IPAD (2020) UP CLOSE WITH APPLE'S LATEST TABLET

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INSIDE: ALL THE NEWS FROM APPLE’S OCTOBER EVENT

NOVEMBER 2020

                                iPAD
                                (2020)
                                 UP CLOSE
                                  WITH
                                  APPLE’S
                                   LATEST
                                    TABLET

                               APPLE
                               WATCH
                               SERIES 6
                               SIMPLY
                               THE BEST
IPAD (2020) UP CLOSE WITH APPLE'S LATEST TABLET
CONTENTS

                                                                               4

   APPLE EVENT                              NEWS
   4        iPhone 12 Pro: The six most     20     Serious vulnerability found in
            important things you need              Mac T2 chip
            to know                         22     First Apple Silicon Mac
   9        iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12:          chip about to enter mass
            Six ways they’re more ‘Pro’            production
            than you think                  24     Apple submits Face ID on the
   13       MagSafe enables a whole                Mac patent
            new charging and accessory
            ecosystem                       iPAD
   16       HomePod mini: Six things        26     Review: iPad (2020)
            to know about Apple’s new       37     iPad Air (2020) versus iPad
            smart speaker                          (2020)
                                            44     Why the new iPad Air is great
                                                   news for the iPad Pro

   2 Macworld • November 2020
IPAD (2020) UP CLOSE WITH APPLE'S LATEST TABLET
26                                      48

                                                                       80                                      90
Credit: Getty Images/Thitichaya Yajampa

                                          APPLE WATCH                         BUYING GUIDE
                                          48   Review: Apple Watch Series 6   80   Best VPN for Mac
                                          56   Review: Apple Watch SE
                                          63   Apple Watch Series 3 versus    FEATURES
                                               SE versus Series 6             87   What is Nano-texture glass
                                          69   Where does the Apple Watch          and do I need it?
                                               go from here?                  90   How Apple could improve its
                                                                                   Services experience
                                          REVIEWS                             93   How Apple can power up
                                          73   ExpressVPN                          automation on its platforms
                                          77   iClock

                                                                                          November 2020 • Macworld 3
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APPLE EVENT

    iPhone 12 Pro: The six
    most important things
    you need to know
    Apple’s new high-end iPhones have a refreshed design, faster
    processor, 5G, and a much better camera. Jason Cross reports

   A
                pple has just taken the       that set them apart and help justify
                wraps off the iPhone 12       their higher price tag.
                and iPhone 12 Pro. Each
                are available in two sizes    1. A NEW, SLIGHTLY
    (the regular iPhone 12 now comes in a     LARGER DESIGN
    6.1in model and a 5.4in ‘mini’), but as   As with the iPhone 11 Pro, the iPhone
    was the case with the iPhone 11, the      12 Pro comes in two sizes. This
    ‘Pro’ models have some differences        year, the display on the two models

    4 Macworld • November 2020
IPAD (2020) UP CLOSE WITH APPLE'S LATEST TABLET
measure 6.1 inches
and 6.7 inches, up
from 5.8 inches and
6.5 inches. (Bear
in mind that a 6.1in
display is the same
size as the regular,
non-Pro iPhone 11.)
    This means
the phone bodies
themselves are a
bit larger as well,
though there’s less
bezel area around the
display, so it’s not as    The new design features flat edges, a bright new gold
much larger as you         colour and a Pacific Blue variant.
might think, just a
millimetre or two taller and wider. With     now (but still not on the telephoto
a thickness of only 7.4mm, the iPhone        camera). And Deep Fusion now
12 Pro is even thinner than the iPhone       works on all four cameras. There’s
11 Pro’s 8.1mm body.                         a new improved 7-element lens on
    The sides of all the iPhone 12           the main wide camera and a wider
models are now flat, mimicking               f/1.6 aperture to let in more light,
the design of the iPad Pro. They’re          improving low light performance.
available in four colours: silver                The larger iPhone 12 Pro Max
(white), graphite, gold, and Pacific         variant has a 47 per cent larger
Blue (replacing Midnight Green on            sensor on the main wide camera,
the iPhone 11 Pro).                          which means bigger 1.7-micron
                                             pixels. Combined with the larger
2. THE CAMERAS                               aperture, Apple says it produces 87
GET A BIG UPGRADE                            per cent better low-light photos. The
The iPhone 12 Pro can shoot night            telephoto lens on the Max is longer,
mode photos on the wide, ultra-              too – 65mm, or about 2.5x, instead of
wide, and even the front camera              52mm or 2x on the regular Pro.

                                                           November 2020 • Macworld 5
IPAD (2020) UP CLOSE WITH APPLE'S LATEST TABLET
APPLE EVENT

                                                               Vision format. While
                                                               the iPhone 12 can
                                                               do this up to 4K at
                                                               30fps, the 12 Pro can
                                                               go all the way up to
                                                               60fps when shooting
                                                               Dolby Vision.

                                                               3. THE iPHONE
                                                               12 SUPPORTS
                                                               5G NETWORKS
                                                                 While Android phones
    The main Wide camera has been improved with a wider          have supported 5G
    aperture, and on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, a larger sensor      wireless networks
    with sensor-shift stabilization.                             for over a year, Apple
                                                                 hasn’t jumped on
        The Pro Max uses sensor-shift           the bandwagon yet. The iPhone 12
    stabilization, which should produce         changes all that. All models, from the
    clearer and more detailed shots,            iPhone 12 mini to the iPhone 12 Pro,
    especially in low light.                    now support 5G networks. 5G comes
        Thanks to the
    new LiDAR sensor,
    the iPhone 12 Pro
    can focus better in
    dark environments,
    and can shoot
    night mode
    portrait shots.
        Both the
    regular and Pro
    models now shoot
    10-bit HDR video,
    including support        Apple made a big deal about 5G at its event, and name-
    in the Dolby             dropped Verizon about a thousand times.

    6 Macworld • November 2020
IPAD (2020) UP CLOSE WITH APPLE'S LATEST TABLET
in two flavours:
there’s sub-6GHz
5G (the same
frequencies as 4G
LTE) and mmWave
5G (very high
frequencies
with super fast
speeds and very
short range).
    The new iPhone
12 models, Pro and      The A14 brings a host of performance improvements,
regular, support        especially to machine learning and AI tasks.
both sub-6GHz and
mmWave networks.                           GPU and much faster Neural Engine.
    Sadly for those us here in the         Apple says both the CPU and GPU
UK, he also focused on the cities          are 50 per cent faster than any
and areas that will be covered in the      competing smartphone chip.
US (60 cities by year end, he said)            The iPhone 12 also uses the
rather than elsewhere.                     new A14 chip, so it’s not as if the
    The general benefits of 5G are         iPhone 12 Pro faster than the non-
obvious: you get faster internet           Pro model. It does come with more
access when away from home Wi-Fi,          storage, though: 128GB to start,
perhaps as much as 4Gbps under             with options for 256GB or 512GB.
absolutely optimal conditions, Verizon     The iPhone 12 has half as much
reckons. But the actual specific           storage at every level.
speeds will vary hugely depending on
time and (above all) location.             5. NO POWER ADAPTER
                                         OR EARBUDS IN THE BOX
4. FASTER CHIP, MORE                     We’ve always had a new power
STARTING STORAGE                         adapter along with our iPhones. It
Apple has the first mobile chip to       comes in the box. The regular iPhones
be made with a 5nm manufacturing         and iPhone SE have a 5-watt USB-A
process. It’s got a faster CPU, faster   power adapter, and the iPhone 11 Pro

