NEWApple kit tested and rated > Issue 339 June 2019 macformat.com @macformat
Apple’s big iMac refresh Are the Intel Core i9 and Vega graphics worth the money?
WiN! Mac, iPhone & iPad accessories worth £500
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SPEED UP YOUR MAC ✓ Pinpoint what’s slowing you down ✓ Easy fixes to boost performance ✓ Low-cost hardware upgrades
Superpowered iPad Air & mini Pro specs, but affordable!
Improved AirPods
Hands-free headphones with Hey Siri
Why it’s time to try Watch 51 ways it makes life easier
AirPower alternatives!
Improve your Apple skills
Double-device wireless chargers
Supercharge Launchpad How to clean a Mac for sale Take control of Siri in iOS 12
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We’ve been busy testing the new iMacs, iPad Air, iPad mini and AirPods in recent weeks. Read our verdicts on Apple’s latest kit, along with reviews of other new add-ons and apps, starting on p77. While it’s nice to see new Apple hardware, it’s also good to keep your current Mac in peak condition – so this issue’s cover feature looks at steps to speed up your Mac. After using your Mac for a while, it may seem slower than it was fresh out of its box. We’ll show you ways to investigate recurring issues; relevant tweaks to your preferences; and hardware changes that can get your Mac life back on track. Head to p20. Even four years after Apple Watch’s launch, only half of MacFormat’s editorial team has a smartwatch of any kind – both Apple Watches, of course. However, since April 2015, more and more people have come around to the benefits of owning one. Worried it would just be an annoyance strapped to your body? Give it a chance: turn to p62 and we’ll show you how it can be a helpful assistant you’ll want to wear. Don’t forget to check out our latest tutorials, which begin on p37. You’ll discover nifty new features and improvements Apple has added in macOS 10.14.4 and iOS 12.2; how to turn your best snaps into a photo book; steps to follow before you sell your old Mac; and much more.
Meet the team
Alan Stonebridge Editor editor@macformat.com
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Jo Membery Operations Editor Jo is configuring her desk to be more posturefriendly after reading this month’s Apple Home. Apparently, her mug of tea is now at ‘optimum reach’.
Alex Blake Commissioning Editor To get over his dismay at AirPower’s cancellation, Alex has been reviewing more iPhone chargers than you can shake a stick at. That is to say, three.
Paul Blachford Art Editor Paul has been fantasising about one of the new iMacs landing on his desk… It’s a good job he’s got our Mac speed-up feature to fall back on when reality hits.
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june 2019 | MACFORMAT | 3
Issue 339 June 2019 macformat.com
TURBO BOOST!
6
APPLE CORE 6
rumour & news
The latest updates from Cupertino and beyond
9
apps & GAMES
Our top picks of the month for Mac and iOS
11
facts & figures
Display tech in numbers
12
SPEED UP YOUR MAC Does getting stuff done take time because you’re waiting for your Mac? This easyto-follow guide has the performanceboosting tips you need
20
letters
Have your say on all things Apple related
14
Macformat investigates
Who should see your health data?
18
opinion
Why we need more exciting Watch faces
APPLE HOME 71
Why it’s time to try
Apple Watch
A smarter you
Transform your home office environment
72
perfect your posture
Adjusting to fit-friendly furniture
75
62
ergonomic equipment
Kit for standing and sitting, not slouching
4 | MACFORMAT | june 2019
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Issue 339 CONTENTS
Subscribe today! 77
& get a great gift GENIUS TIPS 56
Genius Tips
Howard Oakley solves all your Mac hardware, software and iOS issues
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iOS software
Swipe away your touchscreen troubles
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MAC HARDWARE
We help fix your hardware hassles
APPLE CHOICE 77
60
MAC SOFTWARE
We resolve restrictions with your Mac apps
APPLE CHOICE
New kit and apps – we’ve got all the latest hardware and software reviews
98
STORE GUIDE
Get help with picking accessories and apps to go with your Apple kit
42
REGULARS 76
back issues
Head here if you’ve missed an issue
104 photo stream Send us your Apple-related shots
105 Next Month What’s coming in MF340 on 4 June
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improve your mono pics
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A massive bundle of accessories from Twelve South
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clean your mac
Wipe your Mac so it’s ready for a new owner
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overhaul passwords
Defend your personal info in a few steps
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NEW FEATURES from Apple
Discover improvements in macOS and iOS
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optimise your health
Track a variety of health stats in one app
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13
tame siri and search
Personalise your device’s helpful nature
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how it works
Preparing photos for printing
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june 2019 | MACFORMAT | 5
What’s inside 6-8 RUMOUR & NEWS Word on the grapevine about future Apple kit
9 APPS & GAMES
Edited by
Alan stonebridge
Our top picks of the month for Mac and iOS
11 apple facts Display tech in numbers
12 letters Have your say
14 macformat investigates Who should see your health data?
