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- Tuesday December 16
- 04:12 pmApple TV unveils a first look at ‘Widow’s Bay’
Apple TV on Tuesday announced that its new 10-episode series “Widow’s Bay” will make its global debut on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, with… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.04:05 pmNew M5 iMac model aimed at pro users might be coming, per leak
Rumors indicate Apple has a packed lineup of new Macs coming next year, and the latest leak indicates there could be a surprise reappearance of the iMac Pro with M5. more…03:54 pmGrab Apple's iPad 11 for $279, with delivery as soon as today
The lowest iPad 11 price is back at $279, with free in-store pickup or delivery by Christmas to many locations.Pick up an iPad for $299 during Amazon's last-minute holiday sale.Walmart's last-minute holiday Apple sale includes a return of its best $279 iPad 11-inch deal, reflecting a $70 discount off retail on the standard 128GB Wi-Fi configuration.Buy iPad 11 for $279 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:37 pmApple TV unveils new series starring Matthew Rhys of ‘The Beast in Me’
Apple TV just unveiled an early look at Widow’s Bay, a new series starring Matthew Rhys, who most recently gave a chilling performance in Netflix’s ‘The Beast in Me.’ Here are the first details and release date for Widow’s Bay. more…03:21 pmRAM prices are out of control. When should Apple users start worrying?
Macworld You have undoubtedly heard about the recent massive spike in RAM prices. RAM for consumer devices like desktops, laptops, graphics cards, and smartphones (DDR, GDDR, and LPDDR memory) has skyrocketed in recent weeks. Prices are 50-100 percent higher than they were back in the summer, with some premium 32GB DDR5 kits going for as much as $400 at Amazon! The problem, as it so often is, traces back to AI. The massive rush to build more AI datacenters at all costs has already increased demand for water and electricity, and previously sucked up much of the supply chain for the chips we use in consumer devices. RAM appears to be the latest culprit—AI data centers are using up a lot of the supply of DDR memory, but the GPUs they use often use a different kind of RAM called HBM—high bandwidth memory. Manufacturers have begun shifting some production to keep up with demand, making the DDR memory used in consumer devices even more scarce. It has gotten so bad that Samsung reportedly can’t even sell RAM to Samsung. The situation has caused prices to rise for PC desktops and laptops, graphics cards, and plenty of other consumer devices. But Apple products haven’t been affected—at least not yet. But will the surge in RAM pricing eventually make our iPhones and Macs more expensive? The situation is complicated. Apple’s supply contracts If nothing else, Apple is a big and popular monolithic producer of consumer goods with a locked-in supply chain. Apple doesn’t buy RAM month-to-month; it negotiates big, long-term contracts for parts in extremely high volumes. So for Apple, RAM likely hasn’t gotten more expensive yet, because they locked in prices months or even years ago for a huge long-term supply. What we don’t know is when Apple negotiates its supply contracts and how long this surge in RAM pricing will last. A Citi report published on X last year revealed that Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron supplied DRAM for iPhone 17, but it’s unclear whether Apple negotiates contracts before each phone release or whether they are the same for Mac chips. Because the unified memory chips in Apple’s processors are soldered to the chip, there aren’t teardowns to reveal the make or model of the RAM. The M5 iPad Pro starts at 12GB of RAM for the same price as the M4 with 8GB of RAMApple However, there’s always the possibility that Apple’s prices go up to cover the threat of additional costs. When airlines raise ticket prices due to a surge in the price of oil, that’s usually an artificial increase. Major airlines buy fuel on long-term contracts and hedge prices by locking in rates well in advance of a price spike. Airlines are raising prices because they can, and we have seen many other industries use inflation and tariffs as cover to raise prices by a much larger amount than the increase in their actual costs. Also, prices rarely go down once costs stabilize, but that’s another issue. In other words, even if Apple isn’t paying more for RAM right now, it might have to in the near future, and prices could go up as a result. Apple prices may be stable for the moment, but in the next couple of months, who knows? Apple’s big margins Historically, increases in RAM prices affect products in which RAM is a huge part of the total cost. On an inexpensive smartphone, where RAM might be 10 or 15 percent of the total bill of materials (BOM), a doubling of RAM costs can completely destroy the slim margins it sells at. Apple’s typical RAM cost is estimated to be more like 4 percent of the BOM cost, and Apple’s margins are high—in the 20-30 percent range for most products, and higher on high-end Macs. Apple also