Apple has released a new update to XProtect, its built-in malware protection tool, for all macOS versions.

This update bumps XProtect to version 5351 (from 5347) — the first broad release since early June — and adds fresh detection rules for several threats, including the Boatload stealer family and new osascript-based malware.

As usual, Apple provides no public details on the specific threats addressed. All users should check that the update has installed.

The Eclectic Light Company:
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This version adds six new Yara rules for MACOS.ANGRYORB.OX, MACOS.BOATLOAD.STCRST, MACOS.BOATLOAD.PRIN, MACOS.BOATLOAD.PEME, MACOS.VSHELL.DITA and MACOS.VSHELL.DR, amends rules for MACOS.MISOMAGIC.PA, and tidies spacing for those for MACOS.SOMA.STTX. From the rules for Boatload, that would appear to be a stealer.

Osascript rules in XPScripts.yr gain no less than 14 new rules, and amend those for MACOS.OSASCRIPT.TIPA, MACOS.OSASCRIPT.SYPR, MACOS.OSASCRIPT.TADE and MACOS.OSASCRIPT.REOB.

You can check whether this update has been installed by opening System Information via About This Mac, and selecting the Installations item under Software.

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MacDailyNews Note: More info via the full article here.

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Apple used to include perfect images for dynamic wallpapers and screensavers to showcase the namesake of its Mac operating systems: a dune in the Mojave Desert (Mac OS X El Capitan); a bird’s-eye view of Catalina Island (macOS Catalina); the Big Sur coastline (macOS Big Sur). Since macOS Monterey, abstract graphics had taken the spotlight; it was not until macOS 26 Tahoe that the default wallpaper returned to nature and landscape shots.

In the first two betas of macOS 27 Golden Gate, the abstract background with its brown-and-gold color scheme dominated. But with the third developer beta and the just-released Public Beta, the Mac now greets its users with a view of the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge. In the screensaver, the camera slowly zooms across the rocks at the southern end of the bridge towards the surf.

There is also a second background with a screensaver, though this still needs to be downloaded: the Golden Gate Bridge at night. Here, the view from the northern side has been chosen, with the brightly lit city shimmering in the background. In the animated screensaver, you can see cars travelling across the bridge and the full moon slowly moving across the sky.

The Golden Gate Bridge wallpapers and screen savers are in macOS 27 System Settings > Wallpaper; look for them in the Landscape section.

A California Apple user has filed a proposed class action accusing the company of misleading customers about Hide My Email’s privacy protections. Here are the details.

Apple is preparing a meaningful comeback for its smallest iPad. Fresh reports indicate the next iPad mini will swap its current Liquid Retina LCD for a modern OLED display, delivering the biggest visual and quality leap since the 2021 redesign.

Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman suggests the OLED upgrade could land as soon as October.

Expected Upgrades

• Display: 8.4-inch OLED panel with superior contrast, inky blacks, and richer colors compared to the existing model. It will stick to a standard 60Hz refresh rate (not ProMotion) and moderate brightness to help control costs.

• Performance: Likely powered by an A18 Pro chip for snappy everyday use.

• Form Factor: Same beloved ultra-portable design that fits in bags, backpacks, or even larger pockets.

Pricing and Positioning

Expect a noticeable price bump. The current iPad mini already costs around $600 after recent increases, and OLED technology will likely push the new model above $700. At that point it will compete more directly with the iPad Air and even premium iPhones, so Apple will need to emphasize its unique compact appeal for note-taking, reading, travel, and secondary-screen duties.

Launch Timeline

The OLED iPad mini is targeted for a fall 2026 release (likely following the September iPhone event), ahead of more modest refreshes to the base iPad and iPad Air next year.

MacDailyNews Take: iPad mini has felt stagnant for years despite its loyal fans who prize its one-handed usability. This OLED refresh signals Apple is serious about revitalizing the lineup and giving the small tablet a modern edge that matches the rest of its portfolio.

It’s an exciting prospect for anyone who wants premium screen quality without stepping up to a larger, heavier iPad. The higher price may give some pause, but the combination of portability and upgraded visuals could make this the most compelling mini in years.

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Last year, Apple debuted a new feature called AutoMix in Apple Music. With this year’s iOS 27, the feature is getting a big upgrade with much better transitions than before.

Has Apple focused too much on AI over the past few years, or not enough? It depends on who you ask. On the one hand, the topic is faddish, inescapable, and faintly apocalyptic, and I get thoroughly depressed listening to AI buzzwords at Apple events. But on the other, can the company afford to be left behind? Yeah, I know: the food’s terrible, and such small portions.

It turns out, however, that Apple may have played this one exactly right. With the benefit of hindsight, the company’s curious mixture of enthusiastic lip service and wait-and-see standoffishness appears perfectly judged. Apple is part of the AI conversation, while remaining far less committed than its quicker-acting, more reckless rivals. It’s enjoying the benefits, without having to suffer the consequences.

Let’s start with the benefits. Following years of substandard performance and delays, the new AI-powered version of Siri has emerged as a genuinely useful chatbot. It can’t do everything ChatGPT offers quite yet, but it’s reliable for quick questions, is clued into the iPhone data like no other chatbot, and is set up for a wide range of actions. It’s private, fast, and, in typical Apple fashion, there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

For the vast majority of iPhone owners, Siri AI was worth the wait. It does everything it needs to, and it should calm the negative voices clamoring about its place in the AI ecosystem. The real trick, however, is that Apple has achieved this without exposing itself to the trials and tribulations currently afflicting more AI-forward rivals.

Take OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT and perhaps the biggest name in this field. Apple recently sued it for theft of trade secrets, but this was hardly unprecedented. In 2023 alone, the company was sued three times (one, two, three) for copyright infringement by a total of 21 authors and The New York Times, while a fourth suit that year representing 16 anonymous plaintiffs alleged “an array of harms from copyright violations to wiretapping.”

In subsequent years many more lawsuits followed. These related to (among other things) stalking, murder, suicide, and two separate mass shootings (one, two). Legal challenges will likely continue for the foreseeable future, as will the keen interest of regulatory bodies.

In terms of public perception, OpenAI is divisive, to say the least. It has some intense supporters, but the company is associated in many eyes with slop videos and images, drought, unemployment, and a cavalier approach to other people’s intellectual property. Even Elon Musk, no stranger to global unpopularity, calls the CEO of the company “Scam Altman.” That gentleman doesn’t do himself any favors, to be fair.

Siri AI isn’t the best chatbot on the market, but it’s good enough.

Apple

It might seem like I’m giving OpenAI a hard time, but it’s really only one example of the backlash. Each time a company commits itself to AI, it risks financial and reputational damage. Such as Google and its racially diverse Nazis, Samsung and its confusing data consent terms, and Microsoft and its harmful responses. When not dunking hilariously on its owner, Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot is getting him in legal hot water by creating deepfake pornography and denying the Holocaust.

By contrast, Apple has got off incredibly lightly. Criticism of its AI efforts has mostly revolved around the company being slow to market. The worst scandal has probably been iOS AI notifications sometimes getting confused. But here it is, with a working AI chatbot just a couple of months away from debuting on billions of devices.. And without the substantial investments in AI infrastructure, which make it harder for rivals to step back. Why build your own unpopular data centers when you can use Google’s?

Success isn’t just about what you gain, but what it costs you. And on those terms, Apple appears to be winning AI.

Roblox says it will soon bring game creation to mobile for the first time. This will allow users to create new playable experiences directly inside the iPhone and iPad app.

Apple TV on Thursday announced an all-new season five of the beloved, award-winning animated kids and family series “Stillwater,” premiering with five episodes on Friday, August 21, 2026. Based on the bestselling Scholastic “Zen” book series by Jon J Muth, “Stillwater” follows a wise panda who teaches three young siblings about the world and each other. The series centers on siblings Karl (Judah Mackey), Addy (Eva Ariel Binder) and Michael (Tucker Chandler), who encounter everyday challenges — big and small — which sometimes feel insurmountable. Fortunately for these three, they have Stillwater (James Sie), a wise panda, as their next-door neighbor. Through his example, stories and gentle humor, Stillwater teaches the children the concept of mindfulness, while offering them a deeper understanding of their feelings as well as tools that help them face their own day-to-day challenges. “Stillwater” is produced for Apple TV by Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment.

Take a deep breath and embrace your inner peace by embarking on a fun adventure with the first four seasons of “Stillwater” available on Apple TV. Through breathing exercises, mindful moments and simple everyday practices, this uplifting, Peabody and Daytime Emmy Award-winning series invites you and your family to discover your own zen through each episode. “Stillwater” was produced through Apple TV’s changemakers initiative in collaboration with awareness and intention expert Mallika Chopra, author of “Buddha and the Rose” and the “Just Be” series for kids.

Apple TV has announced season five of the award-winning animated kids and family series “Stillwater,” premiering with five new episodes on August 21, 2026.

Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment produce, with Sidonie Dumas, Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Iole Lucchese, Caitlin Friedman, Jef Kaminsky, Jun Falkenstein and Rob Hoegee serving as executive producers. In addition, the series features the voice talents of Sie, Binder, Chandler and Mackey.

The exciting slate of recent offerings for kids and families on Apple TV also features “My Brother the Minotaur,” from Academy Award-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon and award-winning children’s media company Dog Ears; “Wonder Pets: In the City,” from Emmy Award winner Jennifer Oxley and produced by Nickelodeon Animation; animated adventure trilogy “WondLa,” based on the New York Times bestselling book series “The Search for WondLa” by Tony DiTerlizzi; highly anticipated kids and family series “Yo Gabba GabbaLand!” inspired by the hit, Emmy Award-nominated cultural phenomenon “Yo Gabba Gabba!”; season two of Emmy Award-winning “Shape Island,” based on the internationally bestselling picture books from Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen; animated fantasy adventure series “The Sisters Grimm,” based on Michael Buckley’s New York Times bestselling book series; the music-driven animated comedy series “BE@RBRICK” from DreamWorks Animation; “Goldie,” inspired by Emily Brundige’s award-winning 2019 short film of the same name, and many more.

Award-winning all-ages offerings now streaming globally on Apple TV also include the BAFTA Award and Emmy Award-winning live-action animated hybrid special “The Velveteen Rabbit,” BAFTA Award and Humanitas Prize-winning “El Deafo,” BAFTA Award-winning “Lovely Little Farm,” “Duck & Goose,” “Get Rolling With Otis,” Spin Master Entertainment’s “Sago Mini Friends,” Emmy Award-winning “Frog and Toad,” based on the Caldecott and Newbery Honor-winning books, Annie Award-nominated “Not a Box,” GLAAD Media Award-nominated “Pinecone & Pony,” The Jim Henson Company’s Emmy Award-winning “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” “Harriet the Spy” and “Slumberkins,” Sesame Workshop’s “Helpsters,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD and Bento Box Entertainment’s “Wolfboy and the Everything Factory,” Jack McBrayer and Angela C. Santomero’s and Emmy Award-nominated “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show.” Live-action offerings include “Me,” an elevated cinematic coming-of-age story from Barry L. Levy, Bonnie Hunt’s DGA Award and WGA Award-nominated “Amber Brown,” DGA Award-winning “Best Foot Forward,” “Surfside Girls,” WGA Award-winning “Life By Ella,” Sesame Workshop and Sinking Ship’s Emmy Award-winning “Ghostwriter,” Emmy Award and Environmental Media Association Award-winning “Jane,” and Scholastic’s “Puppy Place.” “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth,” the Emmy Award-winning television event based on the New York Times bestselling book and TIME Best Book of the Year by Oliver Jeffers, is also featured.

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 850 wins and 3,737 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.

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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According to a new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the “biggest overhaul to the iPad mini in half a decade” is coming as soon as this October. The new version of Apple’s smallest tablet includes an upgrade to an OLED display from the current IPS LCD, which would bring the image quality in line with the iPhone and the iPad Pro.

The last time Apple updated the iPad mini was in 2024, when the only change was from an A15 Bionic to an A17 Bionic processor. Gurman’s report doesn’t offer details on chip upgrades and other specifications, but past reports said that Apple had an A19 Pro iPad mini in testing. Apple is expected to introduce the A20 Pro chip with the iPhone 18 Pro announcement in September, so an A20 Pro in the iPad mini is also a possibility.

Apple is also expected to release the iPhone Ultra, a folding phone, and reports have said that the Ultra is expected to be about 7.8 inches when unfolded. That would make it a little smaller than the 8.3-inch iPad mini. While the iPhone Ultra is expected to be much more expensive than the iPad mini, with a starting price of more than $2,000, its existence could bring more attention to the iPad mini, which currently starts at $599. Apple raised the price of the iPad mini last month, and the upgrade here could result in another price hike, but it will still be much more affordable than an iPhone Ultra.

Gurman also reported that Apple plans to update the other iPad models through the first half of 2027. The entry-level iPad “is slated for release as early as the first calendar quarter next year,” followed by updates to the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and Apple Pencil in the spring.

Google announced today that NotebookLM is now called “Gemini Notebook” and previewed upcoming features that users can soon expect.

In a major boost to American domestic manufacturing, the Trump Administration today announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is committing an additional $100 billion in investments for advanced semiconductor facilities in the United States. This brings TSMC’s total planned investment to $265 billion — one of the largest foreign direct investments in American history.

The announcement, made jointly by the White House and the Department of Commerce, highlights the success of strategic trade and investment partnerships, particularly the historic U.S.-Taiwan deal signed in January 2026. As a direct result, TSMC will build four additional advanced semiconductor manufacturing and packaging facilities, bringing its U.S. footprint to 12 leading-edge facilities, primarily in Arizona.

Building on Momentum

This latest expansion builds on previous commitments. TSMC’s original plans started at around $65 billion, which were later increased. The new infusion underscores sustained momentum under the current administration’s focus on reshoring critical supply chains.

In a statement, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasized the job-creating impact, “President Trump’s leadership is driving companies to invest in American manufacturing. TSMC’s announcement of an additional $100 billion investment following our historic deal on trade and investment with Taiwan will create tens of thousands of American jobs and bring advanced semiconductor manufacturing back to America.”