18 opinion Matt Bolton on wanting more from his Watch face Hot topic!
According to Mac Otakara, Apple will add two new phones with a triple-lens camera system to its line-up in 2019.
iPhone may gain third lens Mac Otakara reports on two new Apple phones with triple-lens camera systems for 2019 Contact us Email your queries to letters@macformat.com Join the conversation at facebook.com/macformat or on Twitter @macformat
6 | MACFORMAT | June 2019
umours have been swirling that Apple is set to release triple-lens iPhones later in 2019. This would follow rival phones like the Huawei P30, which has two wide-angle lenses and one telephoto lens in its camera system. The lenses on the iPhones would supposedly be arranged in a triangular shape though, leading to a rather large camera cut-out on the back. A new take on the rumour has now come from Japanese website Mac Otakara, which
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reports that this triple-lens system would be exclusive to two entirely new iPhones to be launched this year, alongside refreshed versions of the XS, XS Max and XR, which would not feature the new cameras. Previous reports from other outlets have suggested that the successor to the XS Max would come with a triple-lens camera, while the updated XS and XR would be equipped with dual-lens systems. What sets Mac Otakara’s report apart is
New iPhone SE
An updated model, branded XE, is in the works according to a new report
he iPhone SE was popular among people seeking a smaller iPhone, but that wasn’t enough to stop Apple from axing it. If a report from PC-Tablet is to be believed, though, Apple could be working on a new version of the more petite smartphone dubbed the iPhone XE. This model, due out in the third quarter of 2019, will retain the familiar rectangular body of the SE, albeit with many features from Apple’s latest iPhones. The report states that it will be equipped with the A12 Bionic chip and Face ID, while the 4.8in AMOLED display will be edge-to-edge except for a notch to house the front-facing cameras and Face ID sensors. The rearfacing 12-megapixel camera will have an aperture of f/1.8, similar to that on the iPhone XR. To cut costs, the back of the device will be aluminium instead of glass, meaning it will not work with wireless charging mats. The report states that the iPhone XE will start at $600 (about £459), going up to $800 (about £612) depending on the storage configuration you choose. We’re a little sceptical about the report, however, as it goes on to claim that the iPhone XR will be discontinued in 2019 due its “poor performance in the market”. Apple, meanwhile, has stated that the XR is its most popular iPhone.
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THE POLL We asked… Which of Apple’s newly announced services most interests you? Apple News+
Apple TV+
11%
25%
8%
56%
Apple card
Apple Arcade
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RUMOUR MILL
Hot on the heels of the tech giant’s latest moves…
1
6K Apple display that it’s suggesting this three-lens camera would be on two entirely new models, not a refreshed XS Max.
