The iPhone 16 Pro Clear Case was released along with the iPhone 16 lineup in September 2024. Apple described the case as “Thin, light, and easy to grip — this Apple-designed case shows off the brilliant colored finish of iPhone 16 Pro while providing extra protection.”
Like the previous versions of Apple’s clear cases, this case uses multiple materials that are molded together to provide protection, grip, and access to buttons, using “a blend of optically clear polycarbonate and flexible materials.”
In addition, this case adds a new button that works “seamlessly with Camera Control. It features a sapphire crystal, coupled to a conductive layer to communicate finger movements to the Camera Control.” Camera Control was a new feature introduced with the iPhone 16 lineup that added one-button access to the camera and its controls using a touch-sensitive side-button. On the Clear Case, the Camera Control button is white (not clear) and made of a conductive material to allow full functionality of the iPhone button.
Like its predecessors, this case has “built-in magnets that align perfectly with iPhone…[offering] a magical attach experience and faster wireless charging, every time. When it’s time to charge, just leave the case on your iPhone and snap on your MagSafe charger.”
Apple also mentions that “all materials and coatings are optimized to prevent yellowing over time,” a claim that, in my experience, has stood the test of time. I first purchased Apple’s Clear Case with my iPhone 11 in September 2019 and it, along with the iPhone 12–15 cases, shows very little evidence of yellowing.
Apple announced the iPhone 16 lineup on September 9, 2024, and the phones were released on Friday, September 20, 2024. In a press release, Apple described the iPhone 16 Pro models:
“Powered by the A18 Pro chip and built for Apple Intelligence, the Pro lineup introduces larger display sizes, Camera Control, innovative pro camera features, and a huge leap in battery life.”
The iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and also the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Max were marketed specifically as “featuring Apple Intelligence.” However, no Apple Intelligence features were available at launch, and no release was was shared. Apple Intelligence, Apple’s name for Artificial Intelligence, was described as different than other versions of AI because it “harnesses the power of Apple silicon and Apple-built generative models to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks.” Further, Apple Intelligence “maintains the privacy and security of user data with Private Cloud Compute.”
The iPhone 16 Pro (and Pro Max) models were made from titanium with four available finishes: black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium. The Pro iPhone options offered no colors, just “finishes.” This example is black titanium.
The iPhone 16 Pro featured a 48MP Fusion camera that could record 4K video at 120 fps. The camera was further enhanced with “a new 48MP Ultra Wide camera for higher-resolution photography, including macro; a 5x Telephoto camera on both Pro models; and studio-quality mics to record more true-to-life audio.”
Apple also touted the bezel of the iPhone 16 Pro by saying it had, “the thinnest borders of any Apple product” with sizes including a 6.3 inch display on iPhone 16 Pro and a 6.9 inch display on iPhone 16 Pro Max (“the largest iPhone display ever”). The display on the iPhone 16 Pro was described as the Super Retina XDR display and had 2622 x 1206 pixel resolution at 460 ppi. It used Apple’s “latest-generation Ceramic Shield material that’s two times tougher than any smartphone glass.”
The iPhone 16 line introduced a new Camera Control button on the lower-right side. When turned sideways, the button was positioned in the traditional location of a camera capture button. Pressing the Camera Control button gave immediate access to the camera, and sliding your finger across the surface of the button allowed access to “functions like exposure or depth of field, and toggle through each lens or use digital zoom to frame your shot.” At release, the “two-stage shutter that lets you automatically lock focus and exposure with a light press” was not yet available, but was announced as coming “later this year.”
In addition to advanced camera and video capture, a new Audio Mix technology was also included with three settings that allowed for adjusting the way voices were recorded. According to Apple’s description:
In-frame—Only captures the voices of the people on camera, even if people off-camera are talking during the recording.
Studio—Makes voices sound like you’re recording in a professional studio equipped with sound-dampening walls.
Cinematic—Captures all of the voices around you and consolidates them toward the front of the screen — just like sound is formatted for the movies.
