What smart kitchen devices are worth it, and which aren't, on Smart Home Insider
This week's episode of the Smart Home Insider podcast is all about the smart kitchen, breaking down which devices do and don't need to have connectivity and why there's been a drought on Matter appliances.Smart Home Insider PodcastIn the news this week, we had a rare improvement on pricing. Ecovacs has announced that due to tariff reversals, they were able to drop prices on its vacuums by as much as $400.DJI has also received its first Matter certification from the CSA. It's for a robotic vacuum with Matter version 1.4.2, which could be the existing Romo P, A, and S models that have already been released. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Aulumu M10: 3-in-1 iPhone MagSafe battery also recharges Apple Watch and AirPods
iPhone MagSafe battery packs are fantastic for extending device usage between charging sessions. While most solutions only work with compatible iPhones, the Aulumu M10 Multi-Charging Dual-Mag Power Bank is a high-capacity MagSafe battery pack that does the job of three distinct chargers. more…

Read more »

Why all iPhone 18 models will include 12GB of RAM
Apple may upgrade the RAM in the standard iPhone 18 model, improving performance for critical new features. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

OpenAI's chip talks lay groundwork for iPhone competitor, assuming company survives
OpenAI is absolutely hemorrhaging cash. Despite that, the ChatGPT owner is talking to chipmakers to make an iPhone competitor, with AI centric to the design.Jony Ive & Sam Altman | Image Credit: OpenAIOpenAI is already in the process of working with former Apple design chief Jony Ive on an AI hardware project. However, OpenAI has the potential to take on the smartphone market and try to rival Apple with an AI-centric version.In an X post on Monday, TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that OpenAI is working with MediaTek and Qualcomm on a new generation of smartphone processors. The report frames this as OpenAI moving into the smartphone space. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Today in Apple history: Psystar’s clone Macs go rogue
On April 27, 2008, the first Psystar Macintosh clone, the Open Computer, shipped to customers. The era of clone Macs didn't last long. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

Apple’s Smart Home revolution said to include new HomePod with screen and Robotic tabletop display
Apple is preparing to make a serious push into the smart home with two intriguing new devices that blend familiar HomePod DNA with… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Read more »

John Ternus says Apple has ‘so much’ opportunity to expand services
Apple’s incoming CEO John Ternus built his career in hardware, and had little involvement in the company’s services business. However, remarks Ternus reportedly made to Apple employees last week indicate services are set to continue growing at Apple. more…

Read more »

Value-packed EarFun Clip 2 open-ear earbuds put awareness first [Review] ★★★★☆
Our hands-on EarFun Clip 2 earbuds review finds the open-ear buds bring secure comfort, AI translation and decent sound -- with caveats. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

GETTR adopts Apple’s Liquid Glass design language across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS
GETTR has become one of the latest third-party apps to fully embrace Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language, updating its apps on… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Read more »

OpenAI is making its own phone to compete with the iPhone: report
OpenAI’s hardware ambitions have been no secret, but the company has long indicated it’s not making a phone. But a new report says that’s no longer the case, and an iPhone competitor from OpenAI is now in the works. more…

Read more »

