MacRumors

Ahead of the 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to take place next Monday, Apple has updated its Apple Developer app for the iPhone and the iPad.

The new version of the app includes a redesigned Discover tab to make it easier to catch up on news, videos, and more, plus an option to favorite articles in addition to videos and session content.

A refreshed Browse tab allows users to search for existing sessions, videos, and articles, and the WWDC tab has been revamped to prepare for the upcoming WWDC event.

Apple plans to hold the WWDC keynote on Monday, June 22, and the keynote will be available in the Apple Developer app as well as on the Apple Developer website, the standard Apple Events website, the Events tab on the Apple TV, and YouTube.

The Apple Developer app used to be known as the WWDC app, but Apple changed the name in 2019 to turn it into a general developer app that can be used all year rather than just during WWDC.

The app is more important than ever this year as it will house more than 100 technical and design-focused engineering sessions as well as Apple Developer forums, the Platforms State of the Union address, and more.

Apple today launched its annual "Back to School" promotion in the United States and Canada. After five years of offering free Beats, Apple this year is offering free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad.

Qualifying students and educators can receive free second-generation AirPods with a wired charging case with the purchase of a new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, iPad Pro, or iPad Air. During the checkout process, it is also possible to upgrade to second-generation AirPods with a wireless charging case for $40 or to AirPods Pro for $90.

As usual, the standard iPad, iPad mini, Mac mini, and refurbished products are not eligible for the Back to School promotion.

The free AirPods are in addition to Apple's educational pricing, which allows students to save up to $200 off a Mac and up to $100 off an iPad Pro. The promotion runs until September 29, 2020 and is available through Apple's education store on the web, at Apple's retail stores where open, or by calling 1-800-MY-APPLE.

For purchases made using Apple Card Monthly Installments, you will receive an instant credit of $159, which will be applied as a discount to your eligible iPad or Mac at the time of purchase. Then, the cost of the AirPods will be billed in six monthly installments. Apple provides more details in its full terms and conditions for the promotion.

The promotion does not appear to be live in Europe or other regions at this time.

Apple today expanded its Apple Card interest-free monthly installment payment plan across much of its U.S. online store, allowing users to pay for Macs, iPads, and other Apple products over time. In addition to the interest-free payments, users also earn the standard 3% Daily Cash for purchases through Apple.

The new option is available on checkout pages for individual products, with some products like Macs and iPads available with 12-month interest-free installments, and others like Apple TV, AirPods, and HomePod can be paid off over six months. Notably, Apple Watch and iPod touch are not eligible with the interest-free financing.

Tim Cook announced on Apple's April 30 earnings conference call that the company would be expanding the ‌Apple Card‌ Monthly Installments plan beyond the iPhone, and just over a week ago, Bloomberg shared details on what it would cover.

One week ahead of WWDC, Apple has released a new high-end graphics option for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. For an extra $700, the notebook can now be configured with AMD Radeon Pro 5600M graphics with 8GB of HBM2 memory.

Apple says the new 5600M graphics option is up to 75 percent faster than the base 5500M graphics for the 16-inch MacBook Pro, according to TechCrunch.

Apple has also released user-installable SSD storage kits for the latest Mac Pro, with 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB capacities available.

A range of images have today emerged from Twitter user @Jin_Store allegedly featuring iPhone 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro molds, offering a further look at what may be in the works for the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ lineup.

The molds are similar to those usually seen in the lead-up to the announcement of new iPhones. These physical molds are often based on leaked schematics and are produced by third party case manufacturers to develop cases for upcoming devices.

The design depicted in these images is consistent with other rumors that have leaked from the supply chain regarding Apple's upcoming ‌iPhone‌ models, with iPad Pro-style flat edges that are a significant design departure from current models. The notch does not appear to be any smaller in these molds, but this may be because case makers would probably not need to have an accurate replica of that area.

The mold images show all ‌iPhone‌ four sizes that rumors have indicated Apple may release in 2020: A 5.4-inch ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌, a 6.1-inch ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌, a 6.1-inch ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ Pro, and a 6.7-inch ‌‌iPhone‌ 12‌ Pro Max.

The Twitter user also posted a number of CAD renders. CAD images of unreleased iPhones shared online are usually presented as official designs leaked from production factories, but are often made by case makers themselves to predict the design of unreleased devices.

