iPhone 16 Pro Max review two months later — Like Apple says, the best iPhone yet
Maybe there isn't one giant improvement in the iPhone 16 Pro Max from its predecessor, but there are many improvements worth the steep price of admission.Apple's best — the iPhone 16 Pro MaxThe iPhone 16 Pro Max is a curious device. While it has a fractionally larger screen than last time, so does the iPhone 16 Pro.And while it has a new Camera Control button, so does every model in the iPhone 16 range. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple continues phasing out free Apple stickers in product packaging
Apple has continued to omit Apple stickers from the packaging of its 2024 product releases. This trend extends to the latest iPad Pro… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Spotify users can now easily share songs on TikTok
TikTok already lets users add a song to their Spotify library without leaving the app, and both platforms are now introducing another quite convenient feature: the ability to easily share Spotify songs on TikTok. more…

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Find out if Apple Music deleted one of your favorite songs
Here’s how you can find out if any songs in your library have been removed from Apple Music without you knowing. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Belkin unveils all-new accessories for Apple Vision Pro
Belkin, a leading consumer electronics brand for 40 years, today introduced two new additions to its Apple Vision Pro accessories ecosystem… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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HomeKit Weekly: Track your HomeKit device batteries with HomeBatteries
Keeping tabs on battery-powered HomeKit accessories like the can be challenging. From smart locks to motion sensors, battery status is often out of sight, out of mind—until the moment a device fails to respond. Enter HomeBatteries, an app designed to solve this problem by giving you an easy place to monitor HomeKit battery and ensuring you lose access to one of your devices. more…

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First day out, first discount for the M4 Mac mini at Amazon
Macworld Today’s the first day you can freely buy the new Mac mini without a pre-order, and it’s also the first time we’re seeing a real discount on Apple’s tiny PC. Amazon is selling the base model with 256GB of storage for $550 or the model with 512GB for $749, a savings of $50 off either model. Both now come with 16GB of RAM too. We already reviewed the new Mac mini and found it’s super tiny and quite, delivers a decent selection of ports, and offers an excellent performance with the speedy M4 chip. We enjoyed the smaller Mac so much that we gave it a 4-star rating. Our only criticism, other then the lack of a single USB-A port, is the price of Apple’s upgrades, which cost an extra $200 for double the storage (256GB to 512GB). At least, with this instant discount at Amazon, you get to save $50 off that price. The main thing about the M4 Mac mini is how incredibly small it is. As we wrote, “Apple told us the new Mac mini was smaller. It shows us photos and videos. And still, when I took it out of the box, I was somewhat unprepared for just how small it actually is,” we wrote. So how small is it? Well, it’s just 5×5 inches square and 2 inches tall, only a little larger than the Apple TV and ready to fit into your palm. So snatch the 256GB Mac mini for $550 or the 512GB Mac Mini M4 for $749 and save $50 on the smallest Mac Apple has ever made. Save $50 on the Mac Mini M4Buy it now at Amazon

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Apple extends holiday return period for purchases
When Apple extends the holiday return period for buyers and giftees, you know the holidays have officially begun. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Cops think iPhones are secretly communicating with each other to reboot
A new report from 404 Media says that law enforcement officials in Detroit, Michigan believe that iOS 18 includes a “new security feature that tells nearby iPhones to reboot if they have been disconnected from a cellular network for some time.” more…

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How to Tame Sequoia’s Window Tiling
Struggling with window resizing surprises in macOS 15 Sequoia? Adam Engst guides you through configuring Sequoia’s new tiling features to improve your Mac window management.

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Major Apple supplier TSMC says investment plan in America unchanged after President Trump wins election
Major Apple supplier TSMC, the world's largest dedicated independent "pure-play" semiconductor foundry, says its investment plan in America… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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New M4 Mac mini has removable storage — but don’t touch it!