TSMC Chairman and CEO Dr. C.C. Wei echoed the sentiment, crediting collaboration with the administration and strong U.S. customer demand, “We appreciate the strong collaboration and support of the Trump Administration, Secretary Lutnick and our leading U.S. customers… This is to support the strong multi-year demand from our leading U.S. customers, and we believe this investment will further foster the development of the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem, strengthen the supply chain, and support significant job creation in the United States.”

Economic and Strategic Impact

The investments are expected to generate significant construction and high-tech jobs, along with billions in indirect economic output. Beyond direct facilities, the broader U.S.-Taiwan trade and investment framework is catalyzing an additional $500 billion in Taiwanese investments — $250 billion in direct semiconductor and related enterprises, plus another $250 billion to strengthen the full supply chain in the U.S.

This move addresses long-standing concerns about reliance on overseas production for advanced chips, especially those critical for AI, defense, automotive, and consumer electronics. By expanding domestic capacity with a world-leading foundry like TSMC, the U.S. strengthens its position in the global semiconductor race while creating high-paying opportunities for American workers.

The Trump Administration’s approach, which combines diplomatic deals, incentives for onshoring, and a focus on national security, continues to yield concrete results in rebuilding America’s industrial base.
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MacDailyNews Take: With 12 state-of-the-art facilities on track, America is poised to capture a much larger share of advanced chip production. This not only bolsters economic competitiveness, but also enhances supply chain resilience against geopolitical risks.

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Apple TV announced today that its Peabody and Emmy Award-winning mindfulness series Stillwater will return next month for a new season. Here are the details.

Ugreen FineTrack Air iOS trackers 4-pack

View Deal

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Sure, you could pay $100 for a pack of four AirTags, but why not pay $19.97 instead? Amazon is selling four Ugreen FineTrack FindMy Bluetooth trackers for 25 percent off, the lowest price we’ve seen outside of Prime Day and other major sales. And even then, the cheapest they’ve been is $19.

Despite the trackers not having the Apple logo on them, they work just fine with Apple’s Find My app. Each tag pairs with your iPhone or iPad in one tap, and then you find it easily in the Find My app. Then, if the tag is close by, you can play a sound to hunt it down. When it’s outside Bluetooth range, it will ping off other Apple devices and get its general location.

The tags come with replaceable batteries that last up to two years, which is great. Also quite nice is that you won’t have to pay for extra accessories because these Ugreen models are designed with a built-in hole for your keyring. So you’re not only saving by not spending $100 on Apple AirTags, but you’re also saving on accessories. Just keep in mind that these trackers only work with iOS devices, so you won’t be able to give one to your Android-using friend.

At $19.97 for four, the Ugreen FineTrack Air trackers are a smart pick if you want simple, reliable tracking across your daily essentials.

In an effort to keep Apple Maps usable, Cupertino won’t allow ads for specific home services, crypto ATM operators and other things.

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

Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by the ongoing $50 price drop on AirPods Pro 3, but we also have AirPods 4 with ANC hitting best price in months at Amazon today, as well as a chance to land a set Apple Watch Series 11 lineup and a rare Amazon low on Hyper’s latest 120Gbps Thunderbolt 5 Dock with SSD enclosure $80 off. Head below for a closer look.

While Apple’s latest AppleCare+ price increase for Mac and iPad is small in isolation, it makes AppleCare One an even better value. Apple increasing the price of Mac and iPad hardware also makes warranty coverage a stronger consideration.

Apple has significantly boosted its orders for vapor chamber cooling systems, primarily to support production of its highly anticipated first foldable iPhone, according to a Chinese supply chain leaker. The move also points to advanced thermal management in the company’s upcoming Twentieth Anniversary iPhone slated for 2027.

The information comes from the Weibo account “Fixed Focus Digital,” a source that has previously shared details about Apple’s foldable device. The increased orders will first go toward manufacturing the book-style foldable iPhone, internally referred to as the “iPhone Ultra,” which is on track for a September 2026 debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.

Apple has reportedly instructed suppliers to prepare around 10 million units of the foldable iPhone for 2026, an increase from earlier projections of 7–8 million. This ramp-up signals strong confidence in the device’s production readiness despite the complexities of its folding mechanism.

Advanced Cooling for a Challenging Form Factor

Fixed Focus Digital previously indicated that the foldable iPhone would feature “impressive” vapor chamber cooling, with Apple “going all out” on its thermal design. This makes sense given the device’s expected thin profile when unfolded (rumored around 4.5–5mm) and the space constraints of a foldable chassis, which could limit traditional heat dissipation options.

Apple first introduced vapor chamber technology in the iPhone 17 Pro models last year. The system uses a small amount of deionized water to efficiently transfer heat away from the powerful A-series chip and spread it across the device’s aluminum frame, helping sustain high performance without thermal throttling.

The same cooling approach is now expected to extend to the foldable iPhone Ultra and potentially the 2027 anniversary iPhones, which are rumored to feature dramatic edge-to-edge displays with glass curving around all four sides for a nearly borderless look.

Broader Context and Timeline

The foldable iPhone is expected to include a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch cover screen, an A20 chip, and a Touch ID power button, with pricing likely starting near $2,000. Recent reports confirm that mass production is underway, with key components like OLED panels already in production at Samsung Display.

Meanwhile, Apple’s 20th-anniversary iPhones are planned for two sizes similar to the iPhone 18 Pro models. These devices could mark a major redesign, potentially returning to an all-glass enclosure.

MacDailyNews Take: This latest leak aligns with Apple’s aggressive push into new form factors while maintaining the performance and reliability standards users expect from its flagship devices. As the September launch approaches, more details on the iPhone Ultra’s final specifications are likely to emerge from the supply chain.

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Read our detailed ReelCharge ReelPro 200W Power Bank review to discover its real-world performance with Apple products.

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

A few months back, the MacBook Neo took the tech world by storm, delivering the best-value laptop of 2026. Even after the recent price increase, it remains the most recommended entry-level laptop for most people. And just like Apple’s other cost-effective products, they brought some playful colors into the mix, like Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver, giving these MacBooks a pop of personality and color. But one gripe I had was that most MacBook accessories are color-matched to the traditional silver or space grey colors. That is where Satechi comes in with their new trio of color-matched accessories for the MacBook Neo. They add more ports, connectivity, and functionality without taking away from what makes the Neo visually unique. Here is what you should know!

Rumors about Apple’s 2027 iPads point to faster chips and potential display improvements across the range, from the iPad Air (updated in March 2026) to the Pro (last updated in October 2025). Yet for most buyers, the most important update may be coming to the most affordable model.

The entry-level iPad–Apple’s cheapest tablet and the one aimed at students and families–is reportedly set to receive a performance boost that will finally enable Apple Intelligence features in an update that could arrive in early 2027.

The current iPad was released in March 2025, and while it’s a perfectly good iPad for most people, it’s the only iPad that doesn’t support Apple Intelligence. Apple’s 2027 update should address that shortcoming. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the new iPad. 

What’s new vs 2025 iPad A16: At a glance

2027 iPad predictions2025 iPadLaunch dateEarly 2027March 2025Processor A18 (maybe A19) A16 RAM8GB6GBWi-Fi  Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 6Bluetooth Bluetooth 6Bluetooth 5.3Apple IntelligenceYesNoDesignUnchangedUnchanged

2027 iPad release date: When will Apple launch the next entry-level iPad?

Early 2027 launch predicted

In a July 2026 report, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that Apple has scheduled the release of the entry-level iPad for “as early as the first calendar quarter next year.” Previously, Gurman reported that the new entry-level iPad is “on the roadmap for a release in the iOS 26.4 timeframe, which runs until May.” Apple released iOS 26.4 on March 24, and the iPad was not released.

Why the later ship date? It’s possible that Apple needs to ensure sufficient supply of whichever chip it chooses (A18, A19, or A20) and may also be waiting for its Apple Intelligence features to be fully ready. This includes ongoing work to improve next-generation Siri AI, which is part of the iPadOS 27 update that will be released in the fall.

A delay is more likely to be strategic than technical. Apple did not update the base iPad during its March 2026 launch event, despite releasing the M4 iPad Air. Holding back the entry-level iPad helps avoid cannibalising sales of more expensive models, and staggered releases like this are typical of Apple’s product strategy.

Should you wait?

We recommend waiting for the 2027 iPad if you’re considering an upgrade. The next-generation iPad is expected to deliver a meaningful upgrade with a faster chip, more RAM, and support for Apple Intelligence, making it a much more future-proof choice.

2027 iPad chip: Will the new iPad use the A18 or A19 chip?

A18 chip most likely

6-core CPU and 5-core GPU

N1 chip for Wi-Fi 6E/7 and Bluetooth 6

The biggest upgrade coming to the 2027 iPad will be a new processor, but reports are divided on exactly which chip Apple will use.

Most evidence points to the A18 chip, which debuted in the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus in 2024. In March 2026, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the new iPad is “ready to go” with an A18, making it the most likely candidate. The A18 would also enable Apple Intelligence, something the current A16-powered iPad cannot support.

However, there is still a possibility that Apple could opt for the A19 chip instead. As we reported in December 2025, a code-leak suggested that Apple had been testing new iPad models (codenamed J581 and J582) equipped with the same A19 chip expected in the iPhone 17 lineup.

For now, the balance of evidence leans toward the A18 as the more realistic choice. Reports of A18 Pro shortages (linked to the popularity of the MacBook Neo) are unlikely to affect supply of the standard A18 chip if Apple chooses to use that in the new iPad.

What to expect

A18 chip: Expected to feature a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, similar to its implementation in recent iPhones. Apple may use a “binned” version with one fewer CPU or GPU core, a common strategy to improve manufacturing yields and differentiate products. The A18 should deliver a 30–40 percent performance boost over the A16, along with 8GB of RAM (up from 6GB), enabling support for Apple Intelligence.

A19 chip: Expected to feature a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU in the iPhone 17. Apple could use the same configuration or a slightly reduced “binned” version for the iPad. The A19 would offer an even larger jump—around 50 percent faster than the A16—while also including 8GB of RAM, which is essential for Apple Intelligence features.

Other specs

Apple is also expected to bring its new N1 connectivity chip to the iPad. First introduced with the iPhone 17 lineup, the N1 handles Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread connectivity. Its inclusion could upgrade the iPad to Wi-Fi 6E or even Wi-Fi 7, along with Bluetooth 6.x, up from the current Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.

For cellular models, Apple will likely use its in-house C1 modem (or a variant of it), continuing its shift away from third-party suppliers while improving efficiency and integration.

Why does Apple Intelligence matter for the iPad?

Apple Intelligence introduces a range of AI-powered features designed to enhance creativity, productivity, and real-time communication, including:

Image Generation: Tools like Image Playground and Genmoji allow users to create custom visuals and personalized emojis from text prompts.

Live Translation: Integrated into FaceTime and Messages, this feature provides real-time translated captions during calls, effectively giving every user a personal translator.

Photo Editing: The “Clean Up” tool uses AI to identify and remove unwanted background objects from photos, a task that previously required complex manual editing.

Writing Tools: System-wide rewriting, proofreading, and summarization in apps such as Mail and Notes.

Smart Shortcuts: Automation of repetitive tasks using intelligent actions and text summarization.

Priority Management: AI-driven Priority Notifications and Priority Inbox to surface time-sensitive information.

These features require at least 8GB of RAM and a more powerful Neural Engine, which means Apple Intelligence is currently limited to M-series iPads (Air and Pro) and the A17 Pro iPad mini.

By contrast, the standard iPad with the A16 chip (released in March 2025) does not support Apple Intelligence. This is a notable limitation for long-term value, especially as future versions of iPadOS are expected to rely increasingly on AI-driven features.

2027 iPad display: No OLED or ProMotion

Same 10.9-inch LCD

No OLED display

No ProMotion

While there are reports that the other iPads (mini, Air and Pro) could get new OLED panels with richer colors and deeper contrast in 2027, the base model is unlikely to evolve from its LCD panel.

We expect the upcoming iPad to have the same 11-inch Liquid Retina display 2360-by-1640 display with 500 nits of brightness and 60Hz refresh rate that it has had since 2022.

2027 iPad design: No new design

Apple currently offers the iPad in four colors.

Apple

The A19 iPad is also expected to have the same dimensions: 9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches (248.6 x 179.5 x 7 millimeters) and weigh 1.05 pounds (477 grams). 

We haven’t heard anything about new colors, but since Apple hasn’t changed the color palette (blue, pink, yellow, silver) since its original release, it’s possible we get a couple of new options.

2027 iPad cameras: Will Apple update the FaceTime camera?

Britta O’Boyle

12MP rear camera 

12MP Center Stage front camera 

The current iPad has two 12MP cameras, with the front ‘FaceTime’ camera having support for Center Stage. Apple isn’t expected to make changes to the camera for the upcoming iPad. 

However, the company did change the Centre Stage camera with the arrival of the iPhone 17, and the new ‘square’ 18MP camera could be used on the front of the new iPad.

This front-facing camera has a larger, square sensor that supports automatic subject framing, orientation-agnostic capture, and advanced video features. On the iPad the 18MP camera could translate to improved video quality. However, current iPads already support smart framing during video calls so that aspect of the design may not be necessary.

2027 iPad price: Will Apple keep the entry-level iPad affordable?

After launching at $449 in 2022, Apple cut the price of the entry-level iPad to $349 in May 2024, and doubled the starting storage from 64GB to 128GB with the 11th-gen model. However, in June 2026, Apple raised the price back to the to $449 level due to supply-chain shortages. It’s possible that Apple could raise the price again.

Apple has reportedly ramped up orders for vapor chambers, signaling that the cooling technology could play a bigger role across its future hardware lineup. Here are the details.

Apple closed the unlocked iPhone loophole that allowed T-Mobile and Verizon buyers to finance a phone that worked on any network.

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

On July 16, 2014, Apple agreed to pay $450 million to resolve the Department of Justice’s antitrust case regarding e-book pricing.

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

Apple’s latest AppleCare+ price increase adds 50 cents per month to Mac and iPad plans.

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

At long last, Apple finally announced its Back to School promotion, and at first glance, it seems similar to previous years. You can get a gift card valued at up to $150 for buying a new MacBook Pro, or $100 for buying a MacBook Air, iPad Pro, or iPad Air. But when you dive into the details, you’ll see just how limiting this limited-time offer really is.