                                                        November 2020 • Macworld 7
IPAD (2020) UP CLOSE WITH APPLE'S LATEST TABLET
APPLE EVENT

    came with an 18-watt USB-C power          6. STARTING PRICE IS
    adapter. Those are no longer in the       THE SAME, AND MORE
    box. Not just on the iPhone 12, but       STORAGE IS CHEAPER
    from all iPhone models (as soon as        The iPhone 11 Pro started at £1,049,
    current stock runs out).                  with storage upgrades costing £1,199
        Apple also used to include            (256GB) or £1,399 (512GB). The
    earbuds with a Lightning connector.       iPhone 11 Pro Max cost £100 more.
    Those, too, are no longer included.           The iPhone 12 Pro still starts at
    All you get in the box with your          £999, the storage upgraded versions
    iPhone 12 Pro is the phone itself         are now £1,099 and £1,299, reducing
    and a USB-C to Lightning cable.           the cost by £50. The iPhone 12 Pro
        This sounds like a cheap move         Max still costs £100 more.
    for the world’s most valuable                 Though Apple no longer gives you
    tech company, and it is. But it’s also    a power adapter nor earbuds in the
    very good for the environment,            box, it’s not necessarily a worse value.
    which is why Apple says it’s doing        The starting models have 128GB
    this. At this point, we all have a        of storage rather than 64GB in the
    drawer full of power adaptors (you        iPhone 11 Pro, and you don’t pay more
    don’t need to use an Apple brand          for 5G, which usually carries a higher
    one after all) and earbuds, or            price tag on other phones.
    Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone jack             The iPhone 12 Pro are available for
    adaptors, or we use AirPods or other      pre-order and will ship on 23 October.
    wireless headphones.                      The iPhone 12 Pro Max will be
        For most consumers, this stuff sits   available for pre-order on 6 November
    in a drawer or never comes out of the     and will ship on 13 November.
    box. Making and shipping it to every
    user is a big waste, both economically
    and ecologically. If you need a power
    adaptor, there are tons of them
    from every brand, or you can get a
    wireless charger. Apple’s got new,
    faster MagSafe wireless charging
    (see page 13) while maintaining
    compatibility with Qi chargers.

    8 Macworld • November 2020
IPAD (2020) UP CLOSE WITH APPLE'S LATEST TABLET
iPhone 12 mini and iPhone
12: Six ways they’re more
‘Pro’ than you think
You’ll be getting a lot of iPhone for a much nicer price. Michael
Simon reports

I
   t took a little longer than usual, but   an extra option, the choice of which
   the iPhone 12 is finally here. And       one to buy might not be so difficult
   just like we expected, there are         this year.
   four phones this year, with Apple            That’s because the iPhone 12 and
adding a new ‘mini’ model to the            iPhone 12 mini are closer than ever
lower-end of the line-up. But even with     to the higher-priced Pro models that

                                                           November 2020 • Macworld 9
IPAD (2020) UP CLOSE WITH APPLE'S LATEST TABLET
APPLE EVENT

    cost hundreds more. The iPhone 12          stainless steel on the Pro. Otherwise,
    and iPhone 12 mini might not have          you’re getting the same design as
    all the same features, but when            the Pro with smooth, flat edges
    you break down the differences             and uniform construction. And now
    between the standard and Pro lines,        that the bezels have been reduced
    they’re a lot closer than you’d think.     compared to the iPhone 11, the new
    Here are the surprising iPhone 12          12 is as thin and small as the Pro
    features that make the baseline            version. So, unless you really, really
    iPhones a lot more pro.                    want that gold colour, the regular 12
                                               is just as gorgeous.
    1. THEY LOOK JUST
    AS GOOD AND WON’T                          2. THEY HAVE THE SAME
    SCRATCH AS EASILY                          OLED SCREENS
    The new Pro models might look              Apple previously differentiated its
    stunning, but don’t sleep on the           Pro and non-Pro iPhone lines with the
    iPhone 12. Not only do they have           type of display they had: LCD in the
    more colour options – black, white,        entry-level model and OLED in the
    red, green, and blue – they also use       pro models. That’s no longer the case.
    aluminium on the edges versus the          With both the 6.1in iPhone 12 and
    fingerprint- and scratch-attracting        5.4in iPhone 12 mini, you get the same
                                                                Super Retina XDR
                                                                that was previously
                                                                reserved for the Pro
                                                                models, with rich
                                                                colours, deep blacks,
                                                                incredible contrast,
                                                                and super-sharp text
                                                                and images. And with
                                                                Ceramic Shield, it
                                                                won’t shatter as easily
                                                                when you drop it. Add
                                                                it all up and you’ve got
                                                                a Pro-level display for
    The iPhone 12 comes in five stunning colours.               a whole lot less.

    10 Macworld • November 2020
3. THEY’RE JUST AS FAST                    models, something you won’t find on
This one isn’t a surprise. Apple always    the Galaxy S20 FE or the Pixel 4a
puts the latest processor in the           5G without paying a premium. You
latest iPhones, Pro or not, and this       could argue that it’s not necessary
year that’s the A14 Bionic. And boy        and Apple could have reduced costs
is it fast. The A14 Bionic chip packs      even further by dropping mmWave
11.8 billion transistors onto its 5nm      support, but in a few years when
frame f04 greater performance and          those incredible speeds are a bit more
efficiency over the already fast A13       widespread, your iPhone 12 feels just
Bionic. You’re also getting a 16-core      as fast as an iPhone 14 Pro.
neural engine capable of handling 22
trillion operations per second and a       5. THEY SUPPORT
machine learning accelerator that’s        THE NEW MAGSAFE
70 per cent faster than before.            We might not have gotten the
                                           AirPower charger, but Apple did
4. THEY HAVE THE                           bring an old tech back from the dead:
SPEEDIEST 5G                               MagSafe. It’s not quite what it was
While it’s still going to be a while       before, but it’s just as cool and way
before most people can take                more versatile. A new magnetic ring
advantage of
the new 5G
modem in the
iPhone 12, when
it arrives they’ll
be getting the
fastest possible
connection.
That’s because
Apple has
supported both
slower sub-6Ghz
and speedy
millimetre wave
5G in all iPhone        The new MagSafe opens the iPhone up a world of accessories.

                                                           November 2020 • Macworld 11
APPLE EVENT

    built into the back of the iPhone lets a   exposure under control while the new
    variety of accessories snap into place,    night mode works on all three lenses,
    including 15-watt wireless chargers,       so you won’t be limited when snapping
    wallets, and cases, and likely many,       night-time shots. And video recording
    many more.                                 is massively improved as well, with the
                                               ability to shoot HDR video with Dolby
    6. THE CAMERA IS                           Vision as well as stunning night-mode
    VERY, VERY GOOD                            time-lapse videos with a tripod. And,
    Okay, the new Pro zoom lens and            really, who needs the LiDAR Scanner
    video editing might be must-have           on the Pro anyway?
    features for smartphone shutterbugs,           The iPhone 12 are available for
    but for the rest of us, the ‘baseline’     pre-order and will ship on 23 October,
    iPhone 12’s camera is still among the      while the iPhone 12 mini will be
    best you can buy, even with just two       available for pre-order on 6 November
    lenses. You get a 12Mp wide ultra-wide     and ship a week later on 13 November.
    lens paired with a new 12Mp wide lens
    with an f/1.6 aperture and a 7-element
    lens for better low light images. Smart
    HDR3 keeps colour balanced and

    The iPhone 12 only has two cameras, but it does a lot with them.

