Scanners
- Monday March 09
- 06:35 pmBigfoot, Orca, a Trombone, and five more new emoji are here with iOS 26.4 beta 4
The fourth developer beta of iOS 26.4 delivers eight new emoji characters, including a treasure chest, a distorted face, and more. Here's what's new.iOS 26.4 beta 4 offers several new emoji characters.On Monday, a week after the release of iOS 26.4 developer beta 3, Apple unveiled the fourth developer-focused beta of iOS 26.4.Among other changes, the beta iOS update introduces a new set of fun emoji characters, first previewed in July 2025 with Unicode 17. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums06:33 pmWoz reflects on Apple’s journey from garage to global giant at 50
As Apple approaches its 50th anniversary on April 1, 2026, co-founder Steve Wozniak has offered a characteristically humble and insightful… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.06:05 pmmacOS 26.4 adds MacBook Neo wallpapers for everyone
You don’t have to buy a MacBook Neo to run those cool new Apple wallpapers. macOS 26.4 adds the marketing wallpapers first introduced with Apple’s new $599 laptop. more…06:02 pmThe iPad deals keep coming: Now you can get a 5G iPad Air for $699
Macworld There’s a new iPad Air around, but the upgrade isn’t all that worth it, especially since you can get the M3 version on sale. The 11-inch iPad Air M3 is now down to $699, a savings of $150 and the lowest price we’ve ever seen. It might have Apple’s older M3 chip, but this iPad Air still delivers just the right level of performance. In our review, we gave the tablet a 4-star rating and our Editors’ Choice award, finding that it has a great display, fantastic battery life, and an excellent build. The M3 is more than enough for creative projects, demanding tasks, and all the games you’ll want to waste time on. The iPad Air hasn’t changed much in several generations, but that doesn’t mean it’s not great. It’s got a gorgeous 11-inch Liquid Retina display that is brilliant in any lighting situation and provides an expansive canvas for streaming content, drawing, or playing. The 512GB of storage gives you more than enough space for all the apps you’ll want to install, and the included 5G modem will keep you covered anywhere you go. Grab the iPad Air M3 for its best price yet before this deal vanishes into thin air. Buy now at Amazon05:53 pmUnite Pro 1.0
Complete rewrite of the site-specific browser that turns websites into full-featured apps. ($39.99 new, free update, 33.9 MB, macOS 15+)05:46 pm‘Refreshed’ colors reportedly coming to the iMac this year
Macworld Apple unveiled a flurry of new products last week sporting a few new colors, including a pink iPhone 17e and a citrus-flavored MacBook Neo. Those hoping to see a colorful new Mac desktop, however, will have to wait until later in the year. But it looks like iMac fans are in for a treat. “The 2026 Mac lineup is taking shape,” writes Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. “Up next are upgraded Mac Studios (I expect these around the middle of the year), and then iMacs and Mac minis. I am told the pending iMac update will include a refreshed color palette.” This isn’t a trivial matter, given that color has been a major part of the 24-inch iMac’s appeal since it first launched in 2021. The original M1 model came in far more, and far more vibrant, finishes than was customary for Macs of its era, or indeed any desktop computers: blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange, and purple. It was a hit, and our review described it as a “beautiful rainbow” and praised it for evoking the whimsy of the G3. These seven options have remained the same, at least in name, ever since. They stayed exactly the same when the device was updated with the M3 chip in 2023, and in 2024 they were merely tweaked: green got a bit lighter, pink got a bit pinker, yellow got a lot paler, and so on. It’s probably fair to say that the colors no longer feel quite as bold as they did five years ago. Gurman’s claim is the briefest of throwaway comments in a newsletter that mostly focuses on other areas of Apple’s product roadmap, and offers little further detail. Indeed, it’s possible that we will get only the same “refresh” we got in 2024: the same colors, interpreted slightly differently. Imagine an iMac in this color.Michael Simon/Foundry Following the seemingly successful launch of the MacBook Neo, however, there’s reason to hope for more. Apple has really leaned into the Neo’s color palette, which offers fewer options than the iMac but is arguably braver–and more modern–in its choices. Several of these colors have been celebrated in a series of bizarre videos from Apple’s official TikTok channel. So could we see the iMac in the MacBook Neo’s characterful, if divisive, yellow-green Citrus finish? Perhaps… although we’d imagine that customers are less prone to take aesthetic risks with a device which costs $1,299 than they would with one which costs $599. Either way, we should find out later this year.05:30 pmFourth iOS 26.4, macOS 26.4 developer betas arrive for testing