The iPhone 16 Pro measured 5.89 inches high, 2.81 inches wide, and 0.32 inch thick. It weighed 7.03 ounces. All iPhone 16 models used a form of the A18 chip—a major bump from the A16 chip used in the iPhone 15, and an increase from the A17 Pro chip used in the iPhone 15 Pro. Notably, Apple never released an A17 chip (only anA17 Pro)—they apparently skipped it in favor of using A18 generation chips in the iPhone 16 models to power their yet-to-be-delivered-at-launch Apple Intelligence features.
Although the Apple Watch Series 10 was the most significant update to the Apple Watch to date, the design changes were not radical, and the new features were more aptly described as evolutionary—not revolutionary. That being said, the Series 10 was arguably the most elegant Apple Watch design so far. Apple described the Series 10 in a press release:
“The world’s bestselling watch is thinner than ever, featuring the biggest, most advanced display yet; sleep apnea notifications; faster charging; and water depth and temperature sensing.”
The most striking features of the Series 10 included the display and its relative thinness. The display was 46 mm (with a 42 mm option also available), and was reported to be up to 40% brighter when viewed at an angle. Compared to the Series 9, the size was just 1 mm larger, but notably, the larger Series 10 model was just 3 mm smaller than the Apple Watch Ultra (49 mm), and the smaller option at 42 mm was the same size as the larger option of the original Apple Watch (Series 0). At the same time, the 46 mm Series 10 had a larger screen—416 x 496 pixels, 1220 square mm display area—than the 49 mm Apple Watch Ultra 2—410 x 502 pixels, 1185 square mm display area. The Series 9, by contrast was 396 x 484 pixels with a 1143 square mm display area.
The thinness of the Series 10 was noticeable, even though it was only 1 mm thinner overall. The 45 mm Series 9 was 10.7 mm thick, while the 46 mm Series 10 is 9.7 mm; however, the Series 10 rounded-rectangle case was thinner with thickness of the round sensor accounting for the measurement. The Apple Watch Series 10 was also 2.3 grams lighter than the Series 9 (46 mm aluminum GPS model).
Regarding finishes, the Series 10 dropped the Stainless Steel option and replaced it with a lighter Titanium option in three colors: slate, gold, and natural titanium. The Aluminum models included the classic silver color, brought back a rose gold option, and introduced a new “Jet Black Aluminum” option that matched the previous glossy sheen of the black stainless steel models at a nearly $400 lower cost and reduced weight.
The Series 10 added some water features similar to the Apple Watch Ultra line, including a water temperature sensor; a depth gauge and app; and support for the Oceanic+ app for snorkeling.
The Series 10 added two new audio-related features. First, the new media playback feature added an enhanced speaker so users could listen to music and podcasts directly through the speaker on the Watch. Second, a new microphone added voice isolation for using the speakerphone and voice recording features.
Finally, I would like to note that the first generation (sometimes called the Series 0) of the Apple Watch was released nearly 10 years before the Series 10 (April 24, 2015), and the Series 10 will likely be the “current” available model at the 10-year mark. Thus, the Series 10 can represent 10-year anniversary of the product line. Since Apple offers an easy way to compare their different Watch models, here are some highlights to show how far the Apple Watch has come in nearly 10 years:
Size—Original: 42 mm and 38 mm; Series 10: 46 mm and 42 mm (the smallest available option now matches the size of the largest original Apple Watch)
Screen brightness—Original: 450 nits; Series 10: 2000 nits (Series 10 is over 300% brighter than the original Apple Watch)
Heart health notifications—Original: High/low heart rate notifications; Series 10: High/low heart rate notifications, ECG, Low cardio fitness notifications
Water resistance—Original: Splash resistant; Series 10: Water resistant to 50 m, depth gauge to 6 m, water temperature sensor
Battery—Original: Up to 18 hours; Series 10: Up to 36 hours in low-power mode (twice the battery life)
Finishes—Original: Aluminum, Stainless Steel, 18K Gold; Series 10: Aluminum, Titanium (the $10,000 and $12,000 Edition models were dropped after the original “Series 0” Watch)
Weight—Original: 42 mm 30 g; Series 10: 46 mm 36.4 g (Series 10 is 21% heavier)
Thickness—Original: 42 mm 10.5 mm; Series 10: 46 mm 9.7 mm (Series 10 is 8% thinner)
Screen size—Original: 42 mm 312 x 390 pixels, 740 square mm; Series 10: 46 mm 416 x 496 pixels, 1220 square mm (the Series 10 screen is 65% larger)
Number features—Original: 13 features; Series 10: 36 features (although this metric is subjective, many of the features listed by Apple include multiple points)
Shortly after Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple in 1985, he founded the company NExT, Inc. With headquarters in Redwood City, California, NeXT created computer workstations and software that was originally intended for education markets. Notably, a NeXT computer was used by Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau at CERN to develop the world’s first web server and web browser on the then-new World Wide Web. When NeXT was purchased by Apple in 1996 its core technologies were later used in future Apple products, including as a foundation for Mac OS X.