Changing size and charge Mac Otakara cites unnamed sources in Apple’s Chinese supply chain, and claims that the new phones would come with 6.1in and 6.5in OLED displays. It goes on to say that the bodies of the phones would be slightly thicker than Apple’s 2018 iPhones to account for the new camera hardware inside; the 6.1in model, for example, would be around 0.15mm thicker than the iPhone XS, with a 0.5mm reduction in the camera bump. The body of the 6.5in model, meanwhile, would be 0.4mm thicker than
that of the iPhone XS Max, with a 0.25mm reduction in the camera protrusion. Other details in the report indicated that the two new phones would come with a USB-C to Lightning cable and an 18W USB-C charger – the first time an iPhone would get a charger of that capacity. According to the report, the new models are also likely to be able to wirelessly charge other Qi-compatible devices from the rear of the phone. That could mean being able to place your second-generation AirPods charging case on the back of the new iPhones to charge them up. The ability to charge other devices may require a larger battery, something that has been reported on before. However, Apple is said to be struggling to fit a larger battery into the iPhone chassis alongside the expanded camera array.
The new iPhones are likely to be able to wirelessly charge other Qi-compatible devices
Reliable Apple analyst MingChi Kuo says Apple is working on a 31.6in 6K display with mini LED backlighting, to be released mid-2019.
2
15 to 17in MacBook
Kuo also predicts Apple will launch a 15in or 17in MacBook in the first half of 2021. It was not made clear if this will be a MacBook Pro, Air or new form factor for the 12in MacBook.
3
5nm iPhone chips
iPhone chip maker TSMC has been working on 5nm chips, which could land in 2020 iPhones and bring better performance and battery life.
June 2019 | MACFORMAT | 7
apple news roundup iTUNES TO BE SPLIT INTO THREE APPS Mac will get Music, tv and podcasts apps Apple may split iTunes for Mac into three apps for music, video and podcasts. Developer Steve Troughton-Smith has claimed to have found evidence of the split, while developer Guilherme Rambo has said he has seen the apps’ icons. The apps are likely to be based on Apple’s Marzipan framework and released in macOS 10.15.
Lead CHIP ARCHITECT QUITS APPLE Developed A7 to A12X chips for iOS devices Gerard Williams III, the lead designer for the A-series of chips from A7 through to A12X, has left Apple. He was an Apple stalwart, having worked on the chip inside the iPhone 3GS, and by the time of his departure was in charge of the whole system-ona-chip used in iPhones, including the processor, graphics capabilities, secure enclave, image processor and artificial intelligence cores.
8 | MACFORMAT | June 2019
Wireless charging for peripherals would be very convenient.
Wireless power for peripherals Future iMacs could wirelessly charge your mouse and keyboard he idea of your Mac wirelessly charging your mouse and keyboard isn’t new, but Apple is still working on it. In a recently released patent, the company lays out its latest ideas for getting your peripherals juiced up. The patent describes a system whereby an iMac or display could have wireless power transmitters embedded in the underside of its housing. These would be used to send power to receivers in the body of the accompanying keyboard and mouse. This would mean that you would no longer need to charge your keyboard and mouse when their batteries run down.
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Instead, you wouldn’t even have to think about charging them – it would just happen automatically, as long as your devices were within about a foot of the power transmitter. This transmitter would be angled downwards to ensure good coverage for peripherals on your desk, and there would be one on each side of the Mac to maximise coverage. Apple has previously explored the idea of sending power over communications systems such as Wi-Fi and mobile data. As always, the release of this patent doesn’t mean that it will be implemented into a product, but it is a hint at what Apple is interested in doing.
Apple cancels AirPower Wireless charger officially canned irPower, Apple’s long-awaited and much-discussed wireless charging mat, has been cancelled. Dan Riccio, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, said in a statement to TechCrunch that development was ended because it “will not achieve our high standards”. AirPower has long been plagued by rumours that Apple was struggling to make it work. Whispers from the supply chain claimed the design – which would let you
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place your devices anywhere on the mat – would overheat to unacceptable levels. Still, the feeling was that this was a mere delay, not a terminal problem, making the cancellation all the more surprising. The packaging for the second-generation AirPods – released just days before AirPower’s fate was disclosed – mentioned the wireless charging pad by
The layered-coil design of AirPower reportedly made it overheat.
name, suggesting the move was made quite late in the day. It is almost unheard of for Apple to preview a product like AirPower (which was teased at Apple’s September 2017 event) and then cancel it. If you still want a multi-device wireless charger, check out this issue’s head-to-head review on page 90.
