Tag: USB-C

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Beats Studio Buds + (transparent, 2023)

Although Beats products are not Apple-branded, the Beats by Dr. Dre website states, “Beats by Dr. Dre (Beats) is a leading audio brand founded in 2006 by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine… Beats was acquired by Apple Inc. in July 2014.” As an Apple collector, I have a small number of Beats products in my collection.

Beats describes the Studio Buds + on their website:

“Beats Studio Buds + custom acoustic platform packs powerful, balanced sound in a sophisticated, pocketable design. Reengineered acoustic venting improves audio precision and gently relieves pressure for a more comfortable all-day fit. Each bud is equipped with a two-layer transducer that flexes to deliver cleaner bass and ultra-low distortion. So whether you’re listening to music or taking calls, Studio Buds + deliver rich, immersive sound wherever you go.”

As a “sister” company to Apple, the Beats Studio Buds + offer the following “Enhanced Apple Compatibility:”

  • One-touch pairing—easy, one-touch setup instantly pairs with every device in your iCloud account
  • “Hey Siri”—simply say “Hey Siri” to activate your voice assistant
  • Find My—locate your lost earbuds on a map based on the last known connected location
  • Over-the-air updates—receive software updates and new features automatically

Beats also offer “Enhanced Android Compatibility:”

  • Google Fast Pair
  • Audio Switch
  • Find My Device

These earbuds offer many features, including:

  • Active Noise Cancelling (ANC)
  • Transparency mode
  • Up to 36 hours of total battery life (9-hour earbuds + 27-hour charging case)
  • One-touch pairing
  • Crisp, clear call performance from upgraded, voice-targeting mics
  • Sweat and water resistant earbuds (IPX4-rated)
  • Four soft eartip sizes
  • Spatial audio for Dolby Atmos
  • Pocket-sized charging case with USB-C connector

The case measures 2.55cm tall, 7.2cm long, and 5.1cm wide. Each bud measures 1.5cm tall, 2.05cm long, and 1.85cm wide. Each bud weighs 5g, and the entire product—2 buds and the case—weighs 59g.

My primary interest in this product was the design including the “transparent” color option. This was the first Apple-backed product released in a semi-transparent design in about 20 years (with the possible exception of updates of the originally Apple-designed Harman Kardon SoundSticks). Other notable transparent Apple products over the years have included the following:

  • iMac (CRT models, 1998–2003)
  • eMate 300 (1997–1998)
  • iBook (“clamshell” models, 1999–2001)
  • Power Macintosh G3 All-in-One (1998)
  • Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White tower, 1999)
  • Studio Display (various LCD and CRT designs, 1998, 1999, 2000)

As a side-note, some may have forgotten that Apple’s LaserWriter 8500 (1997–1999) used light-green-tinted transparent plastics in its lower drawer and top paper feeder.

As mentioned above, Harman Kardon SoundSticks were reported to have been designed in partnership with Apple and have been available since 2000. Although the product has not changed significantly, it has been updated regularly (2004, 2009, 2012, and 2020).

Sources: Beats, Apple, Macworld, Fandom (LaserWriter 8500)

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Apple Pencil USB-C (2023)

In October 2023, Apple released this new Apple Pencil USB-C model. At the time, this was the third Apple Pencil in the lineup. Apple described the Apple Pencil USB-C:

“Today, Apple is bringing more choice to iPad users with a new, more affordable Apple Pencil. With pixel-perfect accuracy, low latency, and tilt sensitivity, the new Apple Pencil is ideal for note taking, sketching, annotating, journaling, and more. Designed with a matte finish and a flat side that magnetically attaches to the side of iPad for storage, the new Apple Pencil pairs and charges with a USB-C cable.”

This Apple Pencil added the hover feature on M2 iPad models, “allowing users to sketch and illustrate with even greater precision.” The USB-C version of the Apple Pencil also added a new charging method to the Apple Pencil family—this time by sliding the end of the Pencil to reveal a USB-C charging port that both charges and pairs the Pencil.

