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Apple Seeds Third Beta of Upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.3 Update to Developers

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Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS 10.15.3 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the second beta and more than a month after releasing the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update.

The new ‌‌macOS Catalina‌‌ beta can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper software from the Developer Center.

macos catalina wallpaper
We don't yet know what improvements the third update to macOS Catalina will bring, but it will likely focus on performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be fixed in the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update.

macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.3 has code in it that suggests a new "Pro Mode" is coming to Apple's Macs. Pro Mode appears to be an optional setting that overrides fan speed limits and energy saving restrictions to improve performance. The code says that apps "may run faster" but battery life could decrease and fan noise could increase.

It's not entirely clear if Pro Mode is coming to Macs in the 10.15.3 release, but the code is there so it is a possibility.

We didn't find any other major new changes in the first two betas of macOS Catalina 10.15.3, but we'll update this post if there's anything new in the third beta.

Related Forum: macOS Catalina
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Deals: Best Buy's Latest 3-Day Sale Marks Down MacBook Air, iPhone Cases, Beats Headphones, and More

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Best Buy has kicked off a new 3-day sale as we head into the weekend, with discounts on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Beats products, and iPhone cases. This sale lasts through Sunday, January 26 at 11:59 p.m. CT, and for some products you'll need to be a My Best Buy member to see the discounts.

bb jan saleNote: 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.

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks are seeing discounts that match the current best prices on select models in many cases. You can get the 128GB 2019 MacBook Air for $949.99 (down from $1,099.99), or the 512GB 16-inch MacBook Pro for $2,199.99 (down from $2,399.99).

Also included in the sale is a handful of discounts on iPhone cases, including ongoing solid deals on the iPhone 11 Smart Battery Case line. You can get this accessory for $103.99 in Black (down from $129.99), and there are also numerous discounts on Leather Cases, Silicone Cases, and Clear Cases.

Best Buy 3-Day Sale

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

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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App Store Experiencing Outage [Update: Fixed]

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The App Store is experiencing a temporary outage that started at 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time, according to Apple's System Status website. Apple's site says that there's an unspecified ongoing issue that's affecting some users.

Part of the problem appears to be linked to in-app purchases, based on a tweet from a Fortnite Twitter account, which says that in-app ‌App Store‌ purchases are unable to be completed at this time.

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Other users have complained about not being able to make purchases from the ‌App Store‌, receiving an unable to connect message.

There's no word on when the ‌App Store‌ problems will be resolved, but we'll update this article when the issues have been addressed.

Update: Apple is no longer listing an outage on the System Status website, suggesting the issue has been fixed.

Tag: App Store
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'Butter Royale' Debuts on Apple Arcade as Family-Friendly Take on Fortnite

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Butter Royale has landed on the App Store as this week's addition to Apple Arcade across the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. The battle royale game is essentially a family-friendly version of Fortnite, replacing assault rifles and rocket launchers with sauce-shooting, baguette-blasting modified kitchen tools as weapons.

The game has both a 32-player online mode against live players and a single-player offline mode against bots, and the goal is to be the last person standing. The fast-paced food fights take less than five minutes.

butter royale
Butter Royale is safe for kids aged 9+ to play without parental supervision, according to its Singapore-based developer Mighty Bear Games. As with all other Apple Arcade games, there are no ads, in-app purchases, or loot boxes, and unlike Fortnite for iOS, there is no option to enable voice chat.

From the App Store description:

- 32-Player Food Fight Shooter - Play as any of 50 characters from all walks of life. Knock out other contestants with delicious food. Be the last one standing in this third-person shooter
- Squad Up - Indulge in multiplayer Culinary Combat with your friends, in teams of four
- Solo Survival Game - Survive this battle royale game solo for ultimate bragging rights
- Fire Food Blasters - Pick up epic food blasters like the Breadzooka from all over Butter Island, and fire away
- Unlock Exclusive Content - Stay fresh with exclusive seasonal characters, melee food items, trails, and flags
- 1 Butter Island, 9 Zones - Explore a sprawling map, from the rolling Flour Fields to San Francheesco. Choose your starting point wisely!
- Be First to the Fridge - Collect the delivery and get special ultra rare loot
- Steer Clear of Butter - Watch out for hot Butter and get yourself to safe zones!
- No Wi-Fi, No Problem - Play your favourite battle royale game offline.

