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- Monday May 04
- 12:50 pmCarPlay Ultra coming to these cars, according to Apple
Last year, Apple officially announced CarPlay Ultra, the next-generation version of CarPlay that it first teased way back at WWDC 2022. CarPlay Ultra began rolling out in May to Aston Martin owners in the United States and Canada. What about other automakers? Here’s what we know. more…12:50 pmCarPlay Ultra coming to these cars, according to Apple
Last year, Apple officially announced CarPlay Ultra, the next-generation version of CarPlay that it first teased way back at WWDC 2022. CarPlay Ultra began rolling out in May to Aston Martin owners in the United States and Canada. What about other automakers? Here’s what we know. more…12:00 pmWhy Humans Are Still More Cost-Effective Than AI Compute
The economics of AI don’t always match expectations. High compute, infrastructure, and reliability costs mean human labor remains the more cost-effective option across many real-world tasks. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.11:55 amMore than just RAM and SSD shortages are keeping Mac supplies low
A new report claims that while Apple Silicon chips based on TSMC's 3nm processors will remain in shorter supply than usual, there are reasons to expect the launch of 2nm processor in the next MacBook Pro will improve the situation.Processor wafers [TSMC]During Apple's latest earnings call, Tim Cook cautioned that the current shortage of memory would be an increasing problem, and the expectation is that iPhone and Mac prices will rise. But the demand from AI firms is such that firms like Apple may not be able to buy sufficient memory or even processors at any price, and a new report says that is going to continue.According to Digitimes, Macs supply will remain constrained until processor TSMC manufacturer is able to ramp up its 2-nanometer manufacturing. Apple is expected to use TSMC's 2nm processor in the forthcoming OLED MacBook Pro, which had been predicted for the end of 2026. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums11:00 amThe iMac I’ve always wanted is finally within reach
Macworld Apparently, 2026 is going to be the year when Apple introduces the “Ultra” branding for the iPhone and MacBook. Which sounds interesting and leads to pedantic arguments over what constitutes an Ultra product. But it’s Apple, it can define “Ultra” however it sees fit. Which leads me to the gaping hole in the proposed Ultra lineup: a desktop Mac. (Settle down, iPad fans; CEO-in-the-wings John Ternus has been working on what sounds like an iPad Ultra, though it has an uncertain status.) It just seems like if Apple is going down this Ultra road, it has to have a Mac Ultra. After all, of all of Apple’s products, the desktop Mac is the one best suited to go all out and truly hold up the “Ultra” branding. The Mac Pro had its day The Mac Pro seemed like the most fitting computer to be rebranded as a Mac Ultra. The tower form factor allows Apple to go hog wild with its components, fitting it with an M-series Ultra chip, installing a ton of RAM, installing the fastest SSD, and using the latest specifications with Thunderbolt, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. Apple could redesign the tower so it doesn’t have as many expansion slots. Apple doesn’t really want anything to do with the tower form factor anymore.Thiago Trevisan There’s a reason why Apple discontinued the Mac Pro, however. Apple just doesn’t sell enough towers to make it worthwhile, and even a redesigned, smaller tower probably wouldn’t sell in the numbers Apple would like. As much as I would love to see Apple create a “hot rod” Mac, it doesn’t fit in Apple’s product methodology. The Mac Pro–actually, the tower Mac, to be more specific–is no longer a supported Apple form factor. iMac Ultra: iMac Pro reborn Of all the desktop Macs, the iMac is the most likely candidate for an Ultra version. Would it be the fastest, most powerful Mac available? No, but Apple isn’t necessarily defining “Ultra” that way. “Ultra” applies to the product in a particular line that goes above and beyond a typical feature set in some way, like an iPhone that folds or a MacBook with an OLED touchscreen. An iMac Ultra could fill a demand for an all-in-one with a larger display. As someone who has reviewed the M1, M3, and M4 iMacs, I get a lot of reader feedback stating that the 24-inch display isn’t big enough, with some saying that if it’s not at least 30 inches, it’s not worth their time. After all, the iMac Pro was 27 inches, and that was 10 years ago, so an Ultra iMac would need to be bigger than that. An iMac Ultra could have a 32-inch display, which will surely satisfy those users. It could be a 6K display, too. Basically, Apple could take the panel from the old Pro Display XDR. (I know the execution isn’t as simple as that, but it’s the right size and the design would be perfect.) While we’re making wishes, how about this one: Use the same design of the Pro Display XDR for the iMac Ultra.Foundry As for the chip, Apple could go with a Pro or Max chip to set it apart from the standard model and preserve the Mac Studio’s status as the top-end Mac. But a Pro or Mac chip is a significant upgrade from the base chip in the current iMac. The larger display would be the key component