Your Mac might not support the Studio Display XDR’s best feature
Apple announced the all-new Studio Display XDR today, and it has several key upgrades over the basic Studio Display, including a 120Hz refresh rate. However, you’ll need a newer Mac to take advantage of that higher refresh rate. Here’s everything you need to know. more…

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Shareholder lobs lawsuit at Apple execs, claims they engaged in anticompetitive behavior
Apple's leadership is now being accused of knowingly steering the company through years of antitrust risk to maintain App Store dominance.Apple executives sued in shareholder derivative suitIn late February, one of Apple's shareholders filed a derivative lawsuit against the Cupertino-based tech giant's top executives. The suit says directors and top executives — including Tim Cook — had breached their fiduciary duties to Apple.According to Bloomberg Law, it alleges that the parties in question allowed and furthered "monopolistic conduct" for longer than a decade. The case has been brought by a retirement fund. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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What new M5 MacBooks will cost you — from entry-level to fully loaded
From entry level to fully loaded, here's what new M5 MacBooks will cost you. Some of those M5 Pro and M5 Max specs don't come cheap. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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M5 Pro and M5 Max are surprisingly big departures from older Apple Silicon
Apple is using more chiplets and three types of CPU cores to make the M5 family.

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One day late, macOS Tahoe 26.4 finally gets its third developer beta
Following behind the rest of the developer beta releases, macOS Tahoe 26.4 has caught up with the distribution of its third build for testing.macOS Tahoe 26 - Image Credit: AppleOn Monday, Apple started its third round of developer betas for its operating systems, including iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4,watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4. While macOS Tahoe 26.4 wasn't supplied at the time, Apple did bring it out on Tuesday instead.The third macOS Tahoe 26.4 developer beta follows the second from February 23, and the first from February 16. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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BenQ has a new monitor that gives the Studio Display a run for its money
BenQ just launched a 27-inch 5K monitor aimed directly at Mac creators who want crisp macOS scaling and P3 color accuracy without paying Apple's price for the new Studio Display.Apple's new Studio DisplayThe $999.99 BenQ MA270S display is about $600 cheaper than Apple's option. It still offers the same 5120x2880 resolution, wide P3 color support, and single-cable Thunderbolt connectivity that Mac users look for in a premium 5K desktop setup.Apple's Studio Display tops the list for its 5K panel, seamless macOS integration, 12MP Center Stage camera, six-speaker audio system, and sleek design. BenQ offers a more direct approach with a 5K display and Mac-tuned calibration at a lower price. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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MacBook Air Gets M5, MacBook Pro Gains M5 Pro and M5 Max
Apple has updated the MacBook Air with the new M5 chip, doubled base-level storage, and faster SSDs, while the MacBook Pro gains the new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips along with the same doubled base-level storage and faster SSDs.

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OpenAI releases GPT-5.3 Instant update to make ChatGPT less ‘cringe’
OpenAI has released an update to ChatGPT that it says should make its most commonly used model less “cringe” and more natural. Users should see fewer overly dramatic, jarring responses as a result. more…

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What you get from a maxed-out MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac mini
Forget the "starts from" prices, here's what you could spend on Macs from the Mac mini to the new MacBook Pro — and what you get for your money.A Mac mini on an MacBook Air's screen, and both on a MacBook Pro's displayWith the launch of the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, Apple isn't just presenter user with a choice of models. It's also, as ever, providing a range of options for each device.If you're not to overspend, you need to know what you can be getting — and enough information to decide what exactly that is worth to you. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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macOS 26.4 beta 3 now available
With a one-day delay compared to its counterparts, Apple is now rolling out the third developer beta of macOS 26.4. Here’s what to expect. more…

