Best cheap VPNs for Mac: The cheapest VPN deals for Mac, iPhone or iPad

Macworld If you want to unblock regional content on streaming services like Netflix, iPlayer, and Prime, or access websites that arent available in your region, a VPN is an essential tool. VPN services can also give you online privacy as well as letting you securely connect to open Wi-Fi networks in cafes, hotels, airports and other places. But VPNs tend to have complex pricing structures, with long-term contract pricing and offers that seem to offer huge discounts, making identifying a good deal more complex than it is with other types of software. We have tested 14 of the best VPNs for Mac so we know which ones are the best and we know which ones offer the best value for money. In this article we will help you find the cheapest VPN to suit your needs. Every month we assess the best VPN for Mac deals so we can keep an eye out for the best discounts on offer right now. Find out which VPN we think is the best in our Best Mac VPN group test. We also evaluate the Best VPN for iPad and Best VPN for iPhone . All of the services youll find below are ones wed use ourselves and we do so daily. Well let you know the latest prices and best deals so you can find the VPN that suites you at the best price. Best VPN deals right now All these deals save a significant amount compared to paying for each of these services on a rolling monthly subscription. VPN providers tend to offer year-round discounts, however there are some deals that mean you wont be locked into a monthly fee, or at least not one that will expire soon. Here is one of the best examples: One deal to take a look at is FastestVPNs Lifetime plan which with 93% off makes it an absolute bargain as you pay once and have access to the VPN for life. Its a one-off $40 (approx 33) and the company says that the full price would be $600. We have plenty more deals for shoppers in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia below. Note that many of the deals lock you in for a year or two years after which you can end up paying a lot more, so check out the advertised monthly price. We recommend setting a reminder in your calendar to cancel and look for a new deal to replace the one you had at the end of the contract period. Best free VPN There are a few free VPNs on offer but our advice is usually to be very cautious about them. Companies that give stuff away will be making money somehow, and you cant be sure they arent selling your data. One decent VPN that does offer a free tier is Proton VPN (read our review) . You can use Proton VPN for nothing, as long as youre happy with U.S., Japan, and Netherlands as your server locations. Its also limiting in that you can only connect a single device, and speeds are slower than the paid plans, but the free version is available on all platforms and if you like it you can always subscribe to get the whole package which will unblock a host of features, including an ad and tracker blocker and improved speed of up to 10 Gbit, as well as an expanded 10-device limit. Theres Port Forwarding for downloads and gaming, too, as well as a Kill Switch for disconnecting should the VPN drop out. Get Proton VPN free Best cheap VPNs for Mac Were reviewed all these services in our round-up of the best VPNs for Mac . Below you will find details of the best deals available in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada currently for each of the major VPN providers these deals change all the time. Most VPNs cost less than $5/5 per month, with some less than $3/3 a month. There are even some free VPNs, but these are usually very limited and could be collecting data about you. The ones we share here are generally around $3/3 a month or less. Here are our top recommendations for the cheapest Mac VPNs: NordVPN 73% off Surfshark 86% off Private Internet Access 85% off CyberGhost 82% off As we said above, just remember to take a note of the renewal date when you start a subscription so that you can cancel it before you get charged the full price. Read How to use a VPN on a Mac for more information, and if you still arent sure why you need a VPN read: Should I use a VPN on my Mac/iPhone? Best VPN deals: Save money on a VPN for your Mac 1. NordVPN Pros Incredibly easy to use Plenty of server options Price When Reviewed: Basic plan from $3.09 a month for two years. Usually $12.99. Basic 2-Year Plan $3.09 a month Basic 1-Year Plan $4.99 a month Basic Monthly Plan $12.99 a month NordVPN is a fully featured VPN option thats secure, easy to use, and unbelievably fast compared to its competitors. Prices change all the time. NordVPNs Basic plan is currently $2.99/2.59/CA$4.69/A$ a month for 2 years. Read our full NordVPN review 2. Surfshark Pros Simple to use No device limits Price When Reviewed: Starter plan from $1.99 a month for two years + 3 free months. Usually $15.45 a month. Starter 2-Year Plan (+ 3 free months) $1.99 a month Starter 1-Year Plan (+ 3 free months) $3.19 a month Starter Monthly Plan $15.45 a month SurfShark is a great VPN option thats as easy to use as the best of them, while maintaining security across an unlimited number of devices something we dont see often. Right now Surfsharks Starter plan is $1.99/1.69 a month for 2 years + 3 free months. Read our full Surfshark review 3. Private Internet Access Pros Lots of power features Privacy-minded Great value Price When Reviewed: From $2.19 a month for two years + 4 free months. Usually $11.99 a month. Unlimited devices. 2-Year Plan (+4 free months) $2.19 a month 6-Month Plan $7.50 a month Monthly plan $11.99 a month Private Internet Access (PIA) offers a robust feature set that makes it one of the more impressive VPNs out there. Right now PIA Has a deal that means you pay $2.03/1.69 a month for two years and get two months free. Read our full Private Internet Access review 4. CyberGhost Pros Simple to use Decent speeds Plenty of servers Price When Reviewed: $2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $12.99 a month. 2-Year Plan (+ 2 free months) $2.19 a month 6-Month Plan $6.99 a month Monthly Plan $12.99 a month CyberGhost takes a lot of the complexity out of VPN usage, for better and for worse. On the one hand, some users may want more power-user features. At the moment you can get 82% off at Cyberghost . This is $2.19/1.92 a month for 2 years with 2 free months. Its fully refundable for 45 days, according to the company. Read our full CyberGhost review 5. hide.me VPN Pros Dedicated streaming servers Impressive free tier Cons Slightly clunky UI Price When Reviewed: From $3.84 a month for 2 years + 2 free months. Usually $9.95 a month. 2-Year Plan (+ 2 free months) $3.84 a month 1-Year Plan $6.67 a month Monthly plan $9.95 a month Hide.me is a solid VPN with a great free tier, but the UI isnt particularly intuitive. Hide.mes deal means you pay $3.84/3.84 a month for 26 months. Read our full hide.me VPN review 6. ProtonVPN Pros Simple to use Free plan Great speed Cons Setup on macOS was a little fiddly Only sells in $, and Swiss Franks Price When Reviewed: From $2.99 a month for two years. Usually $9.99 a month. 2-Year Plan $2.99 a month 1-Year Plan $3.99 a month Proton VPN Free Free account, 1 device Proton VPNs free tier, ease of use, and impressive speeds put it right near the top of our VPN recommendations. There is a free tier of Proton VPN , but if you want a bit more flexibility and a few more features prices start at $4.49/4.49 a month for two years. Usually $9.99/9.99 a month. The Swiss-based company doesnt seem to like pounds, so its dollars or euros, unfortunately. Read our full ProtonVPN review How to find the best VPN deal for Mac VPN subscriptions typically work out cheaper if you commit for a year or longer, which saves a lot of money. Prices rarely exceed $6/6 per month with multi-year subscriptions and are often closer to $2/2 or even less. Many major VPN providers offer discounts through the year, and sometimes even offer permanent discounts. These discounts can look impressive at first. Its not uncommon to see a countdown timer telling you when the deal ends but these are almost always to induce FOMO the fear of missing out in order to persuade you to sign up immediately. Large discounts are par for the course with VPN services, especially when youre subscribing for several years. This makes it all the more important to look into the various providers and what each has to offer, before jumping into a long-term commitment. All VPNs weve tested offer cross-device coverage too, so you can use them on your Mac, iPhone, iPad and more. Weve separately rounded up the best iPhone VPNs and iPad VPNs . For our recommendations of Mac Antivirus Software that we have tested see: Best Antivirus for Mac 2024: Top Security Software Compared .

This iOS 18.4 feature confirms: Apple is working on something big

Macworld Apple has long been rumored to be working on a smart home control tablet, which many have dubbed HomePad. The device will reportedly feature a new interface that lets users control their smart home accessories, view relevant data like the temperature and weather, FaceTime their contacts, and more. It wont have an App Store, it is said but will feature purpose-driven Apple apps and services. While the company doesnt typically acknowledge unreleased projects publicly, the new Food section in the Apple News app and other iOS 18.4 changes all but confirm the HomePad is on the way. The UIs have it For those unfamiliar, iOS and iPadOS 18.4 (currently in beta) introduce a new Food section in the Apple News app, for News+ subscribers. The tab highlights nutrition-related news, diet recommendations, and other food-related articles. More importantly, it integrates an extensive recipe catalog, letting you view the ingredients and cooking directions without needing to skip through the fluff and backstory typically bundled with online recipes. Upon entering the recipe catalog on my iPad for the first time, I was immediately struck by its user interface. The tab features gigantic buttons with noticeably large touch targets not seen in other native iPad apps. It feels like an experimental sneak peek of the HomePads interface rather than software specifically designed for the iPad. After starting a random recipe, the steps were displayed in huge typography on my iPad. The text is massive, and I could easily read it from across the room. Its almost like the UI belongs to a product youd mount to a wall or rest on the counter, not a tablet you hold in your hands. Foundry The well-thought-out view isnt limited to oversized elements. When following a recipe, you can quickly start a timer by hitting the mentioned duration in the directions. This takes the Clock app and Siri out of the process and makes it a one-tap featureperfect when following along with a recipe. The implementation is invaluable to cooks; when your hands are covered in messy ingredients, you can effortlessly tap the display with your wrist, knuckle, or nose to start a timer. Baking in the frameworks Beyond the user-facing Food section, the latest betas of iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS 18.4 include a few under-the-hood tweaks that further point to an imminent HomePad launch. Starting with tvOS, the latest prerelease build adopts the ChatKit framework that handles some iMessage features. Given that Apple TVs and HomePods dont offer the Messages app, its almost certain that the implementation is designed for the HomePad. After all, the smart home hub will likely run a modified version of tvOS that unlocks iOS-like features not available on the Apple TV, such as texting. Similarly, iOS 18.4 introduces a fresh CookingKit framework that could add more recipe-related features at the system level. So, for example, users may be able to search for a specific recipe by searching for an ingredient in Spotlight. This proves that the Food section in Apple News isnt just a minor addition that the company will later neglect. Its building an entire system around it, potentially committing to serious development and upgrades in the coming years. Yet again, this suggests the HomePad is on the horizon, as its assistance in the kitchen is expected to be one of its key selling points. Foundry The iOS 18.4 beta also references a new Home category in Apples product lineup, further indicating the HomePad release is right around the corner. Spicing up Siri With iOS 18.4 beta, Apple also added a ton of new actions to the Shortcuts app, providing users with granular control over system apps and laying the groundwork for a big Siri update. When Apples virtual assistant adopts the new App Intents, users will be able to almost fully control apps via voice commands. This will tie well with Apple News Food section on the HomePad, as youll likely be able to have Siri initiate the bundled timers and scroll through the steps instead of awkwardly tapping with your nose when your hands are occupied or walking to the wall where its mounted. The new Siri will play a big role in the HomePad since it is likely to heavily rely on hands-free input. Siri in its current form isnt smart or powerful enough to run a device like HomePad, but an updated version is on the way. It was supposed to launch this spring, but now that the big Siri upgrades have been pushed back to the coming year, Apple is likely to delay the HomePad as well. HomePad needs to coincide with a time when Apple can at least promise the new Siri is coming soon, which means a fall release at the earliest. Voice commands will be critical to HomePad, so Apple cant launch it with the improved Siri so far away. Foundry Something is coming iOS 18.4 proves that the HomePad is no longer just a theoretical device or prototype lying in some secret Apple basement. The companys latest software updates share as-close-to-concrete evidence that the project is actively being built, and its release could realistically follow before the year-end. Earlier rumors pointed to a spring release, but the recent Siri delays may have reportedly bumped that back to later in the year. A spring launch would now mean the HomePad doesnt include the hotly anticipated Siri features and thats unlikely to happen. Whats more, Apple is expected to introduce the biggest design and interface overhaul in years when iOS 19 and macOS 16 are released this fall. That new design, which will reportedly streamline the interface across devices, could debut in HomePad, but with the Siri delays, it makes more sense to launch the HomePad closer to when iOS 19 arrives. Beyond the Food section in Apple News, the specific frameworks in iOS and tvOS, as well as the declaration of the Home device category in the code, reveal that the HomePads first official preview is nearing. One possibility is a WWDC reveal in June, with shipping in the fall. Apple could also unveil HomePad at its September iPhone event (though the iPhone 17 appears to be a larger-than-usual-launch). Or perhaps Apple will ihold a dedicated smart home event in October in the slot usuall reserved for Macs. But whenever it arrives, thanks to iOS 18.4 we know one thing for sure: Apple is working on something big.

EU orders Apple to open up iOS connectivity features

Macworld With the Digital Markets Act adopted in 2022, the European Union has identified Apples iOS (as well as other companies products) as Gatekeepers that have such a stranglehold on the market that they should be required to comply with certain rules about interoperability and openness to competing software and services. Users in Europe have already seen some results of this. Compared to iPhones in the rest of the world, iOS in Europe offers unique capabilities : EU users can sideload apps and use alternative app stores, access different payment processors with Apple Pay, use apps Apple doesnt allow elsewhere such as BitTorrent clients and clipboard managers, and can set default applications for a variety of common phone tasks. Apple has always insisted that these changes will compromise their users privacy and security, harm the user experience, and hinder Apples ability to make great products. So far, the changes dont appear to have had such a deleterious effect, but the EU says Apple is not fully in compliance with the Digital Markets Act and ordered Apple to make new specific changes to comply with its interoperability directives. There are two new directives (case DMA.100203 and DMA.100204). One specifies ways in which Apple must create better interoperability with third-party apps, services, and devices. The other details how Apple must communicate and administer its interoperability functions to developers. The new EU rules may force Apple to open up Bluetooth and NFC features to third-party developers. Foundry Here is how the European Commission has described the feature changes Apple must make to enhance interoperability: iOS notifications :Allows connected devices, such as smartwatches, to show and react to iOS notifications. Background execution : Executes certain actions with respect to connected physical devices in the background, i.e. without the user looking directly at the app. For example, the iPhone can fetch the latest weather information and synchronize it to a smartwatch, without the need for active user interaction. Automatic audio switching :Allows users to switch between two devices, for example between a smartphone and a computer, when listening to audio with supported headphones. High-bandwidth peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connections: Establishes a high-bandwidth Wi-Fi connection between an iOS device and connected physical devices. This high-speed connection can be used to share large files between two devices, or to cast on an iPhone what can be seen on v irtual r eality glasses. Close-range wireless file transfers: Allows devices to access the same iOS-controlled features as Apples services in third-party file-sharing apps, creating, for example, alternatives to AirDrop. Media casting: Allows developers to develop an alternative media casting solution to AirPlay by granting them access to required software features in a non-discriminatory way to AirPlay. NFC controllers: Allows apps on an iPhone to communicate with connected devices, such as rings or bracelets, to provide them with information such as a users payment card details. The end user can then use the ring or bracelet in a shop to perform payment transactions like with a payment card without the presence of the iPhone. Moreover, physical smart cards can easily be read for instance to activate or secure mobile banking. Proximity-triggered pairing: Allows connected physical devices to pair with an iOS device through a simplified procedure. For example, when the user brings a new headset near the iPhone it should be able to pair immediately through a simple and streamlined procedure, independently of whether the headset is an Apple product or a third-party brand. Automatic Wi-Fi connection: Allows devicesto access information about local Wi-Fi networks saved on the iPhone and connected physical devices to seamlessly join these networks. In other words, third-party headphones have to be able to provide the same easy proximity-pairing and automatic audio switching as AirPods do. Non-Apple devices have to be able to show and react to notifications the way Apple products do (this is a big one for third-party watches, such as the new Pebble ). Developers have to be allowed to develop and publish alternatives to AirDrop and AirPlay that arent hamstrung compared to Apples solutions. And Apple has to fully open up its NFC implementation. The EU further specifies that Apple has to enable interoperability features through complete, free, and well-documented APIs, that they have to be equally effective as the solutions Apple uses (no more Apple can use functions nobody else can stuff), and Apple has to make new functionality within these interoperability categories available to third parties at the same time they are available to Apple. If youre excited about the prospect of third-party hardware that works better with your iPhone, you should know that these features are only required on iPhones sold within the European Union. Already, iOS has access and openness within the EU that it doesnt in other locations. Apple may make some of these changes globally, but thus far its DMA compliance measures have been exclusive to iOS users within the EU. Apples response Naturally, Apple isnt happy about this. Whenever a court or government tells Apple what it has to do, the company pushes back hard, claiming that compliance will cause irreparable harm to users. In a statement to several media sites, Apple said: Todays decisions wrap us in red tape, slowing down Apples ability to innovate for users in Europe and forcing us to give away our new features for free to companies who dont have to play by the same rules. Its bad for our products and for our European users. We will continue to work with the European Commission to help them understand our concerns on behalf of our users.

Get the brand-new M3 iPad Air for $50 off with first major discount

Macworld The brand-new iPad Air M3 is already on sale even though its only been out for a week. You can get the 11-inch model for $549 right now at Amazon , a savings of $50 off Apples MSRP. Weve said it before and well say it again this is pretty much the same iPad Air as the previous model, with the only upgrade being the new chip. Admittedly, the M3 is faster than the M2, so if youre looking for a speedier tablet that can quickly load your apps and games, and run Apple Intelligence, the new iPad Air is a solid pick for the same price as before. The tablets gorgeous Liquid Retina Display may be the same as the one we saw in the M1 and M2 iPad Air, but its still an amazing screen that will deliver billions of colors, vivid images, deep contrast, and an overall fantastic experience. The 12MB Center Stage camera (which is on the landscape edge) will deliver excellent quality for your video calls. So, if you want the fastest iPad Air around, you can get it for $549 right now over at Amazon . But hurry because this deal wont stick forever. Get the new iPad Air for a lower price Buy now at Amazon

Theres a firmware update for Apples new MagSafe charger (but not the old one)

Macworld While were still waiting for iOS 18.4 to arrive with new emoji and Visual Intelligence for the Action button, Apple issued a slightly smaller update this week that most people wont notice.: the 25W MagSafe charger. The firmware update, 2A146, brings the version 136 from 133. The update only applies to the newer charger that provides faster wireless charging up to 25W when using a 30W power adapter. This is the second MagSafe charger update issued this year that didnt include the older 15W charger, so it appears that Apple will no longer support that charger with new firmware. As with most firmware updates, Apple isnt divulging what it does. In an alternate universe, Apple might have issued a MagSafe update to support the new iPhone 16e, but Apple instead decided that the phone wouldnt ship with MagSafe support . At any rate, we dont know what the firmware does and likely never will. Apple MagSafe Charger Price When Reviewed: $39 Best Prices Today: $36 at Amazon | $36 at B&H | $36 at Walmart Electronics Apples latest 25W MagSafe charger arrived alongside the iPhone 16 in September. It is compatible with all iPhones that support MagSafe, but iPhone 12 to 15 models will only get 15W charging. To update your charger, plug it in and attach it to your iPhone. The update should arrive within a half hour. To check your firmware version, go to the Settings app, then tap General > About and select the Apple MagSafe Charger option. Wondering what MagSafe is all about? Learn more in our guide to MagSafe . Also, check out our best picks for MagSafe wireless chargers for iPhone and our best MagSafe portable battery packs for iPhone .

Apple Passwords bug left users vulnerable for three months

Macworld It emerged Tuesday that a serious HTTP bug in Apples Passwords app left users vulnerable to phishing attacks for an astonishing three months after its debut last year. A fix for the vulnerability was included in the iOS 18.2 software update, which rolled out on December 11 last year. But sources indicate that the bug had been there, unpatched, since the launch of iOS 18.0 (and the Passwords app itself) on September 16. The occasional security researchers at Mysk spotted the problem when they noticed that Passwords was fetching logos and icons via unencrypted HTTP traffic and also defaulted to HTTP when opening password reset pages. This left the user vulnerable, the company told 9to5Mac , which explains the issue in more detail that I will attempt here. An attacker with privileged network access could intercept the HTTP request and redirect the user to a phishing website. We were surprised that Apple didnt enforce HTTPS by default for such a sensitive app [and] Apple should provide an option for security-conscious users to disable downloading icons completely. Mysks words were heeded and Apple patched the bug by making Passwords use HTTPS by default. This change was made quietly in iOS 18.2 in December but was only announced on March 17: This issue was addressed by using HTTPS when sending information over the network, Apple now explains in its iOS 18.2 security content page, crediting Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk of Mysk Inc. for the discovery. Low-profile security patches are one of the reasons why we recommend timely software updates to your Apple devices. To update iOS on your iPhone , open the Settings app, go to General > Software Update , and follow the onscreen instructions.

Save 25% on Parallels Desktop for Mac, our favorite virtual machine

Macworld The popular virtualization software Parallels Desktop is the best virtual machine for running Windows on a Mac weve tested, and this March the maker is offering 25% off Parallels Desktop 20. Thats a tempting offer in anyones book. Get 25% off Parallels Desktop for Mac here In our review of Parallels Desktop we described it as one of the best options for Mac users who need to run Windows, Linux or even macOS as a virtual machine on their system. Parallels Desktop 20, which arrived in September 2024, is an impressive upgrade, and a strong focus on developers and AI means its now a powerful tool for developers on all platforms. Parallels Desktop 20 brought support for the new Apple Intelligence features that arrived with macOS Sequoia . With Parallels Desktop installed on your Mac you can enjoy Apple Intelligence features in Windows as well as use various tools, such as Coherence mode, in which the Windows desktop is hidden and your applications are run directly from your Mac desktop in a separate window. You can also access Windows tools such as the Start menu via your Macs menu bar. In addition, the latest update makes it possible to run the Intel version of Windows on an M-series Mac. Price comparison: How good this deal is The standard price for the 12-month subscription to Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac is normally $89.99 per year. This means you can save around $25 compared to the usual price with this deal! You can currently get the the standard version of Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac on a 12-month subscription for $74.99 / 67.49 / CA$97.49 / AU$86.25. Thats a 25 percent saving on the usual price of $99.99 / 89.99 / CA$129.99 / AU$115. U.S. U.K. Canada Australia Usual price $99.99 89.99 $129.99 $115 Deal price $74.99 67.49 $97.49 $86.25 Saving $25 22.50 $32.50 $28.75 Get the deal here If youre based in the U.K. or Australia you can even save on the perpetual licence for Parallels Desktop 20. Usually a one-time purchase for 104.99 or AU$179.99, this is currently 78.74 or AU$134.25 in those two countries respectively.

Your iPhones Action button is surprisingly powerfulheres everything it can do

Macworld Since the very first iPhone, Apple has featured an on/off mute switch above the volume buttons. That all changed with the iPhone 15 Pro, and every iPhone sincethe mute switch was replaced by something called the Action button. The idea is simple: Instead of a switch, you have a button you press and hold for a second (to avoid accidental presses in your pocket or bag) to mute or unmute your iPhone. But of course, being a button, its far more flexible than the mute switch. Just hop into your Settings menu to select a different function for your Action button. Here are all the things you can do with your Action button. Action button: Built-in options Open Settings and tap on the Action button menu to change what it can do. Foundry Silent Mode: Its the mute switch, in button form! Just press and hold to toggle between mute and un-mute. Focus: Enable the focus mode of your choice. By default, it brings up a menu of all your Focus modes, but you can select one (like Do Not Disturb) to always activate. Camera: Launches the Camera app, and you can select whether you want it to go directly to Photo, Selfie, Video, Portrait, or Portrait Selfie. Once in the Camera app, it acts as a shutter button. Visual Intelligence: Starting with iOS 18.4, an iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16 (including the iPhone 16e) can set the Action button to trigger Visual Intelligence. Flashlight: Turn on or off the flashlight (camera flash). Voice Memo: Pressing the Action button will immediately start recording a voice memo, without launching the Voice Memos app. Youll see it in the Dynamic Island, and another press stops the recording. Recognize Music: Uses Shazam tech to listen to the music playing around you and identify it. Translate: Listen to and translate spoken dialogue. You have to first set your desired language in the Translate app. Magnifier: Launches the Magnifier accessibility feature, which can greatly magnify objects and text, and identify what its looking at. Controls: Instantly trigger one of the Control Center controls. You select a single Control Center control first, and then the Action button triggers it. Certain kinds of Control Center controls are not available. Shortcut: Launch one of your Shortcuts just as if you were doing it from the Shortcuts app. This can be a very powerful feature, see below. Accessibility: Enables or disables an Accessibility feature, like color inversion, AssistiveTouch, Conversation Boost, or Live Speech. No Action: Essentially disables the Action Button, in case you find yourself accidentally triggering it all the time. Action Button: Use Shortcuts to do more The capabilities of the Action button have been steadily expanding since its introduction with the iPhone 15 Pro, with iOS updates adding new options at a steady pace. But if you want to be a real power user, youll learn to use the Shortcut option. This opens up a limitless world of possibilities for your Action button. Foundry At a minimum, it can let you add a function you wish was there. For example, I like that you can trigger a Control Center control, but what I want to do is open the Control Center without fiddling with the sometimes awkward corner-swipe maneuver. Well, I made a shortcut that is one action long: Show Control Center. Setting my Action button to launch that shortcut, and presto! Now I have a button that opens Control Center at any time. But you can go so, so much deeper. Jason Snell wrote about how you can make the Action button perform different actions based on different parameters, like phone orientation. If your phone is upright (portrait) launch the flashlight. If its landscape, enable the Do Not Disturb focus mode. Federico Viticci has a project he calls MultiButton , in which your Action button runs one shortcut if you just press it once, but if you press it a second time within a few seconds it runs a second different shortcut instead. Others have used Shortcuts to pop up a menu of common actions that varies depending on the time of day, day of the week, location, and much more. Want your Action button to do one thing at home and another thing when youre out? Just make a shortcut that first checks if its connected to your home Wi-Fi and performs one action if it does, and a different action if its not. Shortcuts is a powerful tool once you learn how to use it, and having a button on the outside of your iPhone that can trigger any shortcut you want is a game-changer.

This years WWDC keynote will be must-see Apple TV

Macworld If we go by the usual schedule, were probably a little under three months out from this years Worldwide Developers Conferencechances are itll be announced before the end of this very month. It promises to be quite the event. Thats in no small part because Apples found itself in an unusual position this year: the company has already copped to the fact that some of the most impressive features from last years WWDC keynoteSiris ability to use personal context and take action in various apps will not arrive on time , and we dont know exactly when they might ship, if ever. So, at this years WWDC when Tim Cook greets the in-person crowd and fires up the keynote video, what exactly are we going to see, and hows it going to play? No feature left behind* Back in 2012, Apple made a bold move and replaced Google Maps as the provider of its built-in mapping software with a homegrown solution in iOS 6. That was, to put it politely, a debacle : for millions of users, the Apple map app went from robust to untrustworthy overnight, and the company (rightfully) earned itself a black eye. The situation was so bad, in fact, that Tim Cook, only a year into his tenure as CEO, took to Apples website with an apology , writing, We will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard. Granted, the situation with these Apple Intelligence features is a little different. Yes, the company demoed them at WWDC and subsequently used them as the basis for an iPhone advertising campaign in the fall, but unlike with Maps, its not as if their absence has made customers phones less useful than before. Still, this kind of overpromising, while far from unheard of in the tech industry, isnt the way that Apple tends to conduct itself. Thats not to say it doesnt happen; the company has gotten over its skis in the past, such as when it pre-announced a wireless charging mat that it would never be able to ship. Embarrassing as that was, a hardware accessory is hardly critical to the companys success; Cook certainly didnt put out a public mea culpa about it. Instead, like the announcement of the Apple Intelligence delay, the news on AirPower came via a Friday press statement . That said, Im of the opinion that a miss of the level of Apple Intelligence probably should involve a public apologyif not Tim Cook writing on Apple.com, then at least a sit-down explanation with some of the press. But so far that hasnt seemed to be forthcoming, which raises the question: will the company acknowledge it at WWDC? Theres a lot of drama at Apple leading up to WWDC25 in June. Foundry Ignore and override This years keynote is sure to be jam-packed, with the company demoing new features across the half-dozen platforms it maintains. Its certainly easy to imagine Apple bulling ahead, confident in the power of its fabled reality distortion field, pretending nothing untoward has happened and that everything is fine in Cupertino. But if this years announcements include, as is not unlikely, another crop of Apple Intelligence features, well, that becomes a trickier proposition. How do you build on features that didnt ship? Its hard to make the argument that youre bringing the second-generation of Apple Intelligence features when the first never finished shipping. Or do you blithely re-introduce those capabilities like Bullwinkle trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat ? More to the point, how do you expect developers, customers, and the media to treat any such announcement? The virtue of being up on stage, especially with a pre-recorded video, may mean that everybody has to listen to what you have to say, but you can bet that its going to be greeted with a whole lot more scrutiny and skepticism after the fact. The Apple Intelligene slides at WWDC 2025 might be a bit less cheerful. Apple Quiet professionals Heres the thing: it didnt have to be this way. Apples playbook has long been to sit tight on a project until its ready to shipor, more importantly, until you know its not going to ship. This is the company that spent ten years looking at building a car and killed that project off without ever so much as acknowledging it, much less releasing an actual product. But you cant be mad at the company for not shipping something it never said it would ship. (Well, you can, but that seems a little unreasonable.) The Vision Pro is another good example. By all indications, plans for the companys headset date back as far as 2008 , no doubt well before the product was technologically feasible. If anything, you could argue that the company maybe should have sat on it longer to get the price down, but theres certainly no argument that the Vision Pro technology works as demonstrated. General consensus seems to be that Apple was caught flat-footed by the intense success of generative AI and had to scramble to catch up. It certainly seems like the company acted out of fear to try and not look like it was irrelevant, but from this vantage it seems like that decision may have backfired. Now, instead of simply looking out of touch, Apple looks, worse, like it cant get the job done.

Future iPhones might ditch the USB-C port. Good

Macworld I had a revelation recently while testing the wired charging speed of my trusty iPhone 16 Plus. In six months of ownership, it occurred to me as I blew the dust out like an archaeologist examining an ancient pot, I had never plugged a cable into the devices USB-C port. It seemed impossible, but it was true. And it made me think. Do iPhone owners even need ports? When reports suggest that Apple is working on a smartphone with no port at all , everyone loses their minds. But if I can go half a year without using my iPhones USB-C port and not even notice, wheres the issue? If Apple wants to ditch the iPhones USB-C port, I say: Good. The port at the bottom of an iPhone used to be absolutely fundamental to its well-being. Whether 30-pin, Lightning, or latterly USB-C, the charging/data port was the main, often the only route into or out of the iPhone. Aside from charging, this port was vital in the early days for uploading music and books onto the device and getting photos and videos off it. Syncing and backing up were done via a wired connection, too. But one by one these uses switched from wired only, to wired or wireless, to MagSafe, to who still uses a wire? Most of us will have memories of times when the port connection became unreliable, and of how much of a pain this was. From that point until you got a new phone the cable had to be waggled in a specific way to make it start charging, or the phone had to be laid upside down or at some weird angle. Dont use that cable, youd warn a friend. It only plays nicely with the official Apple one. Just another of those modern conveniences that make life hell. MagSafe is already a fantastic wireless option for (most) iPhones. shutterstock.com / serhatctk Of late, however, this particular set of annoyances has faded into the background, at least for me. I charge wirelessly overnight when the slower speed doesnt matter. I get my music via streaming, not being 87 years old, and I transfer everything else wirelessly to and from the phone, this not being 2009. Literally, the only time Ive needed the port since I bought the phone is to test how effective the port is. Okay, youre saying: bully for you, you dont need the port. But whats the problem with keeping it as an option? Wheres the harm? The harm, my Socratic friend, is that including a design element the user doesnt need is a waste of resources and a cause of unnecessary compromises. As I explained when defending the notch several years ago, seemingly isolated design decisions have a knock-on effect throughout the rest of the product. And if Apple was able to ditch the USB-C port it would be able to make the phone better in various other ways. Most obviously, having a physical opening on a phone is just asking for unwanted things to work their way inside. The dust I mentioned earlier; water, and spilled coffee. The iPhone 16 Plus has an excellent ingress-protection rating of IP68 but it took Apple more than a decade to reach that point because the port made it so difficult to keep dust and water out of the device. Open up your iPhone and youll see numerous design adaptations and compromises around the port module to waterproof the whole apparatus; these could be ditched tomorrow if the port wasnt there, freeing up room within the chassis. Thats on top of the room youd gain from removing the port module itself, of course. If youve got extra room inside the chassis you can install a bigger battery, or move other components around into a more optimal configuration. Removing the port could enable Apple to have a speaker across the full width of the bottom edge, and it would make accessing the internals of your phone for repairs a simpler process. It could even enable the company to make its iPhones thinner, transcending a limitation currently imposed by the thickness of the port. This years Oppo Find N5 , which resorts to a custom-designed USB-C port to shave off every possible millimeter, is a good example of the way in which manufacturers are hitting a brick wall in their quest for ever-slimmer phones. As long as customers insist on plugging cables into their phones, companies wont be able to get the size down any further. That USB-C port prevents the device from getting any thinner. Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd Maybe the biggest reason why I want Apple to ditch the USB-C port, however, is that it will force the industry, and society, to finally bite the bullet and fully embrace wireless. Apple has massive weight as a force for change. When iPhones stopped having 3.5mm headphone jacks, accessory makers shifted their focus from wired to wireless (or in some cases, for a time, Lightning or USB-C) headphones, and such devices became cheaper, better, and more widely available and understood. If a chunk of wealthy iPhone owners suddenly lost their USB-C ports, Android manufacturers would likely follow suit, and the same thing would happen for wireless chargers. Cars would start to be sold as standard with Qi2 magnetic mounts rather than, or as well as, the cable ports many currently offer. Wireless charging pucks would become commonplace in homes and offices. And companies (including, Id expect, Apple itself, because it would be keen to appease EU regulators) would throw their weight behind the development of faster, more efficient and longer-distance wireless charging standards in a way that would be less appealing if wired was still an easy option. I dont imagine for a second that the USB-C port would disappear overnight. If the iPhone 18 series, for example, turned out to be portless, there would still be an iPhone 17e with a port, not to mention older generations still on sale at a lower price. For those who still want a port, the option would remainlikely for many years, if the slow death of the Home button is anything to go by. Nobody would be forced to join the revolution right away. But the revolution is coming, and the sooner we get started, the better.

Apple Watch SE 3 or 11e? Why following the iPhone is the wrong strategy

Macworld Apple introduced the first iPhone SE back in 2016, letting customers get the full iOS experience at a lower price. The SE branding was then extended to the Apple Watch line, which followed the SE model with a low-cost smartwatch built on an older design . Now that the iPhone SE has been discontinued in favor of the newly released 16e model, were left wondering: Will the heavily rumored update to the Apple Watch SE 2 arrive as an SE 3 or 11e? Apples SE formula SE iPhones and Apple Watches have long taken the same general route. They pack the latest processors offered by their flagship counterparts while missing out on the modern exterior designs and other higher-end perks, such as extra cameras, MagSafe charging, and health sensors. The now-retired iPhone SE 3, for example, was powered by Apples A15 Bionicthe same high-performance chip found in the most capable iPhone 13 Pro at the time. Despite its might, however, it resembled a classic iPhone with its thick bezels, physical Home button, single camera, and overall prehistoric design. Similarly, the Apple Watch SE 2 arrived alongside the Series 8 model in 2022 with the same S8 chip. Nevertheless, the affordable variant misses out on the larger, sleeker display options, Ultra Wideband chip, ECG support, wrist temperature sensor, fast charging, etc. The point of Apples SE devices is to provide users with the same reliable experience as the premium devices without a premium price. While these devices lack the modern designs of more expensive editions, they typically dont lag or misbehave as many budget-friendly devices do. They also support the latest versions of iOS and watchOS and promise years of updates. Its just what many people want in a smartwatcha device that does basic health tracking, shows notifications, and feels fast. The new e recipe With its latest iPhone, Apple has decided to replace the iPhone SE branding with an all-new e designationand its not just a label switch, its a new formula: The iPhone 16e offers the newest processor with a modern chassis, albeit still a couple of years old. While users still miss out on some handy perks such as native MagSafe support, ultrawide lens, and Dynamic Island, the phone no longer looks like it has escaped from a bygone era. The upgrade, however, has hiked the entry-level iPhones price from $429 to $599, essentially removing it from the budget category. The next Apple Watch SE doesnt need any of the premium features from the newest models to be successful. Foundry Will the same fate befall the Apple Watch SE? If Apple were to release a Watch 11e this fall, it would theoretically adopt the S11 chip along with the Series 7s larger case options of 41mm and 45mm case optionsan upgrade from 40mm and 44mm on the current SE. Otherwise, it could support some of the newer features that rely on the faster processor, such as sleep apnea detection and on-device Siri with health data access. Naturally, it would miss out on some of the higher-end features that require additional sensors, such as ECG scans and temperature tracking. In this case, the Apple Watch 11e would act more like a lower-end Series 11. We dont know what to expect from the next Apple Watch SE 2, but credible rumors have suggested it will use a plastic case. The switch would supposedly reduce manufacturing costs, potentially dropping its price to under $200. This would help it compete against cheaper wearables sold by rival brands. As such, the Apple Watch sounds more like an SE than an e model. Unlike the iPhone 16e, the Apple Watch SE 3 will seemingly cost less by splitting off from the flagship range with lower-end materials rather than a mix of high-end parts and a modern design. And that would be the smartest move for the third generation of the budget smartwatch. The SE 3 will reportedly be the first Apple Watch made of plastic. Foundry Keep the S While the iPhone 16e looks significantly more modern than its SE predecessor, it dropped its best qualitya budget price. We already have the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus for those seeking a mid-tier flagshipnot to mention the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus still on sale. Customers need a cheaper iPhone, not a pricey handset that borrows bits and pieces from every other model. The same applies to smartwatches, the next budget Apple Watch should stick with the SE moniker. Just as we thought the iPhone SE 4 would remain a sub-$499 phone, the Apple Watch SE 3 is expected to be as low as $199. If Apple shifts its strategy with a 16e-style Apple Watch, it would be an even bigger mistake. A simple stripped-down Apple Watch with a plastic body and maybe an always-on display for $229 or $199 would be a fantastic value. A $299 Apple Watch with a slightly larger screen and fast charging would not. Apple made a strategic decision with the iPhone 16e, but the world needs an Apple Watch SE. So please Apple, dont change a winning formula.

Apple Intelligence isnt just bad, its making Apple worse

Macworld Okay. Lets talk about AI. Yes , again . The Macalope knows , believe him. Much like many things these days, there is a somewhat wide gulf of beliefs about the state of artificial intelligence. The Macalope would not be surprised to learn that, also like other things these days, the two sides cannot even agree on what to call the gulf itself. (Its called topical humor, look it up .) Lets take a look at the Yay, AI! side. Writing for The New York Times, Kevin Roose says: Powerful A.I. Is Coming. Were Not Ready. Roose believes that one day very soon a company will claim to have created an artificial general intelligence and whether or not its truly an AGI wont matter because AI will have lapped the human race. Game over. Sounds dramatic. But, you may ask, how did Roose come to this conclusion? Good question, imaginary reader being used as a rhetorical construct! The answer is, and the Macalope quotes, [spending ] a lot of time talking to the engineers building powerful A.I. systems, the investors funding it and the researchers studying its effects. Indeed, Roose quotes many such AI proponents, most of whom are making big bucks on it. Not by selling anything, of course, but by being showered in venture capital funds. Strangely, the people being hit in the face with wads of $100 bills shot out of a t-shirt canon think AI is super cool and amazing. What a shocking turn of events. So, our imaginary reader says, small follow-up question: How many people does Roose quote who are skeptical about AI? Again, your questions are spot on, imaginary reader. Lets just scan through the article here and, oh, none. Its zero. Not a one. He does link to some dismissively, however. So thats something. Nnkay. This is a bit of a pattern with Roose. As late as 2022, he was trying to prop up crypto by lauding the Helium Network, an Internet of Things networking company that struggled to get building owners to deploy its technology until it got the brilliant idea of taking on the Ponzi scheme that is cryptocurrency as an incentive. Subsequent to Rooses hagiography about the company, it was found to be falsely claiming Lime and Salesforce as clients and earlier this year was charged with fraud by the SEC . IDG Anyway, AI is amazing and is about to surpass everything you know is one opinion about AI. Heres another from The Verges David Pierce: All this bad AI is wrecking a whole generation of gadgets . It will probably not come as a surprise to readers imaginary or otherwise that the Macalope is more on the side of AI being bad and wrecking things than it being super-awesome and about to make humans obsolete. Oh, no doubt there will be many a CEO who will be more than happy to be sold a bill of goods and ram through AI replacements to actual workers no matter what the disastrous effects are. (Hey, if summarily replacing knowledgeable workers with cut-rate ideological garbage is good enough to destroy the U.S. government then, by God, its good enough to destroy my company!) But in terms of actually replacing people on a comparable functional level, no. An AI cannot learn things. It cannot experiment and review results scientifically. What it can do is scrape the things that actual humans have already done and claim with certainty to have the correct answers, whether it does or not. To be fair, the Macalope can think of a few humans it could replace who already function like that. Pierce notes the negative effect AI is having on the tech industry. In the meantime, the tech industry allowed itself to be so distracted by these shiny language models that it basically stopped trying to make otherwise good gadgets. David Pierce, March 12, 2025 Is it weird to want to make out with a sentence? Probably. Still just a little wouldnt be wrong, would it? MMMMWAH! Some companies have more or less stopped making new things altogether, waiting for AI to be good enough before it ships. David Pierce, March 12, 2025 Apple is usually pretty good at walking and chewing gum at the same time. Still, you have to wonder what truly useful technologies could have been delivered if the company had not been struggling to make something of the DashCon ball pit that is Apple Intelligence. AI has its uses, to be sure. But trying to ram it everywhere is something no one asked for and does not work. The Macalope places the blame for this on the venture capital machine, which loves nothing more than to pump a technology as a must-have in order to make itself even more filthy rich. After years of shrugging off people saying Apple must do a particular thing, it is disappointing to see it fall into the trap now.

iOS 19 latest: Big interface changes, RCS 3.0, delayed Siri updates, and more

Macworld Every year, we are introduced to a new version of iOS (alongside Apples other operating systems) at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. It then marches through an extended beta-testing period before being released in September. But all the new features dont come with that initial release; many are planned to coming in updates 9 (iOS 19.1, 19.2, and so on) in the months following the big initial release. While Apple hasnt officially announced iOS 19, it has been hard at work on the big iPhone upgrade for quite a while and some rumors have started to leak out. Its starting to look like iOS 19 will be a bigger change than were used to. Based on the most reliable leaks and rumors, heres what you can expect when it arrives later this year. Updated March 17, 2025: We now have a better picture of what to expect from iOS 19, and this guide has been updated throughout. iOS 19: Release date Apple typically released the latest version of iOS to the public on the Monday following the iPhone launch event. Here are the release dates for the most recent versions of iOS: iOS 18: Monday, September 16, 2024 iOS 17: Monday, September 18, 2023 iOS 16: Monday, September 12, 2022 iOS 15: Monday, September 20, 2021 Based on recent history, we expect iOS 19 to release to the public on either Monday, September 15, or Monday, September 22. iOS 19: New features Major design overhaul The headline feature of iOS 19 (and iPadOS 19, macOS 15, tvOS 19, watchOS 19) is said to be a massive change to the user interface. Were talking about the biggest change since iOS 7, when Apple dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat symbolic icons, changed the lock screen, notifications, and more. We dont know what this new interface will look like or what interaction changes it will bring with it, but the rumors say it is loosely based on some of the concepts in the Vision Pro interface. New apps like Apple Invites and Apple Sports may give us some clues to the interface conventions we can expect, as they dont have have interfaces that fit in with most of Apples older apps. Apps like Invites and Sports may offer clues to the interface elements we can expect in iOS 19. Apple Siri delays and other Apple Intelligence features Apple has been having trouble with some of its AI efforts, especially the Siri features that were supposed to come in iOS 18.4 (personal context, screen awareness, and in-app actions). These features have been pushed back until next year , which means they should come as an update to iOS 19 in early 2026. But theres even some doubt that will happen. A bigger Siri update, based on large language models (LLMs), that can hold natural conversations with the user, is now expected to come perhaps as part of iOS 20, where it was once thought to be an update to iOS 19. So Siri will get new capabilities that we were supposed to have by now, and Apple is also said to be expanding the use of Apple Intelligence in more of its apps. We havent heard of specific examples, but Apple Intelligence could be used for things like Apple Music playlist generation, suggesting apps in the App Store, or in the Health and Fitness apps. RCS 3.0 Apples current implantation of RCS (Rich Communication Services, used to offer more advanced texting features with Android users) is based on the GSMA Universal Profile version 2.4, which is a little dated. Version 2.7 came out last year, but hasnt been implemented by Apple yet. It adds support for custom emoji reactions, editing editing and deleting messages, and improved spam handling. RCS 3.0 adds encryption for 1-to-1 messages. Apple has announced support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages on all its platforms in future software updates, so it is likely to add support for all the feature in RCS 2.7 and 3.0 in the iOS 19 cycle. Home app upgrades While not specifically mentioned in any of the current leaks or rumors, we find it hard to believe that Apple wont have some significant improvements to the Home app, HomeKit, and related services in iOS 19. Why? Well, Apple is expected to release a wave of new smart home products throughout 2025 and 2026. A new smart home hub is first: its rumored to be an affordable 7-inch tablet that runs a custom operating system (code-named Pebble). It will support Apple Intelligence, FaceTime, and tie in with other Apple services but isnt expected to have an App Store. After that, likely in 2026, Apple is said to be working on a new indoor smart security camera and a smart doorbell that would use Face ID to unlock your door the way it unlocks your phone. Further down the road, a smart home product with a movable screen on a robotic arm has been rumored, all of which will require deep integration with the iPhone and Home app. The rumored HomePad was rumored to launch in the spring of 2025, but was delayed to the fall so it can have an interface that aligns with the big iOS 19 / macOS 15 interface changes. Its hard to imagine Apple pushing a product like that into the market without some significant changes to the look and feel of the Home app. Updated Camera app Jon Prosser claims to have seen the Camera app in iOS 19 , which is completely redesigned with a somewhat visionOS-inspired design. Options are condensed, the viewfinder takes up more space, and theres lots of transparency. Jon Prosser AirPods live translation One rumor from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg says iOS 19 is going to get bolstered translation technology and, as part of it a live translation feature for AirPods . The AirPods will need a firmware update as well, and its not clear which models will support the feature. Your AirPods would send text to your iPhone where the foreign language would be recognized and translated in the Translate app (or the under-the-hood service that powers it), and translated audio sent back to your AirPods. Other earbuds have had similar features for years, so it will be interesting to see if Apple goes further or has superior functionality. iOS 19: Beta Every year, the new iOS is announced at WWDC with a beta test for developers released immediately (or at most, a day later). It often takes 4-6 weeks for the first public beta to be released, coinciding with the second or third build for developers. Apple releases the developer beta immediately after the WWDC keynote, which is expected to be on Monday, June 9. iOS 18: Monday, June 10, 2024 iOS 17: Monday, June 5, 2023 iOS 16: Monday, June 6, 2022 iOS 15: Monday, June 7, 2021 What follows is a string of beta releases, typically eight or so in total, before the software releases in September. We expect the same schedule this year with iOS 19. You can get ready for the beta by signing up for the iOS beta program now . iOS 19: Compatibility We expect iOS 19 to be compatible with every iPhone that supports iOS 18 . That includes: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus iPhone 14 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 13 iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone XS iPhone XS Max iPhone XR iPhone SE (2nd generation) Of course, it will also support the new iPhone 17 models that will launch around the same time, and the new iPhone 16e . As always, some features wont be available on older models, as they lack the hardware resources for it. We do think the Apple Intelligence and Siri improvements will be available for all iPhone 16 and later models, though.