of the iMac Ultra. Much of the other features could mirror those of the current iMac: Thunderbolt ports (upgraded to Thunderbolt 5 for the iMac Ultra), Ethernet through the power adapter, etc. And of course, Apple can make it in Space Black as an ode to the old iMac Pro and include the black Magic Mouse or black Magic Trackpad. Would it sell? Admittedly, an iMac Ultra would address a niche that’s even smaller than the current iMac’s. But it seems like it would be bigger than that of the Mac Pro, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the demand exceeded that of the upcoming iPhone Ultra. Price would be the key factor in its ability to sell. The iMac with four Thunderbolt ports is $1,499, the M4 Pro MacBook Pro starts at $2,199, and the Pro Display XDR was $4,999. That $4,999 XDR price, however, did not change from its original release in 2019, so it stands to reason that a panel like the one it used is much more affordable now. So perhaps the iMac Ultra would start in the $2,799 range. I think a lot of people would buy it at that price. I know I would.10:30 amThe iPhone Ultra doesn’t need to be successful to be a success
Macworld Was Vision Pro a success? That depends on your definition. It hasn’t sold many units–perhaps a few hundred thousand, compared to 50 million or so iPhones in the last three months alone–but it has raised public awareness of a new product category and established Apple as one of that category’s major players. In other words, the product laid the groundwork for a cheaper and more widely accessible follow-up… the only problem being that Apple appears to have cancelled it. Vision Pro, then, will probably go down in history as one of the least successful projects of the Tim Cook era. However, it shows that sales alone are not the be-all and end-all, particularly for first-generation products. And it offers a glimpse of a possible and perhaps even likely future for the iPhone Ultra: one in which it sells badly, and Apple doesn’t mind. Or doesn’t mind too much, anyway. The sales part of the equation certainly looks ominous. If early leaks are accurate, the iPhone Ultra is going to face many of the same hurdles as last year’s iPhone Air: namely hardware compromises (two rather than three rear camera lenses, no MagSafe), and perceived question marks over durability (the hinge, the crease), with the added complication of a massive price tag and a form factor that will be completely alien to Apple fans. It’s like the Air, only more so. And while the Air may not have been the total flop we feared at first, it still didn’t set the house on fire, sales-wise. There are some positives to the Ultra, of course. For one thing, the spec list should be a little better than that of the Air; two lenses is a major upgrade on the Air’s one, and there’s likely to be more battery capacity. MagSafe would be a painful omission for me, but I get the impression that other iPhone users don’t care quite as much. More importantly, the Fold’s unorthodox and compromise-necessitating design is in service of actual functionality rather than just being thin and light: having a foldable chassis means more screen space and more portability, the dream combo. Then again, truly transformative designs bring problems of their own. My expectation is that only wealthy early adopters will be willing to pay so much for such an unfamiliar device, and you have to remember that most of them just bought an iPhone Air. Logically, we should expect sales numbers to be low. That, in fact, has been the experience of all the companies that have released foldable products so far. It’s a tiny market, so tiny, in fact, that in August last year, folding smartphones accounted for just 1–2 percent of total sales globally, according to a TrendForce analyst. Those numbers are growing, but slowly, at least for now. The arrival of the Ultra, like the Vision Pro in the mixed-reality headsets market, is sure to give things a jolt. In Q1 2026, Apple earned $85 billion from its iPhone lineup, or about 80 million units. While a cautiously trend-beating 3 percent of that might seem like a lot, we’d be looking at somewhere between 2 million and 2.5 million individual sales of the iPhone Ultra, which would hardly be counted as a success by Apple’s commercial standards. Extrapolating from speed-testing data, the Air looks to have reached a share of more than twice that, and that would still leave it as the least popular of the late-2025 models. But would 2 million sales be a disaster? I would say not. For one thing, given the scale of the competition, the Ultra could sell far fewer units than any other late-2026 iPhone and still dominate its niche. Apple reportedly wants incoming CEO John Ternus to be the face of foldables, and the iPhone Ultra will almost certainly be the market’s most visible product. All of that attention will be a mixed blessing for other manufacturers, which may see their own numbers rise by association but will struggle to get customers excited about their offerings. The iPhone Ultra’s primary job is not to make money. Its job is to make a splash: to show everyone that Apple is here with the first foldable to do things right. If that means a generation of the Ultra being a highly desirable niche product that gives its few lucky owners immense cachet, that’s okay. Unlike