MacRumors

Oops! Eagle-eyed developer Charlie Joseph today discovered that Apple has leaked its upcoming high-end M4 Max chip through an image uploaded to its website. The discovery was shared with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on social media.

It was already pretty obvious that Apple plans to announce new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips this week, after Apple promised multiple Mac-related announcements this week. Now, the M4 Max chip image reinforces that Apple is gearing up to announce the new laptops imminently. Apple will likely unveil the new MacBook Pro models with a press release and video on Wednesday.

Here is the image of the M4 Max icon, and an Apple.com link to it while it lasts:

With this leak, the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro leaking in Russia, and the new Mac mini leaking on Amazon, Apple has struggled to keep these M4 Mac announcements under wraps, which is pretty rare territory for the company.

This discovery comes after Apple announced the M4 Pro chip alongside the new Mac mini today. Key specifications of the M4 Pro chip include up to a 14-core CPU, up to a 20-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, support for up to 64GB of RAM, support for Thunderbolt 5, and an increased 273GB/s of memory bandwidth. For the M4 Pro chip with a 14-core CPU, there are 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores. M4 Max specifications have not leaked, but it will obviously take performance to an even higher level than the M4 Pro chip.

Apple is expected to announce a base 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.

No major external design changes have been rumored for the MacBook Pro lineup this year, with more significant improvements such as an OLED display and thinner design not expected until 2026 at the earliest. However, the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro is expected to gain an additional Thunderbolt port compared to the current model, based on alleged leaks earlier this month. Those same leaks revealed that the MacBook Pro lineup might finally start with 16GB of RAM, instead of 8GB. We've already seen this trend with the new iMac and Mac mini, which both have a minimum of 16GB of RAM for all configurations.

Based on the Mac mini with the M4 Pro chip, it seems pretty likely that MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips will also support Thunderbolt 5 for up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds, but this is not officially confirmed yet.

Apple last redesigned the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2021, and the latest models with the M3 family of chips were released last October.

Apple today shared a 12-minute announcement video on YouTube for the new Mac mini, providing an overview of the computer's new features and changes, including a smaller design, two front-facing USB-C ports, M4 and M4 Pro chip options, Thunderbolt 5 support for higher-end configurations with the M4 Pro chip, and more.

For more details about the new Mac mini, read our coverage of Apple's announcement.

The new Mac mini is available to pre-order today, with U.S. pricing starting at $599, and it launches on Friday, November 8.

Be sure to check out Apple's video announcement for the new iMac too if you missed it yesterday.

Apple's new redesigned Mac mini with M4 Pro chip features three Thunderbolt 5 ports, the newest specification of Thunderbolt that offers speeds of up to 120 Gb/s with Bandwidth Boost, which is triple the maximum bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4.

The new standard also features support for native DisplayPort 2.1 output over USB‑C. Thunderbolt 5 is fully compatible with USB4, and supports advanced protocols such as PCIe 4.0, allowing faster data access speeds for storage devices and peripherals.

In contrast, the new Mac mini with M4 chip includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports. Front ports on both models include two USB-C ports that support USB 3, and an audio jack with support for high-impedance headphones.

Both models also come standard with Gigabit Ethernet, configurable up to 10Gb Ethernet for faster networking speeds, and an HDMI port for easy connection to a TV or HDMI display without an adapter. With M4, Mac mini can support up to two 6K displays and up to one 5K display, and with M4 Pro, it can support up to three 6K displays at 60Hz for a total of over 60 million pixels.

The new Mac mini with M4 starts with 16GB of memory for $599, while the M4 Pro models start with 24GB for $1,399. The new models are available to pre-order today with launch day arriving on Friday, November 8.

Apple today unveiled the M4 Pro chip, with key specifications including up to a 14-core CPU, up to a 20-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, and support for up to 64GB of RAM. For the 14-core CPU, there are 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores.

The previous-generation M3 Pro chip has up to a 12-core CPU and up to an 18-core GPU.