    12 Macworld • November 2020
MagSafe enables a
whole new charging and
accessory ecosystem
With new magnets and coils, Apple is making all sorts of new things
possible. Jason Cross reports

R
           emember MagSafe? The             With a ring of magnets around a
           beloved charging plug for     new charging coil design, along with
           MacBooks was given the        improved shielding and NFC, you can
           boot when Apple moved         sort of ‘snap’ the iPhone 12 or iPhone
to USB-C charging, but the company       12 Pro to a new MagSafe wireless
just brought it back as a new standard   charger, just like you do with the
for iPhone charging and accessories.     Apple Watch.

                                                        November 2020 • Macworld 13
APPLE EVENT

        The more precise alignment and          recognize and react to accessories.
    improved internal components allow          The magnets enable all sorts of snap-
    for faster charging – up to 15 watts        on accessories and cases. MagSafe
    instead of 7.5 on earlier iPhones.          cases will snap on securely, but will
    That’s about as fast as charging            still allow the chargers and other
    previous iPhones plugged in!                accessories to snap on to the back
        This doesn’t make existing Qi           at the same time. Apple is making
    chargers are useless. The new               new silicone, clear, and leather cases
    iPhones still support existing Qi-          that securely snap on to the MagSafe
    enabled wireless charging at rates          magnets, and allow MagSafe snap-on
    up to 7.5 watts, just as previous           charging right through them.
    iPhones have.                                   Apple has even got a slim snap-
                                                on MagSafe wallet, for example.
    MORE THAN CHARGING                          There are third-party chargers and
    The new MagSafe standard is about           accessories coming, too.
    more than just charging. Apple has              Apple’s got a new MagSafe Duo
    added a single-turn coil NFC antenna        charger that will charge your iPhone
    and a magnetometer to the MagSafe           12 and Apple Watch at the same time,
    components, so the phone can                and folds up for travel. There’s no
                                                                 word yet on when it
                                                                 will be available or how
                                                                 much it will cost.
                                                                     Apple’s official
                                                                 MagSafe charger is
                                                                 a reasonable £39,
                                                                 though it does not come
                                                                 with a power adapter.
                                                                 The leather wallet
                                                                 is £59 and comes in
                                                                 four colours, and the
                                                                 silicone and clear cases
                                                                 are £49 no matter
    Apple has added better shielding and new sensors to          which size of iPhone
    allow for faster charging and new types of accessories.      12 it’s for. The official

    14 Macworld • November 2020
Apple’s MagSafe Duo doesn’t yet have a release date or price.

Apple leather cases do not yet have a
price or release date.
    Third-party developers are already
at work making MagSafe compatible
products. Apple called out a car
mount and a multi-device charging
dock from Belkin, for example, but
you can probably expect the array
of snap-on magnetically attached
devices for iPhones to expand rapidly
over the coming months.

                                                          November 2020 • Macworld 15
APPLE EVENT

    HomePod mini: Six things
    to know about Apple’s
    new smart speaker
    The HomePod mini is a smaller version of the HomePod speaker.
    But does it all end there? Roman Loyola reports

   A
                pple has added a new        takes off, it will help Apple grab a
                member to its smart         bigger piece of the burgeoning smart
                speaker line-up. The        speaker market.
                HomePod mini is a smaller       The HomePod still has the mesh
    version of the HomePod speaker          grill exterior available in Space Grey
    Apple released in 2018, and if it       or white, but it has an entirely different

    16 Macworld • November 2020
shape. It’s round, not a cylinder like    playing music. Apple uses its S5 chip
the full-sized HomePod. It reminds        to process the sound.
us of the mesh-protected apples you
might find at the supermarket. While      2. INTERCOM: BROADCAST
we haven’t seen it in person, the         YOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS
screen at the top of the HomePod mini     A new Intercom feature lets you say
seems more prominent, even brighter.      a message to the HomePod mini,
Here are the top six things you need to   and that message will be played on
know about the HomePod mini.              other connected minis, HomePods
                                          and even AirPods. Intercom displays
1. SIZE, SPEAKERS                         an alert on your iPhone, iPad, Mac,
AND MICROPHONES                           Apple Watch and on CarPlay, and you
The HomePod mini measures 3.3             can stream the audio.
inches tall, less than half the height
of the HomePod. And since it’s            3. ULTRA-WIDEBAND
smaller, it has fewer speakers and        SUPPORT
microphones, though Apple promises        The HomePod mini has Apple’s
that the listening experience hasn’t      U1 chip, which provides the device
diminished at all.
The HomePod mini
has a “full-range
driver, powered
by a neodymium
magnet and a pair
of force-cancelling
passive radiators,”
as well as three
mics that listen
for voice prompts,
and an internal mic
to help isolate the
speaker’s sound to
hear a “Hey Siri”
command while            The HomePod mini plays 360-degree audio.

                                                         November 2020 • Macworld 17
APPLE EVENT

    With its U1 support, you can hand off audio from your iPhone to the HomePod mini.

    with ultra-wideband, a radio              with the U1, according to Apple’s
    communication technology that uses        HomePod mini website. That means
    very little power, works in a short       you need an iPhone 11 or later. Older
    range, and has a high bandwidth.          iPhones won’t be able to perform
       The U1 allows for some cool            these features.
    iPhone tricks as well. You can ‘hand
    off’ music playback from your             4. SUPPORTED MUSIC
    iPhone to the new HomePod, as             SERVICES
    well as use an iPhone to control          The HomePod mini works with Apple
    the music playing. You can also get       Music, the Apple Podcasts app, and
    personalized listening suggestions,       radio stations from iHeartRadio, radio.
    and Apple says that later this year,      com, and TuneIn. Apple said during
    you’ll get visual, audible, and haptic    the event that Pandora and Amazon
    effects when transferring sound           Music support will be coming soon.
    between devices.                          Could that mean that other music
       However, to use these features,        services are coming, such as Spotify?
    you’ll need devices that are equipped     We’ll have to wait and see.

    18 Macworld • November 2020
5. HEY SIRI                                • iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation or
Like the full-sized HomePod, the             later)
HomePod mini relies on Siri as its         • iPad Air 2 or later
interface, using Siri commands to          • iPad mini 4 or later running
play music and podcasts. Siri can            iPadOS 14
recognize who is speaking and make
music suggestions based on the                Features on the HomePod mini that
user’s preferences.                        rely on its U1 processor will not work
   You can also use Siri for personal      on devices that are not equipped with
updates, such as asking about your         a U1. You need an iPhone 11 or later.
schedule, the weather and reminders.
Any Siri Shortcuts made on your
iPhone or iPad are also available.
   Apple continues to protect your
privacy while using Siri. Siri requests
are sent to Apple’s servers only when
Siri is activated, and those requests
are not associated with your Apple ID.
Apple also says it does not sell your
personal information to third parties.