the Vision Pro, the iPhone Ultra has obvious places to go next; the iPhone has a natural and familiar upgrade path. Future versions can add a third camera lens or MagSafe. The processor will get faster, the display better, and battery performance will become more optimised. It might even drop in price. Best of all, the foldable phone will be normalised by the existence of the iPhone Ultra in a way that Vision Pro never managed to achieve for the bulky mixed-reality headset (a far more difficult assignment, admittedly). Fears about the hinge and the crease will likely be allayed, and the first-gen launch will give Apple’s engineers a chance to test and iron out any issues with the physical design. People will see their friends walking around with Ultras, try them out, and want to try it. And all that fame and envy can then be leveraged into a bigger-selling iPhone Ultra 2 the following year. I don’t expect the Ultra to break many records this year, but relatively low sales won’t make it a failure. The original iPhone sold roughly four million units across its first two quarters, and that’s gone on to be reasonably successful. Sometimes you have to start small, and see where the future takes you. Foundry Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. Trending: Top stories The first thing Apple’s new CEO needs to change about the Mac has nothing to do with the Mac itself. Please, John Ternus, bring back the Mac event! Felipe Esposito dumped Adobe for Apple and got everything he needs for less. The Macalope is surprised to discover that Apple is doomed because John Ternus isn’t Elon Musk. Tim Cook and John Ternus got all the attention two weeks ago, but Apple’s biggest win made the fewest headlines. While PC makers have raised prices and struggled to meet demand due to exploding memory costs, Apple was ready for the RAM crisis. FaceTime like a pro with these 7 hidden features. Podcast of the week Apple has announced that Tim Cook will no longer serve as Apple’s CEO and John Ternus will have the job starting on September 1. In the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about the announcement and what it could mean. You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site. The rumor mill In yet another Macworld exclusive, Felipe Esposito reveals Apple’s ‘Ultra’ roadmap. The iPhone Ultra, MacBook Ultra, and many more are on the way. Drop MagSafe from the iPhone? No, Apple’s smarter than that. Report: 3 new AI-powered photo editing features are coming to iPhones. Apple’s next innovation might be a ‘Liquid Glass’ iPhone. Video of the week @macworld.com Apple’s Ultra Era #apple #iphone ♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld The iPhone Ultra is only the start: we’re entering Apple’s Ultra Era. All is revealed in our latest short video. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram for more. Software updates, bugs, and problems A new ‘Siri mode’ is reportedly coming to the iPhone Camera app in iOS 27. And with that, we’re done for this week’s Apple Breakfast. If you’d like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters, including our new email from The Macalope–an irreverent, humorous take on the latest news and rumors from a half-man, half-mythical Mac beast. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, or X for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.08:00 amMac users are ditching subscriptions for this $19.97 MS Office license
Macworld TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac for a one-time $19.97 (MSRP $229) through May 17 and skip subscription fees entirely. Your Mac already costs you enough — paying a monthly fee just to open a document or build a presentation starts to feel a little excessive. That’s why more users are opting for a lesser-known Office license that skips subscriptions entirely and keeps things simple. No subscriptions, no monthly fees — just full access to Microsoft’s most reliable productivity tools for life for only $19.97 until May 17 while codes last (MSRP $229). That’s an absolute steal, especially when you consider that Office 2024 doesn’t really add much unless you’re a productivity wizard who needs every cutting-edge update. Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac gives you all the classic apps: Word Excel PowerPoint Outlook OneNote For small business owners, freelancers, students, or anyone who just wants a solid, no-nonsense Office suite, this is the perfect buy. It’s the same high-powered software that businesses around the world trust, just without the newest bells and whistles. Grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac before we sell out of codes! It’s just $19.97 through May 17 (MSRP $229). Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for MacSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.Sunday May 0311:25 pmCrimes Against Decency Need as Much Cover-Up as Crimes Against the Law
There is no point getting any more outraged or disgusted at Meta for firing the Kenyan contractors who exposed the privacy fiasco of AI Glasses than you already were in the first place. They had to fire them.08:27 pmSunday Reboot: Motorsport, money, and 'Ted Lasso'
In this week's "Sunday Reboot," Apple drives on with F1 in Miami, Q2 was a financial spectacular, and 'Ted Lasso' season 4 can't arrive fast enough.Formula 1, Apple's financials, and Apple TVSunday Reboot is a weekly column covering some of the lighter stories within the Apple reality distortion field from the past seven days. All to get the next week underway with a good first step.This week, there were rumors the Apple Vision Pro hardware team was breaking up, Adobe's Firefly AI Assistant showed just why it was still in beta, the Towson Apple Store employee union complained about the store closure, and Apple has to face the Circuit Court and the Supreme Court at the same time over its ongoing saga with Epic Games. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums06:42 pm15-inch M5 MacBook Air is $149 Off
The M5 MacBook Air has been given the M5 chip for stronger AI capabilities, as well as fast and fluid performance, all built into a portable device that you can bring with you anywhere. The GPU features Neural Accelerators for powerful AI performance and has Apple Intelligence, the personal AI system that helps keep things […] The post appeared first on iLounge.06:40 pmiPad 12 with Apple Intelligence Release To Be Pushed For Months
The iPad 12 with Apple Intelligence looks to be a few months away. During the earnings call, Kevan Parekh, Apple CFO, stated that the revenue for the iPad during March and June will look at hard comparisons because of the release of the iPad 11 powered by the A16 chip back in March last year. […] The post appeared first on iLounge.06:39 pmApple Dealing With Lawsuits Regarding Stalking With AirTag
Apple is dealing with over 30 lawsuits from individuals who accuse Apple of being stalked due to their AirTags. These filings come after a lawsuit back in 2022, because the AirTag was not able to get class certification. Each filing alleges that Apple released the AirTag while being aware that the devices could be brought […] The post appeared first on iLounge.06:38 pmCompetition Abandoning Ultra-Thin Smartphone Plans Due to Poor Sales for iPhone Air
The iPhone Air 2 might be the only next-generation smartphone that is ultra-thin to be discontinued by a big brand, after the underwhelming sales of the original model. This has resulted in competition to scrap plans to create these kinds of products. Apple has barely passed unit activations of 700,000 for the iPhone Air, even […] The post appeared first on iLounge.06:36 pmApple Ahead in Satellite Smartphone Market
Apple is at the top as the manufacturer of satellite-capable phones worldwide. It is projected that the devices will reach about 46% of all shipments for smartphones by 2030. Apple has started the trend for satellite smartphones with their partnership with Globalstar to provide satellite Emergency SOS for the iPhone 14. Qualcomm is ahead of […] The post appeared first on iLounge.06:35 pmRefreshed AirPods to be Above the AirPods Pro Line
Apple is rumored to be releasing a new version of the AirPods Pro with cameras. The AirPods are reportedly going to be priced more than the AirPods Pro 3, which is currently sold at $249. It will likely have the branding ‘AirPods Ultra’. The AirPods Ultra is not going to have the usual video and […] The post appeared first on iLounge.06:34 pmPorsche 963 to Have Special Livery To Commemorate 50th Apple Anniversary
A collaboration between Apple and Porsche was announced today, where two Porsche 963 will have a livery that is Apple-inspired for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in round 4. The event will happen on Sunday, May 3. The livery was made to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Apple and the 75th anniversary of Porsche Motorsport. […] The post appeared first on iLounge.06:33 pmThe 11-inch M4 iPad Air is $43 Off
The iPad Air features an 11-inch Liquid Retina Display made with advanced technology such as True Tone, ultralow reflectivity, and P3 wide color, making everything look vibrant and stunning. The Apple N1 provides you with Wi-Fi 7, allowing for fast wireless connection to work from virtually anywhere and transfer documents, large files, videos, and photos […] The post appeared first on iLounge.06:31 pmCamera App getting new Features with Revamped Siri in iOS 27
In the upcoming iOS 27, Apple is looking to integrate Siri and Apple Intelligence into more of its apps, like the Camera app. It is reported that the Camera app will have a mode dedicated to Siri available with video, portrait, panorama, and photo modes. Siri mode will integrate Visual Intelligence, allowing for more accessibility. […] The post appeared first on iLounge.06:30 pmiPad Ultra Plans Potentially Scrapped
Apple is rumored to have discarded its plans for an iPad Ultra after a couple of years of underwhelming sales for the iPad Pro. Struggles in sales of the iPad Pro are well documented, with shipments for the M4 iPad Pro being cut by a significant amount after a demand that was weaker than Apple […] The post appeared first on iLounge.06:29 pmSmart Glasses from Apple To Integrate Hand Gesture Recognition
Apple is in the works for a pair of AI smart glasses to compete against the Meta Ray-Bans. The camera is going to have 2 modules, including a high-resolution camera for video and photo capture, while the second camera will have a lower resolution but will be capable of reading hand gestures. Hand-gesture-based inputs will […] The post appeared first on iLounge.