Apple says the M4 Pro chip features "the world's fastest CPU core" with "lightning-fast single-threaded performance." It also advertises the M4 Pro chip's graphics performance as being up to twice as fast as the standard M4 chip.

Apple has not provided any direct comparisons between the M4 Pro and M3 Pro chips, so we will have to wait for benchmark results for that. However, in its Mac mini video announcement, Apple says the M4 Pro chip's multi-core CPU performance is up to 1.6x faster than the M2 Pro chip and up to 1.9x faster than the M1 Pro chip.

Other specifications for the M4 Pro chip include Thunderbolt 5 support with up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds, and an increased 273GB/s of memory bandwidth. That is a 75% increase in memory bandwidth compared to the M3 Pro chip.

The first Mac equipped with the M4 Pro chip is the new Mac mini, also announced today. Apple is also expected to introduce updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chip options later this week.

Apple today announced fully redesigned Mac mini models featuring the M4 and M4 Pro chips, a considerably smaller casing, two front-facing USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and more.

The product refresh marks the first time the ‌Mac mini‌ has been redesigned in over a decade. The enclosure now measures just five by five inches and contains a new thermal architecture where air is guided up through the device's foot to different levels of the system.

The new ‌Mac mini‌ can be configured with either the M4 or M4 Pro chip, with the latter allowing for a 14-core CPU, a 20-core GPU, and up to 64GB of memory. The ‌Mac mini‌ with the M4 chip features a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and now starts with 16GB of unified memory as standard. The M4 Pro features 273GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Apple says that the M4 Mac mini is up to 1.8x faster in CPU performance and 2.2x faster in GPU performance than the M1 model from 2020. With up to 20 cores, the M4 Pro's GPU is said to be up to twice as powerful as the GPU in the standard M4. Both chips bring hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the ‌Mac mini‌ for the first time, alongside a considerably more powerful Neural Engine.

The M4 Pro model offers two USB-C ports on the front and three Thunderbolt 5 ports on the back. This is the first time a Mac has featured Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, which delivers up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds—more than doubling the throughput of Thunderbolt 4. The M4 model continues to have Thunderbolt 4 ports.

The new machine is also Apple's first carbon-neutral Mac. The M4 and M4 Pro ‌Mac mini‌ is available to pre-order today with a starting price of $599, with launch set to take place on November 8.

Amazon today has a big selection of discounts on Apple's M2 iPad Air, with savings of about $100 across nearly every model. Only Amazon is offering these deals right now, and you'll find early November delivery dates for most of the tablets.

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

Below we've collected every Wi-Fi model of the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models on sale. In most cases, you'll find all four colors on sale for every model. There are some cellular devices being marked down as well on Amazon this week, with the same $100 discounts.

11-inch iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $498.00 ($101 off)
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $599.00 ($100 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $797.00 ($102 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $998.00 ($101 off)

13-inch iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $698.00 ($101 off)
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $797.00 ($102 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $999.00 ($100 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,197.00 ($102 off)

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about top deals as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn is conducting early development of the base iPhone 17 at a factory in Bengaluru, India, according to The Information's Wayne Ma. This is considered to be a "milestone" for Apple's manufacturing efforts in India.

The paywalled report said this iPhone 17 model has already passed an early development stage, as Apple evaluates whether India-based engineers can develop iPhone prototypes that match the quality of those built at its California headquarters. Apple's goal is to start developing new iPhones as early as possible in locations closer to where final assembly takes place, which could result in lower operating costs for the company.

The report does not reveal any new features or changes planned for the iPhone 17, but Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu outlined some features that he expects for the base model in a research note earlier this month:

• 6.1-inch display
• A19 chip
• 8GB of RAM
• An upgraded 24-megapixel front camera
• Two rear cameras, including a 48-megapixel Fusion and 12-megapixel Ultra Wide
• Aluminum casing

Based on these specs, the base iPhone 17 will not be a major upgrade over the iPhone 16.

