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- Friday May 08
- 03:54 pmShould you buy the MacBook Air now or wait?
Macworld As of May 2026, it’s an excellent time to buy a MacBook Air. Apple refreshed the lineup in March 2026 with the new M5 chip, meaning the current models are at the very start of their lifecycle. Another update to the MacBook Air is not expected until 2027, so buyers can purchase now without worrying about an imminent refresh. There are also broader market reasons not to delay. Rising component costs – particularly for RAM and storage driven by growing AI demand – could push prices higher on future Mac models. Buying sooner may help avoid those increases. That said, whether you should buy now depends on your current device, budget, and what features matter most to you. Buy a MacBook Air now if… You’re upgrading from an Intel Mac: Apple’s transition away from Intel is accelerating, and support is shrinking. You need a lightweight laptop: The 13-inch MacBook Air weighs just 2.7 pounds, making it ideal for travel, commuting, and working between locations. You’re buying your first Mac: The MacBook Air is a user-friendly entry point to macOS. You need to: You’re replacing a broken or unreliable device. You’re a student: The MacBook Air is one of the best student laptops thanks to its silent fanless design, long battery life, and portability. You find a good deal: If you find the M5 MacBook Air for under $999 / £999 grab it. As of May 2026, Amazon is selling the M5 MacBook Air for $949 and Amazon U.K. has it for £988.97. Don’t buy a MacBook Air now if… You already own an M2, M3, or M4 MacBook Air: The M5 improvements are meaningful but not transformative for recent Apple Silicon owners. You need power: Creative professionals should consider buying a MacBook Pro instead. The Air’s fanless design is excellent for silence and portability, but sustained workloads like 4K video exports or 3D rendering can cause thermal throttling. You want a major redesign: OLED displays, ProMotion (120Hz), and thinner chassis redesigns are rumored for 2027. You’re highly price-sensitive: It would be wise to wait for larger seasonal discounts if you can. You’re interested in refurbished pricing: Apple Refurbished discounts are typically around 15%, however, the M5 models probably won’t appear until late 2026.03:40 pmApple Watch vs WHOOP: Here’s what I learned after 60 days wearing both [Video]
For the last 60 days, I have been wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the latest WHOOP MG. I wanted to better understand the hype surrounding WHOOP. If you spend enough time online, you can see that WHOOP users are loud and proud. It’s marketed as a serious wellness and fitness tracker that high-profile athletes and Silicon Valley tech founders wear. So, as someone who cares about their fitness, wellness, sleep, and overall health, I felt like I had to experience this for myself and, of course, compare it to the fitness tracker that I have been wearing for well over a decade: the Apple Watch. This is what I learned after 60 days. more…03:39 pm9to5Mac Daily: May 8, 2026 – Apple EDU store changes, AirPods with cameras
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Bitwarden: Make your life easier with Bitwarden, featuring a secure, open source password manager with end-to-end encryption and seamless autofill across all your devices. more…03:31 pmDeals: M5 MacBook Air new all-time lows (up to $220 off), AirPods Pro 3, MagSafe Battery, cables, more | 9 to 5 MacDeals: M5 MacBook Air new all-time lows (up to $220 off), AirPods Pro 3, MagSafe Battery, cables, more
Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by the most affordable AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2, but everything is waiting down below. more…03:03 pmiPhone 18 Pro’s new A20 chip rumored to bring two major upgrades
Every year, Apple has a new chip ready for its latest iPhones. But the A20 Pro chip for this fall’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra sounds like it could be extra special. Here are its two big rumored upgrades. more…03:00 pmWhich Macs are suffering from shortages—and where are things getting worse?