Butter Royale can be downloaded from the App Store with an Apple Arcade subscription. Apple's gaming service launched in September, providing iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac users with access to over 100 games with no in-app purchases or ads for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year in the United States.


In a recent press release, Apple promised that its Arcade service will receive new games and expansions every month.

Tag: Apple Arcade Guide
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Throwboy Launches New 'Pocket Pillows' Featuring Original Macintosh and iMac G3 Designs

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Throwboy, known for its Iconic Pillow Collection featuring a selection of plush pillows designed to look like Apple devices, today launched a new selection of mini pillows called the "Pocket Pillows."

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Like their larger-sized siblings, the Pocket Pillows are modeled after Apple devices. The first palm-sized pillows are made to mimic the 1984 Classic Macintosh and the 1998 iMac G3, and they can be ordered today on Kickstarter. Depending on how the campaign goes, additional classic Apple products could be turned into little desktop plushes.

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Each plush is made from a soft, huggable material and is embroidered to resemble one of Apple's Macs. The detail for each pillow is impressive, with all ports, vents, drives, and other features sewn on. Inside the Pocket Pillow, there's a plush filling along with pellets to give them some heft.

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Unlike the couch-sized standard Iconic pillows, the smaller Pocket Pillows are designed for a desk, shelf, or nightstand.

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Pocket Pillows can be pre-ordered for $15 each, or $30 for two, though there are some early bird backing options that are a few dollars cheaper. We don't typically feature Kickstarter projects as many of them don't come to fruition, but Throwboy is an established manufacturer that already has a line of plushes available. Pocket Pillows are expected to ship out in May 2020.

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Deals: Powerbeats Pro Return to Low Price of $199.95 in All Colors

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The Powerbeats Pro have returned to their lowest-ever price of $199.95 on Amazon, down from $249.95. This sale is the same one we've been tracking for the Powerbeats Pro since last fall, offering a solid $50 discount off the original price of the wireless headphones, and it usually only lasts for a few days.

powerbeatspropairingNote: 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.

Every color of the Powerbeats Pro are being discounted as well, so you can get the Black, Ivory, Moss, or Navy for $199.95 today. All models include secure-fit ear hooks, are sweat and water resistant, and support up to nine hours of listening time on a single charge.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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36 Years Ago Today, Steve Jobs Unveiled the First Macintosh

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On January 24, 1984, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the first Macintosh at Apple's annual shareholder's meeting in Cupertino, California, debuting the new computer equipped with a 9-inch black and white display, an 8MHz Motorola 68000 processor, 128KB of RAM, a 3.5-inch floppy drive, and a price tag of $2,495.

macintosh 1984 edit
The now iconic machine weighed in at a whopping 17 pounds and was advertised as offering a word processing program, a graphics package, and a mouse. At the time it was introduced, the Macintosh was seen as Apple's last chance to overcome IBM's domination of the personal computer market and remain a major player in the personal computer industry.

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A Computerland newspaper ad from the day the Macintosh was introduced

Jobs pulled the Macintosh out of a bag at the event, powered it on, and the Mac had a little message for everyone in attendance.

Hello, I'm Macintosh. It sure is great to get out of that bag.

Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I'd like to share with you a maxim I thought of the first time I met an IBM mainframe: NEVER TRUST A COMPUTER YOU CAN'T LIFT!

Obviously, I can talk, but right now I'd like to sit back and listen. So, it is with considerable pride that I introduce a man who's been like a father to me... STEVE JOBS.

Despite the high price at the time, which was equivalent to around $6,000 today, the Macintosh sold well, with Apple hitting 70,000 units sold by May 1984. The now iconic "1984" Super Bowl ad that Apple invested in and debuted days before the Macintosh was unveiled may have helped bolster sales.


After the Macintosh, Apple introduced the Macintosh II, the Macintosh Classic, the PowerBook, the Power Macintosh, the iMac G3, the iBook, and so on, eventually leading to the current Mac lineup, which includes the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, ‌iMac‌, ‌iMac‌ Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Pro.

Today, Apple is one of the leading PC vendors in the world, shipping an estimated 18 million Macs worldwide in 2019. Then Apple competitor IBM is no longer in the personal computer business, having sold its technology to Lenovo back in the early 2000s.