The primary development locations for the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will still be in China, according to the report. Pu believes the ultra-thin iPhone 17 will feature a single 48-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of RAM, and more, while the iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to feature a 48-megapixel Telephoto camera, 12GB of RAM, and more. The devices should launch next September.

Popular calendar app Fantastical is expanding beyond the Apple ecosystem for the first time, bringing the full Fantastical experience to Windows. Support for Windows has been a top-requested feature for quite some time, primarily from Apple users who have the need to use Windows for work, software availability, or other reasons, so Flexibits has spent the past three years building Fantastical for Windows from the ground up for a fully native experience.

While Apple's Calendar app has improved significantly in recent years, multi-award-winning Fantastical has remained popular as a third-party option due to its support for natural language parsing, the ability to manage tasks and reminders from Google Tasks, Microsoft 365, and Todoist, scheduling features like Openings that let you open up calendar time slots for others to book and Proposals that let organizers poll potential attendees to determine the best time for an event, glanceable weather information tied to event location, and more.

Fantastical for Windows arrives as part of Fantastical 4.0, which is available for free with limited features across Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. A Flexibits Premium subscription priced at $6.99 per month or $56.99 per year (a 14-day free trial is available) is required to unlock all features, and the new Windows app is covered under that same subscription with no increase in pricing. Flexibits Premium for Families offers up to five family members full access to Fantastical across all platforms for $10.49 per month or $89.99 per year.

Also included in a Flexibits Premium subscription is full feature unlock for Cardhop, a Contacts app alternative that works across Apple's platforms with natural language parsing, widgets, Shortcuts support, simple contact card sharing, business card scanning, and more.

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

Apple's iPhone exports from India reached nearly $6 billion in the six months through September, representing a 33% increase compared to the same period last year, according to Bloomberg. The growth puts Apple on track to exceed its fiscal 2024 export target of $10 billion from the region.

The increase in exports is a result of Apple's expanding manufacturing network in India, where the company has benefited from local subsidies, skilled labor, and improving technological infrastructure. Apple's three key iPhone suppliers in the country are Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Electronics.

Foxconn's Chennai-based unit leads production and accounts for half of India's iPhone exports. Tata Electronics, which acquired Wistron's manufacturing facility last year, exported approximately $1.7 billion in iPhones from its Karnataka factory between April and September.

The growth in iPhone manufacturing has significantly impacted India's export economy, according to the report. Smartphones have become the country's top export to the United States, and reached $2.88 billion in the first five months of the fiscal year – a dramatic increase from just $5.2 million in annual smartphone exports to the US five years ago.

Apple has since deepened its commitment to Indian manufacturing, producing iPhone 15 Pro models in the country. Apple has also expanded its retail presence by opening stores in Mumbai and New Delhi, which contributed to record annual revenue of $8 billion in India through March.

Apple's manufacturing expansion in India underlines Apple's strategy to diversify its supply chain and reduce its dependence on China, where geopolitical tensions with the US and economic challenges remain. That said, China remains Apple's primary manufacturing hub, and the company has also significantly expanded its research and development capabilities in what is the world's largest smartphone market.

Apple today announced that Tap to Pay on iPhone is available in Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland, Romania, and Sweden, providing a way for independent sellers, small businesses, and larger merchants in these countries to use an ‌iPhone‌ as a contactless payment terminal.

Tap to Pay first arrived in February 2022 in the US, and allows iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets‌‌‌. All transactions are encrypted, and Apple has no information about what is purchased or the person who made the purchase.

No additional hardware or credit card machine is required‌ to use Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌. The feature uses NFC technology to securely authenticate the contactless payments, plus the feature also supports PIN entry, which includes accessibility options.

Starting today, Adyen, SumUp, and Viva.com are the first payment platforms to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone across all five countries. Global Payments with Erste Bank is available in Austria, Czech Republic, and Romania; Stripe is available in Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland, and Sweden; Nexi is available in Austria and Sweden; Revolut is available in Austria and Ireland; myPOS and PAYONE are available in Austria; and Zettle by PayPal is available in Sweden. hobex in Austria, BOI Payment AcceptanceGlobal Payments and Square in Ireland, and Surfboard Payments in Sweden will enable Tap to Pay on iPhone for their customers in the coming weeks. Tap to Pay on iPhone works with contactless credit and debit cards from leading payment networks, including American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa.

