Apple launched a new campaign in China called “Thankfully, I was wearing it” (“还好戴着它”), which includes a special podcast episode in which three users share their stories. Here are the details.

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Featuring hundreds of thousands of archive videos from the original Vine platform, in addition to new videos, Divine is now available on the App Store and Google Play. Here are the details.

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In a new paper, a team of Apple researchers details a creative framework that improves LLM answers in math reasoning, code generation, and more. Here are the details.

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Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Bitwarden: Make your life easier with Bitwarden, featuring a secure, open source password manager with end-to-end encryption and seamless autofill across all your devices.

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Apple is expected to launch a wave of new Home products later this year, after iOS 27 brings Siri’s long-awaited overhaul. But there are three ways Apple Home has recently gotten better during the iOS 26 cycle too. Here’s what’s new.

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Nearly three out of four satellite-enabled smartphones shipped in 2025 were iPhones, according to a new Counterpoint Research report. Here’s where the market is expected to go next.

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Apple has just released one of its smartest, most relatable health-focused advertisements in years. Titled “Health with iPhone + Apple Watch,” the 30-second spot cleverly contrasts unsolicited advice from strangers with the quiet, science-backed insights your own devices provide every day.

The tagline is pure genius: “Listen to your body. Not everybody.”

The commercial shows a woman standing in a busy café line being bombarded with well-meaning but unwanted health tips from people around her — and even their dogs. Instead of listening to the noise, she glances at her iPhone and Apple Watch for accurate, personal data on heart rate, sleep, cardio fitness, cycle tracking, and more.

It’s funny, relatable, and brilliantly on-message. Apple isn’t just selling gadgets — it’s positioning the iPhone and Apple Watch as your most trustworthy personal health companions.

Key Health Features Offered by iPhone + Apple Watch

• Activity & Fitness Rings — Continuous tracking of movement, exercise, and stand goals that gently nudge you to build better daily habits.

• Heart Health — ECG app, irregular rhythm notifications, and heart rate insights that have prompted life-saving medical visits for many users.

• Sleep Tracking — Detailed analysis of sleep stages and quality, helping users improve rest and energy levels.

• Cycle Tracking & Women’s Health — Advanced menstrual cycle and reproductive health insights directly on iPhone.

• Unified Health App — All data flows seamlessly into the secure Health app on your iPhone, giving you trends, long-term patterns, and actionable intelligence in one private dashboard.

The Bigger Picture: Apple’s Health Moat

This ad reinforces why the Apple ecosystem is so sticky. Once you own both an iPhone and Apple Watch, the combination delivers far more value than either device alone. The passive, always-on monitoring turns your everyday tech into a proactive health partner — without feeling like a burden.

It’s another reminder of Apple’s deepening moat in personal health technology. Features backed by science, protected by industry-leading privacy, and integrated so smoothly that they become indispensable.

MacDailyNews Take: In a world full of health noise, conflicting advice, and wellness fads, Apple’s message is refreshingly clear: your body already knows what it needs — and your iPhone + Apple Watch can help you actually hear it.

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Apple has reportedly halted work on the Vision Pro AR headset, shifting focus to smart glasses. Here’s why.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

After offering in the US, YouTube is making picture-in-picture (PiP) mode free for all users around the world.

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iOS 26.4 launched last month with new features for Apple Music, Podcasts, and a lot more. There’s also a new iOS 26.4 feature that makes iCloud on the web more useful than before thanks to the addition of search. Here’s how to enable it.

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In any period of economic uncertainty, inflation, and/or tightening consumer budgets, many premium products face “demand destruction” — a long-lasting shift where buyers delay purchases, trade down, or abandon categories altogether. Yet Apple’s iPhone has proven remarkably resilient. While the broader smartphone market ebbs and flows, iPhone sales often hold steady or even surge, as evidenced by recent quarters showing record revenues and Apple leading global shipments despite industry headwinds.

This insulation isn’t accidental. It stems from deep structural advantages in Apple’s business model, customer psychology, and ecosystem design.

1. Unrivaled Customer Loyalty and Retention

Apple’s iPhone owners exhibit loyalty rates that dwarf competitors. Retention hovers between 89% and 96% in recent surveys, with figures as high as 96.4% in the U.S. for users planning to stick with iPhone on their next upgrade.

Over 90% of iOS users worldwide stay within the Apple ecosystem rather than switching to Android.

This isn’t mere brand affection, it’s behavioral lock-in. Once invested in iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud, Apple Watch pairing, and AirPods continuity, switching imposes real friction: data migration hassles, lost features, and a noticeable drop in seamless experience. High loyalty translates directly to predictable upgrade cycles, buffering against economic shocks. Even in downturns, existing owners prioritize replacement over abandonment.

2. The Power of the Ecosystem and Installed Base

Apple’s installed base exceeds 2.5 billion active devices globally. This creates a self-reinforcing flywheel: more devices mean more services usage, which funds better hardware and deeper integration.

Consumers don’t just buy a phone, they buy into an interconnected world. An iPhone owner adding an Apple Watch or Mac becomes exponentially less likely to defect. This lock-in insulates demand because the marginal cost of staying (upgrading) feels lower than the switching cost. Trade-in programs further sweeten the deal, effectively subsidizing upgrades and maintaining volume even when list prices rise.

3. Premium Positioning and Pricing Power

The iPhone is a status symbol as much as a tool. Buyers associate it with quality, security, longevity, and social signaling — perceptions that hold up well in tough times. Apple’s strategy of focusing on high-end models (Pro and Pro Max) drives strong average selling prices (ASPs), even as it occasionally adjusts production for specific SKUs.

Unlike commoditized Android competitors fighting on price, Apple rarely engages in deep discounting. This preserves margins and perceived value. Data from past recessions (including 2008) shows premium smartphones holding up better than mass-market ones, as aspirational buyers still stretch for the “best” option.

4. Services: The Recurring Revenue Cushion

Hardware sales can fluctuate, but Apple’s Services business (App Store, iCloud, Apple Music, Apple Pay, advertising, and more) grows steadily with high margins (76.5% gross margin vs. 40.7% for products).

Services revenue hit records in fiscal 2025, contributing significantly to profits even if unit sales slow.

A massive installed base keeps Services humming regardless of new iPhone purchases. This diversification reduces reliance on hardware cycles and provides a financial buffer that funds R&D and marketing, further strengthening the core product.

5. Supply Chain Mastery and Market Leadership

Apple’s ability to forecast demand, manage inventory tightly, and diversify manufacturing (e.g., India and Vietnam ramp-ups) prevents oversupply issues common in consumer electronics. Recent reports of production tweaks for models like the iPhone Air highlight responsiveness, not weakness — while overall iPhone demand remains healthy, with year-over-year growth in key periods.

In Q1 2026, Apple led global smartphone shipments with growth while the market contracted.

The Bottom Line: A Moat Against Economic Cycles

Demand destruction hits categories where products are easily substitutable, low-status, or lack recurring value. The iPhone defies this through emotional attachment, functional lock-in, a services safety net, and relentless focus on the high end.

Of course, no product is immune forever. Prolonged stagnation, major competitive breakthroughs, or geopolitical risks could test this resilience. Yet Apple’s track record of thriving through multiple economic cycles suggests the iPhone’s moat remains very wide and deep. For investors and consumers alike, it’s a reminder that true premium endures not just because of specs, but because of the invisible threads tying users to the brand.

MacDailyNews Take: In any uncertain time, people will cut back on many things. For hundreds of millions, their Apple iPhone isn’t one of them.

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Apple TV is home to Formula 1 races for US viewers, and this weekend F1 comes to the US for the Miami Grand Prix—here’s how to watch.

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Another day, another scoop from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on the features coming to iOS 27 this fall. Gurman leaked three new AI-powered photo-editing features just yesterday, and today he’s got another AI-based feature coming to iPhones.

According to his report, Apple is going to give Visual Intelligence a big upgrade, but will also make it easier to discover and use by integrating it into the Camera app via a new Siri mode. Think of it like any other camera mode—video, slo-mo, panorama, etc.—only when in Siri mode, the shutter will reportedly morph into a Siri icon to trigger Visual Intelligence.

We previously reported on the big upgrade coming to Visual Intelligence in iOS 27, with much less reliance on ChatGPT for information along with the ability to produce digital tickets/passes from paper ones, read and understand nutritional labels, and add phone numbers and addresses to Contacts.

Currently, Visual Intelligence can be summoned by pressing the Camera Button and holding it for a couple seconds or through Control Center, but placing the feature right in the Camera app will ensure almost every iPhone user discovers it and at least tries it out.

Apple will unveil iOS 27 (and all the OS 27 updates) at WWDC in June, and it is expected to release this September.

Apple adding Siri camera mode and expanded Visual Intelligence should make AI feel core to iPhone with iOS 27.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are coming this fall, and a new report says they’re set to offer “some of the biggest camera hardware upgrades in the lineup’s history.”

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Apple is preparing one of its most practical AI upgrades yet for iOS 27. According to Bloomberg, the company is deeply integrating artificial intelligence into the iPhone’s Camera app with a dedicated Siri Camera Mode and by promoting Visual Intelligence from a secondary Camera Control button feature into a core, always-accessible part of the camera experience.

A New Siri Mode in the Camera App

In iOS 27, opening the Camera app will reportedly offer three main modes: the familiar Photo and Video, plus a brand-new Siri mode. This isn’t just voice commands — it’s a full AI-powered visual assistant built directly into the viewfinder.

By moving Visual Intelligence into the main Camera app (instead of requiring the Camera Control button on newer iPhones), Apple is making on-device AI dramatically more prominent and easier to use for everyone. Point your camera at something, tap or speak, and Siri will handle the heavy lifting.

Visual Intelligence Gets Real-World Superpowers

The upgrades go far beyond basic object recognition. Leaks and code discoveries point to two especially useful new capabilities coming to Visual Intelligence in iOS 27:

• Nutrition Label Scanning — Point your camera at a food package and get instant breakdowns of ingredients, calories, macros, and more. Expect tight integration with the Health app for seamless food logging and tracking. This could be a game-changer for anyone serious about nutrition or managing dietary needs.

• Business Card & Contact Scanning — Scan printed phone numbers, addresses, or names on cards, flyers, or signs, and Visual Intelligence will offer to add them directly to your Contacts app. It already handles calendar events — now it’ll handle people too.

These features build on Apple’s existing Visual Intelligence (introduced with the iPhone 16 series) but make it far more proactive and useful in everyday scenarios.

Apple has been playing catch-up in the generative AI race, but with iOS 27 the company appears focused on practical, privacy-respecting intelligence that works where you already spend your time — inside the built-in Camera app.

• No more switching apps or fumbling with the Camera Control button.

• Deeper on-device processing (keeping data private).

• Features that solve real daily problems instead of just generating images or text.

The changes are expected to be previewed at WWDC 2026 in June, with the full iOS 27 release arriving in the fall alongside new iPhones.

MacDailyNews Take: iOS 27 is about embedding artificial intelligence into the tools users use most. A significantly smarter Camera app with always-on Siri visual mode, nutrition insights, and effortless contact capture could make the iPhone feel genuinely more capable in 2026.