Apple’s new CEO designed a ‘wacky’ folding iPad, but we might never get it
Macworld According to a new report, Apple intends to position its incoming CEO as the “face” of the burgeoning foldables market. But that market may not include a foldable iPad, even though that product has been one of his pet projects. In a dramatic announcement last week, Apple revealed that John Ternus will take over as CEO on September 1, while current boss Tim Cook will simultaneously become chairman of the board. That transition has been years in the planning, and the date was chosen carefully, as Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman explains in the most recent instalment of his Power On newsletter. Apple wants its new CEO to hit the ground running, and a start date of September 1 is perfectly calculated to achieve that. It means Ternus’s first quarter as boss will include the financially lucrative holiday period, but more importantly, it means he can take the stage at the yearly iPhone release a week or two after starting the job and stamp his mark on proceedings in front of the world’s media. The flagship reveal this September will be Apple’s first folding phone, expected to be called the iPhone Ultra, and Apple wants Ternus to be associated with that product and that market, from the very beginning. “As part of Apple’s planning for the transition from Cook to Ternus,” Gurman reports, “the company wanted its new leader to be the one hosting the event to unveil the device–setting him up to become the face of what it believes will be a blockbuster new product category.” This isn’t as tenuous as it might sound, with the new guy being parachuted in at the last minute to take credit for a project years in the making. On the contrary, Ternus (currently in charge of all hardware engineering at the company) has reportedly been involved with the iPhone Ultra from the start, and Apple intends to make the most of that experience. “The idea that Ternus drove this whole process will be put front and center during the launch period,” says Gurman, who expects the new CEO to be positioned as “the face of the new era.” The new era of foldables could be an exciting one for Apple, but for the time being, it looks set to be confined to the world of smartphones. Apple has other foldable products in the pipeline, but whether or not they will ever ship remains in doubt. The giant folding iPad, for example, has reportedly been a “priority” for Ternus in his current role, but being the new boss’s pet project gives it no guarantee of making it to market. So far from launch is the folding iPad, in fact, that Gurman says it “may end up being a wacky experiment that doesn’t see the light of day.” He cites the testimony of multiple anonymous sources who have worked not merely at Apple but on that exact product. Gurman and his disillusioned sources do not offer any rationale for the giant folding iPad’s dubious prospects or why such a product would ever be commercially viable. However, it’s easy to see why a giany iPad might not be a hit. Apple’s best-selling iPads are the ones that are a) as cheap as possible, and b) roughly 11 inches from corner to corner. The vast majority of iPad users simply want something simple and instant-booting to use when viewing YouTube videos or answering emails on the couch, and have little need for the latest hardware or the budget to pay for it. The iPad Pro has shown that there is a market for premium and larger tablets, but it remains a small one, and a 20-inch folding iPad would surely cost at least twice as much as even the largest iPad Pro… already a premium niche product. A foldable iPad would be glorious to use, folding down to the size of a normal iPad to fit in a bag, and then expanding to the size of a large laptop for watching movies, but it doesn’t seem like a product that would find a large enough audience. Although perhaps John Ternus, in his new role as the face of foldables, will be able to persuade us all of its advantages.

Read more »

New Apple CEO Ternus’ first act: Introduce the first foldable iPhone
Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, officially takes the helm on September 1. Less than two weeks later, he is set to unveil what is expected… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Read more »

SmartGym expands personalization with custom heart rate zones and smarter routine tracking
SmartGym is rolling out a major update today, adding new ways to compare workouts over time, custom heart rate zones, new exercises, and more. Here are the details. more…

Read more »

Adobe launches Firefly AI Assistant public beta with cross-app workflow automation
A few days ago, Adobe announced Firefly AI Assistant, a cross-app AI agent that coordinates actions and workflows across its Creative Cloud suite from a single conversational interface. Now, the company is making it available in public beta. Here are the details. more…

Read more »

New clip-on earbuds bring AI translation and hi-res sound for less than $80
New EarFun Clip 2 earbuds deliver hi-res sound, spatial audio and AI translation through a noninvasive, open-ear design. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

Apple Leadership Pivot: Safety Net or a Noose for Innovation?
Apple’s leadership transition to John Ternus raises a critical question: will continuity preserve success or slow the company’s ability to innovate? The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.