6. PRICE AND DEVICE
COMPATIBILITY
The HomePod mini will set you back
£99. It will be available for pre-order
on 6 November, with shipments
starting on 16 November.
    Apple says it is compatible with the
following devices:

• iPhone 6s or later
• iPhone SE
• iPod touch (7th generation) running
 iOS 14

                                                          November 2020 • Macworld 19
NEWS

   Serious vulnerability
   found in Mac T2 chip
   Hackers could exploit the vulnerability to get around passwords
   and encryption. Stephan Wiesend and Mikael Markander report

   A
              little over two years     have found a serious vulnerability in
              ago, Apple launched the   the T2 chip which, in the worst case
              T2, a chip designed to    scenario, could be used by hackers
              improve the security of   to bypass passwords and encryption.
   the company’s Mac computers.         If an attacker has physical access to
      Now, however, Belgian security    the Mac, he can install a keylogger,
   researcher Niels Hofmans claims to   change installations or install his own

   20 Macworld • November 2020
kernel extensions. The process is        Mac using the Apple Configurator
based on the same Checkm8 exploit        utility (fave.co/2GByRTp), and to
that makes it possible to jailbreak      reset the SMC. To do this, you’ll first
certain iOS devices – which isn’t as     need to shut down your Mac. Next,
odd as it sounds, given that the T2 is   press and hold the power button
based on the A10 chip found in some      for 10 seconds, then release it.
older iPhones and iPads.                 Finally, wait a few seconds before
                                         switching your back Mac on.
AFFECTED MACS
All Intel Macs whose T2 chip is based    RESPONSE FROM APPLE
on the old A10 chip from Apple are       Niels Hofmans has shared his
affected, including models from 2020.    discoveries with Apple, but remains
Only upcoming Macs with newer            unsatisfied with the reaction. He
chips will (probably) no longer be       says he reported the flaw on 18
susceptible to attacks.                  August 2020, but even after several
                                         inquiries there has been no response
HOW GREAT                                so far. Hopefully, the vulnerability
IS THE DANGER?                           will be cleared up eventually. Until
“Be aware that this is a perfectly       then, the recommendation is not
possible attack scenario for state       to connect unsafe accessories or
actors,” says Hofmans. “I have           allow unauthorized persons physical
sources that say more news is on the     access to any T2-based Macs.
way in the upcoming weeks. I quote:
be afraid, be very afraid.”
   So yes, the flaw has the potential
to cause serious problems. But it is
relatively easy to protect yourself.
   Physical proximity to the Mac is
necessary for the attack, so Hofmans
recommends that unauthorized
persons not be allowed access to
any T2-based Macs. If you suspect
you have been affected, it would be
wise to reinstall bridgeOS on your

                                                         November 2020 • Macworld 21
NEWS

   First Apple Silicon Mac
   chip about to enter
   mass production
   A14X processor is expected to appear in the next-gen MacBook and
   iPad Pro. Viktor Eriksson and Halyna Kubiv report

   A
              t the start of the fourth     company’s very first publicly available
              quarter of 2020, Apple        Apple Silicon Mac.
              will start mass production       DigiTimes claims the Apple
              of its A14X processor,        supplier TSMC is currently preparing
   DigiTimes reports. This is significant   to mass-produce the A14X chips.
   because the A14X will be used in the     According to industry insiders, the

   22 Macworld • November 2020
manufacturer plans to manufacture        offer its own System in a Package
up to 6,000 wafers using the             (SIP) or System on a Chip (SOC)
new 5nm (nanometre) process; a           solutions to other manufacturers of
wafer can contain several hundred        electronic devices.
individual chips.                           We already know that Apple’s first
    With the new process, TSMC           Apple Silicon Mac will be released
expects more energy-efficient and        towards the end of the year in the
faster processors than with the 7nm      form of a lightweight 12in MacBook
process used for the A13 in the iPhone   with a battery life of between 15
11. According to the manufacturer,       and 20 hours.
the new generation of chips will use
almost 30 per cent less energy than
its predecessor for the same tasks.
The performance should increase
by almost 15 per cent compared
to the 7nm process. TSMC is also
using the second generation of its
EUV (extreme ultraviolet radiation)
lithography, which results in fewer
defective wafers per batch.
    The new chip is expected to appear
in both the next-generation MacBook
and iPad Pro, both of which will use
the company’s proprietary ARM
processors. According to previous
information from Bloomberg, the
Mac processor will have 12 cores, of
which eight are high-performance
and four are energy-efficient.
    According to DigiTimes, more and
more manufacturers are adopting
Apple’s strategy of packing the
entire system of necessary elements
on one chip. TSMC now wants to

                                                       November 2020 • Macworld 23
NEWS

   Apple submits Face ID on
   the Mac patent
   Evidence that Face ID is coming to the Mac. Kris Wallburg reports

  I
       t is only a matter of time before          That could change soon, as there
       Face ID will also arrive on the Mac.   are repeated indications that Apple is
       Further indications have emerged       working on a corresponding solution.
       that suggest Apple is actively         A new patent application that Apple
   working on an implementation.              submitted to the American patent
       It’s a feature that Apple fans         office refers to the technology.
   have been wanting for since the                The application with the
   introduction of facial recognition on      title ‘USER DETECTION BY
   the iPhone X. A few years have passed      A COMPUTING DEVICE’ was
   since Touch ID has found its way onto      submitted on 22 May 2020 and
   the MacBook, but Mac owners are still      approved on 10 September. In the
   waiting in vain for Face ID.               summary, Apple explains that in

   24 Macworld • November 2020
some application areas a computer
analyses and identifies the face of
the user using an “electronic device”.
The term Face-ID does not appear in
the application, but it is still very clear
that the subject of the application is
precisely this type of technology.
   The application also deals with
the possibility of unlocking a device
(for example a computer) via another
device (for example a smartphone).
This works in a similar way to the
way the Apple Watch can be used to
unlock newer Macs: If the user has
adjusted his computer accordingly, it
can be unlocked with an Apple Watch
when the smartwatch is nearby.
   The 97-page application is
publicly available and can be
found at fave.co/3dbwClr.
   Many experts suspect that Apple
could introduce Face ID with the
arrival of the first Apple Silicon Macs.
At WWDC 2020 Tim Cook stated that
the first Mac with Apple Silicon should
come to the market by the end of the
year. It remains to be seen whether
Apple will equip the first Apple Silicon
Mac with Face ID.