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Apple just revealed a lot about its ‘cheap’ MacBook
Macworld Apple has officially introduced the M5 MacBook Air, along with the M5 Pro and M5 Max variants of the MacBook Pro. Across the lineup, base storage and performance are up—and so are prices. The base MacBook Air now costs $100 more, while the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models come with an even heftier markup. A closer look at the updated pricing and technical specifications, as well as other relevant rumors, gives us a solid idea of what to expect from the “cheap” MacBook Neo launching as soon as tomorrow. RAMping up The RAM crisis has pushed many smartphone and computer manufacturers to hike their prices. To soften the blow, Apple has dropped the lowest storage tier from its entire MacBook line. This forces customers to pay more for the latest devices while giving Apple some flexibility with storage pricing. The MacBook Air has long been Apple’s cheapest notebook, catering to students and junior professionals alike. It’s no longer as cheap, however. The M5 MacBook Air now starts at $1,099 and comes with 512GB of storage, discontinuing the psychologically tempting $999 256GB option. While customers requiring more than 256GB of storage won’t be paying extra, those with casual workflows will pay for storage they don’t need. That’s the gap Apple’s cheap MacBook will attempt to fill. The MacBook Neo will serve as an M1 Air reboot.Jason Cross/Foundry A Neo era According to an accidental regulatory filing, Apple’s budget-friendly notebook will be dubbed the MacBook Neo. The branding has a trendy ring to it, making it appealing to younger Apple fans and high school students. It also fits the new era, where many workflows, including AI computing, have been offloaded to cloud servers. The device will act as an M1 Air reboot of sorts, reviving the lower specifications and affordable pricing. Since late 2024, M2 and newer MacBook Air models have come with at least 16GB of RAM. The MacBook Neo, however, will likely be powered by the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro chipset, which offers 8GB of RAM. The difference in memory would clearly set the Air and Neo models apart, making picking the right MacBook less confusing. Likewise, now that Apple has retired the 256GB storage capacity in the MacBook lineup, it would make sense to revive it through the MacBook Neo. This would lure casual users who don’t have a ton of local files and want to spend less than $1,099. Apple’s A18 Pro and M1 chips perform similarly. As such, the MacBook Neo could act as a rebranded 2020 MacBook Air with a few compromises. Unlike the M1 MacBook Air, the Neo model is expected to miss out on the backlit keyboard, P3 color gamut, and True Tone technology. It’ll likely maintain the 400-nit brightness, however, and offer some exclusive, fun color options and a trendy new design. The MacBook Neo’s main selling point will be its design—which will reportedly include colors never before seen on a MacBook.Foundry What about the price? Beyond design and technical specifications, the million-dollar question remains: how cheap will the MacBook Neo be? Some rumors suggest that the upcoming notebook will cost as little as $599, while other reports point to the $699-799 range. Given that the cheapest MacBook now starts at $1,099, Apple could realistically get away with the higher pricing. I don’t believe it will, however. Until recently, Apple was still selling 2020’s M1 MacBook Air through Walmart for just $599. Given that the MacBook Neo will likely share its 256GB storage, 8GB memory, and overall performance, it would be logical to maintain the same price. In fact, the MacBook Neo should theoretically be cheaper, as it won’t offer a backlit keyboard and the same display features as its M1 counterpart. Selling the MacBook Neo for $699-799 when the M4 MacBook Air was regularly discounted to $749 is irrational. Plus, a recent report alleges that Apple internally describes the MacBook Neo as an “incredible value,” and that the company expects it to drive significant traffic to its stores. A starting price of $599 would fit this narrative, but $699-799 would not. The MacBook Neo will, for the first time, give Apple a truly affordable laptop that it can officially promote through its online and physical stores, rather than hide on other websites. Additionally, customers are more likely to buy a 2026 computer than a 2020 one—even if, on paper, they perform similarly.

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M5 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs M5 14-inch MacBook Pro: Compared
Apple's new M5 Pro and M5 Max Apple Silicon chips means there's more choice in the 14-inch MacBook Pro range. Here's how the specs of the three models compare.M5 Pro MacBook Pro [left], M5 MacBook Pro [right]When Apple updated its Apple Silicon lineup to include a few models with the M5 chip in October, the 14-inch MacBook was one of the lucky few. For those who wanted more cores, the M4 Pro and M4 Max were still around as higher-performance options.Months later, and Apple has done the inevitable by bringing out the M5 Pro and M5 Max. With the entire 14-inch MacBook Pro range now on the M5 series, the choice between models no longer needs to account for a generational change. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple TV cancels ‘Palm Royale’ after two seasons
The Apple TV series "Palm Royale" has been canceled. The Emmy-nominated dramedy, starring Kristen Wiig and featuring an acclaimed… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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M5 MacBook Pro drops 512GB, gets $100 hike and 1TB storage
In parallel with Tuesday's MacBook Pro launch with M5 Pro and M5 Max processors, Apple culled the 512GB storage option from the M5 14-inch MacBook Pro, raised the price by $100, and is now supplying 1TB of storage.M5 MacBook Pro is more expensive, but cheaper than the previous storage upgrade. Apple's updated its online ordering system to accommodate the M5 Pro and M5 Max versions of the MacBook Pro. However, it also made a small change to the existing M5 14-inch MacBook Pro.Bringing the entry-level MacBook Pro in line with the other chip tiers, the M5 now starts at 1TB of storage, with options for 2TB and 4TB. The previous 512GB storage option is no longer available from Apple directly. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple TV joins Roku’s ‘Premium Subscriptions’ lineup
With a big March premiere lineup ahead, Apple TV has just struck a deal to join Roku’s ‘Premium Subscriptions’ lineup. Here’s what that means. more…