The original Apple Pencil also used wired charging/pairing via Lightning port, while the Apple Pencil 2 used magnetic wireless charging/pairing. This Apple Pencil USB-C uses magnets to attach to the side of compatible iPad models for storage (like the Apple Pencil 2), but it does not charge.

As of June 2024, this Apple Pencil USB-C was compatible with the following iPad models:

  • iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)
  • iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)
  • iPad Air 13-inch (M2)
  • iPad Air 11-inch (M2)
  • iPad (10th generation)
  • iPad mini (6th generation)
  • iPad Air (4th or 5th generation)
  • iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th generation)
  • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th generation)

Sources: Apple (Newsroom, Product, Compatibility)

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iPad (Generation 10, 64GB, 2022)

This is my 1,000th post on my Apple Collection blog!

When Apple released the iPad Generation 10, a press release noted that it featured “a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, the powerful A14 Bionic chip, advanced cameras, fast wireless connectivity, USB-C, support for the new Magic Keyboard Folio, and more.”

The iPad Generation 10 was the first base-level iPad to include an all-screen design and a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display. It used an A14 Bionic chip, and both the front and back camera were 12 megapixel with an Ultra Wide front camera for an “even better video calling experience.”

This was also the first base iPad to use USB-C charging. Despite the list of new technologies, the iPad 10 supported the Generation 1 Apple Pencil, released in 2015—seven years before this iPad.

Apple highlighted creative uses of the iPad 10:

“Express yourself, draw, and brainstorm on a flexible creative powerhouse. The stunning 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display makes an incredible canvas. So you can doodle, take notes, mark up documents, and a lot more with Apple Pencil.”

The iPad 10 was available during 2022–2023 at a time when online commentators noted consumer confusion in the iPad lineup. MacRumors ran an article on October 2022 expressing the sentiment with the headline, “Apple’s New iPad Lineup Causes Potential Confusion With Inconsistent Features.”

At the time, six basic iPad models were available, with several sharing similar characteristics. As of 2023, iPad Pro models were available in 12.9- and 11-inch configurations, an iPad Air had a 10.9-inch display, this iPad 10 had a 10.9-inch display, an iPad mini had an 8.3-inch display—while Apple continued to offer the 10.2-inch iPad Generation 9.

This iPad 10 is the 64GB, Wi-Fi 6 model in Blue. The anodized texture and brightness of the color add a depth to this iPad’s finish.

Sources: Apple (Newsroom, Product), Wikipedia, MacRumors

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USB-C to Lightning Cable (pink, 2021)

When Apple introduced the M1 iMac in 2021, seven “vibrant” colors were offered—green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver—that Apple reported would bring “a sense of joy to any space.”

One interesting detail of the iMac M1 was that it shipped with color-matched braided cables. The cables included the power cable (from the iMac to a power brick) and this USB-C to Lightning cable.

The purpose of the USB-C to Lightning cable was to charge the color-matched keyboard and mouse that shipped with the iMac M1.

A color-matched braided cable set is, admittedly, a small detail. But this is the kind of attention to detail that many Apple customers enjoy. This pink USB-C to Lightning cable shipped with the pink M1 iMac. Close inspection reveals that the cable is braided with both pink and white.

Source: Apple, 9to5mac

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MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)

On October 18, 2018, Apple introduced an all-new MacBook Air model:

“Apple today introduced an all-new MacBook Air, bringing a stunning 13-inch Retina display, Touch ID, the latest processors and an even more portable design to the world’s most loved notebook. Delivering the all-day battery life it’s known for, the new MacBook Air is available in three gorgeous finishes — gold, space gray and silver. The most affordable Retina-display Mac ever also includes an Apple-designed keyboard, a spacious Force Touch trackpad, faster SSDs, wide stereo sound, the Apple T2 Security Chip and Thunderbolt 3, making the new MacBook Air the perfect notebook to take with you everywhere you go.”

The 13.3-inch Retina display was 2560 x 1600 (at 227ppi)—a 16:10 aspect ratio. It used a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, and offered many storage options: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1.5TB SSD. RAM options included 8GB or 16GB.

