New iPad mini is here — but where are the Macs? (CultCast #669)

This week, a new iPad mini drops — what does this mean for the Macs on the way? Also, details on all the weird Vision products Apple’s working on…

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This week’s stories:

New iPad mini 7 gains the brains for Apple Intelligence

• The iPad mini 7, the first new version released in three years, offers support for the AI features dubbed Apple Intelligence. Plus, the tablet comes with a significant jump in storage capacity and supports the new Apple Pencil Pro.

Why we might not get an Apple October Mac and iPad event

• Mac notebooks and desktops with the M4 processor are still expected to premiere soon. Just maybe more quietly.

Apple’s cheaper Vision headset might remain out of budget for most

• For wider adoption, Apple is reportedly working on a cheaper Vision headset. In the latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reveals that the low-end Vision headset “cost about $2,000 and probably use an inferior processor and cheaper materials.”

Apple preps smart glasses and AirPods with cameras for 2027

• Apple reportedly wants to repurpose some of the technology that went into its Vision Pro headset for simpler products. That includes a pair of smart glasses plus AirPods with IR cameras.

USA Facts

• Steve Ballmer and Jon Stewart interview

Apple Has a New Smart Home Strategy: Screens Everywhere

• Apple is finally preparing to compete for the smart home market after falling behind Amazon and Google.