Apple's fourth round of developer betas has arrived, with builds of iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, and macOS Tahoe 26.4 now available for testing.Apple's hardware that works with the 26-generation operating systems - Image Credit: AppleThe fourth developer betas for iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, macOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4 arrive after the third, which landed on March 2 for most, March 3 for macOS. The second round appeared on February 23, and the first round arrived on February 16.iOS 26.4 build 4 is 23E5234a, replacing 23E5223f Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums05:26 pmiOS 26.4 adds new emoji to your iPhone, here’s what’s coming
iOS 26.4 beta 4 rolled out today for developers, and it includes a number of brand new emoji for iPhone users. Here are all the new emoji coming with iOS 26.4. more…05:12 pmmacOS 26.4 beta 4 now available, here’s what’s coming
Apple is rolling out macOS 26.4 developer beta 4, ahead of the official release. Here’s what to expect. more…05:12 pmApple releases beta 4 for iPadOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and more
Apple has released new beta software updates today, including developer beta 4 for iPadOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and more. more…05:09 pmApple releases iOS 26.4 beta 4 for iPhone with upcoming features
iOS 26.4 beta 4 is now available. The update comes after Apple released two versions of the third developer beta version. iOS 26.4 includes a number of exciting new features and changes, including AI-powered Apple Music updates. more…05:08 pmiPhone 18e production is on time, leak predictably claims
Barely a week after the introduction of the iPhone 17e, rumors are already spreading about the iPhone 18e. The cycle begins again.iPhone 17eThe Apple rumor mill is always looking toward the future, and often speculates on the next update just as everyone recovers from Apple's latest launches. As expected, this has already happened for the iPhone 18e.In a post to Weibo on Saturday by leaker Fixed Focus Digital, Apple is already working on the iPhone 18e. This is apparently "confirmed" by the leaker, and according to an automated translation of the post, the iPhone 18e is "finalized," whatever that means. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums05:06 pmApple Fellow Phil Schiller set for first big retrospective interview in years at SXSW
Apple Fellow Phil Schiller will be the subject of an upcoming interview at SXSW in Austin, Texas, next week. Schiller will be interviewed by David Pogue, author of the new book Apple: The First 50 Years, on March 18, at 2:30 p.m. central: more…04:54 pmSteve Jobs would have loved MacBook Neo
Macworld On the face of it, it might seem that Apple’s new MacBook Neo is a chronically underpowered device. After all, it runs on an A18 Pro chip that was originally designed for mobile phones, not for computers, so you might reasonably feel that it’ll struggle to be up to the task when it comes to MacBook usage. The thing is, if the chip were made by anyone other than Apple, you might be right. But Apple’s chips are so efficient that using a mobile processor in a laptop almost certainly presents no problem at all to the majority of users. Once you take a closer look at the MacBook Neo, it quickly becomes apparent why it isn’t like any other $599 laptop on the market. It may be cheap in price, but it’s not lacking much in terms of quality. And it’s precisely why Apple didn’t make one until now. The power of Apple silicon Let’s address the elephant in the room: performance. Because after all, it would be easy to conclude that Apple is ripping users off by stuffing a mobile chip inside a laptop. But that’s not what’s happening here. Unlike 2015’s 12-inch laptop, which was driven by a rather weak Intel Core M mobile processor, the MacBook Neo has far more power at hand. Indeed, all of Apple’s mobile chips are made using the same architecture as the company’s Mac chips – a distinction you won’t find anywhere else. The A18 Pro was first found in Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max phones and quickly established itself as one of the best mobile chips available. For example, in our testing, the A18 Pro scored 3319 in Geekbench 6’s CPU benchmark. That was about 15 percent higher than the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro range and, as our reviewer said at the time, it “crushes every other smartphone on the market.” The MacBook Neo has the same chip that powered