Mobile / Macworld
Macworld Prime Day isnt until next week, but theres never been a better time to get your hands on an iPad mini. Ahead of the 4-day Prime Day sale extravaganza, A mazon has dropped the price of the A17 Pro iPad mini down to $399 , its best price yet. The smaller form is one of the main benefits of getting the iPad mini because its 8.3-inch screen can fit just about anywhere. Its also super fast thanks to the A17 Pro chip and a whopping 8GB of RAM, enough to run all of the Apple Intelligence goodi
Macworld Its all very well telling people to back up their Mac . But human nature means that searching for backup advice is something that usually happens after the worst has already happened. Hopefully, youll be able to fix the damaged drive and get your data back by following our advice, but we will also cover what you need to know about crashing without a backup and how to recover data from damaged hard disk or an external drive. This guide is also relevant if you have accidentally deleted a
Macworld Apples most affordable new laptop is a $999 MacBook Air. For a lot of people, thats still too expensive, especially when compared to Chromebooks and budget PCs. But Apple may finally be doing something about that. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo , Apple plans to release a brand-new MacBook model thats designed for the low-cost market. The laptop will not use an M-series chip, but an A18 Pro, the same chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro. Kuo believes it will have a 13-inch display and come
Macworld As a diehard Apple fan and a technology journalist, I try to refresh my gear every year or so to keep up with the latest features. However, while my three-year-old M2 MacBook Air could certainly use an upgradeand Ive got my eye on a new MacBook Pro its going to have to last for another year. Not only are the M5 MacBooks not expected to bring much in the way of new features, but Apple is reportedly set to kickstart a new era with the M6 MacBook Pro as soon as next year. Heres why Im wait
Macworld Thanks to the excellent quality of smartphone cameras these days, we take so many pictures when were on holiday, with friends, or just when we see something that we want to remember. Sadly, the results arent always as good as wed hope, and theres the problem of how you can easily share the images with your family or friends. Yes, there are plenty of photo-editing options around that can help fix the problems, but they can be expensive or have too many options and features for someone wh
Macworld Apple is expected to introduce noticeable changes to the iPhone this fall, especially with the Pro models. For the first time, the camera wont be confined to a square in the upper-left corner but will now stretch across the entire back of the device with the flash at the far right. For a company obsessed with symmetry and balance, that change will force another adjustment thats both visual and practical. According to leaker Majin Bu , Apple will reposition the Apple logo thats long been
Macworld As we keep warning prospective testers , Apples software betas are prone to bugs. Until a big software update is pushed live to the general publicand sometimes even beyond that pointit should be regarded as unfinished, flawed, and liable to go wrong in all sorts of unexpected ways. This particularly applies to a first developer beta, the most speculative and the least finished of an updates run; the one that has been subject to precisely zero testing in the real world outside Apples lab
Macworld I have long complained that, for all its impressive hardware and software technology, the Apple Vision Pro is thus far a failure mostly because Apple doesnt understand AR. Or Spatial Computing, or whatever it wants to call it. Thats been the case for two years, since the Vision Pro arrived in February 2024 and the first major update in visionOS 2. But based on what Apple showed of visionOS 26 at WWDC, I feel like the company is finally starting to understand what a spatial computing exp
Macworld In online publishing, as in Hollywood, nobody knows anything. Why did a dashed-off news story get vastly more traffic than a painstakingly honed opinion piece? Who can say. As flies to wanton boys are we to the algorithms; they kill us for their sport. Last weeks mystifying success (not that Im ungrateful, Google!) was a short article about a ringtone . In the first beta of iOS 26, testers discovered a new variant of the Reflection ringtone; in the second beta, this became a usable opti
Macworld Running Windows on a Mac isnt just for the brave anymoreits for the smart. Whether youre dual-booting with Boot Camp, running Parallels, or keeping a Windows environment handy for dev work or app testing, this bundle has you covered. Right now, you can get Microsoft Windows 11 Pro plus a training course for only $24.99 (reg. $237). Thats alifetime licensefor Windows 11 Pro (great for installing on a Mac via virtualization) and a self-paced course that helps you master its features, from