The designs closely mirror other leaks, such as those from Mac Otakara. The expected 3D camera setup, however, similar to the iPad Pro's LiDAR Scanner, does not appear to be present.

Apple is expected to begin production of its 2020 ‌iPhone‌ lineup next month. For more on what to expect from the 2020 ‌‌iPhone‌‌ models, be sure to see our dedicated roundup.

In this week's App Recap, we've highlighted utility app "Pastel," health app "Punkt," and utility app "Remote Control for Mac/PC Pro" as three apps that are worth checking out. We've also compiled a list of apps that received major updates this week.

Apps to Check Out

• Pastel (iOS, Free) - Pastel, an app marketed for developers and artists, allows for the creation of color palettes for use in various projects. Pastel includes diverse color selector options such as a color wheel, RGB sliders, crayons, and even the ability to import specific colors from a photo. In addition, the app allows users to copy a bitmap representation of a palette for use in a pixel editor. The free version of Pastel allows users to add up 20 palettes in their library, and users looking to upgrade to the full version that includes an unlimited number of palettes can opt for a single in-app purchase of $4.99.
• Punkt: One-Sentence Journal (iOS, Free) - With its streamlined interface, Punkt makes day-to-day journaling very straightforward and intuitive. When crafting a story, users simply add a single sentence. Additionally, users have the ability to select from a list of feelings and reasons, enter a specific location, and add photos to bring the story to life. Every story is saved on both the device and in iCloud, and users looking for more protection can protect stories with either Face ID or Touch ID. Although the app is free to download, adding photos and creating an unlimited number of stories per day is limited to those with a premium subscription. Punkt offers a range of monthly subscriptions in which users can choose to contribute a certain amount per month, an annual subscription, and a lifetime membership, which are priced at $0.99-$2.49, $6.49, and $13.99 respectively.
• Remote Control for Mac/PC Pro (iOS, $6.99) - Remote Control seamlessly pairs to a Mac client app that introduces efficient productivity methods for users. Users are able to control volume, playback, and AirPlay mirroring directly from an iOS device. Additionally, the app can morph into a trackpad for a Mac, control any app, launch and quit apps, and more. All of Remote Control's features are included with its purchase price, so no extra in-app purchases are present. In addition to the paid version, Remote Control's developer has also released a free version of the app that contains ads and all of the pro version's features without advanced media controls for apps and websites as well as the ability to control apps and execute system actions.

App Updates

• Darkroom: Photo & Video Editor - Popular editing app Darkroom was updated this week with the ability to manage albums within the app. In the library that's located within the Darkroom app, users now have the ability to create, rename, and delete albums. Any changes made within Darkroom will be reflected in the device's native photo library.
  

• Spike (iOS) - Collaborative email app Spike this week announced a major update that gives users the ability to manage tasks, create notes, and collaborate on documents in real-time without the need to leave the app. The new tasks feature allows users to seamlessly set reminders and set to-dos, which can help enhance day-to-day productivity. Spike has also added the ability to sync notes and tasks across all devices signed into the same account.

• Phone Buddy Notifier for Watch (iOS) - Phone Buddy, an Apple Watch app that alerts users when the Bluetooth connection with a paired iPhone is lost, was updated recently with several new features. The Distance Alerts feature was updated with a new customizable distance threshold for signal strength and time. In addition, the iPhone app was updated with a streamlined interface, and it's now possible to manage all alerts directly on the Apple Watch companion app.

Know of a great new app that we've missed? Let us know in the comments and we'll check it out for next week's App Recap.

Update: The developers of the OpenCore Bootloader have released a statement regarding the unauthorized use of the OpenCore name.

We at Acidanthera are a small group of enthusiasts who are passionate about Apple ecosystem and spend time developing software to improve macOS compatibility with different kinds of hardware including older Apple-made computers and virtual machines. For us, who do this on entirely volunteer and uncommercial basis, for fun, it is shocking and disgusting that some dishonest people we do not even know dare to use the name and logo of our bootloader, OpenCore, as a matter of promotion in some illicit criminal scam. Be warned, that we are nohow affiliated with these people and strongly ask everyone by all means to never approach them. Be safe.

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Original version of article follows...