macOS Beta: Whats in the Sequoia 15.4 beta and how to get it

Macworld macOS Sequoia arrived on Macs in September 2024, but the beta development continues and if you are a registered developer or registered as a public beta tester, you can continue to get the latest updates and try out new features still not available to the general public. In this article, well explain whats in the latest version of the Sequoia beta, what you need to do to get your hands on a copy, how to install it, and what you should bear in mind if you dont want to end up in a pickle. If you would prefer to use the latest official release of macOS Sequoia heres how to update macOS on your Mac . In the past, the developer beta was only available to developers who had paid to join Apples Developer Program (which costs $99/79). However, for a couple of years now, Apple has opened up the developer beta to registered developers with free developer accounts. We explain how to get a free developer account below. Not that we recommend that you should get the beta if you arent a developer. Beta software tends to be buggy and a more stable public beta version is also available. If you no longer want to run the beta version of macOS read this: How to remove the macOS beta . macOS developer beta: Latest version macOS Sequoia 15.4 beta 4: March 17, 2025 Sequoia 15.4 features the Mail sorting features that were introduced in iOS 18.2 . When you open an Inbox, four icons appear at the top representing the sorting methods: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. If you swipe from the right end of the icons to the left, you can activate an option for All Mail to be listed. In Mail on the Mac, these options will appear at the top of the Inbox message listing. If you have Apple Intelligence enabled on your Mac, youll also see a new Priority Notifications section at the top of your Inbox to show any important messages you may have missed. Another new feature is Proximity Pairing that works with iPhones running iOS 18.4, according to 9to5Mac. When setting up a new Mac, youll be able to pair it with an iPhone to transfer over information such as your Apple Account data. Apple Intelligence will be available in several non-English countries, including countries in the European Union, Brazil, India, and Japan. macOS public beta: Latest version macOS Sequoia 15.4 beta 3: March 11, 2025. Foundry Apple usually releases the Public beta a day or so after the developer beta arrives. macOS Sequoia beta timeline The first version of the Sequoia developer beta of macOS 15 arrived after the WWDC keynote on June 10, 2024. Beta 2 arrived on June 24. The first public beta of Sequoia arrived on July 15, 2024. Developer beta 4 was released on July 23. The second public beta also arrived on July 23, 2024. Developer beta 5 arrived on August 5 followed by the third public beta. Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15 developer beta 6 on August 12. The fourth public beta of Sequoia arrived on August 13, 2024. Developer beta 7 and the fifth public beta of Sequoia were released on August 20. On August 28, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15 beta 8 and the sixth public beta of Sequoia. The release candidate of Sequoia arrived on September 9. The full version of Sequoia arrived on compatible Macs on September 16. macOS Sequoia 15.1 There were actually two versions of the developer beta. A second beta was running consecutively with the macOS 15.0 beta development. The macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta included Apple Intelligence features that are only available on M-series Macs (a iOS 18.1 beta was also in development separately with Apple Intelligence features for compatible iPhones). Apple started work on the macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta on July 29. Beta 2 arrived on August 12, beta 3 was released to developers on August 28. Initially this beta was only for developers, but Apple released a macOS Sequoia 15.1 pubic beta on September 19, 2024, following the release of Sequoia to the general public. Eventually, the macOS Sequoia 15.1 release candidate was released on October 21 and a second release candidate 2 was released on October 24. The final version of macOS Sequoia 15.1 arrived on compatible Macs on October 28. macOS Sequoia 15.2 On October 23, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta 1 to developers. Version 15.2 introduced the second set of Apple Intelligence features. On November 20, Apple released the macOS Sequoia beta 4 to developers. On December 5, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.2 Release Candidate. On December 9, Apple released the Released Candidate 2. The official release of 15.2 was on December 11. macOS Sequoia 15.3 On December 16, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta 1 to developers. This beta includes the ability to create Gemoji. On January 7, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.3 beta 2 to developers. Beta 3 of 15.3 came on January 16. Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.3 release candidate (RC) to developers on January 21. macOS Sequoia 15.4 On February 19, Apple released the macOS Sequoia 15.4 beta to developers. It included Mail updates and Proximity Pairing with the iPhone. On March 10, Apple released beta 3 to developers. On March 17, Apple release beta 4 to developers. macOS public beta vs developer beta Since 2023 the Developer Beta has been available to anyone who registers as a developer, even if they arent a paid-up member of Apples Developer Program. As a result, people with a basic free developer account are able to download the new macOS developer beta (we show you how to register below). Whether you should download the developer beta if you arent a developer is another question. We dont recommend you install the developer beta if you arent a developer. Instead, our recommendation is to use the public beta (the first verison of which usually arrives in July). There are a few differences between the public and developer betas. The public beta is not the same as the beta that is released through the developer program. Developers get updates to their beta first, and possibly more frequently. But you should keep in mind that betas are by nature not stable, and because the public beta comes after the developer beta it could be a little safer to install. The most significant difference is probably the motive of the testers: Developers usually have the aim of ensuring their apps work when the updated macOS is released to the general public, while public beta testers are essentially helping Apple detect bugs and offering feedback on the features. Because of this developers may get to test new features not available in the public beta. If you want to get the public beta the first thing you need to do, if you havent already, is join Apples beta programs read this for more information: How to become an Apple beta tester. Apple How to get a free developer account If you just want a free Apple Developer account so you can access the beta you can get this via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Heres how to do it via the Apple Developer app on an iPhone: Get the Apple Developer App from the App Store . Open the app on your iPhone. Tap on Account. Tap on Sign In. Sign in using your usual Apple ID. If you wish to actually publish applications to the App Store or receive support, youll need to pay $99/79 per year for a paid account. You can compare the free and paid accounts here . How to get the macOS beta The Sequoia developer beta should show up on your Mac if you are running macOS Sonoma or macOS Sequoia, have paid $99/79 to enroll in Apples Developer program ( here ) or if you have a free developer account (follow the instructions above). When the Public Beta becomes available it will also show up on your Mac, as long as you have signed up for the Public Beta program on Apples beta webpage , signed the NDA , and enrolled your Mac. Before you download a few warnings: We strongly advise that if you arent a developer you dont download the developer beta. We also strongly recommend that you back up your Mac before you upgrade to the Sequoia beta. We recommend that you do not run Sequoia beta on your primary Mac; ideally, you run it in a separate volume . This should minimize any risks to you. How to download macOS beta Open Software Updates on your Mac. (System Settings > General > Software Updates.) You should see two options: Automatic Updates and Beta Updates. Click on the (i) beside Beta Updates. You can now turn on Beta Updates (if they werent already on). Choose the beta you want to download. If your developer account is tied to a different Apple ID to your usual one you can change that here. Click Done. Now your Mac will Check for updates and eventually show the Sequoia Developer Beta as an upgrade. Click on Upgrade Now. Foundry If you are running macOS Ventura 13.3 or earlier: Apple changed the way it delivers betas in Ventura 13.4. If you arent yet running that version of macOS you will need to download the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility or macOS Public Beta Access Utility. If you were already running an earlier macOS Public Beta youll find the new macOS beta as an upgrade via Software Update. Just click on Upgrade Now. You may have to update to the latest version of your current beta before you can do so, if not follow the steps below to get the beta access utility. If you are enrolled in the Developer Program, go to Apples beta download page . Click on Install Profile to download the new macOS Developer Beta Access Utility to your Mac. If you are enrolled as a public beta tester, download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility . Go to Downloads on your Mac and click on the macOS Beta Access Utility to open it. Double-click on the dmg file and the installer will run. Once the new macOS beta is installed Software Update will check to see if there are any updates. Click Update and the latest version will download. Youll see a prompt to install the latest macOS beta, click on Continue. Agree to the Ts&Cs (more on them below). Click Install. How to update macOS beta versions Once you are running the beta the updates will come through to your Mac automatically, you just need to click to install. You will receive a notification when the next update to the beta is available. Updates will be available via Software Update (in System Settings/System Preferences) Everything else you need to know about beta testing That covers how to get the betas, but once you have them what can you do, and what should you do? Well cover that below. Is the macOS beta stable? By its nature, a beta has the potential to be unstable. Therefore its not advised that you install it on a Mac that you rely on. If you have a second Mac that isnt mission-critical then install it there. We strongly recommend that you dont risk all by putting the macOS beta on your primary macOS, especially not in the early days of the beta development. If you dont have a second Mac there are a couple of ways you could run macOS beta on your Mac without running the risk of losing data or finding your Mac stops working: We recommend installing it on a partition which these days is really a volume (and is much easier to create than a partition was). Read about how to do that here: How to dual-boot Mac: Run two versions of macOS on a Mac . Alternatively, you could install the macOS beta on an external drive and run it on that. We discuss the safety of the macOS beta and the risks you might be taking in more detail in a separate article. If the stability of the beta worries you then you are probably better off waiting until the final version is out, or at least waiting until testing has been happening for a few months before getting the beta. How to prepare your Mac for the beta Update your software : We recommend you have the latest full version of macOS installed, although Apple says that the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility requires macOS 10.8 or later. Make space: Wed recommend at least 15GB of available space because the macOS betas tend to be very large. If you end up requiring more space read: How to free up space on Mac . Note that we always recommend that you have at least 10% space free on your Mac at any time, so if you dont have that expect problems! Back up : Before you install a beta on your Mac you should make a backup of your data and files. You can find out how to use Time Machine to back up your Mac . We also have a round-up of suitable backup solutions . How to send feedback to Apple Should you come across an error or a bug you should use the Feedback Assistant app to provide feedback to Apple. Launch the app and follow the appropriate steps, selecting the area about which youre providing feedback and then any specific sub-area. Then describe your issue in a single sentence, before providing a more detailed description, including any specific steps that reproduce the issue. Youll also be able to attach other files. Youll also have to give permission for the Feedback Assistant app to collect diagnostic information from your Mac. It wont always be obvious whether something is a bug or just not as easy to use as you might have hoped. Either way, if your feedback is that something appears to work in an illogical way, Apple will want to know that. If you are having trouble with a third-party app you can let Apple know by reporting it through the 3rd-party Application Compatibility category in the Feedback Assistant. However, wed suggest that you also provide feedback to the apps developer who will no doubt be grateful. Will I be able to update from macOS beta to the final version? Beta users will be able to install the final build of the OS on release day without needing to reformat or reinstall. Can I talk about the beta publicly? According to Apple and the license agreement all beta testers must agree to, the beta is Apple confidential information. By accepting those terms, you agree not to discuss your use of the software with anyone who isnt also in the Beta Software Program. That means you cant blog, post screenshots, tweet, or publicly post information about the public beta software. However, you can discuss any information that Apple has publicly disclosed; the company says that information is no longer considered confidential. How to downgrade from the macOS beta You can always revert to an earlier version of macOS, though depending on how you back up, its not necessarily a painless process. Start by making sure the data on your drive is backed up, then erase the drive and install the latest public version of macOS. When you first startup your Mac you can use the Migration Assistant to import your data from the backup. Heres a more detailed tutorial on downgrading from the macOS beta we also have a tutorial on downgrading to an older version of the Mac OS .

New leak corroborates a major iPhone redesign this year

Macworld As usual, Apple is expected to launch four new iPhone models this fall. Whats unusual is how much these models are likely to differ from one another in design terms, if the steady stream of leaks from credible sources is to be believed. The latest of these comes from Sonny Dickson, a respected albeit inconsistent leaker in the Apple rumorsphere. Dickson posted your first look at the iPhone 17 dummies to his Twitter/X account Sunday, and the images corroborate the theory that Apple will unveil an unprecedented three entirely different designs across the four handsets in late 2025. Sonny Dickson The images purportedly show metal dummies of the four iPhone 17 models coming this fall. One is larger than the rest and has three rear camera lenses, and is obviously the iPhone 17 Pro Max (or possibly the Ultra ); another is smaller and also has three lenses, and is obviously the 17 Pro. Yet another unit has two lenses and looks to be roughly the same size as the 17 Pro, and we can be fairly sure thats the standard iPhone 17. The remaining model, third from left in most of the images, we can assume is the so-called iPhone 17 Air or Slim. Its thinner than the rest, unsurprisingly, but also looks to be taller than the 17 and 17 Pro. (Its expected to have a 6.6-inch screen, sitting between the 6.1 and 6.9 inches of the smaller and larger iPhones respectively.) And it has only one camera lens on the rear, much like the iPhone 16e . Apple has never launched iPhones with one, two, and three lenses all at the same time, and this unusual variety is reflected in the devices chassis designs. The Pro models with their three lenses have these mounted in a large raised module that spans very nearly the full width of the phone, while the iPhone 17 has its two lenses in a slim vertical module that matches the look of the iPhone 16. Yet the 17 Air, unlike the iPhone 16e which has no camera module at all, has its single lens embedded in a long horizontal bar. It will be very obvious to the passer-by which of the new phones youve bought. This is all very interesting, but its important to be clear that this is additional evidence backing an existing theory rather than anything groundbreaking. Last month the YouTuber and leaker Jon Prosser proposed the idea of the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max having their cameras in an expanded module with little apparent purpose other than signaling ownership of the latest and greatest iPhones. Ten days later that appeared to be confirmed by the leak of CAD images showing the same pattern of module designs across the range that were looking at now. So while not new, its valuable nonetheless because it helps us to home in on the truth. You will hear a great many theories across the rumor cycle of an iPhone launch, and many will prove incorrect, either because the sources were bad or because Apple changed its mind. The longer a rumor is around, and the more sources corroborate, the more we can believe it. And with six months to go until we see the iPhone 17 in the flesh, this one is starting to look like the real thing.

This Dropbox alternative just dropped the price for a 2TB lifetime subscription

Macworld Have you noticed how much room photos take up now? Sure, theyre HD, but at what cost? If you want a simple, affordable place to keep all your files, try FileJump. Instead of paying monthly for cloud storage like Dropbox or iCloud, now you can pay just once for 2TB of cloud storage that lasts for life. Its also on sale for only $69.97 (reg. $467). FileJump is a secure, affordable way to store, share, and collaborate on your files. Things like drag-and-drop uploads and media previews make your cloud storage about as convenient as keeping your files saved locally. And with the AES encryption, theyre really locked down against anyone else trying to get in. Need to share something quickly? FileJump lets you do just that with a few easy file-sharing options, whether youre sending a link or giving access to team members or clients. March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT is the cutoff to get a 2TB FileJump lifetime subscription on sale for $69.97. FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription $69.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

9 uses for your iPhones USB-C port other than fast charging

Macworld It took the iPhone an eternity to strike Lightning in favor of the universal USB-C port. Now that its here on all models, including the low-end 16e, many users still limit its use to charging, overlooking the slew of other advantages it offers over Lightning. If youve got an iPhone 15 or 16 model, you can expand the USB-C ports functionality beyond battery fill-ups, and weve got a few ideas to share. 1. Charge another device Rival companies, like Samsung, have long supported reverse wireless charging, letting users turn their smartphones into portable Qi pads. However, its not all that practical, forcing users to flip over their phones and rendering both unusable. With the iPhone 15 and newer models, Apple introduced its own version that works via the USB-C port. Your iPhone can now deliver up to 4.5W of power, letting you charge your AirPods, Apple Watch, or even a friends Android phone. To do so, simply plug your USB-C cable into the iPhone and the other end into the USB-C port on the other device. 2. Increase your storage Even with 128 GB as the standard, weve probably all come across the iPhones full storage alert. While data stored in iCloud can easily be offloaded from the local memory, not all users trust cloud storage. Fortunately, the iPhone 15 and 16 support a wide range of external storage devices, including USB sticks and hard drives. This makes it easy to free up space by moving large files to a separate drive. To get started, connect a compatible flash drive to your iPhone using its USB-C port. You can then view, manage, and transfer data using the built-in Files app. One of the solid options out there is this tiny Samsung Type-C Flash Drive , which supports regular file transfers and real-time ProRes video storage. As a Pro exclusive, those with the highest-end iPhone 15 and 16 models can directly record ProRes video to a compatible external storage device. Given the considerable size of raw footage, being able to write the data directly onto a separate device can help you shoot for longer periods and avoid filling up your iPhones memory. Your iPhones USB-C cable can do more than just charge your iPhone. Foundry 3. Connect a keyboard While iPads and Macs are better suited for long-form typing, iPhonesespecially the near-7-inch Plus and Pro Max modelscan still handle productivity tasks effectively. To make the most of the relatively small screen, though, you may want to pair it with a dedicated keyboard. Fortunately, iOS natively supports this through the USB-C port. Most standard keyboards should work with your iPhone just fine. Or if you want to always have a keyboard with you, you can opt for a Clicks case , which connects to your USB-C port so its always ready for a text or email. 4. Amplify your microphone In the era of TikTok, everyone is a content creator, so a high-quality microphone is an essential tool. Fortunately, your iPhones USB-C port can support a wide range of them, letting you pair your footage with crystal-clear high-quality audio. One reliable option is the Rode Wireless Micro , which utilizes your iPhones port while maintaining the convenience of wireless recording. 5. Add an SD card Photographers and videographers love the handy SD card slots on board the newest MacBook Pro and Mac Studio, but that convenience doesnt extend to the device that does most of your shooting. Fortunately, that can be easily remedied with a wired SD card reader. While newer cameras generally support wireless photo transfers via their respective companion apps, the process tends to be slower than the wired alternative. Apples USB-C to SD Card Reader connects to your iPhone through its charging port and should work with all relevant SD cards. You can also use this same dongle with your Mac or iPad when editing on a larger screen. With the right cable, you can connect your iPhone to any display. Willis Lai / Foundry 6. Hook up an external display If youre staying at a hotel that blocks wireless media casting, you may be able to mirror your iPhones screen to the TV using a wired solution. Apples USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter transforms your iPhones charging port into an HDMI connector, allowing you to watch 4K content on bigger displays using a regular HDMI cable. 7. Plug in a game controller Thanks to the A17 and A18 chips, the latest Pro-tier iPhones can run some AAA games. Notably, though, these titles typically need a controller, as touch controls dont always offer the best gameplay if theyre available at all. While Sonys DualSense controller supports Bluetooth pairing, opting for the wired mode using the iPhones USB-C port can minimize latency and enhance overall performance. 8. Connect to ethernet Speaking of gaming, the iPhone 15 and 16 models fully support ethernet dongles, allowing for faster download and upload speeds. While Wi-Fi and 5G are sufficient for most users, Ethernet can come in handy when seeking an even more dependable connection. Belkins USB-C to Ethernet Adapter is one of the solid options that is guaranteed to get the job done. 9. Do it all The biggest detriment of the iPhone is that theres just one port, but a USB hub can give you much more. We recommend the Plugable 7-in-1 USB-C Hub Multiport Adapter , which will bring a headphone jack, USB-C charging, HDMI, an SD card reader, ethernet, and even a couple of USB-A ports for good measure. Its not exactly small, but if you need to use several ports at once, theres no substitute. Your iPhones USB-C port is a multi-purpose connector for displays, hard drives, and other accessories. Connor Jewiss / Foundry One port, many possibilities While some of these functionalities were previously possible with Lightning iPhones, the shift to USB-C has greatly expanded the ports capabilities. You can now perform a wide range of desktop-class tasks right from your smartphone, thanks to tethered accessories. Perhaps the best part is that most USB-C accessories youve been using with your iPad or Mac should work with your iPhone 15 or 16eliminating the need for Lightning-to-USB-C dongles. Whether Apple will introduce new USB-C upgrades with the iPhone 17 remains to be seen.

How to get rid of phantom Messages badges on a Mac

Macworld I sit in front of a Mac all day (like you probably do), so I rely on notifications a lot, especially to communicate with co-workers, friends, and family. The problem Ive been having, however, is that the Messages app often fakes me out with phantom unread messages, leaving me frustrated and confused. Heres what happens: The Messages icon in the Dock shows a red 1 badge, indicating that theres a new message. But when I open Messages, theres nothing new, and worse, the badge wont go away. So I go back to work for a while, pull up the Dock, see the badge (again), and think I have a new message (again). The badge usually goes away when I restart my Mac, but thats not something I like to do all that often. At first, I found the way to get rid of the badge accidentally. After it popped up again, I accidentally right-clicked on the app icon in the Dock (with two fingers on the trackpad, right-click or Control-click on a mouse), which opened up the pop-up options menu. under the New Message option at the top of the menu was a tally of my messages with a notification that one was unread. I clicked it, and a blank conversation appeared that was apparently tricking the app into thinking I had an unread message. I deleted it and the badge disappeared. Foundry But then that fix stopped working. So I had to resort to another fix that isnt so convenient, but it does work. It involves syncing Messages with iCloud. HEres what to do: Open System Settings and click on your Apple Account at the very top of the left column. In the main window, click on iCloud . Click on Messages . Click on Sync Now . Foundry This performs a Message sync with iCloud and it should clear up the phantom badge. Its not really a fix for my problemtheres clearly a bug in Messages on my Mac thats causing thisbut until an update fixes it, I can at least clear the phantom badge and get back to work. Today I Learned is a Macworld column that spotlights lesser-known but useful tips and tricks for Apple users. If you have any ideas for future columns, send an email to michael_simon@idg.com.

Are Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds still worth it in 2025?

Released in August 2023, Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds are a big improvement over their predecessors. However, have they aged well enough to be still The post Are Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds still worth it in 2025? appeared first on BGR .

These night vision binoculars could help you finally spot that UFO in the sky

Macworld Whether youre camping or birdwatching, when nightfall comes, it becomes a bit of a bummer. You dont have any daylight to help you spot your favorite animals or plantsor UFOsbut that doesnt mean you need to be in the dark. Thats where these night vision digital binoculars can help. Grab a pair now while theyre price-dropped to only$89.97 (reg. $169). Unlike the binoculars you had as a kid, these ones come with 4K resolution and 8X digital zoom, letting you see natures best in complete clarity, even in pitch-black darkness. Youll be able to track and spy on all your favorite animals (or look for constellations) without having to squint. See something you like? Use thesebinoculars to capture high-quality photos and videos . This could come in handy if, one night, you think you spotted a potential UFO. Being in nature comes with inclement weather, so youll love how thesedigital binoculars are designed to withstand wear and tear, all without adding too much weight to your bag. They also come with a neck strap and IP54 waterproofing and dustproofing. View nature clearly by day and night bygrabbing these 4K night vision digital binoculars for just $89.97 while supplies last. The price goes back up on March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT. 4K Night Vision Digital Binoculars with 8x Digital Zoom Only $89.97 at Macworld StackSocial prices subject to change.

Replace your iCloud subscription with this 10TB alternative that lasts for life

Macworld All your files have to go somewhere. Cloud storage is the natural answer, but most platforms have expensive monthly subscriptions. However, if you want an option thats cheaper in the long term, you can actually get a lifetime cloud storage subscription through Internxt. This secure cloud storage platform has a 10TB lifetime subscription that just went on sale for $279.99 (reg. $2.999). Internxt is all about privacy. Its an open-source, encrypted cloud storage that lets you keep control of your stuff. Think of it as a secure digital vault you can access from any devicephone, computer, you name it. Whats cool is how they handle your data. They encrypt it end-to-end so only you can see it. Plus, the code is public, so anyone can check it out. Internxt works on everything from Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and even just in your browser. Use code STORAGE20 by March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get an Internxt Cloud Storage 10TB Lifetime Subscription for $279.99. Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 10TB Plan $279.99 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

How to reset the NVRAM, PRAM, and SMC on any Mac

Macworld When your Mac starts acting up, youll probably run through some common troubleshooting procedures, such as restarting it, running Disk Utility, and perhaps performing a Safe Boot. Your repair repertoire should also include a couple of additional procedures that can occasionally eliminate otherwise inscrutable problemszapping the NVRAM and resetting the SMC. The procedures here apply to Intel-based Macs. M-Series Macs dont have a procedure for zapping the NVRAM, and they dont have an SMC. For M-series Macs, try shutting down the computer, waiting for several seconds, and then booting it. What is PRAM? Back in the day, the standard list of quick fixes for random Mac ailments always included clearing the PRAM. The P in PRAM stood for parameter (the RAM was just RAMrandom access memory), and it referred to a small amount of special, battery-backed memory in every Mac that stored information the computer needed before it loaded the operating system. If the values in this memory got out of whack for one reason or another, your Mac might not start up correctly or might exhibit any of numerous odd behaviors afterward. So you could press a key sequence at startup to reset (or zap) the PRAM, returning it to default, factory values. What is NVRAM? Modern Macs no longer use PRAM; they instead use something called NVRAM (NV for non-volatile). NVRAM serves approximately the same purpose as PRAM, but instead of storing a dozen or more pieces of information, it now contains just a few: your selected startup disk, speaker volume, screen resolution, time zone, andif your Mac has crashed recentlydetails of the last kernel panic. NVRAM corruption is fairly uncommon, but if your Mac seems to take forever to figure out the correct boot disc, starts up with the wrong screen resolution, or suffers from weird audio problems (like theres no sound whatsoever or the menu bars volume control is grayed out), a reset of the NVRAM might helpand its quick and harmless. When should you reset NVRAM? If you notice that your Mac settings continuously get thrown out of whack, it might be time to reset the NVRAM. For example, if you notice that your screen resolution or sound volume never stays at the setting you want, or the date and time are always wrong. If you notice annoying problems that dont get fixed by adjusting your settings, or your settings never seem to take, try resetting the NVRAM. Is it safe to reset the NVRAM? When you rest the NVRAM, your Mac will revert to factory default settings. So its safe in the sense it that it does not harm the Mac, but you might think of it as unsafe in that any customization youve done to the system settings may be lost. You may have to go back and reinstate some of those settings. How reset NRAM M-series Macs On M-series Macs, the NVRAM is tested during the startup process, and if the system detects a need to reset, it will. There isnt a key combination that you hold down while starting up the Mac. If you would like the system to inspect the NVRAM on an M-series Mac, shut it down completely, wait a few seconds, and then power up the Mac. Intel Macs To reset your NVRAM, you use exactly the same procedure you once used to reset PRAM. Shut down your Mac. Press the power button, and as soon as you power up the laptop, hold down Command-Option-P-R. Keep holding down those keys for about 20 seconds. Then let go and allow your Mac to continue starting normally. If you have an older Mac that chimes at boot, hold down the keys until you hear a second startup chime. Then check the Startup Disk, Display, and Date & Time panes of System Preferences to make sure theyre set the way you want them. If you hold down Command-Option-P-R at startup and you see nothing but a gray screen that doesnt change for several minutesno Apple logo, no progress bar, no second startup chimedont panic. The most likely cause is that your Mac isnt registering the key presses due to wonkiness with a USB device. Disconnect all USB devices (except your keyboard, if its a wired keyboard), hold the power button down until the Mac shuts off completely, and then press it again and immediately hold down Command-Option-P-R. If that doesnt work and youre using an external Bluetooth keyboard, try plugging in a USB keyboard instead. If youre able to reset the NVRAM successfully with the wired keyboard, you can disconnect it and go back to your normal Bluetooth keyboard. Terminal More advanced users can try using the Terminal to reset to NVRAM, though if youve reached this option the problem is likely bigger than resetting NVRAM. And as with all Terminal commands, the usual caveats apply: Youre messing with macOSs bash shell and could do irrevocable damage with the wrong keystroke. But if youd like to try, you can type the following command into a new Terminal window: nvram-c After running the command, restart your Mac so the changes can take effect. What is SMC? Yet another component of an Intel Macs hardware that stores crucial settings is the System Management Controller (SMC). This circuit deals with power management, temperature monitoring and fan control, status lights, keyboard backlights, and a few other components. What should you rest the SMC? If your SMC becomes confused, you could experience problems like excessive fan noise, slow performance even though Activity Monitor doesnt show the CPU being overtaxed, apps that take forever to launch, batteries that dont charge correctly, problems with sleep or wake, and so on. (You can see a longer list on this Apple support page .) As with zapping the NVRAM, resetting the SMC to factory defaults may resolve these problems. Is it safe to reset the SMC? It is safe to reset the SMC. You should check your Battery system preferences afterward to see if your customizations have been maintained. How to reset the SMC M-series Macs M-series Macs dont have a System Management Controller (SMC). The functions the SMC handled are now handled by the M chip itself. Postings on Apples forums suggest shutting down an M-series Mac completely and leaving it off for 30 seconds to perform something like an SMC reset. After 30 seconds, power on the Mac. If your problems persist, you can try reinstalling the M-series Macs firmware. Its a procedure thats a little more complicated than what you might be used to. You need another Mac with the Apple Configurator 2 app installed, a USB-C cable that supports both power and data (used to connect the two Macs), and an internet connection. Apple has the full details on how to revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon with Apple Configurator 2 . Intel Macs Apple says you shouldnt reset the SMC without first trying other troubleshooting tasks, such as force-quitting problematic apps and restarting your Mac. However, Apple doesnt mention any negative consequences of resetting the SMC, nor any way to determine for sure if the SMC is glitchy without resetting it and noticing that the problem went away. Weve reset my Macs SMCs many times with no apparent ill effects, and on one occasion that did turn out to be the solution to a problem. Before you can reset your SMC, you must shut down your Mac. After that, the procedure varies depending on the type of Mac you have. Desktop Macs: Disconnect the power cord (either from the Mac or from the AC outlet). Wait 15 seconds and plug it back in. Then wait another 5 seconds and turn the Mac back on. Laptops with the T2 chip: Shut down. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then release it. After afew seconds, press thepower buttonto turn on your Mac. If this doesnt reset the SMC, shut down. On the laptop keyboard, press and hold Control-Option-Shift (your Mac might turn on). Hold these keys for 7 seconds, then press and hold the power button. If your Mac is on, it will turn off while you hold down the keys for another 7 seconds. Then release the keys, wait a few seconds and turn on the laptop. Laptops (no T2 chip) with non-removable batteries: Shut down and unplug your Mac. On the built-in keyboard, press and hold the Shift, Option, and Control keys on the left side and press the power button and hold all of these down for 10 seconds, then release the keys. Connect the power adapter and then turn the Mac on normally. Laptops (no T2 chip) with removable batteries: Shut down your Mac. Disconnect the power cord and remove the battery. Press the power button, hold it for 5 seconds, and then let go. Put the battery back in, reconnect the power cord, and turn the Mac on normally. Although neither of these procedures is a guaranteed cure, both of them can solve a number of odd problems, and are worth a few minutes of your time before hauling your Mac in to see the local Apple Genius. Terminal There is no Terminal command for resetting the SMC.

The best Apple deals: Huge savings on Macs, AirPods, iPhones, and more!

Macworld Whether youre looking to gift an Apple product or just pick one up for yourself, weve scoured the web for the best prices on everything from Macs to MacBooks, iPads to iPhones, Apple Watches to Apple TVs, and more. Apple rarely discounts its own productseven during its annual Black Friday shopping event , which runs from Black Friday to Cyber Monday it elects to give out gift cards rather than actual price reductions. However third-party retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy run sales all year long. So if you want a new Apple device right now, there are plenty of discounts worth grabbing. In this article, youll find the top discounts weve seen. Plus, for even more deals, weve linked to our dedicated deals round-ups for each product category. Apple does offer year-round discounts to students , including a Back To School event where further-education students can get up to $150 in gift cards when purchasing certain Apple products (this giveaway will be running in the southern hemisphere between January to March). Theres also the Apple Refurbished Store where you can sometimes grab a bargain. Use the table of contents to jump to the best deals right now for the Apple product you wantincluding the new iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4, iPad mini, and all the M4 Macs, which were announced this fall. Best AirPods deals Foundry New AirPods were announced by Apple in September 2024. We saw some deals on the AirPods 4 over Black Friday, and, at least in the U.S., those discounts appear to be continuing for now. Following the launch of new AirPods, the AirPods 2nd-gen and AirPods 3rd-gen were discontinued. You may therefore see deals on those older products until stock runs out, however, we recommend that instead of buying discounted AirPods 3, consider the even cheaper AirPods 4 without ANC, which starts at $129/129. Apple also introduced a USB-C equipped AirPods Max in new colors and discontinued the older Lightning-equipped models. If you see the Lightning model at a good discount its worth buying. U.S. Amazon, AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C case) : $170 ($79 off, MSRP $249) Amazon, AirPods 4: $100 ($29 off, MSRP $129) Amazon, AirPods 4 with ANC : $149 ($30 off, MSRP $179) Amazon, AirPods Max (USB-C) : $480 ($69 off, MSRP $549) U.K. Amazon, AirPods Max : 494 (5 off, RRP 499) See our dedicated round-up of the best AirPods deals Best iPhone and accessory deals Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry In the U.S. specific iPhone deals are hard to come by apart from carrier offers for new signups and trade-ins. We recommend checking Verizon , AT&T , and T-Mobiles sites if youre looking to change carriers or add a new line. Apple also offers trade-ins and carrier deals through its website. We also recommend that you look at our round-up of iPhone 14 deals as well as iPhone 15 deals for U.S. readers , and we also track where to get the best iPhone 16 deals in the U.S. In the U.K., we frequently see Apple-certified resellers discount unlocked iPhones. Look for money off at Amazon , Currys , and Very . We are recording all the best prices of iPhone 15 in the U.K. separately and we are tracking the best deals for the iPhone 16, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max separately. It is possible to find discounts on most iPhones in the UK, including older/discontinued handsets, including the following deals, but remember Apple has reduced pricing in the U.K. for the new range of handsets, so the discounts may not be as good as they look. KRCS, iPhone 16e (128GB) : 593.01 (5.99 off, RRP 599) Amazon, iPhone 16 (128GB) : 739 (60 off, RRP 799) Amazon, iPhone 16 Plus (128GB) : 849 (50 off, RRP 799) Argos, iPhone 16 Pro (128GB) : 949 (50 off, RRP 999) Amazon, iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) : 1,129 (70 off, RRP 1,199) Amazon, iPhone 15 (128GB) : 639 (60 off, RRP 699) Amazon, iPhone 15 Plus (128GB) : 749 (50 off, RRP 799) Argos, iPhone 15 Pro Max (256GB) : 1,049 (150 off, RRP was 1,199 Clearance ) Amazon, iPhone 14, 128GB : 494 (106 off, RRP 599) Also see our dedicated round-up of the best iPhone deals and: iPhone 16 & iPhone 16 Pro deals (US) and iPhone 16 & iPhone 16 Pro deals (UK) iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Pro deals (US) and iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Pro deals (UK) Best iPad deals Dominik Tomaszewski/IDG You can save a decent amount on most iPads, from time to time we see really good discounts, especially on the larger capacity models. U.S. Amazon, iPad A16 (128GB) : $331.55 ($17.45 off with voucher, MSRP $349) Amazon, iPad mini (A17 Pro, 512GB) : $699 ($100 off, MSRP $799) Amazon, 11-inch M3 iPad Air (128GB): $559 ($40 off, MSRP $599) Amazon, 11-inch M3 iPad Air (256GB): $659 ($40 off, MSRP $699) Amazon, 11-inch M3 iPad Air (512GB): $849 ($50 off, MSRP $899) Amazon, 13-inch M3 iPad Air (128GB): $749 ($40 off, MSRP $799) Amazon, 11-inch iPad Pro (M4, 256GB, 8GB RAM) : $909 ($90 off, MSRP $999) Amazon, 13-inch iPad Pro (M4, 256GB, 8GB RAM) : $1,185 ($115 off, MSRP $1,299) Amazon, 13-inch iPad Pro (M4, 1TB, 16GB RAM) : $1,649 ($250 off, MSRP $1,899) U.K. Amazon, iPad A16 (128GB) : 409.97 (10 off, RRP 429) Amazon, 10th-gen iPad (2022, 256GB) : 379 (100 off, RRP was 479 Clearance Amazon, 13-inch iPad Air (M2, 128GB) : 719 (80 off, RRP was 799 Clearance ) Amazon, 13-inch iPad Air (M2, 256GB) : 814 (85 off, RRP was 899 Clearance ) Amazon, iPad mini (2024, A17 Pro, 128GB) : 429 (70 off, RRP 499) Amazon, iPad mini (2024, A17 Pro, 256GB) : 559 (40 off, RRP 599) Amazon, iPad mini (2024, A17 Pro, 512GB) : 744.99 (54.01 off, RRP 799) Amazon, 11-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB) : 935 (64.03 off, RRP 999) Amazon, 11-inch M4 iPad Pro (512GB) : 1,124.97 (74.03 off, RRP 1,199) Amazon, 11-inch M4 iPad Pro (2TB) : 1,892.97 (106.03 off, RRP 1,999) Amazon, 13-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB) : 1,199 (100 off, RRP 1,299) Amazon, 13-inch M4 iPad Pro (512GB) : 1,404.97 (94.03 off, RRP 1,499) Amazon, 13-inch M4 iPad Pro (1TB) : 1,779.97 (119.03 off, RRP 1,899) See our dedicated round-ups of the best iPad deals below Best iPad 10th-gen deals Best iPad Air deals Best deals iPad Pro deals Best iPad mini deals Best Apple Watch deals Jason Cross/IDG The Apple Watch Series 10 arrived in September 2024. The arrival of the Series 10 marks the end of the Apple Watch Series 9, which Apple discontinued. The Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra 2 werent updated in 2024 and remain on sale. U.S. Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm) : $299 ($100 off, MSRP $399) Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm) : $329 ($100 off, MSRP $429) Amazon, Apple Watch SE 2 (40mm) : $169 ($80 off, MSRP $249) Amazon, Apple Watch SE 2 (44mm) : $199 ($80 off, MSRP $279) Amazon, Apple Watch Ultra 2 : $749 ($50 off, MSRP $799) U.K. Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm) : 382 (17 off, RRP 399) Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm) : 409 (20 off, RRP 429) Amazon, Apple Watch SE (2022, 40mm) : 209 (10 off, RRP 219) Amazon, Apple Watch SE (2022, 44mm) : 235 (14 off, RRP 249) Amazon, Apple Watch Ultra (1st gen) : 650 (199 off, RRP was 849 Clearance ) See our dedicated round-up of the best Apple Watch deals Best MacBook deals IDG Apple released new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4/M4 Pro/M4 Max processors in October 2024. The MacBook Air was updated to the M4 chip in March 2025. U.S. Amazon, M4, 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/16GB RAM : $1,399 ($200 off, MSRP $1,599) Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/24GB RAM: $1,779 ($220 off, MSRP $1,999) Amazon, M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/24GB RAM: $2,139 ($260 off, MSRP $2,399) Amazon, M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/36GB RAM: $2,849 ($350 off, MSRP $3,199) Amazon, M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/24GB RAM : $2,229 ($270 off, MSRP $2,499) Amazon, M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/48GB RAM : $2,591 ($308 off, MSRP $2,899) Amazon, M4 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/36GB RAM : $3,129 ($370 off, MSRP $3,499) Amazon, 13-inch MacBook Air, M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/24GB RAM) 1,397.62 (1.38 off, MSRP 1,399) Amazon, 15-inch MacBook Air, M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM) 1,196.69 (2.31 off, MSRP 1,199) Amazon, 13-inch MacBook Air, M3 (8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM) : $849 ($150 off, equivalent M4 model is $999) Clearance Amazon, 13-inch MacBook Air, M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/16GB RAM) : $1,049 ($100 off, equivalent M4 model is $1,199) Clearance Amazon, 13-inch MacBook Air, M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/24GB RAM) : $1,199 ($200 off, equivalent M4 model is $1,399) Clearance U.K. KRCS, 13-inch MacBook Air, M4 (10-core CPU/8-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM) 899.10 (100 off, RRP 999) KRCS, 15-inch MacBook Air, M4 (10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM) 1,079.10 (119 off, RRP 1,199) Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/16GB RAM, 1,434 (100 off, RRP 1,599) Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/16GB RAM, 1,619.97 (174 off, RRP 1,799) Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/24GB RAM, 1,798 (201 off, RRP 1,999) Amazon, M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/24GB RAM, 1,782.97 (216 off, RRP 1,999) Amazon, M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/24GB RAM, 2,149.97 (245 off, RRP 2,399) Amazon, M4 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/36GB RAM, 2,879.97 (380 off, RRP 2,499) Amazon, M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/24GB RAM, 2,214.99 (174 off, RRP 1,799) AO, M4 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/48GB RAM, 3,596 (403 off, RRP 3,999) See our dedicated round-ups of the best MacBook Pro deals and the best MacBook Air deals . Best Mac desktop deals iMac IDG Apple released the M4 iMac and M4/M4 Pro Mac mini in October 2024. All models now start at 16GB RAM and the Mac mini has a completely new design with a smaller case and front-facing ports. Also note that if you are outside the U.S. prices on the new M4 Mac mini and M4 iMac are lower than they were, so the discounts may not be as good as they look when compared to the new models. Apple added an M4 Max Mac Studio and an M3 Ultra Mac Studio to the line up in March 2025. U.S. Amazon, M4 Mac mini, 16GB RAM, 256GB : $529 ($70 off, MSRP $599) Amazon, M4 Mac mini, 16GB RAM, 512GB : $699 ($100 off, MSRP $799) Amazon, M4 Pro Mac mini, 16GB RAM, 512GB : $1,294 ($105 off, MSRP $1,399) Amazon, M4 iMac, 8-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM : $1,179 ($120 off, MSRP $1,299) Amazon, M4 iMac, 10-Core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM : $1,349 ($150 off, MSRP $1,499) Amazon, M4 iMac, 10-Core GPU, 512GB/24GB RAM : $1,722 ($177 off, MSRP $1,899) Amazon, Apple Studio Display (Tilt-Adjust able) : $1,499 ($100 off, MSRP $1,599) B&H, Mac Studio M2 Max , $1,599 ($400 off, was $1,999) B&H, Mac Studio M2 Ultra , $3,699 ($300 off, was $3,999) U.K. KRCS: M4 Mac mini, 256GB/16GB RAM , 539.10 (59.90 off, RRP 599) KRCS: M4 Mac mini, 512GB/16GB RAM , 719.10 (79.90 off, RRP 799) Amazon: M4 Mac mini, 512GB/24GB RAM , 899 (100 off, RRP 999) KRCS: M4 Pro Mac mini, 512GB/24GB RAM , 1,259.10 (139.90 off, RRP 1,399) Amazon: M4 iMac, 8-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM , 1,179 (120 off, RRP 1,299) Amazon: M4 iMac, 10-Core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM , 1,349.97 (149 off, RRP 1,499) AO.com: M4 iMac, 10-Core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM , 1,535 (164 off, RRP 1,699) KRCS, Mac Studio M4 Max , 1,889.10 (209 off, MSRP 2,099) KRCS, Mac Studio M3 Ultra , 3,779.10 (419 off, MSRP 4,199) For more Mac deals check out our round-up of the best Mac Studio deals and the best Mac mini deals , plus our dedicated round-up of the best iMac deals .