Macworld Writing a book can feel overwhelming, especially when youre staring down a blank page with no clear starting point, but AI can help. Youbooks is an AI-powered platform that helps you turn non-fiction ideas into professional, polished books in a fraction of the time it usually takes. With a lifetime subscription, you get ongoing access to tools that let you generate up to 300,000-word manuscripts tailored to your style, with real research and your own supporting materials built in. Its a
Macworld Leaker Majin Bu has noticed something in looking at screen protectors for the iPhone 17 line . The screen protector for the alleged iPhone 17 Air has its camera cutout shifted from the right side of the Face ID sensors to the left side. The obvious implication is that the usual front sensor layoutan oval cutout for TrueDepth sensors on the left and a round cutout for the front camera on the rightwill be reversed in the iPhone 17 Air. The camera will be on the left with the TrueDepth sen
Macworld Wireless AirPods are fun and all, but they can be easy to lose if youre not careful, and can run out of juice right in the middle of a run. These Apple EarPods, however, are affordable, always attached to your phone, and never run out of battery. You can get a pair for $16 right now, the cheapest theyve ever been, an impressive 16 percent discount. These old-school earbuds come with a USB-C port so you can connect them to all the most recent iPhone models, as well as pretty much any oth
Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Compact NAS drive provides lots of storage Good performance Expandable design Cons Hard drives cost extra Poorly designed apps Our Verdict The expandable storage options provided by the DS925+ make it a great option for small businesses and home offices that need a fast, reliable network drive. However, Synologys apps and documentation could be a lot simpler and more straightforward for first-time users. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolo
Macworld Apple does its best to keep upcoming product launches a secret, but this isnt always easy. Supply chains have to be briefed, regulatory database entries have to be filed, software for other products has to be updated to work with the new ones. There are lots of clues for eagle-eyed analysts to spot. The latest example of this concerns an unreleased Apple audio product which appears to be on the verge of launch. We dont yet know what it is, but theres a decent chance its the long-awaited
Macworld Ever since the iPhone X arrived in 2017 with a rather large notch, people have been obsessed with the iPhones front camera cutout. Over the years, weve gone from a notch (iPhone X) to a smaller notch (iPhone 13) to the Dynamic Island (iPhone 14 Pro), and back to the notch (iPhone 16e). And now reports say Apple is looking to gradually get rid of the cutout altogether within five years. To recap, Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young reports that Apple will tweak the front came
Macworld One of the most consequential developments in the history of computing happened 50 years ago. It set Apple on course to becoming one of the most valuable companies on the planet and changed the face of computing in unfathomable ways. Yet, youve probably never even heard of what went down. Its an often-overlooked moment that had incredible consequences for years to come. Typing on a computer is something we all take for granted. One of Apples key philosophies has long been to get the tec
Macworld At a glance Pros Easy to populate and use Up to 32TB (8TB SSDs) of external storage Good performance in single (20GBps) or RAID 0 (40Gbps) Cons Paltry paper documentation RAID only via software Our Verdict If you want to add gobs of fast storage to your Mac, theres hardly a better way than TerraMasters four-slot USB4 D4 SSD. You provide the NVMe SSDs, but you get nearly 4GBps transfers from them in RAID 0 and 1.8GBps individually. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated
Macworld The Apple Watch Ultra 2 isnt all that different than the original Apple Watch Ultra, but we love one thing: the new black titnium color. Unfortunately, it doesnt go on sale as often as the natural titanium color, but today you can get a great deal on one: Amazon is seling the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with a black titanium case and black ocean band for $730 , a savings of $69 and the price weve ever seen for this colorway. This is an amazing smartwatch with a ton of features, a super bright s
Macworld If you are concerned about your privacy and security online using a VPN could give you some reassurance. Apple provides various measures in macOS that make Macs more secure , but if you want to ensure that the connection between your Mac and the internet is protected, rather than the computer itself, you need a VPN. Our top choice for Mac users is NordVPN , read on to find out why. PROMOTION NymVPN Forget everything you know about VPN Many traditional VPN services still store logs cent