Following in the footsteps of Psystar, a new company called "OpenCore Computer" (No affiliation with the OpenCore Bootloader) this week launched a commercial Hackintosh computer called the "Velociraptor," which is a violation of Apple's end-user license agreement or EULA for macOS.

On its website, OpenCore Computer claims that it hopes to make Mac Pro-style workstations more accessible. The company's lineup of computers, which they call "zero-compromise Hackintoshes," are advertised as coming with macOS Catalina and Windows 10 Pro pre-installed. The first available model is the "Velociraptor," which is configurable with up to a 16-core CPU, 64GB of RAM, and a Vega VII GPU, and starts at $2,199. OpenCore Computer intends to launch more models at a later date, with options allowing for up to a 64-core CPU and 256GB of RAM.

Hackintoshes are computers that run macOS on hardware not authorized by Apple. OpenCore is a free open-source tool used to prepare a system for booting macOS. The company selling these Hackintoshes seems to have appropriated the name of the open-source bootloader, and has no affiliation to the developers of OpenCore. Hackintosh machines have to bypass copy-protection technologies that Apple uses to protect macOS from being cloned, affording them a dubious legal status when sold. OpenSource Computer reports that its computers "work just like a regular Apple Mac."

Commercial Hackintoshes have a notorious legal history. The now-defunct Psystar Corporation sold so-called "Open Computers" from 2008, with the option to have Mac OS X Leopard pre-installed. Apple's EULA forbids third-party installations of its software, and any commercial Mac clone is a violation of that agreement, as well as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Apple sued Psystar in 2009 and won a permanent injunction against the company, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case in 2012. Given this precedence, it is particularly surprising that OpenCore Computer has chosen to sell a Hackintosh.

OpenCore Computer seems to be trying to get around the EULA by accepting payments in Bitcoin cryptocurrency only. In an attempt to prove that the company is not a scam, it offers the use of escrow payment through "Bitrated," which intends to bring consumer protection and fraud prevention measures to cryptocurrency transactions. Much like the skepticism levelled at Psystar in 2008 when it announced its Mac clone, the legitimacy of OpenCore Computer is unclear. No address for the company is given and there is little further information about it online.

Apple sends out regular Apple Pay promotions via email, and this week's promotion provides a 20 percent discount on select items from sports store Fanatics when using ‌‌Apple Pay‌‌ and the promo code APPLEPAY at checkout.

The email suggests gift purchases of sports apparel and fan gear ahead of Father's Day on June 21. The offer is available through June 19 and is valid in the United States only, both in the Fanatics app and on Fanatics.com.

In addition to Fanatics, Apple in its email highlights several other major merchants that feature ‌‌Apple Pay‌‌ for unique Father's Day gifts, including Allbirds, Goat, Oakley, and The North Face.

WWDC is quickly approaching, and while we know things are going to be different with this first-ever digital-only event, there's still a lot to look forward to. Apple will be streaming a keynote address from Apple Park where we'll see the usual introductions of Apple's next major operating system updates, and hopefully we'll get some hardware news as well.

We're starting to see some intriguing rumors for WWDC, including the possibility of a redesigned iMac and the likely start of Apple transitioning its Mac lineup from Intel processors to its own custom chips. This week also saw news on the iOS beta front, Apple's stock performance, and the iPhone 12 production schedule, so read on below and check out our video above for all of the details!

New iMac With 'iPad Pro Design Language' and Thin Bezels Reportedly Coming at WWDC

WWDC is just over a week away, and a new rumor indicates we could see some significant updates for the iMac at the event. According to leaker Sonny Dickson, Apple will use the WWDC keynote to introduce a redesigned iMac with "iPad Pro design language" and much thinner bezels around the display similar to those seen on the Pro Display XDR.

According to Dickson, the iMac will join the rest of the Mac lineup by including Apple's custom T2 chip to integrate several security controller functions. Dickson also says the iMac will include AMD's Navi graphics processors and move to all-SSD storage, eliminating the hybrid Fusion Drive setup seen on current lower-priced configurations.

Apple has been quoting extended shipping estimates on the 27-inch iMac for a while now, but it hasn't been clear whether it's due to component shortages or an upcoming update. Either way, it's best to wait until WWDC if you're currently in the market for an iMac.