The fourth season of Ted Lasso is confirmed and Ted will return

Macworld While we have no clue what the heck is going on with Siri , we now know one thing: The hit Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso will have a fourth season. However, Apples announcement does not state when the new season will arrive. As we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to look before we leap, said Jason Sudeikis, the shows executive producer who also plays the titular character, in a press release. In season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to LEAP BEFORE THEY LOOK, discovering that wherever they land, its exactly where theyre meant to be. Sudeikis appeared on the Kelce brothers New Heights podcast to announce season four, stating that theyre writing season four now and that Teds coaching a womens team. At the end of season three, the AFC Richmond club coached by Lasso was considering a womens team spearheaded by Keeley Jones (Juno Temple). You can watch the Sudeikis interview below. Rumors of a fourth season had been rumbling around ever since season three ended in 2022, including speculation of a spin-off series without star Sudeikis. Deadline reports that season four will include cast members Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) and Jeremy Swift (Leslie Higgins), along with Hannah Waddington (Rebecca Welton) and Temple. With writing in the works now, production will start later this year so season four could be available at the end of the year or in early 2026. So what can you do while you wait for Ted Lasso season four to drop? Well, you could find another Apple TV+ show to watch or play a few games on Apple Arcade . You can figure out what to do with the USB-C port on your iPhone when youre not using it to charge. Or you can shop for a new, nice-looking Mac display so you can be ready to watch season four on your Mac.

Apple will soon encrypt iPhone-to-Android messages just like iMessage

Macworld When Apple released Messages with RCS support in iOS 18 last year, it was missing a key security feature: end-to-end encryption. At the time, Apple said it would wait until encryption was part of the RCS Universal Profilebefore bringing it to Messages. That day has arrived. The GSM Association announced on Friday that the new GSM specifications for RCS will include end-to-end encryption (E2EE) based on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol. In a press release , the GSM Association said the new specifications will provide users with the highest level of privacy and security for protection from scams, fraud, and other threats. These procedures ensure that messages and other content such as files remain confidential and secure as they travel between clients. RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers. Implementing the encryption protocols as a universal standard will ensure every message sent by iPhone users either over RCS or iMessage will enjoy the same E2EE. That means Apple cant see your messages in transit or on Apples server. However, if you use iCloud for backups, messages will be able to be encrypted if you dont use Advanced DataProtection. Apple says it will add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software updates.

Best MacBook Pro deals this month

Macworld Apple announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max chips at an event in October 2024. The upgraded MacBook Pro models arrived a year after Apple launched the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max variants of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro and bring double the RAM alongside the new chips. The M4 MacBook Pro models went on sale on Friday, November 8. Read our reviews: 14-inch MacBook Pro (M4) review and 16-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Pro) review . If you want to buy a MacBook Pro you may be wondering if you can save money by buying one of the M3-series models. These models are likely to be discounted as resellers sell off the discontinued stock. However, be aware that those models have half the RAM compared to the newer models. Apple charges $200/200 to upgrade the RAM at point of sale, so if you find an older MacBook Pro on sale with less RAM, do make sure that the discount reflects that. Another consideration is that if you are outside the U.S. the price of the new models is less than the old models, so make sure that the discount takes that into account. With a mixture of price rises and declines across the range in comparison to the previous generation, it could be hard to spot a really good deal. Luckily we are here to help. Our team of Apple experts search the web all year round for the top deals, offers, and discounts for the MacBook Proseeking out the best money-off offers to save you time. We are focused on the MacBook Pro here, but there are some great deals for the MacBook Air too. The MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro have a lot in common, so you might also be interested in reading our MacBook Air deals article as well. And make sure you check out our complete round-up of the best Apple deals . Below you will find price comparison tables that show the best prices right now for each standard model of MacBook Pro (including the new models that go on sale on November 8). You will also find deals on MacBook Pro models that Apple has now discontinued, as long as stockists still have them available. For more information and more help choosing the best Apple laptop read our buying guide where we cover all the models. We also have a Mac buying guide that covers the whole range. We also explain the differences between the MacBook Air and Pro. Best MacBook Pro deals right now The new MacBook Pro went on sale on November 8, but we are already seeing a price drops. There are discounts on the older models, but you should make sure that you take into account the fact that they have less RAM than the new models. Here are some of the best deals we are seeing right now. Best U.S. MacBook Pro deals We are seeing discounts on the M4 MacBook Pro at Amazon U.S. : Amazon, M4, 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/16GB RAM : $1,399 ($200 off, MSRP $1,599) Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/24GB RAM: $1,779 ($220 off, MSRP $1,999) Amazon, M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/24GB RAM: $2,139 ($260 off, MSRP $2,399) Amazon, M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/36GB RAM: $2,849 ($350 off, MSRP $3,199) Amazon, M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/24GB RAM : $2,229 ($270 off, MSRP $2,499) Amazon, M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/48GB RAM : $2,591 ($308 off, MSRP $2,899) Amazon, M4 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/36GB RAM : $3,129 ($370 off, MSRP $3,499) Best U.K. MacBook Pro deals We are also seeing discounts on the M4 MacBook Pro in the U.K.: Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/16GB RAM, 1,434 (100 off, RRP 1,599) Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/16GB RAM, 1,619.97 (174 off, RRP 1,799) Amazon, M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/24GB RAM, 1,798 (201 off, RRP 1,999) Amazon, M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/24GB RAM, 1,782.97 (216 off, RRP 1,999) Amazon, M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/24GB RAM, 2,149.97 (245 off, RRP 2,399) Amazon, M4 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/36GB RAM, 2,879.97 (380 off, RRP 2,499) Amazon, M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro, 512GB/24GB RAM, 2,214.99 (174 off, RRP 1,799) AO, M4 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB/48GB RAM, 3,596 (403 off, RRP 3,999) Best deals on the latest MacBook Pro While you could buy a MacBook Pro from Apple, the charts below show the best deals for the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4, M4 Pro & M4 Max right now. 14-inch MacBook Pro deals 14-inch, M4, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/16GB RAM, $1,599/1,599 Retailer Price $1395 View Deal $1439 View Deal $1474 View Deal $1499 View Deal $1599 View Deal $1599 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 14-inch, M4, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 1TB/16GB RAM, $1,799/1,799 Retailer Price $1579 View Deal $1,589 View Deal $1606 View Deal $1699 View Deal $1799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 14-inch, M4, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 1TB/24GB RAM, $1,999/1,999 Retailer Price $1,779 View Deal $1779 View Deal $1788 View Deal $1899 View Deal $1999 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 14-inch, M4 Pro, 12-core CPU/16-core GPU, 512GB/24GB RAM, $1,999/1,999 Retailer Price $1,779 View Deal $1779 View Deal $1788 View Deal $1899 View Deal $1999 View Deal $1999 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 14-inch, M4 Pro, 14-core CPU/20-core GPU, 1TB/24GB RAM, $2,399/2,399 Retailer Price $2,129 View Deal $2129 View Deal $2143 View Deal $2249 View Deal $2399 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 14-inch, M4 Max, 14-core CPU/32-core GPU, 1TB/36GB RAM, $3,199/3,199 Retailer Price $2,849 View Deal $2849 View Deal $2853 View Deal $3049 View Deal $3199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 16-inch MacBook Pro deals 16-inch, M4 Pro, 14-core CPU/20-core GPU, 512GB/24GB RAM, $2,499/2,499 Retailer Price $2,229 View Deal $2229 View Deal $2229 View Deal $2237 View Deal $2399 View Deal $2499 View Deal $2499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 16-inch, M4 Pro, 14-core CPU/20-core GPU, 512GB/48GB RAM, $2,899/2,899 Retailer Price $2,591 View Deal $2593 View Deal $2599 View Deal $2749 View Deal $2899 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 16-inch, M4 Max, 14-core CPU/32-core GPU, 1TB/36GB RAM, $3,499/3,499 Retailer Price $2591 View Deal $3,129 View Deal $3131.11 View Deal $3299 View Deal $3299 View Deal $3499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 16-inch, M4 Max, 16-core CPU/40-core GPU, 1TB/48GB RAM, $3,999/3,999 Retailer Price $3,549 View Deal $3549 View Deal $3568 View Deal $3799 View Deal $3999 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best deals on discontinued MacBook Pro If you dont mind buying an older MacBook Pro, there are some great deals to be had, if you take a look at the charts below. Best MacBook Pro M3, M3 Pro & M3 Max deals Get a discount on the MacBook Pro models introduced in 2023: youll find the lowest prices in the tables below. 14-inch, M3, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD, $1,599/1,699 discontinued Retailer Price $1,349.95 View Deal $1399 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 14-inch, M3, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD, $1,799/1,899 discontinued Retailer Price $1,299 View Deal $1599 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 14-inch, M3 Pro, 11-core CPU/14-core GPU, 18GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD, $1,999/2,099 discontinued Retailer Price $1499 View Deal $1649 View Deal $1899 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 14-inch, M3 Pro, 12-core CPU/18-core GPU, 18GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD, $2,399/2,499 discontinued Retailer Price $1999 View Deal $2099 View Deal $2299 View Deal $2,369.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 14-inch, M3 Max, 14-core CPU/30-core GPU, 36GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD, $3,199/3,299 discontinued Retailer Price $2799 View Deal $2999 View Deal $3099 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 16-inch, M3 Pro, 12-core CPU/18-core GPU, 18GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD, $2,499/2,599 discontinued Retailer Price $2399 View Deal $2499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 16-inch, M3 Pro, 12-core CPU/18-core GPU, 36GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD, $2,899/2,999 discontinued Retailer Price $2499 View Deal $2799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 16-inch, M3 Max, 14-core CPU/30-core GPU, 36GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD, $3,499/3,599 discontinued Retailer Price $3239 View Deal $3,674.95 View Deal $3739.95 View Deal $3899 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2) deals These Macs were introduced in 2022. You may still find them on sale. 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, MSPR: $1,299/1,349 discontinued Retailer Price $1,119.95 View Deal $1249 View Deal $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, MSPR: $1,499/1,549 discontinued Retailer Price $1,224.95 View Deal $1449 View Deal $1499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Where to buy a MacBook Pro There are limited stocks leading to some shipping delays, but you can find the MacBook Pro on sale at various locations. You could buy a MacBook Pro directly from Apple, or at stores and Apple Premium Resellers around the world many of whom offer discounts on new and old Macs, so its worth shopping around. You can find out where the MacBook Pro is in stock or read our Where to buy a Mac article for more advice. One benefit of buying from Apple is you could trade in your old Mac and get money off. We have an article explaining How to get money off with Apples trade-in program. We recommend the following resellers in the U.S. and U.K.: U.S. retailers Apple Store Apple Education Store Amazon B&H Photo Best Buy Walmart Adorama Looking for other ways to save money. Find out if you can save money buying Apple products from another country . U.K. retailers Apple Store Apple Education Store Amazon AO.com BT Shop Currys Ebuyer John Lewis Laptops Direct Very Additionally, Apple has a number of Apple Premium Resellers in the U.K. who stock Macs and offer other services: KRCS Insight iStore Select Western Computer Jigsaw Best MacBook Pro refurbished deals While Apple rarely discounts new Macs, from time to time there are some excellent deals to be had in Apples Refurbished Store . The Macs in Apples refurbished store may be ex-display stock, or they may have been returned to Apple due to a fault, but they are fully reconditioned now and come with a full years warranty. Read about buying a refurbished Mac . Its not only Apple that sells refurbished Macs, but Apple does offer some great incentives to buy from Apples Refurbished Store , so we do recommend taking a look there for great MacBook Pro deals. Get a refurbished MacBook at Apple's refurbished store (U.S.) Get a refurbished MacBook at Apple's refurbished store (U.K.) You can get refurbished Macs from other suppliers too, including the following refurbished resellers listed below: In the U.S.: Apple Amazon Back Market Best Buy Decluttr Gainsaver OWC Mac Of All Trades Refurb.me In the U.K.: Affordable Mac Apple Amazon BackMarket Hoxton Macs Laptops Direct MacFinder Mac 4 Sale Music Magpie Amazon also has a certified refurbished store for Apple products but we would advise against buying any products that are older than five years most of the products we see on the Amazon refurbished store are unfortunately very old. Another place to look is BackMarket US and BackMarket UK , which sells refurbished Macs and other Apple products. We also recommend Hoxton Macs in the U.K. Find the latest Apple refurbished deals here . If you are considering buying a second-hand Mac read: Should I buy a second hand Mac?

Best Mac mini deals this month

Macworld Apple announced new, smaller Mac mini models with M4 and M4 Pro chips in October 2024 and they went on sale on went on sale on November 8, 2024. This was the first update to the range since January 2023. Read about the new Mac mini here: M4 Mac mini: Everything you need to know. Plus we review the Mac mini M4 Pro here: M4 Pro Mac mini review . Its not just the smallest Mac, the Mac mini is also Apples cheapest Mac, but you dont have to pay full priceweve scoured the web for the best cut-price deals for a Mac mini, so you can save money on a new Mac. If youd like some help choosing the best Mac for you, read our Mac buying guide where we cover all the models. Best Mac mini deals right now U.S. In the U.S. Amazon has the Mac mini M4 but not the M4 Pro models. Amazon, M4 Mac mini, 16GB RAM, 256GB : $529 ($70 off, MSRP $599) Amazon, M4 Mac mini, 16GB RAM, 512GB : $699 ($100 off, MSRP $799) Amazon, M4 Pro Mac mini, 16GB RAM, 512GB : $1,294 ($105 off, MSRP $1,399) U.K. In the U.K. Amazon has the Mac mini M4 Pro but not the M4 models. KRCS: M4 Mac mini, 256GB/16GB RAM , 539.10 (59.90 off, RRP 599) KRCS: M4 Mac mini, 512GB/16GB RAM , 719.10 (79.90 off, RRP 799) Amazon: M4 Mac mini, 512GB/24GB RAM , 899 (100 off, RRP 999) KRCS: M4 Pro Mac mini, 512GB/24GB RAM , 1,259.10 (139.90 off, RRP 1,399) If youre looking for an M4 iMac, check out our round-up of the best iMac deals. We also have the best Mac Studio deals . Best M4 Mac mini deals Its still early days, but if there are discounts on the new Mac mini you will see them below. Alternatively you can buy directly from Apple. M4 Mac mini, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM, MSRP $599/599 Retailer Price $564 View Deal $599 View Deal $699 View Deal $744 View Deal $799 View Deal $799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M4 Mac mini, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/16GB RAM, MSRP $799/799 Retailer Price $699 View Deal $744 View Deal $799 View Deal $799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M4 Mac mini, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/24GB RAM, MSRP $999/999 Retailer Price $899 View Deal $934 View Deal $999 View Deal $999 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best M4 Pro Mac mini deals M4 Pro Mac mini, 12-core CPU/16-core GPU, 512GB/24GB RAM, MSRP $1,399/1,399 Retailer Price $1294 View Deal $1299 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1399 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best deals on old Mac mini models There are new models but this may mean you can find a good deal on the previous generation. Just keep in mind that the older Mac mini had lass RAM as standard 8GB rather than 16GB. M2 Pro Mac mini, 512GB/16GB RAM (MSRP: $1,299/1,399) New Refurbished Retailer Price $899 View Deal $999 View Deal $999 View Deal $1199 View Deal $1,247.99 View Deal $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Mac Mini (January 2023) M2 Pro 3.49 GHz SSD 512 GB 16GB $775 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket M2 Mac mini, 256GB/8GB RAM (MSRP: $599/649) New Refurbished Retailer Price $479 View Deal $499 View Deal $499 View Deal $599 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price $399.99 View Deal Mac mini (January 2023) M2 3.49 GHz SSD 256 GB 8GB $409 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket M2 Mac mini, 512GB/8GB RAM (MSRP: $799/849) New Refurbished Retailer Price $699 View Deal Apple $799 View Deal $849.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Mac mini (January 2023) M2 3.49 GHz SSD 512 GB 8GB $459.29 View Deal $Not Available View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Best M1 Mac mini deals M1 Mac mini, 256GB/8GB RAM (MSRP WAS: $699/699) New Refurbished Retailer Price $99 View Deal $270 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 256 GB 8GB $308.30 View Deal Mac mini (Late 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 512 GB 8GB $339.49 View Deal Mac mini (September 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 256 GB 8GB $350 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 256 GB 8GB $350 View Deal Mac mini (October 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 256 GB 8GB $369 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 512 GB 16GB $377 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 256 GB 16GB $394.99 View Deal Mac mini (October 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 1 TB 8GB $400 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 512 GB 8GB $416.10 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 2 TB 8GB $500 View Deal Mac mini (Late 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 1 TB 16GB $531.97 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 2 TB 16GB $547.93 View Deal Mac mini (November 2020) M1 3.2 GHz SSD 1 TB 16GB $829 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Where to buy the Mac mini Mac mini buyers in the U.S. can check out the following stores: Apple Amazon Best Buy BH Photo Video Costco Looking for other ways to save money. Find out if you can save money buying Apple products from another country . If youre based in the U.K. you can pick up a Mac mini from the following retailers: Apple Amazon Argos Currys John Lewis Very Apple has a number of Apple Premium Resellers in the UK who stock Macs and offer other services: KRCS Insight iStore Select Western Computer Jigsaw You might also be able to trade in your old Mac to get some money off your new purchase. Heres how to get money off with Apples trade-in program. Best refurbished Mac mini deals One of the best places to look for Mac mini deals all year round is the Apple Refurbished Store . There, youll find discounts on Mac mini that have been returned to Apple for various reasons, and then completely revamped for resale. If you buy a refurbished Mac mini from Apple it will come with a one-year warranty so Apple may fix or replace it for free should anything happen to it in that first year. In the U.S.: Get a refurbished Mac at Apple's refurbished store (U.S.) In the U.K.: Get a refurbished Mac at Apple's refurbished store (U.K.) You can get refurbished Macs from other suppliers too, including the following refurbished resellers listed below: In the U.S.: Apple Amazon Back Market Best Buy Decluttr Gainsaver OWC Mac Of All Trades Refurb.me In the U.K.: Affordable Mac Apple Amazon BackMarket Hoxton Macs Laptops Direct MacFinder Mac 4 Sale Music Magpie Amazon also has a certified refurbished store for Apple products but we would advise against buying any products that are older than five years most of the products we see on the Amazon refurbished store are unfortunately very old. Another place to look is BackMarket US and BackMarket UK , which sells refurbished Macs and other Apple products. We also recommend Hoxton Macs in the U.K. Find the latest Apple refurbished deals here . We also have this advice about buying a refurbished Mac.

Best iMac deals this month

Macworld A year after Apple updated the iMac with an M3 chip, in late 2024 Apple switched in an M4 chip and doubled the memory. Following an October 2024 announcement the M4 iMac went on sale on November 8. Read about the 2024 iMac and read our review: M4 iMac review . With the arrival of the M4 iMac the M3 iMac will no longer be sold by Apple, but you may find those older models available at a discount from resellers while they try to sell off old stock. Note that outside the U.S. the prices have dropped on the iMac range, so the savings may not be as good as they appear to be. Not that you need to pay full price. The team here at Macworld is constantly looking out for the best iMac deals from around the web. We track the biggest and best deals from U.S. and U.K. retailers and list them all right here in this article. So you can always find the best price for an iMac. If the 24-inch display on the iMac isnt big enough for you you may be interested to learn that although Apple discontinued the 27-inch iMac in March 2022, it is rumored that a new iMac Pro could be in the pipeline. If that is the Mac you are interested in you may be in for a long wait though, with the larger iMac not expected until 2026. Alternatively, you may be interested in Apples high-power desktop, the M4 Max Mac Studio, see our Best Mac Studio deals . The Mac mini with M4 Pro is another good option, see Best Mac mini deals . You might also want to look through our round-up of the best MacBook Pro deals and MacBook Air deals . Make sure you check out our complete round-up of the best Apple deals weve seen too. If you need help deciding which Mac is best for you read our Mac buying guide . Best iMac deals right now There are deals on the new iMacs, but the biggest discounts are likely to be on the older models. U.S. Amazon, M4 iMac, 8-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM : $1,179 ($120 off, MSRP $1,299) Amazon, M4 iMac, 10-Core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM : $1,349 ($150 off, MSRP $1,499) Amazon, M4 iMac, 10-Core GPU, 512GB/24GB RAM : $1,722 ($177 off, MSRP $1,899) U.K. You can save on each of the models. Amazon: M4 iMac, 8-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM , 1,179 (120 off, RRP 1,299) Amazon: M4 iMac, 10-Core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM , 1,349.97 (149 off, RRP 1,499) AO.com: M4 iMac, 10-Core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM , 1,535 (164 off, RRP 1,699) For even more deals check out our best prices comparison tables in the section below. For the new iMacs launching on November 8, the tables below should populate with prices once on sale. Best iMac M4 deals iMac, M4, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 256GB/16GB unified memory, MSRP $1,299/1,299 Retailer Price $1,179 View Deal $1179 View Deal $1193 View Deal $1299 View Deal $1299 View Deal $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket iMac, M4, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 256GB/16GB unified memory, MSRP $1,499/1,499 Retailer Price $1,349 View Deal $1349 View Deal $1372 View Deal $1374 View Deal $1499 View Deal $1499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket iMac, M4, 10-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/16GB unified memory, MSRP $1,699/1,699 Retailer Price $1,549 View Deal $1549 View Deal $1552 View Deal $1699 View Deal $1699 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best deals on old iMacs While resellers sell off old stock you may be able to pick up some good deals. Just keep in mind that the new iMacs include more RAM and in some places have a lower price than previously. iMac, M3, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 256GB/8GB unified memory, Was $1,299/1,399 Discontinued New Refurbished Retailer Price $1149 View Deal $1199 View Deal $1,299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price iMac 24-inch Retina (Late 2023) M3 4.05GHz SSD 256 GB 8GB $912.42 View Deal iMac 24-inch Retina (Early 2023) M3 4.05GHz SSD 512 GB 8GB $919 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket iMac, M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 256GB/8GB unified memory, Was $1,499/1,599 Discontinued New Refurbished Retailer Price $1,199 View Deal $1299 View Deal $1344 View Deal $1369 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iMac 24-inch Retina (Late 2023) M3 2.8GHz SSD 256 GB 8GB $979 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket iMac, M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 512GB/8GB unified memory, Was $1,699/1,799 Discontinued New Refurbished Retailer Price $1,529 View Deal $1529 View Deal $1599 View Deal $1599 View Deal $1699 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iMac 24-inch Retina (Late 2023) M3 4.05GHz SSD 256 GB 8GB $879 View Deal iMac 24-inch Retina (Late 2023) M3 3.2GHz SSD 512 GB 8GB $969 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Where to buy an iMac You can buy an iMac directly from Apple in the US or at Apple UK , but there are plenty of stores and Apple Premium Resellers around the world that offer discounts on new and old Macs. Some Mac retailers offer great discounts on Apple products and Apple accessories, so you should be able to save a few hundred pounds off some iMac configurations. Beware, though. The Mac listed by the reseller may be an older model than the one Apple currently sells. Weve seen resellers advertising Macs with money off based on the price they were previously sold at by Apple, even after Apple has started selling a newer Mac at the same price so the deal often looks better than it actually is. So be careful to check the age and spec of the machine being sold, and dont automatically assume that its current. To get an idea of what the old model should be worth, take a look at Apples refurbished store to see what Apple is selling the older version for (and remember that buying from Apple, even if its refurbished, will mean you get a full years warranty). And for another way to save money on a new Apple product read about how you can trade in old products at Apple and other resellers and get money off. Read: How Apple trade-in works and saves you money . We regularly see Mac-related deals from the following U.K. and U.S. retailers: U.S. Want to buy a iMac from Apple? View the iMac in the Apple Store . Get your education discount: View the iMac in the Apple Education Store View the iMac at Amazon where we often see discounts. View the iMac at B&H Photo. View the iMac at Best Buy. View the iMac at Walmart. You can find the iMac at Adorama here . Looking for other ways to save money. Find out if you can save money buying Apple products from another country . U.K. You can be sure that you are buying a Mac at the correct price at Apple. View the iMac in the Apple Store. Save money if you are a teacher or student. View the iMac in the Apple Education Store. Get a iMac from Amazon where we often see discounts. View the iMac at Amazon View the iMac at AO.com. You may find an iMac at Argos , although we only tend to see deals in conjunction with events like Black Friday. We often see great deals on iMac at EE . View the iMac at Currys , who also frequently offer discounts. View the iMac at Ebuyer. View the iMac at John Lewis , where we often see discounts. You can get an iMac from Laptops Direct here And you may also find discounts on the iMac at Very Apple has a number of Apple Premium Resellers in the UK who stock Macs and also offer other services: KRCS Insight iStore Select Western Computer Jigsaw From time to time, Amazon runs lightning deals, which could get you a discount if you act quickly. If youve found that youre missing out on Amazons Lightning deals , which run for just a few hours and offer limited stock, wed recommend signing up for Amazons 30-day free trial of Prime, which will get you access to deals 30 minutes before everyone else. Plus, youll get free next-day delivery with the Prime trial, as well as access to Prime Instant Video and more. Sign up for Prime here . Best refurbished iMac deals One of the best places to look for iMac deals all year round is the Apple Refurbished Store . There, youll find huge iMac discounts, sometimes even on the latest models. These iMacs have been returned to Apple for various reasons, and then completely revamped for resale. One of the major benefits of buying a refurbished Mac from Apple is that it will come with a one-year warranty so Apple may fix or replace it for free should anything happen to it in that first year. You wont be able to tell the difference between a refurbished iMac and a brand-new iMac, aside from the box it comes in, which is white to prevent people from buying them and attempting to sell them as new. Find out more about buying a refurbished iMac here. Get a refurbished Mac at Apple's refurbished store (U.S.) Get a refurbished Mac at Apple's refurbished store (U.K.) You can get refurbished Macs from other suppliers too, including the following refurbished MacBook and reconditioned Mac from the resellers listed below: In the U.S.: Apple Amazon Back Market Best Buy Decluttr Gainsaver OWC Mac Of All Trades Refurb.me In the U.K.: Affordable Mac Apple Amazon BackMarket Hoxton Macs Laptops Direct MacFinder Mac 4 Sale Music Magpie Amazon also has a certified refurbished store for Apple products but we would advise against buying any products that are older than five years most of the products we see on the Amazon refurbished store are unfortunately very old. Another place to look is BackMarket US and BackMarket UK , which sells refurbished Macs and other Apple products. We also recommend Hoxton Macs in the U.K. Best iMac Student Deals If you are a student you can save money with Apple all year round. Read: How to get an Apple student discount. to find out more. Also take a look at when Apple will be running its Back to School deal this year, when you can get a free pair of AirPods with your purchase.

iBeesoft Data Recovery review

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Friendly user interface and good overall data recovery. Handy backup and video repair modules. Good price point. Cons The Crashed Mac module couldnt be tested, as the host website was down. Some vague user interface menus. No trial period and vague 60-day money-back guarantee terms. Our Verdict Data Recovery for Mac is worth a look, and it hones in on its core features well, but the overall execution feels sloppy. This, combined with a core feature being inaccessible, demonstrates that iBeesofts competitors might be more worthy of your attention. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed Personal License: $59.95; Lifetime License for $129.95 Best Prices Today: iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac Retailer Price iBeesoft (per year, 2-5 Macs) $59.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Sometimes, a company can offer a good product, but it falters when its departments fall out of sync. This is the case with iBeesofts Data Recovery for Mac , which functions as a data recovery and backup application and also includes a video repair utility for the AV nerds out there. The application, which requires Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) or later to install and run, starts at $59.95 (approx 46) for a years subscription for one Mac or Windows PC for a Personal License and scales up, depending on the number of licenses. Theres also a Lifetime License for $129.95 (approx 100) that works on two Macs. Data Recovery for Mac is also available for free, although the free version features a 500MB limit as to the amount of data that can be recovered, along with free 24/7 tech support and free lifetime upgrades. The software, which downloads and installs easily, is based around several modules (Storage Devices, Crashed Mac Recovery, Video Repair, File Backup, and Search Records), the Storage Devices module acting as the applications data recovery bread and butter. Once youve assigned full disk access to the application, youre free to use the module to scan through your list of mounted drives, the software looking for deleted files, reconstructing and recovering everything it can, and allowing you to designate a location to save them to. This is accompanied by a user-friendly interface and helpful file categorizations, such as All Types, Pictures, Documents, Audio, Video, Emails, Archives, Others, and Unsaved Documents, and its easy to select specific files or all files for a given recovery to an external volume once a scan is complete. To its credit, Data Recovery for Macs other modules are fun to work with, and the Video Repair module allows you to drag and drop old video clips and upgrade their quality before exporting them. The Backup module allows you to specify files, folders, or an entire volume and back up a copy as a .dmg file, which can be easily restored later, both with Data Recovery for Mac or with macOS itself. The modules feature a good level of customization and configuration, and its simple to pick and choose the specific files or file types that you want to recover. Finally, the Search Records module offers a handy array of logs that you can pick up and work with, resuming a previous search and recovery as needed. See how this app compares to other Data Recovery for Mac solutions we have tested . While this all seems to be headed in the right direction, there are some elements to sort out. The Crashed Mac module is designed to offer an easily downloadable .dmg file to create a boot drive to use as an emergency disk to help recover data to an external hard drive, but the web server that hosted the file not working so the feature couldnt be tested. This comes as an outright punch in the nose, and youd think that a credible software company with over a dozen products in its portfolio would have planned for this contingency, the user being routed to an alternate server. Several gaffes, generally on the companys side of things, also serve as thorns in the side. Spelling and grammatical errors abound on the companys website, and in one instance, the stated minimum operating system indicated that the user needed Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or later to run Data Recovery for Mac, when the actual minimum required operating system was Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) or later. The lack of a demo period for the software seems odd, and the company offers a vague list of criteria as to what qualifies for its 60-day money-back guarantee, something that I think a trial period would readily address. Should you buy iBeesofts Data Recovery for Mac Whats present in iBeesofts Data Recovery for Mac is useful, but the overall execution feels sloppy, as if the departments within the company werent in sync with each other and their attention was divided between an array of projects. The intention is there, but from a downed file server that made one module impossible to test to conflicting information on the website, it feels as if iBeesoft could be doing a better job with this. Yes, the company was quick to respond to technical questions via email and offered good help and tutorial materials via the application and the company website, but the other shortcomings hurt what could be a great application with a moderate amount of work and a clear corporate plan. Data Recovery for Mac is worth a look, and it hones in on its core features well, but if its parent company cant deliver on whats been promised, then its competitors might be that much more deserving of your attention.

I gave Apple Arcade a chance. Heres why you should too

Macworld Apple Arcade is one of Apples more opaque services. The company doesnt disclose any subscription figures and keeps other key data under wraps. Occasionally, specialist media manage to glean a few insights by interviewing a developer in a forthcoming mood, but most of the time were kept in the dark. Is it a success? Is it a failure? Thats hard to say. What we can say for sure is that Arcade has some really good games. Everything from indie classics such as Slay the Spire and Stardew Valley and current titles such as Vampire Survivors and Balatro to surprising (and surprisingly good!) franchise additions such as Sonic Dream Team and Cypher 007. On the other hand, theres some real rubbish on there too: the kind of junk that should have died with Farmville. Its a mixed bag, then. But Id like to explain why I think Apple Arcade is absolutely worth your time, even if you dont play a lot of games. In fact, people who dont play a lot of games might be the ones who need Arcade the most. The App Stores charts and categories can serve as a guide, but the selection is overwhelming. Karen Haslam / Foundry The agony of choice The bored iPhone owner who randomly browses for games in the App Store is likely to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. And while the Games tab is quite well organized and offers numerous points of entryincluding What Were Playing, Must-Play Games, Hidden Gems, and the chartsthis only makes a difficult situation fractionally less difficult. Perhaps our iPhone owner might begin by tapping on the Top Paid Games chart. At the time of writing, Minecraft is in first place ($6.99), followed by Balatro ($9.99), and Bloons TD 6 ($2.99). Maybe youd like to try one of them? Youll have to pony up the cash since demo versions arent available. Youll just have to look at the screenshots and hope youll like it. If a game turns out to be a stinker, you can try asking for a refund. But it requires jumping through several hoops to file a claim and theres no guarantee that itll be accepted. You might decide that its not worth the effort for a few dollars. What about the free charts? That way you dont need to risk any money. Right now Block Blast sits at number one, Tidy Up: Perfect Games in the second slot, and Township at number three. But just because theyre popular doesnt mean theyre good. There are some decent games in the free segment, but the vast majority arent worth your time. Many are poorly designed, unoriginal, stuffed with ads, or a combination of all three, and the chances are that, sooner or later, you will be presented with an in-app purchase. It doesnt cost any money to give the games a try, but you pay in time and irritation instead. If youre overwhelmed by the agony of choice, you can rely on the recommendations of experts. (I would personally be delighted if you found what you were looking for in our overview of the best iPhone games .) But tastes differ and no editorial team in the world can thoroughly cover a library of a million games. If it werent for Apple Arcade, I would probably never have played Balatro. Playstack Convenience, curation, and child protection This is where Apple Arcade comes in. The games on there are curated, so the number is far lower and the average quality far higher. Thats not to say that every game is a classic, and you still have to exercise a little common sense. But the odds are a lot better youll find something fun and engaging in Apple Arcade. Arcade also assuages any worries about wasting money on a game without being able to try it first, because, for $6.99/6.99 a month or $49.99 a year (or less if you subscribe to Apple One ), you can try any of the 300 games completely free of obligation. Maybe youll come across some gems that you never would have played otherwise. If you dont like a game, you can delete it immediately and skip to the next one without wasting a penny. Youre paying a fixed fee regardless of how many games you try, and you never have to worry about the dreaded refund form. A final huge advantage of Apple Arcade compared to games on the normal App Store is that youre not exposed to ads or in-app purchases. This is good for privacy, as advertisers love to harvest data about your behavior. And for your wallet, you dont run the risk of spending several hundred dollars on gems or other nonsense. Arcade games are also free from annoying restrictions that prevent you from continuing to play, while additional content that you would otherwise have to buy separately is included. This last aspect shouldnt be underestimated, especially if you have kids. Apple Arcade games dont expose children to predatory practices such as gambling, loot boxes, and harmful advertising. Your child wont inadvertently spend a fortune on silly skins. And since Apple Arcade is covered by Apples Family Sharing scheme, you only have to pay once. There are exclusive games on Apple Arcade, but these are few and far between. SEGA When Apple Arcade is worthwhile. And when it isnt To be clear, Apple Arcade does have its downsides. For one thing, like any subscription service, its easy to forget about it, leave it unused for a long time, and keep paying while gaining no benefit. Theres also the risk of a game disappearing from Arcade, taking all your saved data with it. If you buy the same game in the regular App Store, youll have to start all over again. Even if you actively use Arcade, you have to think carefully about whether its worth it in the long run. If you end up playing a lot of different games on there, or if you share a subscription with family members, then it should pay for itself easily. But even casual gamers should find enough to play to make it worthwhile. Last year, there were just four Arcade games I played for more than just a few days. Only one of these is exclusive to Arcade: Sonic Dream Team . The others are available on the App Store for a fee: Balatro costs $9.99, Slay the Spire costs $9.99, and Vampire Survivors costs a whopping $12.75 with the additional content thats free in Apple Arcade. Thats already a total of $32.73, significantly less than the $49.99 it costs for a year of Arcade but not far off. So even if you dont want to jump into Apple Arcade with a long-term subscription, then you should at least give the month-long free trial a chance. You might be surprised at how many excellent games are available to play. And youll never be prompted to put in another quarter.

Want to renew AppleCare+? You have to wait until it expires

Macworld My spouses notes indicated the AppleCare+ coverage on her iPhone was ending within a few weeks. Try as she might, she couldnt find a way to renew coverage even though Apples documentation and her Apple Account said it could be extended. We finally called Apple: the answer was that until coverage expired, it couldnt be re-upped. If you read Apples main support note on the topic , the company does tell us thatin anything but plain language. If you paid upfront for an AppleCare+ plan, you might be able to purchase new coverage within 45 days after your original coverage ends. Note that it says within 45 days after , which implies any period of time before that, but it is literal here: only from 0 to 45 days of expiration. Once AppleCare+ expires, your iPhone, iPad, or Mac starts alerting you with a badge on Settings or System Settings and a banner within settings about renewing AppleCare+. That was the case for my partner, who saw the banner a day after its expiration and was then able to renew it. She also received an email that day. Youre warned in advance about an upcoming AppleCare+ expiration (left, bottom) but cant do anything about it. Once that date passes, you can renew (right). Read Apples support note in depth, as extending coverage depends on your country and product combination. Some renewals can be extended one month at a time; others, only by a year for each renewal. Coverage ends forever if you miss the 45-day window (30 days in China). To renew AppleCare+ on a device or for other hardware, including devices that lack a display: On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > AppleCare & Warranty and tap the name of your device. On a Mac, go to > System Settings > General > AppleCare & Warranty and click the name of your device. Log in to your Apple Account at mysupport.apple.com and click your device. Click Show all my devices if its not displayed at the top. In both places, youll see a list of your hardware. If AppleCare+ is active, its noted with a label underneath: AppleCare+ or AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss. You can use the device details above to access support options: on an iPhone or iPad, tap Open for the Apple Support app (or install and return); on a Mac, click Details , which opens the Apple Support page for the product, first having you log in if you havent recently done so. If AppleCare+ has lapsed, you see either Coverage Expired (iPhone, iPad, or Mac) or the serial number (Apple Support site). You can find your coverage through macOS System Settings (shown), iOS/iPadOS Settings, and the Apple Support website. Follow these steps if you have an option to renew: Click or tap Renew AppleCare+ . Choose a monthly or annual renewal if the option is provided. (This varies by product and country.) Proceed to agree to terms and pay. AppleCare+ coverage will continue to renew until canceled. Ask Mac 911 Weve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, were always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com , including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered; we dont reply to emails, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

How to unlock an iPhone

Macworld If youre thinking of moving to a new network, and want to keep hold of the same iPhone, you may hit a snag: the device is locked to your current carrier and cant be used with any other company. Fortunately, you should be able to get your network provider to unlock the iPhone for you, and often theyll do this for free. In fact, you might even be able to do it yourself. In this article we show how to unlock any iPhone model, either by yourself, with assistance from the network provider, or using a third-party service. Is iPhone unlocking legal? The days of being tied to a single carrier with a locked phone for months on end are all but over. Where we once were forced into 24-month contracts with devices that were useless on any other network, nowadays your wireless carrier must unlock your phone if you request it. Seriously, they do. Its actually a law. The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act makes it so any phone purchased after 2015 will work with any carrier, so your provider cant keep your phone tied to their network because they feel like it. However, there are some terms and conditions that youll need to follow before you can pop another SIM into your phone, and of course they vary by carrier. In some countries its actually illegal to sell locked handsets. In the U.K., for example, Ofcom banned such practices in 2021, although this didnt affect devices already in circulation and there will still be a few locked phones out there. There have been rumors and rumblings of a similar ban in the U.S., but it hasnt happened yet. Is my iPhone locked? If you bought an iPhone on contract, in the U.S. at least, then theres a good chance that its locked and will need to be unlocked before you can use it with a different carrier. (Some carriers automatically unlock phones remotely after a certain period of time, so you might be lucky and find this has already happened.) This should have been made clear at the time of purchase, if not explicitly by the salesperson then more discreetly in the terms and conditions. The most common scenario where an iPhone would be locked without your knowledge is if you bought it second-hand or inherited it from a friend or family member. The previous owner may have bought the iPhone as part of a contract, and the network provider will have used software restrictions to tie the device to its service for the duration of the contract. If you want to check, try setting up the phone with a SIM from the wrong carrier. This will generally trigger a message saying something like SIM Not Supported. For more information, we have a separate article explaining how to tell if your iPhone is locked . Unlocking instructions for U.S. networks Before you can hook up your phone to a new network, you need to meet a series of requirements. First and foremost, it needs to be a legitimate device. That means it cant have been reported as lost or stolen, or associated with any sort of illegal activity. Then your account will need to be free of any financial obligations. If you accepted a contract in exchange for a subsidized up-front cost, youll have to either wait until your contract is up (usually 24 months) or, if you bought your phone on a payment plan, pay the balance. Additionally, most carriers require accounts to have been active for a certain number of days before they will allow devices to be unlocked. For T-Mobile its 40 days, while AT&T and Verizon specify 60 days. And you might need to factory-reset your phone before the new network can be recognized, so make sure youre backed up. Beyond that, the process varies slightly for each carrier. How to unlock an iPhone on Verizon Verizon has a set of surprisingly friendly unlocking policies that vary slightly for postpay and prepaid devices, but in both cases the company says the lock will be removed automatically 60 days after activation. No code is needed to open up your iPhone for use with another carrier. If you want to move to a new network, simply cancel your service and start a new plan with the carrier of your choice. There are only two exceptions to this. The first is when you buy a Verizon iPhone from a different company, in which case the lock period may be different: Verizon says you should review the back of the box to determine this. The second applies to military personnel, where a complication can arise if the iPhone owner receives deployment orders and applies to suspend the line. Check the linked article above for more details. How to unlock an iPhone on AT&T On its unlock page , AT&T says eligible iPhones that are active on the AT&T network should automatically unlock, provided you meet the unlock requirements. These are pretty standard: purchased more than 60 days ago; paid in full; not reported lost or stolen. If your iPhone is on an AT&T Prepaid plan or youre not an AT&T customer (presumably this applies in the unusual event of an iPhone being bought from its owner within 60 days of the original purchase?), things are more complicated. Youll need to submit an unlock request . Foundry How to unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile In the companys unlock policy document , T-Mobile says it will automatically and remotely unlock your device once it becomes eligible, if it can do so. (Not sure if this has happened? Got to Settings > General > About . If the section labelled Carrier Lock or Network Provider Lock says No SIM restrictions, your iPhone is unlocked.) The eligibility requirements are the usual: device sold by T-Mobile, not reported as lost or stolen, paid off and account in good standing. The only complicating factor applies to prepaid accounts, which must either have been active for 365 days, or have had more than $100 in refills per line. If your device doesnt support remote unlock, the company will send you a notification with instructions on completing the unlock process. If you havent received a notification, contact T-Mobile to seek clarification, or read its unlock explainer . How to unlock an iPhone on Boost Boosts unlocking policy largely mirrors that of T-Mobile: it will automatically and remotely unlock your device when it becomes eligible, if that device supports remote unlocking. If this isnt possible, you should get a notification informing you that an unlock is now available. Contact Boost on 833-50-BOOST (thats 833-502-6678) to request an unlock. The company also offers special unlocks for members of the armed forces who have been deployed overseas and whose accounts are in good standing. Unlocking instructions for U.K. networks There are four simple steps to unlock an iPhone: Contact your provider and request an unlock using the contact details and online tools listed below. If you havent got the original SIM, youll need to reset the phone before it can be unlocked. Power down the phone, then replace the old SIM card with a SIM from a different network. Check that the iPhone is able to connect a phone call over the new network. Thats the short version, anyway. But lets go through those steps in a bit more detail for each network. How to unlock an iPhone on EE EE has stated in the past that it will automatically unlock an iPhone 18 months after sale or dispatch. Considering that Ofcom banned handset locking more than 18 months ago, you should find that the device has unlocked itself by now. Should this not be the case, however, you can still request EE to unlock it , which it will do so free of charge. Youll need the 15-digit IMEI number, which you can get by dialling *#06# or by looking on the packaging or on the device itself. (Weve got a separate article on finding your IMEI .) Then you enter it into EEs unlock page and go through a checking process. You should find any remaining information you need on EEs How to complete the unlock process page. How to unlock an iPhone on Vodafone Vodafone states that all Apple products issued by the company are already unlocked. Should you find that for some reason this isnt the case, youll need to get a network unlocking code (NUC) from Vodafone. (Note that the company cannot unlock phones purchased from a different provider or company. The device could be locked by the other provider, not Vodafone.) If youre thinking of handing on your iPhone to someone else, and are worried that it might be locked to your account, you can use Vodafones online unlocking form to complete the process. The company claims it usually manages to unlock your device within 72 hours, but that in some cases it may be up to 10 days depending on the circumstances. The process is free. How to unlock an iPhone on Three Three keeps things nice and simple. On its website, the carrier states that any iPhone purchased from it after 1 January 2014 is automatically unlocked as soon as you connect it to Wi-Fi or Finder (or iTunes on older versions of macOS). It seems like a long shot that anyone would still be using iPhones from before that date; the page where Three used to host an online unlocking form no longer bothers to offer this, apparently on the assumption that its no longer needed. But if you are in that group, connecting the iPhone to Finder/iTunes and restoring it should unlock it. Youll want to back up first. How to unlock an iPhone on O2 If you or the original owner purchased your iPhone from O2 after 1 August 2018, it should be unlocked already. Should you find you still cant use another SIM with it, contact the company and ask for it to be unlocked. Call free on 202 from a pay monthly O2 phone, on 4445 from a pay-as-you-go phone, or use the Live Chat feature on the O2 site. Whichever method you use, be sure to have your IMEI ready. The whole process is explained clearly on the Unlocking an O2 mobile page of the companys website. It will send a text to let you know when the iPhone is unlocked. You then just need to pop in the new SIM card and it should show as unlocked. How to unlock an iPhone on Tesco Mobile If youve been with Tesco Mobile for 12 months or more, or if youve completed your contract, youll be able to get an unlock code from Tesco for free by using the online form . How to unlock an iPhone on Giffgaff Giffgaff has a handy tool that helps you figure out how to free your iPhone from its own and other networks. It has the wonderful name of Unlockapedia and is well worth exploring. Using a third-party unlocking service An alternative to contacting your carrier and asking them to unlock the iPhone is to use a mobile phone unlocking service. Retailers in most areas will arrange an unlock code for a small fee. You can also find online services that will unlock your iPhone, but they arent always reputable and we would generally advise against it. If you do decide to use one, please make sure you read all the small print before you buy, because they can surprise you with extra bills at the end of the process. Weve tried Doctor SIM , which promises to refund you if the unlock is unsuccessful, so that could be an option if youve tried all of the methods listed above. Doctor SIM successfully unlocked our phone with no problems and no hidden fees, so we feel confident in recommending them. How to tell if the unlock worked Once your phone has been unlocked youll receive a confirmation from the carrier. Now follow these steps: Turn off the phone: hold down the power button and either volume button, then swipe your finger across the screen as directed. Use the provided tool to eject the SIM card holder from your phone. Remove the old SIM card from the holder. Insert your new SIM, and return the card holder into the iPhone. Make a phone call, and check that the iPhone is able to connect over the new network. How to update an unlocked phone without the SIM card If youve requested an unlock from your carrier, but have not got the original SIM card, or if you have acquired a locked iPhone from someone else, you may need to reset the phone before it will be unlocked. Follow these steps to reset the iPhone: Back up your iPhone. Erase your iPhone. Open Settings and select General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings . Complete the setup assistant and restore from your backup. The phone should now be unlocked. You can insert the new SIM card and it should work. And there we have it! Your iPhone should now be unlocked and free for use on any network. If youre interested in repeating the process for your tablet, weve got a separate guide for those who wish to unlock an iPad . If youre thinking of moving your old iPhone on to someone else, read how to sell your old iPhone for some tips on reselling it and getting the best deal.