charges a lot for additional RAM in Macs—you’ll pay $200 more for 8GB, essentially $20 worth of RAM. Even if Apple’s cost for RAM doubles, it still has margin to spare. A report from Counterpoint in December reported that Apple is “best positioned to weather the next few quarters” compared to its competitors due to this very fact. Senior Analyst Yang Wang wrote that “it will be tough for others that don’t have as much wiggle room to manage market share versus profit margins. We will see this play out especially with the Chinese OEMs as the year progresses.” Granted, Apple is very protective of its margins and doesn’t ever want to make less profit on each sale. But it certainly has the ability to withstand a few months or even a year of a big DRAM price surge without losing money, even at current prices. The M5 iPad Pro starts with 12GB of RAM—but also has a four-figure price tag.Britta O’Boyle Apple’s steady pricing The full retail price of an Apple product rarely changes. It has been known to happen, especially in specific regions where a big swing in the exchange rate and/or taxes that must be included in the price necessitate a shift. In general, though, Apple’s pricing is incredibly steady. When the company raises prices, it does so with the introduction of a new product. For example, Apple likely wouldn’t raise the price of the iPhone 17 mid-cycle due cover rising component costs, but would rather just raise the iPhone 18’s price when it is introduced to make up for the additional costs. One notable exception, however, was in March 2002, when it hiked the price of its new G4 iMac just two months after its launch due to “significant increases in component costs for memory and LCD flat-panel displays.” Of course, Apple was a much different company back then. Apple just released a number of its higher-priced products in late 2025: the iPhone 17 line (including an overpriced iPhone Air), M5 MacBook Pro, and M5 iPad Pro. Its next big product lineup will be higher-priced M5 MacBook Pros (which have margin to spare), the M5 MacBook Air, and perhaps some real budget value products like a low-cost MacBook and iPhone 17e. The iPhone 17e is one place where Apple could recoup rising memory costs.Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd In other words, Apple’s next products are a mix of some high-end, high-margin Macs and value products that by definition have to come in well under the rest of the product line. It would surprise me if we saw higher starting prices for those products due to the current RAM situation. In fact, Apple actually cut the price of the MacBook Air in 2025 when the M4 model arrived, so it’s possible it could recoup some costs by returning it to its 2024 prices. Nobody really knows what Apple will do with pricing, and anyone who claims differently is as trustworthy as a magic 8-ball. But our educated guess is that Apple won’t adjust its prices due to the RAM shortage in the short term. If this supply crunch lasts through the year to the fall 2026 product cycle, there’s a very good chance we’ll see some higher prices on specific SKUs to offset Apple’s increased costs and preserve its overall margins.03:15 pmFeds say US big tech is being targed by unfair regulations overseas
The US House Judiciary Subcommittee is conducting a hearing on US big tech discrimination by Europe and others, with witnesses saying that the regulations popping up harm the global economy and stifle innovation.The hearing is being held in the House Judiciary Committee's main building — image credit: House Judiciary CommitteeThe White House has previously said that it will not tolerate the European Union's fining firms such as Apple and Meta. Then on Monday, the US paused its agreed $200 billion technology deal with the UK, as it presses for more concessions.At 10 AM on December 16, the US House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust began a hearing on how foreign nations target American firms. It is ostensibly a hearing to "examine the threat that discriminatory foreign regulations... pose to American innovation and competition." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:07 pmRivian CEO wants CarPlay in other cars, but says Rivian doesn’t need it
CarPlay is widely available across most vehicles, with Tesla and Rivian among the most prominent holdouts. Now, Tesla is rumored to be adding support, and in a new interview Rivian’s CEO addressed criticism about its CarPlay stance. more…03:04 pmApple to participate in Trump admin’s U.S. Tech Force to modernize government technology | Mac Daily NewsApple to participate in Trump admin’s U.S. Tech Force to modernize government technology
The Trump administration has launched the U.S. Tech Force, a White House-backed program in which Apple will participate… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.03:01 pmPayPal has applied to become a US bank, offering savings accounts and loans
It looks like we could be seeing the launch of a PayPal Bank in the US after the company took advantage of looser conditions in order to make its application … more…03:00 pmNew Speechify Mac app lets you write 5 times faster by using your voice