Read more »

Spotify launches guided workout experiences for Free and Premium users
Starting today, Spotify users will have access to guided workouts for activities such as yoga, running, dancing, and high-intensity interval training, in addition to Peloton content in certain markets. Here are the details. more…

Read more »

Apple’s ‘Ultra’ roadmap confirmed: iPhone, MacBook, and more on the way
Macworld Apple is rumored to be introducing one of the biggest upgrades to the iPhone lineup ever this year, with the debut of its first foldable phone. While many members of the press have taken to calling this device the “iPhone Fold,” Macworld has received information that corroborates reports that Apple will instead opt for the “Ultra” brand for its new iPhone model. According to a source familiar with Apple’s plans, the company seems set on expanding its Ultra branding with the new flagship iPhone arriving this fall. Furthermore, our source says Apple is also likely to bring the Ultra branding to the Mac as well. The iPhone Ultra is coming At this point, it has become clear that Apple is indeed planning to launch its first foldable iPhone later this year. Rather than replacing the Pro models, which are also set to receive an upgrade this fall, the foldable iPhone will be marketed as a higher-end model of Apple’s smartphone line. Because of this, many people have been wondering what Apple will call its foldable iPhone. While “iPhone Fold” might seem like the most obvious choice, Apple is expected to go with “iPhone Ultra” as the marketing name for the new phone, according to our sources. The iPhone Ultra will be unlike any iPhone Apple has ever sold.Foundry This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this name, nor is it the first time Apple has used the Ultra name. If true, this would be a significant expansion of the Ultra line. In 2022, Apple launched the Apple Watch Ultra and the M1 Ultra chip. In both cases, “Ultra” means the best (and consequently the most expensive) option available. Our sources also told us that the iPhone Ultra won’t technically be part of the iPhone 18 lineup, which means it won’t have the number 18 in its name, similar to last year’s iPhone Air. However, the iPhone Ultra is expected to be the marquee announcement at the iPhone 18 Pro event in September. According to our source, Apple is working hard to ship the iPhone Ultra alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models this fall without major delays. However, the Ultra models may still hit stores a few weeks later and in smaller quantities.  Unlike previous years, Apple won’t upgrade the base iPhone and iPhone Air this fall, shifting those models to the first half of 2027 alongside the iPhone 18e. A MacBook Ultra is also in the works Interestingly, the iPhone Ultra isn’t the only new “Ultra” product Apple has been working on. Our source reports that the upcoming OLED touchscreen MacBook will also use the Ultra branding rather than joining the MacBook Pro line. Like the iPhone Ultra, the MacBook Ultra name has previously been rumored by Bloomberg and other outlets. The main reason for the Ultra branding is likely similar to the iPhone Ultra: This new MacBook will cost significantly more than the current MacBook Pro and offer an entirely new feature set than the existing models. Therefore, Apple plans to keep the MacBook Pro as a more affordable option for those who don’t need the latest technologies. I As for the launch, Apple had been planning to release the MacBook Ultra later this year, but the launch is likely to be pushed back to the first half of 2027 due to the recent RAM supply shortage. The MacBook Ultra could join the lineup in early 2027.Ida Blix Could AirPods and iPad Ultra be next? Along with the iPhone and MacBook, the Ultra branding could also apply to the rumored high-end version of the AirPods with built-in cameras, as well as the M5 Ultra expected to arrive with the Mac Studio. And if Apple is serious about turning Ultra into a new cross-product tier, the iPad is the obvious next candidate. Rumors of a larger, potentially foldable iPad have been circulating for years. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in his weekly Power On Newsletter that this particular device has been a “priority” for Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus. Like the iPhone and MacBook, an iPad Ultra would be a more expensive and more experimental device. In that context, the “Ultra” brand also seems like a perfect fit.

Read more »