There are a couple signs of strain beyond the MacBook Neo and the desktops.03:00 pmNew Perplexity AI app opens Personal Computer to all Mac users
The new Perplexity Personal Computer AI app for Mac touts an "all-new native Mac experience" for more users. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)02:10 pmFinally, a compact USB-C hub that handles dual displays properly [Review] ★★★★☆
We went hands-on with the EZQuest USB 4 Dual Display 8-in-1 Hub — seamless connectivity with your Mac thanks to eight USB-C ports. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)02:08 pmiOS 27 has new features coming for two of iPhone’s most popular apps
iOS 27’s unveiling is only weeks away, and rumors for new features keep coming. Here are the rumored iOS 27 upgrades coming for two of iPhone’s most popular apps: Camera and Photos. more…02:07 pmThe $599 MacBook Neo is here to stay
Macworld Back in March, Apple announced its cheapest notebook ever, the MacBook Neo. Starting at as little as $599 ($499 for students), the laptop has been selling like hotcakes. Typically, high sales would make the corporate overlords happy. The MacBook Neo’s exceptional success, however, has apparently become a real problem. Due to chip shortages and the MacBook Neo’s extraordinarily high demand, Apple is struggling to produce new units en masse. A recent report from analyst Tim Culpan suggests that the company could stop selling the base Neo model, pushing customers to the higher-end variant that costs $100 more and helping Apple preserve its margins. While this approach can potentially resolve one issue, it would introduce a bigger challenge. The Neo problem The MacBook Neo packs a binned version of the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro chip. In simpler terms, Apple is repurposing faulty iPhone processors that had one fewer GPU core that would have otherwise been discarded. This approach has enabled Apple to price the Neo competitively, as it had plenty of these flawed processors lying around. Once Apple runs out of those chips, making new ones won’t be a simple switch. While Apple had to know the MacBook Neo would be a hit, its popularity has exceeded even the company’s expectations. Departing CEO Tim Cook stated during Apple’s most recent earnings report that the company hadn’t forecasted this level of enthusiasm, which helped attract a record number of first-time Mac buyers. Consequently, Apple has reportedly increased the production target from 5-6 million to a whopping 10 million. So, between running out of binned A18 Pro chips and TSMC’s limited capacity to produce new units due to the memory crunch, keeping up with the MacBook Neo’s demand is becoming trickier. The MacBook Neo uses a binned version of the A18 Pro chip inside the iPhone 16 Pro.Connor Jewiss / Foundry Rumored remedies To deal with the RAM crisis without introducing sudden price hikes, Apple has been silently discontinuing certain Mac models. The entry-level Mac mini, which started at $599 and offered 256GB of storage, was recently removed from the Apple Store. This pushes customers to the 512GB tier, which starts at $799 instead. The company similarly stopped selling the M3 Ultra Mac Studio with 256GB and 512GB of RAM. Perhaps unrelated, Apple also recently stopped selling the Mac Pro, which started at 64GB of RAM. Culpan’s recent report suggests that, as it did with the Mac mini, Apple may retire the $599 MacBook Neo with 256GB of storage. This would force customers to pay $100 more for the model with 512GB of storage and Touch ID. The same report also claims Apple may be exploring new color options to make the $699 configuration more enticing and “soften the impact of higher prices.” The problem, however, is that, unlike the Mac mini, the MacBook Neo’s budget-friendly pricing is its key selling point and the main stimulus behind its high demand. If a product is unaffordable to a group of people, a new shiny color won’t fix that. Even at $699, many would-be Neo customers will likely explore cheaper Windows laptops or Chromebooks. The MacBook Neo’s main appeal is its starting price. Even a small hike would limit its appeal.Eugen Wegmann The RAM crisis has been ongoing for a while now, and Apple still chose to release the affordable MacBook Neo right in the middle of it for a reason. While its sales may have exceeded expectations, the company was aware of the industry challenges and associated impacts on its products. Additionally, the MacBook Neo’s entire objective is to get students and kids used to the Apple ecosystem early on to win them as potential lifelong customers. It’s not meant to be a high-profit driver or a direct revenue generator. In a way, I see it as a free trial of sorts to get users hooked on Apple hardware. It would make more sense for Apple to absorb the costlier production fees than kill the Neo’s momentum. The $599 MacBook Neo is Apple’s gateway Mac, and it’s not going anywhere.Foundry Possible outcomes So, how does Apple deal with the situation? Just today, it was revealed that Apple will now require proper identification for students or teachers shopping in its discounted education store in the US and other countries. (Curiously, Apple’s education store has always operated on the honor system and never required buyers to use a dot-edu email or scan an ID card.) While a seemingly innocuous move, it could be hiding a solution for the Neo problem. If Apple is really in a predicament as big as Culpan says, Apple’s most likely route is to eventually make the $599 MacBook Neo exclusive to the education store, as its primary target is students on a budget. This would enable Apple to keep its low pricing but alleviate some of the demand for the cheapest model without eliminating it from the lineup completely. Alternatively, Apple could accelerate the production of the MacBook Neo 2 and release it sooner than planned, as Apple presumably has an ample supply of binned A19 Pro chips. Or maybe the $699 model gets the newer chip while the $599 model sticks with the A18 Pro. This would address the supply constraints in the short run until it figures out a sustainable, long-term solution that isn’t a price hike. Whichever route Apple chooses, one thing is clear: The $599 MacBook Neo isn’t going anywhere. And you’d be crazy to believe it would even consider it.02:06 pmWedbush raises Apple price target to $400