                                              November 2020 • Macworld 25
iPAD

       Review: iPad (2020)
       Price: £329 (inc VAT) from fave.co/3jBr5Y3

       T
                  he new iPad was                 Apple launched in 2019. It differs
                  comprehensively outshone        only in having a processor that’s
                  by the new iPad Air at          two generations newer – thereby
                  Apple’s Time Flies event        promising a handy boost in speed
       on 15 September, offering only a dull      – and being very slightly heavier. Is
       (albeit significant) spec bump while its   that enough to justify the cost?
       costlier sibling got a redesign and raft      Almost certainly not if you’re
       of new features. But the Air isn’t ready   thinking of upgrading from the 2019
       to buy yet, so while we wait for the       to 2020 models. But it’s important to
       big show, here’s the warm-up act.          note that the things tech journalists
           What Apple is calling the eighth-      find appealing (such as differences
       generation iPad is in almost every         from the last generation) are not
       respect the same as the 10.2in iPad        always the things that make a useful,

       26 Macworld • November 2020
value-for-money product for the            a display comfortably big enough
average consumer – especially if           (10.2in, corner to corner) for gaming
they haven’t bought a new iPad in          and watching films and TV. It’s 490g
years, if at all.                          (or 495g, if you go for the cellular
    So I’m going to do my best to          model) and just 7.5mm thick.
review this tablet as a thing in its own       Apple’s engineers love to find
right, with only occasional mentions       contrast between gloss and matte
of the similar model released last year.   surfaces, like the precise, angled
Our review of the iPad (2020) tests its    brushed-metal chamfer around the
speed and battery life, evaluates the      edge of the glossy screen, or the shiny
design and feature set, and helps you      Apple logo in the middle of the matte
decide if this is right for you.           back. You keep finding these kinds of
                                           small, thoughtful touches – details
PRICE                                      that are pleasing to the eye or finger.
32GB: £329                                     These elements have been around
128GB: £429                                a long time, but it’s an elegant, one
32GB, cellular: £459                       might say classic, design. The screen-
128GB, cellular: £559                      to-body ratio, however, is starting
                                           to look a little dated: the inclusion
    If the above prices leave room in      of a Home button on the front, and
your budget, you can supplement your       comparatively thick bezels – about
purchase with an accessory or two.         8mm at left and right, and a positively
The new iPad is compatible with the        chunky 20mm at the top and bottom
first-gen Apple Pencil stylus (which       – means you’re not getting as much
adds £89 to the cost), and the Smart       screen ‘real estate’ for the size of
Keyboard (£159).                           the chassis as you would with an
                                           all-screen design like on the last two
DESIGN                                     generations of iPad Pro and the most
The eighth-gen iPad has the same           recent iPad Air.
design as last year’s model. But to            The back edges of the iPad are
most people that doesn’t matter:           curved whereas the front ones are
instead, we’ll simply say that this        sharp; this has the same ‘pick me up’
is a slim, attractive tablet that’s        effect, when the device is laid down
lightweight to pick up while offering      with screen facing up, that Apple used

                                                          November 2020 • Macworld 27
iPAD

                                                                           of it. Is it any
                                                                           good?
                                                                               You get a
                                                                           10.2in display
                                                                           with a resolution
                                                                           of 2,160x1,620
                                                                           at 264ppi (pixels
                                                                           per inch). That’s
                                                                           absolutely
                                                                           standard for
                                                                           Apple, roughly
                                                                           matching the
                                                                           iPad Air 1 from
       The rear-facing camera doesn’t stick out from the main body.        2013 on the
                                                                           one hand,
       on the iPad 2 back in 2011. Again, it’s     and the iPad Pro 11in (2020) on the
       a well-worn design language, but I          other. But again, the lack of progress
       personally find it more welcoming, not      doesn’t matter if it gets the job done,
       to mention easier to pick up, than the      and it does.
       uniformly squared-off edges of the              It’s a decent-quality screen,
       newfangled Pro line.                        certainly good enough for most uses
          We’ll finish with two old-fashioned      even if hardly envelope-pushing in
       elements of the design that we think        terms of specs. It’s sharp, bright
       almost everyone will applaud. The           and colourful, and while there are
       eighth-gen iPad has a headphone             better tablets out there in those
       port, and its rear-facing camera            departments (the Pros offer 600
       doesn’t stick out from the main body        nits brightness to this device’s 500,
       at all: it’s totally flush.                 for instance, and a superior colour
                                                   gamut), the iPad doesn’t suffer much
       SCREEN                                      in comparison.
       We’ve established that the iPad does            The size is in my opinion a good
       not have an all-screen design. But the      compromise point. iPad mini screens
       screen still dominates the front of the     can be a touch cramped for movies
       device, and will monopolize your use        and working on the go, while the

       28 Macworld • November 2020
elements around
                                                                 on the screen with
                                                                 your finger.
                                                                     The last thing
                                                                 to say about the
                                                                 screen is that
                                                                 it’s unlaminated.
                                                                 What does that
                                                                 mean? There’s a
                                                                 tiny gap between
                                                                 the glass and
The iPad (2020) has a decent screen, though it’s hardly          the display tech
envelope-pushing in terms of specifications.                     underneath, and
                                                                 this means that
largest Pro falls down on portability;     when you press down with a finger
this is the best of both worlds...         or stylus it ‘gives’ very slightly: it
although it would be better still if       flexes downwards a microscopic
Apple could trim back those bezels.        amount. On a laminated screen (which
    The touchscreen function is slick      you’ll find on any iPad Pro, the iPad
and seamless. You don’t get the            mini 4 and later, and all Airs except
higher refresh rate and ProMotion          the first one) there’s no gap, and
dynamic switching of the iPad Pro          consequently no give.
line, but in most
situations you won’t
be conscious that
you’re getting a
‘lesser’ experience.
The combination
of the screen tech
and iPadOS 14 are
enough to preserve the
fundamental illusion
behind all tablets: that
you’re literally moving    Apple has opted to use an unlaminated display here.

                                                          November 2020 • Macworld 29
iPAD

           It’s a subtle effect, so please don’t    can. If you’ve ever used a laminated
       imagine any kind of visible bending.         iPad, which means most of them and
       Rather, the effect manifests itself          certainly all the expensive ones, then
       in a slight sense of cheapness, of           this one will feel strange and a little
       ‘plastickyness’. It’s not reassuring,        cheap. If you haven’t, then you
       when most iPad usage involves                probably won’t know what you’re
       touching the screen, to have this            missing.
       sense, but it certainly isn’t intolerable.
           Indeed, we could go further and          CAMERAS
       ask whether the average consumer             The iPad has an 8Mp camera on the
       will notice the effect at all.               rear and 1.2Mp on the front, with just
           I use and review iPads all the time;     a single lens in each case. Neither
       my most commonly used tablet is              of these will challenge a good phone
       a 2018 Pro. I’m used to laminated            camera for quality, but photography
       screens. So when I pick up the iPad          tends not to be a priority for tablets.
       10.2in, it feels weird. But will it feel         Rear-facing camera performance
       weird to you? That depends on what           was solid, with good colour
       you’re used to.                              reproduction and detail. I was
           My sense is that one laminated           particularly impressed by its ability
       screen will ruin unlaminated ones for        to handle mixed-lighting conditions,
       you, forever, and that you will always       with bright sun at the top of the shot
       remember the way screens should              (not overexposed) but more shady
       feel. But I may be wrong about that,         undergrowth at the bottom (crisp
       because I was wrong once before.             and colourful).
           A few years back I reviewed the              In the official specs list Apple says
       iPad 9.7in (2017) and criticised its use     this model offers HDR rather than the
       of an unlaminated screen, which I saw        exposure-blending Smart HDR of the
       as a throwback to the iPad Air 1 from        iPad Pro or Next-Generation Smart
       2013 and called “an economy too far”.        HDR of current iPhones, but a glance
       And then everyone in the universe            in Settings shows that Smart HDR
       bought one, and I felt like a fool.          is enabled by default; regardless of
           So you’ll have to go your own way        the terminology, the A12 processor
       on this one, but try to get your hands       seems to be helping out behind the
       on the new iPad before buying if you         scenes in some capacity.

       30 Macworld • November 2020
Rear-facing
            camera
            performance
            is solid, with
            good colour
            reproduction
            and detail.