Apple’s new CEO is just the right amount of Steve Jobs
Macworld I’m a Tim Cook fan. I placed him at No. 2 on my list of important Apple people earlier this month, and once argued that he’s been a better CEO than Steve Jobs. The man’s a legend. But that doesn’t mean Apple needs a Tim Cook clone (a copyCook, if you will) as its next boss. Different times call for different leaders. When Cook inherited the crown in 2011, Apple boasted an enviable roster of market-defining products but faced a raft of strategic and regulatory hurdles. What the company needed was a safe pair of hands to further monetise the product brilliance that was already in place, while threading a path through a series of pivots and political minefields. Cook achieved those things with aplomb, and his legacy is secure. His successor, however, will need a different set of skills. The 2026 version of Apple is long on money, influence, and logistical savvy. It extracts favorable treatment from suppliers and presidents alike, dominates multiple markets, and regularly beats its own stratospheric revenue records. But if we’re honest, it’s short on spark. It’s increasingly in danger of losing its reputation as a company that makes insanely great products. Focusing on the product above all else was the philosophy that made Apple the powerhouse Cook inherited and stewarded so carefully. At the end of the 90s, Steve Jobs and Jony Ive bonded over their refusal to compromise until a product was perfect, whether that meant hiding the cost of materials from engineers so they wouldn’t be influenced by profit motives, or shouting at staff until they achieved the impossible. It led to the iMac, iPod, and iPhone. But that perfectionism appears to have taken a backseat under Cook’s management. We had the Apple Maps debacle as early as 2012, which Cook has since described as his first really big mistake as CEO. But it certainly wasn’t his last. There were products that never made it to release, from AirPower in 2019 to the Apple Car in 2024. Far more serious were the bad products which did: the Magic Mouse with a charging port on the bottom in 2015; the Apple Pencil dongle in 2022; Liquid Glass last year; and Siri, endlessly. There were plenty of memorable missteps under Jobs, with Antennagate perhaps the most obvious example. But Apple was never this fallible under its demanding, unreasonable founder. In that context, I find it pleasing to see that John Ternus, the incoming Apple CEO whose reign will begin this fall, shows every sign of following Steve Jobs’ philosophy rather than Cook’s. Last week, Workweek business writer Trung Phan unearthed and posted to Twitter/X a speech Ternus made two years ago, and it offers a glimpse into the way he regards the product development process. Addressing Penn Engineering School’s class of 2024, Ternus related an anecdote about the Cinema Display, the first product he worked on at Apple: At some point in my first year, I found myself at a supplier facility. I was far away from home, and it was well past midnight. I was using a magnifying glass to count the number of grooves on the head of the screws on the back of the display. And I was arguing with the supplier because these parts had 35 grooves. They were supposed to have 25. I remember stepping back for a minute and thinking to myself, ‘What the hell am I doing? Is this normal?’ And I realised it might not be normal, but it’s right. It’s right because I’d already spent months working on that product, and if you’re going to spend that much time on something, you should put in your very best effort. Maybe a customer notices, maybe they don’t, but either way, whenever I saw one of those displays on someone’s desk, it mattered to me to know that my teammates and I had considered everything about it and done the very best job we could. That right there is not a Tim Cook anecdote. That’s a Steve Jobs anecdote. He’s almost word for word, in fact, when it comes to the principle that details matter whether the customer sees them or not: Paul Jobs, a skilled carpenter, instilled in his son the importance of properly crafting the backs of fences and cabinets even if they were hidden, and the younger Jobs took a similar stance on motherboards and the inside of Mac casings. Sometimes this obsession created logistical problems, which may be why the efficiency-focused Cook took a different approach. But it also led to the MacBook Air and the iPod. Tim Cook achieved a huge amount, but Apple didn’t release a product of that caliber during his entire time as CEO. Many hits, many sensible updates, nothing to make a real dent in the universe. Perhaps John Ternus will change that. Foundry Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. Apple is getting a new CEO! Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO in shock announcement. (But don’t worry, he’s fine.) Alex Blake explores Cook’s legacy: 9 small bets that paid off and 2 big swings that didn’t. And explains why John Ternus is the right pick at the right time. Cook’s reward for exemplary service? The worst job in the world. John Ternus is not inheriting your father’s Apple, says the Macalope. Cook isn’t just leaving big shoes to fill–they’re also very expensive. Michael Simon will miss the outgoing CEO’s sneaker game most of all. Ternus’ promotion to Apple CEO may have claimed its first casualty. Trending: Top stories Filipe Esposito reveals how Apple solved the RAM crisis before it even arrived. Mahmoud Itani reminds us of 10 iPad milestones that changed the tablet computer forever. Want to improve your iPhonography? Here’s how we’re taking much better photos with the iPhone. The end of the iPad is beginning. With a touchscreen MacBook and folding iPhone coming, Apple’s tablet will be obsolete before we know it. Podcast of the week The iPhone 18 Pro is just a few months away. We talk about the latest iPhone 18 Pro rumors, and what’s involved in reporting Apple leaks on the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast. You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site. Reviews corner iVanky FusionDock Ultra: New 26-port Mac docking station has it all. The rumor mill iPhone 18 Pro and Ultra details revealed in leaker’s extensive Q&A. We might have to wait a little longer for the first touchscreen MacBook. Apple is developing a 200MP iPhone camera, but we might not get it for a while. Video of the week Macworld contributor Filipe Esposito recently broke an exclusive report about the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and its colors. Esposito has a solid reputation for breaking Apple stories, and in this interview, he talks with Macworld’s Michael Simon and Jason Cross about his process for getting inside information. Enjoy more Macworld videos on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram. Software updates, bugs, and problems Here’s how AI is working to make your iPhone and Mac nearly impervious to attacks. New iPhone phishing scam involves email sent from Apple servers. iOS 26.4.2 is out now with more security and bug fixes for your iPhone. iOS 27 may not support iPhone 11, 2nd-gen iPhone SE. And with that, we’re done for this week’s Apple Breakfast. If you’d like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters, including our new email from The Macalope–an irreverent, humorous take on the latest news and rumors from a half-man, half-mythical Mac beast. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, or X for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.