an iPhone just two years ago.Kris Wallburg Now compare that to Apple’s desktop chips. As per our own testing, the A18 Pro sits somewhere between the M3 and M4 for single-core performance. Yes, you read that right: our reviews scored the M3 at 3144 and the M4 at 3724 in Geekbench 6, putting the A18 Pro right in the middle. And let’s not forget that, like the MacBook Neo, that same M3 MacBook Air started with 8GB of memory at the time, but with a much pricier $1,099. In other words, the MacBook Neo brings better single-core performance than the M3 MacBook Air for almost half the price. That’s a pretty incredible achievement for a mobile chip. Far from a rip off, its $599 price tag looks increasingly like a superb bargain. What about multi-core benchmarks? Here, the A18 Pro falls a little behind Apple’s other chips. It’s about the same as the M1, but multi-core performance isn’t the target market here. Users who need something for demanding multi-core tasks – things like video rendering and dataset crunching – then you won’t be looking at the MacBook Neo anyway. That’s more the MacBook Pro’s territory, which will add $1,000 or more to the price. If you’re looking at $599 laptops rather than those costing $999 like the MacBook Air, chances are your demands are modest. For the people interested in it, the MacBook Neo’s performance will be more than enough. The right sacrifices People often forget that one of Steve Jobs’ motivating principles was to combine great tech with attainable prices. The idea of Apple being a luxury company has clouded people’s visions, and while there is some truth to it, it’s never been completely correct. The iMac G3, for example, was shockingly affordable versus what you got from comparable PC setups, and a big reason it helped to shake up the industry in the way it did. The original G3 iMac was a similarly affordable PC.Jason Snell But Steve Jobs also felt that “we just can’t ship junk,” as a video from 2007 recently highlighted by Daring Fireball’s John Gruber attests. That means any sacrifices have to be worth it and cannot compromise the overall quality of the product. Until chips like the A18 Pro came along, that wasn’t always possible in terms of performance. Intel’s mobile chips – most notably those in the 12-inch MacBook – simply didn’t cut it. When you look at what has been left out of the MacBook Neo, in most cases the losses are worth it in order to bring the price down without Apple having to “ship junk.” For instance, the MacBook Neo can only be equipped with 8GB of RAM, demonstrably less than what you get with any other MacBook. But it’s worth remembering that Apple’s chips use a unified memory architecture that allows the CPU and GPU to draw from the same memory pool. While it’s not the same as having 16GB or more, it means that performance is a lot snappier than a Windows equivalent with 8GB or even 16GB of standalone RAM. Critics might point to the MacBook Neo’s battery life, too, which is the lowest of any current MacBook. But can we really say that 16 hours of juice is a reason to avoid the device when many Windows laptops at this price point struggle to hit half of that? You’ll also notice that the Neo is missing a 12MP Center Stage webcam, but it still has a 1080p resolution, which is fine for calls. And other nice-to-have features are absent, such as a backlit keyboard and a True Tone display. I’m OK with that, though, given the rock-bottom price Apple has managed to give the device. MacBook Neo has obvious sacrifices, but it doesn’t skimp on quality.Michael Simon / Foundry The only sacrifice that I think could sting is the 512GB limit on storage capacity. That might be painful for some users, but it’s not like the Neo’s target audience is going to be saving large language models and 8K video projects to their SSDs. A 1TB option would have been ideal, but you can’t have it all. Here, it’s useful to return to 2015’s 12-inch MacBook, which was another Apple laptop that was full of sacrifices. Yet while it might appear similar to the Neo on the surface, unlike the 12-inch MacBook, the MacBook Neo is not a futuristic device being used to test new technologies like USB-C or the butterfly keyboard for early adopters. Instead, it’s fundamentally designed for the entry-level market. That’s reflected in the price. The 12-inch MacBook was stripped back and compromised in many, many ways, but it still cost $1,299. At $599, the MacBook Neo, on the other hand, will set you back less than half of that. Priced like that, missing features become a little more acceptable. And chances are, most people who want a MacBook Neo won’t miss them anyway. Affordable but not cheap In the days since the MacBook Neo was announced, social media has been full of disgruntled detractors claiming that the device is either underpowered garbage