Apple stock rose about 0.8% on Friday after Wedbush Securities delivered a strong bullish note, lifting its price target from $350 to a new… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.01:45 pmPresident Trump invites CEOs of Apple, Exxon, Nvidia on diplomatic trip to China
U.S. President Trump is inviting CEOs from Apple, Nvidia, Exxon, Boeing, and other major companies to accompany him on his trip to China… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.01:40 pmInstagram redesigns iPad app to what it always should have been
Instagram finally launched an iPad app last fall, over 15 years after the iPad debuted. But the iPad version of Instagram differed from its iPhone app in key ways. Now, after a new update, Instagram for iPad has been redesigned to what it always should have been. more…01:30 pmToday in Apple history: 1997’s ‘MacBook Air’ weighed 4.4 pounds
On May 8, 1997, Apple released the PowerBook 2400c laptop, a 4.4-pound "subnotebook" that presaged the rise of speedy, lightweight notebooks. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:30 pmToday in Apple history: 1997’s ‘MacBook Air’ weighed 4.4 pounds
On May 8, 1997, Apple released the PowerBook 2400c laptop, a 4.4-pound "subnotebook" that presaged the rise of speedy, lightweight notebooks. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:26 pmKeep your iPhone Air charged around the clock with 40% off this official MagSafe battery
Macworld Apple iPad Air MagSafe Battery View Deal (function () { document.querySelector("#sticky-promo-block a").addEventListener("click", function(e) { const debug = document.location.host.search(/lndo.site|go-vip.net/) !== -1; const text = this.closest("#sticky-promo-block").querySelector("p.promo-title").textContent; const data = { event: "stickyConversionUnitClick", eventCategory: "Sticky Conversion", eventAction: "Click", eventLabel: text }; if(debug)console.log("Sticky Conversion CLick - pushing to dataLayer: ", data); dataLayer.push(data); return true; }); })(); If there’s one knock on the iPhone Air, it’s that the battery is a little small, and the last thing you need when you’re out about town with your skinny phone is to have its battery die on you. Thankfully, Apple has a solution that doesn’t add too much bulk to the phone, and today it’s cheaper than ever: Apple’s special iPhone Air MagSafe Battery is on sale for 39 percent off, bringing the price lower than ever down to just $60. Built specifically for the iPhone Air, this compact power bank will slip right into your pocket without adding too much weight. In fact, it’s slim enough that it won’t even bother you if it’s already magnetized to the back of your phone. As always, Apple brought in the sleek design that will perfectly match your device. As a matter of fact, Apple advises users to just snap this thing onto the back of the iPhone Air even when you have a full battery, simply allowing it to slowly charge the phone over the day as needed. The battery pack has a 3,149mAh capacity, so it’ll provide roughly 65 percent additional battery charge, more than enough to get you through a heavy day of use. And with 12W fast wireless charging when connected, it’ll keep up with everything you do. So upgrade your traveling upgrade strategy and get Apple’s iPhone Air MagSafe Battery for $60 while Amazon still has it on sale.01:15 pmTry these brilliant ways to use an iPad in a Mac setup
As iPadOS grows more capable, users find smarter roles for their tablet. These great workstations show the best uses of iPad in Mac setups. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:11 pmCarPlay now works with three top AI chatbot apps
CarPlay continues to give drivers more choice than ever when it comes to which services to use on the road. For example, . This extends the iPhone experience into the car without requiring special integration between automakers and services. more…01:06 pmMac shortages, iPhone rumors, and 'Schmigadoon!' on the AppleInsider Podcast
Apple is having even greater success with the MacBook Neo than expected, and also startling success with its great but cancelled "Schmigadoon!" show, plus there are so many new iPhone rumors, all on the AppleInsider Podcast.Is this "Schmigadoon!" or a party at Apple Park for the hit MacBook Neo? - image credit: AppleIt was predicted before, but now it appears to be absolutely true. The MacBook Neo is so much of a hit that Apple wasn't ready for it and is having to spin back up production lines for its processor.Then, too, Apple presumably didn't expect "Schmigadoon!" to be such a hit on Broadway, or it wouldn't have cancelled the original TV show. Nonetheless, TV's loss is theater's gain and Apple has stumbled into a dozen Tony nominations for the show. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:01 pmFly with these highly affordable new power banks in your carry-on bag
The new Pisen power banks, great for iPhones and other devices, are certified for airline travel. And they don't cost much. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)