During its 11 years, NExT only developed a few hardware products, including the NExT Computer (later renamed the NExTcube), the Next Workstation, and several peripheral devices including the following:
NeXT Color Printer
NeXT External CD-ROM Drive
NeXT Keyboard
NeXT Laser Printer
NeXT MegaPixel Display
NeXT MegaPixel Color Display
NeXT Mouse
NeXTdimension color board
Sources report that NeXT only sold a total of 50,000 units among all its products combined. Thus, working NeXT computers are considered somewhat rare.
NEXT software began with its operating system, NeXTSTEP. The website 512 Pixels compared the operating system to the Macintosh OS of the time: “NeXTStep looked like the future. It had full-color icons and modern typography and included technologies like protected memory and multitasking.” The user interface also included the Dock, allowed unused applications to be hidden while still running, included smooth scrolling, drag-and-drop functionality, full audio support, and more. NeXT also developed WebObjects, a “set of tools for making huge, complex web sites.”
The story of the distinctive NeXT logo is intriguing. Steve Jobs asked well known designer Paul Rand to create options for him. Rand reportedly told Jobs “no,” and said “I will solve your problem for you and you will pay me.” Rand presented Jobs with a 20-page book that detailed the logo (tilted at 28º), branding, and the new stylized spelling, “NeXT.”
The first NeXT computer (using the cube design) was released in 1990 for $9,999 (equivalent to over $23,000 adjusted for inflation). A second generation of NeXT computers were released later that year that included a revised original cube design, renamed the NeXTcube, and the NeXTstation, a version of this computer.
The NeXTstation was nicknamed the “slab.” It was created as a lower-cost alternative to the original NeXTcube and sold at the time for about half the price at $4,995. Several versions were produced:
NeXTstation (25 MHz)
NeXTstation Turbo (33 MHz)
NeXTstation Color (25 MHz)
NeXTstation Turbo Color (33 MHz)
This NeXTstation is the 25 MHz version, and it shipped with a NeXT MegaPixel Display 17-inch monitor that has with built-in speakers. It also has its own custom keyboard and mouse designs.
The processor is a Motorola 68040 (at 25 MHz or 33 MHz in the Turbo model) and included 8 MB RAM (Turbo and color versions could handle up to 128 MB). This NeXTstation has 256 KB VRAM and can display 4 colors—black, white, and two shades of gray. While the computer fully supports audio, the speaker is built into the monitor.
Input and output ports include the following:
Floppy internal connector
SCSI internal connector
SCSI-2 external connector (MD50)
DSP port (DA-15)
NeXTstation/Turbo: MegaPixel Display port (DB-19)
Proprietary NeXT Laser Printer port (DE-9)
Two RS-423 serial ports (Mini-DIN 8)
10BASE-T and 10BASE-2 Ethernet
3.5-inch 2.88 MB floppy disk drive
The NeXTstation’s internal storage originally used a hard drive available in capacities of 105 MB, 250 MB, 340 MB, 400 MB, and could support up to 4 GB. However, the operating system cannot use partitions larger than 4 GB. This NeXTstation’s mechanical hard drive has been replaced by a rig that allows an SD card to run the operating system.