Tap to Pay on ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌ requires ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌ XS or newer models, and works for customers as any normal ‌‌‌‌‌Apple Pay‌‌‌‌‌ transaction would. Sellers just need to open up the app, register the sale, and present their ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌ to the buyer, who can then use an appropriate contactless payment method.

It is now available in 17 countries, including United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland, Romania, the Netherlands, Sweden, Brazil, Italy, France, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Germany.

Amazon has seemingly leaked the rumored next-generation Mac mini ahead of Apple's announcement this week, revealing several details.

According to a comparison chart on Amazon's product listing for the new iMac, the new Mac mini will be available with M4 and M4 Pro chip options, with up to a 14-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU. In addition, the chart indicates the new Mac mini can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM, which is double the current 32GB limit for unified memory. Storage capacities for the Mac mini will apparently continue to max out at 8TB, like the previous model.

The chart includes a very tiny image of the new Mac mini that seemingly confirms the computer will feature two front-facing USB-C ports, as previously rumored. It is possible these could be Thunderbolt 4 ports, but the chart does not specify. And is that a headphone jack on the front right? The image is a little too small and blurry to say for sure.

When shown side-by-side with the Mac Studio in the comparison chart, the new Mac mini also appears to be much smaller than the current model, as previously rumored. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the computer would be closer in size to an Apple TV.

Here is the full comparison chart:

Unfortunately for Space Black fans, the chart shows the next Mac mini will apparently be available in Silver only, like the current model.

It is likely that the comparison chart graphic shown in Amazon's listing is provided by Apple, so the specifications are likely accurate.

Apple will likely announce the new Mac mini by Wednesday.

Update: Predictably, the comparison chart was removed from the Amazon listing minutes after we published, but it was likely authentic.

iOS 18.1 is the first major update to iOS 18, and it brings a slew of new features including Apple Intelligence, phone call recording, and more, plus bug fixes.

This guide highlights everything that's new in iOS 18.1.

Apple Intelligence

iOS 18.1 includes the first ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features for the iPhone 15 Pro models and the iPhone 16 lineup. It will take some time for Apple to roll out all of the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ capabilities, but a handful are available now.

• Writing Tools - Writing Tools lets you proofread, summarize, and rewrite text throughout the operating system.
• Siri - Siri has a new look, offers Apple device product knowledge, there's a Type to ‌Siri‌ feature, and ‌Siri‌ is able to maintain contexts between requests and understand when you stumble over your words.
• Smart Replies - In Mail and Messages, Apple can suggest replies to incoming messages.
• Summaries - ‌Apple Intelligence‌ can summarize email messages and notifications so you can see what's important at a glance. You can also get summaries of transcriptions in the Notes app, and websites in Safari.
• Photos - Memory Maker lets you create custom slideshows with just a description, natural language search is supported, and there's a Clean Up feature for removing unwanted objects from images.
• Focus - A Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode only shows you important notifications while filtering out everything else.

Phone App

iOS 18.1 supports recording your phone calls and getting transcriptions from the calls. Tapping on the upper left hand record button after placing a call initiates a recording, and all participants are notified that the call is being recorded.

Calls are saved to the Notes app, and the Notes app is able to generate a transcription.

Camera

Spatial photo capture has been added to the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, and it joins the existing spatial video capture feature in a new Spatial camera mode. Spatial photo capture has been an ‌iPhone 16‌ feature since launch.

For ‌iPhone 16‌ models, Camera Control now has an option to swap over to the front-facing TrueDepth camera with press and swipe gestures. If you hold down the Camera Control button with a light press, you will also now see a bar underneath the adjustment options.