            Selfies come
            out with
            slightly soft
            edges and
            noticeable
            pixellation
            when looked
            at closely.

November 2020 • Macworld 31
iPAD

           The front camera is more basic. A            The headline spec is the A12
       selfie in good lighting came out with        Bionic processor, a big update on last
       slightly soft edges and noticeable           year’s A10. It won’t surprise you to
       pixellation when looked at closely.          hear that the A12 is two generations
           I suspect that the front camera          newer than the A10; more specifically,
       will primarily be used for FaceTime          Apple claims it’s 40 per cent faster
       and other video calls, particularly          for CPU performance and twice the
       given the state of the world as I            speed for graphics. We’ll test those
       write this. Your face would certainly        claims in a moment.
       be rendered more accurately by a                 Note that the A12, while new for the
       higher-specced camera, but I (and            standard iPad line, is by no means the
       the caller at the other end) actually        latest thing in Apple processor world.
       found it fine for FaceTime.                  The 2020 iPad Pros, for instance,
           There’s no flash on the rear camera,     have the A12Z, a souped-up version
       and only Retina Flash (a rudimentary         of the A12, while the new iPad Air for
       and unflattering flash performed by          2020 gets the A14.
       lighting up the screen) on the front;            You also get 3GB of RAM – that’s
       you don’t get Night Mode, either. It’s       the same allocation as last year, and
       therefore no use at all in very low light.   at the low end of what you’d expect
       There’s also no Portrait Mode.               from even a budget tablet. Apple
                                                    tends to achieve better performance
       PERFORMANCE                                  than its devices’ specs would lead
       Subjectively, the new iPad performed         you to expect, however, thanks to
       every task we threw at it with aplomb.       clever optimization with iPadOS.
       It’s easily fast enough for gaming,              Sure enough, performance in our
       image editing and everyday tasks, and        speed benchmarks was impressive.
       in real-world use we never managed to            The new iPad scored 2,588 in the
       find a ceiling to its processing power.      multi-core segment of Geekbench
            But that’s true of almost all           5, up 82 per cent from last year’s
       brand-new iPads, and a more relevant         1,424. Single-core performance
       question is this: how future-proof           was up a more modest 44 per cent,
       is it? Will it be able to run the most       from 771 to 1,114, suggesting that
       demanding apps of 2021, and 2022?            the biggest gains will be seen in the
       To gauge that we need to look deeper.        most demanding tasks.

       32 Macworld • November 2020
The iPad (2020) performed every task we threw at it with aplomb.

    Note too that the standard iPad           Our US colleagues set the 2020
still isn’t close to rivalling the Pro    iPad against the 2019 iPad Air (which
models in multi-core; even the 2018       is also based on the A12) and found
Pro was able to score 4,521 in the        that as far as CPU performance goes
same test.                                the two are essentially identical. They
                                          recorded scores of 1,109 and 2,634
Geekbench 5 (single-core)                 (single and multi) with the 2020 iPad,
iPad (2020): 1,114                        and 1,110 and 2,673 with the 2019 Air.
iPad (2019): 771                              Gains in graphical performance
iPad Air (2019): 1,110                    were similarly pleasing. The iPad
11in iPad Pro (2018): 1,125               managed a playable 25fps in even
                                          the most taxing of GFXBench’s on-
Geekbench 5 (multi-core)                  screen tests (‘Aztec Open High’), a
iPad (2020): 2,588                        test where many tablets languish in
iPad (2019): 1,424                        the single digits. Our US colleagues
iPad Air (2019): 2,673                    found year-on-year improvements of
11in iPad Pro (2018): 4,521               between 60 per cent and 85 per cent

                                                         November 2020 • Macworld 33
iPAD

       in 3DMark’s Sling
       Shot Extreme test.
           We list the iPad’s
       specifications in
       full on page 36.
       Aside from the
       performance-
       related specs
       discussed
       above, it’s worth
       highlighting the
       storage options:        Performance in our speed benchmarks was impressive.
       32GB remains the
       baseline, and that really isn’t very       usage – and it died after 7 hours and
       much. If you take lots of photos, for      45 minutes. Our US colleagues, under
       instance, consider plumping for the        similarly taxing conditions, managed
       costlier 128GB model (or paying for        just over 8 hours.
       more iCloud storage).                          These numbers might sound
                                                  disappointing, given the published
       BATTERY LIFE                               claims. But bear in mind a) that this is
       The iPad 2020 has the same battery         an improvement of around a fifth on
       capacity as last year’s model,             the 2019 model and b) the average
       at 32.4Wh, but improvements                consumer, mixing video, email and
       in other areas – presumably the            web surfing with the occasional break,
       processor’s greater efficiency –           will get far longer life than this.
       enable it to noticeably outperform its         Indeed, in the Geekbench 4 battery
       predecessor. This is despite Apple         test, which we’d still rate as a more
       making the same claims for both            taxing assignment than everyday
       devices: up to 10 hours of surfing the     tablet life, the iPad managed 10
       web on Wi-Fi.                              hours and 34 minutes.
           We put the Air through a punishing
       day of Netflix, gaming, speed              AUDIO
       benchmarks and photography – far           If you’re looking for the consummate
       more demanding than a typical day’s        surround-sound multimedia

       34 Macworld • November 2020
experience, this is not the tablet for     well-vetted apps tailored to the
you. It has twin speakers but they are     iPad screen size(s) from the App
close together on the Home button          Store, one of the biggest software
edge so you don’t get a stereo effect.     ecosystems on the planet.
For that you should be looking at             The rival Android OS has even
quad-speaker iPads, such as the Pro.       more apps available, granted, as
    Sound is fairly warm and detailed      well as offering more customization
at lower volumes but can get a little      options. But the apps are less well
tinny as you push close to maximum         vetted and the overall experience
– which isn’t massively powerful in        weaker: indeed there are no Android
any case.                                  tablets on the market right now that
                                           come close to the quality of an iPad.
SOFTWARE
The iPad (2020) comes with iPadOS          VERDICT
14 pre-installed (it will also be able     If you’ve never owned an iPad before,
to install future iPadOS updates for       or you own an iPad from a few years
free for around five or six years). You    back – the iPad Air 2, say, or the fifth-
can read about the new features and        gen iPad from 2017 – then this is a
interface tweaks in our iPadOS 14          great tablet to pick up for general use.
guide; suffice it to say here that we’re   It’s light, portable, comfortably quick
still finding it a touch buggy in its      enough for any app you throw at it
present iteration but we expect it to      right now and affordably priced. And
settle down once Apple has a chance        you still get a headphone port, which
to roll out a few point updates.           is a dying luxury these days. Just
    As a brand-new device the eighth-      bear in mind that this is very much at
gen iPad gets access to pretty much        the bargain-basement end of what
all of the upgrades in iPadOS 14.          Apple’s iPads have to offer, and there
It doesn’t have a LiDAR scanner,           are inevitably compromises.
however, so misses out on some                 Storage, for a start: it’s
augmented-reality features.                disappointing that Apple continues
    iPadOS is in general a very slick,     to offer just 32GB at the entry level,
secure and easy-to-use operating           which will prove restrictive for those
system, and you can download               who want to store lots of music,
a huge number of reasonably                photos and videos on their device, or