Apple has officially announced some of its schedule for the first digital-only WWDC, which will kick off with the traditional keynote broadcast from Apple Park at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, June 22.

Apple Expected to Announce Arm-Based Mac Plans at WWDC, Transition Away From Intel to Begin in 2021

Apple has been rumored to be looking to move its Mac lineup from Intel processors over to its own custom Arm-based chips for years now, and it looks like it's finally about to happen.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to announce the beginning of that transition at WWDC later this month, giving developers several months to begin preparing ahead of the launch of the first Arm-based Macs in 2021.

Apple's first Arm-based Mac chip is said to be based on the upcoming A14 iPhone chip and include 12 processor cores: eight high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. Chips with even higher core counts based on A15 iPhone chips would follow in the future. One rumor this week says Apple might start its Arm transition with a revived 12-inch MacBook.

For more details on what the transition from Intel to custom Arm chips would mean for Apple, check out our overview guide.

Apple Planning Apple Card Financing Options for Devices Other than iPhone

Apple Card users in the U.S. have been able to take advantage of convenient interest-free payment plans for iPhone purchases, and it looks like they'll soon have the option of similar plans for many other Apple products.

Tim Cook briefly mentioned the company's plans on Apple's April 30 earnings call, but the latest details indicate it will be valid on a broad array of products including iPads, Macs, AirPods, and other accessories, with customers given up to 12 months to pay before interest is due.

Apple Seeds Second Betas of iOS and iPadOS 13.6

Apple has thrown another curveball in its iOS beta testing cycle, renaming iOS 13.5.5 to iOS 13.6 alongside the release of the second beta version.

We'll be seeing iOS 14 very shortly at WWDC, but that won't get a public release until around September, so iOS 13.6 will provide some additional new features and updates to tide users over.

Among the changes found in the latest iOS 13.6 beta are a new toggle to set whether available iOS updates are automatically downloaded, a new Symptoms section in the Health app, and a new feature that saves your reading position within an article in Apple News.

Meanwhile, Apple has stopped signing iOS 13.5 following the release of iOS 13.5.1 last week. iOS 13.5.1 fixed a vulnerability that allowed for devices on earlier iOS versions to be jailbroken, and Apple's move to stop signing iOS 13.5 means users won't be able to downgrade their devices if they've already updated to iOS 13.5.1 or later.

Apple Becomes First U.S. Company to Hit $1.5 Trillion in Market Value

Following a steady recovery from its late March lows in the wake of the global health crisis, Apple's stock price late last week achieved its first all-time high since late January.

By the middle of this week, Apple became the first U.S. company to hit a market value of $1.5 trillion as it surged above $350 per share before pulling back later in the week amid broader market declines.

Apple previously became the first trillion-dollar company back in August 2018, and Amazon, Microsoft and Google parent company Alphabet have since joined Apple in hitting that milestone.

iPhone 12 Production Expected to Begin in July

Amid concerns that Apple will have to delay the launch of at least some iPhone 12 models due to delays stemming from coronavirus impact on the development phases, a new report claims that production on the iPhone 12 lineup is set to begin in July.

With Apple unable to send its usual teams to China to work through prototyping and development, the company was reportedly able to beef up its China-based teams to get the job done, with the second phase of engineering validation and testing wrapping up at the end of this month.

It's still not clear when we can expect the iPhone 12 to become available, however. Apple typically holds its annual iPhone event in early September, with availability following a week and a half later, although the launches of some models have been pushed back to October or even early November in recent years.

Meanwhile, Apple has registered nine unreleased iPhone model numbers with the Eurasian Economic Commission, which likely correspond to various iPhone 12 models. There's also a newly registered Mac that could be the iMac rumored for launch at WWDC.

iPhone 4 Turns 10: 'Stop Me If You've Already Seen This'

This week marked the 10th anniversary of Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone 4 and FaceTime at the WWDC 2010 keynote in San Francisco.

The introduction was a remarkable one due to the fact that the iPhone 4 had leaked several months earlier after an Apple employee left a prototype in a bar in Redwood City, California, near the company's headquarters.

The iPhone 4 was the first one with a high-resolution Retina display, and it featured an all-new design with a glass and stainless steel unibody with squared edges. This year's iPhone 12 is rumored to carry a similar design after many of years of rounded edges dating back to the iPhone 6.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

As part of an ongoing probe of competition in digital markets that involves Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee this week sent a letter to each company demanding to know whether their CEOs will testify in hearings set to take place in July, reports Axios.