Best PDF Editor for Mac 2025

Macworld Many workplaces and educational institutions have completely switched from paper documents to digital ones. Consequently, Mac users are increasingly dealing with PDFs and other e-document file formats. Were here to help you find the best PDF editor for your Mac from the multitude of options. There are various PDF editing apps that cater to various budgets and workflows and among them are a few that stand out in terms of features, performance, and design. When selecting a PDF editor, consider one that can create, convert, and export PDFs from various file types, while preserving the original formatting and making the text searchable and editable through OCR technology. The editor should also allow for content editing, including modifying text, inserting, resizing, and moving images, and reorganizing pages. Additionally, it should enable users to add comments and annotations to PDF files during review, with tools for marking up both text documents and graphic-heavy files. Security features, such as password protection, permissions setting, and content redaction, are also important for access control. Lastly, consider a PDF editor with mobile support, either through a dedicated mobile app or cloud access. If youre looking for basic annotation and page organization, the free Preview app that is available as part of macOS may be sufficient. If you need more in the way of editing tools, then one of these apps could better support your needs. We have reviewed all the PDF editors below, so read on to find out exactly what we thought. 1. Preview Pros Pre-installed and free Clear user interface Lots of handy tools Cons No iOS or iPadOS apps Doesnt allow you to edit existing text Price When Reviewed: Free Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Free View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Apple Apple Preview is the default document and image viewer on macOS, offering a range of useful features beyond just viewing photos and PDFs. Click on any PDF (or any image format) to open it and it will launch in Preview. Alternatively, open Preview and it will open the Finder, allowing users to browse through folders to locate the file they want to view. The app features a toolbar at the top of the screen, which allows users to view file details, zoom in or out, share the file, fill in a form, or mark up the file. The Markup button reveals tools for selection, doodling, inserting shapes or sticky notes, signing, and typing text. These tools are easily customizable, allowing users to control the color and size of a shape or text box, as well as pick between multiple fonts when typing. There is also an autofill helper. Apple Preview is not designed to replace image or PDF editors, but it still offers some power-user features. The menu bars Tools button allows users to reveal more advanced image controls, such as granular resizing, color adjustments, and automatic background removal. The File menu includes a Export button that allows users to choose the outputs quality and file format, allowing them to convert images to various formats. When viewing a PDF file in Apple Preview, users can easily re-order or delete its pages using the sidebar, allowing them to limit the file to the important bits they need. If exporting the PDF using Preview, users can optionally add a password, quartz filter, or file restrictions. If youd prefer not to pay for Adobe Acrobat or another solution, Apple Preview may be more suitable for you. Apple Preview offers free tools that Adobe has paywalled, including PDF page organization/deletion, password protection for PDF files, and document scanning. Just need to turn something into a PDF? Read: How to make a PDF on Mac Read our full Preview review 2. Readdle PDF Expert Pros Wide range of handy tools Intuitive user interface Flexible pricing Cons Lifetime license only for Mac Not for Android and Windows Price When Reviewed: Free 7-day trial; $6.67/month; $79.99 a year; $139.99 perpetual plan Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Seven day trial Free View Deal Readdle (monthly) $6.67 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Seven day trial $6.67 at Readdle (monthly) PDF Expert has a wide range of reliable tools and an intuitive user interface. Its a great option if you are looking for more than Preview offers for free. Upon launching PDF Expert, users are greeted by a Tools tab with shortcuts to various features, such as organizing, optimizing, protecting, reviewing, or converting documents. The app runs smoothly and gives you everything you need to fully control a PDF file, including edit text and images, sign, fill checkboxes, add links, redact content in multiple ways, insert shapes, highlight text, doodle, and even measure the distance between two points or calculate specific areas. The PDF Expert toolbar features layout settings, an advanced search bar, and an AI Chat button. The AI Chat button allows users to interact with the integrated chatbot, summarize PDFs, list key points, generate hashtags, and more. The toolbars center includes commonly used PDF editing functionalities, such as annotation, editing, file conversion and exporting, signing, and optical character recognition (OCR). For most users, PDF Experts features are sufficient, as it allows users to manipulate a documents content, add or remove elements, protect the file with a password, and shrink its size. While Adobe Acrobat offers more advanced tools, PDF Experts core functionalities are sufficient for most users. There are two payment options on macOS: a lifetime license, or an annual license that includes future updates and mobile support. Students can get 50% off and there is a free 7-day trial. It is available for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, but is not available on Android or Windows devices. Read our full Readdle PDF Expert review 3. Wondershare PDFelement Pros Cross-platform solution Flexible pricing Simple user interface Cons Some unlabeled sidebar buttons are hard to identify Not always intuitive Price When Reviewed: Free 7 day trial, from $79.99 one year plan, $109.99 two year plan, or $103.99 lifetime license Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Seven day trial Free View Deal Wondershare (annually) $79.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Seven day trial $79.99 at Wondershare (annually) Wondershares PDFelement is a document manipulation tool that offers essential features on all platforms at a reasonable price. The app features a minimalistic user interface and offers single- and cross-platform licenses, with the main difference being app updates. If you plan to use the PDF editor on your Mac exclusively, you can opt for a one-year, two-year, or lifetime license. PDFelement also supports iOS, iPadOS, Windows, Android, and the web, offering an all-encompassing bundle that supports all of these platforms. The single-platform licenses include 20GB of cloud storage, while the highlighted bundles offer 100GB. Once you run out of the 20,000 AI tokens included with your purchase, you can buy more. PDFelement features a clean home page showcasing standard PDF editing tools, such as PDF conversion, optical character recognition (OCR), template selection, file compression, and more. It also has a sidebar that grants access to handy destinations like recent files, cloud documents, tagged PDFs, and agreements youve sent others to sign. PDFelement supports most commonly needed PDF editing functionalities, including text manipulation, image and URL insertion, adding, deleting, and editing the documents pages. Its not the most advanced selection out there, but it gets the job done in casual workflows. PDFelement is better suited for annotation and artificial intelligence needs, allowing users to insert text, shapes, comments, stamps, forms, checkboxes, text callouts, and more. It can also automatically bookmarks reflecting the documents chapters. Beyond text manipulation, PDFelement can redact text, add a password to the file, convert the PDF to a Microsoft Office format, change the pages background, compress the size, and insert a watermark. While not the most feature-rich PDF editor, it caters to casual users seeking a lightweight solution. Despite its minimalism, getting used to PDFelement may take some time. The unlabeled buttons in the editors sidebar can be confusing and challenging to identify, and some features, like text editing, can sometimes be unpredictable. PDFelement is an excellent PDF editor for those with casual needs, but its tools arent as advanced as those offered by many rival apps. Read our full Wondershare PDFelement review 4. Foxit PDF Editor Pros Extensive set of PDF editing tools Native macOS, iOS, and iPadOS apps Cons Only annual subscription plans Mobile app access excluded from base plan Overwhelming user interface Price When Reviewed: PDF Reader: Free; PDF Editor: $10.99 a month; $129.99 a year; PDF Editor+: $159.99 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Foxit PDF Reader Free View Deal Foxit (monthly) $10.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Foxit PDF Reader $10.99 at Foxit (monthly) Foxit offers a range of PDF-centric solutions for Mac users, including PDF Reader and PDF Editor. PDF Reader is available on macOS for free, allowing users to view, annotate, sign, and have AI analyze their documents. The paid-for PDF Editor unlocks the complete editing toolbox for an annual fee, with a base plan and a plus (+) plan that includes more features. There are options to pay monthly, but it is still an annual contract: theres no option to cancel after a month. The free PDF Reader allows users to control the size, color, and style of inserted text or shapes, as well as customize features like changing the documents background shade, reversing and rotating pages, signing forms, and more. It can read text aloud, measure distances, calculate areas, magnify selected spots, and have AI analyze your document. The paid-for PDF Editor supports all of PDF Readers features but adds editing functionalities, such as file conversion, optical character recognition (OCR), and full manipulation of a documents text and images through addition, deletion, or tweaking. It caters to power users with advanced features like document sanitization, redaction styles, security layers, JavaScript, and accessibility checks. Foxits PDF Editor stands out for its ChatGPT integration, which can analyze and summarize documents and perform actions on your behalf. The base plan should suffice for most users, while the Plus plan offers exclusives like mobile app access, tracking other parties signatures, smart redaction, 130GB of cloud storage, and template support. While the app is generally swift, the user interface may seem too packed to some users, especially those who dont need all the offered tools. Foxit PDF Editor is designed for serious users rather than casual users, and if the UI overwhelms you, it may be an overkill for you. Read our full Foxit PDF Editor review 5. ABBYY FineReader Pro Pros Reasonably accurate and reliable OCR functionality Supports scanning and importing from iPhone Can convert PDF to wide range of formats Cons Similarly priced apps include superior PDF editing tools Price When Reviewed: $11.99 a month, $69 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price 30-day trial Free View Deal Mac App Store (monthly) $11.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at 30-day trial $11.99 at Mac App Store (monthly) Other PDF editing apps offer optical character recognition (OCR) as an added perk, Abbyy FineReader PDF leads on its optical character recognition software and file converter, and, while it offers reliable OCR and file conversion functionalities, it falls short when it comes to PDF editing. FineReader PDF is a simple user interface with three main tabs: viewing PDF documents, quick and advanced file conversion tools, and importing documents. It has been optimized for macOS and offers a modern design. FineReader PDF supports viewing and highlighting PDF files, with preset highlight colors and comments. The quick conversion feature processes inputted files to detect content and then selects the outputs format. Supported file formats include PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, EPUB, FB2, TXT, HTML, RTF, ODT, and CSV. It doesnt support Apples HEIC image format, so users may need to convert HEIC iPhone shots to JPG first. Each format offers its own customizations, such as ebook title, author, layout, and page size. FineReader PDF exports the document, making it more editable. However, it doesnt support proper PDF editing, so it may not be the ideal PDF solution for manipulating files. It doesnt offer a one-time purchase option and has relatively high recurring fees. Theres a yearly subscription plan on the Abbyy website , and a monthly subscription on the Mac App Store (which is a good option because you can cancel at any time). Theres a full-featured 7-day free trial. Read our full ABBYY FineReader Pro review 6. Adobe Acrobat Pros Cross platform Advanced PDF manipulation tools Supports signature collection Cons Mac app is bloated Free version is limited compared to Preview Expensive subscriptions Price When Reviewed: Acrobat Reader: free; Acrobat Standard: from $12.99 a month; Acrobat Pro: from $19.99 a month Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Adobe Reader Free View Deal Adobe (Monthly) $12.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Adobe Reader $12.99 at Adobe (Monthly) Adobe Acrobat is a popular PDF viewer and editor on Mac, offering basic annotation tools. However, the free Acrobat Reader tier offers the same basic annotation tools that are present in Apples built-in Preview app, which is far superior in most cases. One point in its favor is that Acrobat is available across macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, Android, and even the web, making it accessible from most modern computing devices, while Preview is limited to macOS. Subscribing to Adobe Acrobat Standard provides access to all PDF editing functionality, including more control over the PDFs content, reorganization of the entire documents layout, and more advanced tools like object measurements, accessibility preparation, JavaScript support, and search index insertion. For the advanced Adobe Acrobat Pro features you pay more each month to get permanent redaction, web form creation, PDF comparisons, accessibility checks, audio/video insertion, and much more. Acrobat Pro is necessary for tasks like converting scanned documents into searchable and editable PDFs. Adobe Acrobats paid subscriptions are expensive and do not offer one-time purchase options. The slightly higher monthly cancel anytime price is a good option if you only need the features temporarily. UPDATE: Adobe has baked an AI assistant into Acrobat. The paid add-on Acrobat AI Assistant enables you to analyze PDF files, summarize contracts, ask questions, and more. We tried it out (and compared it to Chat GPT) here: Adobe Acrobat AI vs ChatGPT: Which is best for contract analysis? Read our full Adobe Acrobat review 7. Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor for Mac Pros Wide variety of editing and annotation tools Modern, intuitive user interface Free trial and multiple subscription packages Cons Monthly plan is costly, no lifetime option No iOS or iPadOS clients Account deletion by customer support only Price When Reviewed: $14.99 a month (currently FREE), $35.99 a year (currently $4.99) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Tenorshare $15.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $15.99 at Tenorshare Tenorshares PDNob PDF Editor has a sleek user interface with modern buttons that easily convey their actions. It packs in some neat features, such as an optical character recognition (OCR) engine for converting photographed documents to text, password protection, compression, conversion between popular file formats, merging, automatic indexing, and more. The service offers 20GB of cloud storage. PDNob PDF Editor also packs an AI assistant, but it failed miserably when I attempted to use it. It simply couldnt comprehend what my (very) basic questions meant and continued asking for further clarification. The bad news is it is only available on macOS 10.15 or Windows 10, theres no iPhone or iPad app, which is a disadvantage. Plus, while there is a free 14-day trial (with watermarks) unfortunately if you later want to delete your account and its associated data from Tenorshare servers you must contact support to help (which rings some alarm bells!) While it is excellent for those with basic to intermediate needs, there are too many downsides and there are better options elsewhere. Read our full Tenorshare PDNob PDF Editor for Mac review 8. Cisdem PDFMaster (aka EaseUS PDF editor) Pros Simple user interface Fluid performance One-time payment options Cons Confusing branding Not always reliable No version for iOS and iPadOS Price When Reviewed: $59.95 a year or $89.95 with lifetime uppgrades from EaseUS, or $49.99 a year of $99.99 lifetime plan from Cisdem Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Cisdem $49.99 View Deal EaseUS $59.95 View Deal App Store $69.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $49.99 at Cisdem $59.95 at EaseUS $69.99 at App Store One of the options you may come across during your hunt for a PDF editor is that from EaseUS. While the companys own PDF editor is exclusive to Windows, its website offers PDFMaster for macOSwhich is actually developed by its partner Cisdem. EaseUS packages Cisdem PDFMaster as EaseUS PDF Editor for Mac , but its essentially the same app. Confused? We were. Just to baffle you further, you can buy the app from EaseUS or Cisdem, and at the Mac App Store, all at different prices and there are a few differences. We reviewed EaseUSs version. The app features a minimalistic user interface with modern-looking buttons and labels. While PDFMasters feature set is somewhat limited compared to more professional apps, it generally gets the job done for those with casual PDF editing needs. You can edit the text in the document, including add or remove words, change the font, insert links and so on. You can also add shapes, highlighting, underlining, strikethroughs, and leave comments. Images, stamps, and digital signatures can also be added. Watermarking, document cropping, conversion to multiple file formats, size shrinking, optical character recognition (OCR), redaction, page reorganization, PDF comparisons, area calculations are also available. We did have a few issues during testing. For example, exporting a PDF after password-protecting it didnt actually secure it. Once its 14-day trial expires, you will have to pay $89.95 once or $59.95 per year to continue using the software. The macOS version doesnt provide a monthly subscription plan. There is no mobile version for iOS and iPadOS users. Read our full Cisdem PDFMaster for Mac (aka EaseUS PDF Editor) review FAQ 1. Do Macs have built in PDF? Macs have a built-in PDF editor called Apple Preview, which offers a comprehensive set of PDF markup tools, including form filling and password protection. This editor is superior to Adobe Acrobats free tier in terms of PDF editing capabilities. The PDF editing tools in macOS can be accessed through Quick Look or the Preview app, and they allow users to add text, highlight, underline, and strikethrough text, rotate pages, add and remove pages, add arrows and other shapes, and add comments to PDFs. Additionally, Apple Preview allows users to add their signature to a PDF. However, its worth noting that Apple Preview has limited native sharing options and is only available to Mac users. 2. How to make a PDF on a Mac To create a PDF on a Mac, you can use the built-in Preview app. Simply create a document on your Mac, then choose Print > PDF and edit in Preview. The Preview app also allows you to export PDFs with options for quality and file format, and add password, quartz filter, or file restrictions. Alternatively, you can use tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro or Standard, one one of the other options in the list above, but these require a subscription. 3. How to fill in a PDF on a Mac Filling in a PDF with Apple Preview is easy. The Mac app, included on every Mac, includes a form-filling feature that automatically detects fields and allows easy filling. In addition, AutoFill, a feature introduced in macOS 14.2, uses Contacts to select the necessary information and makes filling out PDFs faster and more secure. If you need more advance features then one of the options above will give you additional viewing, editing, converting, and PDF signing abilities. Read: How to edit a PDF on a Mac 4. Can I edit a PDF for free on a Mac? Yes, you can edit a PDF for free on a Mac using Apples built-in Preview app, which offers a full set of PDF markup tools, including encryption, password protection, and permissions for files . Adobe also offers a free Acrobat Reader for reading and filling in PDFs, but it lacks some features that Apples built-in Preview app offers. Read: Best free PDF editors for Mac 5. Whats the difference between Preview and Acrobat? Adobe Acrobat and Apple Preview both offer basic annotation tools. While both have a form-filling feature, Preview automatically detects fields for easy filling, unlike Acrobat which requires manual alignment. Preview also offers free tools that Acrobat charges for, including PDF page organization/deletion, password protection, and document scanning . Furthermore, Preview is preloaded on Macs, providing faster performance and a sleeker design. However, Previews editing functionality is limited and it is not designed for advanced editing, unlike Acrobat which offers more functionality it you pay for it. Read: Apple Preview vs Adobe Acrobat Some other articles that might be helpful: How to make a PDF on an iPhone How to scan documents on iPhone How to edit a PDF on iPhone How to redact text in a PDF How to save a page from a PDF as a separate file

Best external SSD for Mac

Macworld Solid-state drives aka SSD used to be really expensive, but prices have really fallen in the last few years, and you can now pick up fast, reliable SSDs that cost only slightly more than their hard drive counterparts. Even the slowest SSDs are generally faster than mechanical hard drives. As well as being faster than conventional hard drives, SSDs are lighter and sturdier too, making them ideal for use with a laptop when youre traveling. Thats reflected in the drives that we review here, most of which are small and light enough to slip into your pocket. However, the latest SSDs can also offer up to 8TB of storage, which makes them a good option for use with a desktop Mac in an office as well. And they can help to reduce cable clutter too, as they generally take their power from a USB port on your Mac, rather than requiring a separate external power supply. Other features to look out for include IP-ratings for weather protection and password protection for your important files. Just remember to check that any apps provided by the manufacturer work with Macs and well as Windows PCs. Another thing to take note of is whether the SSD connects via Thunderbolt 5, 4 or 3, and USB 4 or USB-C, USB 3 or USB 3.22. The latter is one to avoid if you are a Mac user because Apple supports only 10Gbps with USB 3.2, meaning 3.22 20Gbps SSDS are constrained to half their potential. There are some SSD drives that support the new Thunderbolt 5 standard, which brings speeds of up to 80Gbps if you have a Mac with M4 Pro or M4 Max. Weve looked at some Thunderbolt 5 equipped SSDs below. UPDATED March 2025 with reviews of Lexar Armor 700, Samsung T5 Evo and SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD. Best SSD for Mac 2025 1. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 Pros Supports Thunderbolt 5 Impressive performance Rugged design with IP68 Five-year warranty Cons Expensive Requires M4 Pro or Max Price When Reviewed: 2TB: $399.99; 4TB: $599.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Seagate (Lacie) $399.99 View Deal $529.99 View Deal $851.36 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $399.99 at Seagate (Lacie) $529.99 at B&H $851.36 at Amazon The Pro5 looks almost identical to the previous-generation Rugged SSD Pro, which uses Thunderbolt 3. The only visible difference between the two drives is the fact that the Pro5 is wrapped in a dark-blue rubber sleeve, rather than the somber black of its predecessor. That rubber sleeve is designed to provide extra protection for the drive, and the Pro5 is even sturdier than before, with an IP68 rating for water and dust-resistance. LaCie claims the Pro5 can survive immersion in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes, survive being dropped from a height of 3m (10ft), and survive being run over by vehicles weighing up to two tonnes. Theres a five-year warranty too. It measures 17mm thick, 98mm wide and 65mm deep and weighs 150g, which is a little more than its 100g Rugged Pro predecessor. It comes in 2TB or 4TB capacities. Its not cheap, starting at $399.99/359.99 for 2TB or $599.99/579.99 for 4TB. The Pro5 does use a standard USB-C connector, so its still backward-compatible with older Macs, but if you want to get the full performance of the Thunderbolt 5 interface youll need a MacBook Pro or Mac mini with M4 Pro or M4 Max processor as these are the only chips to support the standard. The older Rugged Pro is still on sale, so make sure you look for the Pro5 model if you want Thunderbolt 5 performance. We found that the standard USB-C cable we use for our Time Machine back-up drive didnt provide enough power for the Pro5, so it might be worth investing in a spare Thunderbolt 5 cable. The Rugged SSD Pro5 is the fastest Thunderbolt drive weve tested so far, and along with its rugged, portable design its an excellent option for creative users who want to exploit the full speed of their new Thunderbolt 5 Macs. Read our full LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 review 2. OWC Envoy Ultra Pros Fast 6GBps reading & 5GBps writing via Thunderbolt 5 Rugged and weatherproof Cons Expensive Requires M4 Pro/Max Mac for full 80Gbps performance Limited compatibility Price When Reviewed: 2TB: $399.99; 4TB: $599.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price OWC $400 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $400 at OWC You can take full advantage of the Thunderbolt 5 ports on your M4 Pro Mac mini or M4 Pro/Max MacBook Pro and possibly circumvent Apples avaricious storage upgrade pricing with OWCs Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 external SSD. Thunderbolt 5 itself is backwards compatible with older Thunderbolt specs, but its not nearly as backwards compatible as wed like. For example, to utilize a Thunderbolt 5 drive your M-series Mac need to be running macOS 14 Sonoma or macOS 15 Sequoia. Thunderbolt 3 Macs with Intel chips must run Sequoia. But only the M4 Pro amd M4 Max chips will give you the full Thunderbolt 5 experience. You may have seen 120GBps quoted in some articles as Thunderbolt 5s top speed, but thats only unidirectional for displays. Bi-directional, as with storage, is limited to 80Gbps. Benchmarks showed anywhere from 5.2GBps (Blackmagicdesigns Disk Speed Test), to 6.5GBps reading (AmorphousDiskMark), to near 7GBps reading and 5.57GBps writing (ATTO). Its fast. The OWC Envoy Ultra is a larger chunk of black metal, measuring about 0.75 inches thick, 2.8 inches wide, and 5 inches long. The Envoy Ultra weighs in at 10.5 ounces or so. It has a captive cable, which is for weatherproofing (its not IP-rated). This does make it a bit harder to put away. Alas, writing was considerably slower, only around 1.5GBps. The Envoy Ultra costs $400/356 in its 2TB form and $600/598.49 at 4TB. It carries a three-year warranty. If you want, and can afford the absolute fastest storage for your new Thunderbolt 5 Mac, then this is a heck of a lot cheaper than Apples rapaciously priced internal storage and nearly as fast. 3. SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD Pros Rugged design Competitive price Good performance USB-C interface, with USB-A adaptor included Cons No Thunderbolt support Not completely water-resistant Price When Reviewed: 1TB: $99.99; 2TB: $149.99; 4TB: $249.99; 8TB: $549.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Western Digital (1TB) $99.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $99.99 at Western Digital (1TB) We last looked at SanDisks rugged Extreme Portable V2 in 2021 so it was due an update. This latest model comes swaggering back with an even sturdier design and increased capacity that offers up to 8TB of storage. The external design hasnt changed much for this update, it still comes in a perforated black case made out of silicon that provides plenty of protection, and theres the same hook for a lanyard. We tested the 8TB version, which is slightly larger than the previous model but its still slim and light. There arent many rival drives that provide that much storage in such a compact and portable design. This model uses the same USB-C connector as its predecessor, with support for USB 3.2 (Gen 2). Theres a USB-C cable included in the box, and even a USB-A adaptor! Speeds are 1000MB/s and 1050MB/s for write and read performance respectively, as previously. And our tests found that the two drives produce very similar results when running the Black Magic Disk speed test, with the Extreme Portable reaching 946MB/s for write performance and 910MB/s for read performance. The main difference is that this update for 2025 is even tougher than before, boasting an IP65 rating for resistance to water and dust. This model provides more storage capacity too, starting at 1GB and going up to 8TB. SanDisk has several portable solid-state drives that look similar and have similar names. The Extreme Pro Portable looks identical and has a faster USB4 interface, but only offers up to 4TB storage. The less expensive Portable SSD, isnt particularly fast. Check the name before you buy. Its a good option for anyone that needs to store large, high-res photo or video files on their MacBook when theyre working outdo. 4. Kingston XS1000 Pros Very competitive price Pocket-size design Weighs only 28.7g Cons No Thunderbolt interface No bundled software Cable is USB-A-to-USB-C Price When Reviewed: 1TB $84.99; 2TB $139.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Kingston $64.90 View Deal $74.99 View Deal $74.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $64.90 at Kingston $74.99 at Amazon $74.99 at B&H We liked the sturdy little XS2000 drive that Kingston launched back in 2022, but it was pretty expensive and used a version of USB known as USB 3.2 Gen 22, which isnt fully supported on the Mac at the moment. Drives that use Gen 22 will still work with a Mac, but the Mac wont get the full speed that the drive is capable of. However, Kingston has now launched a more affordable model called the XS1000. This is a more conventional USB-C drive, using standard USB 3.2 Gen 2, so its a good, affordable option for Mac users who just want a compact, lightweight backup drive. The XS1000 is one of the smallest and lightest SSDs that weve seen so far in fact, it looks more like a little USB thumb drive, rather than a high-capacity backup drive. It measures just 13.5mm thick, 32.5mm wide and 69.5mm long, and weighs only 28.7g, so you can easily slip it into your shirt or trouser pocket when youre traveling. Its not quite as rugged as the more expensive XS2000 which had an IP55 rating for water and dust resistance but the plastic and metal casing feels sturdy enough to cope with a few knocks when youre traveling, and Kingston provides a five-year warranty as well. Its very competitively priced too, costing $84.99/74.99 with 1TB of storage, or $109.99/99.99 with 2TB. The drives USB interface provides a quoted write speed of 1000MBs, while the read speed is slightly higher at 1050MB/s. It didnt quite match those speeds in our tests, but its write speed of 875MB/s and read speed of 950MB/s will still be fine for routine back-ups with Time Machine. Our only complaint is that Kingston only includes a USB-A-to-USB-C cable with the XS1000, so youll need to buy an adaptor or a new cable if your Mac only has USB-C. Professional users might prefer a faster drive, or a more rugged design, but if you just want an affordable backup drive that can go traveling with you then the XS1000 is great value for money. 5. SE920 External SSD Pros High data transfer rates Good fan Cons No transport bag No rubber feet Price When Reviewed: 1TB: $140 I 2TB: $200 I 4TB: $380 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Adata $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $179.99 at Adata The Adata SE920 External SSD is a high-performance USB4 SSD for those who need rapid data transfer speeds. It combines passive and active cooling with a compact metal housing for passive cooling, and a micro-fan with openings for active cooling. The user can actually activate the fan by pressing on the housing. If you are working on a project such as a video or image edit, or another task that could require a lot of drive access over a period of time, then switch on the fan. The rest of the time you can probably leave it. The SE920 is primarily designed for Windows users, evident from the formatting in the NTFS file system and the backup software for Windows, but this shouldnt be a problem for experienced Mac users. The SE920 is quickly reformatted in APFS using the macOS Disk Utility. Data transfer rates measured with Aja System Test Lite were impressive. The SE920 achieved 2992MBps for writes and 3161 MBps for reads. Data rates are stable over a longer period and the thermal design works perfectly. All this comes at a good price. We recommend the SE920 to any content creator. Read our full SE920 External SSD review 6. SanDisk Pro Blade System Pros Thunderbolt 3 interface (compatible with USB-C) Ultra-rugged design Professional-level performance Cons Very expensive Doesnt support Thunderbolt 4 Price When Reviewed: $49.99 for dock I $159.99 w/1TB Mag I $219.99 w/2TB I $339.99 w/4TB Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Western Digital $49.99 View Deal $159.99 View Deal $159.99 View Deal $216.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $49.99 at Western Digital $159.99 at Amazon $159.99 at B&H View more prices from Walmart Electronics Close Best Prices Today: SanDisk Pro Blade System Retailer Price Western Digital $49.99 View Deal $159.99 View Deal $159.99 View Deal $216.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket We normally organize reviews of portable drives and desktop drives separately, but the new SanDisk Pro Blade is a modular SSD storage system that is very much designed for professional and creative users, and allows you to switch between portable and desktop modes as required. You can start by buying the Pro Blade SSD Mag , which is a solid-state storage module that is available in 1TB, 2TB or 4TB sizes (the 1TB was discounted from $179.99 to $119.99 at the time of our review). The SSD Mag is pre-formatted in APFS format for Mac users, and is tough enough to withstand being dropped from a height of 3 meters or 9.8 foot, and withstand 4000lb (1814kg) crush pressure, making it ideal for outdoor use. However, the SSD Mag modules cant connect to a computer on their own, so SanDisk provides two options for portable and desktop use. For portable use you can buy the Pro Blade Transport , which is a compact case for the SSD Mag, and is equipped with a USB-C port for connecting to your Mac. The Transport measures just 130.4mm long, 71.5mm wide and 16mm thick, so you can easily slip it into your pocket or a carrying case just like any other portable drive. Its also possible to connect the Transport to a camera that has a USB-C interface so that you can record high-res video rather than having to carry lots of smaller SD memory cards. When you get back to the office you also have the option of inserting the SSD Mag modules into the Pro Blade Station ($499.99/490.99). This desktop storage system doesnt include any built-in storage of its own, but it has four slots that allow you to insert SSD Mag modules (not included) providing up to 16TB of high-speed solid-state storage. The Pro Blade Station has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, with one used to connect your Mac, while the other port can be used to daisy-chain additional storage devices if required. The Pro Blade Station is fairly expensive given that it doesnt include any storage of its own but it gives you the option of creating a high-speed, high-capacity SSD storage system for use in your office, whilst also being able to remove the individual SSD Mag modules and use them as portable drives whenever you need to. Western Digital which owns SanDisk these days claims that the Pro Blade Station can provide read and write speeds of 3000MB/s and 2600MB/s respectively. Our tests actually recorded a read speed of 2600MB/s and write speed of 2300MB/s, but thats still one of the fastest SSD drives weve ever seen, making it a good option for creative users who need a fast storage system that they can use both in the office and on the road. Read our full Sandisk Pro-Blade Transport review 7. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro Pros IP67 ruggedized Fast NVMe/Thunderbolt 3 performance Operates via Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.0 Cons Expensive Price When Reviewed: $419.99 (1TB), $739.99 (2TB), $1049.99 (4TB) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $194.99 View Deal $200.39 View Deal $274.99 View Deal $396.05 View Deal LaCie $419.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $194.99 at Amazon $200.39 at Walmart Electronics $274.99 at B&H View more prices from Walmart LaCie Close Best Prices Today: LaCie Rugged SSD Pro Retailer Price $194.99 View Deal $200.39 View Deal $274.99 View Deal $396.05 View Deal LaCie $419.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket LaCies Rugged drives have been popular with Mac users for many years, thanks to their combination of high-performance and that now-familiar orange sleeve that helps to keep the drive safe when youre working outdoors. However, the Rugged range has mostly used conventional hard drives in the past, which are slower than the latest solid-state drives, as well as being bigger and heavier. Welcome the Rugged Pro SSD, which is primarily aimed at creative users. (We look at the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 above, which is a newer model that supports Thunderbolt 5). The Rugged SSD range starts at around $180 / 180 for a model with 500GB storage, but we were able to review the SSD Pro, which stands out from the rest of the range with its matte-black sleeve. Its pretty expensive, costing $419/249.99 with 1TB of storage, and a hefty $739.99/379.99 for the 2TB model and $1,049.99/999.99 for 4TB, but it justifies that price with an even tougher design and the latest, super-fast solid-state drives designed for professional video work. (U.K. prices dropped in 2024 but US prices dont seem to have followed suit. Luckily you can get good deals at various resellers). Switching to a solid-state drive means that the SSD Pro is now the smallest model in the Rugged range, measuring just 3.8in/98mm long, 2.5in/65mm wide and 0.6in/17mm thick. It only weighs 100g/3.5oz, so you can easily slip it into your pocket or bag when youre traveling and barely even notice that its there. Despite its compact design, that new black sleeve is seriously tough and rated IP67 for resistance to water and dust, allowing it to survive in 3.2 foot/1m of water for up to 30 minutes. It can cope with being dropped from a height of 9.8 foot/3m, and can even resist the weight of a two-tonne car driving over it. It includes a five-year warranty in case anything does go wrong, which includes one visit to LaCies data-recovery labs if you need to retrieve important data. The Rugged SSD Pro includes just a single Thunderbolt 3/USB-C interface, but most of its high price is down to the use of the latest NVMe solid-state drives, which provide top performance for high-end video applications, such as editing 8K or super-slow-motion video files (which can be enormous, as they shoot at up to 240 frames per second on the latest iPhones). The drive didnt disappoint, recording consistent write speeds of 1780MB/s, and an even faster 2480MB/s for read speeds with both figures leaving just about every other SSD drive weve ever tested trailing in its wake. And, when backing up our iTunes music library, the Rugged SSD Pro blew us away by backing up 5GB of music files in just five seconds look away for a couple of seconds and youll miss it! Of course, not everyone will need that sort of performance especially at this price but if you work with high-res video and need a fast, tough drive for outdoor work then the Rugged SSD Pro is in a class of its own. Read our full LaCie Rugged SSD Pro review 8. LaCie Portable SSD Pros Small and stylish Solid construction Cons Middling performance Price When Reviewed: 500GB $129.99; 1TB $209.99; 2TB $369.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $97.99 View Deal LaCie $129.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $97.99 at Amazon $129.99 at LaCie The LaCie Portable SSD is an option for people who dont need James Bond levels of security. Available with 500GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage, the Portable SSD has a new design compared to its predecessor. Rather than sharply angular corners and edges of the now discontinued LaCie Mobile SSD, the compact Portable SSD has smoothly round corners perhaps following Apples recent fetish for rounded corners on icons in Big Sur and Monterey. Its smaller and lighter than previous drives from LaCie too, measuring just 0.4in/10.6mm thick, 1.9in/50mm wide, and 3in/80mm long, and it weighs a mere 1.5oz/45g, so its ideal for carrying around with your MacBook or iPad when youre traveling. The drive has a single USB-C interface, and includes a USB-C cable, but the low cost means that there are no added extras, such as an adaptor for older Macs that have USB-A (3.2) connectors. LaCie hasnt cut any other corners, though. The Portable SSD has a solid, sturdy design that should be able to cope with a few bumps in a backpack or briefcase, and it performs very well too. LaCie quotes read and write speeds of 1000MB/s, but repeated tests with the BlackMagic speed test app showed the Portable SSD comfortably cruising along at around 1,300MB/s with no trouble at all. That combination of speed, compact design and competitive pricing makes the Portable SSD a great option for anyone that needs a portable backup drive for their Mac or iPad. Read our full review . 9. Samsung T5 EVO Samsung T5 EVO src=https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/USB-Port.jpg?quality=50&strip=all loading=lazy /> Samsung T5 EVO data-wp-init=callbacks.initTriggerButton data-wp-on-async--click=actions.showLightbox data-wp-style--right=context.imageButtonRight data-wp-style--top=context.imageButtonTop> Pros Compact, lightweight design Sturdily built Provides up to 8TB storage Competitive price Cons Modest performer Only supports USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Price When Reviewed: 2TB: $189.99; 4TB: $$229.99; 8TB: $479.00 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Samsung (2TB) $189.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $189.99 at Samsung (2TB) T5 EVO isnt as fast as some of its SSD rivals, but its great as a general-purpose backup device and provides a faster and more portable alternative to a conventional hard drive. Unlike many solid-state drives, it provides up to 8TB of storage, making it a good option for people who need a lot of storage space for their work files, photos and videos. Its competitively priced, starting at $189.99/146 for 2TB of storage. The drive is compact, just 17mm thick, 40mm wide and 95mm long, and weighing 102g. Theres a chunky metal ring on one end that can be used to attach the drive to a backpack or belt. It doesnt have the armor-plated protection of Samsungs T7 Shield, but the T5 EVO doesnt cut corners on build quality. The drive is metal and then wrapped in a rubber sleeve to provide extra protection. It doesnt quote an IP rating for resistance to water and dust though. Its not the fastest back-up drive you can buy, and while theres a USB-C port for connecting to a Mac or PC, it only supports the relatively old USB 3.2 (Gen 1) standard, and Samsung quotes fairly modest speeds of 460MB/s for both read and write performance. Our tests showed that the drives write performance was right on the nose with a speed of 460MB/s when running the Black Magic disk speed test, although read performance was slower at 370MB/s. T5 EVO will be a great option for laptop users who want to ditch an old hard drive and replace it with a more portable solid-state drive that provides plenty of storage. 10. Lexar Armor 700 Lexar Armor 700 src=https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Lexar-Armor-700-Hero-2-1.jpg?quality=50&strip=all loading=lazy sizes=1500 /> Lexar Armor 700 data-wp-init=callbacks.initTriggerButton data-wp-on-async--click=actions.showLightbox data-wp-style--right=context.imageButtonRight data-wp-style--top=context.imageButtonTop> Pros Competitive price Up to 4TB storage Rugged, weather-resistant design Cons No Thunderbolt support Full speed requires USB 3.2 Gen 22 Price When Reviewed: 1TB: $150 I 2TB: $230 I 4TB: $400 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $209.99 View Deal B&H $209.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $209.99 at Adorama $209.99 at B&H Lexar makes a wide range of memory cards and solid-state drives that are very much aimed at creative users, and its Armor 700 drive provides fast, high-capacity storage in a rugged design that will be ideal for outdoor photo-shoots or filming. As the name suggests, the Armor 700 is sturdily built, boasting an IP66 rating for water and dust protection. This means that the drive can withstand powerful jets of water (but not complete immersion under water), and is tightly sealed to prevent dust or other particles from penetrating the drive. Its also wrapped in a shock-resistant rubber sleeve that can cope with being dropped from a height of three metres. The drive is available with 1TB, 2TB or 4TB of storage, so it provides plenty of storage for your Time Machine backups when youre on the road. Lexar also includes an app called DataShield that allows you to create an encrypted folder on the drive for storing sensitive files and data. The Amor 700 is equipped with a USB-C interface, with a USB-C cable and USB-A adaptor included in the box. Lexar states that the drive provides read and write speeds of up to 2000MB/s, but it does require a device that supports USB 3.2 Gen 22 in order to achieve those speeds (yes, USB standards are a complete mess these days). Apple doesnt support that specific version of USB, which means that Macs, iPhones and iPads with USB-C will only get a maximum speed of 1000MB/s. Our tests actually recorded scores of 910MB/s for write performance and 925MB/s for read performance, but thats more than adequate for routine backups when youre out and about. Lexar also states that this is fast enough to record 4K ProRes video from an iPhone 15 or 16, and the Armor 700 is still competitively priced when compared to rugged drives such as LaCies Rugged SSD. Professional users who really need top performance may prefer a drive that supports Thunderbolt such as LaCies high-end Rugged Pro but Thunderbolt drives are still very expensive, making the Armor 700 a good option for people on a tighter budget. You cant buy direct from Lexar, though, so its worth shopping around online to find the best price. 11. SanDisk Professional Pro-G40 Pros Thunderbolt 3 interface (compatible with USB-C) Ultra-rugged design Professional-level performance Cons Very expensive Doesnt support Thunderbolt 4 Price When Reviewed: 1TB $299.99; 2TB $449.99; 4TB $699.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $174.99 View Deal Western Digital $299.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $174.99 at Amazon $299.99 at Western Digital Many portable drives use a standard USB-C port for connecting to a Mac or PC, but SanDisks Pro-G40 opts for a high-speed Thunderbolt 3 port to provide maximum performance for professional users who need to work with large video and graphics files (and, of course, its backward-compatible with USB-C as well). The Pro-G40 was first released in 2022, and was already on our list of the best SSD drives for Mac, but this current model provides both improved performance and higher capacity for your work files. The design hasnt changed though, with a compact, portable drive that measures just 12mm thick, 58mm wide and 111mm long. It weighs just over 120g depending on the capacity you choose so you can slip it into a jacket pocket or into a carrying case alongside your MacBook with no trouble at all. The drive is also extremely tough, with a sturdy metal case that is rated IP68 one of the highest ratings possible for resistance to water, dust and other particles. Western Digital, which now owns the SanDisk brand, also claims that the drive can survive drops from a height of 3m, and can withstand crushing pressure of up to 4000lbs. The drive even includes a five-year warranty as well. The 2022 version of the Pro-G40 provided read and write speeds of 2700MB/s and 1900MB/s respectively when using the Thunderbolt cable included in the box, but the current model is rated at 3000MB/s for read and 2500MB/s for write speeds. Our tests showed it to be absolutely spot-on for write performance, consistently hitting 2500MB/s. The read performance didnt quite hit the quoted 3000MB/s, settling at just over 27000MB/s, but thats still far faster than most USB-C drives, and provides the sort of performance that professional users need for backing up their work files. That combination of high performance and ultra-rugged design does mean that the Pro-G40 is quite a bit more expensive than many USB-C drives, so its probably overkill if you just need an affordable portable drive for backing up personal files. However, professional users will be pleased to find that the price of the Pro-G40 has been reduced recently, with the 1TB model now costing $299.99/294.99, while the 2TB version is $449.99/441.99. And, as mentioned, theres a new 4TB version to provide extra capacity, priced at $699.99/687.99. Read our full SanDisk Professional PRO-G40 review 12. SanDisk Desk Drive Pros Good performance Up to 8TB capacity Compact design Cons Requires mains power No additional ports Price When Reviewed: 4TB: $379.99; 8TB: $699.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $279.99 View Deal $279.99 View Deal $289.99 View Deal Western Digital $379.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $279.99 at B&H $279.99 at Walmart Electronics $289.99 at Adorama Not Available at Amazon View more prices from Amazon Western Digital Close Best Prices Today: SanDisk Desk Drive Retailer Price $279.99 View Deal $279.99 View Deal $289.99 View Deal Western Digital $379.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The lightweight, compact design of solid-state drives makes them a great option if you need a portable back-up drive to use with your MacBook when youre traveling. However, portable SSDs do tend to have limited storage capacity, often with a maximum of just 1TB or 2TB. In contrast, the SanDisk Desk Drive provides both high-speed SSD performance and high capacity too, starting with a minimum of 4TB for $379.99/359.99. If thats not enough then you can also step up to 8TB, for $699.99/663.99. As the name suggests, the Desk Drive is very much designed for desktop use in an office, and its larger than most conventional SSDs, standing 40.2mm high and 99.2mm on each side, and weighing 268g. The drive itself is still small and light enough to slip into a backpack or traveling bag along with your MacBook, but it does require a mains power supply as well, so this isnt a drive that is going to leave the office very often (we did try to power it through a USB-C port on our MacBook Pro, but that didnt work). Its also a little disappointing that the Desk Drive just has a single USB-C port for data transfer. At this price, a couple of extra ports would have been a useful bonus, especially for MacBook models that only have a couple of USB-C ports of their own. We didnt have any complaints about the Desk Drives performance, though. SanDisk quotes a speed of 1GB/s, although the results we got were closer to 925MB/s and 910MB/s for write and read speeds respectively. Thats not as fast as some high-end SSDs that are designed for professional users such as SanDisks own Pro Blade system but its still a lot faster than a conventional hard drive, and the Desk Drive will be a very good option for people who simply need a fast backup drive that provides plenty of storage for photos, videos and work files. 13. Seagate OneTouch SSD Pros Ships with USB cables that cover both USB-C and USB-A Sturdily built Cons Doesnt offer hardware encryption options Price When Reviewed: 500GB $94.99; 1TB $169.99; 2TB $309.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Seagate $94.99 View Deal $105.56 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $94.99 at Seagate $105.56 at Amazon Seagates OneTouch hard drives are a popular choice with many users. The OneTouch SSD is the smallest and lightest portable drive weve ever seen and is available in black, silver or blue. When sitting flat on the desk it measures just 2in/50mm wide, 2.7in/70mm deep and a mere 0.4in/10.6mm thick. And it weighs only 2.6oz/74g, so you can easily slip it into your pocket and carry it around with your laptop or iPad when youre traveling. Its sturdily built too, with Seagate claiming that it can withstand being dropped from a height of 6.5 foot/2m. The OneTouch drive has a USB-C interface, but Seagate includes both USB-C and USB-A cables so that you can use it with most Macs and PCs straight out of the box. It works with Apples Time Machine for automatic backups, but Seagate also includes its own ToolKit app, which has a sync option for backing up specific folders. The drive also includes a one-year free subscription to the Mylio photo-organizer app, and four months with Adobes CC Photography plan, normally $9.99/9.98 a month on an annual plan (read our guide to getting the best deal on Adobe Creative Cloud ). The drive is available with 500GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage, so it provides plenty of room for backing up large libraries of photos, videos or music. It doesnt quite match Seagates quoted speed of 1GB/s, but it recorded read and write speeds of 835MB/s and 915MB/s respectively in our tests, which still put it among the fastest solid-state drives that weve tested recently. And, with its ridiculously light and compact design, the OneTouch will be ideal for backing up all your important files when youre on the move. 14. LaCie Rugged Mini SSD Pros Compact, rugged design Up to 4TB storage 3-year warranty Cons Expensive No Thunderbolt interface Requires USB 3.2 Gen 22 for maximum performance Price When Reviewed: 500GB = $89.99; 1TB $129.99; 2TB $234.99; 4TB $439.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $79.99 View Deal $79.99 View Deal Lacie $84.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $79.99 at Amazon $79.99 at B&H $84.99 at Lacie Continuing LaCies Rugged range of hard drives and SSDs. These have long been popular with people who need a sturdy back-up drive that can cope with rough weather and conditions when working outdoors, but the Rugged drives have always tended to be rather large and bulky like the Rugged SSD Pro (above) so LaCie has produced a more compact option in the form of the new Rugged Mini SSD. As you might expect, the Rugged Mini looks very much like its rugged relatives, with LaCies distinctive bright orange rubber sleeve helping to keep the drive safe. But, of course, its a lot smaller than previous models, measuring just 17.3mm thick, 66.9mm wide, 105mm long. It only weighs 114g as well, so you can easily slip it into a jacket pocket or backpack when youre traveling. Despite that compact design, the Rugged Mini is still tough enough to cope with some rough treatment. Its rated IP54 for water and dust resistance, so it should be able to cope with life outdoors if youre working on location for a photo- or video shoot. And, thanks to that rubber sleeve, it can handle drops of up to 3m and even survive being driven over by a 1-tonne truck. And if thats not tough enough, the drive comes with a three-year warranty that includes LaCies Rescue Data Recovery Service, to help restore any lost data. The drives USB-C port will work with any Mac or PC that also has USB-C or Thunderbolt. But, like a number of drives that weve seen recently, it uses a version of USB known as USB 3.2 Gen 22, which isnt fully supported by Macs at the moment. This means that Macs wont be able to get the full 2000MB/s speeds supported by that interface, and our tests confirmed this, recording write and read speeds of 900MB/s and 970MB/s respectively. Weve seen stronger performance from some rival drives, but those speeds should be perfectly adequate for routine backups when youre on the road, and the sturdy design of the Rugged Mini makes it a good option for people who need a drive that they can use outdoors on a regular basis. Pricing is a little confusing, though. In the US, the Rugged Mini costs $84.99/74.99 (1TB), $109.99/99.99 (2TB), and $159.99/149.99 (4TB). Weve seen much lower prices from Amazon and other online retailers, so its definitely worth shopping around before buying. 15. WD My Passport SSD Pros Lightweight Offers USB-C and A Hardware encryption Cons Expensive Remarkably short cable Software issues Price When Reviewed: 500GB $59.99; 1TB $74.99; 2TB $179.99; 4TB $319.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Western Digital $59.99 View Deal $84.99 View Deal $84.99 View Deal $84.99 View Deal $145.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $59.99 at Western Digital $84.99 at Amazon $84.99 at B&H View more prices from Walmart Best Buy Dell Home Home Office Close Best Prices Today: WD My Passport SSD Retailer Price Western Digital $59.99 View Deal $84.99 View Deal $84.99 View Deal $84.99 View Deal $145.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Western Digitals Passport drives have always provided portable, lightweight designs, and the My Passport SSD combines compact design with strong performance and additional security features. Available in a variety of colors, the My Passport SSD provides up to 4TB of solid-state storage, although the 1TB model that we review here costs $74.99/94.99. The drive measures just 0.35in/9mm thick, and weighs 1.6oz/46g, so its small enough to slip into a jacket pocket when youre on the move. However, its also tough enough to survive being dropped from a height of two metres. The drive is equipped with a USB-C interface, but WD includes a USB-C cable and a USB-A adaptor with the drive, so you can still use it with older Macs that dont have USB-C. The solid-state drive provides good performance too, recording a write speed of 935MB/s and read speed of 908MB/s, making it a great option for backing up your important files on the move. Its secure too, as WDs Discovery app allows you to set a password for the drive in order keep your files safe. Theres a second app as well, called WD Unlocker, which is built into the drive itself, and allows you to enter the password so that you can use the drive with another Mac or PC if you need to. When the drive was first introduced there were complaints that the WD apps hadnt been properly updated to 64-bit code for the latest versions of the macOS, but we tested the drive with our office Macs and didnt encounter any problems. Read a full review over on our sister site Tech Advisor. 16. Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield Pros Rugged & shock resistant Password protection USB-C cable and a USB-A adaptor included Cons The standard T7 is cheaper and may be sufficient for your needs. Price When Reviewed: 1TB $129.99; 2TB $219.99; 4TB $389.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $99.99 View Deal $99.99 View Deal $99.99 View Deal $109.99 View Deal $129.99 View Deal $144.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $99.99 at Amazon $99.99 at B&H $99.99 at Best Buy View more prices from Walmart Samsung Dell Home Home Office Close Best Prices Today: Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield Retailer Price $99.99 View Deal $99.99 View Deal $99.99 View Deal $109.99 View Deal $129.99 View Deal $144.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket There are three versions of Samsungs T7 . The standard T7 is a compact, lightweight SSD that looks very similar to the old T5 although it boasts higher performance, so make sure you check the model numbers before buying. We tested the T7 Shield, which is a more rugged model, wrapped in a sturdy rubber sleeve designed for outdoor use. Both of those models can use Samsungs Portable SSD app to add password protection for your files, but theres also a third model called the T7 Touch that has a built-in fingerprint sensor for extra security and convenience. Available in black, blue or silver, the T7 Shield costs $129/110 with 1TB of storage, but we are seeing great discounts now its been out a while. It has a USB-C interface for connecting to your Mac, but Samsung includes a USB-C cable and a USB-A adaptor so that you can use it with older Macs that have USB-A. The rugged protective sleeve means that its a little larger than the other T7 models, measuring 0.5in/13mm thick, 2.3in/59mm wide and 3.4in/88mm long, and weighing 3.4oz/98g. Even so, its still small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or backpack with no trouble at all, and many people will appreciate the extra protection that it offers. The T7 Shield is rated IP65 for water- and dust-resistance, and Samsung claims that the shock-resistant rubber sleeve can survive drops from a height of three meters. Its a good performer too. Samsung quotes read and write speeds of 1,000MB/s, but our tests with the Blackmagic disk tool actually recorded a read speed of 1,780MB/s, and a write speed of 1,300MB/s, which makes the T7 Shield a great backup option for people who need to work outdoors with their laptop. 17. OWC Express 1M2 USB4 SSD Pros Very high data transfer rates High-quality housing Good cooling without a fan Cons Short connection cable Price When Reviewed: 1TB: $219.99 I 2TB: $299.99 I 4TB: $529.99 I 8TB: $1,299.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price OWC $219.99 View Deal $249.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $219.99 at OWC $249.99 at Amazon The OWC Express 1M2s cooling fins alone account for around half of the overall height of this external SSD. The aluminum housing is quite large at 5.2 by 2.8 by 0.9 inches (13.2 by 7.1 by 2.3 centimeters) and the very high-quality metal housing also has sufficiently large rubber surfaces on the underside. To test for speed, we used two benchmarks, Aja System Test Lite and Blackmagicdesign Disk Speed Test. The results are impressive: 2736MBps (write) and 2980MBps (read) in Aja System Test Lite. The values with Blackmagicdesign Disk Speed Test were around 100MBps higherit cracked the 3000 MBps mark in the read test. Read our full OWC Express 1M2 USB4 SSD review How to choose an SSD: Buying advice Youve read our recommendations of the best SSDs for Mac owners on the market right now. But how did we reach these decisions, and what general advice should you follow when selecting an SSD? SSDs vs hard drives Cost per gigabyte is themain stumbling block. You might pay $200 for a 1TB portable SSD, whereas a 1TB external hard drive costs around $25. This is because hard drives use relatively cheap spinning platters to store data. SSDs employ NAND memory chips. They are pricier, but also faster and allow for much smaller enclosures. If you decide in favor of hard drives, see our roundup of the best Mac hard drives . 2.5in or ultra-portable? SSD performance varies from around 300-500MB/s read speeds all the way up to 3000MB/s, but there are three basic physical forms of SSD. And two can be considered portable. Naked SSD boards plug directly into PCIe or SATA interfaces. These are the kind you might use to replace the SSD in a laptop, or add to a desktop. They are not really portable. 2.5in SSDs offer a mix of portability and internal use, and are the cheapest way to get a portable drive. They have a plastic casing, avoiding damage to the components, but use SATA connectors rather than USB. You can buy an enclosure to get more protection and that all-important USB or Thunderbolt interface, or even just use a SATA-to-USB cable. We use one of these cables in the office to ferry around test files on a 2.5in SSD. For the ultimate portable experience you need a pocket SSD, though, not one based on 2.5in drive dimensions. These are designed to be used with USB or Thunderbolt connectors, not those found inside a Mac or MacBook. Youll mostly find this kind below. They are incredibly small and convenient. However, they are more expensive than 2.5in-style drives, so you may want to consider the larger type if lower spend is a top concern. Shock-proof, and rugged? SSDs are more durable than hard drives. They have no moving parts, and wont be damaged if they are moved or knocked while writing data. While modern hard drives have some level of shock protection, its still a big issue. You can treat an SSD pretty mean before it starts complaining. Some portable SSDs even offer water resistance. You can also get ruggedization in a specialized drive enclosure, if you choose to go down the 2.5in drive route. This is a huge portability benefit. But if they are sat still all day, are SSDs more reliable than HDDs? Hard drives tend to fail mechanically. For example, the motor that spins the platters might burn out. SSDs memory cells age, which can lead to failure. Both kinds require specialist recovery. As ever, back up important data. However, for our purposes, as people who occasionally have to fling drives in rucksacks and plug them in while sat in an airplane seat, SSDs are the clear winner. Matching SSD performance to your connectors How fast can you expect SSD file transfers to be? The top external SSDs can read and write at up to around 550MB/s. However, to get these speeds you need a port on your Mac or MacBook that can handle this bandwidth. If youve got a recent model with a Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port, youre set. While external SSDs use USB 3.1 standards rather than Thunderbolt, the port also supports USB 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2, which is what were after. Have an older machine with USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 ports? Youll see some speed compromise. USB 3.0 can hack most of an external SSDs speed, with theoretical max of 625MB/s, or a chunk lower in real-world use. Think twice if your computer is rather old, say a 2011 MacBook Pro, and only has USB 2.0 ports. These max out at 60MB/s, which just cant do justice to these ultra-fast SSDs. In that case, consider a hard drive instead. How much storage do I need? Recent external SSDs tend to come in three or four capacities: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and you might even find 8TB. Youll want to think carefully about the capacity you need, as the cost difference between 500GB and 1TB models is usually stark. There arent the same relatively minor price leaps seen in 1-4TB hard drives. We cant answer this one for you, but its a good idea to do a quick mental calculation. For example, 4K footage from a Panasonic Lumix GH4 camera eats up 4GB every five minutes. Video editors who work in 4K need a lot of storage. However, if you just need to back up or carry around some movies and photos, a smaller-capacity model may well do the trick. Check out your Macs own storage capacity and use that as a guide.