First off, it’s shorter than ever. While previous sales have lasted more than three months, this year’s offer ends on August 27, just six weeks from now. So not only did it start about a month later than usual, it’s ending more than a month sooner than recent years:

2026: July 16 to August 27

2025: June 17 to September 30

2024: June 20 to September 30

2023: June 5 to October 2

2022: June 24 to September 26

So students will need to make their decisions on what to buy sooner than ever, many of them before the school year begins. And they’ll also have fewer products to choose from. As expected, the MacBook Neo isn’t part of the promotion, but you also won’t find any desktop Macs. In previous years, Apple has offered iMacs and Mac minis alongside MacBooks, but not this year.

And then there’s the offer itself. After offering buyers a choice of accessories valued at up to $199, including AirPods, an Apple Pencil Pro, or a Magic Keyboard, Apple has returned to giving away gift cards this year: $150 with the purchase of a MacBook Pro, and $100 when you buy a MacBook Air, iPad Air, or iPad Pro. Not only is that less than in 2024, when buyers got $150 when purchasing a MacBook Air, but it also doesn’t take any of the recent price hikes into consideration.

That $100 gift card you’re getting on the iPad Air doesn’t even bring it down to the price it used to be before Apple raised prices by $150. MacBook Pros still cost $150 more than they did just last month, and if you’re planning to use that gift card on a HomePod or Apple TV, well, you might as well just throw your money in the trash.

Unfortunately, this promotion is still among the best “deals” you’re going to find on a MacBook or iPad. Prices on Amazon and other stores have all been adjusted to match Apple’s new prices, and we’ve yet to see much in the way of major Apple discounts yet (although we do recommend looking at the Apple Certified Refurbished Store where prices are more favorable). But remember you’re need to act fast—the clock runs out on the Back to School deal a lot earlier this year.

entry-level iPad, the iPad Air, and the iPad Pro. Here are the details.

Apple is preparing to introduce advertising to its Maps app in the United States and Canada this summer, but the company has drawn some distinctly Apple-style lines in the sand about who gets to advertise there.

In a new Advertising Services policy update, Apple explicitly prohibits several ad categories from appearing in search results and Suggested Places within Maps. The banned list includes home services such as plumbing, electrical work, locksmithing, HVAC repairs, pest control, roofing, and general contracting. Also off-limits: bail bond services and cryptocurrency ATMs.

Medical service ads will be considered on a case-by-case basis, which is Apple’s polite way of saying “we’ll let you know if your ad passes our vibe check.”

The restrictions set Apple Maps apart from Google Maps, where home services represent one of the biggest local advertising categories. While Google happily serves up sponsored results for roofers and plumbers, Apple appears intent on keeping its Maps experience focused on businesses users can actually use Maps to visit without needing a hard hat or a getaway driver.

Apple’s broader advertising rules remain in force as well — no ads for weapons, controlled substances, political campaigns, or anything that competes with (or knocks off) Apple products. (Sorry, Samsung. Not sorry.) The company also continues its long-standing bans on deceptive claims, discriminatory content, and anything it deems offensive or controversial.

Ads in Maps will carry a clear “Ad” label, and Apple emphasizes that user location data and ad interactions will not be tied to Apple IDs or shared with third parties.The move comes months after Apple first announced plans for Maps monetization as part of its Apple Business platform. While many users have already expressed dread at the arrival of ads in what was previously a relatively clean navigation experience, the selective restrictions have sparked a mix of reactions — ranging from relief that emergency “my basement is flooding” searches won’t be interrupted by sponsored plumbing offers, to mild confusion about why perfectly legal (if occasionally sketchy) services are getting the boot.
‎
MacDailyNews Take: In typical Apple fashion, the company is threading the needle between revenue generation and maintaining its reputation for curation. The result? A Maps app that will happily tell you where to get the best latte, but won’t lift a finger to help you when your kitchen sink stages a rebellion.

‎
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Apple’s AirPods dodged a possible redesign as the EU exempts wireless earbuds from new battery rules aimed at reducing waste.

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

Pick up a perfectly portable, and perfectly capable, Apple tablet that’s marked down to just $294.99 in this refurbished iPad mini 6 deal.

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

WhatsApp is rolling out in-call settings that allow users to switch between the iPhone’s different Mic Modes. Here are the details.

Meta has announced that parents can receive alerts when their teens discuss suicide or other forms of self-harm with its AI on Instagram, Facebook, or Meta Horizons.

You’ll need to opt in to Meta’s supervision tools for parents and guardians in order to select the family accounts you want to supervise …

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a major Apple supplier and the world’s largest contract chipmaker, has reported an outstanding second-quarter performance that underscores the relentless momentum in the artificial intelligence sector.

According to Reuters, TSMC posted a 77% jump in second-quarter net profit on Thursday, beating market forecasts and hitting a record high, driven by surging global demand for its artificial intelligence processors.

“TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, posted a 77% jump in second-quarter net profit on Thursday, beating market forecasts and hitting a record, riding the wave of surging global demand for its artificial intelligence processors,” Reuters reports.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. saw April-June net profit rise to T$706.6 billion ($21.99 billion).

The results significantly outperformed expectations. The profit handily beat a T$632.6 billion LSEG SmartEstimate, which is weighted toward forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate.

MacDailyNews Take: This strong performance highlights TSMC’s pivotal role in the global semiconductor supply chain, powering everything from advanced AI chips to consumer electronics. As demand for high-performance computing continues to accelerate (particularly for AI applications) TSMC’s results signal robust health not just for the company, but for the broader tech ecosystem.

TSMC’s record quarter serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the global economy.

‎
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1Password is launching a new Claude integration for Mac users today. It’s designed to let Anthropic’s AI agent sign in to websites without seeing your password or two-factor authentication code.

Five Apple Watch models are able to measure your blood pressure in order to generate alerts for possible hypertension. However, they do not provide your actual blood pressure readings.

A few smart rings and other fitness devices do so, but rely on regular calibration with a traditional cuff monitor. The upcoming Signal Ring says that it delivers full blood pressure measurements without any calibration, and that a trial of thousands of people backs the claim …

We’ve known for some time that adverts are coming to Apple Maps. The leaker-analyst Mark Gurman claimed as long ago as February 2025 that Apple was exploring the idea, and it became official when the company announced its new Apple Business platform in March of this year. Now the project is becoming a reality, with the publication of rules which advertisers will need to follow.

In the updated document, advertisers are told to steer clear of the usual forbidden topics: drugs, profanity, discrimination, crime, politics, sex, guns, violence, and anything that competes with Apple hardware. But there are new prohibitions in the section devoted to Apple Maps.

Most notably, no adverts will be accepted for home services. This includes “plumbing, electrical, locksmith, HVAC, pest control, roofing, or general contracting services.” The document doesn’t explain why such services cannot be advertised in Apple Maps, but it may be related to liability if a user is physically injured or financially harmed by substandard work. Confusingly, however, Google Maps absolutely does accept ads in those categories; a quick search for “roofing” gave me two sponsored results for roofing companies before I got to the organic results.

The section also states that Apple Maps will not carry adverts for cryptocurrency ATMs and bail bond services. And while ads for medical services may be accepted, the company reserves the right to evaluate these on a case-by-case basis.

It isn’t yet clear when exactly the ads will start to appear in Apple Maps. They aren’t currently showing for anyone in the Macworld team, and are still labelled as “Coming soon” on Apple’s website. Apple has said only that they will launch this summer, beginning in the U.S. and Canada.

There are few software limitations on anyone considering a switch from Windows to Mac. Not only do all the biggest PC apps run on the platform, but there are countless examples of useful apps that are exclusive to Mac.

The one big exception is gaming. However, new tests show that Windows games run better than ever on Mac, whether that’s being done officially or unofficially …

Based on the experience of some people on Reddit, anyone opting for an Apple Watch with an aluminium case should perhaps bear one thing in mind: Your body chemistry can affect the durability of the watch’s case.

On r/AppleWatch, Spirited-Ad-5977 posted a picture of their 6-year-old Apple Watch. The case and its holes look like Swiss cheese. Other photos show elongated gullies. The case looks damaged, but the original poster doesn’t provide any details besides the photos, asking simply, “What is happening to the body?”

It appears that the Apple Watch in question is experiencing a type of corrosion called pitting corrosion. Most responders on Reddit suspect it is due to the chemistry of the sweat of the original poster. The aluminium coating on the Apple Watch could be reacting with the chloride ions from sodium, which reach the skin via the sweat.

The chloride ion reacts with the oxidized layer of the aluminium casing and displaces the oxygen from the compound. This breaks through the oxidized layer. The metal underneath reacts with further chloride ions that reach the area. This creates a localized acidic environment that continues to eat its way inwards, creating the pits on the Apple Watch. Some responders wonder if some lotions or creams have an effect on the case.

This seems to be an isolated incident between the Reddit poster and their Apple Watch. Everyone sweats differently in terms of quantity, intensity, and chemistry. It’s not common to hear about this problem, but it’s not a new one to watch makers in general. The Swiss watch industry has a dedicated standard that specifies the case’s resistance to external chemical influences. Some laboratories immerse watches and their straps in artificial sweat to determine whether the watch is resistant to it.

Apple doesn’t appear to have any support documentation addressing the specific issue of sweat and the Apple Watch. But Apple does have a detail document on how to clean your Apple Watch, which you should do regularly. The document also has tips to avoid skin irritation, or if you have allergies or skin sensitivities.

Apple chipmaker TSMC had already said that it would build a total of eight plants in Arizona, and has now announced an investment boost that could see that number increased to 12.

This could potentially see more chips for Apple devices made in the US, but there are reasons to be skeptical about this possibility …

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The MacBook Neo, Apple’s entry-level laptop officially announced in early March 2026, is a sensation, bringing the Mac to a whole new market with its low price but surprisingly powerful specs and features. For just $699 you get the full Mac experience in a premium aluminum 13-inch laptop with FaceTime HD camera, speakers, mic and two USB-C ports.

Compared to similarly priced Windows laptops and iPads with keyboards, the MacBook Neo offers superior build quality, performance, and storage capacity—for hundreds of dollars less than any previous Mac laptop.

We’ve outlined some of the small compromises that Apple has made to get to that ultra-keen price point, but most of these technicalities won’t bother the target audience at that great deal of a price tag.

That’s not to say that the MacBook Neo is perfect—otherwise why would the MacBook Air and Pro exist? For not a whole lot of extra outlay you can make the MacBook Neo an even better product and part of your digital lifestyle with these accessories. Here we list some of our favorite Mac accessories that we think every MacBook Neo owner should purchase or at least put on their wish list.

MacBook Neo limitations and solutions

Here are some of the limitations of the MacBook Neo that you can solve with the accessories in this guide.

Slow 20W charger: Buy a faster charger

Only two USB-C ports: Buy a USB-C hub

One slow 480Mbps port: Buy a USB-C hub

Single external display support: Buy a DisplayLink dock

Small screen for desk use: Buy an external screen

Satechi

Essential MacBook Neo accessory 1: A charger

Apple ships the MacBook Neo with a 20-watt (20W) Power Adapter (unless you’re in the U.K. or E.U., where–tough luck–you’ll get just a charging cable and no actual charger). At just 20W, it’s a pretty low-powered adapter. In fact, it’s now hard to find a charger rated that low, with 30W or 45W increasingly the minimum output.

If you’re in a hurry for power, you’ll want something more capable than Apple’s puny 20W adapter. While Apple doesn’t list fast charging in the Neo’s tech specs, in our own Neo charging tests we found it does charge faster when paired with a more powerful charger.

Charging speed is largely determined by power output. The more watts available, the faster a device can charge—up to its maximum supported input. For example, you can plug a 140W charger into an iPhone, but it won’t charge any faster than it would with a 35W adapter as the Neo’s max input is 30W. A 30W charger will be faster than the 20W but a little more powerful supply will get through any latency. We recommend at least a 35W charger. Better still, buy a much more powerful charger with multiple ports so you can charge more than just your Neo with it.

We’ve chosen two alternative chargers to consider: a compact 45W single-port model and a 65W multiport charger. For more options, see our roundup of the best USB-C chargers for MacBook for even more choice.

Anker 45W Nano Charger (Foldable) – Best little charger

Pros

More powerful than Neo charger

Super compact/cute

Smart display

180° Foldable plug pins

Color choices

Cons

North America only

Price When Reviewed:

$39.99

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$25.99

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$39.99

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We think a 45W charger is the minimum you should be looking at with any MacBook (or even iPhone for that matter). Keep the Apple 20W Power Adapter as a spare, and buy the Anker 45W Nano Charger with smart display and 180-degree dual foldable plug pins that are designed to adapt to any outlet angle while keeping the screen clearly visible and/or USB-C port easy to locate.

Not only is it more powerful than Apple’s weedy 20W Power Adapter, it’s smarter too. It has a front display that gives you real-time updates on power, temperature, and charging modes. The Apple 20W charger is just a plain white brick with non-foldable plug pins. It measures 1.63 x 1.67 x 1.06 inches (41 x 42 x 27mm). The Anker Nano is smaller at 1.34 x 1.38 x 1.57 inches (34 x 35 x 40mm). It’s not just the super-compact body that’s cute in its four colors—Black, White, Orange and Misty Blue—the display can show playful animations for every charge.

Anker has another 45W Nano Charger without the display and only single-foldable plugs that is available in the U.S., U.K. and E.U. that you might find even cheaper at Amazon / Amazon UK.

Ugreen Nexode 65W – Multiport charger with retractable USB-C cable

Pros

More powerful than Neo charger

Two ports plus built-in cable

Price When Reviewed:

From $49.99

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$39.99

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Two ports are nice but how about a couple of ports—one USB-C and one legacy USB-A—plus a built-in retractable USB-C cable so you never have to go looking for that lost cable again?

The Ugreen Nexode is a multiport wall charger available in 65W (2 ports) or 100W (3 ports) models, each with the integrated 2.5-foot cable.