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Audible expands subscription options with cheaper Standard membership tier
While Apple sits out of the subscription audiobook service game, Spotify and Amazon Audible are battling it out lately. Amazon just announced a cheaper Audible membership following Spotify’s recent investment into the spoken word space. more…

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More ‘MacBook Neo’ details leak ahead of official announcement
In addition to announcing six new products over the last two days, Apple has seemingly leaked the name of at least one more product we still expect to see revealed this week. Now it appears more than just the expected name has surfaced. more…

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Apple Launches New M5 Chips, MacBook Pro, and First New Monitors In Years
Today, Apple updated the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with support for its new M5 chips. It also unveiled a pair of all-new Studio Display XDR monitors. Longtime Slashdot reader jizmonkey shares details about the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which look to be fairly major updates from the previous generation: Apple announced its newest CPUs today, which it claims has the fastest single-threaded performance in the world. Both the M5 Pro and M5 Max have eighteen-core designs, versus twelve or fourteen in the M4 Pro and fourteen or sixteen in the M4 Max. However, the number of higher-performing cores has been reduced significantly. In the older M4 designs, the chips had eight, ten, or twelve "performance" cores and four "efficiency" cores. In the M5 design, there are now only six higher-performing cores (now called "super" cores) and twelve lower-performing cores (now called "performance" cores). [Apple positions this "reduction" as a redesigned architecture with new core types.] The maximum amount of RAM remains the same at 128GB for the M5 Max (64GB for the M5 Pro), and GPU performance has increased. [The M5 Pro features up to a 20-core GPU, while the M5 Max scales up to 40 cores, each equipped with a Neural Accelerator. Apple also says the new architecture delivers over 4x peak GPU compute for AI compared to the previous generation, along with up to 35 percent faster performance in ray-traced graphics workloads.] Laptops with the new chips are available to order starting tomorrow and will be delivered starting March 11. As for the new XDR monitors, MacRumors highlights some of the key features in its reporting: Apple today introduced an all-new Studio Display XDR monitor with a 27-inch screen, mini-LED backlighting, 5K resolution, peak brightness of 2,000 nits for HDR content, up to a 120Hz refresh rate, Thunderbolt 5, and more. The new Studio Display XDR replaces Apple's former Pro Display XDR, which has been discontinued. Going forward, there are now two Studio Display models. Both new Studio Display models have the same overall design as the original model. Both models have a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, but it now supports Desk View on the new models. Both models also feature an upgraded six-speaker system, with Apple advertising "30 percent deeper bass" compared to the previous model. Only the higher-end Studio Display XDR received a 120Hz refresh rate, mini-LED backlighting, increased brightness, and faster 140W pass-through charging. The regular Studio Display still has a 60Hz refresh rate and up to 600 nits of brightness. Both models have 27-inch displays with a 5K resolution. The new Studio Displays can be pre-ordered starting Wednesday, March 4, ahead of a Wednesday, March 11 launch. In the U.S., the regular Studio Display continues to start at $1,599, while the Studio Display XDR starts at $3,299. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Satechi's Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is exactly the same size as a Mac mini
Satechi's new CubeDock packs a full Thunderbolt 5 hub, 140W charging, and optional NVMe storage into a chassis machined the same way as a Mac mini, designed to live right under your displays.Satechi's new Mac Studio-shaped dock, the CubeDock, is designed to help make the most of your workspace in a compact footprint. With speeds up to 120Gbps speed and 140W charging, it powers your favorite devices, provides bonus storage, and supports multi-display setups of up to 6k for Mac, and 8K for Windows.It doubles as bonus storage thanks to a built-in NVMe SSD enclosure, though you'll need to bring your own SSDs. It supports up to 8TB of M.2 NVMe (PCIe 4x4), with up to 6000MB/s transfer speeds.CubeDock supports a single display up to 6K at 60Hz. It also supports dual display up to 6K at 60Hz each for macOS, but triple display is exclusive to Windows users. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Deals: M5 iPad Pro up to $287 off, M5 MacBook Pro $250 less than new entry config, iPad Air $250 off, more
Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by M5 iPad Pro up to $150 off at Amazon, but we do have a chance to land the most affordable 13-inch at up to $287 off right now as well. And while Apple just raised the entry price on M5 MacBook Pro, you can score the most affordable 512GB model at $250 less alongside as much as $250 off M3 iPad Air models ahead of the M4 launch, and a rare chance to score black Apple Woven USB-C Cables from $7.50 each. All of that and the now live Apple 2026 Spring Collection accessories await below. more…