The antitrust investigators want to know by Sunday whether Apple, Google parent company Alphabet, Amazon, and Facebook will have their CEOs attend the hearings voluntarily. They're also seeking a number of materials related to other competition probes and internal communications, with the letters asking questions "on issues related to possible competitive harms."

According to Axios, the letters suggest the Judiciary Committee could send out subpoenas to force testimony and document production if the companies do not comply.

"These are documents that are essential to complete our ongoing, bipartisan investigation of the digital marketplace," antitrust subcommittee chairman David Cicilline said in a statement. "This is the appropriate process to secure their production."

The United States Department of Justice last July launched a broad antitrust review into whether major technology companies are unlawfully stifling competition.

In September 2019, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook requesting details on documents and communications related to the App Store, product repairs, and seller agreements with Amazon.

Much of the focus was on Apple's ‌App Store‌ policies, with questions about the removal of parental control apps from the ‌App Store‌, how search result rankings are determined, how Apple's in-app purchase mechanism works, whether apps are permitted to include in-app links to non-Apple payment systems, policies surrounding setting non-Apple apps as default, and more.

Later that year, investigators began questioning third-party app makers, include those who make parental control apps that were impacted by the release of Apple's Screen Time feature and new ‌App Store‌ restrictions on apps abusing Mobile Device Management.

Apple has been accused of anticompetitive business practices when it comes to the ‌App Store‌, with some developers and companies claiming that Apple's own apps, features, and services have a significant advantage over third-party apps. Spotify, for example, has complained that Apple Music has a distinct advantage because Spotify has to pay Apple a portion of its subscription fees.

With the investigation, U.S. House Judiciary Committee is aiming to produce a report on the findings from the probe that has recommendations for updating antitrust laws.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

The HBO GO streaming service and app will be shut down at the end of July following the launch of HBO Max, HBO parent company WarnerMedia announced today (via The Wrap). HBO Now, HBO's other streaming service, will be called just "HBO" going forward, so the two streaming services available will be "HBO" and "HBO Max."

According to WarnerMedia, most customers who use HBO GO are now able to use HBO Max instead, which means the HBO GO app is no longer necessary. Apps will be removed by July 31, and HBO GO will be available on the web until August 31.

Now that HBO Max has launched and is widely distributed, we can implement some significant changes to our app offering in the U.S. As part of that plan, we will be sunsetting our HBO GO service in the U.S. We intend to remove the HBO GO app from primary platforms as of July 31, 2020.
Most customers who have traditionally used HBO GO to stream HBO programming are now able to do so via HBO Max, which offers access to all of HBO together with so much more. Additionally, the HBO NOW app and desktop experience will be rebranded to HBO. Existing HBO NOW subscribers will have access to HBO through the rebranded HBO app on platforms where it remains available and through play.hbo.com. HBO Max provides not only the robust offering of HBO but also a vast WarnerMedia library and acquired content and originals through a modern product.

HBO's first streaming app was HBO GO, launched in 2010 with the purpose of allowing HBO subscribers to stream HBO TV shows and movies. HBO in 2015 introduced HBO Now, a standalone monthly streaming service not tied to a cable subscription.

HBO introduced its newest streaming service, HBO Max, on May 27. HBO Max combines HBO content with shows and films from Warner Bros and Turner TV, so it features classic movies and TV shows like "Friends." HBO Max also features original content, and overall, offers more to watch than HBO Now and HBO GO.

More information on the differences between each of the streaming services can be found on HBO's website.

Father's Day celebrations will be kicking off in just over a week, and ahead of the holiday a few notable companies have introduced discounts on accessories and products that could work well as gifts for anyone shopping this week. All of the deals listed in this article have already kicked off, and most of them will last until Sunday, June 21, unless otherwise stated.

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

Below you'll find discounts from Satechi, Moment, Nomad, August, Ring, and more. With 9 days to go until Father's Day, most orders placed today should make it in time for the 19th, but with shipping constraints still in place you may have to pay extra for priority shipping.

