102 Macworld • March 2021FEATURE
Improvements to the Maps app,
for example, don’t seem especially
useful. Rather, Apple’s suite of apps
saw minor, predictable, but welcome
changes all around. Grade: BRoman Loyola: There was an update
to Apple Clips, people. Grade: BOTHER
New products: MagSafe
accessories, virtual events, and other
miscellaneous stuffMichael Simon: While the MagSafe
tech inside the iPhone 12 is certainly
interesting, the accessories to go
along with it, particularly the MagSafe
Duo Charger, leave much to be
desired. But I loved learning about
it. Apple’s four events in 2020 were
virtual, but they were better than
ever, with slick production, engaging
content, and no applause breaks.
Here’s to more of those even when we
can gather again. Grade: BJason Cross: This is a hard category
to grade because it’s a potpourri of
various things. Apple’s accessories
were hit-and-miss. Apple’s MagSafe
stuff was disappointing and
overpriced, for example. On the other
hand, the Solo Loop band for theApple Watch is quite good (despite
some early sizing challenges).
Apple’s move to eliminate power
adapters from most of its products
is ultimately the right call, but the
adapters it sells should be better
and cheaper.
The company’s heavy-handed
approach to developers started to
come to a head this year, and while
it’s hard to find a clear hero or villain
in this fight, it’s probably true that
Apple needs to loosen up the reins
quite a bit. Grade: C102 Macworld • March 2021FEATURE
Improvements to the Maps app,
for example, don’t seem especially
useful. Rather, Apple’s suite of apps
saw minor, predictable, but welcome
changes all around. Grade: BRoman Loyola: There was an update
to Apple Clips, people. Grade: BOTHER
New products: MagSafe
accessories, virtual events, and other
miscellaneous stuffMichael Simon: While the MagSafe
tech inside the iPhone 12 is certainly
interesting, the accessories to go
along with it, particularly the MagSafe
Duo Charger, leave much to be
desired. But I loved learning about
it. Apple’s four events in 2020 were
virtual, but they were better than
ever, with slick production, engaging
content, and no applause breaks.
Here’s to more of those even when we
can gather again. Grade: BJason Cross: This is a hard category
to grade because it’s a potpourri of
various things. Apple’s accessories
were hit-and-miss. Apple’s MagSafe
stuff was disappointing and
overpriced, for example. On the other
hand, the Solo Loop band for theApple Watch is quite good (despite
some early sizing challenges).
Apple’s move to eliminate power
adapters from most of its products
is ultimately the right call, but the
adapters it sells should be better
and cheaper.
The company’s heavy-handed
approach to developers started to
come to a head this year, and while
it’s hard to find a clear hero or villain
in this fight, it’s probably true that
Apple needs to loosen up the reins
quite a bit. Grade: C