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Apps & games APPLE CORE
Media Picks
App of the month
Our top choices of what you should be playing and reading this month
[ M A C app ]
CorelDRAW From £18.99/mo Design, draw, edit and illustrate with this returning Mac veteran After an 18-year absence, CorelDRAW is back on the Mac with a dedicated app for 2019. The app features a number of interesting features, including LiveSketch. This is a vector graphic tool that uses neural networks to improve your work. For example, if you hand draw an imperfect circle and enable LiveSketch, it can automatically correct your disc-shaped sketch into a perfect circle.
Elsewhere there are tools to help graphic design, illustration, page layout and photo editing. Corel has also launched a website called CorelDRAW.app, which is a web-based version of the app that lets you pick up your work when you’re not at home. Although CorelDraw has been associated with Windows for years, this version feels like it really belongs on macOS, with familiar controls, plus support for Dark Mode and the Touch Bar.
[A l bu m]
You’re the Man Marvin Gaye £9.99 The lost 1972 follow-up to classic What’s Going On. The earworms here, like I’m Gonna Give You Respect, deserve a place in your soul playlist.
[BOOK]
The Genius Who Took Apple to… £9.99
[iO S A PP]
[iOS GAME]
Rolando: Royal Edition
TechTool Pro 11
£5.99 per month
£2.99
£123.99
Apple recently unveiled its own magazine service, but if you prefer to listen to articles then Curio is for you. It’s got thousands of hours of content from The Guardian, The Washington Post, Aeon Magazine and more, all read by professional narrators. Why you need it: It’s got a great selection of content. What it’s best for: Letting you listen on the go.
An App Store hit in 2008, Rolando disappeared in iOS’s 32-bit app-ocalypse. Now rebuilt with the ‘2.5D’ style seen in its (also AWOL) sequel, you swipe and tap through platform-based puzzles to help a rotund tribe reclaim its kingdom from invaders. Why you need it: Tactile fun for kids in particular. What it’s best for: A look back at mobile gaming, remastered.
Mac playing up? Find out what’s gone wrong with TechTool Pro, now in its 11th iteration. This version brings Mojave compatibility, as well as better security integration (allowing it full disk access) and a new tool to reset the permissions of your Home folder. Why you need it: It can help you fix your Mac. What it’s best for: Clearly diagnosing problems.
Curio
Image credits (left to right, top to bottom): Corel, Marvin Gaye, Penguin Books, Curio Labs, HandCircus, Micromat, The Last Podcast Network
[M AC A PP]
… the Next Level follows Tim Cook’s rise to the helm of one of the most valuable companies in the world.
[PodCAST]
The Last Podcast on the Left FREE
Three hilarious hosts discuss horrors real and imagined – serial killers, legends, conspiracy theories and more.
June 2019 | MACFORMAT | 9
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APPLE CORE Facts & figures
1
DISPLAY colo urs 4 technology IN NUMBERS > The Mac started life with 1-bit colour
Screen res. Colour depth. Pixel density. What does it all mean to your eyes?
Over2x density 2
> It’s easy to scoff at the original iPhone’s
320x480-pixel display as lo-res, but it had a higher pixel density than Macs of the time (164 versus 72ppi). Even the iPod managed 102ppi. There’s good reason you recall both having chunky pixels, though…
4
depth, so each pixel was simply on or off, meaning it had a truly monochromatic display. Later this increased to 2-bit colour, giving four shades. It wasn’t until 1987’s Macintosh II that colour displays and graphics cards added the ability to output 256 colours at once.
3
35.1cm > The meaning of ‘Retina display’ varies based on a device’s typical viewing distance. Take London’s Piccadilly Lights, for example: if it were flat, the installation would measure 1,888in diagonally. The optimal distance of a 4K display that big would be 30.8m. It’s just 35.1cm for a 21.5in iMac on a desk.