Read more »

Best place to buy a refurbished MacBook or Mac
Macworld Apple makes great computers, but aside from the MacBook Neo they’re not cheap. Even if you are happy to pay the entry price for a new iMac or MacBook Pro, you’ may’ll be painfully aware that each step up in the technical features—more RAM, larger storage, etc—adds a few hundred extra dollars or pounds. But can you justify the extra spend? Luckily you don’t have to, because often you can find a previous generation Mac—and sometimes even the current generation model—on sale for less at Apple’s Certified Refurbished store. U.K. users will find their local Apple Certified Refurbished store here. It’s not only Apple that offers refurbished Macs though. There are other places you can buy used Macs that have been refurbished—but not all refurbished Macs are as good as the ones Apple sells, so you should beware of the pitfalls. Luckily we will be running through the things to look out for, choose or avoid in this article, so you can be confident you will get the best refurbished Mac or MacBook for your needs. We’ll also explain what the Apple Certified Refurbished Store is, what price you can expect to pay for a refurbished Mac or MacBook, and other ways and trusted places to buy a cheap Mac. We also highlight some of the best refurbished Mac deals available right now. After these tips we discuss which older Macs are still worth buying and list some of the principal differences between the different processor generations of Macs that might help you choose between the M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5 when choosing an older Mac. Apple Should you buy a refurbished Mac? We have an article dedicated to this question here: Why you should buy a refurbished Mac. To summarize, there are lots of reasons why buying a Mac from the Apple Certified Refurbished Store is a good idea.  The Refurbished Store is a section on Apple’s website where you can buy refurbished Macs and MacBooks, as well as other Apple products including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, HomePod and Apple TV. These refurbished Macs could be models from a previous year, or they could be current models. A reconditioned Mac could be an ex-demonstration model used during Apple teaching programs, or it could be a unit sold to a customer who decided to return it under the standard sale-and-returns procedure. (Apple allows any customer to return a Mac bought from the Apple Store within 14 days for a refund. See Apple’s Standard Returns Policy U.S. and Standard Returns Policy U.K.). It’s also possible that a customer returned the Mac due to a fault, but—fear not—as that fault will have been rectified by Apple engineers before the Mac can be resold. In fact, Apple states that: “Every Apple Certified Refurbished product completes a rigorous refurbishment process that includes full testing that meets the same functional standards as new Apple products. Your refurbished device is truly ‘like new.'” In addition, 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 important thing to note is that Macs bought from the Apple Certified Refurbished Store are not discernibly different from new ones bought directly from the Apple Store. All Macs bought from the Refurbished Store are cleaned, checked, tested, and visually indistinguishable from brand-new models. Apple Reasons not to buy refurbished Macs As you can see there are plenty of good reasons to buy a refurbished Mac from Apple. Are there any disadvantages? One disadvantage is that buying refurbished Mac will likely mean that you aren’t buying a current generation model, although, as we have already said, it is possible to find current generation Macs on the Apple Refurbished Store, but not until at least half a year after launch. Right now the store is selling a lot of M5 and M4 Macs, and these are pretty recent models. The other downside to buying from Apple’s Refurbished Store is that it may not always have the model you’re after. Since the stock depends on the number of returns made or traded in, Apple may have more of one item than another, which is when you may