Read our full

Ugreen Nexode 65W Charger with Retractable USB-C Cable review

Essential MacBook Neo accessory 2: More ports

The MacBook Neo has just two USB-C ports on one side. You’ll need one for your charging cable (included in the box), leaving just one port spare to connect other devices such as storage thumb drives, external displays, card readers, and so on.

Simon Jary

One of the Neo’s two USB-C ports is limited to a 480Mbps data transfer rate—that’s up to 250 times slower than the Thunderbolt 5 port on a MacBook Pro—that will really bore the pants off you during a long backup to an external storage device. Use the slow one for your charging cable, and save the other much faster 10Gbps USB-C to connect a hub that boasts many more types of ports to make your Neo more like a proper desktop workstation.

We like the Satechi OnTheGo Multiport Adapter reviewed below because it comes in all the Neo colors as does the Satechi Snap Hub. However, there are many more to choose from, adding between 4 and 12 extra ports, including USB-C and USB-A ports, card readers, Ethernet, HDMI, and more. There’s sure to be the perfect one for you and your MacBook Neo. See our reviews of all the best USB-C hubs and adapters for MacBooks. You can add up to 23 extra ports to the Neo if you splash out on one of the best Mac docking stations.

Satechi USB-C Snap Hub – Neo-colored USB-C hub

Pros

Six ports for two-port Neo

Perfect color-matched accessory

Compact and lightweight

4K/60Hz HDMI

Card readers

Legacy USB-A

Passthrough power

Price When Reviewed:

$44.99

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$44.99

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$44.99

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Satechi’s USB-C Snap Hub might be the best hub for most MacBook Neo owners, combining a perfectly color-matched, flush-fitting design with the essential ports the Neo lacks at an affordable price. Available in Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver, it looks like a natural extension of the laptop while adding charging, USB expansion, HDMI, and SD card support in a compact, cable-free design.

It’s engineered specifically for MacBook Neo’s asymmetric USB-C port design, and measures 3.95 x 1.43 x 0.39 inches (100 x 29 x 10mm) with a marginal weight of 1.13oz (32g).

It does take up both of the Neo’s adjacent USB-C ports but replaces these and adds much more—offering two USB-C ports (one for 45W power delivery, and one for 5Gbps data), one legacy USB-A port, HDMI, and both SD and MicroSD card readers.

While the Neo supports just one external display, this is ably handled by the HMI port that supports up to a $k display at a 60Hz refresh rate. If you desire more than one display, you’ll need a DisplayLink dock: see lower down for this solution.

Read our full

Satechi USB-C Snap Hub review

Satechi OnTheGo Multiport Adapter – Neo-colored Magnetic hub

Pros

Adds five ports to the Neo

In matching Neo colors

Portable

Magnetic

4K/60Hz HDMI

Card readers

Legacy USB-A

Passthrough power

Cons

Only the black 7-in-1 has Ethernet

Price When Reviewed:

$44.99

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$44.99

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Satechi has really gone into bat for MacBook Neo users. Not only does it sell the Neo-matching USB-C Snap Hub reviewed above, it has gone all Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver on its OnTheGo Multiport Adapter.

Connect this cute hub to the spare USB-C port—make sure it’s the fast 10Gbps one near the end of the Neo’s side—and you instantly get access to a range of ports denied to non-hub users. Many of these you don’t get even with the top-end MacBook Pro. It’s magnetic so can clamp to metal objects and comes with a magnetic adhesive ring that you can stick to the front of your Neo.

There are two versions: a 5-in-1 that comes in Neo colors and a 7-in-1 that’s redulation black.

The OnTheGo Multiport Adapter is a portable pocket-sized hockey puck shape (65mm diameter) with a coiled braided USB-C cable and either five or seven varied ports. The 5-in-1 features two USB-C ports (one ready to passthrough up to 60W of power to the Neo, although it will use only 30W of that), one legacy USB-A port, an SD card reader, and HDMI 2.0 for connecting an external display (up to 4K/60Hz).

If you need Gigabit Ethernet to access a stable, fast wired network, you’ll need to forego the Neo colors for the black-only 7-in-1 model. That model also comes with a MicroSD card reader alomgside the SD reader, plus a second USB-A port, although it does lack the USB-C data port.

What might interest Neo owners are the card readers that are ideal for adding cheap, portable storage. You can pick up a 256GB microSD card for $50, 512GB for $100, and 1TB for around $250, although storage prices can be very volatile.

Read our full Satechi OnTheGo Multiport Adapter review.

Essential MacBook Neo accessory 3: A desk stand

A laptop is a far more flexible computer than one always tethered to your desk, but that portability and ability to work just about anywhere comes with a hidden price: sore shoulders and back. Ergonomics—the study of people in their working environment—proves that being hunched over a laptop screen and keyboard takes a toll on your body; particularly musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, and tendonitis caused by repetitive strain and awkward postures.

One solution is to raise the laptop to a better height and angle so that your neck and shoulders are relieved from those dangers, and that is best sorted by using a laptop stand with your MacBook Neo. For more adjustable options go to our reviews of the best MacBook stands.

Twelve South Curve SE – Best MacBook Neo stand

Pros

Stylish

Decent height

Great price

Cons

Only one height setting

Price When Reviewed:

$19.99

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$9.99

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$19.99

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The Curve SE is super affordable and raises your MacBook 6.5 inches off your desk so you can sit up straight and look directly at your screen—and so feel less tension in your neck and shoulders. It also keeps your laptop cool with air flowing underneath it.

The Curve SE is available in Silver only. An alternative fixed laptop stand, the $49 Rain Design mStand (direct or from Amazon) is another sturdy option, and is available in a wider range of colors: Black, Gold, Midnight, Silver, Space Gray and Starlight. There’s even a rotating version, the $59 Rain Design mStand 360.

Essential MacBook Neo accessory 4: A mouse

Using a separate mouse is often better than a laptop’s trackpad because it offers superior precision, faster navigation, and improved ergonomic comfort. A mouse can reduce strain on the neck, shoulder, and forearm, and is essential for tasks that require more precise accuracy, such as photo editing or gaming. We have more options in various shapes, sizes and colors in our roundup of the best mouse for Mac.

Satechi Slim EX Wireless Mouse – Best Neo-colored compact mouse

Pros

Affordable

Neo colors

Allows for very accurate scrolling

Curved ergonomic design

Cons

No horizontal scrolling

Price When Reviewed:

$29.99

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$23.99

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Satechi’s low-price USB-C aluminum Slim EX Wireless Mouse comes with a twiddly scroll wheel rather than the trackpad that you get with the Apple’s own Magic Mouse. Compared to sticking with Neo’s trackpad, using a mouse such as the Slim EX offers faster and more accurate scrolling and tracking.

The cursor fairly flies around the screen as I move the modern-looking Slim Ex—much faster than my Apple mouse. It feels like it floats across my desk, and allows for more accurate scrolling than Apple’s.

Its aluminum body is good for both left- and right-handed users, and is available in all the Neo colors plus Space Black.

If you want both an even greater choice of colors for your mouse—or a bright mouse-&-keyboard combination—take a look at the Logitech Pop Icon Mouse, available in eight colors.

Essential MacBook Neo accessory 5: A power bank

The MacBook Neo has a decent built-in 36.5‑watt‑hour lithium‑ion battery. That compares to a 13-inch MacBook Air’s 53.8Wh or 14-inch MacBook Pro’s 72.4Wh battery. According to Apple that should give you up to 16 hours of battery life, or 11 hours if using Wi-Fi. Depending on your usage—and how regular you are at recharging your laptop—you might find the Neo runs out of juice at just the wrong time. Take it to a café or on a flight and that battery life can seem to disappear in front of your eyes.

A power bank is a portable battery pack from which you can recharge your MacBook on the go. For laptops there are three basic power bank capacities—measured in milliamp hours (mAh)— 10K, 15K and 25K. If catching a flight you need to know the Watt Hour rating as that is used by airlines to determine whether your power bank is allowed on the plane. Most airlines accept power banks of up to 100Wh, and any power bank of 27000mAh (27K) or lower should be within that limit.

We have tested numerous models, so read our reviews of the best power banks for MacBook for alternatives.

INIU Cougar P62-E1 20000mAh (65W) – Best power bank for MacBook Neo

Pros

Compact size

Decent battery capacity

3 ports

Color choices

Price When Reviewed:

$50.99

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$46.99

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$50.99

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The INIU P62-E1 20000mAh (65Wh) Power Bank may have a dull name but it stands out a mile with its colorful looks—it’s available in six bold colors—and dare-to-be-different compact shape. Its removable USB-C cable creates a handy carrying loop.

Not just fun to look at and easy to hold, it performed excellently in our tests, with the ability to recharge a MacBook Neo around one and a half times. While 65W is a little lacking for the Pro MacBooks it’s ample for the MacBook Neo or Air.

There’s an even smaller version, the Iniu P55, available in even more colors. It won’t give your Neo a full charge but it might just give you all you need to get to the next wall socket.

Read our full

INIU Cougar P62-E1 20000mAh (65W) Power Bank review

Essential MacBook Neo accessory 6: Add a bigger screen

The MacBook Neo’s 13-inch screen ensures it is a nimble and portable laptop, but when based at home or the office a second screen is often helpful.

We are recommending both a desktop monitor and a portable display depending on your screen needs. To see more options go to our roundups of the best Mac monitors and best portable screens for MacBook.

BenQ GW2790QT – Affordable HD monitor

Pros

Affordable HD monitor

Thin frame

Sharp and stress-free image quality

Price When Reviewed:

$339.99

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$249.99

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$249.99

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BenQ

$249.99

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$287.77

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$289.5

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This large (27-inch) IPS monitor has a maximum resolution of 2K, a brightness of 350 nits and a decent color gamut. If all that technical jargon means little to you, then rest assured we consider it a very able budget monitor.

Connect it via the Neo’s spare USB-C port (choose the 10Gbps one) and also get 65W of power delivery for the MacBook. The integrated hub offers three legacy USB-A ports.

The monitor features Low Blue Light Plus technology, which filters out blue-violet radiation harmful to the eyes, and automatic adjustment of screen brightness. A display coating is designed to reduce glare. The monitor can be rotated 20 degrees in any direction, tilted 5 degrees downwards and upwards, and the entire screen can be rotated 90 degrees into portrait format.

The monitor has built-in speakers and a microphone optimized for video conferencing, equipped with noise filter and noise cancellation.

Read our full

BenQ GW2790QT review

Espresso Lite 15 – Best Portable monitor for MacBook Neo

Pros

HD at 60Hz

Lightweight  

Super-flexible magnetic stand

Color choices

Price When Reviewed:

$249

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$249

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This lightweight 15.6-inch HD display can float above your MacBook’s screen via its clever and flexible detachable magnetic stand that is simple to setup. This stacked mode more than doubles the Neo’s screen space—yet doesn’t feel like a second screen, just an extension. It comes in a bunch of colors—although these don’t match the Neo, they keep the fun aspect of the Neo’s spirit alive.

There are several models of espresso portable displays, from 15.6 to 17.3 inches, and from HD to 4K touchscreens.

Also check out the QHD Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro for another flexible portable monitor.

Read our full

espresso Lite 15 review

Essential MacBook Neo accessory 7: An adaptor to connect another screen

Like some of Apple’s other entry-level Macs, the MacBook Neo is limited to just one external screen—the much more expensive MacBook Pro supports up to four. However, a clever and free piece of software called DisplayLink will let you connect two or more monitors to the cheaper Neo. First you will need a DisplayLink Hub or Docking Station to connect to your Neo; you then connect the second or third monitor to that hub or dock to get it to work with your Neo. The hub or dock must support DisplayLink or another software called InstantView.

Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI Adapter (USBC-6950M) – Best DisplayLink adapter 

Pros

Dual 4K monitor support for MacBook Neo

Quad 4K model available

Cons

No passthrough laptop charging (dual model)

Price When Reviewed:

$89.95

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Price

$119.99

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The simplest one-function multiple monitor Neo solution is the affordable Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI Adapter (USBC-6950M) that uses DisplayLink to enable dual 4K 60Hz displays with two HDMI ports.

There’s a slightly pricier (but still cheaper than a dock) version, the Plugable Dual 4K DisplayPort & HDMI Adapter (USBC-7400H4) that supports four external 4K displays at 60Hz and features 90W passthrough charging to the laptop.

Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Docking Station (UD-6950PDH) – Best DisplayLink dock

Pros

Dual 4K monitor support for MacBook Neo

13 ports

100W PD to laptop

Fast SD card reader

Cons

North America only

Price When Reviewed:

$179.95

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Price

$199.99

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With Plugable’s UD-6950PDH docking station (plus free-to-download DisplayLink software) you can connect two extra 4K/60Hz displays to your MacBook Neo, plus add an impressive bank of handy 13 ports, including Gigabit Ethernet, SD and MicroSD card readers and five spare USB ports.

You won’t get data transfer any faster than 5Gbps so if you crave the Neo’s full 10Gbps bandwidth you should instead consider the more powerful Anker Prime Triple Display 14-in-1 Docking Station, which offers the 10Gbps Neo connection as well as three 100W USB-C ports and super-fast 2.5Gb Ethernet. That dock is also available in the U.K.

Read our full

Plugable USB-C Dual 4K Display Docking Station (UD-6950PDH) review

Essential MacBook Neo accessory 8: A separate keyboard

When using the Neo with a second screen you might want to make the new monitor the main display. This makes the Neo into more of a desktop Mac when you are working—you can use it as a laptop again whenever you want.

In addition to a laptop stand (see above), you can significantly reducing the risk of repetitive strain injuries (RSI) by decoupling the keyboard from the screen so that while elevating the MacBook to eye level to prevent neck strain, you keep your wrists, arms, and shoulders in a neutral position.

As fine a keyboard as the Neo’s own is, independent keyboards also offer greater functionality and convenience. For more keyboard options, read our reviews of the best Mac keyboards.

Logitech Pop Icon Keyboard – Best colorful keyboard

Pros

Great looks

Nice key feel and quiet keystroke

Smart functions for AI and multitasking

Three Bluetooth channels

Long battery life

Price When Reviewed:

$49.99

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Price

$45.81

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$47.27

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$49.99

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$49.99

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The attractive design of this keyboard immediately catches the eye. It come in Graphite & Green, Graphite & White, Lilac & Off-White, Off-White & Orange and Rose & Off-White.