If you’ve been waiting for Apple Intelligence to deliver everyday wins rather than gimmicks, this is the years it look like Apple will finally deliver!

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From the blast-from-the-past department: Once wildly popular short video app Vine returns as Divine. And no AI slop will be tolerated.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple is saving its big Siri upgrade for iOS 27’s reveal in June, and it sounds like one of the biggest iPhone apps will benefit. A new report details Siri features coming to the Camera, better Visual Intelligence features, and more.

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Apple TV on Thursday was recognized with a record six nominations for the 2026 Gotham Television Awards, with three nods for Golden Globe winner “Pluribus,” including Breakthrough Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama Series for Rhea Seehorn and Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Drama Series for Karolina Wydra. Apple’s globally acclaimed hit series “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” landed two nominations for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series for Elle Fanning, as well as Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series for Michelle Pfeiffer, and Critics Choice Award-winning docuseries “Mr. Scorsese” scored a nomination for Breakthrough Nonfiction Series.

These nominations mark Apple’s most recent recognition from the Gotham Awards, following a win in 2025 for Breakthrough Comedy Series “The Studio”; a Breakthrough Series — Long Form win for “Pachinko” in 2022; and two wins in 2021 for Academy Award winner “CODA,” including Breakthrough Performer Emilia Jones and Outstanding Supporting Performance by Troy Kotsur.

To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 800 wins and 3,437 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award winner “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.

The Gotham Awards honor visionary talent in front of and behind the camera, expand the audience for groundbreaking film and television and support the year-round work of the not-for-profit The Gotham Film & Media Institute. The winners of the 2026 Gotham Television Awards will be presented at a ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, June 1.

Apple landed six nominations for the 2026 Gotham Television Awards, including:

“Pluribus”

  – Breakthrough Drama Series
  – Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama Series — Rhea Seehorn
  – Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Drama Series — Karolina Wydra

“Margo’s Got Money Troubles”

  – Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series — Elle Fanning
  – Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series — Michelle Pfeiffer

“Mr. Scorsese”

  – Breakthrough Nonfiction Series

All titles are now streaming globally on Apple TV.

“Pluribus”

Hailing from creator Vince Gilligan, “Pluribus” is a genre-bending original in which the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.

“Margo’s Got Money Troubles”

“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” is a bold, heartwarming and comedic family drama following recent college dropout and aspiring writer, Margo (Elle Fanning), the daughter of an ex-Hooters waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) and ex-pro wrestler (Nick Offerman), as she’s forced to make her way with a new baby, a mounting pile of bills and a dwindling amount of ways to pay them.

“Mr. Scorsese”

“Mr. Scorsese” is a film portrait of a man through the lens of his work, exploring the many facets of a visionary who redefined filmmaking, including his extraordinary career and unique personal history. With exclusive, unrestricted access to Martin Scorsese’s private archives, the documentary series is anchored by extensive conversations with the filmmaker himself and never-before-seen interviews with friends, family and creative collaborators including Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Robbie Robertson, Thelma Schoonmaker, Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Paul Schrader, Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett, Jay Cocks and Rodrigo Prieto, along with his children, wife Helen Morris and close childhood friends. From acclaimed director Rebecca Miller, “Mr. Scorsese” examines how his own colorful life experiences informed his artistic vision as each film he made stunned the world with originality. Starting with his New York University student films and continuing to the present day, this documentary explores the themes that have fascinated Scorsese and informed his work, including the place of good and evil in the fundamental nature of humankind.

Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut.
‎
MacDailyNews Take: Congratulations to all of the casts and crews of the nominated Apple TV fare!

MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

‎
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Save with this MacBook Pro deal on the new variants with powerful M5 Pro or M5 Max processors. Discounts up to $200 and more!

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

MagSafe is a fan-favorite iPhone feature, but a bizarre rumor this week says Apple is apparently debating whether to remove it from future iPhone models.

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Apple’s fall iPhone lineup this year is rumored to revolve around iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra. Here are the three biggest feature differences—not counting price—that may influence your upgrade decision.

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Alongside the ongoing price drops on AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4 down at $99, today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by an interesting offer on this 24GB M5 MacBook Air config at $400 less than the model Amazon sells ($219 off list), joined by the base 1TB M5 Pro MacBook hitting a new Amazon all-time low at $205 off. We also have this 256GB M3 iPad Air down to its lowest clearance price to date at $250 off, unlocked iPhone Air at nearly $100 off, and the Jet Black 46mm Apple Watch Series 11 cell at $130 off. AirTag discounts, chargers, and everything else await below.

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On April 29, 2010, Steve Jobs penned “Thoughts on Flash,” an open letter that explained why, basically, Adobe Flash kind of sucked.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple TV on Wednesday unveiled a first look at the fifth season of acclaimed comedy series “Trying,” starring and executive produced by BAFTA Award nominee Esther Smith and Actor Award nominee Rafe Spall. The eight-episode comedy will make its global return to Apple TV with its first episode on Wednesday, July 8, followed by one episode weekly through Wednesday, August 26.

Season five finds Nikki (Smith) and Jason (Spall) dealing with the consequences of Princess (Scarlett Rayner) and Tyler’s (Cooper Turner) biological mother Kat (Charlotte Riley) turning up at their doorstep, and the whirlwind of chaos she brings into their settled family life.

Colin Morgan and Esther Smith in “Trying,” premiering July 8, 2026 on Apple TV.
Branka Katić, Phil Davis, Oliver Chris, Roderick Smith, Rafe Spall, Cooper Turner, Scarlett Rayner, Marian McLoughlin and Esther Smith in “Trying,” premiering July 8, 2026 on Apple TV.
Celia Imrie and Rafe Spall in “Trying,” premiering July 8, 2026 on Apple TV.

The ensemble cast also includes BAFTA Award winner Darren Boyd (“Down Cemetery Road”), BAFTA Award nominee Siân Brooke (“Blue Lights”), Actor Award nominee Celia Imrie (“The Thursday Murder Club”), BAFTA Award nominee Phil Davis (“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”), BAFTA Award winner Gbemisola Ikumelo (“Black Ops”) and Actor Award nominee Colin Morgan (“Belfast”).

Since its global debut, “Trying” has been hailed as a “feel-good,” “poignant” and “addictive” comedy that is one of Apple TV’s “sweetest treats.” The series has achieved a 96 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, as fans applaud “standout performers,” “brilliant details” and the “heartwarming, critically acclaimed” series that “provides refreshing journeys we don’t often see on television.”

“Trying” is created, written and executive produced by Andy Wolton, and executive produced by BAFTA Award nominees Josh Cole and Sam Pinnell alongside International Emmy Award winner Chris Sussman, Smith and Spall. The series is produced by BBC Studios.
This season’s soundtrack is helmed by Ivor Novello Award-winning, Dublin-born, London-based artist and producer Orla Gartland, with original songs set to debut each episode. She follows Guy Garvey, Maisie Peters, Bear’s Den and BEKA, who wrote and performed the soundtracks for “Trying” seasons one, two, three and four respectively.

Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 800 wins and 3,437 award nominations and counting including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award nominee “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.

MacDailyNews Take: >We watch and highly recommend the consistently under-sung Apple TV series “Trying.” The cast is uniformly top-notch, notably Scarlett Rayner, who is already an excellent young actress in her role as “Princess.” If you haven’t yet seen “Trying,” there are four full seasons waiting for you on Apple TV with a fifth on the way!

MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

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Apple iPhone Air

View Deal

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It’s so rare that we see a no-strings-attached iPhone deal that I had to do a double-take when I noticed that an unlocked iPhone Air is on sale for $100 off at Best Buy. But it’s real, so if you want one, now’s the best time to get it.

There are many things we loved about the iPhone Air when we tested it, starting with just how thin this phone really is and how good the selfie cam is. Well, now you can add the fact that you can get it for $900 on the list, too. If that no-strings-attached bit doesn’t interest you, you could shave another $100 off the price by connecting it to your Verizon or AT&T plan directly through Best Buy’s site.

This phone’s 6.5-inch screen looks absolutely gorgeous, while the 256GB of storage space offers quite a bit of room for all your favorite apps. The thinness of this phone really is the most impressive thing about it. “It’s almost disappears in my pocket,” we wrote in our review. “Plus and Max iPhones feel heavy and lopsided in a front pocket, and often barely fit. But iPhone Air is just small enough and thin enough to slip right in, and I can almost forget it’s there. It’s like a magic trick.” There you go, a phone that might actually fit in women’s pockets.

In fact, our biggest problem with the Air was that it was about $100 too expensive, which this sale takes care of. So go ahead and grab the iPhone Air for $899 before Best Buy sunsets this deal.

In the App Store fee fight stemming from Apple’s longstanding legal battle with Epic Games, the iPhone giant takes a setback.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple Watch users got a brand new app in watchOS 26, with Apple Notes now available on your wrist. Here’s how I’ve been using the app.

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Formula 1 returns to the U.S. this weekend for the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX 2026 — streaming exclusively on Apple TV, with every session live and on demand.

Anticipation builds as the 2026 season resumes and the battle for the podium reaches a pivotal weekend in Miami. With strategies shifting across the grid, teams arrive in the U.S. ready to reshape the title fight and redefine the season’s trajectory.

The Ultimate Destination for F1 Fans in the U.S.

Apple TV is the new U.S. home of F1 — delivering a premium viewing experience to subscribers with comprehensive coverage and analysis, powerful and customizable viewing enhancements, and seamless integration across the Apple ecosystem.

Miami Grand Prix coverage will feature English and Spanish commentary and access to up to 30 additional live feeds across all sessions, including Driver Tracker for a bird’s-eye view of the race, session timing and data feeds, a mixed onboard feed that automatically switches between cameras as the race unfolds, and a Podium feed that dynamically follows the drivers running in P1, P2, and P3 throughout.

Viewers can also follow every moment of the race with a fully customizable Multiview experience or a one-tap preconfigured layout for every team.

Viewers can follow every moment of the Miami Grand Prix with a Multiview experience, watching up to four live feeds at once.
Miami Grand Prix coverage features access to up to 30 additional live feeds across all sessions, including Driver Tracker for a bird’s-eye view of the race, session timing and data feeds, a mixed onboard feed, and a Podium feed that dynamically follows the drivers running in P1, P2, and P3 throughout.

New Original F1 Programming to Debut on Apple TV

Apple TV is also bringing fans closer to the action with new original programming, delivering fresh expert perspectives to race weekend and sharing deeper insights into the stories shaping F1 — from every curve, overtake, and podium.

Circuits in Focus — a track preview series featuring 2016 F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg and content creator, record-breaking car builder, and driver Emelia Hartford — debuts tomorrow, April 30, on Apple TV. Viewers can join Rosberg and Hartford as they deliver an inside look at each circuit before the race weekend begins, breaking down the strategy and split-second decisions that could define what drivers and teams will face. Using EA SPORTS F1 25, the official video game of the FIA Formula One World Championship, Rosberg and Hartford bring fans onto the track and into the driver’s seat, exploring every curve, braking point, and opportunity that could shape the fight for the podium.

Fans can continue to follow the race after it wraps with The POV, a social series featuring former Red Bull Racing senior technician Calum Nicholas as well as content creator and engineer Christina Roki as they react to key moments from the weekend. From showcasing decisive overtakes to strategy calls and unexpected turning points, the series pairs technical expertise with a fan-first perspective.
Together, these new shows make it easier than ever for audiences to engage with F1 on and off the track.