Like all previous MacBook Air models, this version used a tapered body design. It measured 0.16 inch in front to 0.61 inch in back (0.41–1.56 cm) thick, and was 11.97 inches (30.41 cm) wide and 8.36 inches (21.24 cm) deep. It weighed 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg).

The front camera was a 720p FaceTime HD camera. This was the first MacBook Air to ship with 2 USB-C connections, and it also had a 3.5mm headphone jack. Further, this was the first MacBook Air to include an Integrated Touch ID sensor.

The 2018 MacBook Air was released at a time when its features were potentially confusing to customers when compared to other Apple laptop offerings at the time. A reviewer at The Verge noted:

“Is this new Air like a 12-inch MacBook, just blown up to a slightly bigger size? Is it more like a 13-inch MacBook Pro (sans Touch Bar), just with cheaper parts?”

When released, this this MacBook Air only was offered in a 13-inch option, dropping the 11-inch version available in the previous design. This was also the final MacBook Air with an Intel chip—future versions included Apple Silicon, such as the M1.

Source: Apple (Newsroom, Tech Specs), The Verge

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MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)

The 15-inch MacBook Pro (2019) model was the first to offer an 8-core processor in a MacBook. Apple’s press release announced:

“Apple updated MacBook Pro with faster 8th- and 9th-generation Intel Core processors, bringing eight cores to MacBook Pro for the first time. MacBook Pro now delivers two times faster performance than a quad-core MacBook Pro and 40 percent more performance than a 6-core MacBook Pro, making it the fastest Mac notebook ever. These new processors, combined with powerful graphics, the brilliant and colorful Retina display, super-fast SSDs, the Apple T2 Security Chip, all-day battery life and macOS, make MacBook Pro the world’s best pro notebook.”

Both a 6-core and 8-core version of this MacBook Pro was available.

This MacBook Pro was available in both Silver and Space Gray. It had a Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor. Apple describes the Touch Bar:

“If your Mac has a Touch Bar, you can use familiar gestures—like tap, swipe, or slide—directly on the Touch Bar to adjust settings, use Siri, access function keys, and do tasks in different apps.”

The 15.4-inch Retina display was 2880 x 1800 (at 220ppi). This MacBook Pro was offered with a 256GB or 512GB SSD as standards, but was configurable to up to 4TB SSD. All models had 16GB of RAM. The front camera was a 720p FaceTime HD camera.

Physical ports included 4 USB-C ports (all had Thunderbolt 3 capability) and a headphone jack. Wireless interfaces included 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0.

This MacBook Pro was 0.61 inch (1.55 cm) thick, and measured 13.75 inches (34.93 cm) wide x 9.48 inches (24.07 cm) deep. It weighed 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg).

Its 10-hour battery charged with an 87W USB-C Power Adapter.

This MacBook Pro featured what Ars Technica referred to as the “new new new butterfly keyboard…which Apple believes will be more reliable than its problem-laden predecessors.” Later in the review, the author adds that “the touchpad is enormous” and describes it as “luxuriously large.”

Although Apple’s press focuses on the 8-core version of this laptop, this particular MacBook Pro (2019) is the 6-core version in Space Gray.

Sources: Apple (Newsroom, Tech Specs, Touch Bar), Ars Technica

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USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter (2021)

Apple described the USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter as an accessory that “lets you connect devices that use a standard 3.5 mm audio plug — like headphones or speakers — to your USB-C devices.”

I was surprised to learn I needed this adapter one day when I attempted to plug my “standard” 3.5 mm headphones into my 11-inch M1 iPad Pro. I somehow missed that the M1 iPad Pro had no headphone jack.

To their credit, Apple includes a handy photo of the iPad Pro with the USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter on their product page.