But it’s not just looks: Logitech makes some of our favorite keyboards. We like the contoured, flat keys that feel comfortable when typing and are quiet, which is, of course, less of an attraction for fans of mechanical keyboards—if you prefer the clickety-clack, look to Logitech’s $99 Pop Keys mechanical models. 

Thanks to its slim design, the Pop Icon keyboard is also easy to position and has all the keys you need. The Pop Icon keyboard also offers all the usual shortcut key combinations, such as for muting, an emoji menu or taking a screenshot. The four action keys can be customized using the Logi Options application, which is available to download free of charge.

The keyboard has a battery life of up to 36 months, using standard AA batteries rather than being recharged via USB.

You can buy a $69 Logitech Pop Icon Combo of keyboard and mouse, or Pop Keys Combo if you prefer a clacky mechanical keyboard.

Essential MacBook Neo accessory 9: A case to protect your Neo

A laptop can stay at home with you all the time if you like. You shouldn’t need a special bag when moving it around your home, but if you plan on taking your MacBook Neo with you to an office, café or on holiday, we certainly recommend you keep it protected—in a padded sleeve, hard case or carry bag.

We’ve suggested some special Neo cases, simple laptop sleeves for the Neo, and also a more capacious backpack, but there are many different types of bag that include padded laptop compartments, including totes, duffels and briefcases—see the best bags for MacBook Neo in our feature.

UAG Plyo and Scout Neo Cases – Best tough Neo cases

Pros

Tough protection

Translucent

Non-slip feet

Cons

Adds weight to Neo

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UAG makes two strong, translucent, scratch-resistant armored shells for the MacBook Neo: Plyo (above left) and Scout (above right). Both show off the Neo’s fun colors and sleek design while keeping it protected in everyday use.

Pylo for MacBook Neo ($64.95) offers the most protection, with reinforced rugged corners adding extra defense to the comolded shell, impact-resistant soft core, and non-slip rubberized feet to keep your laptop steady and secure. It adds an extra 15oz (422g) in weight but protects your valuable Neo from the rigors of daily life.Scout for MacBook Neo ($44.95) is lighter at 9.1oz (260g) and an effective defense against everyday scuffs and bumps. It features reinforced corners but not the level of the Pylo. It’s also more frosted than the clear Pylo shell.

UAG

UAG also sells its rugged yet sleek, non-translucent Civilian Laptop Sleeve (pictured above, $49.95) that is made with a heat-molded soft sleeve and wrapped in durable neoprene fabric. Inside there’s a mesh pocket for your charging cable and other slim items.

Case Logic Laptop Sleeve – Best padded sleeve

Pros

Tight fit

Padded

Color range

Price When Reviewed:

$44.99

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$27.99

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$44.99

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Keep your MacBook Neo looking like new in this bright laptop sleeve, available in ten different colors—one of which we hope will match your mood if not your Neo. The padded laptop compartment will reassure you of the Neo’s safety when carrying it around or storing it at home.

STM

Other sleeve options include the STM Kin or STM Origin (pictured above, perfect for your Blush or Indigo Neo) Bellroy Laptop Sleeve, and lovely Mari Kondo-inspired Orbitkey Hybrid Laptop Sleeve (pictured below) that folds out to a comfortable desk mat for Neo.

Orbitkey

Buy a sleeve suited for a 13-inch or 14-inch laptop to properly fit the Neo.

Troubadour Neo Backpack – Best backpack and it’s called Neo too!

Pros

Stylish and smart inside and out

Plenty of organizer pockets

Recycled materials

Cons

Premium price

Price When Reviewed:

$179

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$179

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$179

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Ok, it costs about a third as much as the MacBook Neo itself but it’s called the Neo Backpack so we had to include it. It’s also a lovely laptop backpack, available like the MacBook Neo in four different shades: Rust, Bronzed Olive, Charcoal Black and Basalt.

Troubadour’s lightest and latest laptop (and most affordable) backpack is the 22L Neo, built for the daily commute or whenever you need it. Inside the waterproof and durable FortiWeave fabric—woven from 100% recycled plastic bottles—are lighter-colored compartments that make it easier to spot your tech, hydration and quick-access essentials via a discreet front pocket with a gracious magnetic closure.

A CrashPad Cocoon laptop sleeve suspends and cushions your namesake MacBook Neo.

Essential MacBook Neo accessory 10: A better cable

The MacBook Neo comes with two USB-C ports and one USB-C cable for charging. As mentioned earlier in this feature, the more able 10Gbps USB-C port can be used to connect other devices or a hub for multiple types of devices.

There are plenty of great 60W-240W USB-C charging out there, such as the Anker 310 USB-C to USB-C Cable, available in three colors and either 3-foot or 6-foot lengths, but the data speed is a puny 480Mbps so is not suitable for connecting the MacBook Neo to a monitor or storage drive.

At a minimum we suggest a USB-C cable that can handle the same 10Gbps data-transfer speed and at least 60W of charging power. We’ve recommended an affordable solution below but there are cables with added functionality that you might consider; here are some of our favorites, but to discover more look to our best USB-C cable roundup.

Cable Matters 10Gbps USB-C – Best cable

Pros

100W Power Delivery

4K monitor support

10Gbps data transfer

Up to 8.2 feet (2.5m) in length

Cons

Available in black or white only

Price When Reviewed:

$14.99

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Price

$13.59

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Apple has given the MacBook Neo a decent wired data transfer bandwidth of 10Gbps—20x faster than the 480Mbps (0.48Gbps) USB-C cable that it includes in the box. If you want to take advantage of this significantly increased wired bandwidth, you’ll need a cable like this one from Cable Matters that also supports 10Gbps and can be used to connect the Neo to a USB-C monitor. Connect it to the rear USB-C port on the side.

It can also charge at up to 100W—more than enough for MacBook Neo, and could be used to charge your iPhone (15 or later) or USB-C iPad, too.

Sadly, not available in Citrus or Blush, this able cable available in black or white and 3ft / 6ft / 8.2ft lengths.

Beats

The Beats Woven USB-C Cable range (above) might get a color closer matching your Neo, although it’s more for charging than data, where it lags at 480Mbps. It’s available in five colors—Bolt Black, Power Pink, Surge Stone, Nitro Navy and Rapid Red—and two lengths: 5ft and 10ft, plus an 8-inch cable that’s cruelly available only in black.

Baseus 100W 6.6ft – Retractable USB-C cable

Pros

100W Power Delivery

Retractable

Up to 6.6 feet (2m) in length

Cons

Slow data transfer

Price When Reviewed:

$21.99

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Price

$18.99

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$21.99

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This USB-C cable retracts into a neat pocketable shell for tangle-free portability. It’s a good choice for charging but not so great at data transfer so won’t connect your Neo to a monitor or do your storage drive many favors.

It’s available in black, blue, purple or white.

Zens USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable Pro 3 – Best cable to charge all your Apple devices

Pros

Charges MacBook Neo, iPhone or AirPods and Watch

15W for iPhone, 5W for Watch

140W USB-C cable for MacBook

Price When Reviewed:

$99.99

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$99.95

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$99.99

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This is a smart MacBook USB-C charging cable that includes a 15W wireless pad for iPhone or AirPods case plus an adjustable 5W Apple Watch charger. Built of aluminum, it’s quite chunky but is probably all you need on your travels alongside at least a 65W USB-C charger, and it folds up on itself for easy transport.

It’s rated at 140W so is easily up to powering a MacBook Neo—indeed it can fast-charge even the 16-inch MacBook Pro—and just as adapt at either wired or wirelessly charging Apple’s recent USB-C devices.

If you don’t own an Apple Watch—and have no intention of doing so—Zens has a version (the $49.95 Zens USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable Pro 2) without that module, and just the iPhone/AirPods wireless pad in the middle of the 140W cable.

It’s available in white or black from Amazon, and from the Apple Store in an exclusive Dark Cherry color.

Essential MacBook Neo accessories 11: Matching Neo to your other devices

The MacBook Neo is available in four colors: Silver ( cool but not fun), Blush (a pink like a rosé wine), Citrus (the sort of yellow one) and Indigo (prettier than black). You had to choose which color when you bought the Neo so why not start accessorizing everything else to match?

Nomad Tempo Apple Watch bands – Match your Neo with your Apple Watch

Pros

Apple Watch bands in Neo colors

Ventilation channels for workouts

Price When Reviewed:

$59

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Price

$47

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$59

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Admit it, you bought the Neo because of its color choices rather than its low price and great features.

If so, why not match your chosen Neo color to your Apple Watch band?

Nomad’s sporty rubber Tempo Apple Watch band with ventilation channels is available in four Neo-matching colors: Crush for Neo Blush, Lumen for Neo Citrus, Dusk for Neo Indigo and Black for Neo Silver.

Nomad Rugged Keychain – Match your Neo with your AirTag keyring

Pros

In Neo colors

AirTag / FindMy compatible

Price When Reviewed:

$15

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Nomad

$15

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Or try Nomad’s affordable Rugged Keyring in the same Neo-like colors: Dusk, Crush, Lumen and Black.

Put an Apple AirTag inside and you’ll never lose your keys or luggage again.

Back Market’s Student & Teacher discounts

Fully operational for up to 50% less

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Every September brings the same headache: a school or university supply list that suddenly includes a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and a household budget that hasn’t grown to match. Between rising hardware costs, global memory shortages, and kids lobbying hard for the newest device to fit in with friends, “Back to School tech” has quietly become one of the biggest line items of the season.

The good news is there’s a smarter and more affordable way to buy—refurbished—and it doesn’t mean settling for less.

Back Market

Why Back to School tech costs so much

Three pressures are colliding at once. Schools increasingly require students to bring their own laptop or tablet for coursework, turning what used to be optional into a mandatory expense. At the same time, a global shortage in memory chips has pushed up the base price of new devices across the board. Layer on peer pressure—plenty of kids push for the latest brand-name gadget even when a perfectly good device is already sitting in a drawer—and parents are left stretched thin, weighing tech costs against groceries and heating bills.

Back Market

Refurbished doesn’t mean second-hand

This is where the mindset shift matters. A refurbished device isn’t the same as a used one picked up second-hand with no guarantees. On Back Market, every product goes through professional inspection, testing, repair, and restoration before it’s resold—closer to buying a certified pre-owned car than rolling the dice on a stranger’s old phone. Devices are typically up to 50% cheaper than buying new, while still delivering full functionality for schoolwork, streaming, gaming, and everyday use.

It’s also a category with real breadth. Back Market isn’t just phones—you’ll find laptops, tablets, 2-in-1 computers, desktops, headphones, speakers, and more, all refurbished and inspected to the same standard. Whatever’s on the school supply list, there’s likely a refurbished option worth checking first.

Back Market

The numbers back it up

Demand is climbing fast: searches for iPhones are up over 60% month over month, with mid-generation models like the iPhone 13 and SE converting best—proof that shoppers want reliable performance without paying flagship prices. Every purchase—be it MacBook, iPhone, or iPad— also comes with the Back Market Promise: after its up to 100-point quality inspection, a 1-year warranty, 30-day returns, and free shipping, so the savings don’t come at the cost of peace of mind.

Stack the savings: student and teacher discounts

Parents, students, and educators can save even further with Back Market’s student and teacher discount.

Signing up takes just a couple of minutes:

Sign up on Back Market

Enter your details

Receive a £20-off code to use on eligible electronics

That discount applies across the board—smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more—stacking on top of the already-reduced refurbished pricing.

Back to School with the best

Back to School shopping doesn’t have to mean choosing between a stretched budget and a disappointed kid. Buying refurbished gets premium brands like Apple into students’ hands at a fraction of the price, backed by real quality checks and warranties—and it keeps devices out of landfill in the process. For families feeling the pinch this September, it’s one of the easiest wins on the list.

Great deals on refurbished iPhones

Great deals on refurbished iPads

Great deals on refurbished MacBooks

Back Market

For years, Game Porting Toolkit has occupied a strange place in Apple’s software lineup. Officially, it’s a developer tool designed to help studios evaluate how their Windows games might perform on macOS. In practice, it has also become the easiest way for enthusiasts to run Windows games that don’t have native Mac versions.

I’ve been using each major version since Apple introduced the toolkit in 2023. While every update brought incremental improvements, the latest beta announced at WWDC 2026 is the first one that has genuinely surprised me.

The difference isn’t subtle. After spending several days testing Game Porting Toolkit 4 beta on my M4 Pro MacBook Pro, I found performance improvements that fundamentally change the experience of playing demanding Windows games.

What exactly is Game Porting Toolkit?

Game Porting Toolkit was introduced in 2023 as part of Apple’s efforts to bring more games to the Mac. The tool helps developers port titles originally developed for Windows with much less effort. It translates DirectX 11 and 12 graphics commands into Apple’s native Metal API in real-time.

Developers can evaluate the performance of their Windows games on macOS before fully porting them to the Mac with further optimizations.

Although the tool is clearly aimed at game developers, many enthusiasts have been using it to run Windows games that were never released for Mac. This is the case with titles like GTA V, which is one of the games I occasionally play on my MacBook Pro thanks to GPTK.

Foundry

Performance isn’t always ideal because GPTK is only part of the process of bringing a game to the Mac. Many titles have some compatibility issues, since it’s up to the developer to make all the necessary changes to turn a Windows game into a native macOS game. Still, it’s one of the best solutions for running non-native games on Mac.

A huge step forward for Mac gaming

Every time Apple updates its Game Porting Toolkit, I usually expect minor performance improvements, bug fixes, and a few other enhancements. This time, however, GPTK4 seems like a huge leap forward.

Using the same M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM, the same game settings, and the same benchmark tests, GTA V jumped from roughly 106 frames per second under GPTK 3 to around 176 fps with GPTK 4 beta. That’s an increase of about 66%.

GPTK 3 (left) vs GPTK 4 (right) on the same M4 Pro MacBook Pro

The game was running smoothly on medium to high settings at 2K resolution.

This improvement makes the game feel much smoother, especially while driving quickly through the city or during busy action sequences where frame rate consistency matters more than peak numbers. It also lets me raise the graphics settings higher without causing frame drops.