need to turn to other retailers. Another disadvantage is that the discounts you get from buying on the Apple Refurbished Store aren’t always as good as you would get if you bought the same model from somewhere else. But buying from someone other than Apple can be risky. For example, you can get refurbished Macs on Amazon U.S. and Amazon U.K., but the majority of these tend to be old Macs and not models we would recommend buying. There are various other places that sell refurbished Macs and MacBooks that we will run through below. There are many other places that will sell you a ‘refurbished’ Mac, but not everyone performs the same checks as Apple does. Find out why we don’t recommend buying a Mac second-hand if the Mac isn’t certified refurbished in Should I buy a used Mac? Where to buy refurbished Macs Apple isn’t the only company to resell second-hand, refurbished Macs. You could also pick up a refurbished and reconditioned Mac from resellers listed below: 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 Buying refurbished, even if it’s not from Apple, should mean that the Mac has been inspected by an authorized Apple technician and, if necessary, faulty parts replaced (but we advise that you check this). Buying the same Mac second-hand for less might look attractive, but it’s not guaranteed to work. It’s worth paying a little extra for a refurbished model for peace of mind. It’s like buying a car from a garage rather than someone on Gumtree. Just be aware that you don’t have to buy a refurbished Mac to get a good discount are not equal. Amazon, for example, often discounts previous-generation Mac models, so you could buy a fairly new model at a discount. The difference is that while Apple could be selling a model that had been returned due to a fault (which has been repaired), the other reseller could be selling an identical Mac that’s never been used. If you want to find a deal, check out our articles about the best iMac deals, best Mac mini deals, the best MacBook Pro deals, and the best MacBook Air deals to look for the best discounts on new Macs and MacBooks. Make sure that the model that you find on Apple’s Refurbished Store isn’t being sold as new by someone else. Best deals on the Apple Refurbished Store These deals change frequently so may not be still on offer when you are reading this but the links will send you to the right place to look for what you need. U.S. Apple refurbished Mac deals MacBook Air on the Apple Refurbished Store – save up to $170 MacBook Pro on the Apple Refurbished Store – save up to $590 iMac on the Apple Refurbished Store – save up to $290 Mac mini on the Apple Refurbished Store – discounts available Mac Studio on the Apple Refurbished Store – discounts available U.K. Apple refurbished Mac deals MacBook Air on the Apple Refurbished Store – discounts available MacBook Pro on the Apple Refurbished Store – save up to £750 iMac on the Apple Refurbished Store – save up to £260 Mac mini on the Apple Refurbished Store – discounts available Mac Studio on the Apple Refurbished Store – discounts available Again, it’s worth comparing whether other retailers are offering better prices for the same models when buying new. Amazon and other stockists often have good discounts on new Macs. To find the best prices have a look at our deals round-ups: Best MacBook Air deals Best MacBook Pro deals Best iMac deals Best Mac mini deals Where to buy a Mac or MacBook How much cheaper are refurbished Macs and MacBooks? The price for reconditioned Macs on Apple’s Refurbished Store changes frequently, but is typically 15 percent less than the original price, as you can see from the prices quoted above. With Macs commanding a high retail price, this can be quite a significant difference. Keep in mind that stock is limited on refurbished models from Apple, and you’re unlikely to find every style of Mac at all times. Other Mac resellers might offer even lower prices than the Apple Refurbished Store, so it’s worth shopping around—particularly during sales events like Black Friday. What if I have a problem with a refurbished Mac? If you buy from Apple you are