Macworld Podcast: iPhone 16e review

Macworld Apples newest iPhone is in the house, and on this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about the iPhone 16e. Is it a good phone, whos it for and most importantly, should you buy one? This is episode 925 with Jason Cross , Michael Simon , and Roman Loyola . Watch episode 925 on YouTube Listen to episode 925 on Apple Podcasts Listen to episode 925 on Spotify Get info For more information about the topics discussed on the show, click on the links below. iPhone 16e review: A study in contrasts Apple C1 modem real-world tests: Good enough, but a step slow The iPhone 16e DOES work with MagSafe chargers kind of iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE: Is it finally time to upgrade? iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: Are the compromises worth $200? Apple iPhone 16e Read our review Price When Reviewed: From $599 Best Prices Today: $599 at Apple Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcastor leave us a review! right here in the Podcasts app . The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify and on the Macworld Podcast YouTube channel . Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld To find previous episodes, visit Macworlds podcast page or our home on MegaPhone . Apple

Zens Quattro Charger Pro 4 review: Taking wireless charging to another level

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Fast charging Four Qi2 charging stations Premium design Cons High price Our Verdict This is an impressive multi-device charger, featuring four fast Qi2 charging stations for iPhones and AirPods in a small footprint due to its dual-level design. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $149.99 Best Prices Today: Zens Quattro Charger Pro 4 Retailer Price Zens $149.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Zens is an accessory maker with a stable of premium chargers for Apple devices. The Quattro Charger Pro 4 is a charging station that boasts four fully fledged 15W Qi2 charging slots. Weve reviewed multi-gadget MagSafe chargers previously, of course, and some could handle four Apple devices. But none wirelessly at the same time. The four charging slots are Qi2 and MagSafe compatible, each with a maximum charging power of 15W. Aside from iPhones from version 12 to 16, the charging slots are also compatible with the Apple AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2nd generation and later, as well as with other headphone charging cases. Total output is 65W, allowing for each iPhone charging pad to reach its theoretical maximum. In our tests, we measured an iPhone 15 reaching a charge of 35% after 30 minutes. The magnetic hold of the charging stations is excellent, and each is rubberized to protect the resting iPhones. The base of the Quattro Charger Pro 4 is also rubberized, and so stays upright perfectly despite its relatively high weight of 23oz (650g). It has a small footprint for a charging station that can handle four devices at the same time, due to its two-level design. It measures 6.9 x 2.7 x 2.6 inches (17.5 x 6.8 x 6.6cm). Thomas Bergbold Price The package includes a 65W power supply with connections for EU, U.K., U.S./CA and AU/NZ. The robust connection cable with its fabric coating is 1.5 meters long. The Quattro Charger Pro 4 is available in two colors, black and white, for $199.99 / 179.99 / 179.99. Verdict Finally, a charging manufacturer that thinks about families. Whether its the iPhones of a family of four or the AirPods in a central place in the living room, the Quattro Charger Pro 4 solves every charger dispute. The Quattro Charger Pro 4 is not only as fast as you would expect from a Qi2 charger, but it also saves space and cable clutter. The system of distributing the charging stations over two floors is something any interior designer would appreciate. The only downside is the relatively high price, which is reflected in the high-quality workmanship and robust design.

AirPods 4 are back down to their all-time best price

Macworld Apples AirPods are often on sale, but we rarely see them drop down to their all-time-low price. Today they have: Amazon is selling the AirPods 4 for $100 again , a savings of $29 off its usual $129 for the version without noise cancelation. If you want the ANC version, that ones on sale, too, for $149 ($30 off). We reviewed the AirPods with Active Noise Cancelation, and theyre otherwise exactly the same as the model without it. We rated them with a near-perfect 4.5 score and appreciated the overall audio quality, as well as the wireless charging case. Our review also noted that voice recordings, podcasts, and phone calls have impressive clarity and volume. Thats particularly awesome because while listening to music is obviously going to be one of the main things youll use the AirPods for, youll also take on plenty of phone calls. The earbuds also come with hands-free Siri support, which is particularly helpful when you dont want to take out your phone. The battery life is also rather impressive, with up to 30 hours of playback when using the charging case. We love seeing the AirPods 4 for $100 right now , and we doubt well see a better price anytime soon. So go ahead and get your own because this deal wont be around forever. Get the AirPods 4 for their best price Buy now at Amazon

Best Apple Watch deals this month

Macworld The Apple Watch is arguably the best smartwatch on the market, but its not cheapstarting at $399/399 for the Apple Watch Series 10 . However, you dont have to pay full price for an Apple Watch. Resellers are currently offering some fantastic deals on the Apple Watch. In this article, we share the best Apple Watch deals you can get right now so you dont have to pay full price. But if youre trying to choose the right model for your needs, take a look at our Best Apple Watch buying guide . Best Apple Watch deals The Apple Watch Series 10 arrived in September 2024. The arrival of the Series 10 marked the end of the Apple Watch Series 9, which Apple discontinued. Despite that, it is likely to remain on sale from resellers for some timeand you could take advantage of some decent discounts. The Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra 2 havent been updated. U.S. Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm) : $329 ($70 off with coupon, MSRP $399) Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm) : $359 ($70 off with coupon, MSRP $429) Amazon, Apple Watch SE 2 (40mm) : $199 ($50 off, MSRP $249) Amazon, Apple Watch SE 2 (44mm) : $229 ($50 off, MSRP $279) U.K. Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm) : 382 (17 off, RRP 399) Amazon, Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm) : 409 (20 off, RRP 429) Amazon, Apple Watch SE (2022, 40mm) : 209 (10 off, RRP 219) Amazon, Apple Watch SE (2022, 44mm) : 235 (14 off, RRP 249) Amazon, Apple Watch Ultra (1st gen) : 650 (199 off, RRP was 849 Clearance ) Use our automated price trackers below to compare prices for the most popular models across various retailers. Best Apple Watch Series 10 deals The Apple Watch 10 (2024 model) starts at $399/399 for the aluminum 41mm version and $429/429 for the 44mm model.Its an extra $100/100 for cellular. It costs the same as the Series 9 did. Apple Watch Series 10, 42mm, from $399/399 Retailer Price $299 View Deal $299 View Deal $399 View Deal $399 View Deal $399 View Deal $399 View Deal $399.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Apple Watch Series 10, 46mm, from $429/429 New Refurbished Retailer Price $329 View Deal $329 View Deal $429 View Deal $429 View Deal $429 View Deal $429.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Apple Watch Series 10 (2024) GPS + Cellular 42 mm Aluminium Rose Gold Sport band Starlight $309.95 View Deal Apple Watch Series 10 (2024) GPS + Cellular 46 mm Aluminium Rose Gold Sport band Starlight $389 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Best Apple Watch Ultra2 deals The Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023 model) starts at $799/799. It comes with cellular. The original Ultra previously sold for $799/849, so the U.K. price is better this time. Apple Watch Ultra 2, from $799/799 New Refurbished Retailer Price $799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band Blue $498.92 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band White $529.99 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Alpine loop Blue $534.92 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2023) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Alpine loop Starlight $599 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Best Apple Watch SE (2022)deals The Apple Watch SE (2022 model) starts at $249/219 (was 259) for the 40mm version. Its an extra $50/50 for cellular. New Refurbished Retailer Price $169 View Deal $169 View Deal $249 View Deal $249 View Deal $249.99 View Deal $299.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 40 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $139 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 40 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $149.33 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 40 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $155.14 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS + Cellular 40 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band White $160.49 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS + Cellular 40 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $165 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS + Cellular 40 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $173 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 40 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport loop Starlight $179 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices The 44mm version of the Apple Watch SE 2 starts at $279/249 (was 299). New Refurbished Retailer Price $199 View Deal $279 View Deal $279 View Deal $279.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 44 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $153.09 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS + Cellular 44 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $153.44 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 44 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $171.19 View Deal Apple Watch Series SE 2 (2022) GPS 44 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Discontinued Apple Watches Best Apple Watch Ultra 1 deals The original Apple Watch Ultra was discontinued when the second model launched, but you may still see a deal or two. You can also expect to see refurbished and used models for sale. Apple Watch Ultra 1, 49mm, was $799/849 New Refurbished Retailer Price $799.99 View Deal $799.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band White $424.01 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band Black $429.99 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Trail loop Black $450 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Alpine loop Green $470.79 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band Yellow $474.99 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Ocean band Blue $498.92 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Alpine loop White $525 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Trail loop Blue $556 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2023) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Alpine loop Starlight $599 View Deal Apple Watch Ultra (2022) GPS + Cellular 49 mm Titanium Natural Titanium Trail loop Yellow $798 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Best Apple Watch Series 9 deals The Apple Watch 9 (2023 model) has been discontinued, but you may still see a deal or two. You can also expect to see refurbished and used models for sale. Apple Watch Series 9, 41mm, was $399/399 New Refurbished Retailer Price $154.99 View Deal $399 View Deal $399 View Deal $399.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 41 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $239 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 41 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $240.04 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $241.23 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 41 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band Blue $249.67 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Aluminium Pink Sport band Pink $255 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $284.66 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band Blue $295 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Apple Watch Series 9, 45mm, was $429/429 New Refurbished Retailer Price $429.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $244.18 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band Blue $246.34 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $246.34 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band Blue $276.49 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $276.74 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $284.66 View Deal Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $299.95 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Best Apple Watch Series 8 deals Its been a couple of years since Apple sold the Series 8, but you can can expect to see refurbished and used models for sale. Apple Watch Series 8, 41mm, was from $399/419 New Refurbished Retailer Price $379.99 View Deal $389 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $197.30 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS 41 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $197.89 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $197.89 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS 41 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $201.12 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 41 mm Stainless steel Silver Sport band White $499.99 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Apple Watch Series 8, 45mm, was from $399/419 New Refurbished Retailer Price Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $192 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Midnight Sport band Black $192 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS 45 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $194.19 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Starlight Sport band Starlight $197.89 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Silver Sport band White $198.28 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Red $206.11 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Aluminium Red Sport band Black $285 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Stainless steel Gold Sport band Starlight $299.59 View Deal Apple Watch Series 8 (2022) GPS + Cellular 45 mm Stainless steel Graphite Sport band Black $366.68 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Where to buy an Apple Watch If youre simply looking to pick up an Apple Watch regardless of price, there are plenty of stores that sell not only the latest Apple Watch Series, but older variants of the Apple Watch that arent available from Apple any moresome at significant savings, too. Apple Watch buyers in the U.S. can check out the following stores: Apple Amazon Best Buy Costco Target Walmart If youre based in the U.K., you can pick up an Apple Watch from the following retailers: Apple Amazon Argos Carphone Warehouse Currys John Lewis KRCS Very Where to buy an Apple Watch with Cellular Youve also got the option of picking up an Apple Watch with a cellular contract, allowing it to function as a standalone device that doesnt need to be tethered to your phone to make calls and send texts.Amazon and other retailers sell the Apple Watch with cellular and you can usually find discounts on most models, though not as deep as the GPS versions. Here are the sales were tracking this month: All of the major U.S. carriers sell the Apple Watch and offer trade-in deals: T-Mobile Verizon AT&T Carriers in the UK that stock the Apple Watch include: EE O2 Vodafone Best refurbished Apple Watch deals One of the best places to look for Apple Watch deals all year round is the Apple Refurbished Store. There, youll find huge Apple Watch discounts, sometimes even on the latest models. These Apple Watches have been returned to Apple for various reasons, and then completely revamped for resale. One of the major benefits of buying a refurbished Watch from Apple is that it will come with a one-year warranty so Apple may fix or replace it for free should anything happen to it in that first year. In the U.S. you can get an Apple Watch Series 9, either generation of Ultra, or the SE for less than full price. You can, for example, save $120 on a refurbished 2nd-gen Apple Watch Ultra. Get a refurbished Apple Watch at Apple's refurbished store (U.S.) In the U.K. you can save money on an Apple Watch Series 7, 8, or 9, either generation of Ultra, or the Apple Watch SE. For instance, you can save up to 100 on a refurbished Apple Watch 9. Get a refurbished Apple Watch at Apple's refurbished store (U.K.) For more information on this topic, read Should I buy a refurbished Apple Watch? See our roundup of the best Apple Watch bands , as well as our roundup of the best stands and charging docks . Also, note that Apple has left the power adapter out of the box for the Apple Watch Series 6 and later. Read: Which plug do I need for my Apple Watch? If this is your first time buying and using an Apple Watch, weve also got helpful tips on how to use the Apple Watch .

macOS Sequoia 15.3.2 brings bug fixes and one major security patch

Macworld While macOS 15.4 is still in beta testing, Apple has released a second small update to macOS 15.3 with an important security fix. The release notes dont offer any clues as to what the bug fixes are, but Apples security update page explains the patch. The issue, which affects the WebKit engine, is a supplementary fix for an attack that was previously blocked in iOS 17.2, which was released in December 2023. According to Apple, the flaw may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals using versions prior to iOS 17.2. Apple released macOS Sonoma 14.2, Ventura 13.6.3, and Monterey 12.7.2 alongside iOS 17.2, though its unclear which patch this specifically refers to. Apple describes the flaw as an out-of-bounds write issue, which was addressed with improved checks to prevent unauthorized actions. You can update your Mac by heading over to System Settings , and then select General and Software Update .

iOS 18.3.2 is released with a single critical WebKit fix

Macworld Its not often that Apple releases an iOS update to address a single security vulnerabilitygenerally, there are at least a few security holes plugged in even a minor iOS point release. Its even more rare that the security fix in question addresses something that was seemingly already fixed. But thats exactly the case with iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2. According to Apples security note on this release , the only change in this release is a WebKit update to address an out-of-bounds write issue that allowed some content to break out of the web sandbox. The most interesting part is Apples note that this was an issue addressed in iOS 17.2 back in December 2023 and needed further attention: This is a supplementary fix for an attack that was blocked in iOS 17.2. (Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 17.2.) So go head over to Settings and update your iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Theres a security vulnerability that wasnt as tightly fixed as it should have been over a year ago.

Best deals on Apples cheapest iPad

Macworld Apple sells four kinds of iPad: the iPad Pro; the iPad Air; the iPad mini; and the standard, cheapest iPad. In this roundup, weve got all the best deals on Apples cheapest iPad, which is currently the iPad A16 model introduced in March 2025. The 2025 A16 iPad is the 11th-generation model, replacing the 2022 iPad (10th generation) which ran on an A14 chip. The main selling point of the 2025 iPad is that it has double the storage at the entry level, so its a better deal than ever. The processor has leapt from the A14 to A16, which might sound good, but this is also the main disadvantage of the 2025 iPad . The A16 is not compatible with Apple Intelligence , the new AI features Apple is making quite a fuss about. It will be a while before you can get money off the A16 iPad, which goes on sale on March 12, but you can save money on an older iPad, which isnt all that different to the new one. Just beware that the older model had half the storage for the same price, so the deal will have to take that into account to be worth it. For that reason we will be clear about what the newer model would cost when listing the deals on the older model below. Weve checked all the best places to pick up the iPad at the best price for you so that you can get a bargain. If youd like to see the best prices for the standard iPads more expensive siblings, including iPad Air , iPad mini and iPad Pro , click those links for dedicated deals roundups. Also, have a look at our iPad buying buide if youre not sure which model you want. You may also like to read our best iPad for kids , best iPad for students , and best iPad for seniors guides. You can also check out our roundup of the best Apple deals . How to buy an iPad A16 If you want to pre-order the iPad from Apple you can do so now. However, if you wait until March 12, when the iPad Air becomes available from other resellers including Amazon , you may find that there are slight discounts. For example, if you are shopping from the U.K. KRCS usually knocks a few pounds off Apples price at launch. Pre-order the iPad from Apple U.S. Pre-order the iPad from Apple U.K. Best standard iPad deals right now The main difference between the 2025 iPad and the 2022 iPad is that you will get more storage for your money with the newer models. The entry-level 2022 iPad had 64GB storage, while the 2025 iPad has double that storage for the same price. So is is crucial to keep that in mind if you are concidering buying a 10th-gen iPad, or you risk spending more on an older iPad. We will include any good deals on the older iPad models below. U.S. These U.S. deals are not recommended, we share them to demontrate what should be avoided. Amazon, 10th gen iPad (64GB) : $319 The 2025 iPad (128GB) costs $349 so spend $30 more to get the new iPad. Amazon, 10th-gen iPad (256GB) : $429 The 2025 iPad (256GB) costs $449 so spend $20 more to get the new iPad. U.K. Amazon, 10th-gen iPad (2022, 256GB) : 379 (100 off, RRP was 479 Clearance . Note that the 256GB version of the 2025 iPad costs 429 so it may be worth spending extra for the newer model.) Argos, 9th-gen iPad (2021, 64GB) : 289 (80 off, RRP was 369 Clearance ) Check below to see other deals that are available, including the cellular models. Best deals for the iPad (2025, A16) Below you will find the the best prices at various resellers once the iPad goes on sale on March 12. iPad (A16, 128GB, Wi-Fi): $349/329 Retailer Price $349 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Discontinued iPads You may find older iPads on sale, just make sure you compare the price to that of the 2025 iPad. The 10th-gen iPad , with its larger 10.9-inch display, launched in October 2022. 10th-gen iPad (A14, 64GB, Wi-Fi): $349/329 New Refurbished Retailer Price $269 View Deal $269 View Deal $295 View Deal $296 View Deal $349 View Deal $349.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad 10.9 (2022) 64GB Blue (Wi-Fi) $265 View Deal iPad 10.9 (2022) 64GB Silver (Wi-Fi) $299.99 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket 10th-gen iPad (A14, 256GB, Wi-Fi): $499/479 New Refurbished Retailer Price $399 View Deal $429 View Deal $429 View Deal $479 View Deal $499 View Deal $499.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad 10.9 (2022) 256GB Yellow (Wi-Fi) $394.57 View Deal iPad 10.9 (2022) 256GB Silver (Wi-Fi) $399 View Deal iPad 10.9 (2022) 256GB Blue (Wi-Fi) $429 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket 9th-gen iPad (A13, 64GB, Wi-Fi): MSRP was $329/369 (now discontinued) New Refurbished Retailer Price $258 View Deal $269.99 View Deal $289.99 View Deal $298.95 View Deal $329.99 View Deal $329.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad 10.2 (2021) 64GB Space Gray (Wi-Fi) $179 View Deal iPad 10.2 (2021) 64GB Silver (Wi-Fi) $204.84 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket 9th-gen iPad (A13, 256GB, Wi-Fi): MSRP was $479/549 (now discontinued) New Refurbished Retailer Price $299 View Deal $399.99 View Deal $449 View Deal $459.99 View Deal $464 View Deal $479.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad 10.2 (2021) 64GB Space Gray (Wi-Fi + 4G) $178 View Deal iPad 10.2 (2021) 64GB Silver (Wi-Fi + 4G) $229 View Deal iPad 10.2 (2021) 256GB Space Gray (Wi-Fi) $264 View Deal iPad 10.2 (2021) 256GB Silver (Wi-Fi) $272.81 View Deal $319.99 View Deal $319.99 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices Where to buy the iPad U.S. retailers Apple Amazon Best Buy Costco Target Walmart U.K. retailers Apple Amazon Argos Currys John Lewis KRCS Very Apple has a number of Apple Premium Resellers who stock iPads in the U.K., and also offer other services, try the following: KRCS , often the first to discount new products iStore Select Western Computer Where to buy the iPad on contract If you want to buy the iPad on contract you could try these networks: U.S. network carriers AT&T Verizon T-Mobile U.K. network carriers EE O2 Sky Vodafone Virgin Media Three Best refurbished iPad deals The deals you will see above are generally from Apple resellers rather than Apple itself, which very rarely drops the prices. Apple does, however, sell reconditioned iPads in its refurbished store. So you might be able to grab a bargain. The iPads in Apples refurbished store may be ex-display stock, or they may have been returned to Apple due to a fault, but they are fully reconditioned now and come with a full years warranty. Its not like buying secondhand. The U.S. refurbished store has a selection that includes: Standard iPad (8th and 9th generation) iPad Air (4th generation) 11-inch iPad Pro (2nd and 3rd generation) 12.9-inch iPad Pro (4th and 5th generation) iPad mini (5th and 6th generation) Compared to the original price, you can save as much as $320 on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Get a refurbished iPad at Apple's refurbished store (U.S.) In the U.K. youll find a similar selection of iPads available from Apples refurbished store. Youll find the following: Standard iPad (9th generation) iPad Air (4th generation) 11-inch iPad Pro (2nd and 3rd generation) 12.9-inch iPad Pro (5th generation) iPad mini (5th and 6th generation) There are savings of 480 on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, compared to the original price. Get a refurbished iPad at Apple's refurbished store (U.K.) Another place to look is BackMarket US and BackMarket UK , which sells refurbished Macs and other Apple products. Amazon also has a certified refurbished store for Apple products, but we would advise against buying any products that are older than five years. Most of the products we see on the Amazon refurbished store are unfortunately very old. There is a large refurbished market for the iPad. Wed recommend taking a look at these refurbished resellers for iPad offers: Amazon AWD Big Phone Store eBay Envirofone Affordable Mac Tech Trade 4Gadgets Handtec Laptops Direct Music Magpie Preloved Smartfone Store

Samsung T5 EVO review time to update your hard drive

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Compact, lightweight design Sturdily built Provides up to 8TB storage Competitive price Cons Modest performer Only supports USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Magician app needs an update Our Verdict Its not the fastest SSD around, but the compact and portable design of the T5 EVO makes it a very affordable upgrade for people who are still using older hard drives for their Time Machine back-ups. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed 2TB: $189.99; 4TB: $$229.99; 8TB: $479.00 Best Prices Today: Samsung T5 EVO (2025) Retailer Price Samsung (2TB) $189.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Samsung makes a wide range of high-performance solid-state drives, including the seriously rugged T7 Shield, which has been on our list of best SSDs for Mac for the last couple of years. Its new T5 EVO isnt as fast as some of its SSD rivals, but rather than competing with more expensive, high-end drives, Samsung is really promoting the affordable T5 EVO as a general-purpose backup device that provides a faster and more portable alternative to a conventional hard drive. And, unlike many solid-state drives, it provides up to 8TB of storage, making it a good option for people who need a lot of storage space for their work files, photos and videos. Its competitively priced too, starting at $189.99/146 with 2TB of storage, while the 8TB model costs $479/493. It might not have the armour-plated protection of the T7 Shield, but the sturdy little T5 EVO doesnt cut corners on build quality. The drive is very compact, measuring just 17mm thick, 40mm wide and 95mm long although that 95mm also includes a chunky metal ring on one end that can be used to attach the drive to a backpack or belt when youre travelling. It only weighs 102g as well, so its no trouble to carry it around when youre out and about. The drive is very solidly built, though, despite its lightweight design, as the body of the drive is also made out of metal, and then wrapped in a rubber sleeve to provide extra protection. Samsung states that the T5 EVO can withstand being dropped from a height of 2m, although its a little disappointing that it doesnt quote an IP rating for resistance to water and dust. If youre worried about dropping the drive in a puddle or exposing it to heavy rain then you might want to opt for the T7 Shield with its rating of IP65, or rivals such as the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5, which also provides support for high-speed Thunderbolt 5. We found that werent able to get Samsungs Magician app to run on our MacBook Pro using Sonoma, or Sequoia on a Mac mini either, as it seems to require system extensions that arent supported in current versions of the macOS. Thats not a major problem, though, as you can use Disk Utility or Time Machine on your Mac to format the drive and handle your regular back-ups. Its not the fastest back-up drive you can buy, though. The T5 EVO has a standard USB-C port for connecting to a Mac or PC, with a USB-C cable included in the box (although theres no USB-A adaptor for older computers). However, it only supports the relatively old USB 3.2 (Gen 1) standard, and Samsung quotes fairly modest speeds of 460MB/s for both read and write performance. Our tests showed that the drives write performance was right on the nose with a speed of 460MB/s when running the Black Magic disk speed test, although read performance was slower at 370MB/s. Admittedly, thats relatively modest performance for a solid-state drive but, as mentioned earlier, Samsung is really pitching the T5 EVO as an affordable alternative to a conventional hard drive, and those speeds are certainly a lot faster than most portable hard drives that weve seen in recent years. And, with up to 8TB of storage in a highly compact and lightweight design, the T5 EVO will be a great option for laptop users who want to ditch an old hard drive and replace it with a more portable solid-state drive that provides plenty of storage for their Time Machine backups. Should You Buy The Samsung T5 EVO? Professional or creative users who need really high-performance for working with large video or graphics files may prefer a faster SSD that supports Thunderbolt. But, if youre still using an old mechanical hard drive for your back-ups, then youll find that the T5 EVO provides a fast, portable alternative, with plenty of storage at a competitive price.

Apple will soon force everyone to use the new Home app

Macworld Back in iOS 16.2and then again in iOS 16.4 , after some initial teething problems meant it had to be pulledApple rolled out a new architecture for its Home app. This was a complete reworking of the way Home worked and was intended to improve its efficiency, reliability, and speed. Basically, the idea was that it would run a bit more smoothly than before. That might sound like an obvious win, but iPhone owners are a skeptical lot. Besides, updating to a new setup can cause compatibility problems with devices still running older software. Whatever the reason, almost two years later, not everyone has updated to the new version and until now Apple has been fine with that. But not for much longer. According to 9to5Mac , code in the third beta of iOS 18.4 hints that the Home app will imminently stop working with the old HomeKit architecture. There are text strings in the code warning users that support for the old version will end soon, the site reports, and that they must update now to avoid interruptions. This same message will presumably apply to the iPadOS, MacOS, and tvOS Home apps as well. That could leave holdouts facing a difficult choice: upgrade their entire smart-home setup to the new architecture, or find a way to control it other than Apples Home app. If you want to test it out now, you can tap the () button in the upper right corner of the Home app, and then select Home Settings . The prompt to update will be at the top of the screen. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta. Its expected to roll out to the general public in April. Its unclear at this point when users will be required to upgrade to the latest version of HomeKit, but it seems likely to coincide with the launch of iOS 19 in the fall of 2025.

15-inch MacBook Air (M4) review: A Mac rhapsody in (sky) blue

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Can drive two external displays at 6K/60Hz M4 provides a performance boost New 12MP Center Stage camera Cons No more Space Gray option Our Verdict With the M4 MacBook Air, Apple addressed the major flaws with its predecessor, which was an excellent laptop in the first place. Is the M4 MacBook Air flawless? It might beidentifying its flaws is an exercise in personal preferences. This is the laptop for everyone. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $1,199 Best Prices Today: Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M4, 2025) Retailer Price $1199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket While the MacBook Air is Apples most popular laptop, its not the first in line to get Apples latest M-series chip. That honor goes to Apples most powerful laptop, the MacBook Pro, which was updated with the M4 chip last October. The MacBook Air traditionally gets the chip update a few months afterward and right on schedule, the Airs time has come for its M4 update. The MacBook Air is a great laptop with an M4 or even with the older M3 chip. But even with the four major changes in the M4 MacBook Air, only one of them is a compelling reason to ditch an M3 MacBook Air that you recently bought. And if youre still relying on an Intel-based MacBook Air, the M4 MacBook Air is an offer you cant refuseit has performance that will save you a significant amount of time. 15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Our models specifications Apple offers three standard configurations each for the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air. The 15-inch MacBook Air in this review is customized with more RAM and storage than the top-end standard configuration, which starts at 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Here are the specs for our review unit: CPU : 10-core M4 (4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores) GPU : 10-core M4 Neural engine: 16-core Memory : 16GB unified memory (120GBps memory bandwidth) Storage : 512TB SSD Display : 15.3-inch Liquid Retina LED backlit display with IPS; 2880-by-1864 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch; 500 nits brightness; P3 color; True Tone Ports : 2 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C; MagSafe 3; 3.5mm audio Networking : Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3 Weight: 3.3 pounds (1.51 kg) Dimensions : 0.45 by 13.40 by 9.35 inches (1.15 by 34.04 by 23.76 centimeters) Battery capacity : 66.5Wh Price (as tested) : $1,399/1,399/CA$1,999/AU$2,399 The new Sky Blue option for the MacBook Air replaces the Space Gray color. Foundry 15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Performance The new MacBook Air spotlights its new M4 chip, which has a 10-core CPU (4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores), 8-core or 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Compared to the M3 it replaced, the M4 has two more efficiency cores, two more GPU cores, and general CPU tweaks to make it a better performer. Geekbench 6.4 Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. Our performance analysis starts with Geekbench 6 for a general, overall view. In both the Single-Core and Multi-Core tests, the M4 MacBook Air was 23 percent faster than the M3 MacBook Air. Thats along the lines of what we usually get from one chip generation to another. The older the chip, the better the performance comparison gets with the M4. The M4 offers a 46 percent boost over the M2 MacBook Air; if you have an M2 Air, that boost is attractive, but you might shrug and decide you dont need to upgrade. If you have a M1 MacBook Air, however, the M4 upgrade is a lot more attractive from a pure performance perspective. If you have an Intel MacBook Air, well, Ive urged you to upgrade to an M-series Air since the M2, but I understand if youve hedged then, even with the M3. But upgrading to an M4 will being substantial time savings no matter what youre doing. Apples trackpad has long been a strength of its MacBook lineup. Foundry Cinebench 2024 Results are expressed as Cinebench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. Cinebench 2024 is a test that performs 3D rendering. Most people who do the kind of work tested by Cinebench are using a higher-need MacBook Pro, but the MacBook Air is up to the task. Again, as we saw with Geekbench, the results show an solid incremental 21 percent boost from the M3 to the M4. HandBrake 1.9.2 video encode Results are times in seconds. Lower times/shorter bars are faster. We used HandBrake to encode the Tears of Steel video from 4K to a 1080p H.265 file. When doing the encoding completely in software using the H.265 (x265) video encoder, the M4 is a healthy 31 percent faster than the M3. When using the available hardware acceleration through HandBrakes H.265 (VideoToolBox) encoder, the M4 was 40 percent faster. iMovie 4K video exports Results are times in seconds. Lower times/shorter bars are faster. We exported a 10-minute 4K video at two settings in iMovie to gauge CPU performance. The M4 was 16 percent faster than the M3 when exporting the file using the ProRes codec. When we changed the quality setting of the export to High, the M4 advantage shrank to 6 percent. Blackmagic Disk Test Results are megabytes per second. Higher rates/longer bars are faster. The SSD results between the M3 and M4 MacBook Air are practically the same. Theres a little boost from the M2 to the M4, but you need to do long, sustained disk reads and writes to tell the difference. With the M1 and M2 MacBook Air with 256GB of storage, Apple used a single 256GB SSD chip, which adversely affected performance. The company changed that to a pair of 128GB SSD chips in the M3 MacBook Air, which improved performance. Our review unit has a 512GB SSD (presumably installed as multiple SSD chips), so we cant verify the performance of the laptop with a 256GB SSD, but it would seem unwise for Apple to go back to its old ways. We dont think you need to worry if youre eyeing an Air with a 256GB SSD. Geekbench 6 Compute Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. Geekbenchs Compute benchmark tests GPU performance using Metal or OpenCL APIs. If a game has been written natively for the Mac, it should be using the Metal API for the best performance. The M4 MacBook Air offers a 16 percent boost over the M3both of these chips have a 10-core GPU, so Apple has improved the M4s GPU. Videogame frame rates Results are frames per second. Higher rates/longer bars are faster. Testing was done using the built-in benchmarks for Borderlands 3, Total War: Warhammer III, and Civilization VI . Game Mode for macOS automatically activates when a game launches to optimize performance. Geekbench AI Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. Apple Intelligence is a major marketing message from Apple. Whether youre using the AI-based features or not, theyre part of Apple promotions going forward. Apple Intelligence started to appear in macOS Sequoia 15.1 and more features will be delivered over time. Geekbench offers an AI benchmark that checks the performance of Apple Neural Engine in its chips. But the way Apple Intelligence is implemented now doesnt feel super processor intensive so youre not going to feel a difference in say, using Image Playground on an M4 than on an M1. 15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Ports, external display support, and connectivity Apple still provides two USB Type-C ports on the M4 MacBook Air, but theyve been upgraded from Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 4. This leads to the most compelling reason to upgrade from an M3 or older Air: the M4 Air can run up to two external displays at 6k resolution and 60Hz. Thats in addition to the laptop display, so theres no more clamshell compromise as was with the M3 Air. Thats a big deal for a lot of users who bought a MacBook Pro instead or turned to an external hub solution . Other than the better display support, users arent going to notice much of a difference between Thunderbolt 3 and 4 . As usual, the Thunderbolt ports are also USB-C ports and these ports support the USB 4 specification, thus Apple calls them Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports. If you want, you can connect two 6K/60Hz displays to the MacBook Airs Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, and still be able to use the laptops display. Foundry The M4 MacBook Air uses Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity. Apple has not commented on why it didnt upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 like it did with the iPhone 16, but its nothing to be concerned about. You need to be connecting to Wi-Fi 7 hotspots to take advantage of the faster speed, and theyre not readily available right now. 15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Camera The M4 MacBook Air drops the aging 1080p FaceTime camera for something more modern: a 12MP Center Stage camera. Its the same camera that Apple offers in the MacBook Pro, and it has much-improved image quality. Center Stage is a boon, too; I only realized recently how much I shift around while recording the Macworld Podcast (excuse me for the plug), and Center Stage helps make sure Im centered in the frame, which matters when youre in a video with multiple users. Video conferences are now the norm, so having a high-quality camera in the MacBook Air is a great and necessary feature. The 12MP camera on the Mac has been a long time coming. It was only four years ago that Apple introduced the 1080p camera to replace the 720p one starting with the iMac, while in the meantime, the 12MP front-facing camera has been on the iPhone since the iPhone 11 in 2019. So yeah, finally. (That also means longtime readers of Macworld can now stop hearing us harp about the Mac cameras. At least until 12MP becomes pass.) 15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Battery life & charging The M4 MacBook Air has the same battery as before: a 66.5-watt-hour lithium polymer battery that Apple says offers 15 hours of wireless web and 18 hours of video streaming. Battery life Results are times in minutes. Longer bars/higher results are better. Our battery life test involved playing a loop of the 4K Tears of Steel video with the display set at 150 nits. The new laptop didnt last quite as long as the M2 and M3 MacBook Airs, but it still took nearly 18 hours to drain its battery. While using the M4 Air for work all day (mostly to write this review), I never had a concern for battery life and didnt need to plug it in until I was done for the day. The included 35W power adapter has two USB-C ports, so you can plug in another device and charge it along with the Air. Apple includes a braided MagSafe cable that is color-matched to the laptop. Apple includes a high-quality color-matched braided MagSafe cable and a 35-watt power adapter with two USB-C ports. Foundry 15-inch M4 MacBook Air: Enter Sky Blue, exit Space Gray Apple introduces a new Sky Blue color that replaces Space Gray. It almost feels like Apple introduced Sky Blue and dropped Space Gray to emphasize the color scheme it does with consumer-level products, which are offered in a rainbow of colors. Sky Blue is lighter than the Blue iMac (the one I reviewed last November) and its a nice shade that looks fine on a laptop. Its not the same as Ultramarine on the iPhone 16, but its close enough if youre into coordinating your Apple device colors. How a Silver MacBook Pro (left) compares to the Sky Blue MacBook Air. Foundry If you want a darker MacBook Air, your only choice now is Midnight. I cant say Im going to miss Space Gray , but I didnt hate it, either. It varied in tone over the years, and I preferred it in darker shades. Apple will probably bring it back someday; maybe theyll spell it as Grey to give it new life. 15-inch M4 MacBook Air: What didnt change This review focuses on what Apple changed from the M3 to the M4 MacBook Air. The following components did not change but should be mentioned since they do play a role in your buying decision. Ive included links to our original posts, in case youre interested in more detail. Design : Apple introduced this design with the M2 MacBook Air . Learn more . Display : The Liquid Retina (LED) display still looks great. Learn more . Keyboard and trackpad : Other than the mute icon, which gets a slash on the M4 MacBook Air, the keyboard is the same Magic Keyboard introduced with the last Intel model in 2020 and updated with the M2 redesign. Learn more . The Mute icon makes a comeback with the M4 MacBook Air. Foundry Should you buy the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air? In my M3 MacBook Air review last year, I said it was the best laptop choice for just about anyone. With the M4 MacBook Air, that holds, but this laptop is better. The M3 Airs clamshell compromise with the external display support was a deal killer for a lot of users. So, the M4 Airs expanded external display support is a more important upgrade than the performance improvements. Dont get me wrong, thoughfaster is always better. The 12MP Center Stage camera is an overdue upgrade that makes Apples general consumer laptop feel more professional. Its also cheaper by $100 across the board. The model we tested that sells for $1,399 would have been $1,499 for the same specs with an M3 chip. Thats a nice and surprising discount, especially considering you get twice the RAM you got when the M3 launched in March 2024. That all being said, if you have an M3 or M2 MacBook Air in a production environment and its external display support is a major hindrance to your productivity, then this is a no-brainer upgrade. But if thats not the case, then its also likely that you are not doing the type of work where the speed difference would have a noticeable effect. The MacBook Air you have will capably serve you for years to come. Foundry If you have an M1 MacBook Air, well, thats when this M4 model looks very appealing. The M4 Air isnt just about a faster chip, its also a fresh design, an upgrade from a 720p FaceTime camera, and better external display support. Plus, the M1 Air was available only in a 13-inch design, and now theres also a 15-inch model available. So theres a lot more here to enjoy if you decide to upgrade. And finally, my recommendation to Intel-based MacBook Air owners is the same as with the M3 MacBook Air: Make the investment. Even if you need an Intel machine becuse youre relying on some tool or software that isnt Apple silicon-compatible, you need to rectify that situation because you are hindering your productivity. Make the change. You wont regret it.