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Today in Apple history: Homebrew Computer Club meets for first time
On March 3, 1975, the Homebrew Computer Club, a hobbyist group that will spark the personal computing revolution, booted up in Menlo Park. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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AirPods 4 with ANC drop to the lowest price of 2026
Macworld While it might still be snowing near you, the first days of spring are nearly here, and outdoor weather is just around the corner. Just in time, we have a fantastic discount on the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Instead of getting them for their usual $179, you can snag these for $119 right now. These earbuds are the best non-Pro models we’ve reviewed. In fact, we gave the AirPods 4 a 4.5-star rating as we absolutely loved the great overall audio quality, the excellent battery life, and a wireless charging case with a speaker in case it gets lost. And of course, when you turn on active noise cancellation, you’ll have a fantastic listening experience, no matter how noisy it is around you. Speaking of ANC, Apple’s Adaptive Audio system was also built to blend transparency and noise cancellation to better suit your environment. Also, when you’re taking voice calls, the earbuds will isolate your voice and minimize the loud surroundings. The AirPods 4 offer up to 5 hours of listening time on a single charge and a total of 30 hours with the charging case. So upgrade your earbuds and get the AirPods 4 for $119 before the price jumps back up. Buy now at Amazon

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New Apple products keep launching, here’s what’s coming next
Apple has launched six new products already this week, but one more day of unveilings is expected. Here are the new products rumored to debut this Wednesday ahead of Apple’s in-person press gatherings. more…

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Whoops! Apple accidentally reveals ‘MacBook Neo’
Macworld We’re well into Apple’s “big week” of product reveals (we’ve had a new iPad Air, iPhone, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro; bookmark our live blog for all the announcements as the company makes them) but there’s still at least one product left to come. We know this because Apple accidentally told us. Eagle-eyed reporters at MacRumors noticed earlier today that Apple had posted to its compliance page a regulatory document for a product that doesn’t exist. This was labelled as “MacBook Neo (Model A3404),” and was separate from the entries for the M5 MacBook Air (A3448, A3449) and MacBook Pro (A3426, A3427, A3428, A3429) machines. One of these products is not like the others.MacRumors Almost as soon as the site wrote about its discovery (although not necessarily as a direct result of this), Apple took the document down. But MacRumors uploaded it to Scribd, where you can view it now. Sadly, it doesn’t include any tech specs or product images. It’s the existence of the product, not its contents, which is revelatory. Given that Apple is strongly expected to announce a new budget MacBook this week, it’s not a huge leap to assume that the MacBook Neo is that product. The name of the product has been one of its great mysteries. Would Apple simply call it “MacBook,” as it did with the 12-inch machine which launched in 2015 and sat between the Air and Pro lines? Would it be called MacBook SE, to match the budget-focused version of the Apple Watch and, until last year, iPhone? Or would Apple try to use the ‘e’ branding that budget iPhones now carry? Nobody was sure, and now it looks like the company has decided to use something completely new. The cheap MacBook is expected to come in a range of fun colors and aim at a younger audience than existing MacBook models. It’s debatable whether “Neo,” which means “new” but is closely associated with Keanu Reeves’ character in the “Matrix” movies, is an especially fun name, but the key with these Apple brands is to remember that they always sound strange at first. Ahead of the company’s first tablet launch, the name “iPad” sounded ridiculous, but after a few weeks of marketing, it sounds completely normal and even desirable. Of course, it’s possible that the regulatory document (or at least the label used for it on the website) was a cunning piece of misinformation designed to throw reporters off the scent, and it will have some other name entirely. We’ll probably find out tomorrow.