Macworld Every year, when Apple rolls out betas of the new operating systems after WWDC, we advise readers to be cautious about installing them on their primary devices. Betas are, by their nature, unfinished and imperfect software, and they are likely to contain bugs. (Spotting the bugs is what the beta program is for!) So it should come as no surprise that the second developer beta of watchOS 26 contains a known bug and its quite a serious one. For one specific line of Apple Watches, the Herms
Macworld As a diehard Apple fan and a technology journalist, I try to refresh my gear every year or so to keep up with the latest features. However, while my three-year-old M2 MacBook Air could certainly use an upgradeand Ive got my eye on a new MacBook Pro its going to have to last for another year. Not only are the M5 MacBooks not expected to bring much in the way of new features, but Apple is reportedly set to kickstart a new era with the M6 MacBook Pro as soon as next year. Heres why Im wait
Macworld At a Glance Expert's Rating Pros Free tier Streaming-focused servers included Advanced features Cons Fewer servers than other options Our Verdict Hide Me is likely to be the Goldilocks VPN for many users. It offers a free tier, has a whole host of power features (if you want them), and has a whole host of servers recommended for streaming services. It could do with a few more servers in general, but its a fantastic option. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing
Macworld Apple knows bestor certainly appears to think so. Steve Jobs famously said the companys job was not to listen to customers, because they would ask, metaphorically speaking, for faster horses rather than cars. Thus, whenever rivals rush to jump aboard the latest bandwagon, whether netbooks or foldables or smart rings or AI chatbots, Apple quietly sticks to its own path, which more often than not proves to be the right one. So when word got out that Apple was working on an ultra-thin iPho
Macworld You dont need to risk your $2,000 work laptop every time you head to a coffee shop. For just $329.97 (reg. $1,499), you can grab this Grade A refurbished 13 MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, so you can handle email, edit photos, or stream Netflix in buttery Retina resolutionwithout worrying about every little spill or bump. Despite the price tag, this mid-2017 MacBook Pro doesnt skimp on power. It comes equipped with a 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (with Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz)
Macworld On this weeks episode of the Macworld Podcast its all about your hot takes! You have thoughts aboutWWDC25, Apples new UI design, and more. This is episode 940 with Karen Haslam, David Price, and Roman Loyola. Watch episode 940 on YouTube Listen to episode 940 on Apple Podcasts Listen to episode 940 on Spotify Your hot takes Here are the hot takes discussed on the show. The UI changes At WWDC25, Apple unveiled the UI changes it will make in its operating systems, which, of course, genera
Macworld Were just a couple of months away from iPhone seasons, and weve been inundated with reports about the changes coming, which include leaked photos of the iPhone 17 Air in protective wrap , video of dummy Airs , and a video of the iPhone 17 Pro Max . Now, a new set of leaked photos gives us another look at just how thin (and thick) the new iPhones will be. Majin Bu on X has posted a few purported leaked photos of the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro, both in black. Three things stand out a
Macworld Apples next-gen CarPlaynow named CarPlay Ultrahas had a bumpy beginning . After its preview at WWDC 2022 and name change earlier this year, the first vehicles are only just rolling off the lot, and now a new report claims several carmakers are taking their dashboard tech in a different direction. According to the Financial Times , several auto groups that had initially indicated support, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Polestar, and Renault, have declined to bring the in-car syste
Macworld With the announcement that macOS Tahoe will be the last Mac OS version to support Intel Macs , Apples preparing to close the books on the third chip transition in Mac history. It doesnt get a lot of attention, but Apple is absolutely the best company in the world at picking up stakes and moving its platforms somewhere else. Over its 41 years of existence, the Mac has run on four entirely different processor architectures (not to mention two different operating system foundations), all t
Macworld While the iPad Pro may have gotten slimmer over the years, one thing hasnt changed much since its most recent redesign: the bezels. While theyre not exactly large, the bezels have basically stayed the same since Apple dumped the home button in 2018. But that could be changingrecent reports indicate that Apple is working on implementing iPad Pro display technology that could result in slimmer bezels and an even smaller footprint. The Elec reports that Apple is considering LX Semicons dis