Mac Studio (M4 Max) review: Heir to the Mac Pro throne

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Impressive speed Thunderbolt 5 support Compact design Port flexibility Cons Fixed RAM and SSD; not user upgradable Our Verdict The Mac Studio is a mean machine ideal for the most hectic of production environments. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $1,999 Best Prices Today: Apple Mac Studio (M4 Max, 2025) Retailer Price $1999 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket With its most recent update , Apples fastest Mac is the Mac Studio, hands down. The Mac Pro lurking in the background might cost more and look more powerful, but it still has a chip that was released nearly three years ago, and that chip isnt the fastest anymore. So, the spotlight focuses on the Mac Studio. Thats not by accident. Apple has been trending towards compact designs with its products, so the companys preference for the Mac Studio as its top performer fits the bill. And the Mac Studio is up to the taskcompact doesnt mean a sacrifice in performance. Its a mean machine ideal for the most hectic of production environments. The Mac Studio comes with either an M4 Max or M3 (thats right, M3 ) Ultra chip Foundry M4 Max Mac Studio: Our models specifications Apple offers two standard configurations of the Mac Studio: A $1,999 model with an M4 Max chip, and a $3,999 model with an M3 Ultra. Each configuration can be customized with more memory and SSD, as well as variations on the chips CPU and GPU cores. This review focuses on the M4 Max Mac Studio, and our review unit has a chip upgrade from the standard configuration, as well as more RAM and a larger SSD. Here are the specs of our review unit: CPU : M4 Max with 16 cores (12 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 16-core Neural Engine GPU : 40 cores Memory : 128GB unified memory (819GBps memory bandwidth) Storage : 1TB SSD Ports : 4 Thunderbolt 5/USB-C; 10Gb ethernet; 2 USB-A (USB 3); HDMI 2.1; 3.5mm audio; 2 USB-C; SDXC Card slot Networking : Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3; gigabit ethernet Weight : 6.1 pounds (2.74 kg) Dimensions : 3.7 x 7.7 x 7.7 inches (9.5 x 19.7 x 19.7 cm) Price (as tested) : $3,699/3,799/CA$5,249/AU$6,049 M4 Max Mac Studio: Performance Apple did something different with the Mac Studio. It offers it with both Max and Ultra versions of its M-series chips, as it has always done. But this time, the chips are not from the same generation; instead, theres an M4 Max and an M3 Ultra. When asked by Ars Technica why an M3 Ultra instead of an M4 Ultra, Apple flatly said every chip generation wouldnt have an Ultra chip in its lineup. According to Numerama , the M4 Max chip doesnt have the UltraFusion technology Apple uses to create an Ultra chip. So thisll presumably be the top-of-the-line chip until the M5 Ultra comes along. The M4 Max Mac Studio comes standard with a 14-core CPU (10 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), a 32-core GPU, 36GB of unified memory, and a 512GB SSD. This review looks at the M4 Max option with a 16-core CPU (two more performance cores), a 40-core GPU, 128GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, which all add $1,700 the price of the Mac Studio. Geekbench 6 Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. The M4 Maxs 76 percent increase over the M2 Max is impressive, even considering the two-generation bump. The M4 Max is also 25 percent faster than the M2 Ultra, which was Apples fastest chip even after the M3 Max arrived. Cinebench 2024 Results are expressed as Cinebench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. The boost of the M4 Max over the M2 Max (12-core CPU) is gigantic, but theres practically no difference between the M2 Ultra and the M4 Max. If you have an M2 Ultra Mac Studio and thought maybe you could save a little bit of money by upgrading to the M4 Max instead, its probably not worth it for the CPU. iMovie video export Results are times in seconds. Lower times/shorter bars are faster. Mac Studio users are more likely to be using pro apps instead of consumer-based software like iMovie, but the file exports can give a sense of the performance gain, regardless. The 24 percent boost with ProRes exports is a significant amount of time for creative professionals. Handbrake 1.9.2 video encode Results are times in seconds. Lower times/shorter bars are faster. In this test, we transcoded the 4K Tears of Steel video to H.265 using HandBrake , a video converter app. Some huge gains are seen here, either when using the Macs hardware encoders or when not. The Mac Studios design has not changed since its introduction in 2022. Foundry Blackmagic Disk Tests Results are megabytes per second. Higher rates/longer bars are faster. These scores are essentially flat across the board. The performance here is good, but it appears that itll take some newfound innovation to see a drastic change in SSD performance. Geekbench 6.4 Compute Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. The M4 Max in our review has a 40-core GPU, which is two more than the M2 Mac Studio, so that, along with any new optimizations the M4 Max has, results in a 25 percent Metal improvement. Geekbench Compute tests graphics with either OpenCL or Metal APIs, the latter of which is Apples. M4 Max Mac Studio: Thunderbolt 5 ports The other major upgrade with the new Mac Studio is that the Thunderbolt ports now support Thunderbolt 5 . This significantly increases the bandwidth from 40Gbps in Thunderbolt 4 in the previous Mac Studio to 80Gbpsfor video it can go as high as 120Gbps. Thats a big deal for production use, but to take advantage of the speed, however, you need to use Thunderbolt 5 devices, which are still pricey and somewhat rare. The Mac Studios Thunderbolt ports have been upgraded to Thunderbolt 5. Foundry This enhances the external display support on the M4 Max Mac Studio a little. It can still drive up to five displays, four over Thunderbolt at 6K/60Hz, and one connected to the HDMI 2.1 port at 4K/144Hz (HDMI was previously limited to 4K/60Hz). The other display connection option hasnt changed: two displays with 6K at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, and one display with 8K at 60Hz or 4K at up to 240Hz over HDMI. M4 Max Mac Studio: Status quo The two major changes with the 2025 Mac Studio are the chip upgrades and the Thunderbolt 5 implementation. Apple hasnt changed anything else. But because we strive for completeness, heres a summary of those unchanged items. Design : The impressively small square form hasnt changed since its introduction in 2022. Learn more about the Mac Studios design . Ports : The Mac Studio offers the same plentiful ports as before, but as I mentioned, the Thunderbolt implementation was upgraded to version 5. Keyboard, mouse, and monitor : As always, you need to provide your own. Apples Magic Mouse, Trackpad, and Keyboard received a USB-C update last November, while the 27-inch Studio Display is still on its 1st-gen release from 2022. One thing that hasnt changed that I wish would, is the Mac Studios way of initiating the setup process for the Magic Keyboard . It involves pressing the Mac Studios power button twice, and like before , it took me several tries to find the rhythm of the double button press. It didnt take me 13 tries like last time, but it did take me eight attempts, which seems like seven too many. Should you buy the M4 Max Mac Studio? When you need as much processing power as you can get, the Mac Studio is your only choice right now. Fortunately, it provides a serious amount of processing power, whether you get an M4 Max or M3 Ultra. The bottom of the Mac Studio features a ring of air vents. Foundry If you bought any of the past versions of the Mac Studio, youre never satisfied with the speed and always need faster performance. Youll find the boosted performance worth the money, but remember you also get Thunderbolt 5, which can make your experience even better, so long as you use Thunderbolt 5 devices. Apples other workstation, the Mac Pro, has the sole purpose now of filling a niche: users who need the expansion slots. It wasnt updated and still has an M2 Ultra chip, which is now a slower CPU than the M4 Pro. Youre not buying the Mac Pro if you want the fastest Mac. Speaking of the M4 Pro, the current M2 Pro Mac mini starts at $1,399, but if you upgrade it to a 14-core M4 Pro CPU ($200) and 48GB of RAM ($400), you end up with the same price as the entry-level M4 Max Mac Studio that is the better deal. You dont get as much RAM, but you do get more GPU power, more ports, and more robust display support.

Which is the Siri delay gonna be: the C1 modem or AirPower?

Macworld Lets talk about Severance . Per severance. See what the Macalope did there? Its a little play on words. Wordplay is a delightful way to draw a reader in. By tricking them. Anyway, the horny one doesnt actually want to talk about Severance right now because he hasnt seen last weeks episode yet. Instead lets talk about Apples new C1 modem, which is almost like talking about prestige television but more boring. Look, not every column is going to be wall-to-wall thrills and spills. Still, you have to hand it to Apple. The companys travails with this modem were the butt of many jokes. Not that the Macalope ever stooped to making any. Cough. He doesnt know what column you were reading. After acquiring Intels modem division in 2019 , the company seemingly struggled to ship a modem worthy of the C1 moniker. After repeatedly being rumored to appear soon, it took six years before it finally shipped in the iPhone 16e. But ship it did and the results are pretty good , considering. It seems that maybe it wasnt so much that Apple was struggling to get the modem to work, its that it was struggling to get it to work really well. While it doesnt support mmWave 5G in the U.S., its still a processor that can proudly sit next to its M-series relatives at Easter dinner. (The Macalope knows St. Patricks Day is closer, but when looking for a timely reference, Drink itself blind next to its M-series relatives on St. Patricks Day isnt quite the image you wanna go for.) IDG The company could have pulled the plug like it did with Project Titan but it stuck with it. This is an interesting and timely example of Apples perseverance at a time when another project is facing its own delays: Apple confirmed that the can full of highly anticipated conversational version of Siri was being kicked down the proverbial road. Its going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year. Apple PRs Jacqueline Roy in a statement to John Gruber (March 7, 2025) Since the company seemed to think it would be able to release chatty Siri relatively soon, it seems like this is probably more like the modem project than Project Titan. But, then, it actually showed a picture of AirPower , and look how that turned out. Apples chip development is obviously a different beast than its software development. Still, perseverance has paid off for the company in software, as well. Remember Maps? Sure you do, you used it earlier today to find that place with the thing (hospital specializing in fungal treatment). When Maps first relaunched with Apples own data it was, as the French like to say, a bit of an el disastro (disclaimer: that is not French, no French person says that). Now while you can have a reasonable argument over which is better, Apple Maps or Google Maps, theres no denying that Apples offering is pretty good, certainly Good Enough. Honestly, if it can get conversational Siri to be Good Enough they should just go with that. You may have noticed the quotes the Macalope puts around that modifier. Thats because no LLM can really have a conversation with you. Theyre all just faking it until they make it. Or they tell you to eat rocks and glue. If youd like to receive regular news and updates to your inbox sign up for Macworlds newsletters , including The Macalope and Apple Breakfast , David Prices weekly, bite-sized roundup of all the latest Apple news and rumors.

iOS 18.4 beta 3 is out now

Macworld iOS 18.4 is destined to be a big release. The headline feature of iOS 18 is Apple Intelligence, and the various AI features have been rolling out piece by piece. After getting no major new AI features in iOS 18.3 , Apple is bringing Apple Intelligence to many more countries in iOS 18.4 as well as a new deviceVision Pro. However, the anticipated Siri update has to wait. There are several big Siri updates coming, including personal context, app intents, and screen reading, but theyre missing from the first iOS 18.4 beta. Instead, Apple says Apple Intelligence will receive additional features in the coming months, including expanded capabilities for Siri. That likely means the whole update has been pushed to iOS 18.5. The iOS 18.4 beta began on February 21 with a developer beta, and the first public beta on February 24. We expect the final release in early April . Updated March 10: The third beta of iOS 18.4 is available for developers today. Whats new in iOS 18.4 Well update this section with the features and changes found in the latest iOS 18.4 beta, as they are found. Apple Intelligence languages: Including Simplified Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanishalong with localized English for Singapore and India. Apple Intelligence regions: With iOS 18.4, iPhone and iPad users in the EU will gain access to Apple Intelligence features for the first time. Siri in Control Center: There are new Control Center options for Type to Siri and Talk to Siri. Visual Intelligence: You can now invoke Visual Intelligence on the Action button or from Control Center, and Visual Intelligence is available on iPhone 15 Pro. Prioritize Notifications: Apple Intelligence will attempt to show notifications that may be important in a separate section on the lock screen. Go to Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications to enable. New Emoji: There are seven new emoji in this releaseFace with bags under eyes, Fingerprint, Harp, Leafless tree, Root vegetable, Shovel, Splatter. Image Playground sketch style: The third image style for Image Playground, sketch, is finally here. It was demonstrated back at WWDC last summer but never made it into a prior iOS 18 release. Food in News+: A new section in Apple News+ for curated recipes, restaurant reviews, and curated stories about food and dining. Ambient Music: You can add four different ambient music categories to Control Center: Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. CarPlay third icon row: The two-row limit for app icons on CarPlay displays has been expanded to three rows. Apple Vision Pro app: iOS 18.4 brings a new iPhone app that offers users a new way to download Vision Pro apps and games from the App Store on your iPhone, as well as browse Apple TV content and access your library of spatial photos and videos. It only shows up if you have a Vision Pro associated with the same Apple ID. Mail categories in iPadOS: With the iPadOS 18.4 release, the iPad version of the Mail app finally gets the categories that have been on the iPhone since iOS 18.2. Default translation app: In the Default Apps section of Settings, there is now an option to set a default translation app. iOS 18.4: How to install the developer beta Youll need to be registered as an Apple developer. Beginning with iOS 18.4, you dont need to be in the $99 per year developer program to access the developer beta. A free developer account will do. You can get one via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Heres how to do it via the Apple Developer app: Download the Apple Developer App from the App Store. Open the app. Tap on Account. Sign in using your usual Apple ID. Registered developers can choose to get the Public Beta instead by selecting iOS Public Beta in the Software Update screen. It may take a little time after registering as a developer for the option to appear in Software Updates. iOS 18.4: How to install the public beta If you want to be among the first to test iOS 18.4, you can sign up for the public beta test, which should arrive in late February. The process for installing a beta has changed in iOS 16.4. Heres how the new process works now: Click Sign Up on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID. Log in to the Beta Software Program. Click Enroll your iOS device . Open the Settings app, tap General , then Software Update . In the Beta Updates section, select the iOS Public Beta. It may take a few moments after registering for the beta option to appear in Software Update. Find out everything you need to know about iOS 18 in our iOS 18 superguide .

Best MacBook Air deals this month

Macworld In March 2025, Apple introduced new MacBook Air models with M4 chips, bringing them into line with the MacBook Pro models with M4 chips introduced in October 2024. The 2025 MacBook Air brings some significant improvements: you can now plug in two or more external displays thanks to Thunderbolt 4 support, theres a new Sky Blue color, and prices start at $999 for the current generation model thats $100/100 less than previously (in the past the entry-level model was an older generation). Now that the M4 MacBook Air is here its the perfect time to buy an M4 MacBook Air, we dont expect to see any large discounts for a while, but you may see small savings from Amazon and from KRCS in the U.K when the new products go on sale on March 12. Look for the best prices below. There may be bigger deals on the older M3 MacBook Air which has now been discontinued. There are a few things to look out for with M3 MacBook Air deals: Make sure that it includes 16GB RAM or more as there are some older M3 MacBook Air models with just 8GB RAM; the equivalent M3 MacBook Air prices were $100/100 more than the new M4 MacBook Air, so make sure any discount compares favourably to the price of the current model. Well only include the best deals below with a clear explanation of what you are saving. We follow all the Apple resellers all year round, so we know the best prices resellers have sold Apple products forand we know if they have a really good deal and not just an ok deal. Check out the best deals we are seeing right now below. If you arent sure whether to buy the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro we recommend you read about the differences between the MacBook Air and Pro . We also have a MacBook buying guide to help you decide. Best MacBook Air deals right now As we mentioned above, in March 2025 Apple introduced the M4 MacBook Air. The new model will go on sale on March 12. The biggest savings are likely to be on the M3 MacBook Air, if you buy an M3 model make sure it has 16GB RAM and that the saving favorably matches the price of the newer model. U.S.: Amazon, 13-inch MacBook Air, M3 (8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM) : $879 ($220 off, was $1,099, equivalent M4 model is $999) Amazon, 13-inch MacBook Air, M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/16GB RAM) : $1,049 ($250 off, was $1,299, equivalent M4 model is $1,199) Amazon, 15-inch MacBook Air, M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM) : $1,099 ($200 off, was $1,299, equivalent M4 model is $1,199) U.K.: Amazon, 13-inch MacBook Air, M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB/16GB RAM) 1,099 (200 off, was 1,299, equivalent M4 model is 1,199) Amazon, 15-inch MacBook Air, M3 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 256GB/16GB RAM) 1,099 (200 off, was 1,299, equivalent M4 model is 1,199) Every MacBook Air deal right now In the tables below you will see the best price right now for the various MacBook Air models Apple makes. Note Apples recommended retail price and you will be able to see just how good the deals on the MacBook Air are. M4 13-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 256GB, 16GB RAM, MSRP $999/999 Retailer Price $998 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M4 15-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 256GB, 16GB RAM, MSRP $1,199/1,199 Retailer Price $1199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Discontinued MacBook Air models While stock is still available you may be able to pick up a deal on these discontinued Macs. The M4 MacBook Air already costs $100/100 less than the M3 MacBook Air did. Plus, in October 2024 Apple doubled the RAM in the M3 MacBook Air and you may still find a model with 8GB RAM on sale. Just keep these points in mind when looking for a deal. M3 M3 13-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 256GB, 16GB RAM, was $1,099/1,099 Retailer Price $854 View Deal $879 View Deal $899 View Deal $1099 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M3 13-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB, 16GB RAM, was $1,299/1,299 (was $1,499/1,499) Retailer Price $999 View Deal $999 View Deal $1044 View Deal $1269 View Deal $1299 View Deal $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M3 13-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB, 24GB RAM, was $1,499/1,499 Retailer Price $1,099 View Deal $1099 View Deal $1224 View Deal $1499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M3 15-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 256GB, 16GB RAM, was $1,299/1,299 Retailer Price $999 View Deal $1,059 View Deal $1091 View Deal $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M3 15-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB, 16GB RAM, was $1,499/1,499 (was $1,699/1,699) Retailer Price $1199 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1,399 View Deal $1499 View Deal $1499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M3 15-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB, 24GB RAM, was $1,699/1,699 Retailer Price $1,399 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1480 View Deal $1549 View Deal $1699 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M3 13-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB, MSRP was $1,099/1,099 Retailer Price $819 View Deal $889 View Deal $999 View Deal $1099 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M3 13-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB, MSRP was $1,299/1,299 Retailer Price $1099 View Deal $1199 View Deal $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M3 15-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 256GB, 8GB RAM, MSRP was $1,299/1,299 Retailer Price $949.95 View Deal $1099 View Deal $1199 View Deal $1,209.95 View Deal $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M3 15-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB, 8GB RAM, MSRP was $1,499/1,499 discontinued Retailer Price $1279 View Deal $1349 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1,404.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M2 M2 13-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 256GB, 16GB RAM, was $999/999 Retailer Price $699 View Deal $759 View Deal $799 View Deal $799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M2 13.6-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 256GB, was $999/999 Retailer Price $799 View Deal $799 View Deal $799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M2 13.6-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB, was $1,199/1,199 Retailer Price $949 View Deal $969 View Deal $1,007 View Deal $1099 View Deal $1499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M2 15-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 256GB, WAS $1,299/1,399. (Discontinued) Retailer Price $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket M2 15-inch MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 512GB, WAS $1,499/1,599. Retailer Price $1,099.55 View Deal $1399 View Deal $1499 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Where to buy the MacBook Air You can buy a MacBook Air directly from Apple in the US or at Apple UK . You may, however, find a MacBook Air in stock and discounted at one of these resellers. There are plenty of stores and Apple Premium Resellers around the world that offer discounts on new and old Macs, so its worth shopping around (read our Where to buy a Mac article for more advice). One benefit of buying from Apple is you could trade in your old Mac and get money off. We have an article explaining How to get money off with Apples trade-in program. We recommend the following resellers: U.S. retailers Want to buy a MacBook Air from Apple? View the MacBook Air in the Apple Store. You may be able to save money on a refurbished MacBook Air. View the MacBook Air in the Apple Refurbished Store. Get an education discount : View the MacBook Air in the Apple Education Store. View the MacBook Air at Amazon . View the MacBook Air at B&H Photo . View the MacBook Air at Best Buy View the MacBook Air at Walmart . You can find the MacBook Air at Adorama . Looking for other ways to save money. Find out if you can save money buying Apple products from another country . U.K. retailers If you want to buy a MacBook Air from Apple: View the MacBook Air in the Apple Store . You may be able to get money off an older model from Apples refurb store: View the MacBook Air in the Apple Refurbished Store. Save money if you are a teacher or student: View the MacBook Air in the Apple Education Store. Get a Mac from Amazon where we often see discounts: View the MacBook Air at Amazon. AO.com also offers discounts from time to time: View the MacBook Air at AO.com You may find the MacBook Air at Argos , although we only tend to see deals in conjunction with events like Black Friday. We often see great deals on MacBook Air at BT Shop . View the MacBook Air at Currys . View the MacBook Air at Ebuyer View the MacBook Air at John Lewis . We often see discounts on the MacBook Air at Laptops Direct . . You may also find discounts on the MacBook Air at Very . U.K. Apple Authorised Resellers KRCS Insight iStore Select Western Computer Jigsaw Best refurbished MacBook Air deals The deals you will see above are from Apple resellers rather than Apple itself Apple very rarely drops the prices of the Macs it sells. However, that doesnt mean you cant save money buying from Apple: if you want to get a discount on a Mac from Apple you can buy a refurbished Mac. Its not only Apple that sells refurbished Macs, but Apple does offer some great incentives to buy from Apples Refurbished Store , so we do recommend taking a look there for great MacBook Air deals. The Macs in Apples refurbished store may be ex-display stock, or they may have been returned to Apple due to a fault, but they are fully reconditioned now and come with a full years warranty. Its not like buying secondhand. Read about buying a refurbished Mac . In the U.S. youll find the following MacBook Air available in the refurbished store: 15-inch MacBook Air, M2, 10-core GPU, $929 13-inch MacBook Air, M3, 10-core GPU, $849 Get a refurbished MacBook at Apple's refurbished store (U.S.) In the U.K. youll find a slightly smaller selection of Mac laptops available from Apples refurbished store. Heres what you can find: 15-inch MacBook Air, M2, 10-core GPU, 1,099 13-inch MacBook Air, M3, 10-core GPU, 929 Get a refurbished MacBook at Apple's refurbished store (U.K.) You can get refurbished Macs from other suppliers too, including the following refurbished resellers listed below: In the U.S.: Apple Amazon Back Market Best Buy Decluttr Gainsaver OWC Mac Of All Trades Refurb.me In the U.K.: Affordable Mac Apple Amazon BackMarket Hoxton Macs Laptops Direct MacFinder Mac 4 Sale Music Magpie Amazon also has a certified refurbished store for Apple products, but we would advise against buying any products that are older than five years most of the products we see on the Amazon refurbished store are very old. Another place to look is BackMarket US and BackMarket UK , which sells refurbished Macs and other Apple products. We also recommend Hoxton Macs in the U.K. Other ways to save money Students should check the Apple Education Store , where they will be able to pick up a discount (as long as they qualify for one). Read more: How to get a student discount from Apple . There is also Apple holds a Back To Uni even t which runs in the US from June to September (and in the UK from July to October) and means you will get free AirPods with your purchase!

Apples smart home hub hit project by Siri-related delay

Macworld Apples ongoing struggle to roll out Apple Intelligence features in a timely fashion is having knock-on effects elsewhere in the companys product roadmap. Following news that the new Siri will be delayed even further, a new report claims the long-rumored smart home hub has also been postponed because the Siri features it was intended to be based around are not yet ready for action. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter , Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claims the device, currently code-named J490 and expected to combine an iPad-like screen with smart-home controls, has been pushed back as a direct result of delays afflicting new Siri features. At one point, Gurman writes, the company had hoped to announce this product in March. But because the device, to an extent, relies on the delayed Siri capabilities, it has been postponed as well. On the positive side, he adds that Apple has begun an internal testing program for the hub, which implies progress of sorts. Somewhat more ominously, he says the program involves select members of Apple staff being permitted to take prototypes of the device home for testing and feedback which may remind readers of the remote working practices during COVID that reportedly led to more leaks than the company usually experiences. Ever since then, Apple has been very keen on workers turning up at the office wherever possible. Last week we reported on major delays afflicting Siri, the only Apple Intelligence feature everyone wanted . Apple Intelligence covers a wide range of functions but the most appealing for many people (including the writer of this article) was the promise that it would make Siri more accurate, conversational, context-sensitive, and intuitive to use. But it now seems likely that the revamped Siri will be delayed until the iOS 19 cycle, and very likely wont be fully rolled out until an update in 2026. Apple is reportedly exploring multiple projects in this area. Last fall it was reported that there were two products on the way: J490, described as a low-end smart display for using FaceTime and controlling home appliances, and J595, an iPad-like display with a tabletop robotic limb that is expected to arrive much later. This isnt the first time the iPad-screen-plus-home-controls project has hit a road bump. Last December, well before the current issues arose, we discussed the multiple delays and endless waiting for what was then understood to be essentially a HomePod with an iPad screen. At this point, I wrote at the time, as is often the case with tech products that have been delayed multiple times, we have to start wondering if it will ever launch. Apple clearly views the smart-home market as a priority, but this latest postponement is unlikely to dispel such doubts.

iPhone 16e review: A study in contrasts

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Exceptional speed Superbly future-proofed Good battery life Cons Outdated camera setup No MagSafe Apple Intelligence is half-baked Our Verdict In many ways the iPhone 16e is astonishingly good, delivering superb speed, good battery life, the latest Apple Intelligence features, and an attractive design at an affordable price. And then you bump into the lack of MagSafe and the single rear camera lens. The only word for it is lopsided, and Im struggling to see who the iPhone 16e is for. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed From $599 Best Prices Today: Apple iPhone 16e Retailer Price $599 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The iPhone SE is gone and its replacement is here. Or is it? Apples newest cheapest smartphone isnt actually all that cheap and differs from the SE in some major ways. More of a replacement for the iPhone 14, then? Maybe. Kind of. Its complicated. I spent a week with the iPhone 16e, putting the device through our exhaustive testing process and weighing its place in the Apple range and your life. Is this the budget (ish) smartphone for you? Lets find out. Design and build quality: A smart balance This is a slim, lightweight, good-looking phone with a classic design that has stood the test of time. It feels great in the hand, and the camera module on the rear is far less obtrusive than those on costlier iPhones, so it doesnt wobble so much when placed on a flat surface. If youre coming from the 3rd-gen iPhone SE the design will feel like a massive step forward: gone is the SEs Home button, cramped screen, and rounded sides, replaced by a handsome all-screen design with squared-off edges. For those more accustomed to the current iPhone range, however, it will feel like the opposite. The 16e may have been branded to tie in with the late-2024 iPhones but it follows the design cues of two generations earlier. David Price / Foundry There are a few differences, but in most respects, youre looking at the externals of an iPhone 14. It has the same aluminum frame and glass back (without the color infusion added to the iPhone 15), the same 6.1-inch 25321170 screen with the same notch, and the same physical dimensions although it weighs fractionally less than the 14, presumably because of having one camera fewer. (Thats difference number one, which Ill come back to.) Another important difference between the 16e and the iPhone 14 and 3rd-gen SE is the inclusion of an Action button in place of the mute switch on the lefthand edge. This can still be used as a mute switchin fact, thats what I use it for on my 16 Plusbut you can instead reprogram it to open the Camera app, turn on a Focus mode or the Flashlight, or various other handy options . That list of actions, by the way, now includes one new option: Visual Intelligence, which on the late-2024 iPhones is triggered using the Camera Control . This is because the iPhone 16e does not feature the Camera Control. Im not a huge fan of the Camera Control on my 16 Plus, which feels unnecessary (since you can easily swipe to the camera from the lock screen) and which I sometimes press by accident with the fourth finger of my left hand when holding the device in portrait mode. So as far as Im concerned this is a minor loss. The only downside is that Visual Intelligence has shifted to the Action button, and youll find silent mode in the Control Center. A final cosmetic difference from the iPhone 14 is the range of colors. The iPhone 14 came in six widely varied colors: mild greyish blue, light purple, yellow, black, white, and (Product) Reds glorious unabashed scarlet. The iPhone 16 has black, white, ultramarine, teal, and an excellent pink. Even the SE had midnight, starlight, and red. But the 16e comes in just white or black. Its not a lot of choice or visual interest and feels like a deliberate strategy to encourage upselling. David Price / Foundry Mind you, the black model I tested is sharp. The rear is super-matt, to the extent that its difficult to photograph (my colleague on Macwelt makes the same complaint about the white finish), and I love the contrast between this and the shiny Apple logo in the center. Besides, if monotone finishes strike you as boring, you can always buy a brightly colored case to jazz the phone up a little. I got Apples Winter Blue silicone case and like it a lot. Features: Surprising inclusions, strange omissions Whereas the physical design is a set of sensible compromises, walking a steady middle path between the outdated look of the iPhone 14 and the unattainable upgrades of the iPhones 15 and 16, the 16es features list is more of a rollercoaster ride. It verges wildly from one extreme to another. The device misses out on some truly basic features that budget smartphone buyers have every right to expect, yet manages to squeeze in others that Id categorise as luxuries. The first incongruously generous inclusion (and really the defining element of the entire product ) is Apple Intelligence, the companys AI platform and vision of the future. Apple Intelligence is a demanding thing to run, requiring as a minimum an A18 processor and 8GB of RAM, and it would be unrealistic at this stage to fit those things into a budget iPhone. Instead of conceding defeat and leaving the feature out of the 16e (as it did with the 11th-gen iPad ), Apple decided not to have a true budget iPhone anymore. Thats why Im reviewing a $599 phone instead of a $429 one. Was this drastic step worth it? Yes and no. Apple Intelligence is still at an early stage in its development, with features gradually rolling out as theyre finished or in some cases, before theyre finished. It doesnt feel very polished right now, but this probably wont be representative of your experience across the life of the phone; Apple is very committed to AI right now and we can expect future iOS updates to feature a lot of improvements in this area. Its a good thing that 16e owners will get to be a part of that. There are far too many components of Apple Intelligence to cover them all here, but here are a few thoughts from my time with the iPhone 16e: Visual Intelligence : For certain things, this is fun and usefulit can identify cars, dogs, and plants quickly and accurately. But can be flaky, misunderstanding street signs and failing to recognize what was obviously a London phone number on a storefront with only the initial zero cropped out. Genmoji : Hit and miss. Lots of duff results, like a request for a cat on a bus showing the cat superimposed over the bus rather than riding the bus; my tiger eating grapes had a bunch of normal grapes in one hand and random objects (a strawberry; an iced gem) in the other. You have to filter out the dross. And any time you mention a person (I thought Edgar Allen Poe eating ice cream would be funny) it insists you instead choose someone from your Photos folders. I couldnt see an obvious way around this. Web page summaries: Mostly excellent on factual/informative pages, although it struggled badly with opinion pieces that follow an argument. To its credit, the feature admitted this weakness when I selected an article of that type. Clean Up: Inconsistent. I had trouble removing a car from a scene, which left behind a distorted shadow. Writing Tools: Good for correcting typos and grammar errors but the stylistic amendments can be painful. When told to rewrite something like a professional document it simply replaced every normal word with a longer synonym, like someone whos just taken a vocabulary course. Notification summaries: Unreliable, as we all know . Apple Intelligence is technologically quite impressive but nevertheless goes wrong fairly often and isnt the most intuitive to use: more of a curiosity or proof of concept than a serious set of tools, really. It will get better, but right now its of limited value. And thats leaving aside the ethical issues (using up water, taking peoples jobs) that AI poses more generally. Yeah, Id call that unexpected results. David Price / Foundry Still, the inclusion of Apple Intelligence led to the second act of generosity: an exceptionally (some would say unnecessarily) impressive set of tech specs. Having that chip and RAM combo will be useful for things other than AI; theyll ensure the 16e is future-proofed to run demanding apps for a long time to come, for one thing. And it also means it has some serious processing power, which Ill explore in a later section. Weve covered the positives, but now we need to mention the negatives, and there are two almost criminal gaps on the feature list. First, the iPhone 16e doesnt support MagSafe, even though the iPhone 14 did (as did the 12 and 13 before it). This, as Ive discussed elsewhere , is a huge disappointment. Before the launch of the iPhone 12, wireless charging felt like the poor cousin of its wired equivalent: slower, less power-efficient, and just as much of a hassle because you had to make sure the phone was in the sweet spot on the charging puck, and a single accidental nudge could result in an uncharged device. MagSafe, which pulls the phone into the sweet spot and holds it there securely, changed all that. The only time I use wired charging with my iPhone 16 Plus is when I desperately need to top up the battery as quickly as possible before going out. The iPhone 16e, by contrast, feels like a step back to 2020, and wireless charging is once again a tiresome worry. At least you get an onscreen graphic and haptic vibration to tell you charging has begunbut it isnt as easy, and doesnt offer the same speeds, as charging with all the other MagSafe-compatible iPhones. Which is to say, every single other model. The second disappointing negative is the fact that the 16e also has only one rear camera lens. This carries implications for Portrait Mode, zoom, and more, which Ill discuss in the next section. Whereas the iPhone 16 Plus (pink) has a distinct module and then the lenses extend above that, the 16e (black) just has the lens sticking up. David Price / Foundry Camera performance: Mostly good, but with disappointing limitations Whereas the iPhone 16 Pro has three cameras on the rear and the iPhone 16 has two, the 16e has just one. If that makes it sound like it will be a third as good at photography as the Pro model, dont worry; the good news is that not all lenses are created equal, and the additional lenses on the other models are somewhat less important than the one on the 16e. Nevertheless, this is a serious disadvantage for the new phone. The 16 Pros third lens is the telephoto. The fact that the 16e doesnt get it means (like the 16) it doesnt have optical zoom in the strict technical sense, although Apple claims a 2x zoom by cropping into the center of high-resolution shots taken using the main lens. Given that the 16e has the same whopping 48MP wide-angle camera as the other iPhone 16 phones, 2x shots have plenty of detailit is just as good as a non-zoomed shot taken using the iPhone 14s perfectly decent 12MP cameraso thats fair enough. But zoom in any more (up to 5x, for example, which the Pro can achieve with no issues) and images will start to lose detail and show pixellation. A bigger loss for me is the ultra-wide secondary lens. As the name suggests, this means you miss out on the handy 0.5x anti-zoom option for wider-angle shots, an important tool when photographing landscapes. But the fact that the 16e doesnt have two lenses means you also cant take macro shots or true Portrait photos, and my suspicion is that the average iPhone owner takes more photos of people than landscapes. There is still a Portrait option in the 16es Camera app, of course, but this is all done via software trickery rather than by comparing depth data from two lenses. This trickery relies on iOS knowing what its looking at, so it only works on people. I tried taking Portrait shots of mailboxes, dogs, and cats, and in every case, it said No person detected and refused to play ball. Even if you do snap a human model, the bokeh effect wont be as good as the other iPhone 16 phones. I noticed some softness around the edges, with parts of my models clothing and hair blending erroneously in with the background. Its not terrible by any means but it is noticeably worse than the real thing. The 16e (left) has trouble with soft edges that the 16 Plus (right) handled with ease. In other respects, however, the 16s camera performance is excellent, and thats what I mean by the relative importance of the lenses. My guess is that for 90 percent of iPhone photography, the limitations listed above wont be a factor. For those 90 percent of shots, detail was excellent, color reproduction was vibrant and faithful, and the results were great. The 16e even did well in difficult lighting thanks to the inclusion of Smart HDR 5, the latest iteration of a feature that takes multiple exposures and blends elements of each into the finished shot so that bright light in one part of the frame doesnt result in loss of detail in another darker part. This wasnt perfect, but I found that I could shoot a shadowed building with a bright sun directly behind, genuinely making the worst compositional decisions on purpose, and still clearly discern the brickwork. No small feat. Sure, the building is a little dark. But these were the most challenging lighting conditions I could find and its really not bad. (Incidentally, the 16 Plus performed no better in this test,.) David Price / Foundry Performance: Is there such a thing as too fast? That last section was critical, but were back on solid ground here. With an A18 processor and 8GB of RAM, the iPhone 16e is an insanely overpowered phone for the money, and this was reflected in speed testing. In terms of general processing, this is essentially the same as the iPhone 16, and its about as powerful as iPhones get right now. Across the CPU tests in Geekbench 5 and 6, and the various Neural Engine tests in Geekbench AI, there was nothing to choose between the 16e and even the 16 Pro, despite the latter featuring an A18 Pro. This is an absolute powerhouse. Graphically its a different story because the 16e has just a four-core GPU, compared to the 16s five cores and the 16 Pros six. In Geekbench 6s GPU test, the 16e was around 27 percent behind the 16 Pro, and we saw consistently lower frame rates across all the graphics tests in 3DMark. In these areas, the 16e performed closer to the iPhone 15 Pro. In real-world use, however, the 16e was fast and slick, performing at the highest level across every app I used. But in truth, Id expect an iPhone with a considerably weaker set of specs to perform the same way. Its tempting to say that this is overkill, although as mentioned earlier, the 16es chip and RAM make it superbly future-proofed. C1 modem: A questionable upgrade This is the final surprising inclusion Im going to talk about in this article. The 16e features Apples new in-house C1 cellular modem , which promises improvements to battery performance, and it gets at least six and likely 18 months before any flagship iPhone model. On the surface thats a remarkably generous decision, and wed never expect a new processor, say, to first appear this low down in the range. But after testing we would argue that Apple isnt being generous at all and that the 16e is instead being used as a testbed for a risky new component with cons as well as pros. Regardless of its effect on battery life, which Ill discuss in the next section, the C1s main job is to deliver cellular connectivity, and it simply doesnt do this as well as the Qualcomm Snapdragon X71M modem in the iPhone 16. My colleague Jason Cross ran speed tests across multiple locations and concluded that the C1 delivers roughly the same upload speed as the X71M but about half the download speed. Early tests do suggest that the C1 does draw less power, perhaps 25 percent less. But this is unlikely to have a huge effect on battery life. David Price / Foundry Battery performance: Good, but not that good Boasting a larger-capacity battery than either the iPhone 16 or 16 Pro, plus the power-conserving capabilities of the C1 modem, the iPhone 16e has all the makings of a battery star. Sure enough, Apple estimates up to 26 hours of video playback, well ahead of the 16s 22 hours and only slightly behind the 16 Pros 27. In practice, this aspect of the 16es performance was mildly disappointing. In the battery component of Geekbench 4 (thanks again to Jason Cross for running these tests) the 16e managed 13 hours and 38 minutes, lower than any other 16-series iPhone. Thats also lower than some other reviewers have reported, so Jason checked everything and repeated the test, with no improvement. This isnt bad, to be clear. Its better than any pre-16 iPhone, including the much larger 15 Pro Max, and you can expect far longer life in normal use; the battery test is deliberately very demanding to highlight differences in performance. While I was testing the 16e it would generally end the day with 30 to 50 percent of battery power remaining, the only exception being a day of ludicrously intense benchmarking which it still survived with 11 percent left. Battery life is very good just not quite as good as we expected. Price: A nasty shock The iPhone 16e starts at $599, in yet another surprise. We were expecting this phone to replace the iPhone SE, which started at $429, but Apple went in a different direction and no longer offers a budget smartphone. To be fair, there was no way a phone with these specs was going to be feasible at $429 (or $479 for the SE with the same 128GB of storage), and it isnt the 16es fault that Apple has given up on what I think is an important market. The question is not whether the 16e should cost $479, because it clearly shouldnt, but whether its worth $599. Heres how much the three configurations will cost: iPhone 16e (128GB): $599/599 iPhone 16e (256GB): $699/699 iPhone 16e (512GB): $899/899 David Price / Foundry Should you buy an iPhone 16e? The iPhone 16e is such a strange phone. In many ways its astonishingly good, delivering superb speed, good battery life, the latest Apple Intelligence features, and an attractive design at an affordable price. And then you bump into the lack of MagSafe and the single rear camera lens. The only word for it is lopsided, and Im struggling to see who the iPhone 16e is for. Youre forced to pay for a state-of-the-art processor which is overkill for most people and is only there for Apple Intelligencean AI system that is flawed and very much a work in progress. Do most phone buyers even care about AI? Im not sure, although its importance will increase so perhaps its good to be prepared. Im quite shocked that Apple thinks it can get away with a single-lens camera setup in the year 2025, given that its been selling dual-lens iPhones since 2016 and triple-lensers since 2019. Perhaps its lucky for the 16e that weve reached a point in smartphone camera development where even the worst cameras are still good enough for most peoples needs most of the time. Still, its worth saying that you could easily get a much better camera on a cheaper and older refurbished iPhone. You wouldnt get Apple Intelligence, but at least youll get MagSafe. Is the iPhone 16e worth $599? Yes, it probably is. If you weigh up the things that Apple included against the things it didnt, I guess it adds up to something around that price. Its just that the various elements dont mesh together in a way that makes sense. It would be like going to the supermarket and buying the cheapest wine and the most expensive steak. Youd end up paying a fair price, but you probably wouldnt enjoy the pairing. So who is this phone for? Who are these people who need Apple Intelligence but are happy to accept a single-lens camera? The answer, of course, is that the iPhone 16e isnt for anyone.

