S-E Computer Engineering

Macworld

HOT TOPICS
New MacBook Pro
New iMac
iPhone 13
WWDC 2021
New iPad Pro
AirTags

New Apple products coming in May 2021
Apple's just started selling brand new 24in iMacs, iPad Pro, AirTags, and new Apple TV. What new products could Apple launch in May?
May is a strange month on the Apple calendar; falling between Apple's spring event, which this year happened on 20 April, and Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which this year will kick off on 7 June [Read: What we expect Apple to announce at WWDC].

Having just seen Apple unveal a new M1-powered 24in iMac, M1-powered iPad Pro, a new Apple TV and the long-awaited AirTags at the Spring Loaded event you may be expecting May to be quiet while Apple prepares to launch another bunch of new products at WWDC.

However, Apple doesn't always wait until WWDC to launch new products. In 2019, for example, Apple launched a number of new products in the run up to the event which took place on 3 June that year.

We had the following product launches prior to WWDC 2019:

New iPod touch - 28 May 2019
New MacBook Pro - 21 May 2019
Apple TV app launched - 13 May 2019
And, even in the strange year that was 2020, Apple made the following updates in May:

New MacBook Pro - 4 May 2020
Update to Logic Pro - 12 May 2020
So, as you can see, it is completely reasonable to anticipate that Apple might not wait for WWDC before unveiling a new MacBook, for example.

So, what do we think Apple might launch in May 2021?

Here are the products we think Apple could announce in May 2021. If they don't appear before WWDC in June then we are pretty certain they will appear at that event.

Check back at the end of the month to see how we got on, and give us feedback on Twitter.

14in MacBook Pro
Bear with us on this one. Sure Apple could wait until WWDC before unveiling the new 14in verison of the MacBook Pro, which has been long rumoured. We expect that it will feature Apple's successor to the M1 chip, in the form of the M1X. WWDC would be the perfect place to shine a light on this.

However, WWDC could also be a great place to talk about the true successor to the M1: the M2, which we expect to see in the follow up to the 27in iMac and the 16in MacBook Pro. We can see Apple revealing the new 14in MacBook Pro the week before WWDC only to talk up the successor to the M1 and M1X at the conference.

Read all about the 14in MacBook Pro in our news and rumour round up.

New AirPods
The standard models of the AirPods are long overdue an update. The second-gen AirPods came out in March 2019, meaning they are already more than two years old. Our reason to expect new AirPods soon is code in the next version of iOS 14 - the iOS 14.6 beta includes a reference to HiFi audio (aka high-res audio).

There is some expectation that this means Apple will soon reveal plans to offer a higher-tier subscription for Apple Music users who want to listen to high-res music - but crucially only the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max are able to play back this type of audio. Hence it being time for Apple to update the AirPods.

Catch the latest rumours in our new AirPods hub.

AirPods

OS updates
Apple is already beta testing iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6 and macOS Big Sur 11.4. As we noted above, the iOS update looks like it might include high-res audio for Apple Music. We expect that Apple will be ready to release these updates before WWDC as at that point its attention will swing to iOS 15 and macOS 12.

New Apple TV + shows
Two of our favourite shows on Apple TV+ will be back in May: the new season of Mythic Quest will start streaming on 7 May and Trying season two will start on 14 May. Read our round up of everything that's on Apple TV+.

Mythic Quest

Further reading
For a complete roundup of the year's announcements, read our guide to the new Apple products coming in 2021. And never miss a bargain again: bookmark our roundup of the best Apple deals and check back regularly for the lowest prices on a range of Apple products.

Makers of Sophia the robot plan mass rollout amid pandemic
Michelle Hennessy


HONG KONG (Reuters) - "Social robots like me can take care of the sick or elderly," Sophia says as she conducts a tour of her lab in Hong Kong. "I can help communicate, give therapy and provide social stimulation, even in difficult situations."

Since being unveiled in 2016, Sophia - a humanoid robot - has gone viral. Now the company behind her has a new vision: to mass-produce robots by the end of the year.

Hanson Robotics, based in Hong Kong, said four models, including Sophia, would start rolling out of factories in the first half of 2021, just as researchers predict the pandemic will open new opportunities for the robotics industry.

"The world of COVID-19 is going to need more and more automation to keep people safe," founder and chief executive David Hanson said, standing surrounded by robot heads in his lab.

Hanson believes robotic solutions to the pandemic are not limited to healthcare, but could assist customers in industries such as retail and airlines too.

"Sophia and Hanson robots are unique by being so human-like," he added. "That can be so useful during these times where people are terribly lonely and socially isolated."

Hanson said he aims to sell "thousands" of robots in 2021, both large and small, without providing a specific number.

Social robotics professor Johan Hoorn, whose research has included work with Sophia, said that although the technology is still in relative infancy, the pandemic could accelerate a relationship between humans and robots.

"I can infer the pandemic will actually help us get robots earlier in the market because people start to realise that there is no other way," said Hoorn, of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

"The world of COVID-19 is going to need more and more automation to keep people safe," founder and chief executive David Hanson said, standing surrounded by robot heads in his lab.

Hanson believes robotic solutions to the pandemic are not limited to healthcare, but could assist customers in industries such as retail and airlines too.

"Sophia and Hanson robots are unique by being so human-like," he added. "That can be so useful during these times where people are terribly lonely and socially isolated."

Hanson said he aims to sell "thousands" of robots in 2021, both large and small, without providing a specific number.

Social robotics professor Johan Hoorn, whose research has included work with Sophia, said that although the technology is still in relative infancy, the pandemic could accelerate a relationship between humans and robots.

"I can infer the pandemic will actually help us get robots earlier in the market because people start to realise that there is no other way," said Hoorn, of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

https://youtu.be/Sq36J9pNaEo