in good hands. Apple states: “All Refurbished Mac models include full functional testing, genuine Apple part replacements (if necessary), a thorough cleaning, the original Operating System or a more recent version, a brand new box with all accessories and cables.” More importantly, a reconditioned Mac or MacBook from Apple comes with a one-year warranty (extendable to three years with AppleCare protection). You also get the same sales and return procedure with Apple as you would with any new model, so you can return a Mac bought from the Refurbished Store within 14 days if you’re not happy with it. (But note you’ll have to post it back, as Apple will not accept returns to a physical Apple Store on refurbished products). Not that we think you will need to return your Mac. We have plenty of experience buying from Apple’s Refurbished Store and have yet to pick up a Mac from the Refurbished Store and find it wanting. Want to sell an old Mac? Here are our recommendations: How to sell a Mac or MacBook. You can also trade in your Mac to save money on a new one, including trading in your old Mac at Apple. The old-style MacBook Air is beautiful but, running on an Intel processor, is too old to still be supported by Apple’s security updates.Apple Which older Macs are still worth buying? What’s the oldest Mac I should buy? Any Mac with an Apple M-series Silicon processor (M1, M4, etc) is still a viable computer. The higher the number, the faster the processor is broadly correct, but later Macs also often have higher specs in terms of memory (RAM) or storage, plus faster or more able ports and webcams. If your needs are basic productivity tasks—web browsing, Word etc—even the M1 Macs are very capable computers, but you might notice a difference when comparing it to an M3, for instance. M1 and M2 Macs also are limited to supporting just a single external display, but you can get round this limitation by following our workarounds for connecting more than one monitor to your M1/M2 Mac. M1/M2 Pro/Max Macs support two external displays. Differences between M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5 Macs Apple now makes its own processors, known as Apple silicon, in a series titled with an M. The first Apple chip found in Macs was the M1, and by 2026 Apple started releasing M5 Macs. Each new generation will be faster than the previous, plus offer improved features as listed below. Note that Pro, Max and Ultra versions of each chip (e.g. M2 Pro, M4 Max, etc) will be faster and more capable still. Differences between M1 and M2 Macs The M2 is around 10-18% faster than the M1 in terms of performance. It also offers faster charging. The M2 MacBooks have a better webcam (1080p vs 720p) than the M1, and include the MagSafe 3 power connector. Differences between M2 and M3 Macs The M3 is around 15-20% faster than the M2. The base M3 MacBook supports two external displays with the laptop lid closed (clamshell mode), where the M2 supports only one. Differences between M3 and M4 Macs The M4 is around 20-25% faster than the M3. The base M4 MacBook supports two external displays with the lid open, whereas the M3 Air required the lid to be closed (clamshell mode) for dual-monitor setups. The M4 MacBooks include a superior 12MP Center Stage camera, compared to the 1080p FaceTime cameras of the M3 line. Differences between M4 and M5 Macs The M5 is around 15-30% faster than the M4, and new SSDs in M5 models offer 2x faster read/write speeds. The M5 series of Macs features Thunderbolt 5 (across all Pro and Max models) compared to Thunderbolt 4. M5 Macs utilize Apple’s N1 chip that upgrades wireless standards to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 (up from 6E and 5.3 on the M4). Should you buy an Intel Mac? We don’t recommend you buy Macs older than the M1, as their Intel processors are not supported after macOS 26 Tahoe. Macs older than seven years may not run a version of macOS that Apple supports with security updates. Even if the Mac you buy now is supported by Apple it may only be the case for a year or so. See: How long does Apple support Macs and MacBooks?

Read more »