Red Dead Redemption 2 also showed a good improvement, climbing from approximately 60 frames per second to around 75 frames per second under identical settings.

Of course, not every title will see gains this dramatic, and Game Porting Toolkit remains translation software rather than native execution. But seeing improvements of this magnitude simply by updating Apple’s compatibility layer is remarkable.

Apple Silicon suddenly has a lot more headroom

One thing that stands out in these tests is that these improvements aren’t coming from new hardware or a new version of the game. The biggest difference here comes from improvements in Apple’s translation technology.

Game Porting Toolkit converts Windows DirectX calls into Metal in real time, and handles other Windows API calls for input, audio, and so on. It also translates code meant for x86 processors to run on Apple’s ARM chips—it’s Rosetta 2 and then some. Every reduction in overhead means Apple Silicon can spend more of its resources rendering the game itself instead of translating instructions.

Foundry

That matters because Apple Silicon has rarely been the limiting factor for gaming performance. Modern M-series chips have offered impressive graphics capabilities for years, but software compatibility has often prevented them from reaching their potential.

If Apple can continue reducing that translation overhead, suddenly many Windows games become considerably more playable without developers having to entirely rewrite them as native Mac titles. That’s good news not only for players, but also for developers evaluating whether a Mac version is worth building.

A promising future for the Mac

It’s still early to claim that the Mac has suddenly become the best gaming platform. Windows still has a vast library of games, broader hardware support, and decades of investment from developers. But for the first time in a long while, Apple’s gaming story feels like it’s moving forward instead of simply catching up.

While the Game Porting Toolkit initially seemed like an experiment when it was released, it now appears to be more of an essential tool that will help the Mac become a more serious gaming platform.

Developers gain a better way to evaluate ports. Enthusiasts gain a better way to play unsupported games. And Apple gains another piece of the foundation it’s been quietly building for years. Whether GPTK eventually becomes something consumers can officially use remains an open question.

If the improvements I saw in GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 are representative of what GPTK 4 can deliver across more titles, the conversation around Mac gaming may soon shift from whether it’s viable to how quickly developers are willing to embrace it.

Because after this beta, the hardware no longer feels like the limiting factor. The software is finally starting to catch up.

9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

Talal from Mysk is back on Security Bite. We get into how and why the App Store logs every tap you make, why researchers are publicly walking away from Apple’s bug bounty program, and Loupe, Mysk’s new free and open-source app that shows you exactly what iOS’s APIs are sharing about you.

Apple is making major changes to its M-series chip cycle, and it’s all because of AI. In this episode of the Macworld Podcast, find out what Apple plans to do and how it affects your next Mac purchase.  

This is episode 991 with Michael Simon, Jason Cross, and Roman Loyola. 

Watch episode 991 on YouTube

Listen to episode 991 on Apple Podcasts

Tune in to episode 991 on Spotify

Get info 

Click on the links below for more info on what was discussed on the show. 

Apple sues OpenAI for theft of trade secrets

Apple to skip M6 Pro/Max chips, fast-track M7 for local AI

Apple is working on an Ultra chip with 1.5TB of RAM

Thank the dead Apple Car for Apple’s upcoming AI-enhanced M7 chips

Apple opens iTunes App Store

Comment Corner 

I fully expected Apple to increase their prices but by this much??  Nah I am not interested in paying higher prices in a cost of living crisis, plus AI is not what your everyday person wants.  Not one person I know wants or uses AI in the way that these big tech firms are expecting them to be used.  

Johnaistrup9250 via YouTube

I really hope it massively hurts Apple where they see a massive decline in sales, especially for Macs. People need to start holding onto their hardware for longer 

Chris Loughrey via Facebook

Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast

You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcast—or leave us a review!—right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify and on the Macworld Podcast YouTube channel.  Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld

To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.

Apple

TL;DR: Get a refurbished 2017 MacBook Pro for $199.97 (reg. $699.99) and save big on a dependable laptop that’s perfect for travel, school, or everyday use.

Not every laptop has to be a cutting-edge powerhouse with a price tag to match. Sometimes you just need a dependable Mac that handles everyday life without draining your bank account.

That’s exactly where this refurbished 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Pro (2017) shines. At $199.97 (reg. $699.99), you’re saving $500 while getting a laptop that’s still more than capable of handling web browsing, streaming, email, homework, video calls, and light creative work.

It’s also the kind of computer you won’t be afraid to toss into a backpack before a flight. The lightweight design, 13.3-inch Retina display, and up to 10 hours of battery life make it an excellent travel companion, whether you’re working from a café or keeping the kids entertained on a road trip.

Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, it has enough performance for everyday multitasking without feeling sluggish.

This Grade B refurbished model may show light cosmetic wear, but that’s part of what makes the price so attractive. Smart shoppers know that a few small scuffs don’t change how well a MacBook works.

Don’t miss this refurbished MacBook Pro for just $199.97 (reg. $699.99).

Apple MacBook Pro 13.3″ (2017) 2.3GHz i5 8GB RAM 128GB SSD Space Gray (Refurbished)See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Apple today launched its Back to School deal for 2026. Students can get a gift card worth up to $150 with the purchase of a MacBook Pro. $100 gift cards are available with the purchase of MacBook Air, iPad Pro, and iPad Air.

As is typical, you can usually save more money than the $150 gift card included in Apple’s promo by buying a new Mac from Amazon. However, it can still represent a reasonable deal for students who want to buy from the Apple Store directly.

Apple’s Back to School 2026 promotion is now live across several Asian countries, giving eligible students free AirTags or AirPods Pro.

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

While it was overshadowed by the iOS 27 public beta, Apple also released a new public beta firmware for AirPods this week. The update brings a long-requested feature to supported AirPods models: custom EQ.

If you’ve ever sent what you thought was a clear butterfly emoji only for your friend to see something totally different, or used a cucumber when you really meant “I’m in a full-on pickle,” Apple is about to make your iMessage life a lot smoother. The latest Unicode Emoji 18.0 release, heading to all capable Apple devices next spring, brings fresh symbols while standardizing old ones so everyone sees the exact same thing.

Written by Jennifer Daniel (Unicode Emoji Subcommittee Chair), the new additions and refinements tackle exactly the kind of tiny frustrations that break the flow in fast-paced iOS conversations:

Cracked Smiling Face: For When “I’m Fine” Is a Lie

This one hits hard. The Cracked Face emoji visually shows that moment your “everything’s perfect” mask starts to splinter. On Apple devices, it will render with the emotional depth iOS users expect — perfect for those “haha yeah…” replies that actually mean the opposite.

Pickle Emoji Finally Gets Its Own Jar

Yes, we had a cucumber. But a pickle? That’s been through it. The new Pickle separates the fresh veggie from the fermented survivor, giving you the perfect shorthand for “I’m in a situation.” Apple’s crisp rendering will make it pop in every group chat.

Monarch Butterfly: No More Blue-vs-Orange Mix-Ups

One of the biggest wins: the Monarch Butterfly. Previously, depending on the phone, you might have sent a blue Morpho aesthetic while your recipient saw the iconic orange-and-black traveler. Now standardized, the Monarch brings themes of resilience and long-distance journeys straight to your iPhone keyboard with perfect consistency.

More Highlights Coming to Apple Devices

• Lighthouse: Your new symbol for guidance through stormy times.

• Meteor: Distinct from the wish-making Comet. Ideal for “everything is exploding” energy.

• Eraser, Directional Thumbs, and a Net with Handle that works as an action verb — catching vibes, pulling in ideas, or netting chaos.

These changes reflect Unicode’s ongoing push for better interoperability, and Apple continues to lead by delivering them with beautiful, high-fidelity artwork that feels native to iOS. No more “what does this look like on your end?” texts — just seamless emoji communication.

Next spring, when these roll out, your keyboard gets richer, your reactions get sharper, and those little digital misunderstandings shrink just a bit more.

Why This Feels Especially Apple

Apple has always treated emoji as a core part of the iMessage experience. With Emoji 18.0, that experience gets even stronger: more expressive tools, fewer visual mismatches, and designs that take full advantage of Retina displays and Dynamic Island flair.

MacDailyNews Take: For emoji aficionados, Spring 2027 can’t come soon enough!

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Offloading keyboard shortcuts to a programmable macro keypad is the best productivity hack I’ve ever done.

The fan-designed LEGO iMac G3 has cleared another review milestone, keeping alive its chances of becoming an official LEGO Ideas set.

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

In Nasdaq trading today, shares of Apple Inc. (AAPL) rose $12.64 to $327.50 to hit a new all-time closing high. Apple’s all-time intraday high was also set today at $328.72.

Apple’s 52-week low stands at $201.50.

Today’s trading volume for AAPL shares was 58,741,821 versus Apple’s average trading volume of 54,375,570 shares.

Apple’s PE Ratio currently stands at 39.70.

Apple currently has a market value of $4.810 trillion, making it the world’s second-most valuable company.

The top five U.S. publicly-traded companies, based on market value:

NVIDIA (NVDA) – $5.147T
Apple (AAPL) – $4.810T
Alphabet (GOOGL) – $4.526T
Microsoft (MSFT) – $2.939T
Amazon (AMZN) – $2.743T

Selected companies’ current market values:

• Taiwan Semi (TSM): $2.195T
• Meta Platforms (META): $1.667T
• Tesla (TSLA): $1.483T
• Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A): $1.073T
• Walmart (WMT): $913.03B
• Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): $871.377B
• Intel (INTC): $518.281B
• Cisco (CSCO): $469.977B
• IBM (IBM): $273.502B
• Dell (DELL): $275.78B
• Netflix (NFLX): $310.925B
• SoftBank (SFTBF): $218.098B
• Disney (DIS): $166.688B
• Sony (SONY): $122.34B
• Spotify (SPOT): $99.839B
• Adobe (ADBE): $91.669B
• Nokia (NOK): $65.958B
• Hewlett-Packard (HPQ): $22.653B
• SiriusXM (SIRI): $10.487B
• BlackBerry (BB): $6.286B
• Sonos (SONO): ~$1.98B
• Liquidmetal (LQMT): ~$0.135B
• RealNetworks (RNWK) was delisted from U.S. exchanges on December 21, 2022 and is no longer publicly traded.

Apple all-time high (AAPL) via NASDAQ here.

MacDailyNews Take: Gaudy (yet still woefully undervalued)! To the moon, Alice. To the moon!

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iOS 26.6 packs a new malicious message warning that identifies potentially dangerous iMessages and lets you report them directly to Apple.

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

Nearly three months after Brazilian officials first questioned Apple over betting apps accessible to minors, the company has now been given five business days to provide additional details about its App Store safeguards. Here are the details.

Ads are coming to Apple Maps in the United States and Canada sometime this summer. Ahead of that launch, Apple has shared more details about what will and won’t be allowed for ads in Apple Maps.

As Bloomberg reports, Apple has increased its monthly and annual AppleCare+ rates for new Mac and iPad customers. Here are the details.

If you’re a Mac fan who’s always wanted Lego to commemorate Apple’s most iconic Mac, your dream may soon become a reality. Lego recently announced that the proposal for an iMac G3 Lego brick set has officially moved to “Parking Lot” status, where the company is giving further thought to its implementation before deciding on production.

In August 2025, a fan named Terauma submitted a mock-up of the 1998 Bondi Blue iMac made from Lego bricks to Lego’s Ideas website, where fans could vote for the project to move forward. Lego reviews ideas if at least 10,000 fans vote for it.

The proposed set would consist of 700 pieces and would not only recreate the turquoise-blue all-in-one (whose components are clearly visible through the transparent casing), but also the essential accessories such as the circular mouse, matching keyboard, and cables.

Lego’s review board will now evaluate the proposal. According to Lego, “Any Product Idea that needs additional time after a review round, for whatever reason, will be placed into the Parking Lot until we can make a final decision.” In this case, the review will likely include discussions with Apple, who would need to grant Lego permission to do the project.

Two years ago, a proposed Apple Store Lego set made it to the Parking Lot but was eventually dropped. Lego did not disclose why, but considering Apple’s history with how it handles its brand image, the consensus that Apple denied a license probably isn’t far off. Based on history, it doesn’t look good for the Lego iMac, but perhaps a new incoming Apple CEO will have a change of heart.

In the mid-1990s, Apple had fallen into a crisis that threatened its very existence. The iMac is credited with saving the company. Although the ill-fated CEO Gil Amelio had initiated the iMac project, it was completed by Steve Jobs upon his return to the company, and a young British designer named Jony Ive. It was no coincidence that the iMac harkened to the 1984 Macintosh.

Lego is no stranger to technology-based sets, having recently released Nintendo, Game Boy, and Super Mario Bros. themed sets.

Apple has rolled out its official 2026 sales tax holiday guide, giving shoppers in select U.S. states a timely opportunity to purchase popular products like Macs, iPads, iPhones, and accessories without paying state sales tax. The promotions vary widely by state in terms of dates, eligible items, and spending caps, so timing and research are key to maximizing savings.

When the Tax Holidays Hit

The savings windows open soon and stretch through mid-August:

• Alabama: July 17–19 (with a $1,173 total limit; local taxes may still apply)

• Florida: July 20–August 20 (the longest period, with a $1,500 cap per computer or accessory)

• New Mexico & Tennessee: July 31–August 2

• West Virginia: July 31–August 3

• Arkansas: August 1–2

• Missouri, South Carolina & Virginia: August 7–9

• Massachusetts: August 8–9

Purchases can be made online through Apple or in physical stores, though tax relief may appear on the final receipt rather than at checkout.

What Qualifies Where?

Eligibility rules differ significantly, creating big opportunities in some states and more limited ones in others:

• Arkansas stands out with the most generous terms: nearly all Apple products—including Macs, iPads, iPhones, Apple Vision Pro, printers, and many accessories—qualify with no price limit.

• Massachusetts allows most individual items up to $2,500 each, and you can buy multiple qualifying items in one transaction.

• Florida and Missouri cap computers and accessories at $1,500 per item.

• Tennessee applies a $1,500 limit to the combined total of a computer plus eligible accessories.

• New Mexico sets lower thresholds: $1,000 for computers and $500 for related hardware.

• West Virginia restricts savings to iPads priced at $500 or less.