In-Depth Coverage and a Glimpse into Race Weekend with Apple News

Fans can stay up to date on race weekend in Apple News with notifications and personalized coverage from leading publishers, and can follow their favorite drivers and teams for live results, standings, and highlights. Users can also view the race directly within the News app through a special Miami Grand Prix experience and easily jump to the Apple TV app for the full F1 streaming experience.

Explore the Miami Grand Prix with Apple Maps

F1 fans using Apple Maps can explore Grand Prix details, including a comprehensive circuit map with turn numbers, grandstands, and custom-designed 3D landmarks like the F1 pit building, the marina, and the Hard Rock Beach Club. For fans attending in person, Maps makes it easy to get around, with useful information like event entry gates, road closures, pedestrian walkways, and more. F1 fans attending the Miami Grand Prix can also discover some of Miami’s best places to eat, shop, and explore with A Local’s Guide to Miami F1 Race Week in Maps.

Exclusive Playlists and DJ Mixes on Apple Music

Apple Music subscribers can access an exciting lineup of content and get into race weekend mode with a new, exclusive Miami-centric DJ mix from Panamanian artist Dímelo Flow, who will also take the stage for a live in-store DJ set at Apple Aventura on May 1. Adding to the celebration, Cadillac driver Sergio “Checo” Pérez will share his personal driver playlist, giving listeners a glimpse into the tracks that fuel his focus on and off the track. The freshly updated Formula 1: Sounds of the Circuit playlist will capture the energy of the season, while Apple Music will keep fans connected to all the action with audio livestreams of both the Sprint and the Race. Check out Apple Music’s dedicated space for more playlists by race drivers, DJ mixes, and more throughout the season.

Race Weekend Comes to Apple Aventura

Apple TV is taking over Apple Aventura on May 1 with a full day of programming to celebrate the Miami Grand Prix. Guests are invited to experience the Cadillac F1 special livery, watch Practice and Sprint Qualifying sessions on oversized screens with stadium seating, catch a live Apple Music performance by Dímelo Flow, and join an Apple Books talk with Formula 1 trailblazer Susie Wolff about her new memoir, Driven. Fans can register to attend at Today at Apple.

Experience the Miami Grand Prix on Apple TV Live in IMAX

Fans across the country can also experience the Miami Grand Prix live in IMAX, with special screenings at more than 50 locations nationwide. Watch this unique circuit on IMAX’s expansive screens and hear every engine roar in its precision surround sound. More information and tickets are available at imax.com/f1-live-in-imax.

F1 on Apple TV Takes Over Times Square

Apple will bring race day to the heart of New York City with a live public screening of the Miami Grand Prix in Times Square, giving fans a chance to experience the action together in one of the world’s most iconic destinations.

Tubi Launching Creator-Hosted Live Altcasts

For the first time ever, free streaming service Tubi will host original live altcasts to complement the 2026 F1 season on Apple TV, starting with The Fast Lane: Miami. Hosted by high-profile YouTuber Michelle Khare (Challenge Accepted) and Jeremiah Burton (BigTime) with F1 expert Scott Mansell (DRIVER61), the series will run across multiple races throughout the season, beginning with the Miami Grand Prix. The creator-led altcasts will mix race insights, real-time driver tracking, and onboard footage with entertaining, culture-forward guests and commentary — delivering an immersive way to experience F1.

MacDailyNews Note: F1 on Apple TV is available in the U.S. on the Apple TV app on iPhone; iPad; Apple TV 4K; Apple Vision Pro; Mac; popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL, and others; Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices; Chromecast with Google TV; PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles; and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, eligible customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

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The post Formula 1 returns to America this weekend via live streaming on Apple TV appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Get Microsoft Office 2024 plus a full training bundle for $114—so you’re not just using Office, you actually learn how to use it well.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple TV announced Ted Lasso’s season 4 release date yesterday, and now today the streamer revealed that it has another beloved, critically acclaimed comedy coming back for a new season too: Trying.

more…

Apple’s launch of the MacBook Neo – and especially the incredible price/performance balance – sent shockwaves through the Windows world.

Intel has now responded with the launch of a CPU aimed at similar budget laptops. An early benchmark suggests that it is 21% faster than the A18 Pro used in the MacBook Neo …

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Apple investors are eager for a closer look at John Ternus as the next CEO of the iPhone maker when Apple reports quarterly results on Thursday, with Wall Street expecting another strong performance.

Although Ternus formally takes over from Tim Cook in September, Apple’s decision to announce the succession just days before earnings has convinced analysts he will join the post-results conference call.

Reuters:
‎

The former hardware chief, who has overseen some of Apple’s biggest bets in recent years, including the shift to custom-designed chips ​for the Mac, is expected to maintain a product-first approach as the company navigates the AI era.

He must decide how far to open Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem to keep pace in the artificial intelligence race that has so far rewarded speed and experimentation over curation and control.

“The AI story remains one up in the air, but this quarter isn’t just about the numbers,” said Jay Woods, chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets. “Investors will be focused ‌on how leadership change could shape product innovation, ⁠capital allocation and Apple’s next chapter in AI.”

The ⁠MacBook Neo, which Ternus launched in March, has created the kind of buzz that few Apple devices have managed in recent years and drawn strong early sales.

Ben Bajarin, CEO at ​tech consultancy Creative Strategies, said the Neo was potentially a ‌new $20-billion-per-year market for Apple.

“Neo gives Apple a credible product in parts of the notebook market where it has historically been structurally absent, especially education, first-time buyers and value-oriented Windows replacement cycles,” Bajarin said.

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MacDailyNews Take: Mac sales are expected to grow 0.8% to $8.02 billion in the January-March quarter, Apple’s fiscal second quarter, according to LSEG data. Overall revenue is forecast to increase 15% to $109.66 billion, matching the growth rate from the holiday quarter, with iPhone sales posting a 22% rise to $57.21 billion.

MacDailyNews Note: As usual, we’ll bring you Apple’s results as soon as they are released, right around 1:30 p.m. PDT / 4:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 30, 2026 and then follow with live notes from Apple’s conference call at 2:00 p.m. PDT / 5:00 p.m. EDT.

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The iVanky FusionDock Ultra packs an absurd 26 ports and uses a unique dual-cable Thunderbolt 5 setup to deliver unmatched connectivity.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

When Apple released the iPhone 17e, it doubled the storage and added what it calls the “magic of MagSafe” to the $599 iPhone 16e replacement. Apple’s decision to bring MagSafe to the last iPhone holdout meant every iPhone includes a useful hardware feature that zero Samsung phones offer.

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Apple iPad Air M3

View Deal

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If you want a new iPad, we’ve got a great deal for you today: This decked-out M3 13-inch iPad Air with extra storage and 5G is down to its absolute best price of $1,149, which means you’re saving an insane $300! That’s the best price we’ve ever seen for this model and one of the best iPad Air discounts of all time.

With the super-fast M3 chip, a maxed-out 1TB of storage, and both Wi-Fi 6E and 5G connectivity. This combo enables you to use your tablet anywhere you go, install tons of apps, and handle all apps, including graphics-intensive tools, with ease. The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is absolutely gorgeous, too, so you’ll love how everything looks, whether you’re playing, binge-watching your favorite shows, or just looking at YouTube vids.

When we reviewed the M3 iPad Air, we gave it a 4-star rating, praising its absolutely outstanding performance, loving the design and display, and finding the extended battery life quite great. And since this model has everything you’ll need, it’ll be your go-to tablet for years to come.

It might not be as fast as the newer M4 version, but there’s no universe in which you’ll get the same amount of storage and 5G connectivity for this price anytime this year. So grab the M3 iPad Air for $1,149 before Amazon sells out and it’s gone forever.

The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments about the legality of so-called geofence warrants, sometimes also referred to as “digital dragnets” because they capture the location data of a great many innocent citizens in addition to criminal suspects.

In a practice raising obvious privacy concerns, tech giants are increasingly being asked by law enforcement to identify all of the smartphone users present at a particular location at the time a crime was committed …

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As if the smartphone market wasn’t already stuffed with enough rivals to the iPhone, it’s emerged this week that AI giant OpenAI is getting ready to throw its hat in the ring. In a short article posted to Twitter/X, the highly respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed the ChatGPT maker is “set to redefine smartphones” with a new handset created in partnership with Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Luxshare.

Apple has so far struggled to bring the iPhone up to speed with the pace of AI development, and on first impressions, this might sound like a formidable challenge for John Ternus to deal with as he settles in as CEO. But I don’t think he’ll be worried about the threat of the “ChatGPTphone.” Here’s why.

1. Apps aren’t dead yet

In the article, Kuo talks about the evolution from app to agent. “Users are not trying to use a pile of apps,” he says. “They are trying to get tasks done and fulfil needs through the phone.” That sounds good if the apps you’re replacing are Calendar, Clock, Weather, and a bunch of airline, rail, and cab apps. But people will still want to watch and listen to streaming services, browse social media, play games, track sports, and do dozens of other things on their phones. You can’t replace apps with an AI agent unless it’s just a glorified app launcher.

2. It’s too late

Apple has been doing this for nearly 20 years, and has built up a loyal fan base of users who would never consider anything other than an iPhone. Google and Samsung, too, have multi-generation fans, as do the other manufacturers of Android phones. Even if OpenAI’s phone came out in 2026, that would already be extraordinarily late to be trying to break into the smartphone market, but Kuo says mass production won’t start until 2028… by which point, as a commenter points out, OpenAI may not even exist. It’s a mark of OpenAI’s lateness that by this point, most other companies are trying to plan for what comes after the smartphone.

3. OpenAI has no experience in smartphone hardware

OpenAI will be going from a standing start in a mature market stuffed with contenders that have, as mentioned above, been doing this for almost two decades. Even with design guru Jony Ive on the team, it takes multiple generations to get this sort of thing right, and that’s time OpenAI hasn’t got.

4. OpenAI is overestimating its brand loyalty

“OpenAI’s advantages lie in its consumer brand, years of accumulated user data, and leading AI models,” Kuo writes. We’ll come to the second and third factors in due course, but even the brand awareness is debatable. OpenAI certainly has a lot of brand value in ChatGPT, but far less as a company. And just because people know or even like a piece of software, it doesn’t mean they’re prepared to pay hundreds of dollars for hardware by the same company.

5. The ecosystem isn’t there

With its iterative updates and generally conservative designs, Apple makes the smartphone market look easy. But it’s not just about the phone, and OpenAI hasn’t got anything like the same surrounding ecosystem to push people towards its smartphone and then lock them in. The iPhone benefits from seamless compatibility with the AirPods, Apple Watch, Mac, and Vision Pro, and also benefits from the appeal of Apple Music, iMessage, Apple Pay, the App Store, and so much more. The only halo product OpenAI can build a phone around is ChatGPT, and the problem with that…

6. What’s the unique selling point?

…is that ChatGPT is already on the iPhone, both as an app and integrated with Siri and Apple Intelligence. OpenAI could cut those off (along with the Android app) to give itself a USP, but that would likely hurt OpenAI more than its smartphone competitors.