AirPods Pro 2

If you have AirPods Pro 2, iOS 18.1 adds a new set of Hearing Health features. You can do a built-in hearing test, identifying tones to check for hearing loss. Should hearing loss be detected, there is an option to use the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 as a hearing aid to boost conversations and other sounds around you.

Apple also has an option to tweak music, videos, and calls based on your hearing test (if loss is detected), and there is a hearing protection feature for all users that minimizes exposure to loud environmental noises across all listening modes.

Control Center

There are new connectivity controls in Control Center for Satellite and AirDrop, allowing these buttons to be added to Control Center individually. Previously, the toggles were only available in the all-in-one connectivity control.

Apple has also added new Measure and Level controls to the Control Center. Measure opens up the Measure app, while Level opens up the Measure app to the included Level feature.

Apple Music

Apple Music now has an option to share ‌Apple Music‌ songs directly on TikTok. To do so, tap on Share Song and then choose TikTok from the list of apps.

RCS Business Messaging

You can text with businesses that use Apple's Business Messaging feature over RCS.

Wallet App

In the Wallet app, if you have an Apple Card and your Daily Cash goes to a savings account, you'll no longer see the savings account balance on the main ‌Apple Card‌ screen. Instead, you can tap on the savings button to get your current account balance.

App Store

App Store search now supports natural language to make it easier to find exactly what you're looking for.

Game Center

You can send Game Center friend invites directly from the Contacts app and Friends Suggestions, with receivers able to see the invites in their inbox in Settings.

Bug Fixes

There are several bug fixes in iOS 18.1.

• Unplayed Podcasts episodes will no longer be marked as played.
• Videos recorded at 4K 60 fps and viewed in the Photos app will no longer stutter when scrubbing through the video.
• A bug that could cause digital car keys not to start or unlock a vehicle with passive unlocking after restoring from a backup or transferring from another iPhone has been fixed.
• ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ models should no longer unexpectedly restart.

Security Updates

iOS 18.1 addresses over 20 security vulnerabilities, which means it's a good idea to update as soon as you can.

A full list of the vulnerabilities fixed can be found on Apple's website, but it includes updates for image processing, Safari downloads, Safari private browsing, Shortcuts, ‌Siri‌ and Spotlight.

Read More

For more detail on the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features in iOS 18.1, we have a dedicated guide. Our ‌iOS 18‌ roundup has a list of all of the features in the iOS 18 update.

iOS 18.1 is the first iOS 18 update with Apple Intelligence capabilities, and that's what a lot of the coverage about the new software has focused on. If you don't have an iPhone that's capable of ‌Apple Intelligence‌, you're probably wondering just what's in the update for you.

While ‌Apple Intelligence‌ does make up the bulk of what's new, if you have an older device, you still get some solid improvements.

Phone Call Recording

In iOS 18.1, you can record any phone call that you're on, with the audio saved to the Notes app. The Notes app is able to automatically generate a transcript of the call, which you can search.

To use call recording, just tap on the little voice wave icon in the upper left while on a call. You cannot record a call in secret - all participants are notified that a recording is in progress through an automated message.

• How to Record and Transcribe Phone Calls

Your recorded phone calls are saved in the Notes app. You can play a call back in its entirety or get a transcript, as well as find specific spots in a call using the transcript. Transcripts are generated automatically and can be searched.

You need an ‌iPhone‌ 12 or later to use call recording, and that's also the minimum device requirement for the related feature for saving voice memos to the Notes app to get a transcript.

Transcripts are available in English (U.S., Australia), Spanish (U.S., Mexico), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Cantonese (Hong Kong), and Korean (South Korea) right now.

AirPods Features

If you have AirPods Pro 2, you have access to all of the new Hearing Health features that are available in iOS 18.1. That includes a hearing test to check for hearing loss, as well as the option to use the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 as a hearing aid if you do end up finding mild to moderate hearing loss.

The ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 can also be used to protect your hearing, listening for loud sounds around you like construction noise or shouting and minimizing them. It will work for sustained sounds louder than 110 decibels, but it's not meant for burst sounds like gunfire, fireworks, or jackhammers.