Powerbeats Pro

The Powerbeats Pro have been discounted to $199.95 across numerous retailers, down from an original price of $249.95. This new sale includes the latest color options of the Powerbeats Pro that just launched on Tuesday: Spring Yellow, Glacier Blue, Cloud Pink, and Lava Red.

You can also save on the previous colors including Black, Ivory, Moss, and Navy. Retailers taking part in this sale are Amazon, Apple, B&H Photo, Walmart, and Best Buy.

Other Beats headphones on sale include the regular Powerbeats for $129.95, down from $149.95; and the Solo Pro for $229.95, down from $299.95.

Lutron

Lutron is offering 25 percent off the Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer accessory through June 21. This device locks light switches into the on position, and provides easy access to dimmer controls by rotating the Aurora clockwise.

You can also connect the accessory to the Philips Hue app to program it to activate a Hue scene by pressing the button on the Aurora.

On Amazon, one dimmer is available for $29.95 ($10 off) and a two-pack is available for $59.90 ($20 off). You can also visit Home Depot, Lowe's, and Best Buy for the Father's Day discount.

Moment

Moment and its sister brands are offering up to 60 percent off iPhone camera lenses, drones, smartphone cases, gimbals, and more. These accessories come from brands like Moment, DJI, Nomad, and more.

Many of these accessories have been automatically discounted in the Moment sale, and if you spend over $150 you can take an extra $15 off with code DAD15. Additionally, if you spend over $250 you can take an extra $30 off with code DAD30.

Best Buy

Best Buy's "Dads & Grads" sale is offering solid discounts on the HomePod, Powerbeats Pro, Mac notebooks, and some related accessories.

• HomePod - $199.99, down from $299.00
• Powerbeats Pro - $199.99, down from $249.99
• Apple Watch Series 5 - $100 off
• Official iPhone cases - Up to 25 percent off
• MacBook Air - $100 off
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro Smart Keyboard Folio - $169.99, down from $199.00

Nomad

Nomad is offering 20% off sitewide when using the coupon code DADSNGRADS through Sunday, June 21. Nomad offers a variety of accessories for Apple products, like Apple Watch bands, iPhone cases, wireless chargers, and more.

You can also save up to 30% off across a number of brands related to Nomad, including Ombras sunglasses, Kammok outdoor gear, and more.

August

At August, you can bundle and save 20 percent with the August Smart Lock + Connect with Keypad. This accessory is available for $207.99 with code GIFTDAD, down from $259.99.

The August Smart Lock allows you to control the locks on your doors via your smartphone or Apple Watch. The additional Smart Keypad lets you create custom entry codes for guests.

The Smart Lock Pro + Connect is available for $229.99 with code LOCKPRO50, down from $279.99. More deals will be emerging on August's website ahead of Father's Day, so be sure to browse every discount before they expire on June 22.

Ring

The new Ring Video Doorbell 3 is on sale for $149.99, down from $199.99 through June 21. This is Ring's latest smart doorbell accessory, and it includes improved motion detection and enhanced Wi-Fi, allowing you to check who's at your front door from your smartphone.

The Video Doorbell Pro is also on sale, marked down to $189.00 from $249.00 through July 6. To enhance your Ring home security system, you can also browse various Ring Security Kits and Alarm Bundles for up to $50 off.

Miscellaneous

• B&H Photo - Save on headphones, smartwatches, tablets, and more.
• Decluttr - Save up to $50 off refurbished iPads.
• Mujjo - Get 15% off with code #dad
• Harber London - Save 15% off all orders.
• Aura Digital Frame - Get the "Mason" style frame for $179, down from $199.
• Hyper - Get $20 off select USB-C hubs.
• Otterbox - Take 20% off sitewide.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Fudge, a leaker who goes by @choco_bit on Twitter, often shares details on upcoming Apple products. With Apple's Arm-based Macs that use custom-made chips on the horizon, Fudge today shared some of his thoughts on how, why, and when Apple will roll out Arm-based Macs, including some speculation on how apps, Boot Camp, and other features might be impacted.

Apple has been following a multi-step approach to the rollout of Arm-based Macs, which began in 2016 with the inclusion of the T1 coprocessor in the MacBook Pro, which was later updated to the T2 coprocessor. These chips, which are Arm-based and Apple-designed, manage important security and controller functions and have served as important steps in the transition to a machine fully powered by Arm chips.