                                                          November 2020 • Macworld 35
iPAD

       intend to run a large library of games     • Hexa-core (2x 2.5GHz Vortex, 4
       and other bulky apps. Cloud-based            x1.6GHz Tempest) CPU
       services such as Apple Music and           • Apple (4-core graphics) GPU
       iCloud Drive may help in some of           • 3GB RAM
       these areas.                               • 32GB/128GB storage
           In terms of performance, if you can    • Rear-facing camera: 8Mp, f/2.4,
       stretch to the new Air or one of the         31mm (standard), 1.12µm, AF
       Pros then you’ll have a device that’s      • Selfie camera: 1.2Mp, f/2.2, 31mm
       faster still – which might not matter        (standard)
       much right now but will ensure it’s        • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band,
       able to tackle the most demanding            hotspot
       apps years into the future.                • Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, EDR, LE
           The design too, while a classic for    • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS (Wi-Fi
       a reason – it’s attractive and feels         + Cellular model only)
       good in the hand – is starting to look     • USB Type-C; magnetic connector
       dated in comparison with the models        • Fingerprint scanner (front mounted)
       Apple sells without a Home button. By      • Non-removable 32.4Wh lithium-
       removing that detail those devices are       polymer battery
       able to offer more screen space for        • 250.6x174.1x7.5mm
       the chassis size and a generally more      • Wi-Fi, 490g; cellular, 495g
       modern-looking appearance.
           Finally, do try to get your hands on
       the screen before making a decision.
       The unlaminated screen may not
       bother you at all, but if you’ve tried
       a laminated version in the past it’s
       likely to feel plasticky and cheap.
       David Price

       SPECIFICATIONS
       • 10.2in (2,160x1,620; 264ppi) Retina
         IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen
       • iPadOS 14
       • Apple A12 Bionic (7nm) processor

       36 Macworld • November 2020
iPad Air (2020)
versus iPad (2020)
How do the new models compare? Martyn Casserly reports

A
            pple has revealed the       just Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and cellular
            newest iterations of        configurations. Here are the prices:
            its iPad line-up, with a
            significant performance     32GB: £329
boost for the standard 10.2in version   128GB: £429
and a new design for the iPad Air. We   32GB, cellular: £459
see how the two compare and offer       128GB, cellular: £559
advice on which one you should buy.
                                           This is good news for UK
PRICE                                   consumers as it means the entry-
The iPad (2020) comes in two            level model is now £20 cheaper
storage variants, each with either      than the previous version, although

                                                      November 2020 • Macworld 37
iPAD

       sticking with 32GB of
       storage does seem
       a particularly mean
       move.
           Prices see a sharp
       increase with the
       new iPad Air models,
       presumably due to the
       major redesign that
       the platform has been
       given this year. Here’s
       a breakdown of the
       range:
                                     The iPad (2020) has 10.2in Retina display, with thin
       64GB: £579                    bezels on the top and bottom of the panel.
       256GB: £729
       64GB, cellular: £709                               The casing also hosts twin
       256GB, cellular: £859                          speakers, a Lightning connector,
                                                      a Smart Connector for the Smart
           This means that the base Air model         Keyboard, volume and power
       is now £100 more than last year, albeit        buttons, plus a 3.5mm headphone
       with some significant improvements.            jack. Apple offers the iPad 10.2in
                                                      in its three traditional colours of
       DESIGN                                         Space Grey, silver and gold, with the
       While the internals of the iPad (2020)         last two sporting white surrounds
       have seen some upgrades, all of                for the front panel.
       the external factors remain pretty                 It’s all change with the iPad Air,
       much as they were with the previous            as Apple moves it closer to the iPad
       model. This means you get a 10.2in             Pro range in features and price. The
       Retina display, with thin bezels on            10.9in Liquid Retina display is now
       the top and bottom of the panel so             unencumbered by a Home button,
       that the Touch ID-enabled Home                 as the fingerprint sensor has been
       button and front-facing cameras                incorporated into the power button
       have somewhere to live.                        on the top edge. The result is an

       38 Macworld • November 2020
all-display front panel that
looks just the same as on the
11in iPad Pro. You’ll be able to
show off your new purchase,
though, due to some rather
lovely liveries, including Rose
Gold, green and Sky Blue.
    Stereo speaker grills adorn
the bottom edge, either side
of the new USB-C connector
that replaces the Lightning
port in the old Air. There are
also volume buttons and a
magnetic connector that
works with Apple’s Magic
Keyboard case, but sadly this
iteration bids farewell to the
3.5mm headphone jack.
    Apple Pencil 2                The iPad Air is available in Sky Blue, green, Rose
compatibility is also now on      Gold, silver and Space Grey.
the Air, with the iPad (2020)
having to make do with the first-gen        easily slip into a backpack without
stylus. Here’s how the dimensions of        giving your shoulders anything to
the two models compare:                     worry about.

iPad (2020): 250.6x174.1x7.5mm;            DISPLAY
490g (495g for cellular model)             While the iPad (2020)’s Retina display
iPad Air (2020): 247.6x178.5x6.1mm;        can match the 10.9in Liquid Retina
458g (460g for cellular model)             one of the Air in terms of pixels per
                                           inch (264) and brightness (500
   As you can see, the iPad Air (2020)     nits), it’s bested by some additional
offers a lighter and more compact          features that make the Air’s superior.
frame, even though it has a larger            The most obvious one is that the
display, but both are devices that can     Air display is fully laminated, meaning

                                                           November 2020 • Macworld 39
iPAD

       The Air’s screen comes with Wide Colour (P3) and True Tone technology.

       there’s no air-gap between the glass         might not sound like much, but it
       and the digitizer, so it feels like you’re   can help prevent your eyes getting
       touching the pixels themselves. It’s         tired during long sessions with the
       not a deal-breaker, as it only takes         device. This can also be helped
       a few minutes to get used to the             with the anti-reflective coating that
       unlaminated display and then you’ll          appears on the Air.
       probably never notice it again. But              Whichever device you choose,
       if you intend to make heavy use of           we’re sure you’ll be very pleased with
       the Apple Pencil then it could be a          its display, but there’s no doubt that
       deciding factor.                             the one on the Air is not only bigger,
           Also, the Air’s display comes            it’s also better.
       with Wide Colour (P3) and True
       Tone technology that matches                 CAMERAS
       the whiteness of the screen to the           Cameras are an area that’s becoming
       colour temperature of the room. This         increasingly important on iPads, and