The storage SSD in the newly launched M4 Mac mini can be removed, but that doesn’t automatically make it upgradable. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Best cheap VPN Deals: The cheapest VPNs for Mac, iPhone or iPad
Macworld If you want to unblock regional content on streaming services like Netflix, iPlayer, and Prime, or access websites that aren’t available in your region, a VPN is an essential tool. VPN services can also give you online privacy as well as letting you securely connect to open Wi-Fi networks in cafes, hotels, airports and other places. We can help you find the cheapest VPN to suit your needs. Choosing which VPN service to subscribe to can be difficult and this is compounded by the fact that there are so many offers and discounts. That’s where we come in. All of the services you’ll find below are ones we’d use ourselves – and we do so daily. We’ll let you know the latest prices and best deals so you can find the VPN that suites you at the best price. Read How to use a VPN on a Mac for more information, and if you still aren’t sure why you need a VPN read: Should I use a VPN on my Mac/iPhone? Best VPN deals right now All these deals save a significant amount compared to paying for each of these services on a rolling monthly subscription. VPN providers tend to offer year-round discounts, however there are some deals that mean you won’t be locked into a monthly fee, or at least not one that will expire soon. Here are two of the best examples: One deal to take a look at is FastestVPN’s Lifetime plan – which with 93% off makes it an absolute bargain as you pay once and have access to the VPN for life. It’s a one-off $40 (approx £33) and the company says that the full price would be $600. We have plenty more deals below. Note that many of the deals lock you in for a year or two years after which you can end up paying a lot more, so check out the advertised monthly price. We recommend setting a reminder in your calendar to cancel and look for a new deal to replace the one you had at the end of the contract period. For our recommendations of Mac Antivirus Software that we have tested see: Best Antivirus for Mac 2024: Top Security Software Compared. We also evaluate the Best VPN for iPad and Best VPN for iPhone. Best free VPN There are a few free VPNs on offer but our advice is usually to be very cautious about them. Companies that give stuff away will be making money somehow, and you can’t be sure they aren’t selling your data. One decent VPN that does offer a free tier is Proton VPN (read our review). You can use Proton VPN for nothing, as long as you’re happy with U.S., Japan, and Netherlands as your server locations. It’s also limiting in that you can only connect a single device, and speeds are slower than the paid plans, but the free version is available on all platforms and if you like it you can always subscribe to get the whole package which will unblock a host of features, including an ad and tracker blocker and improved speed of up to 10 Gbit, as well as an expanded 10-device limit. There’s Port Forwarding for downloads and gaming, too, as well as a Kill Switch for disconnecting should the VPN drop out. Get Proton VPN free Best cheap VPNs for Mac We’re reviewed all these services in our round-up of the best VPNs for Mac. Below you will find details of the best deals available currently for each of the major VPN providers – these deals change all the time. Most VPNs cost less than $5/£5 per month, with some less than $3/£3. There are even some free VPNs, but these are usually very limited and could be collecting data about you. The ones we share here are generally around $3/£3 a month or less. Here are our top recommendations for the cheapest Mac VPNs: NordVPN Private Internet Access Surfshark CyberGhost As we said above, just remember to take a note of the renewal date when you start a subscription so that you can cancel it before you get charged the full price. Best VPN deals: Save money on a VPN for your Mac 1. NordVPN Pros Incredibly easy to use Great downloadable apps Plenty of server options Cons Pricing heavily weighted toward two-year plans Price When Reviewed: Basic plan from $3.59 a month for two years + 3 free months. Usually $12.99. Basic 2-Year Plan (+ 3 free months)$3.59 a monthBasic 1-Year Plan (+ 3 free months)$4.49 a monthBasic Monthly Plan$12.99 a month NordVPN is a fully featured VPN option that’s secure, easy to use, and unbelievably fast compared to its competitors. Prices change all the time. In October 