The custom NeXTstation keyboard matches the color of the computer and has 85 full-stroke mechanical keys. The custom mouse is also color-matched, has 2 buttons, and uses opto-mechanical tracking.
The NeXTstation measures 39.8 cm wide, by 36.5 cm deep, and 6.4cm tall. It weighs 13 pounds.
Shortly after Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple in 1985, he founded the company NExT, Inc. With headquarters in Redwood City, California, NeXT created computer workstations and software that was originally intended for education markets. Notably, a NeXT computer was used by Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau at CERN to develop the world’s first web server and web browser on the then-new World Wide Web. When NeXT was purchased by Apple in 1996 its core technologies were later used in future Apple products, including as a foundation for Mac OS X.
During its 11-years, NExT only developed a few hardware products, including the NExT Computer (later renamed the NExTcube), the Next Workstation, and several peripheral devices including the following:
NeXT Color Printer
NeXT External CD-ROM Drive
NeXT Keyboard
NeXT Laser Printer
NeXT MegaPixel Display
NeXT MegaPixel Color Display
NeXT Mouse
NeXTdimension color board
Sources report that NeXT only sold a total of 50,000 units among all its products combined. Thus, working NeXT computers are considered somewhat rare.
The story of the distinctive NeXT logo is intriguing. Steve Jobs asked well known designer Paul Rand to create options for him. Rand reportedly told Jobs “no,” and said “I will solve your problem for you and you will pay me.” Rand presented Jobs with a 20-page book that detailed the logo (tilted at 28º), branding, and the new stylized spelling, “NeXT.”
This NeXT MegaPixel Display 17-inch monitor shipped with a NeXTstation. It has built-in speakers to power the built-in audio support that was designed for the computer and NeXTSTEP operating system. Its industrial design includes an innovative metal tilting base and two rubber-coated rollers that allow it to easily move back and forth on a desktop or on the NeXTstation, despite the monitor’s 50-pound weight.
This display gets its signal from the NeXTstation’s 256 KB VRAM and can display 4 colors—black, white, and two shades of gray. It is 16 inches wide, by 17.3 inches tall, by 14 inches deep.
The NeXT MegaPixel Display 17-inch monitor has multiple ports. Inputs include a keyboard jack; 8-bit, 8012.8 Hz analog-to-digital (via mono microphone miniphone jack; and 16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo digital-to-analog converter. Outputs include a stereo headphone miniphone jack; gold-plated stereo RCA line-out jacks, and an integrated mono speaker.
Wikipedia reports:
“A severe problem with this setup was that the monitor could not be switched off completely while the computer was powered on. The screen could be switched black but the cathode heater always remained on. This led to extreme screen dimming after some years of use, especially when the computer was not turned off overnight as in a server setup or in a busy software lab.”
This monitor, in fact, suffers from the dimming problem described above. Although it is still functional, the monitor needs to be repaired for the CRT to work properly again.
Shortly after Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple in 1985, he founded the company NExT, Inc. With headquarters in Redwood City, California, NeXT created computer workstations and software that was originally intended for education markets. Notably, a NeXT computer was used by Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau at CERN to develop the world’s first web server and web browser on the then-new World Wide Web. When NeXT was purchased by Apple in 1996 its core technologies were later used in future Apple products, including as a foundation for Mac OS X.
During its 11-years, NExT only developed a few hardware products, including the NExT Computer (later renamed the NExTcube), the Next Workstation, and several peripheral devices including the following:
NeXT Color Printer
NeXT External CD-ROM Drive
NeXT Keyboard
NeXT Laser Printer
NeXT MegaPixel Display
NeXT MegaPixel Color Display
NeXT Mouse
NeXTdimension color board
Sources report that NeXT only sold a total of 50,000 units among all its products combined. Thus, working NeXT computers are considered somewhat rare.
This NeXTstation keyboard matches the color of the computer and has 85 full-stroke mechanical keys.