Master & Dynamic ME05 earbuds review

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Excellent sound quality Smart, sturdy brass earpiece Lots of ear-tips Cons No ANC Fairly expensive Our Verdict People that prefer wired headphones or earbuds for listening to hi-res music will find that the ME05 provides high-quality sound at a competitive price. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $199 Best Prices Today: Master & Dynamic ME05 Retailer Price $199 View Deal Master & Dynamic $199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Master & Dynamic makes some great wireless headphones and earbuds, including the excellent but rather expensive over-ear MW75 (included in our round up of over-ear headphones ) which includes both wired and wireless options. However, it recently released the new ME05 earbuds, which are completely wired and quite a bit more affordable than the MW75. Somewhat oddly, the price varies depending on where youre based. In the U.S., the ME05 is available in four different colours, which all have the same price at $199. However, prices vary in the U.K. and other regions, starting at 169 for the gunmetal (grey) and palladium (silver) models, while the gold and white models cost 196. Thats still relatively expensive for a set of wired earbuds, but M&Ds classy design shines through, as well as providing excellent sound quality for people who prefer a traditional wired design over the compromises of Bluetooth and wireless audio. And, as M&D states on its website, the wired design also means that its one less thing to charge. See how the Master & Dynamic ME05 compares to other wired earphones we have tested . The ME05 was originally launched way back in 2015, but M&D decided that it needed a bit of a revamp in order to bring it up to date with the latest audio technologies, such as the use of USB-C for wired audio. The external design hasnt changed much, with the main body of each earpiece still made out of brass, which is both smart and sturdy, and also helps to reduce distortion that might affect the sound quality. Inside the earbuds are 8mm drivers made out of bio-cellulose a thin and light material that is similar to paper, but is produced as a by-product of growing bacteria in a lab (which sounds slightly gross, but the lightweight material is widely used in headphones and earbuds as it provides very good sound quality at both high and low frequencies). Ive always preferred wired earbuds, but one disadvantage is that the cables can turn into an irritating spaghetti mess at times. Thankfully, though, the cable on the ME05 is made out of thick tangle-free rubber that lets you just pick up the earbuds and quickly plug them in without spending 10 minutes unravelling the cable first. The original ME05 from 2015 just had a standard 3.5mm headphone connector, but Apple killed off the 3.5mm connector with the iPhone 7 in 2016, so the cable provided with this new model includes both a 3.5mm connector and a USB-C adaptor for the latest iPhones and iPads and other mobile devices. Theres a good set of accessories included too, with a canvas carrying pouch, five sets of silicone rubber ear-tips in different sizes, and two sets of memory foam ear-tips as well. Theres no Lightning adaptor, though, so owners of older iPhones and iPads will need to provide their own adaptor (Apples own Lightning adaptor has been discontinued in the U.S., unfortunately, although it still seems to be on sale in the U.K. and some other regions). Sound quality is excellent, as I stream the hi-res version of Sing Along by Sturgill Simpson from Apple Music. The track is a riotous mash-up of rock guitars, EDM keyboards and Simpsons country twang, but the ME05 balances the dense sound perfectly even at full volume. Wired headphones often seem to have a little more power than Bluetooth, and theres a real head-banging energy to the grinding guitar, while the dance keyboards fly through the air like fireworks. The ME05 still manages to pick out lighter details though, including the precise, ticking percussion that drives the song forward, and the bass drop towards the end lands like a punch in the gut. That beefy bass works well for dance tracks too, and the deep, electronic bass on Bad Guy by Billie Eilish has a taut, firm rhythm thats hard to resist. The ME05 is equally at home with classical sounds. It shows the lightest of touches for delicate harp that opens Max Richters Sarajevo , but the entrance of soprano Sarah Leonard cuts through with piercing clarity and emotional power. The martial blast of horns brings an ominous mood to the piece, like an oncoming storm, and then the ME05 unleashes the storm as the full BBC Philharmonic erupts in a powerful swirl of strings. The only thing missing is support for active noise-cancellation (ANC), which could be a problem for some users. Should You Buy The Master & Dynamic ME05? If you prefer the convenience of wireless headphones then the old-school wired design of the ME05 probably wont suit you. And, of course, the lack of noise-cancellation may be a deal-breaker for travellers who need good ANC. But people that prefer wired headphones or earbuds for listening to hi-res music will find that the ME05 provides high-quality sound at a competitive price.

Apple is delaying the only Apple Intelligence feature everyone wanted

Macworld Remember the iPhone 16 ad where Bella Ramsey asked her phone to remind her of the name of the person she had a meeting with a few months ago? You probably wont be able to do that until the iPhone 17. Apple on Friday confirmed ( via Daring Fireball ) that the new personalized Siri that was originally expected to arrive in iOS 18.4 , then pushed back to iOS 18.5 , now wont arrive until sometime in the coming year. With WWDC just a few months away, it seems likely that the revamped Siri will be delayed until the iOS 19 cycle, and probably in a 2026 update. The main features being delayed, according to Apples statement, are onscreen awareness, personal context, and app intents, three of the most anticipated Apple Intelligence features. Onscreen awareness lets Siri see and understand whats on your screen so you can ask it to do something like, Add this person to my contacts, while personal context, as seen in the Ramsay ad above, lets Siri use its knowledge of the messages, events, and other personal information on your device to help it give information tailored to you. But App Intents is probably the most disappointing feature that will miss the deadline. The feature will let you take action across various apps with Siri, something users have wanted for years. For example, Siri could retrieve flight information from a third-party app and send it to a friend with a single command. Apple Intelligence has had a bumpy rollout. None of the features were available when iOS 18 arrived in September, and they have been slowly rolling out in updates since. Apple temporarily disabled its news summary feature earlier this year after a series of erroneous alerts, and also removed the Sketch option from Image Playground generation. These Siri features were always promised to come in an update to iOS 18, even when first announced at WWDC, but that didnt stop them from running ads for iPhone 16 that included the features. Now, they wont be available until at least the time iPhone 17 is on the shelves. Theres a reason the delay was announced quietly and on a Friday following a week of announcementsits an embarrassing admission of how far behind Apple is on AI. Bloombergs Mark Gurman reported earlier this week that the conversational Siri-based rival to ChatGPT and Gemini wont arrive until 2027 . With this new delay, its likely that Apple is going to be playing catch-up with the likes of Google, Samsung, and OpenAI for years to come.

Even the M4 MacBook Air cant beat this insane $699 M2 deal

Macworld It might not have the newest chip, but the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air is still an excellent laptop for work and play. And at this price, its hard to find anything better: Amazon is selling the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $699 , a savings of $300 and the best price weve ever seen. This is the same MacBook that sold for $1,199 just a couple of months ago. Its got an impressive 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, an incredibly thin and light design with an excellent keyboard, all-day battery life, silent fan-less operation, and a good selection of expansion, including fast-charging with MagSafe, a headphone jack, and two Thunderbolt ports. And with an M2 and 16GB of RAM, its good for years of Apple Intelligence and macOS updates. In our 4.5-star review, we praised the Airs absolutely excellent processor, and our opinion hasnt changed two generations later. So go grab this deal before its gone forever. Grab an M2 MacBook Air for $300 off Check it out at Amazon

How to get an Apple student discount at Apples Education Store and how much you can save

Macworld Students, teachers, and those who work for an educational institution can save money on a new Mac, MacBook, or iPad by shopping at the Apple Education Store, which offers discounts all year round. In this article, we will explain how much the Apple education discount is and who qualifies for an Apple student discount, before explaining how to get an Apple student discount at the Apple Education Store. Click the link below to go to Apples education storefront in your country: Apples U.S. Education Store Apples U.K. Education Store (in the U.K. you will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS). Apples Canada Education Store Apples Australian Education Store What products does Apple discount for students? The discounts are only available for iPads, MacBooks and Macs. Education discounts are not available on the iPhone, Apple TV, Apple Watch, HomePods, accessories, or software ( Adobe and Microsoft both offer student discounts though). AirPods arent discounted for students either, but Apple has been known to give away AirPods as part of a student-focused deal during the back-to-school buying season (between June and October in the northern hemisphere and between January and March in the southern hemisphere). For example, between January-March 2025 students in Australia and other southern hemisphere locations could claim free AirPods with Mac purchases and free Apple Pencils with iPad purchases. Apples Back To School offer will start in June 2025 in the U.S. and in July 2025 in the U.K. and Europe, and students will either be offered AirPods or Pencils, as their Australian counterparts were, or they will be able to get vouchers with qualifying purchases until mid-September or October respectively. Students can also get Apple Music for half price with free Apple TV+ included. How much is the Apple student discount? Apple doesnt offer a single, universal discount to students. It sets different prices for each product range. Students can save up to $200/220 on Macs and up to $100/100 on iPads. Heres how the iPad MSRP compares to the student price: Product U.S. U.K. Australia Canada iPad (A16) MSRP $349 329 $599 $499 iPad (A16) Student Price $329 309 $559 $469 iPad mini (A17 Pro) MSRP $499 499 $799 $679 iPad mini (A17 Pro) Student Price $449 449 $719 $609 iPad Air (11-inch, M3) MSRP $599 599 $999 $799 iPad Air (11-inch, M3) Student Price $549 549 $919 $729 iPad Air (13-inch, M2) MSRP $799 799 $1,299 $1,099 iPad Air (13-inch, M2) Student Price $749 749 $1,219 $1,029 iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) MSRP $999 999 $1,699 $1,399 iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) Student Price $899 899 $1,529 $1,249 iPad Pro (13-inch, M4) MSRP $1,299 1,299 $2,199 $1,799 iPad Pro (13-inch, M4) Student Price $1,199 1,199 $2,029 $1,649 Apples discounted price for students compared to the usual price. Heres how the Mac and MacBook MSRP compares to the student price: Product U.S. U.K. Australia Canada 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M4, MSRP $999 999 $1,699 $1,399 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M3, Student discount $899 899 $1,549 $1,249 15-inch MacBook Air, M4, MSRP $1,199 1,199 $2,099 $1,699 15-inch MacBook Air, M3, Student discount $1,099 1,099 $1,949 $1,549 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 MSRP $1,599 1,599 $2,499 $2,099 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Student discount $1,499 1,499 $2,349 $1,969 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro MSRP $1,999 1,999 $3,299 $2,699 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro Student discount $1,849 1,849 $3,069 $2,509 16-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro MSRP $2,499 2,499 $3,999 $3,299 16-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro Student discount $2,299 2,299 $3,699 $3,049 iMac M4 MSRP $1,299 1,299 $1,999 $1,699 iMac M4 Student discount $1,249 1,249 $1,919 $1,629 Mac mini M4 MSRP $599 599 $999 $799 Mac mini M4 Student discount $499 499 $849 $669 Mac Studio M4 Max MSRP $1,999 2,099 $3,499 $2,699 Mac Studio M4 Max Student discount $1,799 1,899 $3,199 $2,399 Mac Pro M2 Ultra MSRP $6,999 7,199 $11,999 $8,999 Mac Pro M2 Ultra Student discount $6,599 6,789 $11,309 $8,479 Apples discounted price for students compared to the usual price. MacBook student discounts Below are the discounts on the base model Macs, there are bigger discounts on the more expensive models. How much can students save on the 13-inch MacBook Air, M4? MSRP: $999 / 999 / AU$1,599 / CA$1,299 Student: $899 / 899 / AU$1,439 / CA$1,169 Students save: $100 / 100 / AU$160 / CA$130 How much can students save on the 15-inch MacBook Air, M4? MSRP: $1,199 / 1,199 / AU$2,099 / CA$1,699 Student: $1,099 / 1,099 / AU$1,949 / CA$1,549 Students save: $100 / 100 / AU$150 / CA$150 How much can students save on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4? MSRP: $1,599 / 1,599 / AU$2,499 / CA$2,099 Student: $1,499 / 1,499 / AU$2,349 / CA$1,969 Students save: $100 / 100 / AU$150 / CA$130 How much can students save on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro? MSRP: $1,999 / 1,999 / AU$3,299 / CA$2,699 Student: $1,849 / 1,849 / AU$3,069 / CA$2,509 Students save: $150 / 150 / AU$230 / CA$190 How much can students save on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, M4 Pro? MSRP: $2,499 / 2,499 / AU$3,999 / CA$3,299 Student: $2,299 / 2,299 / AU$3,699 / CA$3,049 Students save: $200 / 200 / AU$300 / CA$250 How much can students save on the Mac mini, M4 Pro? MSRP: $1,399 / 1,399 / AU$2,199 / CA$1,899 Student: $1,299 / 1,299 / AU$2,049 / CA$1,769 Students save: $100 / 100 / AU$150 / CA$130 How much can students save on the Mac mini, M4? MSRP: $599 / 599 / AU$999 / CA$799 Student: $499 / 499 / AU$829 / CA$669 Students save: $100 / 110 / AU$170 / CA$130 How much can students save on the iMac M4? MSRP: $1,299 / 1,299 / AU$1,999 / CA$1,699 Student discount: $1,249 / 1,249 / AU$1,919 / CA$1,629 Students save: $50 / 50 / AU$80 / CA$70 Get the student discount at: Apples U.S. Education Store Apples U.K. Education Store (in the UK you will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS). Apples Canada Education Store Apples Australian Education Store You may be able to get better discounts if you shop elsewhere. We round up the best MacBook Pro deals , the best MacBook Air deals , the best iMac deals , and the best Mac mini deals . We also have a guide to the best Mac for students that you might find useful. iPad student discounts Apple Below are the discounts on the base model iPads, there are bigger discounts on the more expensive models. How much can students save on the iPad mini (A17 Pro)? MSRP: $499 / 499 / AU$799 / CA$679 Students: $449 / 449 / AU$719 / CA $609 Students save: $50 / 50 / AU$80 / CA$70 How much can students save on the iPad (A16)? MSRP: $349 / 329 / AU$599 / CA$499 Students; $329 / 309 / AU$559 / CA$469 Students save: $20 / 20 / AU$40 / CA$30 How much can students save on the 11-inch iPad Air (M3)? MSRP: $599 / 599 / AU$999 / CA$799 Student: $549 / 549 / AU$919 / CA$729 Students save: $50 / 50 / AU$80 / CA$70 How much can students save on the 11-inch iPad Pro (M4)? MSRP: $999 / 999 / AU$1,699 / CA$1,399 Students: $899 / 899 / AU$1,529 / CA$1,249 Students save: $100 / 100 / AU$170 / CA$150 Get the student discount at: Apples U.S. Education Store Apples U.K. Education Store (in the U.K. you will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS). Apples Canada Education Store Apples Australian Education Store You may find a better deal or discount if you check out our deals round-ups: best iPad Air deals , best iPad mini deals , best iPad 10.2in deals , and the best iPad Pro deals . If youre thinking of buying an iPad for college or university you also might like to read our guide to the Best iPad for students . Who can get an Apple student discount? Now we have told you how much you can save, the big question is whether you can save anything at all. Do you qualify for Apples student discounts? In order to shop at Apples Education Stores and take advantage of the lower prices you need to qualify as a student or work in an education institution. If you were hoping that you could get a discount for the Mac you want to buy your 13-year-old the bad news is that you cant, unless you are employed by the school and buying for the institution, or you are a home educator. Students in high school dont qualify for this discount. There are three types of people who can qualify for a student discount: Students in higher education (post-secondary education, e.g. university, college). People who are buying for education institutions. Parents of higher education students buying on their behalf. Home-based educators. Apple spells this out in more detail in its terms and conditions. For the U.S. these state that the following groups are eligible to purchase from the Apple Store for Education: K-12 staff : Any employee of a public or private K-12 institution in the United States is eligible, including homeschool teachers (this doesnt include people educating their children during lockdowns). In addition, school board members who are currently serving as elected or appointed members are eligible. PTA or PTO executives currently serving as elected or appointed officers are eligible. Higher education staff and students : Faculty and staff of higher educational institutions in the U.S.; and students attending, or accepted into a higher educational institution in the U.S. are eligible to purchase. Purchases from the Apple Store for Education Individuals are not for institutional purchase or resale. Higher education parents : Parents purchasing on behalf of their child, who is a student currently attending or accepted into a public or private higher educational institution in the U.S. are eligible to purchase. Apple has a similar set of terms and conditions for eligibility in the U.K.: Employees of any education institution : Any employee of a public or private education institution in the U.K. Post-secondary education students : Students attending or accepted into a post-secondary education institution in the U.K. Parents of post-secondary students : Parents purchasing on behalf of their child, who is a student currently attending or accepted into a public or private post-secondary education institution in the U.K. If youre attending higher education, or have been accepted into a higher education/post-secondary institution, you qualify for an Apple discount. (In the U.K. post-secondary means university, or any other formal education that takes place after secondary education is complete. Therefore, this excludes sixth-form colleges, although it may be worth inquiring at an Apple Store to see if the company is prepared to relax the rules.) Parents of post-secondary/higher education students do not qualify when buying for themselves, but they can pick up a discounted Mac for their child from the education store. Anybody who works in an educational environment qualifies for a discount on certain Apple products. Its not just limited to teachers and lecturers but also covers administrative workers and other staff members. Essentially, its anybody who works at or for a school, college, or university. (This is not limited to post-secondary institutions. Apple refers to any education institution.) This does mean that you cant get a discount for a Mac or iPad for your child who is currently at school, although the school could make the purchase and provide the equipment for students. If you dont qualify for an Apple Education Store discount, wed recommend instead checking out the Apple Refurbished Store , which offers discounts for everyone. You cant apply a student discount in Apples Refurbished Store. We also recommend that you check our round-ups of the latest and best Apple deals we find at various Apple resellers. How many products can I buy? According to this Sales Policy document ( or here ) on the U.S. Apple site and the same on the U.K. Apple Education site , students can purchase the following with education pricing: Desktop Mac: One may be purchased per year Laptop Mac: One may be purchased per year iPad: Two may be purchased per year Accessories: Two accessories with Education Pricing may be purchased per year How to get a student discount at Apple Having established that you qualify for an education discount, how can you get money off at Apple? You may think that all you need to do is visit the Apple Store for Education and you will find the products you want at a lower price. However, before you can access Apples Education Store you will need to verify that you are a student or that you qualify in another way (e.g. you work in a school or college). Different countries have different sequences of steps to go through, which we will run through below. How to get an Apple student discount in the U.S. If you are a student in the U.S. it is quite easy to get an Education discount at the U.S. Apple Storein fact, a loophole may mean it is possible to get a student discount without any proof that you are a student. If you are a student you should follow these steps: Visit Apples U.S. Education Store . Choose the Mac or iPad you want and click on your selection. Once you have customized your Apple product, click Continue . Enter your delivery details and check out. Beware that Apple can request to see evidence that you are a student at any point during or after the purchase and will charge an additional fee if you fail to provide it. If you have any problems, we recommend you get your student status verified with UNiDAYS or log on from your university network. Make sure you have quick access to some form of official identification that proves you qualify for the education discount. Your student ID is a good choice. In January 2022, Apple changed the U.S. Education Discount Store to require validation from UNiDAYS before students can get a discount, but it then removed the requirement . Apple could re-implement this validation step that students in other countries have to go through. If it does it may still be possible for non-students in the U.S. to avoid the validation step, as per this Reddit post . Canadian students can follow the same steps as the U.S. Start shopping at Apples Canada Education Store . How to get an Apple student discount in the U.K. U.K. students will need to register with UNiDAYS before they can get a discount from the Apple Education Store. Visit Apples U.K. Education Store to access the Apple Education site. Once there youll be encouraged to sign up on the student discount website UNiDAYS . You can also use the alternative service Student Beans to register for Apples educational discounts. On whichever site you use, youll need to provide your email address and a password, your name, institution, subject of study, years of study, and course length. Once you have completed the registration process and signed in you will be able to access Apples student discounts. If you dont want to register via a verification site, you can also call Apple, use Apples Chat online feature, or visit an Apple Store. The staff there will guide you through the process. How to get an Apple student discount in Australia or Canada Visit Apples Australian Education Store or Apples Canada Education Store . Its usually best to log on from your university network if you can. You will also want to make sure you have quick access to some form of official identification that proves you qualify for the education discount. Your student ID is a good choice. However, you may find you dont actually require any sort of login or ID to order from the Apple Education Storebut beware that Apple can request to see evidence that you are a student at any point during or after the purchase and will charge an additional fee if you fail to provide it. How to buy Apple products for an education institution If you have been tasked with buying new Macs or iPads for a school, college, or university then Apple has a different store for you. This store is designed for those who are buying a Mac for an educational institution (for students to work on rather than for individual students to own). You should visit the U.S. Apple Store for Education Institutions ( if that link doesnt work ), the U.K. Apple Store for Education Institutions ( if that link doesnt work ), or the Canadian or Australian equivalent . Youll need to search for your Educational Institution: enter your institutions details and click on search. If your institution is found you will be able to sign in to access your institutions store. You may still need to register before you can use the store. If your school, college, or other institution isnt found then you may need to call Apple to discuss registering your school. How to get a student discount for Apple Music and Apple TV+ Apples student membership scheme for Apple Music offers those in full-time education a 50 percent subscription discount and this deal is better than ever right now because the Student Apple Music deal also includes Apple TV+ for a limited time (following a 2023 price hike Apple TV+ now costs $9.99/8.99 a month, up from $6.99/6.99 per month). If you are a student, heres how to get Apple Music for half price . Apple regularly offers three months free for new subscribers to Apple Music, so you might want to take that up first. Get three months free here or read How to get Apple Music for free . The student discount brings the monthly cost of Apple Music membership down from $10.99/10.99 to $5.99/5.99, with identical schemes in Ireland, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Denmark, each offering half off the usual price. And with Apple TV+ bundled in for free, its a great deal! To qualify for the student discount, youll need to prove that youre enrolled at an eligible university or college. The discount runs for up to 48 months (four years). The Student Membership tier is the third membership tier Apple has offered to consumers, alongside Individual Membership ($10.99/10.99 per month) and Family Membership ($16.99/16.99). Visit Apples site for more details and to sign up. If youre a student and signing up for Apple Music on your iPhone or iPad, tap where it says Are you a University Student? and youll be directed to a verification system. If your college or university is eligible youll get a reduced subscription rate. Read our guide to Apple Music and How to get Apple Music for free for the best trial options.

Dont trust those early Geekbench M3 Ultra benchmarks just yet

Macworld As is customary with all new Apple chips, the first leaked Geekbench benchmarking numbers for the M3 Ultra in the new Mac Studio have arrived. But before you think the numbers are disappointing or proof that Apple is fudging the numbers, lets put them in context. As reported, the benchmarks for a Mac 15,14 running an M3 Ultra with a 32-core CPU and 256GB of RAM are 3221 (single-core) and 27749 (multi-core). Those are impressive numbers, of course, but comparable to our own numbers for the M4 Max in MacBook Pro, which measured 3804 (single-core) and 25343 (multi-core). We expect the single-core score to be lower since its an M3 vs an M4, but the multi-core score should theoretically be a lot higher than an 8 percent gain. The M3 Ultra has 24 performance cores versus just 12 on the M4 Max. While its not an apples-to-apples comparisonthe M3 and M4 chips are built on different 3nm architecture generationsits still surprising to see such low scores. So whats going on? The simple explanation is that Geekbench 6, which was used to test the Mac here, is not built to handle large CPUs. As explained in a post by ServeTheHome , which tests top-of-the-line PC hardware, higher-end workstations and even higher-end desktop CPUs run into scaling issues with Geekbench 6. In particular, Geekbench appears to have issues when there are more than 16 performance cores, which is the case with the M3 Ultra. (Of note, the M2 Ultra had exactly 16 performance cores so didnt run into the same issue.) In ServeTheHomes testing of the 64-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3995WX, they also got numbers that werent indicative of the chips actual performance. This wasnt the case with Geekbench 5, but developer Primate Labs has shifted to smaller CPUs with the Geekbench 6 update. It makes sense to focus on phones and mid-range PCs since Geekbench is such a popular tool with consumers. Its great for iPhones and MacBook Airs, but not so much for $7,000 supercomputers. Its also worth noting that the M3 Ultra is likely to post its biggest gains on the graphics side. With a 60- or 80-core GPU, the M3 Ultra is likely to blow away the M4 Max in real-world performance tests. Well just need to wait a little longer to see those numbers.

MacBook Air vs Pro: Which Mac laptop is right for you?

Macworld Apple currently sells two laptop lines: the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The MacBook Pro comes with a 14-inch or 16-inch display and the MacBook Air has either a 13.6-inch or a 15-inch display. And among those models are an even wider range of specs. In this article, we are concerned with the Mac laptops best suited to average use: home, student, and office work. There are 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by M4 Pro or M4 Max chips that are better suited to pro users and have much higher prices, and they arent included here. But if you are thinking your needs might extend a little further on the pro side, you may be interested to read Which MacBook Pro or our guide to all of Apples laptops. Well be considering the following similarly specced Mac laptops: 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M4 (launched March 2025) 15-inch MacBook Air, M4 (launched March 2025) 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 (launched October 2024) For advice about the best MacBook, we also have a buying guide, see: Best MacBook: Which Mac laptop is best? We also offer advice about how much storage, RAM and cores in How much MacBook RAM, SSD, Cores do you need? Off to university? Read our guide to the best MacBook for students . MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro compared Here are the four Mac laptops that have our attention. We will compare design, specs, displays, price and other features below. 1. Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M4, 2025) Price When Reviewed: $999 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $998 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $998 at Apple The M4 version of the MacBook Air was introduced in March 2025. In addition to the M4 chip, the 2025 model has gained a better video camera, Thunderbolt 5 for dual display support, a new Sky Blue colour, and the M4 models starts at a lower price than the M3 models did. Read: M4 MacBook Air: Everything you need to know for more information. 2. Apple 15-Inch MacBook Air (M4, 2025) Price When Reviewed: $1,199 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $1199 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $1199 at Apple If you want a bigger display without paying a premium the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air is the one to buy. It offers similar specs to the 14-inch MacBook Pro (below) but costs more. For example, a 10-core CPU/10-core GPU M4 MacBook Air with 512GB storage costs $1,399 while the 10-core CPU/10-core GPU M4 MacBook Pro with 512GB storage costs $1,599. There are some compromises to choosing the MacBook Air over the MacBook Pro though, which could mean the Air performs less well on intensive operations. 3. Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M4, 2024) Price When Reviewed: $1,599 | $1,799 | $1,999 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $1399 View Deal $1474 View Deal $1499 View Deal $1599 View Deal $1599 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $1399 at B&H $1474 at Walmart Electronics $1499 at Best Buy Not Available at Amazon View more prices from Amazon Apple Apple United States Close Best Prices Today: Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M4, 2024) Retailer Price $1399 View Deal $1474 View Deal $1499 View Deal $1599 View Deal $1599 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The M4 MacBook Pro arrived in October 2024. It has more powerful siblings in the M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro, but for those with average requirements, its sufficient and better suited to processor intensive operations than the MacBook Air. This is a Mac to choose if you need a little more oomph than the MacBook Air can give but dont have the money for a MacBook Pro with M4 Pro chip. It also has a better quality and brighter display than the MacBook Air. Read our full Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M4) review MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Design The design of the MacBook Air hasnt changed since Apple revealed it in June 2022 (aside from a new blue color option added in March 2025). You could have been forgiven for thinking you were looking at a MacBook Pro. Gone is the tapered edge for which the Air was famous, replaced with a more uniform design. The MacBook Air is still thinneralbeit fractionallybut it is also very slightly larger than the old version of the Air, thanks to the bigger screen. Both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have a notch at the top of the screen as see on some iPhone models. Its not a bad thing, but some people dont like notches. The notch conceals the FaceTime camera, which, with the introduction of the M4 MacBook Air, is now the same 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View and 1080p HD video recording on all models. If a 13.6-inch screen isnt big enough for you, Apple added a 15.3-inch MacBook Air to the lineup in June 2023. This larger model looks identical to the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, and shares (mostly) the same specs, its just bigger. 15-inch MacBook Air (left) and 14-inch MacBook Pro (right). Foundry The 14-inch MacBook Pro is a bit chunkier and heavier than the 15-inch MacBook Air due to the fans needed for heat dissipation, while the Air is, unsurprisingly, wider and taller, thanks to the bigger display. Both models have a Touch ID sensor built into the keyboard, and six-speaker arrays (the 13-inch Air only has a four-speaker sound system). The sound on the MacBook Pro is described by Apple as High Fidelity, by which we assume Apple is indicating it is superior to the Air. Connectivity for both models is via Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. One difference between these MacBooks is the color choices. There are four color choices for the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 15-inch MacBook Air: Midnight (dark blue), Starlight (gold), Sky Blue and Silver. Apple introduced the Sky Blue option with the M4 MacBook Air and discontinued the Space Gray option (to the dismay of some). The Starlight shade is paler gold, while Midnight is close to black with a dark blue hue. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 offers only Silver and Space Black options. There are four different color options for the MacBook Air. Foundry MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Dimensions The 13-inch MacBook Air is lighter than the 14-inch MacBook Pro, as youd expect, but the 15-inch MacBook Air is also lighter than the 14-inch MacBook Pro. 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 : 3.4 pounds (1.55 kg) 15-inch MacBook Air, M4 : 3.3 pounds (1.51 kg) 13-inch MacBook Air, M4: 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg) The MacBook Air (bottom) is thinner than the MacBook Pro (top). Apple The 15-inch MacBook Air is the largest of the laptops, but because its thinner, it weighs less than the Pro. The 13-inch MacBook Air dimensions arent much smaller than those of the 14-inch MacBook Air. 15-inch MacBook Air, M4 : 13.40 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches (34.04 x 23.76 x 1.15cm) 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4: 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches (31.26cm x 22.12cm x 1.55cm) 13-inch MacBook Air, M 4 : 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (30.41 x 21.5 x 1.13cm) MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Display Here are the specs at a glance: 13-inch MacBook Air M4: 13.6 inches diagonal, 2,560 by 1,664 pixels 14-inch MacBook Pro M 4: 14.2 inches diagonal, 3,024 by 1,964 pixels 15-inch MacBook Air M4: 15.3 inches diagonal, 2,880 by 1,864 pixels The MacBook Air has either a 15.3-inch or a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display. The MacBook Pro comes with a superior 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel. The screen on the Air is a bit bigger, but the image quality is not as good as the screen on the MacBook Proit still looks great, though. The 15-inch Airs display runs at a resolution of 2,880 by 1,864, while the 13-inch offers 2,560 by 1,664. Both Airs have a maximum brightness of 500 nits, which is half of the Pros 1,000 nits in normal use, or a third if youre running HDR content at a max of 1,600 nits. This is achieved by the Pro display incorporating mini-LEDs rather than the Airs standard LCD screen. Perhaps the biggest difference though is that the Pro features ProMotion, meaning that the refresh rate tops out at 120Hz, again double that of the Airs 60Hz refresh rate. This helps keep scrolling and animations smooth and crisp. Any of these displays will be great for everyday use and long hours of work, but the Pro has the edge when it comes to features. With the M4 MacBook Pro, Apple introduced a nano-texture glass option that has a matte-like finish for $150.This option is not available on the MacBook Air, and if you need to cut down the glare from the display, its a feature to consider. 15-inch MacBook Air (left) and 14-inch MacBook Pro. Foundry MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Specs All of Apples laptops are powered by Apples silicon. As of March 2025 the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro run on the same generations of chip: the M4. To learn more about all the Mac processors read our Mac processor comparison . This is how the specs in the various MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro standard configurations compare: Mac Book Price CPU GPU Memory SSD 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M4 (2025) $999/999 10-core, M4 8-core, M4 16GB (up to 32GB) 256GB SSD 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M4 (2025) $1,199/1,199 10-core, M4 10-core, M4 16GB (up to 32GB) 512GB SSD 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M4 (2025) $1,399/1,399 10-core, M4 10-core, M4 16GB (up to 32GB) 512GB SSD 15-inch MacBook Air, M4 (2025) $1,199/1,199 10-core, M4 10-core, M4 16GB (up to 32GB) 256GB SSD 15-inch MacBook Air, M4(2025) $1,399/1,399 10-core, M4 10-core, M4 16GB (up to 32GB) 512GB SSD 15-inch MacBook Air, M4 (2025) $1,599/1,599 10-core, M4 10-core, M4 24GB (up to 32GB) 512GB SSD 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 (2024) $1,599/1,599 10-core, M4 10-core, M4 16GB (up to 32GB) 512GB SSD 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 (2024) $1,799/1,799 10-core, M4 10-core, M4 16GB (up to 32GB) 1TB SSD 14-inch MacBook Pro, M4 (2024) $1,999/1,999 10-core, M4 10-core, M4 24GB (up to 32GB) 1TB SSD The specs look similar, but there are factors in the design of the MacBook Pro that will enable the machine to withstand higher power requirements. There are also M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro models that we discuss in our MacBook Pro comparison and our Best MacBook guide . If you glance at the specs above, the closest comparison is between the $1,399/1,399 15-inch MacBook Air and the $1,599/1,599 14-inch MacBook Pro. The extra $200/200 for the MacBook Pro includes a better display, one more Thunderbolt 4 port, an HDMI port, an SDXC Card slot, and built-in fans to cool the laptop so it can maintain performance on long tasks. You may or may not need those features. With a smaller budget the entry-level 13.6-inch MacBook Air looks like a good deal at $999/999. Theres a smaller SSD, and fewer graphics cores, but if you are only going to be writing documents, editing spreadsheets, browsing the web and social media then this will be more than sufficient. There are other factors that can slow down the MacBook Air though. Because the Air is compact and fanless it is less able to manage heat, and therefore may run slower in order to keep cool if you really push it. If its power you need then the benchmarks give a clearer picture: As you can see from the scores above, the M4 shoots ahead of the M3, M2 and M1, in fact it even scores above the M3 Pro. But, if you really need a powerful machine you might want to look at the M4 Pro MacBook Pro. See our round-up of the Best MacBook Pro deals . If you need to push your Mac with graphic-intensive apps a MacBook Pro would be a better choice. Foundry RAM Since October 2024 all MacBook Air and MacBook Pro ship with at least 16GB RAM as standard, most likely because of the requirements of Apple Intelligence, Apples AI that was introduced with macOS Sequoia. There is an option to increase unified memory to 24GB or 32GB in the M4 MacBooks. If you need more memory you will need to look to the MacBook Pro with M4 Pro or M4 Max. With the M4 Pro you can get up to 48GB unified memory, while the M4 Max can support up to 128GB memory. Our advice is to get as much RAM as you can afford as you cant upgrade it later. See: Apples MacBook Pro memory problem . Storage Apple offers a 256GB storage option at the entry-level for both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air . The entry-level MacBook Pro starts at 512GB. In previous generations, there were some concerns about this 256GB SSD, with reports that its SSD is up to 50 percent slower on read speeds and 30 percent on write speeds. We found that these observations were indeed true when we ran our own set of tests using Blackmagic Disk Speed Test on older MacBook models. In more recent times, this has seemed to be less of an issue. This will only matter if you are using apps that access the SSD often, so it may not make a difference in typical use. MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Battery life and charging When it comes to battery life, according to Apple, the MacBook Air offers 18 hours battery life when video streaming, while the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro offers an 24 hours video streaming (the Pro and Max MacBook Pro models offer less battery life). The 14-inch MacBook Pro has a larger battery 72.4 watt-hours compared to 66.5 watt-hours in the 15-inch MacBook Air and 53.8 watt-hours in the 13-inch Air. In our own testing, the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air battery lasted 19 hours. Well be running tests on the M4 MacBook Air. The battery in the M4 MacBook Pro lasted about 20 hours in our test. Its not just how long the battery lasts that matters, but also the charging speed. The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air ships with a 30W adapter, the other 13-inch models and the 15-inch MacBook Air shop with a 35W power adapter. All these Mac laptops can also be fast charged with a 70W or higher USB-C power adapter. See our comparison test of Apples MacBook Air chargers as well as the best USB-C charger for your MacBook . The MacBook Air ships with a braided MagSafe cable and compact dual-USB-C Power Adapter. IDG MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Ports and expansion Over the years its felt like Apple has been on a mission to remove ports from Macs in order to make them slimmer and slimmer. This has been a disadvantage for many, although generally if you need more or different ports you can just plug in an adapter or a dock (read: Best USB-C hubs and adapters for Mac ). The MacBook Air offers a MagSafe charging port alongside two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports. The MacBook Pro offers an additional Thunderbolt 4/USB-C port, as well as HDMI and SDXC ports. The arrival of Thunderbolt 4 for this generation means that the M4 MacBooks can support more displays. See: How to connect two or more external displays to an M1, M2, M3 or M4 MacBook . The MacBook Air with MagSafe as well as two USB/Thunderbolt ports compared to the 2020 M1 MacBook Air. IDG MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Audio and camera The MacBook Air and 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro offer a 12MP Center Stage camera that automatically keeps the user in the center of the frame. The camera also supports Desk View, which can show the desk space in front of the laptop. This is an upgrade from the M3 MacBooks, which only offered a 1080p FaceTime camera. The 15-inch MacBook Air has a benefit over the 13.6-inch MacBook Air model: if features a six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers, compared to a four-speaker sound system. Apple describes the speaker system in the 14-inch MacBook Pro as a high-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers, indicating that it is superior to that in the 15-inch Air. Apple also refers to a studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming in the 14-inch Pro, while both Air models offer only a three-mic array with directional beamforming. All Mac laptops offer a 3.5mm headphone jack. MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Price and buying advice When Apple introduced the M4 version of the MacBook Air in March 2025 it dropped the price by $100/100. As a result, the price gap is even larger between the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. With no budget MacBook Pro available, the MacBook Air is the only option for those looking for a bargain. If you are looking for the cheapest option the $999/999 MacBook Air would appear to be the clear winner. Consider spending $200/200 more to get the 10-core CPU/10-core GPU 512GB MacBook Air, which is worth every extra penny. The price of the MacBook Pro is higher, and on everyday tasks it performs the same as the MacBook Air, but it does offer better performance on long, CPU-intensive tasks, like image and video rendering and similar tasks. (Not to mention the better screen, HDMI port, and SDXC Card slot.) At $200/200 more than the 15-inch MacBook Air with M4 and the same 512GB SSD, it actually represents good value for money, although the price jump is slightly more than it was with the last generation. We recommend getting the best machine you can afford at the time of purchase because you wont be able to upgrade down the line, this may require you to upgrade the RAM and storage before you make your purchase. The other factor that may be important to you is the screen size, which is where the MacBook Air is the clear winner. However, it has a big disadvantage if its display quality that matters, as it lacks the XDR, ProMotion display of the MacBook Pro. Of course, if you are going to plug your Mac into an external display whenever you are at your desk this shouldnt be a decision breaker. See our round-up of the best displays for Mac . So which MacBook should you choose? If you are on a budget it has to be the MacBook Air and you wont be disappointed. If you need a bit more power than the Air can offer, and a better quality display, the M4 MacBook Pro will see you good. But if you need even more power youll have to fork out for the M4 Pro or M4 Max MacBook Pro models. Luckily, you dont have to pay full price for a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, check out our best MacBook Air deals and best MacBook Pro deals articles for the best discounts available. Finally, a word of warning: if you are tempted by a used Intel MacBook we strongly recommend that you dont buy it as Apple is unlikely to support Intel Macs for much longer. Read: How long does Apple support Macs. We also look at how the MacBook Air compares to the iMac and how the MacBook Air and Mac mini compare separately. We also help you choose the Best Mac in our buying guide.