Macworld If you havent gotten enough iPhone news lately, heres some more for you. Leaker Majin Bu has posted an image that is purportedly part of the iPhone 17 Pros vapor chamber cooling system. Weve heard for some time now that Apple plans on upgrading to passive cooling inside the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max to a vapor chamber system, and this image certainly makes that seem likely. The photo (seen above) shows a printed board with copper plates that have delicate microchannels throughout. The p
Macworld The last few years have seen Apple open up its ecosystem more than any of us previously thought possible, and part of that means you can now change your iPhones default apps with relative ease. For example, instead of being forced into Safari every time you tap a web link, you can have your device open a different browser instead. This newfound choice has opened the door to a host of excellent third-party apps that are ready to step into the void left by Apples default choices, should y
Macworld Many people think Macs dont need antivirus, but they are not immune from viruses and malware dont wait until its too late to protect your Apple computer from threats. Our experts have tested multiple security suites, and in this article outline only the best Mac antivirus programs. These are the security apps they would install on their own Mac or MacBook. Get intego mac internet security x9 Not everyone knows how to check their Mac for viruses , but you dont need to be a security expe
Macworld I dont know if youre in the know like the Macalope but it seems to this antlered observer that Apple may have a bit of an AI problem on its hands. And it might be getting worse. Reuters reports that Apple is being sued by shareholders for allegedly overstating AI progress . Turns out shareholders dont like it when you talk up stuff and then dont deliver on it. Oopsies. Who knew? (Apple actually knew.) Now, shareholders sometimes also sue with no real chance of winning and there is a dif
Macworld It doesnt take long for iPhone rumors to circulate. Its one of the most iconic and influential tech gadgets of all time, and everyone wants to know whats coming next. That Apple is so secretive only heightens the appeal of iPhone rumors and leaks. So it should come as little surprise that iPhone 17 rumors, leaks, and info started to circulate months before the iPhone 16 was even formally announced. Heres everything we know so far, but dont take any of it as solid info: even when early r
Macworld Until it launches in September, Apple wont officially acknowledge the existence of its long-rumored iPhone 17 Air , but the second beta of iOS 26 is already giving us some clues. Hidden in the system code, we found references to a new display resolution that doesnt match any current or previous iPhone model, but it matches the leaked resolution of the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. As seen by Macworld, the second iOS 26 developer beta , which was released on Monday, includes a new ve
Macworld As is tradition, Apple released beta versions of its new operating systems to developers on the first day of WWDC on June 9. Beta 1 is for developers onlythe public beta will begin in July, probably after two or three developer-only betas. The first beta release of iOS 26 has everything Apple demonstrated in its WWDC keynote: Liquid Glass , the new Phone app and features, the new Camera and Photos experience , and more. There are plenty of bugs and unrefined areas, as you would expect w
Macworld Preparing for student life can be exciting and stressful. To make things easier, its good to know that youve got the right tech to help you with note taking, writing essays, and so you can kick back with Netflix and games when the work is done. The iPad has evolved in recent years to something that can now act as a laptop replacement for many students, with accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil making it one of the most versatile devices you can buy. Choosing the best iPa
Macworld To notch or not to notch? That seems to be the question for the next few iPhone releases. But according to a new report, we might be waiting a while for a notchless iPhone, as Apples plans for an under-display front-facing camera and Face ID wont happen until 2030. According to Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young, Apple will move gradually towards a notchless display. Next year, the Dynamic Island will reportedly shrink a little as Apple reconfigures how Face ID is implement
Macworld With temperatures climbing around the world, youre going to be spending a lot of time at the beach this summer. And the newest iPad is the perfect device to bring alongespecially when Amazon is selling it for $299 right now , a savings of $50 and just a few dollars off its all-time low. The A16 iPad has a gorgeous 11-inch display and a fantastic design available in one of four vibrant colors: silver, yellow, blue, and pink. Even with a basic set of features, its still one of our favorit