16.7 million 5
> Traditional ‘true colour’ displays use an 8-bit representation for each of the red, green and blue colour channels. That gives 256 levels of each channel, which in turn works out to over 16.7 million possible hues.
1.07 billion > Even today’s iMac compromises to make your eyes think it can show 1.07 billion hues (10 bits per colour channel), aided by its 218ppi density. Temporal dithering cycles a pixel between two hues. Spatial dithering puts two colours next to each other. Your eyes see these as a blend.
42in
6
MacBook Pro!
> The first Mac’s 9in display packed a 512x342pixel resolution and 72 pixels per inch. If you lowered the 13in MacBook Pro’s from 227 to 72ppi yet kept its 2560x1600 resolution, you would end up with a 42in ‘notebook’.
June 2019 | MACFORMAT | 11
9000
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Email your queries and your questions to letters@macformat.com
LETTER OF THE MONTH! MORE iMAC WOES Reading last issue, I had to double-check that I hadn’t written a letter in my sleep. Like Trevor, I upgraded my 2011 iMac to a new 21.5in model with Retina 4K display. It’s one of the worst purchases I have ever made from Apple. TRASH The performance of this new iMac is absolutely dreadful. Mine is even worse as it has a 5,400rpm hard disk, which is criminal in its very low performance, I don’t know how the designers at Apple were able to let it out the door. I have never seen so many beach balls in my life, everything from the very long boot times, to the very long wait whilst the desktop is displayed, to having to wait for apps to open. Even when it’s up and running, apps take an awfully long time to open, with my Dock looking more like a rampant toaster with apps bouncing up and down for ages. However, all is not lost. A hint I hope you can pass on to Trevor is to purchase an external USB 3 SSD – I bought a 512GB Samsung model – and then install and start macOS from that. It’s not an ideal solution and requires an additional £100 payment, but things are much more workable. Apple should not be releasing any desktop or laptop computer with mechanical drives. They should all be SSD. I don’t expect to pay over a thousand pounds for a computer to experience this out of the box. I will probably purchase an iMac in the future and it will definitely have a pure SSD. However, after buying Apple desktops and laptops since 2005, I’m disappointed n LETTER OF that it no longer seems to put any care THE MONTH into its computers!
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12 |
by Ceallaigh Dee
I’ve just read Trevor Elliott’s letter of the month in the May issue of MacFormat. I own a Late 2013 iMac and a 2017 MacBook Air, both with 8GB of memory. Although he doesn’t say which version of the operating system he is running, I don’t believe that Trevor’s problem is with his new model iMac, nor the amount of memory he has installed. Both of my Macs now run slower than they did. I’ve been seeing the ‘spinning beach ball’ and using Force Quit more regularly than I used to. I believe it’s due to upgrading both Macs to Mojave. I’m not sure how Apple has managed it, but it has produced a new
There’s lots to recommend about the new iMacs, including amazing Intel processor options. Fusion Drives, though…
version of macOS that makes my computers run significantly slower. It is all very well making the system look nicer, but most users would sacrifice the looks for more speed. by Joh n G o odw i n
Alan says… Even before I selected your letters from our mailbox, I was disappointed by the transfer rates I was seeing in the new 21.5in iMac’s Fusion Drive (see review, p82). I agree that Apple needs to do something – even taking a hit on its profit margin on iMacs, if willing and able – to eliminate this weakness. Not having an SSD by default in 2019 isn’t a good look for Apple’s most iconic computer. We haven’t had many reports of Mojave causing serious performance degradation. I’d like to hear from other readers with similar experience to John’s – the spec of your Mac and what aspect is slowing down. Write to us!
A Correction
In our USB-C accessories round-up (MF #336), the Twelve South BookBook CaddySack review said “We’re not really sold on the fake leather book look”. This does not mean the leather is fake. BookBook CaddySack is made with genuine full-grain leather. For this, we apologise to readers and Twelve South.
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