7. ChatGPT isn’t even that special

Yes, ChatGPT was the catalyst for the AI explosion over the past few years, and it’s a market-leading model. But rivals have proliferated, and most are backed by larger companies with a greater capacity to endure the inevitable market dips. AI is only likely to become more commoditised. Why buy a phone built entirely around ChatGPT when you can get a phone that can run ChatGPT as well as Gemini, Claude, or whichever model you may happen to prefer?

8. Apple is going to get AI right eventually

I’m the last person to praise Siri or Apple Intelligence, but Apple has made AI a top priority, and it has the resources to reach a solution eventually (or just buy a company that has a worthwhile model already). It’s really just a matter of time before Apple Intelligence works well, and that’ll happen before the OpenAI phone arrives. At which point, the one thing OpenAI does better than Apple won’t be an issue any more, while Apple will still have all its other advantages as a maker of phones and phone software.

9. OpenAI never wanted to make a phone anyway

If you examine OpenAI’s hardware development history, it becomes clear that this entire project isn’t its first choice. The company originally wanted to make an AI pin, which it worked on with former Apple design guru Jony Ive (who is now more closely associated with OpenAI following a merger with Ive’s LoveFrom studio in 2025). Why suddenly shift from a pin to a phone? All the reasons above, presumably. But rival AI pins such as Humane were savaged by reviewers, and OpenAI is now fleeing to the more consumer-friendly world of phones as a half-hearted compromise. Good luck with that.

Over the decades, the evolution of computers has been easy to follow: They’ve become steadily more powerful to keep pace with the need for more advanced applications. We’ve seen computers equipped with faster processors, more storage, and, most of all, more RAM. This trend has accelerated even further recently, with companies pushing on-device AI capabilities into their devices, and Apple is no exception.

However, the increasing demand for RAM is having another effect on the market. While once plentiful and affordable, RAM is more expensive than ever, and it’s becoming harder to get, even at exorbitant prices. But instead of dealing with constraints by upping prices, Apple is showing the industry how its years-long effort to control every component inside its devices has given it a unique advantage over every other PC maker, clearly evidenced by the recent launch of the MacBook Neo.

The importance of RAM in today’s world

First, let’s take a closer look at why RAM or memory is so important. Essentially, RAM is a type of short-term memory with ultra-fast speeds, much faster than SSDs. When you open an app on your phone or laptop, it’s stored in RAM to ensure that the processor can handle it more quickly as you continue to use it.

That’s why, generally speaking, having more RAM means your devices can run faster, enabling more apps and tasks to operate at the same time without slowing down.

As such, RAM has also become extremely important for artificial intelligence. Since RAM is much faster than internal storage, devices also store AI parameters in RAM for quicker access. In other words, the more and faster the RAM, the greater the device’s ability to handle AI tasks locally.

That’s why AI companies have been buying up as much DDR5 RAM, the same that’s used in Apple devices, as they can for their servers. It’s also why we’ve seen consumer desktops and laptops gaining more RAM in recent years, including Apple, which only recently increased the base RAM for Macs to 16GB and the iPhone and iPad to 8GB.

The AI boom has put more pressure on chips to increase RAM limits.

Apple

More RAM isn’t a viable option anymore

For years, the strategy of adding more hardware resources to handle software demands was a simple solution to complexity. But as modern workloads have become increasingly memory-intensive in recent years, suppliers have been unable to keep up with demand. As a result, RAM has become much more expensive, and PC makers have been forced to shift their strategy.

The situation became so dire that Apple had to discontinue the highest-end Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM, while other versions with higher amounts of RAM are also facing significant shortages. And it’s hard not to conclude that the timing of the Mac Pro’s discontinuation wasn’t tied to the RAM crisis as well. The RAM crunch has also been affecting the 16GB Mac mini, which is currently sold out at the Apple Store and unavailable at Amazon. Higher-end models with more memory are severely constrained as well.

This situation would (and has) put tech companies in a bind. They need better hardware to meet the growing demand for AI tasks, but there simply isn’t any more RAM on the market. Fortunately for Apple, it had already found the solution years before.

Apple chips were made for a RAM-scarce world

In theory, there’s no way to simply replace RAM with something else. However, Apple has found the next best thing: a way to optimize both its hardware and software to run smoothly even on devices with the bare minimum of RAM.

When Apple introduced the first Mac with the M1 chip, it wasn’t a mere swap from Intel to its own chips, but also a radical change to how its computers work. That’s because Apple silicon chips are classified as a system on a chip, which means key components, including the CPU, GPU, Neural Engine, SSD, and even the RAM, are all on the same pool, sharing the same resources. And that makes a big difference in everyday use.

The M-series chips have a complete package right on the chip.

Apple

Thanks to the SoC’s unified memory, all components can quickly access the same data without having to copy it between different modules. This drastically reduces latency and improves performance when running resource-intensive tasks without needing loads of additional memory. At the same time, Apple leverages its hardware and software integration to further optimize memory usage. For instance, macOS features a very aggressive memory compression system that significantly reduces the amount of RAM used by inactive apps running in the background.

The chips also utilize something called “memory swapping.” Admittedly, this isn’t a term Apple invented, but nowhere else is it used so seamlessly thanks to the way Apple silicon chips are designed. If your Mac runs out of RAM, the system can temporarily store memory data directly on the SSD.

Because both the RAM and the SSD are connected to the same SoC, data transfer is nearly instantaneous, allowing the computer to run smoothly even when you’re using all available RAM. When it comes to AI, the built-in Neural Engine also helps macOS process machine learning parameters and tasks, freeing up RAM. Essentially, this makes a Mac with 8GB of RAM feel like it has twice that.

While pro users will still need more, which Apple happily sells, the MacBook Neo proves once and for all that for everyday users, 8GB of unified memory delivers much more than the same 8GB of RAM in a traditional PC laptop.

The ‘RAM tax’ is already here

The timing couldn’t be better. In March, Apple introduced its most affordable laptop ever, the $599 MacBook Neo, while the rest of the industry struggles to stay afloat due to the RAM crisis. 

Microsoft recently announced significant price increases for the Surface lineup, with some flagship models now costing $500 more than they did at launch due to increased costs for memory and other components. For instance, the 13-inch Surface Laptop now starts at $1,149 with 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. That’s $50 more expensive than the base 13-inch MacBook Air model with similar specs. Unlike the MacBook Neo, Microsoft doesn’t even offer an option with 8GB of RAM.

The MacBook Neo arrive at a time when PC makers are raising prices.

Foundry

Meta also recently raised the prices of its Quest headsets by up to $100. The company likewise blamed the “global surge in the price of critical components.”

Apple isn’t immune to price increases for components, of course. The M5 MacBook Air, which was introduced last month, is in fact more expensive than the M4 model, starting at $1,099 with 512GB of storage rather than $999 with 256GB of storage. Still, it’s unlikely Apple has any plans to change the MacBook Neo’s starting price of $599 anytime soon.

That, of course, is because Apple has established that an entry-level Mac can run just fine with only 8GB of RAM thanks to its system-on-chip architecture. And even in the higher-end models, Apple silicon chips are so efficient that Apple is under less pressure to keep raising baseline RAM—and prices—as aggressively as competitors.

Even with just 8GB of RAM, the MacBook Neo performs better than PC laptops with twice the memory.

Eugen Wegmann

Efficiency will become a growing priority

As expected, Apple’s competitors finally seem to be catching on. Last month, Microsoft pledged to improve the quality of Windows with a series of improvements that will make Windows faster and more reliable by scaling back AI and freeing up RAM for other parts of the system, which should definitely improve performance on less powerful devices. Whether by coincidence or not, the announcement came about a week after Apple unveiled the MacBook Neo.

Apple isn’t reacting to this shift. It’s already there. Not because Apple devices don’t benefit from more RAM, they absolutely do, but because they rely less on memory specs to deliver a consistent experience. It’s no longer just about how much RAM a device ships with, but how well it uses every gigabyte.

Apple might not have designed the M1 chip with a RAM shortage in mind, but all this technology is now proving more useful than ever. This gives Apple a significant advantage over its competitors, who are unable to achieve the same level of integration with separate parts.

We can argue endlessly about how innovative Apple is as a company, and indeed many people do. Personally, I would argue that some of its greatest innovations have been in the seemingly smallest of features, and AirDrop is one of these.

AirDrop is a really simple and convenient way to move a document from one of our Apple devices to another, as well as to exchange files and information with other iPhone users. The introduction of NameDrop in iOS 17 was a particularly great application of the tech in my view …

more…

Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus is going to be facing two critical decisions soon after he takes the helm, says a new Financial Times report.

First, how to respond to a massive increase in memory prices, with Apple’s RAM costs increasing by more than 400% by next year. Second, how to shape the company’s manufacturing plans across China, India, and the US …

more…

The MacBook Neo has shaken up the affordable laptop market, with PC manufacturers trying to figure out what they can do to compete with Apple’s laptop. One way is to offer better performance with a cheap processor, and Intel’s latest chip appears to do just that.

TweakTown reports that benchmark results are appearing for Intel’s new Wildcat Lake Core Series 3 CPU, a chip designed for affordable mobile devices. In PassMark’s multi-thread test, the Wildcat Lake Core 5 320 chip was 21 percent faster than Apple’s A18 Pro, a chip released in September 2024 and used in the MacBook Neo. In single-thread results, the Intel and Apple chips were basically the same.

So, it looks like PC makers have another viable chip offering–TweakTown calls Wildcat Lake’s performance “particularly impressive” compared to the MacBook Neo. On multi-thread performance alone, Intel’s new CPU makes good progress catching up to Apple’s older chip. “Impressive” is a bit much, in my opinion, for a difference that is slightly noticeable in real-world usage, but still, it shows that Intel has responded to Apple’s threat.

While performance is an important consideration when buying a cheap laptop, there are other factors that PC makers at this price point still haven’t figured out how to compete on. Most notably, PC laptops in this market (even some priced several hundred dollars more than the Neo) are made of plastic, which, apparently and mind-bogglingly, some PC users actually prefer over aluminum, environmental concerns be damned. And the build quality of these laptops, with their creaks, stiff hinges, and flimsiness, makes the MacBook Neo feel downright luxurious.

You’ve also got battery life. MacBook Neo’s 16-hour battery life might pale in comparison to the Air and Pro, but it’ll still comfortably get you through a school day. PC laptops, on the other hand, are notoriously inefficient, especially when not plugged in, so it’ll be interesting to see how long the first crop of Wildcat Lake Core 5 320 laptops lasts. I’m gonna guess not great.

Then there’s the whole Windows versus macOS thing that, well…the debate is an old one. But I’ll just say, if you like spending time figuring out how to strip out bloatware, ads, and other grossness from your new laptop’s operating system, then Windows 11 is for you. While you’re doing that, I’ll be doing real work on my MacBook Neo.

There was big news from Apple’s boardroom last week. As you know, Tim Cook’s getting kicked upstairs and John Ternus is going to assume the mantle of Apple CEO. But that’s not the news I’m talking about. The other big news is that Johny Srouji is being named Chief Hardware Officer.