       40 Macworld • November 2020
Apple definitely seems to be favouring    the 10.2in relies on the user due to its
the Air in this department. On the        tap-to-focus capabilities.
front of both you’ll find a FaceTime HD      So the Air definitely wins in this
camera, but where the iPad (2020)         department, but bear in mind that
maxes out at 1.2Mp for photos and         these features only matter if you
720p for video, the Air goes to 7Mp       intend to use them. Should you just
and 1080p respectively.                   want to take quick snaps with your
    Both offer Live Photos, Burst         device, record family videos or chat
Mode and Retina Flash, but the            on FaceTime, then the iPad (2020) will
Air comes equipped with Wide              do the job very nicely.
colour capture and Smart HDR for
photos and videos as opposed to           FEATURES
only HDR on photos that the iPad          One of our main bugbears with the
10.2in can muster.                        previous iPad (2020) was the ageing
    Move to the single rear shooters      A10 processor that Apple used.
and the gulf becomes more                 Thankfully, this has been addressed,
pronounced. Where the 10.2in’s main       with the inclusion of the much more
camera features an 8MP sensor and         powerful A12 Bionic chip that made
f/2.4 aperture, the Air offers 12Mp and   its debut with the iPhone XS, XS Max
f/1.8. Live Photos are stabilized on      and XR. This bump in performance
the Air but not the iPad (2020), plus     means that not only is the iPad (2020)
there’s wide colour for photos and        (2020) now a very capable device,
Live Photos, autofocus with Focus         but it should also be future-proof for a
Pixels, Smart HDR for photos, and a       good few years to come.
larger capacity for Panorama shots.           We’re not quite so impressed by
    It’s the same with video, as the      the storage options, as Apple has
Air can go up to 4K at 60fps while        decided to keep the baseline offering
the 10.2in offers 1080p at 30fps.         down to 32GB. This means the 8th-
Slo-mo on the Air can reach 1080p at      generation iPad now has the same
240fps, while the iPad (2020) tries       baseline storage capacity as the 5th-
its best but lags behind with 720p at     generation model released back in
120fps. Stabilization is better on the    March 2017.
Air and perhaps most importantly it           It’s all well and good touting the
features continuous autofocus while       capabilities of a device, but if you keep

                                                         November 2020 • Macworld 41
iPAD

       having to manage the
       paltry storage then it
       quickly begins to lose
       its lustre. Upgrading to
       the 128GB model is the
       sensible option, but
       it’s disappointing that
       Apple would cripple
       its entry-level model
       just so it can slap a low
       price on its adverts.
           The iPad Air also
       gets an upgrade in the
       processor department, The iPad Air (2020)’s A14 CPU is 40 per cent faster than
       with the brand-new          the A12 in the iPad (2020).
       A14 Bionic chip making
       its first appearance. This features           VERDICT
       the latest 5-nanometre process that           The lines have been drawn a little
       allows Apple to fit incredible levels of      clearer this year, with Apple clearly
       power into a smaller construction.            separating the iPad and iPad Air
           For a comparison, the company             stables. If you want a straightforward
       states that the A14 is 40 per cent            device for watching Netflix, playing
       faster than the A12 in the iPad (2020),       games, surfing the web, converting
       with up to 30 per cent faster graphics.       into a makeshift laptop or using as a
       Apple also states that the processor          notepad and sketchbook, then the
       can outperform most laptops, so the           iPad (2020) is a great option. The new
       iPad Air (2020) will be no slouch.            processor can handle plenty of work,
           Storage is more generous than on          and the price makes it affordable even
       the iPad (2020), with 64GB or 256GB           when you consider that you really do
       options available. The Air also has           need to go for the £429 128GB model.
       Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, while those           The Air (2020) is basically the iPad
       on the cheaper model will find the Wi-        Pro junior now, thanks to the Pro-style
       Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 technologies           design, latest A14 Bionic processor,
       still have plenty to offer.                   plus Magic Keyboard and Apple

       42 Macworld • November 2020
Pencil 2nd generation support. Sure,        polymer battery
you don’t get LiDAR scanners and          • 247.6x178.5x6.1mm
Face ID, but it does all the important    • Wi-Fi, 458g; cellular, 460g
things that a Pro offers, and you get
some rather attractive colours into the   iPad (2020)
bargain. Both iPads are very capable      • 10.2in (2,160x1,620; 264ppi) Retina
machines, so this year it really does       IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen
come down to what features are the        • iPadOS 14
most important to you and how much        • Apple A12 Bionic (7nm) processor
you’re willing to spend.                  • Hexa-core (2x 2.5GHz Vortex, 4
                                            x1.6GHz Tempest) CPU
SPECIFICATIONS                            • Apple (4-core graphics) GPU
iPad Air (2020)                           • 3GB RAM
• 10.9in (2,360x1,640; 264ppi)            • 32GB/128GB storage
  Liquid Retina IPS LCD capacitive        • Rear-facing camera: 8Mp, f/2.4,
  touchscreen                               31mm (standard), 1.12µm, AF
• iPadOS 14                               • Selfie camera: 1.2Mp, f/2.2, 31mm
• Apple A14 Bionic (5nm) processor          (standard)
• Hexa-core CPU                           • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band,
• Apple (4-core graphics) GPU               hotspot
• 64GB/256GB storage                      • Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, EDR, LE
• Rear-facing camera: 12Mp, f/1.8,        • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS (Wi-Fi
  (wide), 1/3in, 1.22µm, dual pixel         + Cellular model only)
  PDAF                                    • USB Type-C; magnetic connector
• Selfie camera: 7Mp, f/2.0, 31mm         • Fingerprint scanner (front mounted)
  (standard)                              • Non-removable 32.4Wh lithium-
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-          polymer battery
  band, hotspot                           • 250.6x174.1x7.5mm
• Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, EDR                • Wi-Fi, 490g; cellular, 495g
• GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
  (cellular model only)
• USB Type-C; magnetic connector
• Fingerprint scanner (top mounted)
• Non-removable 28.6Wh lithium-

                                                        November 2020 • Macworld 43
iPAD

       The new iPad Air is great
       news for the iPad Pro
       Pro features in a non-Pro iPad means new iPad Pro features are on
       the way. Jason Snell reports

   i
          Pad Pro, you’re on the clock. Last     the £769 iPad Pro in numerous ways
          month’s announcement of the            – perhaps too close for comfort.
          new iPad Air continues Apple’s            That’s why the announcements
          aggressive importation of iPad Pro     are great for the iPad product line in
       features into the lower ends of the       two ways. Not only is there a cheaper,
       iPad product line. But it also brings     more powerful iPad with a bunch of
       the £579 iPad Air surprisingly close to   features that were previously limited

       44 Macworld • November 2020
to the highest-end models, but it’s            It would have been easy for Apple
now clear that Apple will need to          to withhold all the features that make
supply new high-end features to the        the iPad Pro special from the rest of
iPad Pro in short order.                   the iPad line, but Apple hasn’t done
                                           that. The real moment of truth for this
PRO FEATURES                               strategy was in March 2018, when
MIGRATE FAST                               Apple unveiled the sixth-generation
There was a time when Apple had a          iPad, which added support for the
real iPad problem. Sales were lagging      Apple Pencil. The third-generation
from their initial highs, and the general  iPad Air, when it appeared, supported
perception was that Apple was being        the Apple Pencil as well as Apple’s
undercut on tablet sales by a plethora     Smart Keyboard accessory.
of cheap media-consumption tablets.            Not only does adding those
    But over a few years, Apple put        features to the rest of the line
the iPad’s house in order. The iPad        strengthen the iPad as a whole, but it
Pro took over the top of the line,         shows Apple’s remarkable confidence
allowing Apple to continue showing         in the features it continued to add to
off its technological prowess and          the top of the line. Apple didn’t need
giving the hardest of hard-core iPad       to withhold the Apple Pencil from the
users the tools they
wanted to do the job.
But with that job done,
Apple could roll out
cheaper iPads with
older technology –
and it did. First the
adjectiveless iPad
returned in 2017
at £339. Then the
iPad Air returned
in 2019, providing a
mid-range model in
between the iPad            Adding Apple Pencil support to the non-pro iPad was a
Pro and the iPad.           turning point for the tablet.

                                                          November 2020 • Macworld 45
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