In a trio of new patents about Augmented Reality, Apple reveals that it is continuing to work on using a smart ring to help with detecting a user's motion, as well as new systems for playing relevant audio, and positioning virtual objects in the real world.
Apple is considering bundling its subscription services as early as 2020, including Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple News+, according to Bloomberg.
The report indicates that Apple has included a provision in its contract with Apple News+ publishers that permits Apple to bundle News+ with its other services if it desires. The monthly price of the bundle would presumably be lower than the cost of paying for each service separately in a bid to attract more subscribers.
Apple Music and Apple News+ each cost $9.99 per month in the United States, while Apple TV+ is $4.99 per month.
The report goes on to cite "some media executives" who said the amount of money they have received from Apple News+ so far has been less than expected. On the other hand, some executives are pleased with the service so far, including Los Angeles Times executive editor Norm Pearlstine.
Future versions of Apple's Siri may go beyond voice recognition to enhance accuracy, taping into FaceTime cameras in the company's devices to simultaneously analyze facial reactions and emotions as users engages in dialog with the voice assistant.
A new report claims that Apple is telling media publishers that it may bundle services if it so chooses -- which could potentially cut back on what is being paid out.
Apple on Wednesday finally took the wraps off the long-rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro, and it ushers in a new era for the highest-end Mac notebook you can buy. Most notably, it brings a much-needed change to the keyboard, eschewing the maligned butterfly mechanism for more traditional scissor keys that should be quieter and more reliable than recent models.
But along with a bigger screen, better speakers, and more battery, the new MacBook Pro still feels like an iterative update rather than a transformative one. Yes, it introduces a new screen size for the first time in years and retires a model that’s been in existence for more than a decade, but aside from some extra pixels, the new notebook doesn’t really break the mold or offer much in the way of big change.
There’s a gaping hole in Photos, and it’s not a missing photo of your grandma. Rather, it’s how the app handles adjusting the date and time of photos that have been imported without the correct information.
This has quite likely happened to you, based on the volume of reader email about this particular situation.
When iCloud Photos syncs images captured on an iPhone or iPad, the date and time of capture comes through correctly. Likewise if you use the Finder (in Catalina) or iTunes (in Mojave and earlier) to sync images between your Mac and an iPhone or iPad.
However, importing images captured elsewhere, such as on a digital snapshot, mirrorless or DSLR camera, or scanned photos and documents, Photos relies on a combination of the file’s creation date and time and embedded metadata. In many cases, the date and time you see for an image in the Finder is what Photos uses to tag the image in its library.
Amazon-owned Woot is shaving up to $970 off refurbished 2018 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros during its latest flash sale. Prices start at just $1,159.99 while supplies last.
Democratic senator and U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday chided Apple Card financial partner Goldman Sachs over the firm's response to claims that its algorithms introduce a credit limit bias against women.
Apple continues to deliver on its commitment to Mac professionals in 2019 with the Wednesday debut of the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The new high-performance model is designed to replace the company's legacy 15-inch MacBook Pro at existing price points, while delivering a larger, enhanced display, a new a Magic Keyboard, superior sound, and Intel Coffee Lake processors in a package tuned for developers, video editors, photographers, and other professional creative workflows.
Apple on Wednesday updated Apple Music with a new feature called Replay, providing listeners a dynamically refreshed, dedicated hub for their top-played tracks of 2019 and beyond.
Apple continued to advertise for its upcoming original series "Servant" on Wednesday with a teaser trailer showing the construction of "Jericho," a doll that plays a central role in the thriller.
Apple this evening shared a new trailer for its upcoming Apple TV+ show "Servant," which is set to come out in just over two weeks.
This particular clip shows a doll maker creating Jericho, the lifelike fake baby that plays a starring role in the show.
"Servant" is a thriller produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, known for movies like "Signs," "Glass," "Split," and more. The movie follows a Philadelphia couple who hire a nanny to look after their "child" following a tragedy.
Based on the trailers that have been shown so far, including the newest trailer, a couple loses a child and then adopts Jericho, a rather real-looking fake baby. The nanny that's hired to look after Jericho turns out to be unusual herself, leading to a series of strange events.
"Servant" will be the first major new series to come to Apple TV+ following its November 1 launch, with the show set to debut on Thursday, November 28. "Servant" is a shorter form show that will feature 10 30 minute episodes.
If you're interested in discussing Apple's new TV shows, make sure to head over to the new MacRumors Apple TV+ forum.
Fourteen alleged members of an international criminal organization with ties to China were indicted on Wednesday for their part in a counterfeit iPhone and iPad trafficking scheme that defrauded Apple out of millions of dollars.
Apple deals continue to roll in, with the latest markdown knocking $400 off Apple's Mid 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro. Now just $1,399, this special price on the quad-core notebook is available only at AppleInsider.
Results of Apple's Heart Study, performed in partnership with Stanford University, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, showing Apple Watch can be a valuable tool in the identification of atrial fibrillation.
For a limited time, grab triple-digit discounts on Apple's brand new 16-inch MacBook Pro. Announced today, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is now up to $438 off, plus $50 off AppleCare at time of purchase, setting the bar for the lowest prices on the stunning devices. Meanwhile, B&H has slashed the price of Apple's 2019 15-inch MacBook Pro to just $1,999 while supplies last.
Facebook on Wednesday updated its iOS app to address a flaw that inadvertently enabled a user's camera without their knowledge, a potential security issue first spotted last week.
Stanford Medicine today published results from the Apple Heart Study that kicked off in 2017, marking the third time data from the study has been shared (via Reuters and CNBC).
The aim of the study, conducted by Stanford and Apple, was to determine whether the Apple Watch is able to detect atrial fibrillation, which can be an indicator of serious heart health problems. Researchers wanted to determine how well the Apple Watch worked and whether it was safe to use.
A total of 419,297 people in the United States participated in the study, and 0.52 percent of participants (2,161 people) received an irregular heart rhythm notification over 117 days of monitoring. People who received a notification were sent ECG patches to further monitor for heart problems, but quite a few of those went unreturned.
Of the 450 people who returned the patches with data that could be analyzed, atrial fibrillation was present in 34 percent overall and 35 percent of participants age 65 or older. Of those who had an irregular reading and returned a patch, 84 percent of subsequent notifications were determined to be atrial fibrillation.
Among participants who were notified of an irregular pulse, the positive predictive value was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.76 to 0.92) for observing atrial fibrillation on the ECG simultaneously with a subsequent irregular pulse notification and 0.71 (97.5% CI, 0.69 to 0.74) for observing atrial fibrillation on the ECG simultaneously with a subsequent irregular tachogram. Of 1376 notified participants who returned a 90-day survey, 57% contacted health care providers outside the study. There were no reports of serious app-related adverse events.
According to researchers, the low number of warnings in the study indicates that the device does not cause an excess of false notifications in healthy people who wear the watch.
In some cases, atrial fibrillation detected by the Apple Watch was in the early stages of development, and it didn't happen frequently enough for the patch testing to detect it, something that was more prevalent in younger participants.
The study did ultimately determine that the Apple Watch can detect atrial fibrillation. Stanford cardiologist and co-author of the study Dr. Mintu Turakhia said that the trial was overall a success, especially when it came to determining how many people are going to get heart-related notifications from Apple Watch and what those types of notifications mean for patients, doctors, insurers, and more.
Dr. Daniel Cantillon, a Cleveland cardiologist who was not involved, told Reuters that the technology was promising, but more than half of participants were under 40, a group at low risk for atrial fibrillation, leading to concerns about scaring healthy people.
Separately, a New York cardiologist told CNBC that there's a risk of the Apple Watch finding young people who have early signs of atrial fibrillation that the medical community doesn't know how to treat. "We just don't understand atrial fibrillation well in the 35-year-old, otherwise healthy person," he said.
Wessler treats patients who have visited him based on data gathered from the Apple Watch, and he expects those kind of visits to pick up in the future. Should Apple's research continue, Wessler believes it's important to find the right population that's most at risk to use these tools rather than delivering them to a mainstream audience.
The study was overall beneficial, demonstrating the potential for large-scale studies that use a variety of technologies to monitor patients remotely without requiring on-site visits. Since this study kicked off in 2017, it did not use the new Apple Watch models that are able to take ECG readings, instead relying on the standard heart rate sensor.
Apple CFO Luca Maestri is teaming up with auction site Charitybuzz to offer Apple fans the opportunity to bid on lunch with Maestri and a tour of the Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California.
Maestri will have lunch with two people at the Apple Park campus, with the proceeds from the auction benefitting the Andrea Bocelli Foundation. The lunch, which also comes with a tour with an Apple employee, will last for approximately one hour.
Luca Maestri is a senior vice president at Apple and the company's chief financial officer, reporting directly to Tim Cook. He oversees Apple's accounting, business support, financial planning and analysis, treasury, M&A, investor relations, internal audits, and tax functions at Apple.
The Andrea Bocelli Foundation's goal is to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, distress due to illness, and social exclusion by promoting and supporting national and international projects that aim to overcome these barriers.
The current bid on the lunch with Maestri is at $10,500, and its estimated value is $50,000. The auction will end on December 5 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Apple CEO Tim Cook in past years has also done charity lunches facilitated by Charitybuzz to earn money for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, but the last one was held in 2017. That auction earned $680,000.
Apple SVP of Marketing Phil Schiller in an interview on Wednesday delivered a devastating take on Google's Chromebook initiative, saying the platform's success in the education market largely owes to its low price and broader institutional testing procedures.
Apple is on schedule to debut an iPad Pro model with new 3D sensing equipment, as well as a long-rumored iPhone SE follow-up, in the first half of 2020, according to TF Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Fans of Apple with deep pockets can get a personal meeting with the company's chief financial officer and at the same time make a donation to a good cause, as a charity auction for lunch with Luca Maestri and a tour of the Apple headquarters is now live on CharityBuzz.
Apple plans to release new iPad Pro models with rear 3D sensing in the first half of 2020, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a research note with TF International Securities, seen by MacRumors, Kuo said the iPad Pro models will gain 3D sensing through the rear-facing camera system. Apple is expected to use a time-of-flight system, which measures the time that it takes for light to bounce off of objects in a room to generate a 3D map.
The timeframe lines up with a recent report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who also said Apple plans to release iPad Pro models with rear 3D sensing as early as the first half of 2020. Gurman expects the iPad Pro models to feature dual rear cameras, up from a single lens, along with a new augmented reality sensor.
Kuo also reiterated that Apple plans to release a so-called "iPhone SE 2" in the first half of 2020 too. He has previously said the device will be released by the end of the first quarter with similar features as the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display and Touch ID, but with a faster A13 chip and 3GB of RAM.
The low-cost iPhone will likely start around $399 with 64GB of storage, and come in Space Gray, Silver, and Red, according to Kuo.
Kuo has made both the iPad Pro and low-cost iPhone predictions in the past, so this really only serves as an update that the plans are still on track for early next year. Apple often holds a media event in March, and it is certainly possible the new iPad Pro and low-cost iPhone could be announced then.
It is worth noting that Kuo is likely just referring to the device as the "iPhone SE 2" as an easy way to refer to Apple working on a new low-cost iPhone. With its rumored 4.7-inch display, the device would certainly not resemble the original iPhone SE in terms of size, so it could end up having a different name.
Apple Music was today updated with a new feature called Replay, which is designed to allow Apple Music subscribers to take a look at the music that they listened to most in 2019.
Available on the web, in the Mac Music app, and the Music app on iOS devices, the Replay feature aggregates top songs of the year, while also providing playlists for past years too.
Playlists are available for every year that an Apple Music subscriber has had the service, dating back to 2015. Replay playlists can be added to the Apple Music Library so they can be streamed right alongside other playlists and shared with others.
According to TechCrunch, Replay will continue to be updated throughout the year, changing and evolving as a person's musical tastes and interests shift.
Apple plans to update the Replay playlist each Sunday with new songs and data insights to reflect each person's current listening activity.
Apple Music has never offered an aggregated year-end playlist with song data, something that Spotify has provided for years with its Wrapped experience. Apple now has an equivalent feature, and one that is perhaps more useful given the fact that it's updated on an ongoing basis.
Apple Music subscribers can access Apple Music Replay on the web and add the playlists to iOS or Mac devices. Replay should also be available in the iOS and Mac Music apps without the need to use the feature on the web, but it's still in the early stages of rolling out and not available on every platform yet.
Shoppers looking to save money on Apple products don't have to wait until Black Friday to pick up the lowest prices of the year on many devices. Get a head start on holiday shopping with these early Apple Black Friday deals going on now, with markdowns on AirPods 2, MacBook Pros, iMacs, new iPads for $299, the Apple Pencil and much more.
AMD has revealed the specifications of the new Radeon Pro 5000M-series GPU options available in the just-launched 16-inch MacBook Pro, with the Radeon Pro 5300M and 5500M offering better graphics performance and an option for up to 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM.
Apple has just launched the 16-inch MacBook Pro, one that replaces the 15-inch version of the popular notebook line. AppleInsider pitches the specifications of each against each other to see how much of a difference there is between the two models, aside from screen size.
When asked about the redesigned scissor keyboard on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, Schiller acknowledged that the butterfly keyboards on recent MacBook Pro models have received a "mixed reaction" due in part to "some quality issues" that could result in sticky, repeating, or nonfunctional keys.
Schiller says Apple carefully considered customer feedback and found that many professional users wanted the MacBook Pro to have a similar keyboard as the standalone Magic Keyboard for the iMac:
As you know, a number of years ago we started a new keyboard technology with this butterfly keyboard and began it with MacBook. It had some things it did really well, like creating a much more stable key platform. It felt more firm and flat under your finger -- some people really like that, but other people weren't really happy with that. We got sort of a mixed reaction. We had some quality issues we had to work on. Over the years we've been refining that keyboard design, and we're now on the third generation, and a lot of people are much happier with that as we've advanced and advanced it.
As we started to investigate specifically what pro users most wanted, a lot of times they would say, "I want something like this Magic Keyboard, I love that keyboard."
Another common request among professionals was to bring back a physical Esc key. Schiller said it was the "number one" complaint about the Touch Bar. To its credit, Apple listened and made the change:
There is a fairly large number of customers who use the Touch Bar and see great benefit in some of its features, but there were also some complaints. If I were to rank the complaints, No. 1 was customers who like a physical Escape key. It was just a hard adaptation for a lot of people.
We decided that rather than just remove the Touch Bar and lose the benefits some people get, we could instead add the Escape key. While we were doing that, we had already in the MacBook Air created a discrete Touch ID button. People really like that. So the decision was made to keep the Touch Bar, but also to create room on either side for the Escape key and Touch ID key. That is the best solution for the largest number of people we've dealt with who had complaints -- and kept something innovative that people were using with Touch Bar.
When asked if Apple ever plans to merge the Mac and iPad, Schiller insisted the devices will remain separate:
No, that's not our view. Because then you get this in-between thing, and in-between things are never as good as the individual things themselves. We believe the best personal computer is a Mac, and we want to keep going down that path. And we think the best tablet computing device is an iPad, and we'll go down that path.
Schiller also downplayed the possibility of a touchscreen Mac, as Apple always has.
At the very end of the interview, Schiller takes a shot at Google's Chromebooks in the classroom, describing them as "cheap testing tools" that do not allow kids to succeed. Naturally, Schiller said Apple thinks the iPad is the "ultimate tool" for a child to learn on and be the most engaged.
Chromebooks have gotten to the classroom because, frankly, they're cheap testing tools for required testing. If all you want to do is test kids, well, maybe a cheap notebook will do that. But they're not going to succeed.
The full interview contains several more questions and answers and is a worthwhile read.
Update: Schiller also sat down with YouTube tech reviewer Jonathan Morrison to discuss the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Notably, Schiller said that Apple is unlikely to bring an SD card slot back to the MacBook Pro. He also said the technology does not exist yet to bring all of the Pro Display XDR features to a MacBook-sized screen.
The new macOS Catalina beta can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper software from the Developer Center.
There's no word yet on what improvements the second update to macOS Catalina will include, but it most likely focuses on performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS 10.15.1 update.
We didn't find any major new features in the first beta, but we'll update this article if any changes are found in the second beta.
macOS Catalina is a major update that eliminates iTunes in favor of new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps, nixes support for 32-bit apps, adds a new Find My app, brings a new Photos interface, and includes multiple privacy enhancements and other app refinements.
Achievement badges are a funny thing. You know they’re just a simple little bit of visual flair, they don’t even do anything, and yet for some reason you just have to collect them. Achievements are great motivators, and the achievement badges for the activity tracking on the Apple Watch have inspired many users to get more exercise.
If you want to maximize your badge count, you’re going to watch to chase down as many activity achievements as you can. Most are available year-round, but there are also some time-limited special events to grab, too. Here’s a list of all the activity achievements for the Apple Watch and how to unlock them.
The all-new MacBook Pro features a brilliant 16-inch Retina Display, the latest 8-core processors, up to 64GB of memory, next-generation graphics with up to 8GB of VRAM and a new advanced thermal design, making it the most powerful MacBook Pro ever...
Brave Software releases its privacy-minded Brave browser for general use. It's an excellent, streamlined browser that commits itself to your privacy, and with the potential to make you some money, too.
Apple today announced its widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro with a larger display and slimmer bezels, a new Magic Keyboard with a scissor mechanism and physical Esc key, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 8TB of SSD storage, AMD Radeon Pro 5000M graphics options, upgraded speakers and microphones, and more.
Here are some other things to know about the new 16-inch MacBook Pro:
In addition to a scissor mechanism keyboard with a physical Esc key, another much-requested feature that Apple has reintroduced is an inverse-T arrow key layout, last used on the 15-inch MacBook Pro in 2015.
Display brightness appears to remain unchanged, with the same brightness of up to 500 nits as the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
Unlike the iPhone 11, which has 802.11ax aka Wi-Fi 6, the 16-inch MacBook Pro sticks with 802.11ac for wireless networking.
AppleCare+ remains the same $379 price as the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
As noted by Daring Fireball's John Gruber, there is about 0.5mm more space between keys. He also notes that the Touch Bar has been moved slightly further above the top row of keys to help avoid accidental touches.
We'll update this list if we spot any other tidbits worth mentioning. Let us know if you spot any others in the comments section.
Fun fact shared by @MKBHD: The new 16-inch MacBook Pro has a larger 100 watt-hour battery. That's the max allowed by the TSA for use on an airplane. pic.twitter.com/ReBKFj8gyE
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is available to order today through Apple.com and the Apple Store app in many countries. It will be available in Apple Stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers in the United States later this week and is "coming soon" to stores around the world, according to Apple.
iPad was created, as you may remember when Steve Jobs announced it just about a decade ago now, to be a new-category product between your iPhone and your Mac...
Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller discussed the butterfly vs. scissor mechanism keyboards and whether the 16-inch MacBook Pro's Magic Keyboard will appear in other Macs...
It’s going to be a while before the Fitbit-Google partnership results in anything tangible, but in the meantime Fitbit is continuing to refine its wearable vision. The company announced Wednesday that it will be rolling out the Fitbit OS 4.1 update in December, and it brings a bunch of new features that prime the Versa for an inevitable Wear OS merger.
The biggest change is also the most visible: the clock face. Fitbit is finally adding the ability to store extra faces on the watch, so you don’t need to visit the app on your phone every time you want to change the look. Fitbit will now let users store up to five faces on their watch, and a new rating system will make it easier to find quality clocks from the 4,000-plus faces available in the gallery.
Apple today introduced its widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro with a larger display and slimmer bezels, a new Magic Keyboard with a scissor mechanism and physical Esc key, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 8TB of SSD storage, AMD Radeon Pro 5000M graphics options, upgraded speakers and microphones, and more.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro replaces the 15-inch MacBook Pro, which has been discontinued. It is possible the 15-inch model will appear in Apple's clearance store at some point, but it is not available at this time.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,399 in the United States, consistent with the former 15-inch MacBook Pro. A maxed-out 16-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.4GHz 8‑core Core i9 processor, 64GB of RAM, 8TB of SSD storage, and AMD Radeon Pro 5500M graphics runs $6,099 on Apple's online store.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is available to order today through Apple.com and the Apple Store app in many countries. It will be available in Apple Stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers in the United States later this week and is "coming soon" to stores around the world, according to Apple.
Apple today announced and launched the long-awaited 16-inch MacBook Pro, which has now replaced the previous 15-inch MacBook Pro models in the line of Apple notebooks. Alongside the announcement, a handful of YouTubers and tech bloggers have begun sharing their first impressions of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, after having used it for a few hours.
The two big updates to the new notebook include its bigger 16-inch Retina display, and the updated scissor switch keyboard that ditches the butterfly keyboard of the previous 15-inch MacBook Pro. Essentially every first impression applauded Apple for the new keyboard, particularly in regards to the new physical Escape key (instead of a virtual one on the Touch Bar).
Below we've rounded up a few first impressions videos for the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Marques Brownlee:
iJustine:
The Verge:
UrAvgConsumer:
Engadget:
Rene Ritchie:
CNET:
The 16-inch MacBook Pro also features AMD Radeon Pro 5000M graphics options, GDDR6 video memory, a larger 100Wh battery for about an hour more battery than the previous generation, a redesigned six-speaker sound system, and upgraded microphones.
The new model starts at $2,399 in the United States and includes another $2,799 option, both of which can be individually configured with various internal upgrade options. For more information on the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, be sure to read our announcement post for the notebook.
Apple has officially announced that its long-awaited Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR will be available starting in December.
Apple also announced that the new Mac Pro will be available with up to 8TB of SSD storage, after originally promising up to 4TB.
The base model Mac Pro starts at $5,999 and features an 8-core 3.5GHz Intel Xeon processor, a Radeon Pro 580X GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. Additional technical specifications and configure-to-order options are available on Apple's website.
The high-throughput machine was originally announced in June, when Apple promised a "fall" release. Apple confirmed December today:
Today, Apple also announced that the all-new Mac Pro, the world's best pro desktop, and Apple Pro Display XDR, the world's best pro display, will be available in December. Designed for maximum performance, expansion and configurability, Mac Pro features workstation-class Xeon processors up to 28 cores, a high-performance memory system with a massive 1.5TB capacity, eight PCIe expansion slots and a graphics architecture featuring the world's most powerful graphics card. Pro Display XDR features a 32-inch Retina 6K display with P3 wide and 10-bit color, 1,600 nits of peak brightness, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a superwide viewing angle, all at a breakthrough price point.
Apple is also releasing the Pro Display XDR alongside the Mac Pro next month. The high-end monitor costs $4,999, or $5,999 for a version with a "nano-texture" matte coating. The stand costs $999 and a VESA mount costs $199.
Today's announcement was brief, and Apple stopped short of providing specific dates for Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR preorders and availability.
Apple's all-new MacBook Pro features an immersive 16-Inch Retina display, up to 80 percent faster performance and a new Magic Keyboard with a refined scissor mechanism...
Apple today announced its much-rumored high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro, which is the largest MacBook Pro that's been offered for sale since the discontinuation of the 17-inch MacBook Pro back in 2012.
The updated 16-inch MacBook Pro features a larger display with slimmer bezels than the 15-inch MacBook Pro, which it has replaced in Apple's notebook lineup. The display has a resolution of 3072x1920 pixels with up to 500 nits of brightness.
The notebook features an updated "Magic Keyboard" that does away with the unpopular butterfly mechanism, returning instead to a more reliable scissor mechanism with 1mm key travel, along with Intel's latest 9th-generation processors with up to 8 cores. It also has up to 64GB of RAM and up to 8TB of SSD storage.
Above the keyboard, the Touch Bar lives on, but the 16-inch MacBook Pro marks the return of a physical Esc key. In line with the latest MacBook Air, the Touch ID sensor has also been separated from the Touch Bar.
Other features include AMD Radeon Pro 5000M graphics options paired with GDDR6 video memory and an 8GB VRAM option, a larger 100Wh battery for longer battery life, a redesigned six-speaker sound system, and upgraded microphones.
Starting at $2,399 in the United States, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is available today through Apple.com and the Apple Store app. It will be in Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers in the United States later this week and is "coming soon" to stores around the world, according to Apple.
Professional Mac users got a lot of good news on Wednesday. In addition to revealing the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple announced that the Mac Pro, the company’s workhorse tower computer, will begin shipping this December.
When specifically in December, Apple wouldn’t say. Regardless, the December shipping window comes after the Mac Pro was revealed at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference this past June. And it was way back in 2017 when the company announced that it was working on a whole new design for the Mac Pro, a design that replaces the cylindrical model that was first introduced in 2013.
Apple on Wednesday took the wraps off of its latest high-end laptop, the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Targeted for professional use, the new machine features 6- or 8-core processors, a larger display, a new Magic Keyboard, a bigger battery, and a lot more.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro replaces the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but Apple hasn’t jacked up prices: The two standard configuration 16-inch models are the same as the 15-inch versions, $2,399 and $2,799.
Display, keyboard, and speakers
The most noticeable feature of the new laptop is its display, which, as the name implies, is bigger than the one on the MacBook it replaces. To provide more usable screen real estate, Apple reduced the bezel around the display. Specifically, Apple says the horizontal and vertical bezels have been reduced 25 and 34 percent respectively, when compared to the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The display also has a native resolution of 3072x1920, boasts 500 nits of brightness, and supports the P3 color gamut.
On Tuesday Apple announced the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, which replaces the 15-inch models in Apple’s laptop lineup—and delivers some welcome updates to boot. I have a loaner unit and have already begun testing, so stay tuned for my final review. In the meantime, check out my first impressions below. The short story? This new 16-inch MacBook Pro—which is available for order on Apple’s website, and will be selling in the Apple store later this week—doesn’t completely rewrite the MacBook story, but it’s definitely better in some key areas.
Keyboard changes
Critics, rejoice: Apple dumped the butterfly-mechanism keyboard that it’s been using in the MacBook Pro since 2016. The new 16-inch MacBook Pro keyboard uses a scissor mechanism, and is based on the keyboard for the iMac and iMac Pro.
iOS and iPadOS allow the use of multiple software keyboards, which can include those used in different languages and those used for alternative input methods, like Gboard. But you can run afoul of autocorrect suggestions if you’ve added a keyboard and accidentally swap between them.
IDG
Autocorrect suggestions are based on the keyboards installed.
Roku Streaming Stick vs. Amazon Fire Stick vs. Chromecast vs. Apple TV, and more. Which streaming device is best for cord cutters? Our buying guide will help you pick the right accessories for your TV.
Following yesterday's report on Apple's new 16-inch MacBook Pro which could be announced as soon as Wednesday, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman this morning shared some additional details about the upcoming machine via Twitter.
According to Gurman, the display on the new MacBook Pro is less than four percent larger than the current 15.4-inch MacBook Pro, suggesting to him that "it's really going to be about the higher resolution" rather than a significant material increase in screen real estate.
Gurman offers no clues as to the exact resolution, but reliable IHS Markit analyst Jeff Lin claimed in June that the 16-inch MacBook Pro would feature an LCD panel with a resolution of 3,072×1,920 pixels supplied by LG Display. For comparison, the 15-inch MacBook Pro has a resolution of 2,880×1,800 pixels.
In addition, Gurman says the new 16-inch MacBook Pro will have "impressive speakers" and "noise cancelling microphones," which sounds like a reference to an improved ambient noise reduction feature enabling users to capture less background noise when using the built-in microphones, thereby improving dictation and FaceTime calls.
The screen on the new MacBook Pro is less than 4% larger than the current 15.4 inch. So it’s really going to be about the higher resolution, impressive speakers, noise cancelling microphones and of course the all new keyboard (similar to the iMac external Magic Keyboard).
Otherwise, Gurman reiterates Apple's focus on providing users with a more reliable keyboard that uses a new scissor switch mechanism, which is "similar to the iMac external Magic Keyboard."
The new 16-inch machine, which will be the largest laptop Apple has offered for sale since the 17-inch MacBook Pro was discontinued, will replace the current 15-inch model and "cost about the same," Gurman revealed on Tuesday. The 15-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,399.
Apple is said to have been holding private press briefings at its luxury loft mansion in New York City this week, likely providing media sites with review units for first impressions. Apple will surely announce the new 16-inch MacBook Pro via press release, as there are no more Apple events expected this year.
Apple's new high-end modular Mac Pro is set to be released in December, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The launch timing of the Mac Pro was shared in a report on the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, which is set to come out as soon as tomorrow.
Apple unveiled the new 2019 Mac Pro in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference, but since then has not provided any details on its prospective release date.
A December launch would be in line with the launch of the 2013 Mac Pro, which came out on December 18, and the 2017 iMac Pro, which came out on December 14.
The new Mac Pro is a designed for Apple's pro user base with a heavy focus on upgradeability and expansion. It features a traditional PC shape, but with an Apple-esque stainless steel frame with a lattice pattern that maximizes airflow.
The Mac Pro uses workstation-class Xeon processors with up to 28 cores, and it supports up to 1.5TB of high-performance memory. Pricing on the new Mac Pro will start at $6,000.
Alongside the Mac Pro, Apple will likely launch the Pro Display XDR, which is a 32-inch 6K display with a resolution of 6016 x 3384 and more than 20 million pixels. Pricing on the Pro Display XDR will start at $5,000.
While Bloomberg has disclosed a December launch month for the Mac Pro, there's still no word on a specific date. Given past launch timelines, it could come on either the week of the 9th or the week of the 16th.
Apple's upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro is set to replace the current 15-inch MacBook Pro, which is priced starting at $2,399, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The new 16-inch machine, which will be the largest laptop Apple has offered for sale since the 17-inch MacBook Pro was discontinued, will "cost about the same" as the current 15-inch model.
Prior reports suggested the 16-inch MacBook Pro would be sold alongside the 15-inch model as a higher-end, more expensive option, but it sounds like it won't be quite as pricey as first expected.
The new MacBook Pro is said to feature a revamped keyboard that's designed to be "more reliable," and previous rumors have indicated that it will abandon the butterfly switch mechanism Apple has been using for a new scissor switch mechanism.
The display of the upcoming machine will be brighter, and Bloomberg suggests it will appeal to video and photo editors, gamers, and software developers.
As for launch timing, Bloomberg believes that the new MacBook Pro will come out as soon as Wednesday, with the Mac Pro to then follow at some point in December.
Apple this week has been holding private press briefings at its luxury loft mansion in New York City, likely providing media sites with review units for first impressions. Apple will announce the new 16-inch MacBook Pro via press release, as there are no more Apple events expected this year.
Apple in late October released a new 13.2 software update for the HomePod with a bunch of new features, but it turned out the update was bricking some HomePods.
Apple addressed the bug in an updated 13.2.1 software release a couple days later, making the new functionality available without the risk of ruining a HomePod. In our newest YouTube video, we go over all of the new HomePod features for MacRumors readers who may have been put off by the bug reports.
With the new update, HomePod can distinguish between different users in the household, introducing multi-user support for the first time.
Siri is able to tell who is speaking, allowing each person in the home to access their own selection of music, playlists, radio stations, and preferences.
Setting up multi-user support requires a device running iOS 13.2 or later, and you need to invite your family members to be a member in the Home app. From there, open the Home app, choose Home Settings, tap on your user profile under people, and then turn on the "Recognize My Voice" option.
If you're listening to a song on your iPhone and want to transfer it over to your HomePod, you can do so with iOS 13.2.1's new Handoff feature.
To use Handoff, have a song playing on the iPhone and then bring it over to the top of the HomePod. The audio playing on the iPhone will swap over to the HomePod, pausing audio on the iPhone. You'll get a notification letting you know about the transfer of content, and while this feature is still a bit buggy, it's useful.
Handoff works with the Apple Music app, podcasts, phone calls, and more. If you don't want to use the feature, you can turn it off in the Settings app by going to General > AirPlay > Handoff and toggling off "Transfer to HomePod."
When creating or editing a HomeKit scene, you can now add songs from your Apple Music Library. You can, for example, create a "Good Morning" or "Relax" scene that does things like change the lighting and start a song playing on HomePod.
Just select the "HomePod" option when creating a scene under the list of accessories. From there, choose the "Play Audio" option and then select "Choose Audio" to select a song.
Ambient Sounds
The 13.2.1 update also introduces a neat new feature called Ambient Sounds, which is designed to let you ask Siri to play relaxing sounds like rain, white noise, and more.
There are seven different options that you can choose from:
Rain
Stream
White Noise
Fireplace
Forest
Night
Ocean
To use Ambient Sounds, just ask Siri. Asking Siri to play Ambient Sounds will select a random sound, but you can also ask for a specific sound with a command like "Hey Siri, play rain sounds."
Setting a Sleep Timer
Ambient Sounds can be set up with a sleep timer so that the noise automatically turns off after a set period of time. When an Ambient Sound is playing, ask Siri to set a sleep timer for a set amount of time.
"Hey Siri, set a sleep timer for 45 minutes," for example, will play the ambient noises for 45 minutes before the HomePod turns off.
If you don't want to listen to Ambient Sounds, this also works with any music that happens to be playing.
Downloading the Update
Downloading the new HomePod software can be done by opening up the Home app, selecting "Home Settings" after tapping the house icon in the upper left corner, and choosing the "Software Update" option. If the "Install Updates Automatically" feature is turned on, your HomePod has likely already updated to 13.2.1.
Walmart this week announced a new partnership with Apple, which allows the Walmart Voice Order feature to be used with Siri.
With this option, Apple users can ask Siri to add items to their Walmart Online Grocery Cart through a new Siri Shortcut. After pairing an account, customers can create a shopping cart by saying "Add to Walmart" and then naming the product they want to purchase.
Once finished shopping, customers can place the order with the Walmart app and then Walmart personal shoppers will gather the items. Customers can have their orders delivered or pick them up at a local Walmart store. Items can be added to the Walmart cart on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, HomePod, and CarPlay.
According to Walmart, the more customers use the feature, the better the experience will be. The app is designed to quickly and accurately identify desired items based on purchase history.
For example, if a customer says, "add orange juice to my cart," we'll make sure to add the specific orange juice the customer buys regularly. Instead of saying "Great Value organic orange juice with no pulp," they'll simply say: "orange juice" and we'll add the right one.
The voice ordering feature is aimed at letting customers add to a list of items over time as they realize what they need for a weekly shopping trip. Walmart customers interested in using the feature can go to the Walmart Grocery App and choose the "Voice Shopping" option on their account page.
While iOS 13.2 delivered the last of the features Apple promised when it first introduced iOS 13 back at WWDC, it’s not like the company is just going to kick back and relax until iOS 14 next year. We can expect at least one or two more point-releases with minor new features, and a few bugfix releases, as well.
iOS 13.2 brings a handful of minor interface tweaks, like the ability to disable memoji stickers suggestions in the emoji keyboard. It may also address the memory management issue reported by some users, where apps are too aggressively purged from memory and have to be reloaded often.
Minecraft Earth, Microsoft's new augmented reality Minecraft game, is now available on iOS and Android devices in the United States.
Microsoft has been testing Minecraft Earth in other countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Sweden and South Korea, but now it is also available in an early access capacity in the U.S.
Minecraft Earth is designed to let users access a tabletop mode that displays Minecraft creations in the real world at life size, bringing Minecraft designs to life.
Gamers will be able to add a buildplate. creating an interactive Minecraft diorama. Tappables, which unlock in-game materials, will be able to be found in the real world, such as on a walk, and resources can be used for crafting and smelting. There are also monsters to encounter and other discoveries to make.
Multiple players can team up with one another to create structures together, and in adventure mode, there's an option to battle against hostile mobs to survive.
The app can be downloaded for free from the App Store, though it is a freemium title and "Minecoins" can be purchased in app.
Surfing the web through a virtual private network (VPN) can keep your identity and data safe and secure online. We show you what to look for in a VPN and help you pick the best one for your needs.
At Apple’s 2019 developer conference, the company announced Sign in with Apple, its privacy-protecting alternative to third-party logins long provided by Facebook, Twitter, and others. These alternative sign-ins let you create an account leveraging an existing account at another service.
Using third-party sign-ins—a consumer version of what’s known in the corporate world as “single sign on” or SSO—reduces the number of passwords you have to create and manage, and centralizes control. You can see all the sites, services, and apps using your Twitter login, for instance, at a page at Twitter.