Best Mac Cleaner software: Boost performance and disk space with a Mac cleaner app

Macworld Is your Mac slowing down, frequently freezing, regularly running out of RAM or just not behaving like it used to? Are you short of space on your Mac? Have you spotted the immense amount of room taken up by System Data and are now looking for a safe way to delete some of that data. What you need is a Mac cleaner app that will delete the clutter and digital debris from your system and free your RAM from memory hogs. Thankfully, there are a wealth of tools available to rectify that can clean up your Mac and get it working properly again. Weve picked some of the best Mac cleaning software below so you can find one that suits you. The apps included in the list below all offer free trial versions. Some of these trials will merely show you how much space you can free up, but several are essentially free Mac Cleaners that will allow you to clean your Mac for free, albeit for a limited period. These include the trials for CleanMyMac , DaisyDisk , Parallels ToolBox and MacCleaner Pro featured below. March 2025: Updated with a refreshed review of CCleaner. PROMOTION Boost your Mac performance with CleanMyMac Featuring six key modules, a smart assistant, and over 25 powerful tools, this CleanMyMac efficiently removes junk files, boosts your Mac performance, and replaces multiple utility tools. It frees up storage, boosts performance, and simplifies maintenance, making it an efficient tool for system optimization. Try 7 days free For more information about why a Mac cleaner app could be useful read: Why your Mac needs a cleaner app. We also discuss Tips for cleaning up your Mac . For more ways to squeeze the most out of your system read our How to speed up a slow Mac guide and How to delete Other on a Mac . We also look at How to delete System storage and How to clear cache on a Mac. Best Mac Cleaner 2025 1. MacPaw CleanMyMac Pros Improved interface and ease of use Wide range of cleaning tools Subscription or one-time purchase Cons Limited malware features Some technical knowledge still needed Price When Reviewed: $39.95/a year for 1 Mac, $119.95 for 1 Mac (one time purchase) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price MacPaw (first year, 1 device) $39.95 View Deal MacPaw (one time purchase) $117.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $39.95 at MacPaw (first year, 1 device) $117.95 at MacPaw (one time purchase) Few cleanup apps are as comprehensive as CleanMyMac from MacPaw, which has been updated to version 5.0 (and dropped the X from its name). CleanMyMacs tools fall into five main categories that focus on different tasks: Cleanup, Protection, Performance, Applications and My Clutter. A new Smart Care feature gives your Mac a quick check-up and summarises the result of its scans for all five categories. The Cleanup tools focus on deleting junk. The Protection tools can scan for malware, detecting and quarantining threats. CleanMyMac isnt a dedicated antivirus program like those featured in our Best Antivirus for Mac round-up, but its a nice addition. The Performance tools help with routine maintenance, such as clearing out DNS cache, or re-indexing Spotlight and Mail to speed up search results.The Applications tools help you delete unwanted applications and left over installation files. My Clutter can scan either individual folders or your entire Mac drive to locate old files. Version 5 adds the ability to identify duplicate files, or photos that look very similar, so that you can delete them. There are also some new diagnostic tools, including the ability to identify apps that are using a lot of battery power. Version 5.0 also sports a redesigned interface that simplifies things by displaying the results of its scans as a series of tiles that give you a quick summary of each scan. You can buy CleanMyMac from MacPaws ownwebsite, or from theMac App Store, although the version sold on the Mac App Store omits a few features. You can choose from an annual subscription of $39.95/30.95, or you can buy it for a one-time fee of $119.95/101.95. Its not the cheapest cleanup app, but it provides dozens of different tools for deleting old files and data. Theres a free version available to download and a free trial version available on MacPaws website , but it restricts the app to only remove files up to a maximum of 500MB and in the middle of deleting files it will demand you pay the license fee for the app. You can download that limited version and scan your Mac to see just now much space you can save before committing to buying the app. MacPaw is currently running a 30% discount for students submit your university email address and receive a download code here . You can get CleanMyMac here . Read our full CleanMyMac review 2. Parallels Toolbox Pros Full suite of Mac tools including excellent cleaners Fully featured free trial Cons May be more than you require Price When Reviewed: $24.99 per year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Parallels Toolbox Free 14-day Trial Free View Deal Parallels (1 year, 1 Mac) $24.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Parallels Toolbox Free 14-day Trial $24.99 at Parallels (1 year, 1 Mac) Parallels Toolbox offers more than 50 tools and among them are some real gems like the Clipboard History and video download tools, but in this round up of Mac Cleaners, we are most interested in the tools to free memory and the drive cleaner, among other utilities. Mac cleaning tools provided in Parallels Toolbox include Clean Drive, Uninstall Apps, Find Duplicates, and Free Memory. The Clean Drive tool can locate unnecessary files that are taking up space on your Mac, and also find duplicate files that you may no longer need. It offers easy notifications and access as to whats eating drive space (i.e., log files, cache files, trash, browser data, mail cache, mobile apps, iTunes temp files, iOS device backups, and old updates) and offers a nice level of control as to clearing them out. Clean Drive also offers quick access to the macOS Storage pane, which tends to be overlooked, and allows you to adjust your storage preferences on the fly. The Free Memory tool notifies you as to where your Macs RAM/Unified Memory is going, which applications are using the majority of it, and allows you to mark the amount of free memory in macOS Menu Bar. The Uninstall tool can fully uninstall Mac apps, along with any related files that may be scattered around your Macs drive. You can go through a list of installed applications on your Mac, pick and choose what to remove, and reliably strip out both the app and its support files. It can also highlight large files that are taking up a lot of space, such as games that you may not need anymore. You can also run Find Duplicates to dig out any identical files even ones that have different file names. Parallels Toolbox is included free of charge along with Parallels Desktop but you can also purchase it as a standalone product for both Mac and Windows, with an annual subscription fee of $24.99/20.99 a year. Theres also a free 7-day trial that will actually delete files, free memory and do all those other useful things without you buying the app! You can get Parallels Toolbox here . Read our full Parallels Toolbox review 3. Cleaner One Pro for Mac Pros Quick, stable performance Excellent Dropbox Scanner utility Good value Cons The Menu Baris a bit awkward Some UI elements could be tightened and improved Price When Reviewed: $19.99 a year for 1 device (usually $24.99) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Trend Micro (1 year, 1 Mac) $19.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $19.99 at Trend Micro (1 year, 1 Mac) Cleaner One Pro for Mac is easy to download and install. The software requires is available in both free and paid subscription-based tiers. For the free tier, the software offers basic scanning and no user limits while requiring no credit or debit card to be stored with Trend Micro. The Basic tier, requires a payment method to be stored with Trend Micro, offers support for one device, access to additional tools, and easy uninstallation if desired. The Advanced tier requires a payment method to be stored with Trend Micro, and offers support for five devices, macOS and Windows support, quick uninstallation, and access to additional tools. Cleaner One Pro is designed around an assortment of modules including Smart Scan, which looks over your storage, diagnostics, and applications, Junk Files, Big Files, Disk Map, Startup Manager, Duplicate Files, Similar Photos, App Manager, and File Shredder. The modules performed well during testing, and were able to locate large files and duplicates to be disposed of. The Smart Scan, as expected, goes through a general overview of storage, diagnostics, and applications to suss out garbage files and make recommendations as to what tools to use. The Junk Files module found a variety of unused disk images and installers. The Disk Map module worked as expected, offering a nice layout and concise display of whats eating up your Macs hard drive. The Startup Manager offered an excellent peek under your Macs hood, especially in terms of launch agents, the module allowing you to activate or deactivate individual components File Shredder allows you to drop in files and folders to be securely deleting. The Dropbox Scanner tool, which hooked into my Dropbox account, compared files and file sizes, and offered a quick means of cleaning up larger files, which helped clear dozens of gigabytes of space and proved to be pretty unique as a feature. Cleaner One Pro is useful, lives up to its description, and offers an elegant and easy to navigate user interface that lets you prune your Mac down effectively. This useful set of Mac cleaning tools comes at a good price, and if youre looking for something reliable in this field, its worth your consideration. Theres also an iOS version on the iOS App Store. You can get Cleaner One Pro here . Read our full Cleaner One Pro for Mac review 4. MacCleaner Pro Pros Impressive set of tools Good tutorials Good configuration Cons Occasionally awkward user interface Price When Reviewed: $29.95/a year for 1 Mac, or $74.95 for 1 Mac (one time purchase) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Nektony (1 year, 1 Mac) $29.95 View Deal Nektony (one time purchase, 1 Mac) $74.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $29.95 at Nektony (1 year, 1 Mac) $74.95 at Nektony (one time purchase, 1 Mac) MacCleaner Pro from Nektonyis divided into a core app and several module apps, namely App Cleaner & Uninstaller, Disk Space Analyzer, Duplicate File Finder, Memory Cleaner, and Funter.The core app can perform an overall disk cleaning and help free up storage space by eliminating extraneous files. The App Cleaner & Uninstaller module works well, and allows you to see the app youre removing as well as its support files. This module has been improved compared to version 3, and now offers you easier access to startup programs and extension files, allowing you to enable, disable, or remove them. A Remaining Files feature allows you to chase down loose files, while an Open With feature lets you assign applications to open certain file types. With Duplicate File Finder its easy to specify file types to look for, such as audio and photo files, with an impressive level of precise control. Memory Cleaner module offers an easy interface to show which applications and processes are consuming the most RAM. Funter module finds hidden files within your operating system. The Fast Cleanup option was able to clear up 11.4GB of drive space, most of these being application cache files, while the Deep Cleanup feature helped reclaim 65.4GB of drive space. We did have some peculiar instances in which a reminder poped up advising us to clear disk space for a macOS Sonoma (which was already installed).On another occasion when we paused scanning after half an hour we saw a request for full access to the hard drive. MacCleaner Pro is easy to install, runs well and has a good feature base. You can buy it on an annual or monthly subscription or as a one-time purchase. The free trial version is fully functioning for two days and will actually perform some of the tasks you need to do, rather than ask you to buy the full version. You can get MacCleaner Pro here . Read our full Nektony MacCleaner Pro review 5. CCleaner Pro Pros Fast and effective Good price Dug out malware others missed Cons No quick access to tutorials Duplicate Finder interface isnt straightforward Price When Reviewed: Free; Pro version: $39.95 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Macworld Software Store $14.99 View Deal Piriform Software (annually) $39.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $14.99 at Macworld Software Store $39.95 at Piriform Software (annually) Piriform Softwares CCleaner offers some useful tools in a friendly, appealing package. It retails for $39.95/39.95 for CCleaner Pro, which covers one device for one year. Theres also a free version: CCleaner. CCleaner centers itself around several modules, which consist of Quick Clean, Clean Clutter, Clean Browser, Find Duplicates, Analyze Photos, Uninstall Apps, Manage Startups, System Monitor, and Statistics. Uninstall Apps tool worked well and the Manage Startups tool dug up a chunk of files and and offered an easy way to remove them. The Clean Browser tool was able to locate and remove 2.01GB of cache files and cookies and Find Duplicates found 106.45GB of duplicate files. The Quick Clean tool was able to locate app cache files, log files, trash, cookies, web cache, and duplicate files offered to clear 6.5GB of cache files. System Monitor offered system specs, access to sensors, and information such as fan usage, disk usage, battery cycles and temperature. The scheduling tool worked well, CCleaner offering a good level of customization. Theres a good set of tutorial videos for CCleaners various versions, but you have to go looking for them. Piriform should offer quick links to these tutorial videos theyve already produced and published. Theres an excellent collection of tools to be found in CCleaner. The interface is clean, it runs well, and it doesnt make the mistake of trying to perform every task under the sun. You can get MacCleaner Pro here . Read our full CCleaner Pro review 6. Onyx Pros Excellent utility Good customization Reliable bug fixes and updates Cons Scheduling feature needs refinement Intimidating Price When Reviewed: Free Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Titanium Software (Donationware) Free View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Titanium Software (Donationware) Onyx , which presently stands at version 4.7.1, is one of the best utilities on the market, and its free! OnyX is Donationware, with users asked to send along whatever they believe the program is worth. It provides easy access to the powerful underlying tools within the macOS operating system. You can run powerful sets of customizable scripts to perform functions such as checking volume structures, getting low-level system specifications, repairing permissions, cleaning up system databases, and sorting out under-the-hood level system details. its easy to access complex system functions such as security, login options, Display Calibrator, Keychain Access and so on., Our only criticism would be that the Scheduling feature is a bit vague and seems to only function around specific days, hours, and minutes. And a set of tutorial videos would be useful. Users have complained that support is slow in getting back to them but this is donationware, so, to be fair, its understandable. You can get Onyx here . Read our full Onyx review 7. Daisy Disk Pros Quickly scans storage and finds large files Graphical representation File name previews Can check cloud storage Cons Some user-interface quirks Price When Reviewed: $9.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Software Ambience (One time purchase) $9.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $9.99 at Software Ambience (One time purchase) DaisyDisk incorporates a clean, fun, interesting user interface via which it sets out to help you visualize the data on your Mac and its local, network, and cloud-based volumes, map it out, see which files are taking up the most space, and help you free up gigabytes of drive space. DaisyDisk supports a number of file formats and file systems, as well as network volumes, virtual elements and disk images, and can mount and scan just about anything as long as the volume itself is operational. It can also mount cloud-based services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and Box so you can find ancient files to be deleted. I was able to clear up dozens of gigabytes of space in the process. See our round-up of the best cloud backups for Mac . We did have some difficulties with Google Drive, which refused to allow DaisyDisk access, stating that the app was blocked and tried to access sensitive info in your Google Account. To keep your account safe, Google blocked this access. This appears to be a conflict between DaisyDisks developers and Google and hopefully it will be sorted out soon. DaisyDisk users are also currently unable to add and sort through Apples iCloud Drive accounts given Apples sandboxing of the environment. You can scan a local copy of your iCloud Drive contents using the Scan Folder button but not the web-based data, which is frustrating. In addition to being able to scan entire volumes at once, you can click the Select Folder button and navigate to a custom folder. With DaisyDisk its entirely up to your own discretion as to which files and folders to delete, with nothing more than a five-second countdown clock and time period in which to cancel the decision. Apples Disk Utility app can be accessed from the Menu bar to perform disk repairs on the fly. Unlike so many apps you dont have to sign up for a subscription package: the app retails for a one off fee of $9.99/9.99, which is excellent value. You can get Daisy Disk here . Read our full Daisy Disk review 8. Intego Washing Machine Pros Reclaim drive space and remove duplicate files Good customization, filters, and settings Cons Annoying pop-ups Installation difficult Price When Reviewed: $19.99 for one Mac for first year (usually $49.99) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Intego (1 year, 1 Mac, 60% off) $19.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $19.99 at Intego (1 year, 1 Mac, 60% off) Integos Washing Machine X9 is a handy cleaning utility for the Mac that focuses on reclaiming disk space via the Reclaim tool, removing duplicate files on your Macs hard drive with the Duplicates tool, and organizing folders using the Organize tool. As is standard, the software (compatible with macOS 13 High Sierra or later) requires that you grant it full access to your hard drive though your Macs Privacy and Security settings. Less standard was that we had to locate the Intego Washing Machine X9 app in the Applications folder and drag it into Full Disk Access in Privacy and Security settings to get it to function. It is more common that an installer will add an easy icon that can be dragged into the macOS Full Disk Access pane to complete the installation. Theres a good level of customization. Like similar applications, the Reclaim tool can chase after caches, downloads, language files, logs, and trash files to help clean up disk space. The initial run cleared approximately 24GB of drive space from my M2 MacBook Pros SSD. The Duplicates tool took about five hours to create an initial index for my 1TB SSD. It offered control over duplicates that can be selected and specific options and naming filters. The Organize feature can help organize messy folders into a Snapshot folder for reorganization later. This tool can work with specific folders such as the ever-messy Desktop folder, your Home folder, and macOS Smart Folders, and help pull things into order. This Organize feature does feel like slapping a band-aid on the larger problem of a folders disorganization though. The Scheduling option only allows for a specific week or month to be chosen, and it would have been nice to be able to schedule a process for a few minutes from now, as is common with similar software. While its nice to be able to reclaim a few dozen gigabytes of drive space and have control over the duplicate files on your Mac, Washing Machine offers nothing groundbreaking. With the current discounts and its attractive user interface its worth a look though. Alternatively, Integos Washing Machine X9 is bundled with Integos larger security suite so you could take advantage of that and get a Mac Cleaner with Integos Antivirus solution. The Mac Premium Bundle costs from $84.99/84.99 (currently discounted to $39.99/33.99) and includes VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, Content Barrier, and Personal Backup solutions. You can get Washing Machine here . Read our full Intego Washing Machine X9 review 9. MacPaw Gemini Pros Capable of finding multiple duplicate types Excellent search customization Handy preferences and options Cons Lack of additional filters makes sorting located duplicates tedious Needs a scheduling feature Price When Reviewed: From $19.95 for 1 Mac, annually Best Prices Today: Retailer Price MacPaw (1 year, 1 Mac) $19.95 View Deal MacPaw (one time purchase, 1 Mac) $44.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $19.95 at MacPaw (1 year, 1 Mac) $44.95 at MacPaw (one time purchase, 1 Mac) Though not strictly a Mac cleaner, like other apps in this round-up, MacPaws Gemini 2 can certainly help you get back some disc space. It is a duplicate removal tool that focuses specifically on reducing the thousands of duplicate photos in your Photos library. It also hunts down duplicate files within Apple Music and across the macOS operating system. The app is available through Apples App Store and MacPaws SetApp application, which grants access to Gemini and other apps for $9.99 (7.60) a month. It is easy to install and offers a seven-day free trial in exchange for either your credit or debit card information. The app includes scripts for easy scanning of the Photos library and your Music library, as well as custom folders and external volumes that can be chosen from a menu or dragged, dropped, and quickly scanned. Other features include Menu Bar elements, whitelists that can be created that are exempt from being scanned, and a Duplicate Monitor feature that helps compare files and heads off duplicates before they begin to pile up. In testing, Gemini 2 quickly sought out duplicates, offered the option to remove them, and eradicated them from our hard drive. This also applies to music files and other document types, and the Duplicate Monitor warns you about possible duplicates that have been carried over to your hard drive. However, there are some caveats, such as confusion about account registration and permissions after downloading and installing Gemini 2 from the App Store. MacPaw is urging its clients towards SetApp subscriptions, which offer full access to the companys apps for a given rate per month. While Gemini 2 runs well, a scheduling feature for folder or volume scans would not go amiss. An improved filter for locating duplicate items would be more helpful. Despite some minor hurdles, Gemini 2 is well-written, sharp, helpful, fast, works well with all kinds of duplicates, and lends a good feature set to the macOS operating system without being overbearing. It hones in on its tasks and performs them well enough to earn the trust of users. You can get MacPaw Gemini 2 from MacPaw here . Read our full MacPaw Gemini review 10. Nektony App Cleaner & Uninstaller Pros Simple user interface Free (with Pro upgrade) Cons Not as full-featured as alternatives Price When Reviewed: $14.95 a year for 1 Mac Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Nektony (1 year, 1 Mac) $14.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $14.95 at Nektony (1 year, 1 Mac) Also from Nektony, is the simple and easy to use App Cleaner & Installer . This lightweight app is actually bundled with MacCleaner Pro ( above ), but this version focuses on clearing out the broken links, files, and other gubbins that get left behind when apps are uninstalled. It also, as the name suggests, allows you to uninstall apps cleanly from the get-go, and set which ones launch at start up. There is a free version that does most of these tasks, but if you pay $9.99/9.99 for the Pro upgrade youll also be able to remove system extensions, executable parts of files, and uninstall apps, plus the ads that adorn the free version disappear. Easy to recommend due to both its price and quality. You can get App Cleaner & Uninstaller here . You may also like to consider: Cleanup Premium for Mac . $29.88/24.99 a year. Disk Doctor , $2.99/2.99 a year. Gemini 2 , $19.95/15.95 a year. Cleaner One Pro ,$19.99 a year. Tuneup for Mac , $65.99/54.99 a year. We have also looked at MacBooster, find out why we dont recommend it here: MacBooster Review: its no surprise people think its malware.

Sync review: No-nonsense file sync across your devices

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Easy to use Well-priced Focus on security Cons Basic Mac app Only 5GB free plan Our Verdict Sync.com does what it says on the tin, syncing files across your devices. While it can be used as a backup app, its perhaps a little closer to Dropbox because its intended to carry files you can work on from any device, rather than backing up a large folder. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed 5GB: Free / Solo Basic 2TB: $8 a month / Solo Professional 6TB: $20 a month Best Prices Today: Sync.com Retailer Price Sync.com (Monthly) $8 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Weve tested so many cloud-based storage services for your Mac that our heads are starting to spin, and Sync.com is easily one of the most no-nonsense options. Its Mac app is basic, but its focus on security makes it arguably best for enterprise users. Thats thanks to end-to-end encryption, something not offered by many rivals, while its Vault function lets you keep files in the cloud that arent synced across devices, too. These all combine with a lightweight interface to make Sync easy to recommend for just about anyone, although its perhaps not as well-known as the likes of Dropbox and Google Drive which may make getting others on board a little harder. First Impressions Syncs web app is fantastic, offering ease-of-use and efficiency right from the jump. Foundry Once you put together a Sync account, you can start using the web app immediately. While some options, like iCloud Drive , have slow web interfaces, Syncs is snappy and responsive. Thats partially because its remit is a little narrower its a document syncing service more than a full backup solution (more on that shortly). The app itself is easy to use, making itself at home on your Macs Finder sidebar so you can dump files there with ease. Free plans offer 5GB of space, which isnt the worst but remains some distance behind the likes of Google which offers 15GB. Personal plans start at $5 for 200GB, but for just $8 you can get to 2TB per month with additional features like document previews, too. These need to be paid annually, though. Teams plans offer 1TB per user, per month, but again these need to be paid monthly. Higher-priced options have monthly options, both for individuals and teams, but expect an outlay at the start once you hit that 5GB limit. Sync.com features As mentioned above, Sync is closer to a Dropbox alternative, offering a centralised, cloud-based storage solution for storing and syncing files across multiple devices. Thats no bad thing, but it doesnt have the robust feature set of Google Drives document creation tools or Backblazes commitment to off-site backups. Still, whats here is pretty fantastic, syncing files in the background via the Mac app. What I particularly like is that clicking the menu bar item brings up a recent documents list, making it easier to dive into files youve recently added without needing to open a Finder window each time. You can also export lists of files when you need to, and update your password information within the app ideal if you prefer to change yours regularly. The end-to-end encryption is the real draw here. Not many rivals offer it, and that makes the Vault feature feel even more worthwhile. Dropping files here wont sync it to your other devices, so you could use this as a sort of backup setting, and CloudFiles help you free up any files from your Macs storage. Foundry Microsoft Office 365 integration means you can edit documents within your cloud folder, too, and theres integrations for the likes of Slack and Adobe, too. Sync.com annoyances The lightweight nature of Syncs Mac app is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it runs quickly and in the background. On the other, it doesnt let you sync multiple folders, so your Sync folder is constantly updated but anything outside of that is left unchecked. For reference, Google Drive is currently syncing my Desktop, Documents and Downloads folders with the cloud. Finally, the 5GB limit is certainly not the worst weve seen, but its some way off the top dogs in this regard. Should you buy Sync? Sync is a fantastic cloud syncing service that will serve many teams and users perfectly. While its simple folder syncing will frustrate some, others will appreciate the simplicity it provides.

Apples new entry-level devices are the best possible trap

Macworld Spring is the time of somewhat odd Apple announcements. We all know well see the revisions to all of the companys software platforms in June at the Worldwide Developers Conference, and that new iPhones and Apple Watches arrive in September. But spring? Anything can happen! The fields wide open. If this years spring announcements have a theme, it could perhaps be best summarized as everything old is new again. From the iPhone 16es iPhone-14-like desig n to the amazing staying power of the M3 line, Apple once again showed us how it loves to recycle . But this weeks unveiling of the latest MacBook Air, Mac Studio, iPad Air, and base-level iPad demonstrate something else as well: Apples commitment to delivering legitimately good entry-level devices to welcome as many people as possible into its ecosystem. The Air down there The base-level MacBook Air has held down that $999 price point for years now. Apple clearly loves to have an offering that comes in (technically) under a thousand dollars. (Lets not discuss sales tax.) Not only does it look good, but it provides a good hook to get people in the doorbefore convincing them to spend a little more to upgrade this spec here or that capacity there. The fact that the $999 MacBook Air now sports an M4 instead of an older chip is a great deal. Apple This time around, though, Apples offering a base-level MacBook Air with fewer compromises than before. Last year, the company introduced the M3 MacBook Air , but didnt seem quite able to hit that $999 price pointthe base-level M3 went for $1,099, so the company ended up keeping the M2 MacBook Air around to hold down the lower price. Not so with the M4 Air, which not only starts at $999 but alsothanks to Apples across-the-board hikes with last years modelscomes with 16GB of RAM. That M4 processor is no slouch either: while it might come with a binned version that features just 8 GPU cores instead of the standard 10, thats no different from last years $1,099 M3 Air. How did Apple manage to slide the M4 in at the sub-$1000 price point? The likely answer is scale. Yes, despite talk of the M3s status as a dead-end line , its sticking around, but its also in relatively fewer devices (and, if I had to guess, devices that sell in lower quantities). The M4, meanwhile, is being cranked out for iMacs and Mac minis , as well as the upgraded Pro and Max variants. That volume can help Apple control cost-savings, and pass those on to its customers. The result: a pretty compelling $999 MacBook Air. iPad-ing the lineup Likewise, the iPad line saw updates to both the base-level $349 iPad , which now features an A16 processor, and the iPad Air , which gets an M3. Im most interested in that lower-end model, in large part because its surprisingly compelling. Yes, it lacks many of the niceties of the higher-end models, like Face ID and ProMotionbut also, have we mentioned that its just $349? For that price, you can basically buy three for the price of most iPad Pros. Screenshot Foundry And while the base-level iPad may be the lone device in Apples lineup to not run Apple Intelligence , I dont think thats necessarily going to be the enticement to upgrade that the company probably hopes, given its spotty performance thus far. Thats a bigger issue with the iPad line overall, where moving up to the iPad Air (or, honestly, the iPad Pro) doesnt necessarily open up a lot of new capabilities. Yes, the Air has a better processor, a somewhat nicer display, and different accessory compatibility, but its got the same camera system, the same USB-C port, and the same Touch ID home button. Id challenge most users to find things that they can do on the iPad Air that they cant do on an iPad. And again, its $250 cheaper. Good for me, good for you, good for Apple For a long time, Apples modus operandi for selling its products has been a classic good/better/best strategy. Sometimes thats in its overall product linesthe iPhone 16e/iPhone 16/iPhone 16 Pro, for exampleor even within product configurations, like the new $999/$1199/$1399 MacBook Air offerings. But what happens when those good products, whether its the $999 MacBook Air or the $349 iPad, are good enough for most users? Im not just talking in terms of initial outlay either. Im typing this on an M1 MacBook Air from 2020. It may not have the sleek design introduced with the M2 model or MagSafe or the latest version of Thunderbolt, but honestly, it works just fine. For the purposes I need it for, in fact, it works great : its battery still lasts me almost all day, its base-level processor handles everything I need to do on a regular basis, and I still havent filled up its 256GB of storage. Tempted as I am by that M4 MacBook Air, I simply cant justify anything beyond window shopping. Is the solid performance of its cheapest products a problem for Apple? No, not really. And thats a testament to how the company has built its business: as long as it can still get customers into the door, its happy to sell them any product. Moreover, part of getting the cost curve down is that Apple still maintains its comfortable margins on products. Its not like its out there selling a $499 MacBook Air. But itll always convince a smaller percentage of people to spend the extra money to upgrade storage or buy a more expensive device. Like a perfect game of tic-tac-toe, Apple has maneuvered itself into a situation where no matter what choice customers make, it winsas long as they buy from Apple.

How to find alternatives for verification codes when roaming

Macworld Many websites and apps rely on a weak form of two-factor authentication (2FA) that involves texting you a short number or code. These sites and apps might also offer to make an automated voice call that reads the code aloud. If youre outside your home country or region and have an expensive fee per message to receive SMSes or per minute for voice calls or cannot receive them at all, you need an alternative. Set up an app-based second factor in Passwords or elsewhere Your best option is to upgrade account security for the service that currently sends you an SMS for verification. Look for a way to add two-factor authentication that might be labeled as specifically as use Google Authenticator (you can use other apps or Apples Passwords app), shown as a QR code, or require navigating through security > two-factor authentication or other menus. If this isnt an option, skip ahead. At Google, for instance, you go to myaccount.google.com , click Security > 2-Step Verification ; you may be prompted to authenticate. In this section, you can add a passkey (supported by Apple and managed in Passwords), which is a single-step login that combines two security factors, a hardware security key that you would need to carry with you, or Authenticator, which is a time-based one-time password (TOTP) system. You can have all three and more enabled for Google. Passkeys are the easiest, as they replace a login and require no additional factors. The most common option, however, is the Authenticator/TOTP approach. A TOTP requires a secret shared by the account site and you. The secret allows the synchronized generation of a short code. When youre prompted for the code, your authentication app calculates one based on the current time, and, when you enter it, the account site can confirm it by running the same algorithm locally. Apple managed this process extremely well once it started to support TOTPs, which it calls verification codes. On an account enrollment page displaying a TOTP enrollment QR code, you can Control/right-click the code in macOS or touch and hold on a Code in iOS/iPadOS and choose Set Up Verification Code (or similar language). This adds the secret to Passwords for that site. If that set of steps doesnt work correctly, the site should also let you see the raw secret text, a short string of letters and numbers. Copy that text. Open the Passwords app, search for the entry for the website or domain associated with the app that contains your login, click or tap Edit , click or tap Set Up Code , paste the code into the Setup Key field, and click or tap Use Setup Key . Click or tap Save . When you next try to log into the site or app, Apple automatically generates a password prompt in the authentication code field. Youre prompted for a fingertip, face, or password to fill in the generated code. You can use a QR Code to add a verification code (left) or copy the secret shared text and paste that into Passwords (right) or other apps that support TOTP. Get a Google Voice number for free incoming SMS and North American phone calls Google still offers free Google Voice accounts for personal use, which provide a legitimate regular telephone number that can place and receive voice calls and send and receive SMS messages. Google doesnt charge for calls and texts that originate within the United States and you can call and text most numbers in those countries at no cost or low cost. You may be able to change your SMS-receiving number in the account you want to verify when traveling to a Google Voice number. If you can set up multiple numbers of SMS codes, add a Google Voice number as a secondary one. It may not work. As Google notes, Some websites, such as banks or subscription services, wont send text messages to Google Voice numbers. In those instances, you may need to use your mobile carrier number. I have found in testing that advice to be mostly outdated but your particular financial or other services may still restrict known ranges of Google Voice numbers. To make the process of receiving a code from Google Voice even easier, you can go to Settings > Messages at voice.google.com and enable Forward messages to email. This sends any incoming text messages to your associated Gmail address. In my case, I have an additional forwarding rule at Gmail that sends the message on to my main mailbox. In most cases, I receive a code in my inbox within a few seconds and at most a couple of minutes no matter where in the world I am. This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Brian. Ask Mac 911 Weve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, were always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com , including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered; we dont reply to emails, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

Own Microsoft Office on your Mac for just $40

Macworld Microsoft Office is a must-have for productivity, but the usual high price and Microsoft 365s subscription fees can be a dealbreaker. But, for a limited time, you can now get a lifetime Office license for Mac for just $39.99 (82% off) while supplies last. This isnt the latest version, but Microsoft Office 2019 is a solid choice if you want the trusty basics especially for those with an older or refurbished Mac. Youll get Word, Excel , PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Teams, all for a one-time paymentno recurring fees. If you rely on Microsoft 365, this is a wiser long-term investment. Instead of paying a subscription, this license stays with your Microsoft account, meaning you can use it on your Mac now and transfer it if you upgrade later. Before purchasing, check your Macs compatibility. It must run MacOS Monterey (Version 12) or newer and have at least 4GB of RAM for smooth performance. Get Microsoft Office 2019 for just $39.99 while inventory lasts. Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac $39.99 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

Skip the new iPad and grab the 10th-gen for $90 off

Macworld Yes, yes, we know theres a new iPad under preorder right now, but even bigger news is that the 10th-gen model is down to $260 at Amazon . Thats a $89 discount off its $349 MSRP, and just $10 off its Black Friday all-time-low. Apple launched the new iPad just a couple of fays ago, but it doesnt really bring enough to the table for us to immediately recommend it over the iPad 10th gen, especially before we start seeing any kind of discounts. It has a new A16 chip thats a little faster and thats it. Even the colors are the same. The main differences between the 10th gen iPad and the new model are the processor (A14 vs A16) and of storage space (64GB vs 128GB). However, 128GB should be plenty for a bunch of apps and games and watching Netflix on your couch on the 10.9-inch screen. When we reviewed the 10th-gen iPad , we appreciated the improved cameras which will come in handy if you have to join any video calls for work, as well as the beautiful design. And if you want more of a laptop experience, you can get the Magic Keyboard Folio ( on sale for $50 off ) for more efficiency when youre trying to squeeze some work in while on your tablet. Dont wait for the new iPad (A16) and grab this amazing deal for the iPad 10th gen while its still available for $269 at Amazon . Save $90 on a new iPad Buy now at Amazon

3 Steps to block MyFlixer ads on your Mac

Macworld Streaming services have become the most popular way to watch movies and TV on a Mac. But rising prices and the number of services now available can make it hard to afford all the subscriptions required to deliver the content you want to watch. That means its tempting when you come across websites like MyFlixer, which offers loads of AAA titles at no cost. Of course, theres no such thing as a free lunch, and you should always be deeply suspicious of sites that contain free versions of premium content. MyFlixer has already been banned or blocked in several countries, but mirror sites reappear quickly, making it hard to stop people accessing the portal. Its not just the fact that the content is provides is very likely pirated, but more importantly you could soon find yourself with intrusive ads or even malware on your system that puts your personal information at risk. Heres how to protect yourself against the dangers that lurk on MyFlixer and its various mirror sites. PROMOTION CleanMyMac: Total Cleanup and Protection CleanMyMacs advanced malware protection safeguards your Mac from viruses, miners, keyloggers, Trojans, and other threats. MacPaw, the developer behind CleanMyMac, regularly updates its custom-built malware database to ensure your Mac machine is always protected against the latest and emerging threats. Get CleanMyMac What is the MyFlixer virus? Just visiting the MyFlixer site shouldnt immediately infect your Mac with malware. But youll very quickly be prompted to accept new content alerts, push notifications or browser extensions. If you do this, youll then be pestered by adware to download things like companion apps, which will most likely turn out to be malware. The approaches differ for each mirror-site, but the method of getting an infection onto your system is usually similar. If youve already fallen for the tricks the sites employ, then youll need to clean up your browser prompts, remove any extensions or apps, and use anti-virus software to restore your machine back to full health. Well cover all these steps below so that you fix the problems that can be caused by using MyFlixer. How to remove the MyFlixer browser extension Its quite easy to remove the MyFlixer extension from your browser. Heres the methods needed for some of the most popular browers on macOS. How to remove the MyFlixer Safari browser extension Removing the MyFlixer Safari extension is easy and is the same way youd remove any extension from the browser. Heres the steps: Open Safari Go to Safari > Settings then select the Extensions tab. In the left column, click on the Extension you want to remove Click Uninstall Screenshot Martyn Casserly How to remove the MyFlixer Chrome browser extension To remove the extension on your Chrome browser, heres what youll need to do: Open Chrome Click on the Extensions icon in the toolbar (looks like a puzzle piece) Find the extension you want to remove, then click the three dots to the right of its name Click Remove from Chrome Youll be asked to confirm your decision, so click Remove to finish. Screenshot Martyn Casserly How to remove the MyFlixer Firefox browser extension If you prefer to use Firefox, heres whats required to remove the extension: Open Firefox Click on the Extensions icon in the tool bar (looks like a puzzle piece) Click the Settings icon (Cog) to the right of the extension you want to remove Select Remove Extension Confirm your choice by clicking Remove Screenshot Martyn Casserly How to stop push notifications from MyFlixer With the extension removed, youll still need to deal with the push notifications that will flood you with adware and potential malware. Heres the steps to take on the most popular browsers. How to remove MyFlixer push notifications on Safari To stop notifications from MyFlixer, heres what youll need to do: Open Safari Select the Websites tab In the left column select Notifications In the main pane, select the MyFlixter option and set the drop-down menu to Deny Next, select the Pop-up Windows option from the left column Again, find the MyFlixer site and this time set the drop-down menu to Block Screenshot Martyn Casserly How to remove MyFlixer push notifications on Chrome The instructions are a little different on Chrome: Open Chrome Click the three dots icon in the top right corner Select Settings > Privacy and security Scroll down and select Site settings Find the MyFlixer site and click on it Adjust all the settings to Block Go back to the Site settings page and select Pop-up and Redirects In the Not allowed to send pop-ups or use redirects section, click Add Enter the web address thats sending you notifications and click Add Screenshot Martyn Casserly How to remove MyFlixer push notifications on Firefox Open Firefox Click on the three lines in the top right corner Select Settings From the left column choose Privacy & Security Scroll down to Permissions and click on the Settings button for Notifications Select the Block option for the MyFlixer website Click Save Changes Screenshot Martyn Casserly How to find and remove MyFlixer malware Clearing a virus or malware off your system isnt something you can really do yourself, so if you think your system may be compromised then youll need to use an antivirus program. Youll see plenty of free ones around, but most of these only scan for infection and wont remove anything until you move to the paid version which makes sense as it is providing a professional service. We recommend taking a look at our Best Mac Antivirus Software chart to see the products that weve tested and found to be the most reliable. A prime example is Intego Mac Security X9 , which tops the chart at the time of writing. You can find out more in our Intego Mac Security X9 review . Using this software should locate and remove any malware from your Mac that MyFlixer (or any other site) has managed to install on your system. You can read a more detailed explanation of the process in our How to remove a virus from your Mac tutorial. Petter Ahrnstedt While the immediate threat is dealt with by antivirus, there can still be files and other junk left behind, so wed also recommend you use a Mac Cleaner app to completely return your Mac to a pristine state. CleanMyMac is an excellent option, with a friendly and easy to understand interface that allows you to know what needs fixing without bombarding you with confusing information. You can find out more in our CleanMyMac review . Once you have these apps on your Mac, its a good idea to run them periodically to ensure your data is safe and that your system is running to its full potential. How to avoid the MyFlixer virus While free streaming sites might seem incredibly tempting, theres often a hidden cost involvedand it can be nasty. Basically, if youre being offered something that you know youd normally have to pay for, then the chances are its some kind of scam or delivery method for malware. So, to stay safe, dont visit those sites and certainly dont download anything from them. Thats just asking for trouble. If you really want to enjoy movies and TV shows on your Mac, then the safest way is through a paid service. It means youre not ripping off the people that work hard to create the content and arent playing into the hands of cybercriminals that want to steal your data. You dont have to sign up to all of them at the same time though. Most services offer free trials, so you could always work your way through those first. When youve exhausted those, simply sign up to one and binge what you want, then cancel your subscription and repeat the process on the next one. This way you minimise what you have to pay, while ensuring you dont get any dangerous malware on your computer. FAQ 1. What is MyFlixer? A site that offers free TV and movie streaming, often of pirated content from other studios. 2. Is MyFlixer safe? No. There are usually prompts for notifications, extensions and downloads that can contain adware and malware. 3. Is MyFlixer legal? Distrubuting content for which the site doesnt have copyright is illegal. This is why the site has been banned or blocked in various countries. 4. How to block MyFlixer ads? Change the settings in your browser to block pop-up ads and notifications. 5. How to protect your Mac from MyFlixer virus? Install and use a quality antivirus app and run a Mac Cleaner app afterwards to remove any remaining artifacts from your system.

Report: Folding iPhone will be ultra-thin, crease-free, and cost over $2,000

Macworld At this point, the first folding iPhone is filed somewhere between AirPower and the Apple Car, but rumors insist that its still coming. And the latest report claims it will have a very high price tag. According to Ming-Chi Kuo , Apples first folding iPhone is expected to retail above $2,000 and $2,500. That would make it the most expensive iPhone ever made and rival some high-end MacBook Pro configurations. Its also more expensive than the Galaxy Z Fold6, which retails for $1,600. He says the device will be a true AI-driven Phone enabling scenarios like chatting with a chatbot about travel plans while viewing a full map app simultaneously. Reports say Apples conversational Siri which was expected to launch in iOS 19 has been delayed to iOS 20 and wont launch until 2027. As far as the specs, Kuo says the phone will have a book-style design with a 5.5-inch outer display that opens to a 7.8-inch display. Of note, he claims the screen will be totally crease-free with a stainless steel and titanium alloy hinge. He says the phone will measure between 9mm and 9.5mm thick when folded and 4.5mm to 4.8mm when unfolded. By comparison, Oppos Find N5, which is the worlds thinnest folding phone, measures less than 9mm when folded, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.25mm. Kuo also says the phone will have a dual-camera setup and the front-facing camera will be accessible in both folded and unfolded states. And finally, it wont have Face ID but rather use a Touch ID built into the power button like the iPad mini. However, Kuo also says the folding iPhone is coming anytime soon. Mass production in late 2026, putting the launch sometime in 2027. And thats without any delays, which has already pushed the timeline back years.

CCleaner review: A flexible Mac utility for clearing clutter

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Fast performance, clean user interface, good set of system tools Decent price point for one-time purchase or subscription Manage Startups tool was able to dig out malware remnants that other utilties missed Cons Duplicate Finder user interface requires clicking on a files check box as opposed to the name No quick access to a viable help or manual system, refers you to a web-based FAQ No response to media requests Our Verdict CCleaner achieves what it sets out to do: help clean up gigabytes of cache files, internet history files, and locate and purge large files on your Mac with an impressive collection of tools. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price Macworld Software Store $14.99 View Deal Piriform Software (annually) $39.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When Reviewed Free; Pro version: $39.95 a year Best Prices Today: CCleaner Pro Retailer Price Macworld Software Store $14.99 View Deal Piriform Software (annually) $39.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Theres something to be said for a software company releasing a product and heavily advertising its wares. Theres also something to be said for being something of a silent runner, having a good product and honing it over the years. Piriform Softwares CCleaner represents the latter of these two, and while not wrapped up in millions of dollars in advertising that seems to purvey every element of your internet experience, comes through with some useful tools in a friendly, appealing package. CCleaner, which is easy to install and assign full disk permissions to, requires macOS 10.12 (Sierra) or later to run, and retails for $39.95/39.95 for CCleaner Pro, which covers one device for one year. Theres also a free version: CCleaner. Similar to other Mac cleaning utilities (see our round up of the Best Mac Cleaning Apps weve tested ) such as CleanMyMac and DaisyDisk, CCleaner centers itself around several modules, which consist of Quick Clean, Clean Clutter, Clean Browser, Find Duplicates, Analyze Photos, Uninstall Apps, Manage Startups, System Monitor, and Statistics. The modules themselves work well and behave as expected, the Uninstall Apps tool worked well with no fuss, and the Manage Startups tool actually surprised me by digging up a chunk of files left behind from when we tested (the malware-like) MacBooster and offered an easy way to remove them. The Analyze Photos tool performed well, not only scaning the local Photos library, but allowing you to add custom external photos, devices, and specific photos on the fly. The Clean Browser tool offered a good interface, is speedy, and was able to locate and remove 2.01GB of cache files and cookies, while the Find Duplicates tool was able to find no less than 106.45GB of duplicate files, offered a preview of whats potentially on the chopping block, and allowed us to choose and filter by file type. Foundry System Monitor proved interesting, and beyond a nice, clean interface, offered system specs, access to sensors, and information such as fan usage, disk usage, battery cycles, and temperature. The Quick Clean tool isnt entirely original, but was able to locate app cache files, log files, trash, cookies, web cache, and duplicate files and I was able to clear 6.5GB of cache files alone. The Statistics tool did a good job of tallying whats been cleaned up over either the entire usage of the app or over the last 30 days . Finally, the scheduling tool worked well, CCleaner offering a good level of customization to the user. We were able to clear 6.5GB of cache files. Foundry Theres room for improvement with CCleaner, but none of it represents a staggering need for a complete overhaul. While the Find Duplicates tool is generally excellent and offered good filters and categorization to help organize the returned files, you still have to click directly on the files check box and cant simply click on the name, which gets annoying when youre checking or unchecking a wide array of items. From a corporate perspective, I never heard back from Piriform over a period of two weeks when I emailed them with questions. CCleaners biggest weakness is arguably the help menu/manual system, and while theres a generic FAQ posted online, theres no quick access to a viable help menu or onboard manual, which feels like an Achilles heel. Yes, theres a good set of tutorial videos for CCleaners various versions, but you have to go looking for them. I think the next logical step is for Piriform to incorporate a decent manual as well as quick links to the tutorial videos theyve already produced and published. Should you buy CCleaner? Yes, theres room for improvement, but theres an excellent collection of tools to be found in CCleaner, and you can see where the softwares following has built up over the years. The interface is clean, it runs well, and it doesnt make the mistake of trying to perform every task under the sun, such as adding antiviral, antimalware, and VPN functions to its overhead. This in turn lends it a focus that some of its competitors have forgotten, and leads to an impressive collection of tools that are worth your consideration.

Apple C1 modem real-world tests: Good enough, but a step slow

Macworld In many ways, the Apple C1its first cellular modemis the companys most important product in years. Just as the company broke free from reliance on Intel with its own Mac processors, it is now breaking free from reliance on Qualcomm for cellular connectivity. Ditching Broadcom for its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is said to happen this year, too. But the chip was released to little fanfare, with the announcement all but buried in the details of the iPhone 16e. After testing the modem, we know why: its good enough for Apples budget iPhone 16e , but only just. We carried the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e all over Sacramento, Calif., taking multiple speed tests to compare Apples modem vs. Qualcomms. The results are clear: Apple cant keep up, at least not yet. But speed is not all that matters to a cellular modem. Apple C1 modem: How we tested To thoroughly test a cellular modem requires taking thousands of measurements all over the world, when connected to various networks in different conditions, in addition to controlled lab conditions. We cant do all of that, but we can schlep around an iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e, taking multiple measurements in multiple locations, until we get enough data to form some conclusions. We used the popular Ookla Speedtest app to test network performance. Since performance is so highly variable, we took three measurements in each location on each phone, one after the other, and averaged the results. Our tests were performed on the Verizon network at multiple locations throughout the Sacramento, CA area, primarily in the afternoon on a day with good weather. We tested indoors and outdoors, in a mix of challenging areas, such as within a grocery store or the locker room of a gym, and easy, high-performance areas such as outside the Golden 1 Center when there was no major event taking place. The C1 does not support mmWave, so we dont expect multi-gigabit speeds, but even more important than occasional Wi-Fi speeds is how well it performs in areas where the connection is weak or saturated. Lets see how the C1 holds up. Apple C1 modem: Downloads and uploads With the exception of the test run in my home office (which has poor connectivity with mobile networks), the Qualcomm X71M in the iPhone 16 raced past the Apple C1 in every location. In the supermarket where its hard to get a really good connection, the C1 bombed hard, downloading at only about 10 megabits/s while the Qualcomm modem managed over 200. Remember, this is the average of three successive tests, to reduce the natural variability of cellular performance. Its possible the iPhone 16e wasnt able to lock on to a signal on a band that performs better there, but regardless of the reason, through multiple tests, we simply couldnt get a good connection. Foundry In the park or Golden 1 Center where the iPhone 16 gets over a gigabit of download speed, were not very concerned by the Apple C1 managing half the performance. Once you can download several hundred megabits per second, youre not going to have a very different experience going fasternot on your smartphone. Upload performance was a lot closer, with the Apple C1 trading wins with the Snapdragon X71M. Foundry If theres a problem, its with the tests taken inside the gym or out in the nearby shopping center, where the Qualcomm modem was several times faster than Apples. The gym in particular is a very challenging area; its indoors in a large building full of equipment where connectivity is spotty, and dozens of people are all on their phones at once while they work out. We couldnt even get half a megabit of upload performance out of the iPhone 16e there. Apple C1 modem: Overall performance Taking the speeds from each location and averaging them together, we start to see a general overall picture of how the Apple C1 modem in the iPhone 16e compares to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X71M in the iPhone 16. Foundry You can say that, at least in our testing in a variety of locations, the Apple C1 delivers about the same overall upload speed as the Qualcomm Snapdragon X71M but about half the download performance. Again, thats all highly dependent on location and conditions, but it was consistent enough to show a clear pattern. Apple C1 modem: Efficiency and reliability Of course, download and upload speeds are only part of the picture when it comes to cellular performance. Its just as important that you dont drop calls, and that this very power-hungry component doesnt drain your battery too quickly. We made several spot calls during testing using both phones and noticed no significant difference in call quality. No call ever dropped on either phone. It would take hundreds of calls in lots of locations, all lasting ten minutes or more, to get a really clear picture of whether one modem drops calls more than the other, so consider our tests anecdotal at best. Power efficiency testing also requires some specialized equipment to isolate the power draw of the modem alone, and measure it with different signal strengths. Thats exactly what Chinese YouTuber Geekerwan has done, and they found that indeed, under ideal conditions, the Apple C1 uses about 25 percent less power than the Snapdragon X71M in the iPhone 16, but that power savings grows smaller if the signal is weak. Geekerwan Were talking about a difference of one-fifth of a watt, which can add up over time, but its not really a massive contributor to overall battery life. The iPhone 16e has a higher-capacity battery than any 6.1-inch iPhone before; it holds about 12% more charge than the battery in the iPhone 16, and that seems to be the biggest factor in the iPhone 16es long battery life. The C1 is not good enough for flagship iPhones yet The iPhone 16e is Apples more affordable iPhone, though at $600 or more it could hardly be considered a budget smartphone. It makes several concessions to shave $200 off the price, and we can consider cellular performance to be one of them. Making a competitive 5G modem is a herculean task, one that was beyond Intels reach (and hence why the company sold its whole modem division to Apple). Theres a reason Apple is years late in bringing a modem to market. That it works and seems to work just fine without any massive obvious flaws, is quite a feat in itself. But it cant keep up with Qualcomms Snapdragon X71M in the iPhone 16, and thats not even Qualcomms best modem, which would be the Snapdragon x80 . Its not even the X75 , which was found in a lot of phones last year. It appears to be some sort of custom-made-for-Apple variant on the X70, though details are scarce. The Apple C1 is good enough for the companys less expensive model, but if youre spending $800+ on the latest iPhone, or $1,000+ on an iPhone Pro, you expect better than good enough. Without obvious evidence that it drastically improves battery life, which we dont see, it would be a huge disappointment to find the C1 in the iPhone 17 this fall. Thankfully, rumors claim that Apple will indeed stick with Qualcomm for at least another generation. But Apple says this is the first modem of many. The company already has C2 and C3 modems in the pipeline (it would have to, considering the multi-year development and testing process). Those are supposed to get closer to the performance of Qualcomms best modems while improving power efficiency and offering tighter integration with other Apple silicon. The C1 is a great start but Apple still has a long way to go.

Apple didnt make this credit card-sized tracker, but they should have

Macworld I love my AirTags, but they dont fit everywhere. Theyre great for tossing in a bag or tracking a sneaky pet, but theyre awkward in a wallet and dont seamlessly slide into a laptop sleeve. If youve ever wished for a sleeker, more discreet tracker, the KeySmart SmartCard is the gadget youve been looking for . This credit card-sized tracker works like an ultra-slim AirTag (less than 2mm thick), so it fits easily in a wallet, laptop bag, or folio without creating a bulky lump. Youll never have to dig through couch cushions searching for your missing wallet again. And since this 3-pack includes multiple SmartCards, you can track all your essentialsor gift one to that friend whos always late because they misplaced their stuff. The KeySmart SmartCard integrates with Apples Find My app, so you can track its location, get alerts if you leave it behind, and even use Lost Mode to display your contact info. Its waterproof, wirelessly rechargeable, and lasts up to five months on a single charge. If you love the idea of AirTags but need something sleeker, grab a 3-pack of KeySmart SmartCards for $79.97 until March 31 at 11:59 p.m. KeySmart SmartCard Works with Apple Find My (3-Pack) $79.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.