Real-World Speeds, Choosing Storage, and Quick Tips – Mac Geek Gab 738

Ever have a disk drive or Wi-Fi device that doesn’t get quite the advertised speeds? Yeah, so have we. In fact, it happens all the time. Listen this week as John and Dave discuss the differences between advertised maximums and real-world expectations… and how to translate between the two. Of course, that’s not all! More questions and Quick Tips than you can shake a stick at. Press play, download, and enjoy!

Whatever Happened to AirPower?

At the “Gather Round” September 2017 media event, Apple showed off the new iPhone 8, iPhone X, and AirPower wireless charging mat. You could charge your new iPhone, your Series 3 Apple Watch, and with a new case, your AirPods. We were told AirPower was coming “next year” which would be the nearly over 2018 and so far not a peep. I bring it up each time invitations go out for a media event, and still nothing. It bothers Rene Ritchie too, who put together AirPower’s history over at iMore, assembling all the tidbits thus far, and pondering AirPower’s future. Check out the piece for a thorough look at what we know about AirPower and an interesting take on its future. Here’s a snippet:

“Great artists ship.” “Apple ships.” Is one of the core tenants of the company. But, delays on everything from AirPods to HomePod, and most especially AirPower has put that tenant to the test. That might be why there were no special halo accessories announced alongside this year’s iPhone or iPad, New modular Mac Pro teased way back in 2017 not withstanding: Apple has learned the dangers of deviating from its ship-don’t-tell strategy, and the pain it can cause them when forecasts don’t match finish lines.

Reuters Looks at Apple's Challenges in India

India is home to a large population full of very tech-savvy. Not surprisingly, Apple is keen to increase its sales there. However, small incomes, high device costs and cheap alternatives are making this increasingly difficult. A good piece of analysis on Reuters reveals that even those in Bengaluru – India’s Silicon Valley, are resisting high-end new Apple devices. To compound the difficulties, Apple faces high import tariffs in India and lost some of its top executives in the country this year. While I suspect that tales of Apple’s demise in India is somewhat premature, there is little doubt the firm faces big challenges to keep the country’s 1.3 billion consumers buying its products. Here’s a snippet:

But in a country where the average per capita income is around $2,000 a year, even the cheapest of this year’s new iPhones, the XR at 76,900 rupees ($1,058), costs twice as much as many of the alternatives. Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research says that iPhone sales are falling as a result. From three million phones in 2017, sales may sink to two million this year, according to their estimate, the first decline in four years.

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