2024, in the run up to Black Friday, NordVPN’s Basic plan is 71% off at $3.59/£2.69 a month for 2 years + 3 months. Read our full NordVPN review 2. Surfshark Pros Simple to use No device limits Cons Slower on OpenVPN Price When Reviewed: Starter plan from $1.99 a month for two years + 4 free months. Usually $15.45 a month. Starter 2-Year Plan (+ 3 free months)$1.99 a monthStarter 1-Year Plan (+ 3 free months)$2.99 a monthStarter Monthly Plan$15.45 a month SurfShark is a great VPN option that’s as easy to use as the best of them, while maintaining security across an unlimited number of devices – something we don’t see often. Right now Surfshark’s Starter plan is $1.99/£1.49 a month for 2 years + 4 free months for Black Friday. Read our full Surfshark review 3. Private Internet Access Pros Lots of power features Privacy-minded Great value Cons Less intuitive than some others Price When Reviewed: From $2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $11.99 a month. 2-Year Plan (+2 free months($2.19 a month6-Month Plan$7.50 a monthMonthly plan$11.99 a month Private Internet Access (PIA) offers a robust feature set that makes it one of the more impressive VPNs out there. Right now PIA Has a deal that means you pay $2.19/£1.69 a month for two years. Read our full Private Internet Access review 4. CyberGhost Pros Simple to use Decent speeds Plenty of servers Cons Lacking some power user features Price When Reviewed: $2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $12.99 a month. 2-Year Plan (+ 4 free months)$2.19 a month6-Month Plan$6.99 a monthMonthly Plan$12.99 a month CyberGhost takes a lot of the complexity out of VPN usage, for better and for worse. On the one hand, some users may want more power-user features. In October 2024 you can get 84% off at Cyberghost. This is $2.19/£1.92 a month for 2 years with 2 free months. It’s fully refundable for 45 days, according to the company. Read our full CyberGhost review 5. hide.me VPN Pros Dedicated streaming servers Impressive free tier Cons Slightly clunky UI Price When Reviewed: From $2.59 a month for 1 years + 3 free months. Usually $9.95 a month. 2-Year Plan$2.59 a month1-Year Plan$4.49 a monthMonthly plan$9.95 a month Hide.me is a solid VPN with a great free tier, but the UI isn’t particularly intuitive. Hide.me has a Black Friday deal that means you pay £2.29 a month for 27 months. Read our full hide.me VPN review 6. ProtonVPN Pros Simple to use Free plan Great speed Cons Setup on macOS was a little fiddly Price When Reviewed: From $4.49 a month for two years. Usually $9.99 a month. 2-Year Plan$4.49 a month1-Year Plan$4.99 a monthMonthly$9.99 a month Proton VPN’s free tier, ease of use, and impressive speeds put it right near the top of our VPN recommendations. There is a free tier of Proton VPN, but if you want a bit more flexibility and a few more features prices start at $4.49/€4.49 a month for two years. Usually $9.99/€9.99 a month. The Swiss-based company doesn’t seem to like pounds, so it’s dollars or euros, unfortunately. Read our full ProtonVPN review How to find the best VPN deal for Mac VPN subscriptions typically work out cheaper if you commit for a year or longer, which saves a lot of money. Prices rarely exceed $6/£6 per month with multi-year subscriptions and are often closer to $2/£2… or even less. Many major VPN providers offer discounts through the year, and sometimes even offer permanent discounts. These discounts can look impressive at first. It’s not uncommon to see a countdown timer telling you when the deal ends – but these are almost always to induce FOMO – the fear of missing out – in order to persuade you to sign up immediately. Large discounts are par for the course with VPN services, especially when you’re subscribing for several years. This makes it all the more important to look into the various providers and what each has to offer, before jumping into a long-term commitment. All VPNs we’ve tested offer cross-device coverage too, so you can use them on your Mac, iPhone, iPad and more. We’ve separately rounded up the best iPhone VPNs and iPad VPNs.

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macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta offers new privacy-enhancing AirPlay options
Apple's latest macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta introduces a significant upgrade to AirPlay, allowing users to share a more limited portion of their… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Best MacBook 2024: Which MacBook should you buy?