Nobody outside of those who follow Apple or the chip industry closely has ever heard of Srouji. (For that matter, they hadn’t heard of Ternus, either.) But this is not a minor executive promotion. The fact that Apple made the announcement simultaneously with Cook’s departure and Ternus’s elevation shows that. Srouji’s promotion–and more importantly, retention– is vitally important for Apple.

The importance of Apple silicon

Calling Srouji the “father of Apple silicon” doesn’t go quite far enough, but it’s a good start. Apple began using the phrase “Apple silicon” to refer to Macs running Apple-designed M-series processors, but the Apple silicon story goes all the way back to the 2010 launch of the first Apple-designed processor, the A4, which powered the iPhone 4 and the original iPad. Srouji led the team that designed the A4, and has led Apple’s chip efforts ever since.

Through the decade of the 2010s, it became clear that one of Apple’s enormous advantages in the smartphone market was that it designed its own processors. Because Apple creates its own chips for its own products, it’s able to make decisions about the specs and features of those chips that fit perfectly with the plan for the products they’re going to be used in. (Contrast this with companies that have to buy off-the-shelf chips from vendors like Intel and Qualcomm, where the chips are designed to appeal to a broad selection of clients. Every Apple chip is made for specific Apple products, and that’s it.)

Johny Srouji led the development of the A4 in the iPhone 4.Caspertheghost/Wikipedia

Apple being able to dictate the features of its own chips might be an advantage enough, but it turns out that Apple’s chips were also faster than the competition. A lot faster. Every summer, Qualcomm would release a new chip that they would boast about, offering performance similar to iPhone chips. Then, in September, Apple would introduce a new iPhone powered by a chip that offered performance that would blow Qualcomm away. In the most dynamic and profitable tech market, the smartphone, Apple basically lapped the competition.

Next up, Apple used the iPad Pro as a testing ground to see if it could scale its phone-class processors to provide the kind of power that might drive a full-on computer. In 2018, Apple introduced an iPad Pro powered by the A12X processor, which scaled up the processor cores to create a much more powerful device–a hint of things to come. It followed that up with the 2020 introduction of an iPad Pro powered by the A12Z processor, which Apple explicitly boasted was more powerful than most PC laptops currently being sold.

In hindsight, that was one of Apple’s biggest tells ever. Are you getting it yet? Apple silicon is powerful enough to run full-on computers, not just iPads and iPhones! And with the release of the M1 later in 2020, the prophesy was fulfilled. Apple’s advantage on smartphones and tablets has become Apple’s advantage, well, everywhere. (Even in low-cost laptops, as it turns out.)

Keep Srouji happy!

This brings us back to the man in charge, Johny Srouji. Apple’s chip efforts have gotten a lot of notice in the industry. Key members of the team left Apple to create their own startup, which was in turn bought by archrival Qualcomm. Srouji is in his early 60s and may be considering one last big career move before retirement.

Apple’s hardware won’t be where it is today without Johny Srouji leading the way.

Apple

Amid all of that, Srouji’s longtime boss, Tim Cook, started planning his departure. One of Srouji’s peers at the Senior Vice President level, John Ternus, was going to be the new CEO–Srouji’s boss. I don’t know anything about the personal relationships between these people, but it’s human nature to react a bit negatively to the prospect of losing your longtime boss and having him replaced with someone you see as your peer. This transition, necessary though Cook feels it is, put Srouji’s standing at Apple at risk.

This is almost certainly the reason why Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in December that Srouji was considering leaving Apple. That report seemed like a real red alert, because–see above–Srouji is the leader of one of Apple’s strongest groups, providing it advantages across its entire product line.

Gurman’s report said that Srouji “recently told Cook that he is seriously considering leaving in the near future,” but it’s not hard to read between the lines and assume that, in a moment of change, Srouji was pondering how much Apple valued his contributions. Two days later, Srouji released a designed-to-leak memo to his staff, saying he didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

Here’s what obviously happened. Cook and Ternus, like everyone else, recognized Srouji’s importance to Apple and offered him a new role. And in this case, the role–becoming Apple’s Chief Hardware Officer–was one that seems to have satisfied Srouji. (He’s the first person to be in charge of that entire group since Bob Mansfield retired in 2012.) With Ternus becoming CEO, his entire hardware division has been handed to Srouji. It’s an enormous portion of the company, and it belongs to Srouji now.

Srouji now seems to have gotten what he wants. The next question is, how will Ternus’s former division respond to their new manager? Gurman reports that Srouji has a “hard-driving approach” and that the hardware division is in for a “cold shower.”

Look, different managers have different styles. Conflicts are inevitable. Srouji’s new division will need to adapt to him, and he’ll need to adapt to them. Ternus will no doubt be well aware of how the transition in his former division is going, and Srouji reports to Ternus. They’ll all need to work it out, and change can be difficult, but in the end, it can also be refreshing to be guided by some new perspectives.

The most important thing is that, in a moment of transition that could have had some brutal side effects, Apple has retained one of its top players. I’m looking forward to seeing what Johny Srouji will do with an even larger portion of Apple as his responsibility.

TL;DR: Get a MacBook Air while they’re under $300.

Affordable MacBooks are hard to find right now, but it’s not impossible. If you need a reliable computer that can handle the basics, check out this refurbished 2020 MacBook Air. The grade “B” refurbished rating means it only shows very light wear, but the price still dropped from $999 down to $289.99.

This MacBook Air runs on a 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz, paired with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. That combination is powerful enough for everyday tasks like web browsing, video streaming, document work, and light productivity without issues, but you might struggle if you try more demanding work like video editing.

The SSD keeps app launches and load times quick, and the 8GB of RAM is enough to keep several apps running at the same time without things slowing down. The 13.3-inch Retina display has True Tone technology, which adjusts color temperature based on ambient light for more comfortable viewing in different settings. Touch ID handles logins with a single fingerprint, and the backlit Magic Keyboard makes typing comfortable in low-light environments.

Battery life is rated at up to 11 to 12 hours for typical use, enough to cover a full workday without having to track down a charger. A USB-C power adapter is included in the box.

It’s only $289.99 to get a MacBook Air, but that won’t last much longer.

Apple MacBook Air (2020) 13″ i3 1.1GHz 8GB RAM 128GB SSD (Refurbished)See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Epic Games just convinced the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to reverse a prior decision that temporarily paused enforcement of a ruling requiring Apple to loosen certain App Store rules while it sought Supreme Court review. Here are the details.

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Widow’s Bay, Apple’s newest horror-comedy starring Matthew Rhys (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Post) is now available to stream on Apple TV. Here’s what to expect.

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Lovable, one of the most widely used AI-assisted programming tools, launched an iOS app that creates web apps based on natural language prompts and even voice-based interactions. Here are the details.

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Just days after picking up several nominations for the 2026 Peabody Awards and the News & Documentary Emmy Awards, Apple celebrated today another six nominations across three of its original series for the 2026 Gotham Television Awards. Here are the details.

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Aivolut Books lets you turn an idea into a cohesive, Amazon-ready book in minutes. Get a lifetime subscription to the AI book generator.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple investors have reason to feel encouraged today. As the tech giant prepares to report its Q3 2026 earnings on April 30, UBS has raised its price target on the stock from $280 to $287, while maintaining a Neutral rating.

With Apple shares recently trading around $267–$271, this adjustment implies roughly 6–8% upside potential from current levels, according to the latest market data.

Why UBS Is Getting More Bullish on Apple

UBS analyst David Vogt cited strong iPhone demand and Apple’s supply chain advantages amid ongoing memory shortages as key drivers. The firm now expects:

• iPhone revenue to rise ~20% year-over-year in the June quarter.
• Overall Apple revenue to hit approximately $102 billion for the period (up ~4% from prior estimates), representing 8.5% YoY growth.

Solid performance in key markets like the US and China is expected to support services and iPhone sales, helping Apple navigate a challenging environment.

This move aligns with a broader wave of analyst optimism. Other firms, including BNP Paribas (raising to $300) and JPMorgan (up to $325), have also hiked targets recently, pointing to Apple’s resilience in securing components and gaining market share.

The Caveats: Why Neutral Remains

Despite the upward revision, UBS isn’t going all-in. The bank highlighted longer-term risks, including:

• Potential product delays or less innovative offerings.
• A possible decline in iPhone unit shipments.
• Macroeconomic weakness, particularly in China.

The Neutral rating reflects a balanced view: near-term tailwinds from iPhone 17 series demand, but caution on sustained growth without major breakthroughs.

Broader Context for Apple Investors

Apple’s stock has shown volatility in 2026, trading in a range amid global economic pressures and competition in AI and consumer electronics. However, the company’s massive services business, ecosystem lock-in, and enterprise adoption trends continue to provide a strong foundation.

Wall Street’s consensus price target sits higher, around $300, with some forecasts reaching $350. UBS’s tweak adds to the positive momentum heading into earnings.

MacDailyNews Take: Yet another vote of confidence in Apple’s fundamentals. For potential buyers, the modest raise suggests the stock remains attractively valued relative to growth prospects — especially if earnings beat expectations on iPhone momentum and services.

MacDailyNews Note: As usual, we’ll bring you Apple’s results as soon as they are released, right around 1:30 p.m. PDT / 4:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 30, 2026 and then follow with live notes from Apple’s conference call at 2:00 p.m. PDT / 5:00 p.m. EDT.

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A California bill aimed at stopping trillion-dollar tech companies from favoring their own products has failed after an intense opposition campaign. Here are the details.

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iOS 26.4 recently gave CarPlay two new features, while also laying the groundwork for another big upgrade coming soon.

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“Widow’s Bay” is a quaint island town 40 miles off the coast of New England. But something lurks beneath the surface. Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is desperate to revive his struggling community. There’s no Wi-Fi, spotty cellular reception and he must contend with superstitious locals who believe their island is cursed. He wants these people to respect him. They don’t. They think he is soft and cowardly. And he is. But Loftis is determined to build a better future for his teenage son and turn the island into a tourist destination. Miraculously, he succeeds: tourists are finally coming. Unfortunately, the locals were right. After decades of calm, the old stories that seemed too ludicrous to be true, start happening again. “Widow’s Bay” blends genuine horror with character-driven comedy.

Emily Bernard for Collider:
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If there’s one streamer right now that is truly in a league of its own, it’s Apple TV. In the last few years, it’s become the destination for original, inventive sci-fi, with series like Severance, For All Mankind, Pluribus, and Silo exploding in popularity, a sharp right turn from the Ted Lasso fanfare that helped cement it as a legit streamer worth your money. Seth Rogen’s meta comedy The Studio dominated the Emmys, Jon Hamm’s big return to TV has turned into a hit, and even Godzilla has called Apple TV home. If there’s one thing Apple TV is, it’s consistently unpredictable.

What’s refreshing about many titles on the platform is that they don’t try to appeal to everyone, which gives the shows far more breathing room to find their own unique voice, take storytelling risks, and establish a loyal viewership rather organically, no matter how niche. With all of this in mind, Widow’s Bay — which stars Matthew Rhys as the mayor of a would-be travel destination hotspot that’s weighed down by some (a lot) of skeletons in the closet — is perhaps the most daring, weirdest show on Apple TV for several reasons. The series, which is part-workplace comedy, part-mystery, and part-trippy horror, might struggle out of the gate, but once it wades deep into its narrative, you won’t want to return to the mainland…

At first, you might not be so sure that you’ve chosen the right travel destination, but Widow’s Bay becomes a haunting, deeply rewarding, and oddly charming series if you stick with it.