or that it is detracting from “the Apple way.” Neither position is correct. Apple’s thinking – as expressed in the video I highlighted earlier – shows that the MacBook Neo is very much in keeping with Steve Jobs’ desire to make quality technology affordable. If it feels out of step for Apple, that’s just because the company has been reluctant to sell products that are cheap in quality. But when Apple is able to create something affordable that doesn’t compromise on quality, it will do that, as the MacBook Neo attests. In reality, the MacBook Neo is very much in keeping with Apple’s traditions dating back to the days of Steve Jobs. Ultimately, I think he’d very much approve of it. And I’m willing to bet that a huge number of Apple’s customers – and Windows switchers – will as well.04:49 pmAmazon slashes up to $300 off new Apple Studio Display
Amazon continues to launch preorder discounts on 2026 hardware, with the Apple Studio Display up to $300 off today.Save up to $300 on 2026 Apple Studio Display at Amazon.Both Standard Glass and Nano-texture Glass options are eligible for preorder savings at Amazon today, with the models officially releasing on March 11.2026 Apple Studio Display deals Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:49 pmAmazon slashes up to $300 off new Apple Studio Display
Amazon continues to launch preorder discounts on 2026 hardware, with the Apple Studio Display up to $300 off today.Save up to $300 on 2026 Apple Studio Display at Amazon.Both Standard Glass and Nano-texture Glass options are eligible for preorder savings at Amazon today, with the models officially releasing on March 11.2026 Apple Studio Display deals Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:49 pmAmazon slashes up to $300 off new Apple Studio Display
Amazon continues to launch preorder discounts on 2026 hardware, with the Apple Studio Display up to $300 off today.Save up to $300 on 2026 Apple Studio Display at Amazon.Both Standard Glass and Nano-texture Glass options are eligible for preorder savings at Amazon today, with the models officially releasing on March 11.2026 Apple Studio Display deals Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:47 pmNew Keychron foldable keyboard fits in your pocket
The new Keychron B11 Pro Ultra-Slim Wireless Foldable Keyboard does all the usual keeb stuff -- but it goes wherever you go. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)04:44 pmNew CAD renders show Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone design
Leaked CAD renders purporting to show Apple's first foldable iPhone, often referred to as the "iPhone Fold," have surfaced online, providing… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.04:42 pmiPhone 17, 17e, Pro Max & iPhone Air best deals – Compare prices now
Macworld Best iPhone 17, Pro, Max and Air deals: Updated March 9, 2026 In the U.S. you can get some savings on unlocked iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max at Apple’s Refurbished store. See below for the best carrier deals on the newer iPhones. U.K. shoppers can get discounts on the current generation of iPhones, with savings to be had on the iPhone Air: iPhone Air 256GB: £200 off at Amazon U.K. In September 2025 Apple launched the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and the iPhone Air. Then, in March 2026, the iPhone 17e joined the line up. If you’re scouting out ways to buy any of those iPhone models, we have your back. Whether it’s directly from Apple, from your go-to retailer, or your carrier, there are loads of options to get yourself a new phone. You don’t have to buy the iPhone 17, 17e, 17 Pro, or Pro Max, or the iPhone Air, directly from Apple, all the major carriers will offer you one on contract. One of the benefits of not buying from Apple is that you can take advantage of special promotions and deals offered by popular retailers and carriers. And, if you are shopping from the U.K., resellers, including Amazon, will sell you an unlocked iPhone at a good discount. If you aren’t sure which new iPhone to buy, we compare every iPhone in a separate article. You can also find deals on other iPhones here: Best iPhone Deals. Best iPhone 17 deals in the U.S. – How to get the best iPhone prices in the U.S. If you are based in the U.S., the best deals for a new iPhone tend to be from the big U.S. carriers, such as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. In the U.S. an unlocked iPhone 17 has a starting price of $829 at Apple, but you can get up to $700 off with a trade-in (though most people will get around $400). You will also get an extra $30 discount if you activate the phone with one of the available carriers — AT&T, Boost Mobile, T-Mobile, or Verizon. All in all, you’ll save hundreds on the price as long as you have a new-ish phone to trade in. One of the