As long as you have ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2, the latest ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 firmware (which is out now) and a device that can run ‌iOS 18‌ (or an iPad with iPadOS 18) you can use the Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, and Hearing Protection capabilities.

App Store Search

The App Store now supports natural language search, so it's easier to find exactly what you're looking for. Some of the possible searches now:

• Fun new games to play
• Apps for learning new skills
• Apps to help with physics homework
• Games to compete with friends
• Cooking games for kids
• Best games in the world
• Apps with HealthKit integration
• Games with roguelike elements
• Games to play without Wi-Fi
• Apps to sell stuff
• Apps to watch movies for free

Smaller New Features

There are a few other minor feature tweaks that are worth knowing about.

• Control Center - You can add standalone buttons for AirDrop and Satellite, plus there are Control Center controls for Measure and Level.
• Apple Music - You can share Apple Music songs directly to TikTok.
• Wallet - The Wallet app no longer shows your Savings account balance on the main Apple Card screen, and you need to tap into it to get that info.

Bug Fixes

Along with these features, there are a couple of bug fixes.

• Podcasts - Unplayed Podcasts episodes should no longer be marked as played.
• Photos - When you're scrubbing through a 4K 60fps video in the Photos app, it will no longer stutter.
• Car keys - If you had a problem where your digital car key would not start or unlock your vehicle with passive unlocking, the update should fix it.

What to Look Forward to Next

Apple is testing iOS 18.2 right now, and it once again focuses primarily on ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features. There are some non-AI changes to look forward to, though, like a whole new look for the Mail app with built-in categorization and a new interface for setting default apps to replace Apple's own apps.

Apple is launching a new Apple Card promotion for ‌Apple Card‌ users, providing the option to earn up to five percent Daily Cash on purchases made from November 6, 2024 to April 30, 2025.

To unlock the Daily Cash back promotion, users will need to spend between $5,000 and $15,000. At $5,000, three percent Daily Cash is unlocked. Spending $10,000 unlocks four percent Daily Cash, and spending $15,000 unlocks five percent Daily Cash.

You will need to spend at least $5,000 to get the bonus, and it is not retroactive, so it will only apply to purchases made after you hit each spending limit.

Apple says that the offer is limited to select ‌Apple Card‌ users who receive a notification about it in the Wallet app. Those eligible who have ‌Apple Card‌ participants will see shared spending count toward the total.

For ‌Apple Card‌ partner stores that already offer three percent cash back, there will be no additional Daily Cash increase until the four percent tier is reached. The Daily Cash bonus is available on up to $50,000 in total purchases.

Apple today updated its website to indicate that the Mac Pro now ships with a USB-C to USB-C charging cable in the box, instead of a USB-C to Lightning cable, and we have learned that the high-end desktop computer now comes with the new USB-C versions of the Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard accessories in the box as well.

There are no other changes to the Mac Pro today beyond the Magic accessories and charging cable switching from Lightning to USB-C.

Apple released the current Mac Pro with the M2 Ultra chip in June 2023, with pricing starting at $5,999 in the United States.

Apple released USB-C versions of the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad accessories alongside the new iMac with the M4 chip earlier today. The accessories are also sold separately in white and black color options.

Update: Hours after this story was published, Apple updated the tech specs for the new iMac to indicate that configurations with the 10-core M4 chip support one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz, not 120Hz. It appears that the original 8K at 120Hz specification in Apple's tech specs was an error. Apple still mentions 8K at 120Hz on its international websites, but those will likely be corrected soon as well.

Original story follows.

---

When configured with a 10-core M4 chip, the new iMac announced today supports up to an 8K external display at 120Hz, or up to two 6K displays at 60Hz each. The impressive feat was noted by Vadim Yuryev, co-host of the YouTube channel Max Tech.

This means the latest iMac is the first-ever Mac to support an 8K display at 120Hz, beating out higher-end models like the MacBook Pro, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is expected to announce new MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips as early as tomorrow, however, so support for an 8K display at 120Hz could be expanded soon.