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MacDailyNews Take: Apple TV. Hit after hit after hit!

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A new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman gives us an idea of what to expect from iOS 27’s photo-editing features. Apple is said to be planning a major overhaul of the photo-editing experience, leaning heavily on AI for three big new features: Extend, Enhance, and Reframe. These three tools will be collected together with the existing Clean Up tool in a new “Apple Intelligence Tools” section of the Photos app.

According to the report, here’s what to expect from the new features:

Extend: Users will be able to “zoom out” on an existing photo, adding in details beyond the original frame. This sort of generative fill/expand feature is fairly commonplace.

Enhance: You’ll be able to improve color, lighting, and overall image quality using AI.

Reframe: When taking spatial photos, this new feature will allow you to shift perspective to produce a still image from a different angle.

Gurman notes that internal testing of the features hasn’t gone smoothly. In particular, the Extend and Reframe tools produce inconsistent results, so they could be delayed. Getting reliably good results is already the biggest problem with Apple’s only current AI-powered tool, Clean Up, so introducing more AI tools that don’t work well much of the time is not going to improve Apple’s reputation.

In his report, Gurman reminds us that the OS 27 updates are focused on two main areas: Apple Intelligence features, including the long-overdue new Siri, and a concerted effort to clean up the codebase to improve performance and battery life while reducing bugs. Apple is expected to preview the new OS at the WWDC keynote on June 8.

With just two days to go until Apple’s Q3 2026 report, UBS just raised its price target on the company’s stock, based once again on strong iPhone demand. Here are the details.

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iOS 27 could use AI to make your photographs look better after you take them. It might be a highlight of the iPhone operating system upgrade.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

iOS 27’s unveiling is a little over one month away, and Siri’s major overhaul is set to make not only the iPhone feel far more powerful, but AirPods too.

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Apple is gearing up for a significant upgrade to its built-in Photos app, bringing advanced artificial intelligence tools to photo editing across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. According to Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman, the company is developing a new suite of AI features powered by its Apple Intelligence platform, set to debut in the upcoming iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 operating system updates this fall.

Key New AI Capabilities

The overhaul focuses on three core areas designed to make Apple’s native editing tools even better with:

• Extend: AI-powered “outpainting” or image expansion that intelligently generates new content beyond the original photo borders, allowing users to widen frames or fill in missing areas seamlessly.

• Enhance: Automatic one-tap or intelligent improvements to photo quality, including better lighting, color correction, noise reduction, and detail sharpening using on-device Apple Intelligence models.

• Reframe: Smart recomposition tools that can automatically adjust or suggest new crops, perspectives, and layouts while preserving or generating context to create more visually appealing results.

These features build on Apple’s existing Apple Intelligence efforts, emphasizing on-device processing for privacy and speed. The goal appears to be closing the gap with competitors like Google’s Pixel devices, which have long offered generative AI tools for photo manipulation.

Context and Timing

This photo editing push fits into Apple’s broader iOS 27 strategy, which emphasizes quality improvements and targeted AI enhancements rather than a flood of flashy new features (often compared to the refined approach of Mac OS X Snow Leopard).

The updates are expected to be previewed at WWDC 2026 in June, with public releases in the fall.

By integrating these capabilities directly into the Photos app, Apple aims to reduce reliance on third-party editors while delivering powerful, user-friendly AI tools that feel native and secure.

MacDailyNews Take: For users of Apple’s superior hardware – Mac, iPhone, and iPad – this could mean dramatically easier ways to rescue imperfect shots, expand creative compositions, or quickly polish images without leaving Apple’s ecosystem. It also signals Apple’s continued investment in making Apple Intelligence practical and visible in everyday apps like Photos.

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MacDailyNews Take:

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The post Apple prepares major AI-powered photo editing overhaul for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Bitwarden: Make your life easier with Bitwarden, featuring a secure, open source password manager with end-to-end encryption and seamless autofill across all your devices.

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iOS 27 will include multiple new AI-powered photo editing features, according to a new report. These features will let you quickly improve, expand, and reframe your images.

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You can easily remove any object from a photo using Apple Intelligence’s Clean Up tool. Make your almost-perfect shots perfect.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple’s all-new MacBook Neo, its most affordable laptop ever, starts at just $599 (and $499 for education customers), bringing the full Mac experience to millions more users worldwide with a breakthrough price point designed to undercut cheap entry-level Windows PCs and Chromebooks.

The 13-inch model features a durable aluminum enclosure available in vibrant new colors—blush, indigo, silver, and a fresh citrus—paired with a stunning Liquid Retina display offering high resolution, 500 nits brightness, and support for 1 billion colors for vivid websites, photos, videos, and apps.

At its core is the A18 Pro chip, delivering up to 50% faster everyday performance like web browsing and up to 3x quicker on-device AI tasks (such as advanced photo effects) compared to the top-selling PC with the latest Intel Core Ultra 5, while providing up to 16 hours of battery life for true all-day use without recharging.

Additional highlights include a 1080p FaceTime HD camera with dual mics for sharp video calls, dual side-firing speakers with Spatial Audio for immersive sound, Apple’s comfortable and precise Magic Keyboard, a large Multi-Touch trackpad with gesture support, and macOS Tahoe featuring seamless iPhone integration, Apple Intelligence, and broad app compatibility.

Matt Elliott for CNET:
‎

By far the most affordable MacBook, it still offers the same premium design and durability as Apple’s pricier MacBooks. It’s also lightweight and compact, making it easy to carry, and comes in three fun colors (plus standard silver).

A combination of the MacBook Neo and the cheapest iPhone comes out to only $100 more than the cheapest MacBook Air alone. And you still get Apple’s $100 education discount with the Neo, which is nearly double the percentage discount (17% versus 9%) that students can save on the Air.

As cute and colorful as it is, the MacBook Neo is more than just a starter laptop. It could also serve as a great device for anyone who wants to browse the web, watch a show or movie, perform some light edits on photos and text using all 10 fingers on a keyboard — rather than just two thumbs on your iPhone…

I can’t believe how similar the MacBook Neo is to its big siblings. Like MacBook Air and Pro models, the Neo has a sturdy, all-aluminum body. It feels just as rigid as a MacBook Air or Pro with the same luxurious look. The Neo doesn’t cheapen the MacBook brand.

The MacBook Neo is easily the best laptop for school use, especially if you or the student you’re buying for already has an iPhone. The two work seamlessly together. Given the convenience and security that Touch ID provides, however, I’d view Apple’s $100 educational discount as a way to add Touch ID (along with more storage) for free instead of lowering the price of the base model.

For those out of school and who want a cheap, portable laptop for casual use around the house or for a job that doesn’t require demanding creative, scientific or AI tasks, the MacBook Neo makes a lot of sense for the money. You won’t find a better-designed laptop at this price.

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MacDailyNews Take: There’s tons more, including benchmarks where the New blows away Chromebooks, in the full article here.

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Explore the exciting features of the 20th anniversary iPhone, including a possible all-screen design without bezels.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

In January, we learned about an upcoming Philips Hue mode called SpatialAware. As of today, the “more natural and immersive” smart lighting feature has arrived. Philips Hue video doorbell owners also have two new features ready for action.

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Apple is poised to make a significant leap in memory configuration for its entire 2027 iPhone 18 lineup. According to recurring supply-chain reports, every model — from the base iPhone 18 to the Pro variants — is expected to ship with 12GB of memory.

This marks a notable first for the standard iPhone 18, which would finally match the memory capacity that debuted in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Analyst Dan Nystedt highlighted the rumor in a recent post on X, citing consistent chatter from the supply chain.

Why 12GB across the board?

The primary driver appears to be Apple Intelligence and the expanding suite of on-device AI features expected in iOS 27. On-device AI workloads are notoriously memory-hungry. Giving the base model enough memory ensures it can fully support advanced features like the next-generation Siri without compromising performance or forcing users toward Pro models.

Apple has long relied on exceptional software optimization to deliver smooth experiences with relatively modest memory compared to Android flagships. However, the demands of modern generative AI are pushing even Apple to standardize higher memory across its range. The iPhone 17 Pro models already proved that 12GB works well for these tasks, and it now looks like the entire family will benefit.

Performance upgrades on the horizon

The memory boost is expected to pair with Apple’s next-generation A20 chip (built on TSMC’s advanced 2nm process). Early indications suggest meaningful gains in both speed and efficiency over the 3nm chips in the iPhone 17 series.

This combination of more memory and a more advanced processor should deliver:

• Smoother multitasking
• Faster AI processing
• Better longevity for future software updates

Launch timing twist

Unlike previous years, Apple reportedly plans a staggered rollout. The iPhone 18 Pro models (and possibly the first folding iPhone) are still expected in fall 2026, while the standard iPhone 18 could arrive in early 2027 alongside other more affordable models.

Potential trade-offs

Higher memory comes at a cost, especially amid a global RAM shortage driven by AI server demand. To offset this, Apple may trim certain features on the base model, such as display specifications or other manufacturing processes. Even with those adjustments, the internal upgrades should make the iPhone 18 feel like a substantial step forward for everyday users.

MacDailyNews Take: If these rumors hold, the iPhone 18 series will represent one of the most unified memory upgrades in Apple’s recent history. No more “good enough” memory on the base model — everyone gets the full 12GB treatment. For users who prioritize longevity, AI capabilities, and future-proofing without jumping to Pro pricing, this could be welcome news indeed.

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Apple Weather is experiencing intermittent outages and issues loading for many users, per social media reports and Downdetector.com. Here’s the latest.

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Perplexity has been early to the AI-browsing space with its Comet web browser. Today’s Comet update includes some welcome features for iPad users.

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iOS 26.4 is packed with a bunch of new features for Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and more, plus new ways to customize your iPhone. Apple also added a new alarm feature in iOS 26.4 that’s built specifically for Apple Watch owners.

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Pedometer++ has logged a lot of miles since first unlocking step tracking on the iPhone 5s in 2013. Nearly 13 years of updates later, version 8.0 arrives with a redesigned Apple Watch experience that includes an all-new Expedition Mode. Pedometer++ also touts a “highly-usable workout picker” for Apple Watch users frustrated by watchOS 26’s Workout app.

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Following last month’s release of iOS 26.4, Apple is now beta testing iOS 26.5. Here are all the details on new features and changes on the way for iPhone users with iOS 26.5, which will be released next month.

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We love Macs, but they aren’t cheap. Even with the arrival of lower-cost options like the MacBook Neo, buying a new Mac that meets your requirements can be expensive. Luckily there are cost-effective options, if you don’t mind buying a used Mac.

Not all used Macs are equal though. If budget is tight you might be tempted by a bargain on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or similar platforms. The price might look attractive, but buying a used Mac can introduce risks around security, longevity, and hardware reliability.

Luckily there is a safe way to get a used Mac for less. You can buy a Mac that has been refurbished.

In this article we’ll discuss what a refurbished Mac is, how to know whether it’s safe to buy a refurbished Mac, what protections you have if you buy a refurbished Mac, how much money you can save, and how old is too old when choosing a refurbished Mac.