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Apple in the future is expected to continue expanding its popular Mac lineup, and current rumors suggest we can expect to see new 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, a refreshed 13-inch machine with scissor keyboard, and, eventually, an ARM-based Mac.

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Samsung's Long-Awaited Answer to AirDrop Expected to Arrive Next Month

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airdropSamsung is said to be working on its own answer to AirDrop, Apple's ad-hoc service that lets users transfer files among Macs and iOS devices over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

According to XDA Developers, "Quick Share" will work similarly to AirDrop, enabling files to be sent "instantly" between two Galaxy phones in close proximity, so long as both devices have the feature turned on.

Like AirDrop, Galaxy users will be able to restrict who can send them files (Everyone or Contacts Only). When users set Quick Share to Everyone, it's not clear if the service will present unsolicited file shares in the same way as AirDrop.

Unlike AirDrop, Quick Share is expected to have a temporary cloud-storage component that will allow users to transfer data to SmartThings connected home devices. The maximum size of these files will be up to 1GB with a total of 2GBs being sent per day.

AirDrop was introduced with iOS 7, so it might surprise some Apple users that Samsung is only getting round to finalizing its own alternative. Android used to have an NFC-based equivalent called Android Beam, but it was discontinued with Android 10. Users have had to resort to third-party alternatives like Google's Files Go app since.

China's big three mobile vendors Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo are also working collectively on an AirDrop-style peer-to-peer transfer protocol that is expected to launch next month.

Samsung's Quick Share service is expected to arrive with the launch of Galaxy S20+, which is slated for February 11, with the sharing service likely to come to older Samsung devices later on.

(Via The Verge.)

Tags: AirDrop, Samsung
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Apple Rents All Six Floors of 'Triangle Building' Near Apple Park

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Apple has leased the entirety of the so-called "Triangle Building" near Apple Park in San Jose, California, reports The Mercury News.

triangle building apple park bay area news group
The prominent six-floor building is located at 5300 Stevens Creek Blvd, just two miles from ‌Apple Park‌, and the company has reportedly leased all 86,000-square feet of the property.

According to the report, a "considerable" amount of construction work is already to be underway on all six floors, and Apple logos can be seen throughout the building.

Apple first rented part of the building in 2012, but information from property listing services obtained by The Mercury News suggests that the company has not continuously made use of the office space.

The report notes that Apple began expanding its presence around ‌Apple Park‌ last year, when it leased office space in a complex located directly across from the Triangle Building.

Apple owns and leases several properties in and around the Bay Area, including its Cupertino campus in Santa Clara and offices in San Jose.

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New Figures Suggest Apple's Location Privacy Controls in iOS 13 Are Working

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location iconSince the launch of iOS 13 last fall, third-party access to users' background location data has reportedly declined by 68 percent, according to Location Sciences, a firm that analyzes location data for marketers (via Fast Company).

The firm also found that foreground data sharing, which occurs only while an app is open, has fallen by 24 percent.

According to a separate report by Digiday, third-party apps are now seeing opt-in rates under 50 percent for collecting location data when they're not in use.

The shortage of GPS data has been put down to Apple's recently introduction of pop-up options that let users selectively control background location tracking on the fly.

In iOS 13, iPhone and iPad users are periodically reminded about apps that are continuously tracking their location, complete with a map of those locations and options to "Change to Only While Using," "Always Allow," and "Just Once."

"As those particular options were made available to users, we do attribute that to the decrease in sharing," Jason Smith, Location Sciences' chief business officer, told Fast Company.

While the report indicates that Apple's new background location tracking options are having their intended effect, a recent report by The Wall Street Journal suggests that some developers are concerned that frequent location tracking reminders will hurt adoption of their apps.

Apple responded to the report by insisting that the changes were made to further safeguard user privacy.

"Apple has not built a business model around knowing a customer's location or the location of their device," an Apple spokesperson told WSJ, adding that Apple builds its hardware and software with privacy in mind.

Related Forum: iOS 13
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Apple Pay Promo Offers 10% Off StubHub Purchase

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Apple this afternoon sent out emails advertising its latest Apple Pay promotion, which offers 10 percent off of a purchase from the StubHub app.

StubHub is an online ticketing company that lets users purchase tickets for concerts, sporting events, and more.

applestubhubpromo
To get the 10 percent discount, customers can enter the code APPLEPAY2020 when checking out in the StubHub app and using ‌Apple Pay‌ as the payment method.