Shortly after Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple in 1985, he founded the company NExT, Inc. With headquarters in Redwood City, California, NeXT created computer workstations and software that was originally intended for education markets. Notably, a NeXT computer was used by Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau at CERN to develop the world’s first web server and web browser on the then-new World Wide Web. When NeXT was purchased by Apple in 1996 its core technologies were later used in future Apple products, including as a foundation for Mac OS X.
During its 11-years, NExT only developed a few hardware products, including the NExT Computer (later renamed the NExTcube), the Next Workstation, and several peripheral devices including the following:
NeXT Color Printer
NeXT External CD-ROM Drive
NeXT Keyboard
NeXT Laser Printer
NeXT MegaPixel Display
NeXT MegaPixel Color Display
NeXT Mouse
NeXTdimension color board
Sources report that NeXT only sold a total of 50,000 units among all its products combined. Thus, working NeXT computers are considered somewhat rare.
This NeXTstation mouse matches the color of the computer, has 2 buttons, and uses opto-mechanical tracking. NeXT had at least two mouse designs, this rectangular version and a circular design.
The data sheet that Apple provided for the AppleDesign Powered Speakers II described them as “audiophile-quality…designed to work perfectly with virtually any personal computer, portable CD player or audio cassette player and with any television that supports sound output.”
Similarly, Apple’s Service Source repair manual lists system compatibility as “Any Macintosh computer, any personal computer equipped for sound output, any CD player or audio cassette player, or any television supporting sound output.”
The arc-sliding design of the rear speaker leg allowed the speakers to be adjusted to various angles. The power and volume controls were located in the front of the right speaker, and an included cable with 3.5 mm plugs connected the two speakers. An external headphone port was also located on the front of the right speaker. A stereo audio input port was located on the rear of the right speaker.
The speakers delivered 90 dB at 0.5m at 200Hz. Each speaker measures 6.8 inches tall, 4.1 inches wide, and 3.9 inches deep.
These AppleDesign Powered Speakers II are dark gray with a silver metallic Apple logo at the top-center of each speaker. The dark gray (almost black) color matched the PowerBook laptop colors of the time and Apple’s PowerCD. The speakers were also available in beige (platinum) to match Apple desktop computers sold at the time.
The AppleDesign Powered Speakers II were discontinued in 1995.
The AppleColor High-Resolution RGB Monitor is a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) computer display introduced in 1987 and discontinued in 1992. This monitor has the distinction of being Apple’s first color display for the Macintosh. It was introduced along with the Mac II.
The tube size is 13 inches with a viewable size of 12.8 inches. The display uses Sony Trinitron technology.
The monitor is capable of displaying 640 x 480 resolution at 69 dots per inch and supports 24-bit color. It measures 11 inches high, by 13.5 inches wide, is 16 inches deep, and weighs 44 pounds. The monitor uses Apple’s proprietary DA-15 video connector.
Surprisingly, this monitor’s specifications are still available on Apple’s Documentation website as of June 2024.
The Macintosh Centris 650 has the distinction of being Apple’s Macintosh product with the shortest lifespan (along with the Centris 610). The Centris 650 and 610 were introduced on February 10, 1993, and discontinued on October 21, 1993—a lifespan of only 253 days. The short life resulted from a technicality when Apple made the decision in late 1993 to follow a new naming scheme for all their products: “Quadra” for business, “LC” for education, and “Performa” for home. As a result of the name change, the Macintosh Centris 650 became the Macintosh Quadra 650.
The Centris computers were introduced as Apple’s midrange offerings in 1993 as replacements to the Macintosh IIci and Quadra 700. The Centris 650 used a Motorola 25MHz 68040 or 68LC040 chip and could run System 7.1, up through and including Mac OS 8.1 (without a PowerPC upgrade).
The Centris 650 includes onboard video with VGA support via an adapter, 3 NuBus slots, two ADB ports, two serial ports, an external SCSI connector, and a 5.25-inch drive bay. This was one of the earliest Macintosh computers to be available with an internal CD-ROM drive (an AppleCD 300i model).
According to MacWorld in April 1993, five configurations were available:
25 MHz 68LC040, 4 MB RAM (on board), 512 KB VRAM, 80 MB HDD, no Ethernet