Buy refurbished if you…Don’t buy refurbished if you…Have a limited budget Are a power user needing cutting-edge performanceAre a student or casual userWant the latest specsAre upgrading from a very old MacNeed maximum reliabilityAre a first-time Mac buyer looking to try macOS at the lowest costNeeds a custom configurationWant to be eco-consciousPlan to keep the Mac for many years

What is a refurbished Mac (and how is it different from used)?

Unlike used or second-hand items, which are often sold as-is without testing, refurbished products are pre-owned items that have been professionally inspected, tested, and, if necessary, repaired and restored to full working condition.

In the case of Macs, the refurbisher ensures the Mac or MacBook functions as intended – sometimes replacing parts or carrying out repairs – before it is resold.

Because of this process, you can expect refurbished Macs to work properly, and they should come with a returns policy in case any issues arise.

What do you actually gain by buying a refurbished Mac?

Buying a refurbished Mac is a practical way to acquire a high-quality computer at a significantly lower price point than a brand-new model.

The key advantages to buying a refurbished Mac, over a secondhand, used Mac, are:

Rigorous Testing: Official refurbished units undergo a stringent process that includes full functional testing, thorough cleaning, and inspection to meet the same standards as new products.

Warranty and Support: Many refurbishers, including Apple, will sell refurbished Macs with a one-year limited warranty, up to 90 days of technical support, and (in the case of Apple) eligibility for AppleCare.

Like-New Condition: Devices are visually indistinguishable from new models and come repackaged in a brand-new box with all original accessories and cables.

Reliability: Unlike buying a standard secondhand or used Mac from a private seller, a certified refurbished machine is guaranteed to be in full working order, with any previous faults rectified by professional engineers.

Every refurbished Mac sold by Apple has been tested and repaired if necessary.

Apple

Why buy a refurbished Mac from Apple

Apple

Apple’s Refurbished Store is a section of its website where you can buy refurbished Macs and MacBooks, along with other products like iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, HomePods, and Apple TV.

Get a refurbished Apple Watch at Apple’s refurbished store (U.K.)

Get a refurbished Apple Watch at Apple’s refurbished store (U.S.)

Buying a refurbished Mac from Apple’s Certified Refurbished Store is a smart way to save money while still getting a device that’s virtually indistinguishable from a brand-new model. Here are some of the reasons why you should shop at Apple’s Certified Refurbished store:

Stringent checks: Unlike buying second-hand from a private seller, Apple puts every device through a rigorous refurbishment process. This includes full functional testing, thorough cleaning, and detailed inspection to ensure it meets the same performance standards as new products. Apple states that every Certified Refurbished product undergoes comprehensive testing to meet the same functional standards as new devices, meaning it should feel “like new.”

Recent and current models: The Macs available may be from a previous year or part of the current lineup.

Fault free returns: They could be ex-demonstration units, or devices returned by customers within Apple’s standard 14-day return window. In some cases, a Mac may have been returned due to a fault—but any issues are fixed by Apple engineers before resale.

According to Apple, each Mac:

Will be thoroughly cleaned and inspected

Includes Apple’s standard one-year limited warranty

Includes up to 90 days of complimentary technical support

Comes with all accessories, cables, and operating systems

Is packaged in a brand-new white box

Is dispatched with free shipping and returns

Can be purchased via financing options

And can be delivered next day

The key point is that Macs from Apple’s Refurbished Store are not noticeably different from new ones – they’re tested, certified, and restored to a like-new condition.

Other places to buy refurbished Macs

Apple isn’t the only place that sells refurbished Macs – we recommend some alternative Mac refurbishers in this article: Best place to buy a refurbished MacBook or Mac.

We’d advise that you are a little more cautious if it isn’t Apple selling the refurbished Mac, and we recommend that you don’t buy a very old Mac, even if it has been refurbished.

These Apple Resellers and Refurbishment specialists who will also sell you a secondhand Mac that has been thoroughly checked over:

In the U.S.:

Apple

Amazon

Back Market MacBooks

Back Market Macs

Best Buy

Gainsaver

OWC

Mac Of All Trades

Refurb.me

In the U.K.:

Apple

Amazon

BackMarket

Hoxton Macs

Laptops Direct

MacFinder

Mac 4 Sale

Music Magpie

8 reasons to buy a refurbished Mac

Here are eight reasons why choosing a refurbished model could be a good option:

Refurbished Macs are as good as new – Buying from Apple’s Refurbished Store isn’t the same as typical secondhand. Any faults are identified and fixed by Apple, so these Macs should be just as reliable as new ones bought from an Apple Authorized Reseller or Apple’s online store.

They’re nearly new – Most have only been briefly used, often returned within 14 days or used as display models. They’re unlikely to have seen heavy or intensive use.

They pass rigorous checks – Every refurbished Mac undergoes full functional testing, genuine Apple part replacement if needed, and a thorough clean—often with more checks than brand-new models.

Save on current models – You can buy current-generation Macs for less than their brand-new price by shopping in Apple’s Refurbished Store.

You can get more for your money – Refurbished options let you choose higher-spec or more powerful models (like Pro chips) for the same budget as entry-level new devices.

Greater choice of models – Unlike standard retail stores, the Refurbished Store offers Macs from recent months or years, giving you more variety at lower prices.

Warranty and support included – You get a one-year warranty, 90 days of tech support, and the option to extend coverage with AppleCare for extra peace of mind.

Extra buying benefits – Free delivery and returns, financing options, trade in credit, fast shipping or store pickup, and the reassurance of buying directly from Apple without dealing with previous owners.

8 reasons not to buy a refurbished Mac

As you can see there are plenty of good reasons to buy a refurbished Mac. Are there any disadvantages?

While refurbished Macs offer significant savings, there are several drawbacks to consider, ranging from limited availability to potential hardware obsolescence. Here are some of the disadvantages to look out for:

Older models – Buying refurbished often means you won’t get the very latest technology. While current-generation Macs do appear on Apple’s Refurbished Store, they usually show up a few months after launch.

Limited availability – You may not find the exact model, specs, or color you want. Stock depends on returns and trade-ins, so availability is unpredictable and can change quickly.

Inconsistent stock – What’s available one day might be gone the next. You may need to check back regularly, and even then, there’s no guarantee your preferred configuration will appear.

Varying refurbishment standards – Apple has strict testing processes, but third-party sellers may not. Buying outside Apple can mean fewer checks or older machines that aren’t great value.

Discounts aren’t always best – Refurbished prices from Apple aren’t always the lowest available. However, cheaper deals elsewhere can come with added risk.

The Intel trap – Many refurbished Macs, especially from marketplaces like Amazon, use older Intel processors. These lack Apple Silicon performance and will lose software support sooner.

New models may offer better value – When Apple updates a Mac, it often improves specs like storage or RAM. A refurbished older model might offer significantly less for a similar price.

New Macs can also be discounted – Retailers sometimes offer deals on new or recently discontinued Macs, so it’s worth comparing refurbished prices with new offers before buying. Have a look at our frequently updated best Mac deals picks for MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini.

Where do refurbished Macs come from?

IDG

Refurbished Macs are sourced from several different channels, ranging from customer returns to manufacturing surpluses. The origin of a specific unit often depends on whether you are purchasing directly from Apple or through a third-party reseller.

Units sold through the Apple Certified Refurbished Store typically originate from the following sources:

Customer Returns: Apple allows customers to return products within 14 days for a refund. These units are often in near-perfect condition but cannot be resold as “new” once the box has been opened.

Defective Units: Some Macs are returned due to a specific technical fault. These units are sent to Apple engineers who rectify the issue before the device is cleared for resale.

Ex-Demonstration Models: Units used in Apple teaching programs or as floor models in retail stores are also reconditioned for the refurbished market.

Manufacturing Surplus: In some cases, what appears to be a refurbished deal is actually a surplus of new product. For instance, as noted in Save a whopping $1,300 on this M3 Max MacBook Pro blowout deal, some deeply discounted units sold by retailers like Woot “aren’t refurbished but rather are likely the result of a manufacturing surplus of product from Apple.”

How much cheaper are refurbished Macs?

The primary benefit of choosing a refurbished Mac is the cost savings, which typically range around 15% off the original retail price for recent models, though discounts can be much higher for older generations.

Because Macs command high retail prices, this percentage often translates into significant discounts ranging from a few hundred to several hundred dollars or pounds.

Typical Savings by Model

The exact amount you save depends on the specific model, its configuration (such as RAM and storage), and its age. Deals on the Apple Refurbished Store have included:

MacBook Pro: Savings of up to $590 in the U.S. and up to £750 in the U.K.

MacBook Air: Savings of up to $170 in the U.S.

iMac: Savings of up to $290 in the U.S. and up to £260 in the U.K.

Mac Studio: Significant discounts are available, with some models seeing price cuts of up to $600.

Specific high-end configurations can offer even deeper discounts.

Factors Influencing Price

Generation: While it is possible to find current-generation models on the refurbished store, they typically do not appear until at least six months after their initial launch.

Retailer: Other third-party resellers such as Amazon, Back Market, or Best Buy may offer even lower prices for refurbished Macs than Apple. However, Apple’s own refurbished units include a full one-year warranty and genuine Apple part replacements.

Processor Type: Older Intel-based Macs are often sold at very low prices (e.g., a 2018 MacBook Pro for $300/£300), but these are not recommended as they are nearing the end of their software support lifecycle.

What are the risks of buying used vs refurbished

Buying a used Mac from an individual seller on a site like eBay can seem like a bargain, but it often comes with technical and security risks.

There’s an important distinction between used and refurbished. A refurbished Mac has been professionally inspected, tested, and repaired if needed – and is usually sold with a warranty and returns policy. By contrast, used or second-hand devices sold by individuals are typically offered “as-is,” with little to no protection if something goes wrong.

Here’s why buying used can be risky:

Uncertain History: A used Mac may have hidden faults, wear and tear, or performance issues that aren’t immediately obvious – and could be the reason it’s being sold.

No guarantee or returns: Private sellers often don’t offer returns or warranties, so you may be stuck with a faulty device.

Activation Lock issues: If the previous owner hasn’t removed the device from their Apple ID, you could be locked out and unable to use the Mac.

In contrast, refurbished Macs offer far more peace of mind, thanks to professional checks, verified functionality, and buyer protections.

8 reasons not to buy a used, secondhand Mac

If your Mac looks like this it has Intel inside.

Foundry

Here are eight reasons why it’s a bad idea to buy a secondhand Mac, and why you should consider refurbished or new instead:

Older Macs can be insecure – Apple only supports the latest and two previous macOS versions. If a Mac can’t run a recent system like macOS Sonoma or later, it won’t receive security updates, leaving your data at risk. See How long does Apple support Macs to find out if the Mac is protected with security updates.

Support is ending for older hardware – Even relatively recent Intel Macs are being phased out, with Apple expected to drop full support for them soon, limiting their lifespan.

Repairs can be difficult and expensive – Apple classifies Macs as “Vintage” after seven years and “Obsolete” after ten. At that point, parts are hard to find or unavailable, making repairs costly or impossible.

Limited software compatibility – Older Macs may not support the latest macOS features, and third-party apps may stop updating, increasing the risk of bugs and security vulnerabilities.