Apple's promotion allows customers in the United States to get a maximum discount of $100, and the promotion will be available until January 29, 2020

Tag: Apple Pay Promo
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Broadcom Inks Multi-Year Supply Deals With Apple to Provide Wireless Components and Modules

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Longtime Apple supplier Broadcom today announced that it has signed two multi-year deals with Apple that cover a "range of specified high-performance wireless components and modules" that Apple will use in its products.

According to Broadcom, these new agreements are in addition to a prior agreement it established with Apple in June 2019 for RF components and modules. The new agreements will last for three and a half years beginning in January 2020.

broadcom
Broadcom says that the two new deals combined with its existing 2019 deal could generate aggregate total future revenue of approximately $15 billion.

As pointed out by Bloomberg, Broadcom's announcement allows potential purchasers to know that they're getting an established business relationship with Apple. Broadcom has been exploring a sale of its radio frequency chip unit since last year.

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Apple TV+ Show 'Little America' Getting Accompanying Podcast

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Apple is developing a podcast for Apple TV+ show "Little America," show creator Lee Eisenberg revealed today in an interview with Forbes.

In the interview, Eisenberg says that the podcast will "delve more info the stories and music on the show." Apple also plans to promote the series with a playlist for every episode, and there will be a book.

little america
News of the upcoming "Little America" podcast confirms a recent rumor from Bloomberg that suggested Apple was exploring the idea of creating original podcasts to accompany ‌Apple TV‌+ shows.

Apple in the summer of 2019 began asking podcast producers to pitch ideas for ‌Apple TV‌+ podcasts, and has since discussed making podcasts with some of the producers of its shows.

It appears that "Little America" could be one of the first ‌Apple TV‌+ Shows to get a podcast, though there's no word on when the podcast might come out. The full first season of "Little America" was released last Friday and is available to watch now on ‌Apple TV‌+.

Tags: Apple TV Plus Guide, Apple TV Shows
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WSJ Profiles 'The Blevinator,' Apple's VP of Procurement Who Handles Supplier Negotiations

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The Wall Street Journal today published a profile of Tony Blevins, Apple's vice president of procurement, providing an inside look at Apple's corporate culture and what Blevins does for the company.

As Apple's vice president of procurement, Blevins' job is to get suppliers to cut their prices, and he will apparently stop at little to score a favorable deal for Apple, which has earned him the nickname "the Blevinator."

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Blevins was, for example, the key driver behind encouraging Apple suppliers to deprive Qualcomm of royalty payments during Apple's ongoing dispute with the chipmaker. He negotiates with suppliers, enforces manufacturing details, and manages semiconductor suppliers.

His negotiating skills are so important to Apple that Cook tapped him to manage negotiations for Apple's spaceship-shaped Apple Park campus. When getting bids for the curved glass used for the structure, he invited glass makers to Hong Kong, put them in separate conference rooms, and went from room to room to get the lowest price, ultimately saving Apple hundreds of millions of dollars.

Blevins does not hesitate to drop suppliers, and in one example, after STMicroelectronics refused to lower the price of gyroscope sensors in 2013 despite Blevins' threats to find a different supplier, STM lost Apple's business.

Blevins is also the go to for making sure that suppliers adhere to Apple's nondisclosure agreements, which can carry fines. In 2017, Japan Display disclosed that it had received orders for liquid crystal displays, and The Wall Street Journal subsequently confirmed that Apple was one of the smartphone makers that had expressed interest in LCDs, leading to trouble for Japan Display.

Mr. Blevins called a top Japan Display executive and accused him of violating Apple's nondisclosure agreement. "Are you stupid?" he said, according to a person familiar with the call.

Apple demanded Japan Display pay $5 million for breaching the non-disclosure agreement. Japan Display didn't pay, but promised to submit news conference materials to Apple before events so Apple can review it. A Japan Display executive told The ‌Wall Street Journal‌ that Apple's supplier agreements are "torturous."

When asked for comment, Blevins opted not to speak to The ‌Wall Street Journal‌, saying "I'm a loyal company guy." The full profile on Blevins, which goes into much more detail, can be read over at The Wall Street Journal.