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Apple leaks ‘MacBook Neo’ name on its website
Apple appears to inadvertently reveal the name of Apple's long-rumored budget laptop. The leak indicates it will be called "MacBook New." (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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M5 MacBook Pro maxxed out will cost you $7349, but could have been a lot worse
Apple's updated M5 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro can cost you as much as $7,349. Fortunately, unified memory upgrade tier prices are the same as last year, even as RAM prices skyrocket.MacBook ProThe 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Max chip can be configured to cost up to $7,349, making it a top-tier mobile workstation. Apple rolled out the updated MacBook Pro lineup on March 3, featuring the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.These updates also include expanded memory bandwidth to support professional workflows. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple’s higher (and lower) MacBook pricing explained
Macworld Apple on Tuesday introduced new laptops with new chips–and new prices, as well. Usually, it’s easy to say whether something has gone up or down, but this time it’s a little more complicated than that. Let’s take a look at how the prices have changed. M5 MacBook AIr The new 13-inch M5 MacBook Air now starts at $1,099, which is $100 more than the $999 M4 MacBook Air. However, Apple doubled the base 256GB SSD that was in the $999 M4 Air, and the M5 Air now has a 512GB SSD. To make matters more confusing, the M4 Air with a 512GB SSD used to cost $1,199. So it looks like the price of the entry-level MacBook Air went up–which it did–but with more context, it also went down. The same up-and-down effect happens with the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air. It starts at $1,299, which is $100 more than the M4 version. But the M4 Air had a 256GB SSD, which has been replaced by a 512GB SSD in the M5 Air. The 15-inch Air with a 512GB SSD was $1,399, $100 more. The same applies to higher storage tiers M5 MacBook Pro The entry-level MacBook Pro, which has been on sale since October for $1,599, now starts at $1,699. But instead of 512GB of storage, you now get 1TB of storage, which costs $1,799 before. All other storage options also effectively cost $100 less, so the 2TB model will cost $2,099 instead of $2,199. M5 Pro /Max MacBook Pro The M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro is in a similar situation, though there isn’t the same up-and-down effect of the M5 MacBook Air. The base 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook is $2,199, a $200 increase from the base M4 Pro MacBook Pro. But with the M5 Pro/Max, Apple dropped the 512GB SSD and now offers a 1TB SSD as its entry point for storage. So the $2,199 M5 Pro MacBook Pro includes a 1TB SSD. Upgrading to a 1TB SSD in the $1,999 M4 Pro MacBook Pro added $200 to the price tag, bringing it to the same $2,199. So effectively, the pricing has not changed. The M5 Max MacBook Pro is no longer available with a 1TB SSD; it starts at $3,599 with a 2TB SSD. The laptop it replaces, the M4 Max MacBook Pro, started at $3,199, but it came with a 1TB SSD, and an upgrade to 2TB was $400, bringing its price to $3,599. So pricing is essentially the same, but the starting price is higher due to the extra storage. The same goes for the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which now starts at $2,699 with an M5 Pro processor and 1TB of storage, or $3,899 with an M5 Max chip and 2TB of storage. It’s more expensive to get in because you’re forced into higher storage tiers. In all, the prices haven’t changed if you compare the SSD specifications. But if you simply look at the prices in terms of their placement in the lineup, they went up. Something to keep in mind as you shop for the new laptops.

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Apple has announced 6 new products so far this week
Apple launch week is in full swing with six new products announced so far, and at least one major announcement still to come. more…

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Studio Display XDR arrives with mini-LED backlighting and 5K clarity
Introducing the Studio Display XDR: Apple's new premium monitor for professionals with mini-LED backlighting and Thunderbolt 5. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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New MacBook Airs come with M5, double the storage, and higher starting prices
New Airs leave more room underneath for the rumored low-cost MacBook.

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