Performance will lag behind – Even once-powerful Macs can struggle with modern tasks. Upgrading components is often limited or not worth the cost compared to buying a newer model.

Reliability issues are more likely – Ageing hardware can lead to crashes, slowdowns, and unexpected shutdowns, making daily use frustrating.

Intel models are outdated – Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later) are significantly faster and more efficient. Intel Macs are becoming obsolete and will be harder to resell.

Better alternatives exist – Instead of buying used, you can get affordable new or refurbished Macs with warranties, support, and better long-term value.

Further reading

If you want to know more about buying a refurbished Mac, read this: Where to buy a Refurbished Mac.

We also have
Best Place to buy a Mac and
When is the best time to buy a Mac.

For advice about which Mac to buy read out Best Mac Buying Guide

And if you want a deal on a new Mac, read:

Best MacBook Air deals

Best MacBook Pro deals

Best iMac deals

Best Mac mini deals

Thinking of a refurbished iPhone? Read Best places to buy a refurbished iPhone and where to get the best deals.

In another medical first for the Vision Pro headset, it recently played a crucial role in cataract surgery.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Anthropic is targeting creative professionals with its latest Claude AI update. The company has released nine new Claude connectors that work with creative tools like Blender and more.

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Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by Amazon delivering MacBook Neo as early as tomorrow from $590 and the ongoing AirPods Pro 3 deal, but we also have some serious clearance deals live on M3 iPad Air – 1TB M3 iPad Air $300 off and the 11-inch 512GB at $250 off. We also have Apple’s 24GB/1TB M5 MacBook Pro at best price of the year ($250 off) and the most affordable new M5 MacBook Air model back to one of the best prices ever (nearly $150 off). Head below for a closer look.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook is making the rounds in Washington D.C. this week, just days after Apple announced its CEO transition plan. This fall, John Ternus will become Apple CEO with Cook remaining active as Executive Chairman of the Board.

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Apple TV on Tuesday revealed the premiere date for the highly anticipated fourth season of global hit series “Ted Lasso,” starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jason Sudeikis. “Ted Lasso” season four will make its global debut on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, with one episode, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through October 7.

Season four marks the return of fan favorites, including Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift, alongside new additions Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern, and Grant Feely.

In season four, Ted returns to Richmond, taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women’s football team. Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would.

“Ted Lasso” season four adds Emmy Award winner Jack Burditt as executive producer under a new overall deal with Apple TV. Sudeikis stars and executive produces alongside Hunt, Joe Kelly, Jane Becker, Jamie Lee and Bill Wrubel. Goldstein serves as writer and executive producer alongside Leann Bowen. Sarah Walker and Phoebe Walsh will serve as writers and producers for season four, and Sasha Garron co-produces. Julia Lindon will write for season four, and Dylan Marron will serve as story editor. Bill Lawrence executive produces via his Doozer Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal content. Doozer’s Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer also serve as executive producers. The series was developed by Sudeikis, Lawrence, Kelly and Hunt, and is based on the preexisting format and characters from NBC Sports.

Following its global debut on Apple TV, “Ted Lasso” broke records and quickly earned praise from fans and critics all over the world. The first season became the most Emmy Award-nominated comedy series, and the series went on to land rare back-to-back Outstanding Comedy Series Emmys for its first two seasons on air.

Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 800 wins and 3,431 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award winner “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
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MacDailyNews Take: Ted lost the plot, and us, in season three. Hopefully, season four can ditch its ham-handed attempts to inject “The Message” everywhere and anywhere and instead rediscover the consistent magic of early “Ted Lasso.”

MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

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The post Apple TV releases first trailer for ‘Ted Lasso’ season four, premiering August 5th appeared first on MacDailyNews.

On April 28, 2003, Apple opened the iTunes Music Store, revolutionizing the music industry and digital distribution of content.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple has new AirPods launching later this year that we’ve been referring to as a high-end AirPods Pro model, but recent reporting now makes it seem more likely that they’ll be the first ‘AirPods Ultra.’

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A new report says Apple paid more than $1.2 million in one year to privately hire police to protect three of its San Francisco retail stores. The payment was said to have been made through a private security company.

San Francisco allows private companies to pay police officers to protect their shops and offices, and the report says that many tech companies take advantage of this …

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We believed, and now it’s finally happening: Ted Lasso returns for season 4 this summer, and Apple TV just announced the release date and debuted its first trailer.

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Apple will permanently close its Towson Town Center store in June, marking the shutdown of the first Apple retail location in the United States to successfully unionize.

The company cited “declining conditions” at Towson Town Center — including the departure of multiple major retailers, reduced foot traffic, and persistent public safety issues in the mall and surrounding areas. Reports of shoplifting, organized retail theft, assaults, robberies, and other crimes have plagued the location for years, contributing to an environment that has driven away shoppers and businesses.

In a statement, Apple said the safety of customers and employees remains its top priority. While employees at the other two closing stores (Apple Trumbull in Connecticut and Apple North County in California) are being offered transfers to nearby locations, Towson workers — represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) — must apply for open positions elsewhere under the terms of their collective bargaining agreement.

The union immediately condemned the move as retaliation. In a strongly worded statement, IAM called the closure “a cynical attempt to bust the union” and filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board. The union claims Apple is discriminating against its members by denying them the same transfer rights offered to non-unionized stores.
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MacDailyNews Take: Exactly as we predicted back in 2022 when the Towson store became the first in the country to unionize: businesses have options when faced with poor conditions, including simply closing up shop. An employer is free to close operations at any time — and that’s precisely what Apple is doing here.

The union immediately screams “union-busting,” of course. Spare us. This decision has everything to do with the crime-ridden disaster that local Maryland leadership has allowed Towson Town Center (and the surrounding area) to become. Shoplifting swarms, assaults, robberies, and general chaos aren’t fixed by union negotiations over pay or working conditions. They’re fixed by actual law enforcement and sane public policy — neither of which the union delivers.

Apple already offers its retail employees some of the best wages, benefits, and working conditions in the industry. The vast majority of Apple Store workers have wisely rejected unionization efforts because they know those advantages come from Apple, not from union dues. The Towson crew chose differently. Now the store is closing, employees are being given opportunities at safer, non-unionized locations, and the union is left complaining from the sidelines.

Businesses don’t abandon thriving malls because workers organized — they leave when soft-on-crime policies turn shopping centers into unsafe zones. Apple is doing exactly what any responsible company should: protecting its customers, its team members, and its brand.

The union can cry “retaliation” all it wants. The real issue is the failure of local leadership to maintain basic public safety.

As we wrote back in May 2022:

In a free market, jobs are valued by supply and demand.

The skillset for a retail employee is different than that for, say, a software engineer. Potential retail employees are an order of magnitude more plentiful than software engineers and the wages paid and benefits granted for each job reflect that discrepancy.

You’re not going to get rich working in retail. There are simply too many other people capable of doing your job.

Nobody likes to hear that their job is a dime a dozen. Regardless, retail jobs are a dime a dozen.

If retail workers unionize, they can, and do, force abnormal wages and benefits that do not reflect the reality of supply and demand for such positions.

What happens next (besides backroom graft and corruption between union bosses and politicians)?

The corporation is forced to overpay unionized staff to do tasks that, in a free and unfettered market, should cost the company far less. Therefore, to maintain margins and profitability (in order to satisfy the company’s shareholders and the market), the company is forced to either cut back in other areas or raise prices for goods and services. The company cannot “absorb the cost” longer term.

Talk about inflation.

That said, yes, executive compensation is out of whack. Tim Cook is vastly overpaid for what he does. This is because he holds a rare skillset and it benefits the shareholders to have continuity in the CEO position. Basically, Apple overpays Tim Cook in order to have a long-term CEO which provides confidence to the market. A succession of different CEOs jumping from company to company every other year seeking higher salaries would be a negative and justifies Cook’s overpayment. Cook is paid to stay more than for what he actually does. This is why he has vesting targets set years into the future. If he stays, providing continuity, he benefits and so does the company’s stock price (over time).

Not so for retail employees. If one leaves, there’s an endless line of others to replace them. Sure, there are excellent retail employees and, if Apple’s retail arm is functioning properly, they are being identified and rewarded in order to keep them, as their continued employment benefits the company, the company’s customers, and the company’s shareholders. But the cost of their employment must make financial sense, regardless of how good an employee is – if it costs more to keep them than they are worth to the company, they should seek employment elsewhere, not force overpayment / continued employment.

If Apple is not functioning properly, unionization is the last resort of employees. Just know that those costs will eventually be passed to the customer. Someone has to pay. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If those unionization costs are too high (which they tend to become over time), it will hurt the company (consumers will look for similar goods and services offered at significantly lower prices) and the retail workers will eventually feel negative effects from that (see: unions and Detroit’s automotive industry, what’s left of it).

Back in the day, unions corrected many wrongs: unsafe working conditions, forced overtime without pay, child labor, etc. None of these situations are faced by Apple Retail employees today. Some retail staffers simply want higher pay than the actual value of their work in a free market, so they want to band together to force it.

In many union settings, workers face limited advancement based on their merits. Union workers’ avenues for advancement are limited as stipulated by union contracts. So, if you are an exemplary Apple employee today, your prospects are likely brighter than if you were part of a union, subject to certain union rules governing advancement, etc. Retail employees should carefully consider the pitfalls of unionization and the consequences of unintended consequences.

Apple should do all it can, within reason, to satisfy and compensate retail employees. In fact, Apple appears to be doing so. [In February 2022], Bloomberg News reported that Apple will significantly increase wages and benefits for American retail workers amid a tightening labor market.

Apple adopted the following changes for U.S. retail workers beginning on April 4, 2022:

• Raises ranging from 2% to 10% depending on store location and role, for salespeople, Genius Bar technical support staff, and some senior hourly workers.

• Doubling paid sick days for both full-time and part-time workers. The days can be used for mental health leave and taking family members to the doctor. This change will give full-time workers 12 paid sick days, instead of six.

• Workers receive more annual vacation days, beginning at three years of employment instead of five.

• Part-time employees will now get as many as six paid vacation days for the first time. Another first: They’ll get paid parental leave. That benefit will cover up to six weeks and will include the ability to gradually ramp up work time for the first four weeks back.

• Part-time workers also will get access to discounted emergency backup care for children or elderly family members.

In a [2022] statement to Bloomberg News, an Apple spokesperson reiterated, “We are pleased to offer very strong compensation and benefits for full time and part time employees, including health care, tuition reimbursement, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock grants and many other benefits.” – MacDailyNews, February 18, 2022

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The post Apple to close first unionized U.S. Retail Store in Towson, citing crime and mall decline; union cries ‘union-busting’ appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Thunderbolt 5 debuted in September 2023. It was introduced as the new Thunderbolt standard that would slowly begin to replace Thunderbolt 4. It entered the scene, and we saw a big jump forward in bandwidth, display support, and overall capability. But what I noticed is that it was relatively slow to roll out, and the products we saw that did implement Thunderbolt 5 only did that. They just switched from Thunderbolt 4 to Thunderbolt 5 and shipped the same product otherwise. So when I saw Satechi announce some actual changes and improvements to their Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock, I had to check it out. I have used it for over two weeks, and this is what you should know.

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