Macworld Wondering which type of MacBook to buy? This buying guide will help you decide which Apple laptop is best for you. Apple makes two types of laptops, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. Within those two categories of Mac is a wide range of capabilities, the gap between the entry-level MacBook Air and the high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro is vast, but even within the MacBook Pro category you will find huge differences. We have more information on the differences between the MacBook Air and Pro in another article. While there are eight MacBook Air models and nine MacBook Pro models sold as standard configurations, in reality, there are multiple combinations if you factor in all the build-to-order options that you can add such as extra RAM, more storage, or a faster processor, with which you can build an even more powerful Mac, should you need to. Choosing which MacBook to buy can be a tough decision, fortunately, we are here to help. If you’re not sure yet if you want a laptop or desktop Mac, you should also read our Mac buying guide, which covers both MacBooks and Apple’s desktop Macs. We also compare all the MacBook Pro models here: Which MacBook Pro? We also offer advice about how much storage, RAM and cores in How much MacBook do you really need? There are various sections in this article. If you aren’t sure which Mac laptop you want then read on, if you have a vague idea but are choosing between two similar models, or if your needs are more professional than personal, then you might find the models further down this article more relevant. In that case, we suggest that you jump to the section about the MacBook that is most relevant to your needs. See the Table of Contents above. MacBook release dates One consideration to make when shopping for a MacBook is how recently Apple updated the laptop and whether it is likely to be updating it again. Here is a quick look at when the laptops Apple sells were released. 13-inch MacBook Air (M2): July 2022 14-inch MacBook Pro (M4, M4 Pro & M4 Max): November 2024 16-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Pro & M4 Max): November 2024 13-inch MacBook Air (M3): March 2024 15-inch MacBook Air (M3): March 2024 What happened to the 13-inch MacBook Pro? Before we begin,let’s address one model you might be wondering about. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is no longer sold by Apple, but it will no doubt be available from resellers and Apple’s refurbished store for a while. There were two standard 13-inch MacBook Pro to consider. The only real difference is storage: Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2, 2022) Read our review Price When Reviewed: $1,299 – discontinued Best Prices Today: $1249 at Walmart | $1299 at Best Buy M2, 8-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage: Was $1,299 / £1,349 M2, 8-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage: Was $1,499 / £1,549 The 13-inch MacBook Pro was been replaced by the base M-series 14-inch MacBook Pro, which is the cheapest MacBook Pro but costs more than the 13-inch model. It does have a far superior screen, better battery life and many other benefits that we will discuss below. The 13-inch MacBook Pro had a few advantages over the MacBook Air. For one it had a fan for cooling for anyone who would be pushing the machine to any extent. The other advantage of the 13-inch MacBook Pro is the Touch Bar, which is something that some people enjoyed, while others didn’t. MacBook buyers guide We’ll start by running through the different MacBooks Apple sells, giving an overview of the pros and cons of each model, and reasons why each might be ideally suited to your needs. You’ll also be able to see the best prices right now, so that you don’t spend more than you need to. We will also look at different components and features for each model, so you can make an informed decision about how much RAM, which chip, how big the SSD should be and the best price, so you don’t spend more than necessary. Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024/M2, 2022) Price When Reviewed: $1,099 (base) – Discontinued Best Prices Today: $989.94 at Amazon$999 at Adorama$999 at B&H The MacBook Air is the cheapest way to get a Mac laptop. Starting at $999/£999, there are five standard MacBook Air models to consider: one 13-inch model with an M2 chip, three 13-inch models with an M3 chip, and three 15-inch MacBook Airs with an M3 chip. It’s easy to think that the cheapest Mac laptop will be the one that has the best value, but that’s not necessarily the case. The M2 MacBook Air (see our M2 MacBook Air review) is the cheapest Mac laptop you can buy right now, but for another $100/£100 you can get the newest machine with an M3 chip. Both models offer the same 8GB RAM as standard. With both models, you get Apple’s newest Air design and the 13.6-inch screen, 500 nits, and Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver color choices. One difference is in the storage: in the newer M3 MacBook Air, the 256GB SSD is made up of two 128GB NAND chips, rather than a single 256GB chip as in the M2 and older models. This means the storage in the M3 can be faster because the two drives can process data simultaneously. There are several performance differences between the M3 Air and the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro. Besides the Pro having a faster CPU, the Pro’s chip has a 10-core GPU standard compared to 8-core GPU in the Air, but the lack of a fan in the MacBook Air may mean it slows down to avoid overheating when performing more strenuous tasks. The 14-inch MacBook Pro, on the other hand, has active cooling, so it doesn’t need to slow down to stop overheating in processor-intensive applications. It’s probably the key difference between these Mac laptops and the reason why the Pro is better suited to more demanding applications. Another benefit of the 14-inch MacBook Pro over the Air is longer battery life. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 offers up to 22 hours compared to 18 hours for the 13-inch MacBook Air. However, the MacBook Air is a good choice, especially now that the entry-level MacBook Pro costs $1,599/£1,599. For $999/£999, the M2 Air is a fantastic budget option with many of the same features as the M3 model. And for just $100/£100 more, the M3 models bring even more performance. Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024) Price When Reviewed: $1,299 (base) – Discontinued Best Prices Today: $1,099 at Amazon$1099 at B&H$1199 at Adorama When Apple first introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air in July 2023 it answered a need for anyone who wanted a larger screen without having to pay hundreds more for a 14-inch MacBook Pro. The 15-inch M3 MacBook Air starts at $1,299/£1,299. The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,599/£1,599, which is still much more expensive than the Air. But even compared to a cheaper Pro, the 15-inch Air is still a fantastic option for buyers looking for a large-screen laptop for less. If the choice is between the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, other than the bigger screen there are a few other differences to consider. Most notably, the larger model has better audio with a six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers. Also, the entry-level 13-inch M3 MacBook Air for $1,099/£1,099 offers an eight-core GPU, while the entry-level 15-inch Air, which is $200/£200 more at $1,299/£1,299, offers a 10-core GPU. To get the same GPU option in the 13-inch Air you’d need to pay an extra $100/£100. The price gap is so small that we think it’s worth getting the 15-inch model unless you really want a smaller screen. Read our full Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 256GB/8GB RAM, 2024) review Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M4, 2024) Price When Reviewed: $1,599 | $1,799 | $1,999 Best Prices Today: $1,581.82 at Amazon$1599 at Apple$1599 at B&H Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro and replaced it in the lineup with a base M-series version of the 14-inch MacBook Pro (you can’t get the base M-series chip in the 16-inch MacBook Pro). This move brings many benefits: the 14-inch MacBook’s HDR ProMotion display is significantly better than the 13-inch model’s was. It also offers twice the storage, HDMI, SDXC slot, better battery life, and a newer design. Mind you, the 14-inch model, while starting at the lower price of $1,599/£1,699 is quite a bit higher than the $1,299/£1,349 price that the 13-inch model sold for.  The higher starting price for the M4 MacBook Pro also means the difference between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro is wider than it was. Apple did sell two almost identically spec’d machines for a very similar price, but now the 14-inch MacBook Pro ($1,599/£1,599) costs an astonishing $600/£600 more than the entry-level 13-inch M2 MacBook Air ($999/£999) and $500/£500 more than the M3 MacBook Air ($1,099/£1,099). So if budget is what is important to you, save your money and buy a MacBook Air. If the choice is between a 15-inch MacBook Air with 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD and 10-core GPU ($1,699/£1,699) and the 14-inch MacBook Pro with 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD and 10-core GPU ($1,599/£1,599), it looks like the MacBook Air could be the best option in terms of price, but the Air uses an older M3, while the Pro has the new M4 and better performance. Read our full Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M4) review Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Pro, 2024) Price When Reviewed: $1,999 | $2,399 Best Prices Today: $1,949 at Amazon$1999 at Apple$1999 at B&H At the same time that it introduced the M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, Apple also introduced the M4 Pro and M4 Max. Both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro can be bought with various configurations of those two chips. For those deciding between the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch model the best place to start is to compare like-for-like. The 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU M4 Pro with 24GB unified memory and 1TB SSD 14-inch MacBook Pro costs $2,399/£2,399 compared to the almost identically spec’d 16-inch model with 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU M4 Pro with 24GB unified memory and 512GB SSD for $2,499/£2,499. So you are paying $100/£100 more to get a larger screen, but also forfeiting half the SSD. If you want an equivalent 1TB SSD in the 16-inch that’s an extra $200/£200. On the other hand, if you are considering spending more to get the M4 Pro rather than the M4 in a MacBook Pro, the price difference is much greater. The 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, and 512GB SSD costs $1,599/£1,699, while the 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro with 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, 24GB unified memory, and 512GB SSD costs $400/£400 more at $1,999/£1,999. The jump from M4 to M4 Pro is an expensive one, but you are getting a lot for your money: more memory, more cores, essentially a more powerful machine in every way. Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Pro) Price When Reviewed: $2,499 | $2,899 Best Prices Today: $2,449.99 at Amazon$2499 at Apple$2499 at B&H The entry-level 16-inch MacBook Pro essentially offers the same specs (14-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 24GB memory) as the top-of-the-range 14-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro for just £100/$100 more, $2,399/£2,499 vs $2,499/£2,599 which to be fair doesn’t seem like a bad deal given the larger screen and increased battery life. The other big difference though is that the 14-inch MacBook in question comes with a 1TB SSD, while the 16-inch model only offers 512GB. If you really want that 1TB SSD in the 16-inch MacBook Pro it will cost you an extra £200/$200. So that’s really a difference of £300/$300 if you want the bigger screen and battery. Read our full Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Pro) review Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Max, 2024) Price When Reviewed: $3,199 Best Prices Today: $3,129.94 at Amazon$3199 at Apple$3199 at B&H Back to the 14-inch model–what if you want an even more powerful machine? The M3 Max chip will offer that and more to you, but there is a high price to pay with the difference between the standard M4 Pro and M4 Max models being $800/£800. If you want more memory then the M4 Max is the way to go though. This is not just because the M4 Max can support 36GB, 48GB, 64GB and 128GB unified memory, while the M4 Pro only offers 24GB or 48GB. However, the M4 Max with a 14-core CPU and 32-core GPU is available only with 36GB of unified memory and has no memory upgrade options. You have to get the M4 Max with a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, and standard 48GB unified memory (an additional $300/£300) in order to upgrade to 64GB or 128GB of memory. Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Max, 2024) Price When Reviewed: $3,499 | $3,999 Best Prices Today: $3,419.94 at Amazon$3499 at Apple$3499 at B&H The story is much the same if you are considering the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The leap from M4 Pro to M4 Max if you look at the standard options is $600/£600, If you need the M4 Max Apple is making the upgrade worthwhile, but it’s still a high price to pay. The high-end 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro comes with 48GB of RAM and has not RAM upgrades available. YOu have to upgrade to an M4 MAx to get more RAM. Best MacBook 2024: Verdict The choice is pretty clear in terms of what you get for your money: Buying an entry-level M2 MacBook Air for $999/£999 will get you an excellent Mac laptop for less than a grand, but it only costs $100/£100 more to get an M3 MacBook Air with a newer chip. The 15-inch MacBook Air shook up the range when it arrived in July 2023. With it, Apple lowered the price of getting a larger screen on a Mac laptop. Even with the 14-inch MacBook Pro, the 15-inch MacBook Air is still an attractive proposition, but remember that the 14-inch MacBook Pro has a newer M4 chip. The price of the M4 Pro and Max MacBook Pro models is high, but these models offer the kind of specs professional users, especially creatives, need, including support for more RAM, and more CPU and GPU cores. If you can afford to stretch to the M4 Max you will get the ultimate Mac without a doubt, but you need to be willing to make a significant investment. The choice between the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro is all down to the screen size. The 16-inch models are more expensive, but once you spec them out in such a way to be comparable the price difference is minor. The bigger difference is between the Pro and Max processors. Other than speed, MacBooks with Max processors can connect up to four external displays (three over Thunderbolt and one over HDMI), while the Pro models allow two displays. The M3 MacBook Air models allow two external displays when the lid is closed and a single display when it’s open. The MacBook Pro M3 supports just a single external display, but there is a software update coming that will fix that, and there are workarounds. For the latest MacBook Pro discounts, including discontinued models, check out our round-up of the Best MacBook Pro deals.

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AirPods Pro 2 price drops to new low at just $168.29
Apple's flagship earbuds, the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C case, drops to the lowest price we've seen with this new deal. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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AirPods Pro 2 price drops to new low at just $168.99
Apple's flagship earbuds, the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C case, drops to the lowest price we've seen with this new deal. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Deals: M4 Mac mini all-time low, M4 iMac up to $120 off, AirPods Pro 2 $170 via Amazon, Watch bands, more
Alongside the now live Best Buy early Black Friday Doorbuster deals, it’s now time for your Friday edition of our daily 9to5Toys Lunch Break deals on Apple gear and accessories. Alongside an ongoing deal on the brand new AirPods 4, Amazon is now taking its turn with one of the best prices to date on Apple’s flagship AirPods Pro 2. But we also spotted a new all-time low on the brand new M4 Mac mini and as well as the best deals to date on the new M4 iMac configurations at up to $120 off the going rate. Those offers join upgraded 16GB M3 MacBook Airs at up to $310 off the original prices and much more. Everything awaits below.  more…

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Vision Pro gives developer ultra-wide virtual screen in minimal rig [Setups]
A developer hides his MacBook Pro and skips external displays all together, thanks to the beta Virtual Display feature in his Vision Pro. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple’s gaming success might look entirely different than you expect
Apple has been accelerating its focus on gaming in recent years, fueled by the era of M-class Mac chips, booming App Store subscription revenue, and Apple Arcade. But there’s another area of gaming effort you may have missed, and it’s continuing to grow at a steady pace: Apple News Puzzles. more…

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