With the new Voice Typing Dictation feature, users can now speak naturally and have Speechify’s new Mac app turn that recording into clean text across any app on macOS. Here’s how it works. more…02:54 pmApple spent $1.1 billion on more California office space in 2025
Despite Apple's HQ being already one of world's most expensive and expansive headquarters, in 2025 Apple spent a quarter of what it paid for Apple Park on more office space in California to house a still-growing employee base.Image Credit: Jay Paul CompanyBack in 2019, Apple's corporate headquarters at Apple Park was said to be worth $4.17 billion. Opened in 2017, it can house 13,000 employees — and practically from the start, it wasn't enough.Apple has kept on expanding with new sites and according to The Mercury News, 2025 alone has now seen it acquire over a billion dollars of office space. Apple doesn't publish this detail, so it's compiled from multiple real estate sources, but it appears Apple is spending half a billion every six months. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:51 pmHate wireless? Apple’s classic EarPods are under $11 right now
Macworld Yes, yes, AirPods are great and all, but they don’t come without their share of issues. The fit can be wonky, and there’s always a risk you’ll lose one… and then you’ll be out $100 — at least. If these potential problems concern you, then Apple’s EarPods are a great alternative—and for the first time in a while, they’re a massive 42 percent off right now, bringing the price down to $10.94. These are the classic Apple earbuds from the iPod days that are comfortable to wear for long periods of time. They’re no-frills wired earbuds that deliver great sound quality and have a built-in microphone so you can take calls or issue voice commands. You can even summon Siri with your voice, which is pretty awesome and super useful. The EarPods have a USB-C plug so you can use them with just about any recent model of iPhone, iPad, or MacBook. In fact, it works with just about any device that has a USB-C port, no matter the brand. There’s also a built-in remote on the wire so you don’t have to take out your phone to skip a song or adjust the volume. So, grab a pair of these $10.94 Apple EarPods for yourself or turn them into stocking stuffers for everyone in your family. Buy now at Amazon02:34 pmiOS 26.3 adds new iPhone wallpaper section, expands gallery
iOS 26.3 beta 1 arrived yesterday for developers, bringing some expected changes but also one small surprise: the wallpaper gallery has expanded with a new dedicated Weather section. more…02:34 pmiPhone will do pretty well in 2026, as RAM prices hammer the smartphone industry
Apple's iPhone is positioned to weather a looming smartphone memory price spike better than nearly any rival, even as industry forecasts point to softer sales in 2026.iPhone 17 Pro MaxCounterpoint Research released a report on December 16, lowering its 2026 global smartphone shipment forecast. The report attributes this to significant price hikes in DRAM and NAND flash memory.The revised forecast expects global smartphone shipments to fall about 2% year over year, reversing earlier expectations for modest growth. Memory costs are the primary driver, with Counterpoint pointing to supply tightness and aggressive pricing from memory vendors. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:30 pmYour book, published: This AI guides you from first word to final print
Struggling to finish your brilliant book idea? BookBud.ai writing software gives you tools you need to write the book you’ve always imagined. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)02:14 pmApp developers call for EU action on Apple’s App Store fees
A coalition of 20 app developers and consumer groups urged European regulators on Tuesday to strictly enforce EU laws against Apple… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.01:26 pmThere may be two models of Apple's rumored budget MacBook
The low-cost MacBook using iPhone chips may include a lower-powered model, with Apple said to be testing the A15 chip alongside the A18 Pro.The 13-inch MacBook Air, the current lowest-cost MacBook model. Apple is believed to be working on a new model of MacBook aimed at the budget end of the notebook market. While those rumors have said that Apple will be using chips from its iPhone line in the models, it may end up using quite earlier variants.As part of a number of details revealed in an internal iOS build leak, Weibo leaker Kang and others have mentioned the budget-friendly MacBooks. It is claimed that Apple has tested the model using the A15 chip. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:19 pmHere’s everything expected from next year’s iPhone Fold
Next year’s flagship iPhone is widely expected to be a folding phone branded as the iPhone Fold. With a great deal of consistency across leaks and other reports, we do now have a pretty good idea of what to expect. The latest post by a Chinese leaker with a pretty decent track record differs from previous ones in a few small respects, but the fundamental elements remain the same … more…01:00 pmMobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro review: Portable screen that floats above your MacBook