Macworld Most experts agree that Apple faces an uphill battle to compete in the AI race. The companys Apple Intelligence platform arrived late, and felt distinctly underbaked even then; Siri is a punchline and improvements to it keep being pushed back; and rivals are pushing forward with ever more impressive features . Apple would love to find a shortcut to success, and it may have found one. Sources report that the company is giving serious consideration to bidding for the startup Perplexity AI
Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Quality dual HD screens Foldable Flexible adjustments Cons Touch basic and sporadic Scant instructions Our Verdict Ignoring the poor touch functions, the Delta Max is a good-looking and well-built and super-adjustable portable extended dual screen that connects to your MacBook for a more spacious screen experience that can be simply folded away to a super-slim package when not in use. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text f
Macworld The CASA HUB 360 8-in-1 Foldable USB-C Hub Stand isnt just another gadgetits a total upgrade for your desk, your workflow, and your neck posture. This all-in-one aluminum stand and USB-C hub gives you a super sleek way to stay connected, organized, and productivewhether youre editing video, cooking with an iPad recipe app, or streaming 4K from your laptop to a second screen. With support for M4, M3, M2, and M1 MacBooks and iPads, the CASA HUB 360 has every port you could need: 4K HDMI o
Macworld It wouldnt be WWDC if Apple didnt do a little stealing. Apple has such a long-standing habit of introducing new software features that overlap and eventually overtake third-party apps, theres even a term for it. Sherlocking comes from Apples Sherlock app, one of the first to usurp a popular third-party alternative called Watson back in the 1990s. This practice was on display again at WWDC 2025, where Apple introduced several new features in iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe that looked awfully sim
Macworld Would you rather have a purple iPhone 17 or a green one? According to prominent leaker Majin Bu , Apple is currently testing both colors for the base iPhone 17 (the Pro models get different colors). The leaker says Apple is unlikely to choose both colors for the iPhone 17, with the company reportedly leaning towardpurplebeing the likely choice for release. The new color will presumably arrive alongside the more typical colors (usually white and/or black, some shades of blue and pink are
Macworld Most of the gadgets we buy dont come with power adapters anymore, so, its particularly great when we find awesome deals, especially when its one made by Apple: The compact dual-USB-C port power adapter is down to $39 right now , an impressive $20 discount from its $59 MSRP and the best price weve seen. This 35W power adapter has Apples well-known sleek design and foldable prongs, which means its fantastic when traveling too. It has enough juice to charge a MacBook Air, iPad, or iPhone,
Macworld Technology is always moving forward, which often means old technology gets left behind. For example, NekoMichiUBC on X has discovered that the macOS Tahoe beta lacks support for FireWire. That means that legacy devices, such as the original and 2nd-generation iPod, storage devices. cameras, and more wont work with Macs running Tahoe. Its actually impressive that Apple has supported FireWire for so long, since Apple tends to drop old tech in a few years. Known by the standard name of IEE
Macworld Apple has planted its own flag in the streaming wars with Apple TV+ , its in-house streaming service that focuses almost entirely on original programming rather than an extensive library of existing TV shows or movies. This guide will list all the Apple TV+ content you can watch today, divided into episodic shows or series and movies. Theres also a ton of new content in the works for Apples $9.99-a-month service. If you want to know whats on the way, check out our list of upcoming Apple
Macworld It may be summer at Apple Park, but its winter in Australia, where the next Apple Store is opening. And to celebrate, Apple is bringing a little warmth from the United States. Next Friday, Apple will open its latest flagship store in Perth Citys ForrestPlace, just a little up the road from its former Hay Street store. The store will occupy the old Commonwealth Bank Building and intersect the Murray Street Mall shopping strip and Forrest Chase open area, according to PerthNow . In recent
Macworld At its WWDC25 event earlier this month, Apple was keen to highlight the many useful new features and design tweaks in iOS 26 , its upcoming iPhone software update. But iOS 26 contains plenty of less heralded changes too, including a few that Apple would probably prefer to keep secret. Eagle-eyed beta testers, for example, have noticed a new iPhone ringtone hidden within the code. The discovery was made independently by a Twitter/X user going by the handle @8810cfw and Macworlds Filipe E