Top Stories: Universal Control Enabled in New Betas, Core i9 vs. M1 Max, and More

It was an exciting week in the Apple software department, with new features including Universal Control in the new versions of the OS.

The public release of iOS 15.3 and associated releases focused on bug fixes and security improvements. This week saw some rumors about Apple's product release roadmap, early benchmarks of Intel's latest high-end mobile processors compared to Apple's chips, and more, so read on for all of the details!

Universal Control Enabled in iPadOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3 Betas

After several months of waiting, Universal Control has finally been enabled after Apple seeded the first betas of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Monterey to developers for testing. You can control multiple Macs and iPads with a single mouse or trackpad.

There is a new Apple Card home screenwidget, a new Face ID feature, dozens of new emoji, and more. Check out our list of new things.

Apple also released tvOS 15.3 with important security and bug fixes.

Apple Preparing 'Widest Array of New Hardware Products in Its History' for Later This Year

While the start of the year has been quiet, Mark Gurman recently said that Apple is readying the widest array of new hardware products in its history.

Several new products are expected to be announced later this year, including the usual iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 refresh, as well as several other new products that we have outlined in our Upcoming Products Guide.

Benchmarks Confirm Intel's Latest Core i9 Chip Outperforms Apple's M1 Max With Several Caveats

One of the first laptops to be powered by Intel's new 12th- generation Core i9 processor is the GE 76 Raider.

Early Geekbench 5 results show that the new Core i9 processor from Intel is faster than the M1 Max chip from Apple in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple's Most Questionable Design Decisions in Recent Memory

Every once in a while, Apple makes questionable design decisions, but the company is known for having well-designed products.

We put together a list of six of the most controversial Apple product designs introduced in recent years, including the butterfly keyboard on recent MacBook models, the original Siri Remote for the Apple TV, the Magic Mouse 2, and more.

Apple Reports Record 1Q 2022 Results: $34.6B Profit on $123.9B Revenue

Apple this week reported its financial results for the December quarter, with a host of all-time records including revenue and profit. The exception of the iPad recorded record revenue.

Despite continued supply issues due to chip shortages, the record-breaking performance came despite it. By the end of the current quarter, Apple says that the constraints should be alleviated.

Apple Launches Black Unity Braided Solo Loop Alongside New Watch Face

Ahead of Black History Month, Apple has released a new Black Unity Braided solo loop for the Apple Watch and a new Black Unity watch face that uses 2D ray tracing.

Apple is spotlighting Black voices and businesses in February with a variety of content across its services, such as the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Books, Apple News, and more.

Apple Still Struggling to Meet Demand for Redesigned 14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pro

Demand for MacBook Pro models powered by the latest M1 Pro and M1 Max chips is still strong three months after they were released.

The new MacBook Pro models are expected to arrive in several weeks, with some configurations not available until early March. Supply chain disruptions related to the Pandemic are not helping the situation.

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