• Virginia is the most limited, covering only cell phone chargers and batteries up to $60.

• Alabama has its $1,173 overall cap.

Some states also tie accessory eligibility to purchasing a main device or require school-related use, so checking Apple’s state-specific details is essential.
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MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s tax holiday page provides full breakdowns and qualifying product lists to help customers plan ahead. Whether you’re eyeing a new MacBook for work, an iPad for school, or everyday accessories, these limited-time windows could deliver meaningful discounts depending on your state.

Shoppers should act within their state’s dates and review the fine print to ensure their intended purchases qualify. For the complete list and terms, visit Apple’s dedicated 2026 Tax Holiday page here.

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A specially appointed judge has sided with Apple in its fight to obtain documents from 14 federal agencies as part of its defense against the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit. Here are the details.

Apple published its 2026 sales tax holiday page this week, outlining when customers in 10 U.S. states can buy select products without paying state sales tax.

Customers can shop tax-free online or in-store, but the dates, devices, and price limits vary dramatically.

Major League Soccer (MLS) returns to Apple TV tomorrow, July 16, as regular-season play resumes and the league welcomes fans back following a monthlong break for the FIFA World Cup.

Apple TV subscribers in more than 100 countries and regions can watch every MLS match with no blackouts. Subscribers also receive comprehensive coverage and analysis, exclusive content, and access to matches beyond the regular season, including the annual Leagues Cup tournament, Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup, MLS All-Star Game, and Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

All 30 clubs return to action following the World Cup Final, with six marquee matchups scheduled across July 16 and 17. Highlights include the Cascadia Cup rivalry between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers, a Southern showdown between Nashville SC and Atlanta United FC, and the latest edition of El Tráfico featuring the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles Football Club.

Major League Soccer returns on July 16, with every match streaming live on Apple TV.

A record 45 MLS players, representing 22 clubs and 17 countries, participated in the 2026 World Cup, with many expected to return to their clubs this week as the league resumes regular-season play. Among them are eight players who represented the United States, including Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who helped the U.S. achieve its best group-stage finish at the World Cup. The group also includes Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira, who started every match for Cape Verde as the Blue Sharks made an unforgettable run to the round of 32 in the nation’s first-ever World Cup, and nine Canadian internationals, led by Orlando City SC goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, who played every minute of Canada’s historic tournament as the nation earned its first World Cup victory and advanced to the knockout stage for the first time.

Other MLS players also made history at the World Cup, led by soccer icon and Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi, who further cemented his legacy by becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. Messi has scored eight goals while captaining Argentina in its pursuit of a second consecutive World Cup title.

New international stars add even more excitement to the MLS restart this summer. Antoine Griezmann, the decorated French international and 2018 World Cup champion, has joined Orlando City SC after spending 10 seasons with Spanish giant Atlético Madrid, where he became the club’s all-time leading scorer. Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, who started all three of his nation’s World Cup matches, has joined the San Jose Earthquakes, while Polish striker and global soccer icon Robert Lewandowski signed with the Chicago Fire during the summer transfer window.

On July 16, Lewandowski will face longtime FC Bayern Munich teammate Thomas Müller, now with the Vancouver Whitecaps, when Chicago hosts Vancouver at Soldier Field. The matchup reunites one of soccer’s most prolific attacking duos, adding another marquee storyline to the MLS season. EA SPORTS FC Mobile players can watch the match live through a simulcast of Apple TV’s broadcast on FCM TV, the game’s in-app streaming platform. Eligible EA SPORTS FC 26 and EA SPORTS FC Mobile players can also get in-game access to a one-month free trial of Apple TV.

Stay Up to Date with Major League Soccer on Apple Sports

Fans can stay on top of the latest scores, stats, and standings for their favorite clubs throughout the MLS season on the free Apple Sports app for iPhone. Users can easily navigate between scores and upcoming matches; explore visual lineup formations, play-by-play information, and team stats; and tap to watch matches on the Apple TV app.

Apple Fitness+ Time to Walk with Thomas Müller

Time to Walk is an Apple Fitness+ audio experience for iPhone and Apple Watch, designed to help people walk more often by featuring guests who share stories, photos, and songs that have shaped their lives. The new episode invites listeners to walk with German soccer legend and Vancouver Whitecaps star Thomas Müller as he reflects on the hard work he put in before his career took off and shares why he welcomes the challenge of big life changes.

More Ways to Celebrate the Return of MLS

On Apple Music, fans can enjoy exclusive club- and player-curated selections, including a new Warm-Up Playlist for Real Salt Lake star Diego Luna. Fans can also look forward to more exclusive music content coming throughout the season, including playlists from Inter Miami’s Dayne St. Clair and Vancouver Whitecaps’ Sebastian Berhalter — fresh off their return from the World Cup. Explore the Sounds of MLS playlists on Apple Music at apple.co/AM-MLS.

Apple Maps users can explore dedicated Matchday Guides created by MLS clubs and city guides created by players to find recommendations for local restaurants to catch a game, explore city favorites, get detailed information about their stadiums, and more.

To mark the return of Major League Soccer, adidas will host a two-day celebration at the adidas Home of Soccer in Brooklyn, New York, on July 16 and 17, featuring watch parties, appearances by MLS players, an MLS jersey showcase, and additional fan experiences.
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.

Commercial establishments now have multiple ways to bring Apple TV’s live sports portfolio to their patrons. With DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS, customers can also access Apple TV’s live sports programming at more than 300,000 sports bars, restaurants, hotels, and other commercial venues. EverPass offers commercial establishments access to Apple TV’s complete live sports portfolio — including every MLS match, Formula 1 in the U.S., and “Friday Night Baseball” — through its EverPass Core package.
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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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With its announcement of new set of emojis to be released next year, the Unicode Consortium is finally giving us an image of a whole, crisp pickle. You’ll soon be able to stop fretting about using the current chopped pickle/cucumber emoji (which will remain, to the relief of chopped gourd enthusiasts everywhere).

In addition to the pickle, eight other emojis will become available. You can see them in the above image, but here’s a summary:

Monarch Butterfly: This will join the current blue Morpho Butterfly (🦋). Unicode’s Jennifer Daniel states that the Monarch offers “a different weight class of meaning, carrying a narrative of generational resilience, endurance, and deep ancestral memory.” While the Morpho is “the symbol for ‘pretty aesthetics.’”

Net with Handle: If you’ve always felt that a bucket (🪣) wasn’t quite the symbol you needed, the Net with Handle is here to the rescue.

Meteor: Not to be confused with Comet, which is, apparently, “a sparkling blue ball of ice,” as Daniel puts it. But currently, there’s no blue ball of ice in iOS or macOS; search for “meteor” or “comet,” and you’ll find an emoji that looks like the new Meteor (☄️), as well as a shooting star (💫) and a dotted image on the Mac (☄). “Fonts with a ball of fire will move that design to this new home,” Daniel said.

Leftwards/Rightwards Thumb Sign: Your mother said that pointing (👉🏼 👈🏼) is rude. Pointing with your thumbs seems a lot more congenial.

Cracked Smiling Face: It’s not just an emoji. It’s a sign of the times.

Lighthouse: A “literal guiding light through the dark night of your soul,” Daniel describes.

Pickle: For the times you’re caught in one. Or you’re asked about what you want on your chicken sandwich.

Eraser: Daniel said this one “helps when retroactive boundary-setting or communicating the urge to wipe the slate clean.”

Apple creates its own stylistic versions of the emojis approved by the Unicode Consortium, so these new emojis will look different in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS from what is shown here. They’re likely to arrive sometime next year in iOS 27.3 or iOS 27.4.

Apple is quietly shopping for AI chip companies. According to a new report from The Information, the company has been approaching chip startups and consulting with bankers about potential acquisitions — a notable shift for a firm long known for its reluctance to make big hardware buys.

The move comes as Apple grapples with limitations in its current AI infrastructure. Its Private Cloud Compute servers, which power parts of Apple Intelligence, currently rely on internally designed M2 Ultra chips. These have proven insufficient for handling larger, more demanding AI models.

The Siri Overhaul Problem

One concrete example stands out: Apple has been working on a major Siri overhaul powered in part by Google’s Gemini models through a partnership. When engineers tried running these advanced models on Apple’s own servers, the M-series hardware fell short. As a result, more complex Siri tasks are now routing through Nvidia GPUs hosted in Google’s cloud infrastructure.

This dependency clashes with Apple’s long-standing preference for controlling its own silicon and protecting user privacy through on-device and Private Cloud Compute processing.

Baltra Delayed

Internally, Apple has been developing its first dedicated AI server chip, codenamed Baltra. The company had originally targeted a 2026 launch, but the timeline has slipped. Baltra is designed as a purpose-built server ASIC (with Broadcom contributing key networking and interconnect technology) to reduce reliance on third-party GPUs for cloud AI workloads.

The reported pursuit of acquisitions suggests Apple wants to accelerate progress on its next-generation server silicon — either by bringing in specialized talent and IP or by acquiring teams that have already solved similar challenges.

A Rare Shift in M&A Approach

Apple has historically avoided large acquisitions, preferring to build technology in-house. Its most recent notable deal was the January 2026 acquisition of Israeli audio AI startup Q.ai (reportedly valued around $2 billion). With roughly $45.6 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of late March 2026, Apple certainly has the financial firepower if it chooses to move.

This new interest in chip startups marks a pragmatic acknowledgment that the AI hardware race — particularly in data center-scale inference and training — moves extremely fast. While Apple excels at designing efficient mobile and laptop chips, scaling specialized AI accelerators for servers is a different challenge that hyperscalers like Google, Amazon, and Meta have been tackling for years.

Broader Context

This development comes just days after Apple announced a major multi-year expansion of its partnership with Broadcom, worth more than $30 billion. The deal includes custom silicon components and supports U.S. manufacturing expansion in Colorado. It underscores Apple’s broader push to strengthen its custom silicon capabilities while also highlighting how much it still relies on external partners for certain advanced technologies.

What It Means

If Apple follows through on acquisitions, it could help close the gap in its cloud AI infrastructure faster than organic development alone would allow. Success here would support more ambitious on-device and private-cloud AI features without heavy dependence on external clouds and GPUs.

It would also represent a meaningful evolution in Apple’s strategy: from a company that largely designs its own chips from scratch to one willing to acquire specialized expertise to stay competitive in the AI era.

The coming months will reveal whether these discussions lead to actual deals — and whether they can meaningfully accelerate Apple’s ability to run sophisticated AI models on its own terms.

MacDailyNews Take: The mad scramble to catch up continues. Hopefully, new Apple CEO John Ternus can quickly kick things back into high gear after far too many years of coasting along in neutral.

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With the 2026 World Cup drawing to a close, Major League Soccer returns tomorrow on Apple TV, alongside several tie-in features in Apple Maps, Apple Sports, Apple Fitness+, and more. Here are the details.

Last month, OpenAI teased Codex-branded hardware. Today, the company has released its collaboration with Work Louder: a $230 Codex Micro keyboard product.

Among the many new products Apple has coming this fall is the Apple Watch Series 12. Here are four rumored new features coming to this year’s Apple Watch update.

Ready to capitalize on FIFA World Cup buzz, Major League Soccer returns to Apple TV this week with familiar faces on the field.

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

Starting today, iPhone users who have the Suno app installed can generate songs from the Messages app using text or voice prompts. Here are the details.

Satechi expanded the MacBook Neo ecosystem with color-matched hubs and a wireless mouse designed for Apple’s budget notebook.

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

Alongside the ongoing $50 price drop on AirPods Pro 3 and the up to $130 off Apple Watch Series 11, today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by Amazon re-stocking select M5 MacBook Air models at $150 off and the Amazon Renewed Premium iPhone 17 Pro models at $220 off today (plus more up to $449 off). We also have Eve’s wireless HomeKit orb lamp with Siri at 25% off, the first discount on the new Bose Lifestyle Ultra soundbar and speakers bundle at $250 off, and Nomad leather iPhone 17/Air cases up to 30% off. Head below for a closer look at all of those and much more.

The Information reports that Apple has been in talks with bankers and semiconductor startups as it explores acquisitions to strengthen its AI server capabilities. Here are the details.

At a glanceExpert’s Rating

Pros

Six ports for two-port Neo

Perfect color-matched accessory

Compact and lightweight

4K/60Hz HDMI

Card readers

Legacy USB-A

Passthrough power

Cons

Card readers are slow

Our Verdict

The Satechi USB-C Snap Hub is the best hub for most MacBook Neo owners, combining a perfectly color-matched, flush-fitting design with the essential ports the Neo lacks at an affordable price. Available in Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver, it looks like a natural extension of the laptop while adding charging, USB expansion, HDMI, and SD card support in a compact, cable-free design.

Price When Reviewed

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Price When Reviewed

$44.99

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$44.99

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What is it? A six-port hub that connects to a MacBook via its adjacent USB-C ports.

Who is it for? The colors match those of the MacBook Neo, and offer those users a bunch of expandability options including power, device-connection, storage and display support. Buy it if you want neat everyday expansion. 

Who shouldn’t buy it? While it works with all MacBooks that have two USB-C or Thunderbolt ports next to each other, it is slower than 40Gbps Thunderbolt and even 10Gbps USB-C. It won’t work with desktop Macs. Choose a faster Thunderbolt or DisplayLink hub for professional workflows or multiple displays.

Apple’s MacBook Neo’s low price-point means you must accept certain compromises, but as we point out in our MacBook Neo review these are feature/price trade-offs that won’t be noticed by the target market or even some pro Mac users looking for an affordable laptop.

The most obvious concession to price is the Neo’s constrained ports. There are only two USB-C ports, and even they aren’t identical. The front or right-side port is more than 20 times slower than the 10Gbps rear/left USB-C port as it runs on older USB 2.0 (480Mbps) speeds. It’s good for charging, and that’s about it. It’s about the same speed as you’d get from a USB memory stick in 2010.

Neither port supports Thunderbolt, Apple’s standard and superior connection port on all its other Macs and even some iPads.

The answer is to add a hub to the rear/left port that includes extra ports that then become available to the Neo. We’ve tested the best USB-C hubs and adapters, but there’s something about them that will be off-putting to Neo owners: they are all either silver or Space Gray to match the more expensive MacBooks. While this might not bother owners of the Silver Neo, people who deliberately chose a Citrus, Blush, or Indigo Neo are left a little off-color.

