account. You can see the problem here in itself.
While transferring your WhatsApp data over from platforms has been impossible if you are doing it over wifi, Samsung has rectified that with the latest Smart Switch version in Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 announcement. But what if you are not on a Samsung Galaxy device? Or, what if you want to switch from an Android to an Apple instead?
That function is now hitting other Android and iOS devices. The service now allows you to transfer your entire chat history and conversations from one smartphone to another, no matter the platform. The transfer also includes your entire WhatsApp media library for good measure.
Of course, there are some caveats. Your WhatsApp can only be transferred over from one platform to another via a wired connection. At the time of writing, your Samsung Smart Switch will require a USB Type-C connection with the donor Apple device to extra all its data, including WhatsApp data. While WhatsApp have not specified the transfer method, we are assuming that a cabled connection is the most viable way to data to be shared between an Android and iOS device without having to merge and mash Google Drive and Apple iCloud services together.
This opens up a whole other world of possibility for smartphone users though. Since transferring data between platforms are becoming easier, changing your smartphones is a simpler affair than ever before. That also means that the power to decide is now in the hands of the users more than ever. You get to choose which platforms works best for you every single time you want to upgrade your device, and that should mean more competitive pricing on even more powerful devices, especially in between platforms.
Apple’s Spatial Audio is sure making its rounds. In the previous weeks, the excellent virtual surround sound audio technology makes its way into Netflix apps for the iPhone and iPad. You can now use your Apple AirPods Pro and AirPods Max with Spatial Audio when watching Netflix on your iPhone or iPad. It does make sense too, in a sense. You get more immersive experience from your pocket devices.
Spatial Audio is nothing new though. Apple has implemented their own 360 virtual audio technology in they own apps. Apple’s Music app has embraced the surround sound technology since the beginning. Even Apple’s Apple TV+ has integrated the technology for a while now. The feature will be coming to other apps like Spotify eventually, of course you do have to wait for the clever developers to tinker with the technology and its algorithms a bit more.
There is one other app that just got Spatial Audio for their app though. That app in question is Clubhouse. They announced this milestone on their Twitter page, very much like any respected app organisation on Social Media platforms. Now is the time you start asking; “why?”
Hear ye, hear ye 🔊 spAAaAaAatial audio on Clubhouse!
It’s like surround sound, but w/ your own headphones. A more vibrant, human experience! Plus makes it much easier to tell who’s talking.
Again, surround sound technology is not exactly new. The technology does add a bit more in terms of realism in films. In Music, it adds a sort of depth perception of a recording studio, or stage. The technology puts your right in the middle of the action. In the case of Clubhouse, while you might argue that the reason the developers added Spatial Audio feature to the app on Apple devices is “because they can”, it is a bit more than that.
Yes, over the internet, you are getting high-quality voice calls from Clubhouse itself. It is the next best thing to hanging out with a bunch of people physically. At the same time, you are connecting with so many people from all over the world. You can just sit in a ‘club’ with hundreds of people all from different regions of the world practically.
While that is already impressive enough, there is a way to make it better. Yes, the answer to that is surround sound. Again, surround sound is more than just an entertainment technology. It can add a perception of space and depth around you with the right headphones. That is exactly what Clubhouse is trying to achieve here. They wat to add that sense of perception, that sense of realism.
The addition will also mean that Clubhouse is realty now the next best thing in terms of hanging out with your friends in this trying times. It may not make you choose clubhouse over other similar platforms at this time. It does add some sense of intimacy with other clubhouse users and friends on the platform though. You would really feel like you are talking to the person next to you.
The update is now rolling out for the Clubhouse app on iOS. There are still limitations to its implementation which also means you might not hear that much in difference when you get on the app, especially on Bluetooth audio. Clubhouse, on their Twitter post is also saying that Android will get its fair share of Spatial Audio soon. Clubhouse is now available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Spatial audio for Apple devices was announced back in 2020. It is Apple’s idea of a sort of 3D audio on Dolby Atmos. 3D audio was not really a new concept either at this point. Major electronic vendors like Sony have started experimenting with their own version of 3D audio with their 360 Reality Audio technology and their very own 3D Audio on the PlayStation 5. In a sense, if you want to describe Spatial Audio, it is like a virtual surround sound.
There is a sort of hardware limitation to the technology though. Not every audio hardware can support the technology at this time. That said, Apple’s latest TWS headphones line up like the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max supports the technology. Then you have a problem with the software side of things, not every software supports the technology yet. Why would you launch a technology that is not supported by any contents then?
There are no straight answers here. One of the answers is simply because they can. At the same time though, the announcement is a sort of signal to all the developers that are developing on the iOS platform. A sort of notice to tell people that Apple has the technology and developers can take advantage of the technology on their apps, with the right support of course.
Spatial Audio is not just beneficial for music or the illusion of live music though. It has the potential to really elevate your audio experience without spending thousands upon thousands of top dollars on top of what you already have. It is, in a sense, a cheap way to get immersive audio. Of course, the audio quality really depends on your audio hardware itself, and its tuning; you cannot defy the law of physics still.
This opens up the avenue for immersive entertainment experience on the go too. You can bring the cinema experience in your pockets. You can watch a movie on your Apple iPhone, for example, and feel like you are in the theatres while you are flying from Johannesburg to London.
Now, you can watch Netflix on iPhone and iPad with Spatial Audio. The first app that supported Apple’s Spatial Audio was Apple’s very own Music app in 2021. The support for Spatial Audio then extends to the Apple TV 4K as well at the same time.
Weirdly, Netflix is not the first third party app that received Spatial Audio treatment. Instead, apps like Disney Plus, and HBO Max are the first third party apps to receive the support. Of course, Apple would have equipped their Apple TV Plus app with Spatial Audio capabilities early on. In that sense, the support for Spatial Audio for Netflix is a long time coming. That is not to say that the update is not a welcome update though.
Users should expect to see the update rolling into their Apple iPad and Apple iPhone devices in the coming days. If you do not have Netflix, you can always try Apple’s Spatial Audio technology via Apple TV Plus app. Just make sure you have an Apple AirPods Pro or AirPods Max to go with your Apple iPhone and iPad. For Netflix users, you can turn on Spatial Audio from Netflix’s settings menu. If you do not see the option yet, you might want to check if your app is updated or wait for the latest app update from the Apple App Store.