Unification between iOS and macOS is also something that Apple has been working towards with its Mac Catalyst project. Apple isn't merging iOS and macOS, but it is aiming for a system that will allow developers to create a single app that will work on all platforms, and its own custom Arm-based chips will further facilitate that goal.

Fudge outlines how Apple used the T1 and T2 chips and its software unification initiatives to prepare for a Mac with an Apple-designed processor, but perhaps the most interesting part of Fudge's narrative is his speculation about Apple's next step and what form it will take.

Based on tidbits from supply chain sources, Fudge believes that Apple could revive its now-discontinued MacBook, with a new 12-inch model unveiled as the first Mac with an Apple-designed Arm-based chip. Though hard to believe, he suggests that Apple could even perhaps revive the butterfly keyboard for the machine.

There are rumors that Apple is still working internally to perfect the infamous Butterfly keyboard, and there are also signs that Apple is developing an A14x based processors with 8-12 cores designed specifically for use as the primary processor in a Mac. It makes sense that this model could see the return of the Butterfly keyboard, considering how thin and light it is intended to be, and using an A14x processor would make it will be a very capable, very portable machine, and should give customers a good taste of what is to come.

The 12-inch MacBook could look the same as the retired version, and Fudge says it's unclear if there will be design changes. There could be 5G connectivity though, and we have heard rumors about Apple bringing cellular connectivity to Macs in some form.

Rumors have suggested that Apple's eventual goal is to use its Arm-based custom-designed chips in its entire Mac lineup. Bloomberg has said that Apple is currently developing at least three Mac processors that are based on the 5-nanometer A14 chip that will be used in the upcoming iPhone 12 models.

At least one of the three processors is said to be much faster than the A-series chips in iPhones and iPads, and the first Mac processors will have 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores. Apple is also working on a second generation of Mac processors based on the future 3-nanometer A15 chip.

Moving away from Intel chips has many benefits for Apple, including being untethered from Intel's unreliable release schedule. With its custom-designed chips, Apple can update Macs on its own internal timeline, and, as Fudge points out, with greater technology enhancements than Intel has been able to make.

Arm-based chips will offer many advantages over Intel-based Macs, in addition to allowing Apple to cut ties with Intel. The chips are expected to feature faster performance and reduced power consumption for better battery efficiency, and Bloomberg says internal testing has shown significant gains in graphics performance and apps using artificial intelligence.

Apple's transition away from Intel's chips won't be without difficulties. There's been a lot of talk about app support and potential issues. Mac App Store apps will run without changes, but apps outside of the App Store could be problematic. Fudge outlines multiple ways that Apple could handle apps when transitioning to custom chips:

- Developer will need to build both x86_64 and ARM version of their app - App Bundles have supported multiple-architecture binaries since the dawn of OS X and the PowerPC transition

- Move to apps being distributed in an architecture-independent manner, as they are on the App Store. There is some software changes that are suggestive of this, such as the new architecture in dyld3.

- An x86_64 instruction decoder in silicon - very unlikely due to the significant overhead this would create in the silicon design, and potential licensing issues. (ARM, being a RISC, "reduced instruction set", has very few instructions; x86_64 has thousands)

- Server-side ahead-of-time transpilation (converting x86 code to equivalent ARM code) using Notarization submissions - Apple certainly has the compiler chops in the LLVM team to do something like this

- Outright emulation, similar to the approach that was taken in ARM releases of Windows, but received extremely poorly (limited to 32-bit apps, and very very slow)There could be other solutions in the works to fix this but I am not aware of any. This is just me speculating about some of the possibilities.

When it comes to Boot Camp, Fudge believes that because of performance issues and difficulties emulating x86_64 on Arm-based machines, Apple could abandon the functionality entirely until Windows becomes more friendly to the new architecture.

It may take some time for Apple to bring its custom chips to the full Mac lineup, but we could get a hint at what it's working on behind the scenes as soon as WWDC. Bloomberg recently said that Apple plans to announce its upcoming transition to Arm-based Macs with custom-designed chips at WWDC 2020, and that the first Arm-based Mac will be released in 2021.

As we wait for Apple's WWDC event on June 22 with the possible Arm-based Mac announcement, Fudge's full piece exploring Apple's work on custom chips and its potential future plans is worth checking out, and can be read over on Reddit.