Part of Satechi’s MacBook Neo collection are two Neo-matching hubs: the new USB-C Snap Hub and color versions of the Satechi OntheGo 5-in-1 Multiport Adapter that we reviewed in its black-only 7-port form.

Simon Jary

The USB-C Snap Hub ($44.99 / £44.99) is engineered specifically for MacBook Neo’s asymmetric USB-C port design. It also works with other MacBooks with two adjacent Thunderbolt ports, and measures 3.95 x 1.43 x 0.39 inches (100 x 29 x 10mm) with a marginal weight of 1.13oz (32g).

Satechi

What ports do you get?

The color-matched aluminum hub features a flush dual-connector design that expands the Neo’s two USB-C ports into six handy connections:

Two upstream USB-C connectors to the MacBook

One USB-C port (5Gbps)

One USB-C port (45W Power Delivery)

One USB-A port (5Gbps)

One HDMI (4K/60Hz)

One SD card reader (UHS-I, 104MBps)

One MicroSD card reader (UHS-I, 104MBps)

While the Snap Hub takes up both of the Neo’s ports, it leaves you with six.

Ports from left: USB-C (45W passthrough Power Delivery); HDMI (4K/60Hz); USB-A (5Gbps); MicroSD and SD card readers (104MBps); USB-C (5Gbps).

Simon Jary

The USB-C port at the far left takes over charging duties, with a potential 45W of output to the Neo, which is plenty as the laptop ships with just a 20W charger in its box (or none if you’re buying in the U.K. or E.U.). Apple doesn’t mention fast-charging when it comes to the Neo’s tech specs but it will charge faster if you connect a 30W or higher charger as it will take in 30W if you supply it—with 30W you should get a Neo from 0-100% in 90 minutes compared to 140 minutes at 20W.

You don’t need the Satechi Snap Hub to achieve faster charging: just a 30W or higher USB-C wall charger such as the Anker Nano 30W Charger ($16.99), which is also available in a range of colors although not exactly matching the Neo like Satechi’s hub.

The Snap Hub’s other USB-C port offers data-transfer at 5Gbps—that’s half as fast as the Neo’s own data port but a speed that should be acceptable to most. I wouldn’t use it in a professional video studio, but for most everyday tasks it should be fine. The remaining 5Gbps of bandwidth could be used by the legacy USB-A port or the HDMI port.

Satechi

Can it connect an external display?

Natively, the MacBook Neo supports only one external display. That’s down to Apple’s display limitations that similarly affect the early MacBooks with base M1 and M2 chip. You’ll need a DisplayLink dock or hub if you want to connect more than one display to the MacBook Neo.

The Satechi Snap Hub isn’t DisplayLink enabled but its HDMI port will let you connect a 4K UHD monitor (3840 x 2160 pixels) at a decent 60Hz refresh rate—the standard for most hubs and docks, even for some of the best Thunderbolt docking stations.

The monitor will need to feature an HDMI port itself, but it’s rare to find a display without HDMI.

If you hanker after multiple external displays to connect to your Neo, look to a DisplayLink dock.

Satechi

Can you expand the MacBook Neo’s storage?

SD and MicroSD card readers are useful for adding affordable and ultra-portable storage. The Neo’s maximum internal storage is 512GB with the Touch ID model. The entry-level Neo comes with just 256GB of internal storage

Although storage prices are volatile right now, you can buy an SD or MicroSD card to boost your Neo’s capacity without breaking the bank. You can expand the base Neo’s 256GB storage 1.5 times to 374GB by adding a 128GB $40 MicroSD card from Amazon or double it to 512GB with a 256GB MicroSD card ($60).

The Snap Hub’s card slots aren’t the fastest—its 104MBps readers are noticeably slower than faster 312MBps slots—for backups and everyday work, they should be acceptable for Neo users.

Satechi

How does it compare with the alternatives?

Available in Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver, the Satechi Snap Hub is priced at $44.99 / £44.99 either direct from Satechi or Amazon. U.K. users should note that Amazon availability will be live at the end of July.

That’s a little cheaper than the Plugable 9-in-1 USB-C Multiport Hub that has more ports but will only semi-match the Silver Neo. It connects via a cable so isn’t as neat as the SnapHub. You get the same basic ports except three USB-A, which I doubt you’ll need. It offers 100W passthrough charging but as the Neo can accept only 30W it’s overkill for Apple’s colorful laptop. What it does have that might tempt you is a Gigabit Ethernet port for wired access to networks.

Satechi has also Neo-colored its magnetic OntheGo 5-in-1 Multiport Adapter.

Satechi

Satechi has also color-matched its OntheGo Multiport Adapter ($44.99 / £44.99) to the Neo range. This five-port hub does differ from the standard $59.99 OnTheGo Multiport Adapter that has seven ports. Both connect to the Mac with a 10Gbps host cable, but the potential passthrough power to the laptop is a lower 60W on the 5-port compared to 80W on the 7-port. This won’t impact Neo users as the entry-level MacBook can take on a maximum of 30W anyway.

Lacking from the 5-port Neo model are the Gigabit Ethernet port, the MicroSD card reader, and one of the USB-A ports. However, it adds a 5Gbps USB-C data port to replace the one used up by the Hub itself, which is more necessary as there’s just the one data port on the Neo.

Its circular shape and soft-touch magnetic base can mount flush to the Neo’s lid via the included 3M adhesive ring. You can also snap it to a USB-C iPhone (15 or later) if you need it on your handset as well as your Neo laptop.

As part of its Neo collection, Satechi has also launched a color-matched, low-profile and stylish Slim EX Wireless Mouse ($29.99 / £29.99) that supports two Bluetooth channels and a 2.4GHz wireless connection with quiet click buttons and a precision-machined scroll wheel.

Satechi

Elsewhere we’ve rounded up the best accessories for MacBook Neo that these will definitely join.

Should you buy the Satechi USB-C Snap Hub?

The Satechi Snap Hub’s slim anodized aluminum form factor fits flush against the MacBook Neo with no dangling cables—until you add the ones you need for power, expansion, storage and display support. There are similarly port-packed USB-C hubs available, but few so perfectly matched to the Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver colors of the Neo.

On July 15, 2015, Apple introduced the sixth version of its iPod touch music player. The super-skinny sixth-gen iPod touch rocked.

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

Apple TV on Wednesday revealed first look images and the season two premiere date for celebrated German-language dark comedy series “Where’s Wanda?” Produced by UFA Fiction, the eight-episode season stars International Emmy Award nominee Heike Makatsch (“Love Actually”), German Comedy Award winner Axel Stein (“The Vault”), multiple award-winning actress Lea Drinda (“The Gryphon”), Leo Simon, and Nikeata Thompson (“Späti”). Season two will make its global debut on Apple TV with one episode on Wednesday, October 21, followed by a new episode weekly through Wednesday, December 9, 2026.

In season two, the Klatts (Makatsch and Stein) are back! Just as they thought their lives were finally returning to normal, their daughter, Wanda (Drinda), is caught seemingly red-handed standing over a dead body. They will need to do everything in their power to prove her innocence and avoid losing her again, as their investigation to find the real murderer takes them into the criminal underbelly of their sleepy suburban town. But will their quest to protect their family get them all out of trouble, or ultimately lead them further astray? And can they find out the truth of what happened on that fateful day before it’s too late?

Hailing from UFA Fiction, a Fremantle company, “Where’s Wanda?” season two is created, written and executive produced by Royal Television Society nominee Oliver Lansley (“Flack”), alongside multiple award-winning executive producer Nataly Kudiabor (“Arthur’s Law”) and Oliver Ossege (“Helgoland 513”). The series was co-created and based on a story by Zoltan Spirandelli (“Vaya con Dios”) and is directed by critically acclaimed, award-winning filmmakers Tobi Baumann (“Faking Hitler”) and Christian Ditter (“How To Be Single”).

Following its global debut, “Where’s Wanda?” has been hailed as an “electrifying,” “standout” series keeping “viewers on the edge of their seats” with “a unique blend of dark comedy and suspense,” and featuring “immensely likable, and often affecting performances” by its “talented cast.” Season one achieved a rare perfect 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans applaud the “beautiful” show as the “kind of gem Apple only seems capable of creating” and “a compelling new addition” to Apple TV’s “expanding international offerings.”

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 850 wins and 3,737 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.

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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A federal judge tosses a class-action lawsuit filed against Apple, ruling that a 1996 law shields it from liability for CSAM material in iCloud Photos.

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

NBC News reports that talks between Apple and OpenAI over alleged trade secret theft broke down after an outside lawyer for Apple mistakenly emailed the wrong OpenAI employee and confused their interactions. Here are the details.

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Ugreen Nexode Air 65W charger

View Deal

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Ugreen’s tiny Nexode Air 65W charger is on sale for an amazing $21.49, a massive 46 percent off from its $40 MSRP. That’s the best price we’ve seen for this model, and it’s an absolutely fantastic deal, especially since you also get a cable for the price, a rarity these days. You’ll need to get it in gray for the best price, but other colors are on sale for just a couple of dollars more

The 65W fast charging is probably the thing you’ll love the most because that kind of speed is enough to charge your iPhone, your iPad, and even your MacBook Air. The charger is powerful enough to take your MacBook Air from 0 to 55 percent in about half an hour, so that’s going to come in quite handy if you want to swap out the larger laptop bricks.

At just 1.22 x 1.30 x 1.59 inches with foldable prongs, this charger can slip into your pocket, bag, or backpack with ease. The GaN chip inside makes it possible for the charger to be so compact while also delivering tons of protection for your device, including Thermal Guard to prevent overheating during fast charging.

One thing to know before buying — it only has a single USB-C port, so it can only charge one device at a time. That’s not generally a tragedy, but just something you have to consider when talking about your habits.

At $21.49, this Ugreen Nexode Air is a smart pick if you want a compact, reliable charger that handles everything from your phone to your MacBook. Even better, it comes with a speedy cable so you don’t have to buy any extras.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its Producer Price Index (PPI) data for June 2026 today, showing a 0.3% decline in the index for final demand on a seasonally adjusted basis. This marks a reversal from the 0.6% rise in May and the stronger 1.1% increase in April. U.S. inflation is coming down.

On a year-over-year basis, producer prices rose 5.5% through June, down from the recent peak of 6.5% in May. This moderation comes amid cooling energy prices and could provide some relief to businesses and consumers facing persistent inflationary pressures.

Key Breakdowns from the June Report

• Goods prices led the decline, falling 1.4% in June — the largest drop since July 2022. Energy prices plunged 6.4%, with gasoline down 12.0%, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and crude petroleum also posting notable decreases.

• Food prices for final demand edged down 0.6%.

• Goods less foods and energy (a core measure) actually rose modestly by 0.2%.

• Services prices increased 0.2%, supported by gains in trade services margins (up 0.4%), including a sharp 13.0% jump in fuels and lubricants retailing. Transportation and warehousing services dipped slightly by 0.1%.

The index for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services — often watched as a core gauge — rose just 0.1% in June after a stronger 0.8% gain in May. Year-over-year, this core measure increased 5.1%.

What’s Driving the Decline?

The drop aligns with falling global oil prices in recent weeks, which have rippled through the supply chain. Energy categories, which had fueled earlier PPI gains (notably from Middle East tensions boosting costs earlier in the year), reversed course. This pullback in wholesale prices could eventually feed into lower consumer prices in the coming months, though services inflation remains sticky.

Implications for the Federal Reserve and Markets

This softer-than-expected PPI reading arrives on the same day as other inflation data and comes as the Fed monitors progress toward its 2% target. While headline producer inflation has cooled from its recent highs, the year-over-year figure remains elevated compared to pre-pandemic norms. Policymakers will likely view the energy-driven decline positively, but persistent services and core pressures suggest caution on rate cuts.

For businesses, lower input costs (especially energy) could help margins. Consumers may see relief at the pump and eventually in goods prices, though everyday services like healthcare, housing-related costs, and certain retail margins continue to trend upward.

Looking Ahead

The June PPI data suggests inflation is not accelerating, but the path to sustainably lower levels remains uneven. Markets will now turn to upcoming CPI releases and other indicators for a fuller picture. Keep an eye on energy markets — any rebound in oil prices could quickly reverse these gains.

Combined with yesterday’s CPI data decline (see below), the PPI data supports a story of disinflation under the Trump administration. This is likely helpful to Republicans heading into the midterm elections, as voters generally reward perceived economic competence.

U.S. CPI data (July 14, 2026) showed a notable decline:

• Monthly change: -0.4% (biggest monthly drop since April 2020)
• Annual inflation rate: 3.5% (down from 4.2% in May)
• Core CPI (excluding food & energy): Unchanged (0.0%) in June, down from +0.2% in May
• Core annual rate: 2.6% (down from 2.9% in May)

This is net positive for Apple’s long-term outlook. Tech giants like Apple tend to be among the biggest winners when inflation cools enough for the Fed to cut rates without triggering a recession. Wall Street will likely view this data favorably for growth stocks like AAPL.

MacDailyNews Note: Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Indexes release for June 2026. All figures are seasonally adjusted unless noted.

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Apple has added new financing options for cellular iPad purchases. As of today, you can buy cellular iPads directly from Apple with 36-month financing from AT&T and Verizon.

Apple TV today shared a first look at season two of the German dark comedy ‘Where’s Wanda?’ and confirmed its return date. Here are the details.

Apple and its carrier partners have closed a workaround that let shoppers buy an unlocked iPhone with carrier financing. The change appears to have gone into effect this month.

China’s regulators finally cleared Apple Intelligence for launch, paving the way for Apple’s AI platform to debut in the country.

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

Jony Ive and Sam Altman made a big promise when they teased the launch of a completely new concept in AI hardware more than a year ago.

The most recent report suggests that OpenAI may technically be delivering on this promise, but could end up at least partly competing with an upcoming AirPods model. If so, I can easily see AirPods Ultra proving the more popular choice …

Get forever licenses to every type of tool a Mac user needs, from design and productivity to utilities, with the 27-App Lifetime Mac Bundle.

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