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Thin & light portable screen Kickstand Three clever viewing modes Cons Integrated speakers aren’t brilliant Our Verdict A simple but effective display solution. The Duex Float 2 and Float 2 Pro screens are lightweight and simple to setup – a great solution at home or if you are often moving between offices. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$299.99 Best Prices Today: Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro Retailer Price $244.99 View Deal $249.99 View Deal $249.99 View Deal Mobile Pixels $299.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Portable monitors are often units that sit separately alongside your laptop, allowing you to use them together side by side or on their own with the MacBook’s screen closed. The Duex Float 2 and Float 2 Pro, from Mobile Pixels, are neater than that. It’s a single screen that is positioned in a stacked arrangement above the MacBook’s own display—as its name would like have it, it “floats”. You simply place your MacBook below the second screen and hey-presto you have two screens that mean you are not having to move your head from side to side to enjoy the extra screen space. If you use the included magnets you can keep this stacked screen setup attached to your MacBook. It also makes the setup more stable when in use. A few of the displays we have reviewed in our roundup of the best portable monitors for MacBook feature stacked dual screens. The Float 2 and Pro use the MacBook’s own display as the lower screen and its screen exactly above. It’s an update on the original Float display, and is lighter and of a higher resolution. Stacked screens offer neck-strain-saving ergonomic benefits compared to two side-by-side monitors and are especially useful where space is at a premium—say in a tight home-working or co-working environment. The Duex Float 2 Pro mirrors the 16-inch display of the top-end MacBook Pro. That model might have the largest of the MacBook displays but basically doubling the screen space is a revelation. You get the best of both worlds—a desktop-like large screen in a portable package that fits under your arm or slides into a backpack. When you’re not working or streaming TV, it packs away out of sight. Having two screens—MacBook with Float above—is an undoubted improvement on staring down at a small laptop screen, with shoulders hunched and eyes squinting. If you use a laptop stand, this will have to be discarded when using the Float as it will remain lower than the laptop on a stand. However, the height of the Float’s screen should mean that a stand is unnecessary. Mobile Pixels Float 2 and Float 2 Pro differences There are two versions available: the Float 2 and Float 2 Pro. 2K HD model Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro Read our review Price When Reviewed: $299.99 Best Prices Today: $244.99 at Amazon | $249.99 at B&H | $249.99 at Walmart Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Screen size: 15.6 inches Resolution: 1920 × 1080 pixels Maximum brightness: 300 nits Contrast ratio: 1000:1 Color gamut: 45% NTSC / 62% sRGB Refresh rate: 60Hz 2.5K MODEL Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro Read our review Price When Reviewed: $299.99 Best Prices Today: $244.99 at Amazon | $249.99 at B&H | $249.99 at Walmart Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro Screen size: 16 inches Resolution: 2560 × 1600 pixels Maximum brightness: 350 nits Contrast ratio: 1200:1 Color gamut: 72% NTSC / 100% sRGB Refresh rate: 120Hz Portable design We tested the Duex Float 2 Pro, which features the 16-inch screen above a hinge in the center of the folded-out package. The angle of the top screen can be adjusted to suit you. Unfolded, it’s just 0.7 of an inch thick, and the whole thing weighs in at 2.9lbs (1.3kg). That’s lighter than the 15-inch MacBook Pro, which weighs in at 3.3lbs (1.5kg), or 16-inch MacBook Pro at 4.7lbs (2.15kg). Mobile Pixels When unfolded—in what Mobile Pixels calls Free Standing Mode—the lower part of the frame has four cutouts. You have the option of affixing the included four powerful magnets to the top of your MacBook—for which a cardboard Installation Template is included. These magnets then connect with the Float’s cutouts to create a strong bond, keeping the MacBook and Float as one piece. When closed the Float stays flat on your MacBook, making it deeper and a little heavier but still intrinsically a portable laptop. Just imagine your once-slim MacBook is an older Apple PowerBook model—younger readers can look that up. If you prefer not to stick the (removable) magnets to your MacBook, then you can just place the laptop against the folded-out Float for the same but more temporary effect. Mobile Pixels This would not be much use without the magnetic fold-out kickstand at the back of the lower section of the Float. This is simple to use and reasonably stable. The Float 2 and Float 2 Pro