Apple doesn't even offer an 8K display with a 120Hz refresh rate — at least not yet. Apple's higher-end Pro Display XDR monitor has a 6K resolution at 60Hz, while its lower-end Studio Display monitor has a 5K resolution at 60Hz.

Does the iMac's external display support hint at future 120Hz versions of the Pro Display XDR or Studio Display? There are no concrete rumors yet.

The previous iMac with the M3 chip supports one external display at up to 6K/60Hz, and this remains true for the latest base model with the 8-core M4 chip.

For more details about the new iMac, read our earlier coverage of Apple's announcement.

In the U.S., pricing for the iMac with a 10-core M4 chip starts at $1,499.

The iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 updates that Apple started testing last week are set to be released to the public this December, Apple said today in a newsroom article highlighting Apple Intelligence capabilities.

"New ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features will be available in December," reads Apple's article. The update will add the first image generation features, including Genmoji, Image Playground, and Image Wand, plus it includes ChatGPT integration with Siri and new, more flexible Writing Tools options. For iPhone 16 users, the iOS 18.2 update adds visual intelligence, which uses Camera Control to identify and provide additional information about objects and places.

iOS 18.2 will also see ‌Apple Intelligence‌ gain support for localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and the UK in addition to U.S. English.

As of right now, iOS 18.2 and its sister updates are available to developers for testing, but Apple will likely make a public beta available at some point. A December release gives Apple approximately a month and a half to test the new feature set, depending on the planned release date.

Apple's .2 updates are typically released in December during the same general timeframe, so if Apple sticks to that, we could see a launch on December 9th or 10th, well ahead of the holiday period.

• iOS 17.2: December 11
• iOS 16.2: December 13
• iOS 15.2: December 13

After iOS 18.2, Apple will start testing iOS 18.3. That update is likely to come out at some point in January or February, and it will be followed by iOS 18.4 in April.

Apple said today that it plans to bring ‌Apple Intelligence‌ to the iPhone and iPad in the European Union in April, plus we are awaiting other ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features like Priority Notifications, and ‌Siri‌ features that include onscreen awareness, personal context, and the ability to take new actions in and across apps.

Customers who install iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1 on a device capable of supporting ‌Apple Intelligence‌ can try out Writing Tools, Smart Replies summaries, and other ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features as of today.

Apple introduced a new iMac today with the M4 chip and more, but that's not all, as it still has two more Mac announcements planned this week.

"This is a huge week for the Mac, and this morning, we begin a series of three exciting new product announcements that will take place over the coming days," said Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus, in a video announcing the new iMac.

Based on rumors, those two announcements are very likely to be new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chip options, along with a redesigned, smaller Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro chip options and two front-facing USB-C ports. Just like the new iMac today, press releases and YouTube videos for the new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models are likely on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

Below, we reiterate what to expect from the new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models.

MacBook Pro

Apple is expected to announce new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, including an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.

No major external design changes have been rumored for the laptops this year, with improvements such as an OLED display and thinner design not expected until 2026 at the earliest. However, the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro is expected to gain an additional Thunderbolt port compared to the current model, based on alleged leaks earlier this month. Those same leaks revealed that the MacBook Pro lineup might finally start with 16GB of RAM, instead of 8GB, which was rumored even before the leaks happened. As another clue, the new iMac has a minimum of 16GB of RAM for all configurations.

Apple last redesigned the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2021, and the latest models with the M3 family of chips were released last October.

Mac mini

The next Mac mini is expected to be available with M4 and M4 Pro chip options. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the next Mac mini to be smaller, making it closer in size to an Apple TV, and he said that the computer will gain two front-facing USB-C ports. All in all, the Mac mini is expected to receive its biggest redesign since 2010.

Like the new iMac, the next Mac mini could also start with 16GB of RAM, instead of 8GB.

The new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models will likely be available to pre-order starting this week, and they are expected to launch in November. The new iMac became available to pre-order today, and it launches on Friday, November 8.