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Apple Revamps Jobs Site With New Design and Video Featuring Animated Apple Logos

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Apple today overhauled its Apple jobs website, introducing a new look and a new video in an effort to better recruit employees. The updated video on the site features the different Apple logo designs that Apple first created for its Mac-centric event in October 2018.

The site displays different Apple logo designs whenever it's reloaded, and the video also features animated logo designs with a recruiting message spoken over the designs.

applejobssite

To the constant beginners who sing off-key against the beat. To those unfamiliar with convention, unmoved by rules, and reborn with every new discovery. Those open to daydreams and night dreams and visions and mirages. Who can see the millions of shades of green in a field of grass. Whose days are filled with mysteries that cannot be solved with facts. You are more powerful than you think... and you are welcome here.

As with before, the jobs site features sections outlining the different Apple teams, opportunities for students, Apple's philosophy, and jobs at retail locations, with an overview of all of the locations where Apple operates stores, as well as a section for creating a profile for job hunting.

Apple's new site design is up and running now and anyone who is interested in checking it out.

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Apple Shares Trailer for 'Carpool Karaoke' Season 3

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Apple is preparing to release a third season of its ongoing show "Carpool Karaoke: The Series," with the new trailer shared this morning on YouTube.


"Carpool Karaoke: The Series" predates Apple TV+, having first debuted in August 2017 on Apple Music. The show is based on the popular Carpool Karaoke segment made popular by "The Late Late Show With James Corden." Apple's version pairs celebrities, musicians, and athletes, putting them together in a car to sing popular songs.

Season 3 of "Carpool Karaoke" will feature Kesha, Fred Armisen, Weezer, Jay Leno, Seal, the cast of "Stranger Things," and more.

Episodes of "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" will be available every Thursday, with the show able to be watched in the ‌Apple TV‌ app for free.

Tag: Apple TV Shows
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Behind the Scenes Look at Apple TV+ Show 'Servant' Explores How Food is Used to Convey Emotion

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"Servant," an Apple TV+ thriller produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, uses food to evoke a visceral reaction from viewers.

In a new video shared on Apple's ‌Apple TV‌ YouTube channel, Shyamalan and show creator Tony Basgallop talk about the importance of food in the show and how food conveys emotion.


"Servant" uses a professional chef on the set to prepare food for each scene where food is employed. Toby Kebbell, who plays Sean in the series, is also involved in the cooking.

"Servant" just wrapped up its first season, which consisted of 10 episodes. The show has been renewed for a second season, and the second season will presumably premiere late in 2020.

Tags: Apple TV Plus Guide, Apple TV Shows
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Deals: Amazon Discounts iPhone 11 Smart Battery Case Line to $103.99 ($26 Off), Along With Notable AirPods Sales

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In addition to the latest price drop on the AirPods Pro from earlier this morning, Amazon has solid discounts across the full AirPods line, along with new sales on Apple's Smart Battery Case accessories. For the latter accessories, Best Buy is also discounting a few of the cases, and you'll find all of these sales organized below.

Smart Battery Cases

For the Smart Battery Case, Amazon has the Black colorway for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max priced at $103.99, down from $129.99 ($26 off). This is a discount you'll only see once you reach the checkout screen, but it is applied automatically, and only for the Black option. While other colors like White and Pink Sand are seeing some $10-$13 discounts, none are as solid as the $26 off at checkout for Black.

MWVH2 AV8 GEO USNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

If you prefer shopping at Best Buy, you can also get the Smart Battery Case in Black for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max at $103.99, down from $129.99. You'll need to be a My Best Buy member, which is free to join and awards you with free shipping, early access to sales, and reward points every time you shop.

AirPods

Starting with the AirPods with Wireless Charging Case, you can get this model for $159.99, down from $199.00 ($39 off). While not quite the lowest-ever price, it is currently the best sale among the major Apple resellers online.

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However, the AirPods with Charging Case is seeing a lowest-ever price of $128.99, down from $159.00 ($30 off). Both versions of the 2019 AirPods are currently in stock on Amazon and available to ship today, with shipping estimates placing arrival dates between January 27 and January 29.

Lastly, the standalone Wireless Charging Case for AirPods is $62.99 at Amazon today as well. With this accessory, you can place the AirPods 1 or AirPods 2 earbuds into the case and gain the ability to wirelessly charge them on a compatible Qi charging mat.

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

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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