Apple

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MagSafe Duo Charger (2020)

Apple’s MagSafe Duo Charger is a compact, square-shaped charger for the iPhone (or other Qi-certified devices) and the Apple Watch. According to Apple: “The MagSafe Duo Charger conveniently charges your compatible iPhone, Apple Watch, Wireless Charging Case for AirPods, and other Qi-certified devices. Just place your devices on the charger and a steady, efficient charge begins on contact. The charger folds together neatly so you can easily take it with you wherever you go.”

The charger ships with the MagSafe Duo Charger and a 1 m USB-C to Lightning Cable, but no charging brick. Therefore, the MagSafe Duo Charger does not charge out of the box without pairing it with an existing plug.

An Apple Support article specifies that “Your MagSafe Duo Charger is designed to work with all iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, all Apple Watch models, Apple MagSafe accessories, and Qi-certified devices and accessories.” The article goes on to state that you should “Use the included USB-C to Lightning cable to plug in your MagSafe Duo Charger to a recommended 20 watt (W) or greater Apple USB-C power adapter,” but the “Apple 29W USB-C Power Adapter isn’t compatible with the MagSafe Duo Charger.”

The Apple Watch charging side “…can charge your Apple Watch in a flat position with its band open, or on its side, by lifting the inductive charging connector. When docked on its side, your Apple Watch automatically goes into nightstand mode, so you can also use it as your alarm clock.”

Source: Apple, Apple Support

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iPad Pro 11-inch (Generation 3, Wi-Fi, 128GB, 2021)

The Generation 3, 11-inch iPad Pro appears the same externally as its two predecessors, but uses Apple’s significantly faster M1 chip and adds an enhanced front camera. This iPad Pro featured an Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores along with a 16-core Neural Engine. The iPad Pro website boasts that this model is “Supercharged by the Apple M1 chip” with “Mind-blowing performance.”

Apple adds:

“With M1, iPad Pro is the fastest device of its kind. It’s designed to take full advantage of next‑level performance and custom technologies like the advanced image signal processor and unified memory architecture of M1. And with the incredible power efficiency of M1, iPad Pro is still thin and light with all‑day battery life, making it as portable as it is powerful.”

This iPad Pro 11-inch uses an LED-backlit 2388×1668 Liquid Retina display (264 ppi, 600 nits) with a thin black bezel with rounded corners and flat sides. This iPad is Space Gray, and it was also available in Silver. This 128GB models used 8GB RAM (as did the 256 and 512 GB options, while the 1 and 2 TB models used 16 GB of RAM).

This iPad Pro included a USB-C port (Thunderbolt/USB 4) for charging and wired connectivity. Wireless connectivity included 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. Cellular models were also available.

The 12-megapixel Ultra Wide front camera was the first iPad camera to offer the Center Stage feature that automatically keeps people in the camera frame by zooming and panning. Its two rear cameras included a 12-megapixel wide angle and a 10-megapixel ultra-wide angle lens.

Like iPhone Pro models of the time, this iPad Pro also included LiDAR and Face ID. It could also use a Generation 2 Apple Pencil that charged using a magnetic connection on the side of the iPad. A similar iPad Pro with a 12.9-inch screen was sold at the same time as this 11-inch model.

Sources: Apple, EveryMac

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Beats All-Day Wireless Earphones (Yuzu Yellow, 2020)

These wireless headphones are branded as Beats. The company Beats by Dr. Dre (Beats) describes itself as a “leading audio brand founded in 2006 by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine…Beats was acquired by Apple Inc. in July 2014.”

The headphones offer up to 12 hours of playback and the magnet is designed to keep “Beats Flex tangle-free as they easily coil up into your pocket or purse.” The audio technology is described on the Apple website:

“Beats Flex employs a dual-chamber acoustic design and a proprietary layered driver to achieve outstanding stereo separation with rich and precise bass response. Laser cut micro-venting provides ear pressure relief, and the optimized driver angle ensures clear, crisp sound. An advanced digital processor fine-tunes your audio for an accurate and emotive listening experience.”

The headphones use a USB-C to USB-C charging cable, and include eartips with four size options. They were available in Flame Blue, Beat Black, Smoke Gray, and the Yuzu Yellow color of this set.

Source: Apple, Beats