come with two cables: a USB-C to USB-C cable that also includes a USB-A adapter that Mac users can ignore; and an HDMI to Mini HDMI cable. The USB-C cable should be all a Mac user requires. Simon Jary The Duex Float 2 displays don’t include a built-in battery. The screen will draw from 7.5W of power from the MacBook in the Limited Power Mode that caps brightness at 80%. To achieve full brightness and prevent flickering, you can connect a PD-compliant USB-C charger rated at 15W or higher. The one you use for your iPhone should be sufficient or you can use a second port from your MacBook’s charger if it has more than one. See our roundup of the best USB-C chargers for MacBook. When connected to a wall charger the screen can pass-back up to 65W to the connected laptop. There are three viewing modes: You can view the Float’s screen—in Extended Mode—above your MacBook’s display by selecting the Arrange tool in System Settings >Displays. Mobile Pixels Another clever usage is Presentation Mode (pictured above) where you would set the Float to mirror your MacBook’s display rather than extend it. Here you tip the Float’s screen all the way back so that someone sitting opposite you would see the screen. Then all you have to do is press the Flip Screen button to have it display the correct way up for your intended audience. Although not automatic, it’s a breeze to operate. In Free-Standing Mode the Float can also be used as a single screen by flipping the screen to use the frame as the flat stand. It’s not really living up to its floaty name when used as a more conventional portable screen, but it works just as well. Mobile Pixels Video quality The 16:10 aspect-ratio Duex Float 2 Pro is a 16-inch display with a maximum 2560-x-1600-pixel resolution (QHD/2.5K). Maximum brightness is 350 nits, with a 1200:1 contrast ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. Its sRGB color gamut is an excellent 100% (72% NTSC). The smaller non-Pro Duex Float 2 is a 15.6-inch display with a maximum 1920-x-1080-pixel resolution (2K/HD). Maximum brightness is 300 nits, with a 1000:1 contrast ration and a 60Hz refresh rate. Its sRGB color gamut is 62% (45% NTSC). Aim for the Float 2 Pro if you can for the superior screen quality. There is an anti-glare EyeCareMode to reduce eye strain. As well as with laptop and desktop Mac and Windows computers, the Float displays work with iPhone (iPhone 15 or later due to the required USB-C connection) or games consoles. Simon Jary Side ports and power On the left side (as you face it) is the USB-C port that you’ll use to connect to your MacBook unless it suits you to connect to the right-side USB-C port that sits below the Mini HDMI port. Above the left-side USB-C port are four buttons: the Flip Screen button plus three On Screen Display (OSD) controls. You can quickly adjust the Float’s brightness here or access the multiple OSD settings that include Backlight, Contrast, Saturation, speaker Volume, screen Temperature, input Signal, EyeCare Mode and Orientation. Speakers The monitor has built-in stereo speakers, which aren’t bad but are tinny compared to the speaker in our connected M2 MacBook Pro so you’re probably better sticking with the laptop’s own. Mobile Pixels Price The Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro is priced at $399.99 / £259.99 direct or from Amazon. The non-Pro Float 2 is priced at $309.99 / £219.99 direct and at Amazon. Check the sites for the best live prices. We haven’t tested anything similar in terms of a single screen that is stacked above the MacBook’s own, but we have reviewed other portable Mac monitors if you want to explore alternatives. Mobile Pixels Should you buy the Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 and Pro? This is a simple but effective display solution with the Float 2 Pro being a great fit for owners of the 16-inch MacBook Pro in particular. Setup is simple and when connected via magnets the whole package is super portable. It works well without magnets, although it’s not as stable in use or convenient when carried around. Having another high-quality screen positioned above the MacBook’s own offers expanded screen space that lessens the usual neck strain two side-by-side screens might induce. The fact that it’s lightweight and simple to setup makes it a great solution at home or if you are often moving between offices.12:46 pmiPad mini 8 rumored to use the iPhone 18 A20 Pro chip
A closer examination of leaked internal code may have also teased a future change for the iPad mini, with the iPad mini 8 rumored to get the A20 Pro chip.iPad miniThere have been a plethora of leaks in early December stemming from an internal pre-release build of iOS 26. Despite the amount of information that has already emerged, it seems there are still more details being uncovered from the code leak.Chinese leaker Kang and others have provided their own compilations of leaked details to Weibo, covering chips to be used in future models. While there are other earlier leaks mentioned, Kang also interestingly brings up the iPad mini. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums