Apple

Wednesday is the official launch day of Apple's low-cost MacBook Neo, and as customers who pre-ordered begin to receive their purchases, Apple has also started in-store sales for the new laptop, along with a host of other new products.


Customers across Europe, Asia and other regions can now place an order on Apple's website or in the Apple Store app and arrange for in-store pickup at a local retail location.

A quick spot check on the U.K. Apple online store suggests that most stores in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have available stock for customers today, although there are bound to be exceptions, with availability also running on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Apple has yet to update its online store for customers in the United States and Canada, but that will change in the next few hours, when in-store availability across North America will become clear.

To order a product with ‌Apple Store‌ pickup, add the product to your bag on Apple.com, proceed to checkout, select the "I'll pick it up" option, enter your ZIP code, choose an available ‌Apple Store‌ location, and select a pickup date. Payment is completed online, and a valid government-issued photo ID and the order number may be required upon pickup.

The MacBook Neo starts at $599, and is powered by the A18 Pro chip first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro in 2024. It's the first Mac to use an iPhone-class chip. Apple says it delivers up to 50% faster everyday performance than the bestselling PC with Intel's latest Core Ultra 5 processor.

It features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2,408 × 1,506 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and an anti-reflective coating. The display uses uniform, iPad-style bezels instead of a notch, and the machine weighs 2.7 pounds and comes in Silver, Indigo, Blush, and Citrus, with matching keyboard accents and wallpapers.

Connectivity includes two USB-C ports—one USB-C 2 (up to 480 Mb/s) and one USB-C 3 (up to 10 Gb/s)—plus a headphone jack. Other features include 8GB of unified memory, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6, a 1080p camera, dual beamforming microphones, Spatial Audio speakers, and up to 16 hours of battery life.

The base model includes 256GB of storage and the Magic Keyboard for $599, while a $699 configuration adds 512GB of storage and Touch ID. Education pricing starts at $499.

Today also marks the launch of the iPhone 17e, MacBook Pro with M5 and M5 Max chips, MacBook Air with M5 chip, iPad Air with M4 chip, new and updated Apple Studio Displays. In-store availability for these devices will vary depending on popularity, but overall we think the MacBook Neo is likely to be the star of the show today in retail stores worldwide.
This article, "$599 MacBook Neo Available for Same-Day Pickup at Apple Stores" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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On an earnings call today, an ASUS executive admitted that Apple's more affordable MacBook Neo is a "shock" to the PC industry (via PCMag). In the U.S., the MacBook Neo starts at just $599, or at an even lower $499 for college students.


"Given Apple's historically very premium pricing, launching such an affordable product is certainly a shock to the entire market," said ASUS's Chief Financial Officer Nick Wu, according to a transcript of the earnings call published by Seeking Alpha. His comment was translated to English by an interpreter who was present on the call.

Wu said the MacBook Neo has some limited specs, including only 8GB of RAM, and he believes this may impact the ability to use certain apps. However, MacBook Neo reviewer Patrick Tomasso played back 4K video in DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro, edited a photo in Adobe Lightroom, and used many tabs in Google Chrome on the laptop, all without issue. In fact, most if not all reviews praised the MacBook Neo's performance.

Wu believes that Apple seems to be positioning the MacBook Neo as a device that is more for "content consumption," like a tablet.

"Of course, it's not that it cannot do all the work, but considering user experience and those hardware limitations, the experience, I think, differs significantly from mainstream products," he said, according to the transcript.

Nevertheless, Wu said the PC industry is taking the MacBook Neo's introduction "very seriously."

"I believe all PC vendors, including upstream vendors like Microsoft, Intel and AMD, they're all taking this very seriously, seriously discussing how to compete with this product in the entire PC ecosystem," said Wu, per the transcript. "The entire PC system will launch corresponding products to compete with Apple."

Ultimately, he said the MacBook Neo's actual impact on the PC market remains to be seen.

"The final market competition outcome is hard to predict," he said. "We just need more time."

With the MacBook Neo launch underway, the clock is officially ticking.
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Apple considered but abandoned plans for a flip-style foldable iPhone because it didn't create compelling new use cases, according to Weibo leaker Instant Digital. Apple reportedly felt that it was an "unnecessary" design because the biggest selling point would have been its smaller size when folded.


The split at the middle also caused issues with internal space, limiting battery capacity and leaving less space for camera components. Apple would have had to compromise on the rear camera system. Instant Digital suggests that if Apple wanted a smaller ‌iPhone‌, the company would introduce a smaller slab-style model instead.

There have been two distinct periods when rumors suggested Apple was considering an ‌iPhone‌ that folds in half like a clamshell. The first rumors surfaced years ago before reports shifted toward Apple's work on the larger book-style foldable ‌iPhone‌ that's coming in 2026, and the second came in February 2026 when rumors indicated Apple was once again evaluating the design.

It's not clear if Instant Digital is referring to the earlier rumors or the more recent rumors from February, but the wording suggests the latter.

Samsung has long had two foldable smartphone styles, offering both the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip, but smaller-sized iPhones have not done well. Apple had a 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and an ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, but the device was discontinued after two generations because it sold poorly.

Given Apple's struggle to sell more compact iPhones like the ‌iPhone‌ mini, it may not be surprising that a clamshell-style foldable has been shelved for now.
This article, "Why Apple Rejected a Clamshell-Style Foldable iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is set to launch two new low-cost devices tomorrow, the iPhone 17e and the MacBook Neo. Both devices use A-series chips, which have historically been limited to the iPhone and iPad.


The ‌MacBook Neo‌ has Apple's A18 Pro chip inside, which was first used in the iPhone 16 Pro models, while the ‌iPhone 17e‌ has a newer A19 chip. Unsurprisingly, thanks to the newer chip, Apple's $599 ‌iPhone‌ outperforms the CPU in its $599 Mac.

The ‌iPhone 17e‌ earned a multi-core score of 9,241 on early Geekbench benchmarks, while the ‌MacBook Neo‌ earned a multi-core score of 8,668. Single-core chip results also favored the ‌iPhone 17e‌, which earned a score of 3,607, while the Neo had a single-core score of 3,461.

Metal scores for the GPU were closer, with the ‌MacBook Neo‌ scoring between 30,000 and 31,400 the ‌iPhone 17e‌ earned scores ranging from 31,000 to 31,600.

Both the ‌iPhone 17e‌ and the ‌MacBook Neo‌ have the same 8GB RAM for Apple Intelligence support, and while that might not sound like enough for a Mac, early reviewers felt that 8GB RAM was sufficient for everyday light workloads.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is the first Mac that Apple has designed with an A-series chip instead of an M-series chip, and its benchmark results suggest that it is essentially an ‌iPhone‌ that runs macOS. It will be interesting to see how well the ‌MacBook Neo‌ sells given that its CPU performance trails Apple's low-cost ‌iPhone‌.
This article, "Apple's Low-Cost iPhone 17e is Faster Than the Low-Cost MacBook Neo" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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It's Wednesday, March 11 in Australia and New Zealand, which means it's the official launch day for all of the products Apple introduced last week, including the new low-cost MacBook Neo, the iPhone 17e, the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, the Studio Display, the ‌Studio Display‌ XDR, the M4 iPad Air, and the M5 MacBook Air.


Apple fans who purchased one of the new devices will start receiving their orders in the next few hours, and will soon share photos and first impressions of the new ‌MacBook Neo‌, ‌iPhone 17e‌, and more on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and other social networks.

If you've ordered one of the new products and it's been delivered, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and make sure to share some photos.

Since there are no Apple retail stores in New Zealand, customers in Australia are the first to be able to pick up their new device or make a purchase in an Apple Store. In-store stock in Australia will provide insight into what we can expect from other Apple locations worldwide, but we aren't expecting major shortages.

Some ‌MacBook Neo‌ models have delivery estimates that are a little over a week out, so that may be the most popular new product from this batch.

If you missed pre-ordering a ‌MacBook Neo‌ or one of Apple's other new devices, you should be able to visit an Apple retail location to pick one up on launch day. Other retailers like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy should also have stock, and carriers will have the ‌iPhone 17e‌.

Following Australia and New Zealand, sales and deliveries of the ‌MacBook Neo‌, new ‌Studio Display‌ models, ‌iPhone 17e‌, and other products will begin in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and finally, North America.

Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors, because we'll have hands-on and unboxing videos starting tomorrow.
This article, "First MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, and Studio Display XDR Orders Begin Arriving" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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While the MacBook Neo achieves a breakthrough $599 starting price, that of course comes with some compromises, and one of them is slower SSD speeds.


The Verge today showed the MacBook Neo had up to 8× slower sustained SSD read and write speeds in a benchmark test compared to the new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The site did not mention which tool it used to measure SSD speeds, but it was likely Blackmagic's Disk Speed Test or AmorphousDiskMark.

Here is a comparison of sustained SSD speeds, according to The Verge.

Mac (Chip/Capacity)	Read Speeds	Write Speeds
MacBook Neo (A18 Pro/256GB)	1,735 MB/s	1,684 MB/s
MacBook Air (M1/512GB)	3,422 MB/s	3,274 MB/s
MacBook Air (M5/1TB)	7,049 MB/s	7,480 MB/s
MacBook Pro (M5 Max/4TB)	13.6 GB/s	17.8 GB/s

The speeds for the M5 Max model came from The Verge's separate MacBook Pro review, and unfortunately storage capacities are not equal across the board.

With slower SSD speeds, transferring files to and from the MacBook Neo will take longer, but this is a non-issue for many customers. Even with a large 100 GB file, a transfer may take up to a minute with a MacBook Neo, rather than around 30 seconds with the latest MacBook Air, or 7-8 seconds with the latest MacBook Pro.

A slower SSD can also impact overall performance, since apps boot from the SSD, and because the MacBook Neo will temporarily use SSD space as virtual memory when the laptop's actual 8GB of RAM is fully used. But, the first MacBook Neo reviews have largely indicated that the laptop's performance is quite good nonetheless.

The average customer purchasing a MacBook Neo is probably not thinking about SSD speeds to begin with, and they will likely never notice any impact, but we have highlighted this information for customers who do care about this sort of thing.

MacBook Neo launches this Wednesday.
This article, "MacBook Neo Has Up to 8× Slower SSD Speeds Compared to New MacBook Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Sonos today launched two new speakers, the Sonos Play and the Sonos Era 100 SL. Sonos says that the additions to its lineup "reflect a renewed focus on strengthening the Sonos system" after a disastrous 2024 app redesign damaged customer trust.


The Sonos Play is a versatile speaker that can be used from room to room, and like most Sonos products, multiple speakers can be paired together. Sonos Play speakers connect to WiFi and can be grouped across multiple rooms or paired up for stereo sound.

There's an included charging base so the speaker can be used either at home or while on the go. The battery lasts for up to 24 hours, and it can also serve as a power bank for recharging an iPhone. The Sonos Play has IP67 waterproofing so it can be used poolside, at the beach, or in the shower.

When you're not at home, up to four Sonos Play or Move 2 speakers can be paired together over Bluetooth instead of WiFi using the Sonos Play app. Sound will be synced up, and Automatic Trueplay will adapt the audio to match the environment.

AirPlay 2 support is included, so Sonos Play speakers can be used alongside other ‌AirPlay‌ 2 speakers for multi-room or multi-device audio using Apple's technology.

The Era 100 SL is a simpler speaker that's meant to ease people into the Sonos ecosystem. It features a microphone-free design and fewer features to help keep the price lower. It can be used alone or paired with other Sonos speakers over time, and it also supports ‌AirPlay‌ 2.

The Sonos Play and Sonos Era 100 SL can be pre-ordered from the Sonos website starting today, with a launch to follow on March 31, 2026. The Sonos Play is $299, while the Sonos Era 100 SL is $189.
This article, "Sonos Launches Two New Speakers With AirPlay 2 Support" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The Wired review of Apple's all-new MacBook Neo, titled "Apple MacBook Neo Review: Delicious, Low-Hanging Fruit," opens with…

The post Wired reviews Apple’s MacBook Neo: ‘One of the best budget laptops you can buy’ appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Customers planning to get a new MacBook Neo tomorrow will need to install a day one update. Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.3.2, which is available for the new Mac.


According to Apple's release notes for ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.3.2, it includes bug fixes and security updates. Apple will likely require the software to be installed during the ‌MacBook Neo‌ setup process.

As of yesterday, there is also a version of the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 beta that's compatible with the ‌MacBook Neo‌, and also Apple's new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is set to launch on March 11, with the first customers who pre-ordered receiving their shipments. Apple retail locations worldwide will also have stock of the new device.
This article, "MacBook Neo Will Have Day One Software Update" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In a fun twist to Apple's latest product reveal, a charming anthropomorphic character dubbed "Lil' Finder Guy" has emerged as the unexpected…

The post Apple’s ‘Lil’ Finder Guy’ goes viral: the cute new mascot stealing hearts online appeared first on MacDailyNews.

The new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models feature a keyboard change that was easy to miss during Apple's announcements last week.


On the U.S. English version of the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro keyboards, the tab, caps lock, shift, return, and delete keycaps now have glyphs on them. On previous-generation models, these keys are labeled with text instead.

This change was spotted by "Mr. Macintosh" last week, and it extends to the MacBook Neo.


Given the U.S. English keyboard layout is the default option for MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Neo models sold in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, this change effectively extends to those countries and a few others.

If you live in Europe, this will look familiar to you. Apple has long showed glyphs on the tab, caps lock, shift, return, and delete keycaps on its keyboard layouts for British English and other European languages, so this is nothing new there.

The new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Neo models launch this Wednesday.
This article, "Apple's New MacBooks Have a Keyboard Change You Might Have Missed" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's all-new MacBook Neo, its most affordable laptop ever, starts at just $599 (and $499 for education customers), bringing the full Mac…

The post MacBook Neo’s A18 Pro proves to be a formidable laptop processor – review appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Apple's newly published Studio Display XDR Technology Overview white paper reveals two notable display technologies: a forthcoming Full Calibration feature and a new color measurement model called Apple CMF 2026.


According to the document, a future macOS update will introduce Full Calibration, a feature that allows users to recalibrate key display characteristics using professional measurement equipment. Apple says Full Calibration will adjust the white point, primary color coordinates, luminance, and gamma response of the display when used with a compatible spectroradiometer. The feature is not available at launch.

The functionality is aimed at professional color workflows, allowing the display to be recalibrated at the hardware level to maintain accuracy over time or match specific production environments. Apple currently ships each Studio Display XDR with factory calibration, alongside a set of reference presets designed for common color standards.

The white paper also introduces Apple CMF 2026, a new system Apple developed to improve how displays are measured and calibrated. Most display calibration today relies on the long-standing CIE 1931 color matching functions, a model created nearly a century ago to represent how humans perceive color.

Apple says Apple CMF 2026 addresses limitations in the CIE 1931 model that can cause displays to look slightly different even when they are calibrated to the same standard. According to the company, the new system improves visual consistency by more closely matching how colors actually appear to the human eye.

Each ‌Studio Display‌ XDR is individually calibrated using Apple CMF 2026 at the factory. However, Apple continues to support the traditional CIE 1931 system through its reference presets to maintain compatibility with existing professional workflows.

Apple says it is also working with the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) to help develop a broader industry standard based on this research, with the goal of improving color consistency across displays from different manufacturers. The ‌Studio Display‌ XDR is the first Apple display to support Apple CMF 2026.
This article, "Studio Display XDR White Paper Reveals New Color System and Future Calibration Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's latest MacBook Pro, armed with the blazing-fast M5 Max chip, isn't just another incremental bump, it's a genuine performance…

The post Apple’s new M5 Max MacBook Pro delivers a huge SSD read/write speed boost appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Today we're tracking a collection of discounts on Amazon for a wide range of products, including monitors, iPhone and desktop accessories, and more. The majority of the deals below have been automatically applied, but some will require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the final sale price.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Highlights include Samsung's 32-inch Smart Monitor M9 for $1,299.99, which is $300 off and a match of the all-time low price on the monitor. We're also tracking discounts on unique products like the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 for $119.99 ($30 off) and Satechi FindAll Wallet Card for $29.98 ($5 off).

Monitors

• 27-inch LG Ultrafine 4K Monitor - $219.99, down from $249.99


• 32-inch Samsung Odyssey Curved Gaming Monitor - $249.99, down from $329.99


• 27-inch Dell 4K Monitor - $299.99, down from $349.99


• 27-inch LG UltraGear Gaming Monitor - $319.99, down from $499.99


• 27-inch ASUS ProArt 4K Display - $369.00 with on-page coupon, down from $429.00


• 27-inch Samsung Odyssey G5 Gaming Monitor - $484.09, down from $549.99


• 32-inch Samsung Smart Monitor M9 - $1,299.99, down from $1,599.99

Wall Chargers

• Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger - $29.99, down from $39.99


• Anker 140W 4-Port GaN USB-C Charger - $64.99, down from $99.99


• Anker 14-in-1 Prime Thunderbolt 5 Dock - $339.99, down from $399.99

Wireless Chargers

• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible UFO Charger - $69.99, down from $89.99


• Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Foldable Charging Station - $85.99, down from $109.99


• Anker 3-in-1 Prime Wireless Charging Station (NEW) - $115.99, down from $149.99


• Anker Prime MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Charging Station - $169.99, down from $229.99

Portable Chargers

• Anker MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $63.99, down from $79.99


• Anker Prime Power Bank 26,250 mAh - $171.48, down from $229.99


• Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $428.99, down from $799.00

Miscellaneous

• Satechi FindAll Wallet Card - $29.98, down from $34.99


• Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 - $119.99, down from $149.99

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Amazon Kicks Off Big Accessory Sale on Monitors, iPhone Accessories, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and just last week, but there are still a number of new devices expected to arrive later in 2026.


Most of Apple's remaining launches for the year are likely to follow the company's typical fall schedule in September and October, but we could always see additional announcements outside of the 2026 fall season.

We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2026.

1. Low-Cost iPad – Apple is working on a new version of the low-cost iPad that was expected to arrive last week, but it was conspicuous in its absence from Apple's announcements. There are no design changes expected, but Apple will upgrade it with a A18 chip or A19 chip for Apple Intelligence.



2. New Mac Studio - An update for the Mac Studio should arrive in the middle of the year, but no external changes are expected. The refresh should see an update to the M5 Max chip and either an M4 or M5 Ultra chip.



3. New Mac mini – New Mac mini models are in the pipeline and are expected to arrive sometime after the Mac Studio refresh. The ‌Mac mini‌ will probably offer M5 and M5 Pro variants, but no design changes are expected.



4. New iMacs – Also likely coming after the Mac Studio debut, new iMacs could have a refreshed color palette this year and are almost certain to get the M5 chip.



5. Foldable iPhone – Apple's rumored new book-style foldable smartphone, featuring a display in both folded and unfolded states, is expected to arrive in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.



6. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max – We get new iPhones every September, but Apple will adopt a split-launch cycle this year, and we are expecting only Pro/Max models alongside the new foldable iPhone – so no regular iPhone 18 or iPhone Air 2 this year.



7. Apple Watch Series 12 – We usually get new Apple Watch Series models alongside new iPhones in the fall, but we're expecting only internal changes this year, with noninvasive blood glucose monitoring thought to still be a few years away.



8. Smart Home Hub – Apple is said to have delayed the launch of its planned smart home hub until September, due to ongoing issues with the revamped version of Siri.



9. New Apple TV 4K – The new Apple TV 4K appears to have been held back until the updated version of Siri is ready later this year. Rumors suggest that it will get an A17 Pro chip for Apple Intelligence along with Apple's N1 networking chip, but no major design updates.



10. New HomePod mini – Like the Apple TV 4K, Apple is believed to have a new version of the HomePod ready to go, but it may be being held up by issues with the revamped version of Siri that Apple has promised later this year. The ‌HomePod mini‌ is expected to get a newer Apple Watch chip and it could also adopt the N1 and an updated UWB chip.



11. High-end AirPods Pro – Apple plans to unveil new AirPods Pro this year equipped with tiny infrared cameras, allowing them to be connected to Apple Intelligence, specifically Visual Intelligence. It is unclear when Apple plans to announce the new AirPods Pro, but September or October is most likely, based on historical patterns.



12. OLED MacBook – A new, high-end MacBook, potentially called "MacBook Ultra," is believed to be arriving around the end of the year, featuring a touch-capable OLED display.

What We Might Not See This Year

The Apple Watch Ultra was refreshed in September 2025. Another update will not arrive until September 2026 at the earliest, but Apple has not always refreshed the Ultra on a yearly basis. It's not yet clear if we're getting a refresh in 2026 or if Apple will skip this year completely while it works on incorporating noninvasive blood glucose monitoring technology.

The same goes for Apple Watch SE, in that Apple has not updated the more affordable model on an annual cycle. The latest model, Apple Watch SE 3, debuted in September 2025, so Apple might skip updates this year – although we've yet to hear either way.

Software Updates

In three months, Apple will unveil its next generation of software at its June Worldwide Developers Conference, where it typically previews the major updates coming to its platforms. The event will offer an early look at the features planned for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27.

These updates are notable because they bring new capabilities to existing devices without requiring users to purchase new hardware. Apple will introduce the software in June, but the final versions are expected to be released to the public in September.

Read More

MacRumors maintains an upcoming products guide that outlines both near-term releases and devices expected further down the road. It's updated frequently, providing you with a useful reference for keeping track of what Apple is currently developing and what may launch next.
This article, "12 New Apple Products Still Expected This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple ramped up iPhone assembly in India by roughly 53% last year, now assembling about a quarter of its flagship devices there as the…

The post China’s grip slips: Apple now assembles 25% of iPhones in India appeared first on MacDailyNews.

The first reviews of the MacBook Neo were published today by selected publications and YouTube channels, ahead of the laptop launching on Wednesday.


Available in Blush, Citrus, Indigo, and Silver, the MacBook Neo is powered by a version of the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro. The laptop is equipped with a 13-inch display, up to 512GB of storage, and a non-configurable 8GB of RAM.

MacBook Neo is Apple's most affordable MacBook ever, and most of the reviews so far call it a great value. In the U.S., pricing starts at just $599, or at an even lower $499 for college students and qualifying educational staff.

The big question: is just 8GB of RAM enough? Most reviewers say yes.

Reviews

The Verge's Antonio G. Di Benedetto said the MacBook Neo's 8GB of RAM is "totally adequate" for "the everyday productivity stuff the Neo is meant to handle":

The MacBook Neo zips through the light workloads it's designed for. The A18 Pro chip actually outperforms Apple's M1 MacBook Air (and most Windows laptops) in single-core processing benchmarks, the spec most vital for the everyday productivity stuff the Neo is meant to handle. That's why this $600 laptop excels at light tasks like web browsing and working on Google Docs. The Neo's 8GB of RAM and slow 256GB storage are totally adequate for living this life, but the machine does feel a little slower at the fringes if you know where to look — like how clicking the Applications folder on the dock sometimes takes a second for the icons to populate.

The relatively paltry RAM and storage prevent the Neo from performing as well in heavier creative apps as the MacBook Airs and Pros, but that's fine.

CNET's Matt Elliott ran Geekbench 6 on the MacBook Neo, and the A18 Pro chip achieved scores of 3,541 for single-core CPU performance and 8,958 for multi-core. This means the MacBook Neo's peak performance tops Macs with the M1 chip, while the single-core number is approaching the M4 chip, so the MacBook Neo should feel particularly "bursty."

Mac Model	Multi-Core CPU Score
MacBook Pro (M5 Max)	29,233
Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)	27,726
MacBook Pro (M4 Max)	25,702
MacBook Pro (M4 Pro)	22,490
Mac Studio (M2 Ultra)	21,410
MacBook Pro (M3 Max)	20,960
Mac Studio (M1 Ultra)	18,434
MacBook Air (M5)	17,073
MacBook Pro (M3 Pro)	15,260
MacBook Pro (M2 Max)	14,740
MacBook Air (M4)	14,731
MacBook Pro (M2 Pro)	14,451
MacBook Pro (M1 Max)	12,345
MacBook Pro (M1 Pro)	12,345
MacBook Air (M3)	12,020
MacBook Air (M2)	9,709
MacBook Neo (A18 Pro)	8,958
MacBook Air (M1)	8,342

Bloomberg's Chris Welch praised the MacBook Neo's aluminum design, display quality, and the dual speakers on the left and right edges of the laptop:

Even for consumers who stick to more casual computing, the Neo's aluminum build, crisp screen and well-balanced speakers are going to make this a no-brainer purchase for millions. In your hands, the device looks, feels and sounds every bit like a Mac.

Tom's Guide ran its usual battery test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits of display brightness, and the MacBook Neo lasted for 13 hours and 28 minutes. The publication said this is "fantastic endurance for a laptop in this price range," topping the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3's 8 hours and 39 minutes. However, it falls short of the latest MacBook Air, which lasted for 15 hours and 28 minutes in the test.

While the MacBook Neo has only 8GB of RAM, no Touch ID button on the base configuration, no MagSafe, slower USB-C ports instead of Thunderbolt ports, and no backlit keys, most reviews conclude that the laptop is still a great deal.

Fast Company's Harry McCracken:

Overall, though, the MacBook Neo is one of Apple's best recent products, even though its innovation is all about thoughtful cost control, not new features. Along with being a compelling option for anyone shopping for a laptop in its price range, it's the perfect Mac for kids and other loved ones who might otherwise have inherited a dented, poky hand-me-down. I would not be startled to see it fly off shelves.

Additional reviews were published by Ars Technica, WIRED, and 9to5Mac, among others.

Videos

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Apple CEO Tim Cook today shared a short promotional video on social media highlighting Apple's new role as the U.S. home of Formula One.


The clip takes place around Apple Park and shows Cook driving a small campus buggy along the ring road before pulling up beside Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen. The scene plays out like a Formula 1 pit stop, with the buggy stopping at a makeshift pit area labeled "Tim Box Box," a reference to the radio phrase used by F1 teams to call drivers into the pits.

During the stop, a rapid tire-change sequence unfolds, parodying the high-speed choreography of real Formula 1 pit crews. After the brief stop, Cook accelerates away from the pit box.


The light-hearted video is part of Apple's wider promotional push around its new Formula 1 broadcasting partnership. Beginning with the 2026 season, Apple has become the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of Formula 1 races through the Apple TV app, which now carries every practice session, qualifying session, Sprint race, and Grand Prix live and on demand.

Apple has been heavily promoting the partnership across its ecosystem, including features in the Apple Sports app, race coverage integrations in Apple News, circuit maps in Apple Maps, and audio race broadcasts on Apple Music.

The promotional clip also comes shortly after the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season, which opened with the Australian Grand Prix. Apple says ‌Apple TV‌ subscribers in the United States can watch the entire season with 4K video, Dolby Vision, and multiple onboard camera feeds.
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The first MacBook Neo unboxing videos were shared today by selected YouTube channels, ahead of the laptop launching on Wednesday.


Regardless of whether you choose Blush, Citrus, Indigo, or Silver, the MacBook Neo comes with a white USB-C charging cable in the box. In all regions except the UK and the EU, Apple's 20W USB-C Power Adapter is also included in the box. As has been the case for a few years now, however, Apple stickers are no longer provided.

We have rounded up some of the unboxing videos below.








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German publishers and advertisers have urged the country's competition authority to reject Apple's latest proposals for adjusting its…

The post German publishers push back on Apple’s privacy-focused tracking changes, call for antitrust fine appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Verizon today has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.00, down from $249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, which has been hard to come by on Amazon in recent weeks.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This model of the AirPods Pro launched in September 2025 and has 2x better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, better audio quality, a revised fit that's meant to improve comfort and stability, Live Translation for in-person conversations, and heart rate sensing for workouts.



Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

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Tech columnist David Pogue's new book Apple: The First 50 Years is available in hardcover and digital formats starting today.


In time for Apple's 50th anniversary on April 1, the 608-page book explores the first five decades of the company's history. Pogue interviewed 150 key people who shaped Apple into what it is today, including the company's co-founder Steve Wozniak, former CEO John Sculley, former design chief Jony Ive, and others.

While many aspects of Apple's history are well documented, the book's official description promises "new facts that correct the record":

In time for Apple's 50th anniversary, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue tells the iconic company's entire life story: how it was born, nearly died, was born again under Steve Jobs, and became, under CEO Tim Cook, the most valuable company in the world. The book features full-color photos, new facts that correct the record and illuminate its subversive culture, and fresh interviews with the legendary figures who shaped Apple into what it is today.

Pogue is a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, and he spent many years writing about Apple and technology for The New York Times and Macworld. An excerpt from his book, focused on the late Steve Jobs, is available on the CBS News website.

Pogue has been on a media tour to promote his new book, so there are lots of interviews and excerpts coming out. He recently sat down for an extended interview with Apple's CEO Tim Cook, and he made an appearance on CBS Mornings this week.


Pogue will also be interviewing Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller on March 18 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at SXSW 2026 in Austin, Texas.

Apple was officially founded on April 1, 1976. The company has yet to announce any plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary in a public-facing manner, but it will likely mark the occasion in some way over the coming weeks.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment.
This article, "New Book 'Apple: The First 50 Years' Now Available" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's Mac lineup will soon span a wider price range than ever, from the new $599 MacBook Neo to a rumored top-of-the-line MacBook "Ultra" expected later this year. However, new research suggests the broader laptop market could be heading for a painful price adjustment.


According to TrendForce, surging memory and CPU costs could push mainstream laptop retail prices up by nearly 40% in 2026. The firm modeled a laptop with a $900 MSRP and found that DRAM and SSD (normally around 15% of a device's bill of materials) have ballooned to over 30% following several quarters of sharp price increases. That alone could force retail prices up by more than 30% if brands want to hold their margins.

Intel has raised prices on entry-level and older-generation laptop CPUs by more than 15%, notes the report, with further hikes planned for mainstream and higher-end platforms in the second quarter. When combined, memory and CPU could end up accounting for 58% of laptop component costs, up from roughly 45%.

Apple designs its own silicon, which gives it considerable insulation from Intel-driven CPU volatility. The MacBook Neo's A18 Pro chip, for instance, is produced by TSMC under Apple's direct supply agreements. But Apple is not immune to memory market pressures – DRAM and NAND flash costs affect Macs across the line, from the Neo's fixed 8GB of RAM to the high-capacity configurations in the MacBook Pro.

Just last week, Apple removed the 512GB memory upgrade option when purchasing a Mac Studio, with the machine now maxing out at 256GB. The latter option also got a price rise – it used to cost $1,600 to go from 96GB to 256GB on the high-end M3 Ultra machine, but now it costs $2,000.


TrendForce notes that "tier-one brands" with deep supplier relationships are most well-positioned to deal with the price squeeze. That bodes well for Apple, but killing off the Mac Studio upgrade option shows it's not completely invulnerable to broader market pressures.
This article, "Apple Holds an Edge as Laptop Prices Could Face a 40% Increase" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple boosted iPhone production in India by around 53 percent last year and now makes a quarter of its flagship devices there to avoid tariffs on China, reports Bloomberg ($).


Apple assembled about 55 million iPhones in the country across 2025, up from 36 million a year earlier, according to the publication's sources. The shift is part of Apple's broader effort to mitigate risk from U.S.-China trade tensions and reduce dependence on a single country for production.

Apple makes about 220 million to 230 million iPhones globally. A Canalys report last year claimed India has overtaken China as the leading manufacturer of smartphones shipped to the United States.

The California-based company has leaned heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's production-linked incentives aimed at turning India into the world's factory. The subsidies have helped offset some of the structural cost disadvantages that manufacturers face in India, including the lack of a China-like robust supply chain and logistics challenges, according to Bloomberg.

Although the cost gap has narrowed, assembling electronics and manufacturing components in India still remains more expensive than in countries such as China and Vietnam. Consequently, companies including Apple and Samsung are continuing to push for additional government support.

The companies are currently in discussions with the Indian government about a new round of incentives aimed at boosting export growth. The report notes that India's existing production-linked subsidies for smartphones are set to expire on March 31, and with the U.S. Supreme Court recently striking down some tariffs affecting China, officials in New Delhi are under pressure to act quickly to ensure the country remains cost-competitive.

Apple now assembles all models in the latest iPhone 17 lineup in India, including the higher-end Pro and Pro Max variants. Manufacturing partners in the country – including Foxconn, Tata Electronics, and Pegatron – also produce older devices such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 for both domestic sales and export markets.
This article, "Apple Now Makes One in Four iPhones in India" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is continuing to test the iOS 26.4 beta, and the latest update is now available for developers and public beta testers. As testing goes on, there are fewer new features in each beta, but today’s release adds new emoji characters and a few other changes.

New Emoji

Apple added new emoji characters, including trombone, treasure chest, distorted face, hairy creature, fight cloud, orca, and landslide.


There are also new skin tone modifiers people wrestling and dancers with bunny ears, as well as a gender neutral option for the ballet dancer emoji.

Reduce Bright Effects

Apple renamed the prior Reduce Highlighting Effects Accessibility setting to “Reduce Bright Effects,” and explained what it does.


Apple says the feature "minimizes highlighting and flashing when interacting with onscreen elements, such as buttons or the keyboard.

RCS Encrypted Messaging

Apple has removed the RCS end-to-end encryption beta in the fourth beta of iOS 26.4 after testing it in the prior three betas. Apple already said that end-to-end encryption for ‌RCS‌ would not launch in the iOS 26.4 update, and would instead be introduced in the future.

Apple tested end-to-end encryption for iPhone-to-iPhone ‌RCS‌ conversations, and iPhone-to-Android conversations. iMessage communications are already encrypted, but in a future iOS update, full implementation of ‌RCS‌ encryption will mean that iPhone-to-Android text message conversations have the same level of encryption.

New Device Support

iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 beta 4 are the first betas that are able to be installed on the new iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air.

More New Features

We have a list of all features found in prior betas in our iOS 26.4 feature guide.
This article, "Everything New in iOS 26.4 Beta 4" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has once again postponed the launch of its much-rumored smart home display (internally code-named J490), a screen-equipped device;

The post Apple postpones smart home display launch due to LLM Siri delays appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Amid surging memory prices, the global smartphone industry faces a challenging year ahead. However, Citi analysts believe Apple is better…

The post Citi reiterates a Buy rating and a $315 price target on Apple stock appeared first on MacDailyNews.

As Apple approaches its 50th anniversary on April 1, 2026, co-founder Steve Wozniak has offered a characteristically humble and insightful…

The post Woz reflects on Apple’s journey from garage to global giant at 50 appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Leaked CAD renders purporting to show Apple's first foldable iPhone, often referred to as the "iPhone Fold," have surfaced online, providing…

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Apple TV on Monday revealed the trailer for “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nicole Kidman, and…

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Apple's manufacturing design and operations teams are actively developing 3D-printed aluminum techniques (building directly on…

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Apple CEO Tim Cook sits down with CBS "Sunday Morning" to reflect on the company's 50-year journey, exploring Steve Jobs' enduring vision…

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Apple’s upcoming high-end MacBook update is poised to introduce a major leap forward with a touch-enabled OLED display, marking…

The post Apple’s forthcoming ‘MacBook Ultra’ to feature a multi-touch OLED display appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Longtime Apple analyst Gene Munster now forecasts the company to post June growth of 10% YoY (Street at 8%) alongside slight…

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Apple has implemented restrictions that prevent iOS users in the U.S. from downloading or updating other ByteDance apps…

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Apple TV's dystopian series "Silo" is the story of the last ten thousand people on Earth, their mile-deep home protecting them from the…

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Meta’s AI-powered smart glasses (Ray-Ban Meta) may be sending sensitive user footage to human reviewers in Nairobi, Kenya…

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Apple has quietly removed the 512GB RAM configuration option for the Mac Studio this week. As of yesterday, the maximum available…

The post Apple drops 512GB M3 Ultra Mac Studio option, ups 256GB memory upgrade by $400 appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Just two days after pre-orders opened for Apple's budget-friendly MacBook Neo, the product is seeing shipping delays for certain colors…

The post MacBook Neo shipping delays emerge for Blush and Citrus colors amid strong demand appeared first on MacDailyNews.