easiest ways to get the new iPhone is directly from your carrier. AT&T: You can get up to $830 off the iPhone 17 when you trade in an eligible iPhone. The savings transform into monthly credits on your bill for the next 36 months. T-Mobile: The carrier offers iPhone 17 models for free when you switch to T-Mobile and add a line on the Experience plans. The money transforms into bill credits spread over the next 24 months. T-Mobile is offering $1,100 off an iPhone Air or 17 Pro Max. Verizon: Save up to $1,099 with a trade-in and a new line. This offer is only available online. U.S. Cellular: You can get $999 off an iPhone Air at U.S. Cellular. Xfinity Mobile: If you trade in a qualifying phone you can get up to $830 off a new iPhone 17 series model. Boost Mobile: You can get $850 off the price of the iPhone 17 with Boost’s $65 per month plan. You can also get your phone from one of the big retailers, though they might not have all of the same color and capacity options as the Apple Store: Walmart: Prices start at $849 with AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon activation. Best Buy: Prices start at $830 with AT&T or Verizon activation. Up to $375 in trade-in. Best iPhone 17 deals in the U.K. It’s a different story in the U.K. where there are fewer limitations on the sale of iPhones, so you will be able to pick one up unlocked at a discount if you would prefer to buy an iPhone up front, rather than on a contract. The deals tend to be on the older iPhones: we’re seeing the iPhone 16e for £499 at Amazon, for example. You can pick up an unlocked iPhone Air from Amazon for £200 off: Amazon, iPhone Air 256GB: £799 (£200 off, RRP £999) In the U.K. you can find iPhone deals at the following carriers: Mobiles.co.uk O2 Vodafone Three Virgin Mobile EE Sky Mobile Carphone Warehouse Best prices for iPhone 17e iPhone 17e, 256GB, from $599/£599 Retailer Price $599 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best prices for iPhone 17 iPhone 17, 256GB, from $799/£799 Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket iPhone 17, 512GB, from $999/£999 Apple iPhone 17 (512GB) Price When Reviewed: $999 Best prices for iPhone Air The iPhone Air, while technically not part of the iPhone 17 family, is Apple’s thinnest phone ever. With a 6.5-inch display and just 5.6mm thick, this iPhone Air is a technical marvel, with an A19 Pro processor, 18MP Center Stage selfie camera, and 48MP Fusion camera that can capture 4K video at 60fps. There are some sacrifices, such as less battery life and a single camera, but if you want the latest “wow” phone, this is the one to get Prices for the iPhone Air start at $999 for the 256GB version, and it goes as high as $1,399 for the 1TB model. Apple offers up to $700 off with a trade-in, and you can activate your phone straight away with AT&T, Boost Mobile, T-Mobile, or Verizon, although there’s no activation discount at all. There’s no extra discount if you activate your phone with one of the available carriers (AT&T, Boost Mobile, T-Mobile, or Verizon) straight away, so it doesn’t matter if you choose to connect to one at a later time. All this could bring the price of the iPhone Air down to $299. iPhone Air, 256GB, from $999/£999 Retailer Price $999 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket iPhone Air, 512GB, from $999/£999 Apple iPhone Air (512GB) Price When Reviewed: $1199 Best Prices Today: $1999 at Apple Best prices for iPhone 17 Pro & Pro Max The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have a new aluminum-and-glass design and deliver a “dramatic leap in performance” with the A19 Pro chip and vapor-cooled thermal management. They’ve also got three 48MP rear cameras, including an 8X optical-quality telephoto lens. For real iPhone pros, this is the best phone yet. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are a bit pricier, starting at $1,099 and going up to $1,999 for the decked-out 2TB version of the Pro Max. Apple offers up to $700 off with a trade-in. There’s no extra discount if you activate your phone with one of the available carriers (AT&T, Boost Mobile, T-Mobile, or Verizon) straight away, so it doesn’t matter if you choose to connect to one at a later time. All in all, you could get the phone for as low as $399. iPhone 17 Pro, 256GB, from $1,099/£1,099 Retailer Price $1099 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket iPhone 17 Pro, 512GB, from $1,299/£1,299 Apple iPhone 17 Pro (512GB) Price When Reviewed: $1299 Best Prices Today: $1299 at Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, 256GB, from $1,199/£1,199 Retailer Price $1199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket iPhone 17 Pro Max, 512GB, from $1,399/£1,399 Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (512GB) Price When Reviewed: $1399 Best Prices Today: $1399 at Apple