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From main launches to shock bulletins, it’s been one other hectic week on this planet of tech however we’re right here to make sense of all of it with our weekly column, Winners and Losers.
October is at all times identified for being one of the vital tech heavy months of the yr (colloquially often known as ‘techtober’), however this week has been an absolute whirlwind. Between Apple’s MacBook occasion and Google’s Pixel 6 livestream only a day later, little or no sleep has been had by the Trusted Critiques staff, however it’s all been value it.
You would in all probability guess as a lot from the truth that the brand new MacBook Professional has snagged the highest spot as this week’s winner, and whereas there’s a lot to love in regards to the new Pixel 6 vary, it was the dearth of any look from the long-rumoured Pixel Watch that has me considering that Put on OS 3 is in deep trouble.
Winner: MacBook Professional
Whether or not you wish to admit it or not – Apple is a trendsetter. Whereas it as soon as appeared egregious to have a cellphone with no headphone jack, very quickly nearly each flagship cellphone bore this trait after Apple axed it from the iPhone 7. Equally, it wasn’t lengthy after the reveal of the iPhone X that nearly each different flagship additionally opted for the notch design (although the mimicry has since advanced into hole-punch cameras).
Being a trendsetter comes with sure expectations nonetheless, as any backtracking might be perceived as an absence of course. You’ll be able to think about our shock then when Apple went towards itself by bringing again the entire much-needed MacBook Professional ports which were misplaced through the years.
Given the amount of cash it takes to purchase a MacBook Professional, these machines have at all times been meant for professionals and creatives, however the diminishing variety of ports has solely made the work course of much less environment friendly. To see the return of the HDMI and SD Card ports appears like a dream come true, significantly when paired with the prowess of the brand new M1 Professional and M1 Max chips.
Then, to high all of it of, MagSafe even made a reappearance. The USB-C system for charging MacBooks has by no means been as sturdy because the MagSafe items of outdated, however to see Apple recognise this (at a time when it’s nonetheless arguing for the existence of the Lightning port) is sort of an excessive amount of to absorb.
Loser: Put on OS 3
The world first caught a glimpse of Put on OS 3 again in Could, and in that point we now have solely seen one gadget come to market bearing the software program: the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. To its credit score, the Galaxy Watch 4 is an excellent smartwatch, however with loads of Samsung layerings excessive it’s tough to discern the place Put on OS 3 ends and Samsung’s affect begins. To treatment this, a flagship Put on OS 3 gadget from Google has by no means felt extra crucial.
This sentiment is simply exacerbated by the data that Put on OS 3 will probably be making its technique to some smartwatches, just like the TicWatch Professional 3 and Fossil Gen 6, however not till late into 2022. The unexplained delay on this rollout would’ve made sense if the so-called ‘Pixel Watch’ had come to market within the meantime, however as of but the Google watch is nowhere to be seen.
My guess is that one among two issues has occurred right here. The primary is that Google at all times supposed to launch the Pixel Watch in 2022, however Samsung’s involvement in Put on OS 3 meant that the corporate wanted to have one thing prepared for 2021 and the Galaxy Watch 4. The second situation is that the Pixel Watch merely doesn’t exist and Google has no plans to develop first-party {hardware} to assist Put on OS 3. In both case, this extended absence isn’t serving to the case of Put on OS – as a substitute, it’s dropping momentum.
At this level, Apple’s watchOS is up to now forward of even Put on OS 3 that if Google actually wished to take the corporate to city with a real competitor, it wanted to occur shortly with a mixed launch of software program and {hardware}, one thing to point out that Google and Samsung aren’t messing round. As an alternative, we’re now simply twiddling our thumbs, ready to see if the Pixel Watch makes an look at Google I/O 2022. If not, it’ll be an extended wait till the eventual Put on OS 3 rollout.
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