MacRumors

A series of benchmark results have shown up on Geekbench for the new iPad Pro, and its new eight-core A12X Bionic chip is truly a powerhouse.

The new iPad Pro achieved single-core and multi-core scores of 5,025 and 18,106 respectively based on an average of two benchmark results, making it by far the fastest iPad ever and comparable even to the performance of the latest 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Intel's six-core Core i7 chips.

We've put together a chart that compares Geekbench scores of the new iPad Pro and various other iPad, Mac, and iPhone models.

That the new iPad Pro rivals the performance of the latest 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.6GHz six-core Core i7 processor is impressive, but even more so when you consider that the tablet starts at $799. The aforementioned MacBook Pro configuration is priced at $2,799, although with 512GB of storage.

Even the new 11-inch iPad Pro with 512GB of storage is only $1,149, less than half that of the Core i7-equipped MacBook Pro.

At its special event in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Apple said the new iPad Pro achieves up to 90 percent faster multi-core performance compared to the previous-generation models, and the Geekbench results support that claim. In fact, the new iPad Pro's multi-core score is 94 percent higher than last year's models.

The configured-to-order 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.9GHz six-core Core i9 chip is still faster than the new iPad Pro in terms of both single-core and multi-core performance, as is the iMac Pro, but Apple's flagship tablet is quickly becoming one of the fastest products that it sells due to its advanced chip design.

The benchmark results also indicate that the new iPad Pro models have either 4GB or 6GB of RAM depending on the configuration. On Twitter, well-known developer Steve Troughton-Smith said 6GB of RAM is limited to the 1TB configuration, with 4GB of RAM in the 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB configurations.

With the iPad Pro now rivaling some higher-end Macs in performance, there is a compelling case for Apple to start using its own ARM-based A-series chips in some Macs. Apple reportedly plans to do exactly that as early as 2020.

Apple has held talks with iHeartMedia to buy a stake in the U.S. radio company, according to a new Financial Times report citing people familiar with the matter.

iHeartMedia is currently $20 billion in debt, with audiences gradually turning away from radio in favor of digital music services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora. The radio group filed for bankruptcy in March, and has been in contact with several potential investors ahead of a deadline later this month to file a reorganization plan with the bankruptcy court.

iHeartMedia is hoping Apple will take an equity stake worth millions of dollars, according to FT sources, although discussions between the two companies are still in the early stages and no deal has been agreed. Apple declined to comment, while iHeartMedia did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The report suggests Apple is angling for a deal in order to gain a platform for wider distribution of its Beats 1 radio station and increase awareness of Apple Music:

A partnership could see Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio station, which is only available through its apps, make its debut on broadcast radio. Extra distribution would give Beats 1 and Apple Music greater awareness among older audiences who are later adopters of streaming services. A deal would also put the Apple station into more cars or kitchens.

Despite being billions of dollars in debt, iHeartMedia remains the largest radio broadcaster in the United States, with more than 850 stations operating across the country. One music industry executive who spoke to FT described the potential deal as a "power move" by Apple, as it aims to persuade more artists and labels to strike exclusive or early releases for its streaming service instead of its biggest rival, Spotify.

Apple Music surpassed 50 million subscribers and free trial users earlier this year, giving it a bigger share of listeners in the U.S. than Spotify, although Spotify is still the global leader with more than 80 million paying users around the world. Earlier this year, Apple acquired music recognition app Shazam for $400 million in order to improve Apple Music's listening recommendations.

Following the introduction of new iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini models at yesterday's event, Apple provided some YouTubers with MacBook Air review units, and the first unboxing videos are now available.

For its last several product releases, Apple has been providing early review units to smaller YouTubers, a strategy that lets us get opinions on the new device from less mainstream sources. Today's unboxing videos provide some interesting MacBook Air tidbits and a first look at Apple's newest notebook.

The MacBook Air features a Retina display with slim black bezels like the MacBook or MacBook Pro, three color options, a slimmer body, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 1.6GHz Core i5 8th-Generation Amber Lake chip from Intel, integrated Intel UHD 617 graphics, a T2 chip for security, built-in Touch ID, a third-generation butterfly keyboard, and a Force Touch trackpad.

Full reviews of the MacBook Air from media sites will be shared next week, and the new machines are set to start arriving to customers who placed an order on November 7.

If you missed Apple's "There's more in the making" October 30 event that focused on new iPad Pro models and Macs or if you just want to rewatch, the event video in its entirety is now available from Apple's YouTube channel, in addition to the Apple Event website.

At the event, which was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City, Apple unveiled its fall iPad and Mac lineup. The company debuted overhauled iPad Pro models with an edge-to-edge display, no Home button, slim bezels, and a TrueDepth camera system for Face ID.

The new iPads, priced starting at $799 for the 11-inch model and $999 for the 12.9-inch model, feature USB-C instead of Lightning, have no headphone jack, and have a super fast A12X Bionic chip.

Apple also introduced a revamped $1,199 MacBook Air with a Retina display that features slimmer bezels, a smaller body, upgraded Amber Lake chips, a T2 chip, Touch ID, a third-generation Butterfly keyboard, a Force Touch trackpad, and Thunderbolt 3 ports.

The third major product that saw a debut at the October event was an upgraded Mac mini, now available in Space Gray with 8th-generation quad and 6-core Intel chips, up to 64GB RAM, up to 2TB storage space, Thunderbolt 3 support, and a T2 chip for enhanced security. Apple's new Mac mini is priced at $799.

We had extensive coverage of all of Apple's product unveilings yesterday, which is worth checking out in case you missed any of the tidbits that were announced. We've added links to our event-related articles below, so make sure to check those out.

iPad Pro

• Apple Reveals New 11-Inch and 12.9-Inch iPad Pro Models With Slim Bezels and Face ID
• New 11 and 12.9-Inch iPad Pro Models Have No Headphone Jack
• 2018 iPad Pro Hands-On Impressions: 'Might Be the Truest Embodiment of a Tablet Yet'
• Apple Announces New Magnetic Apple Pencil Featuring Tap Gestures and Wireless Charging
• Apple Launches New USB-C Accessories for USB-C iPad Pro Models
• New Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard Folio, and Smart Folio Accessories Now Up for Pre-Order
• Apple Pencil 2 Not Compatible With Older iPads and Original Apple Pencil Won't Work With New Models
• Apple's New iPad Pro Models Ship With 18W USB-C Power Adapter
• 2018 iPad Pro With 1TB Storage Has 6GB RAM, Lower Capacities Have 4GB
• AppleCare+ for New iPad Pro Models Priced at $130, Out-of-Warranty Repairs Cost Up to $649
• Apple's New iPad Lineup, from Mini to Pro: $329 to $1,899
• MacRumors Hands-On Photos of Apple's New iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini

MacBook Air

• Apple Announces New MacBook Air With 13-Inch Retina Display and Touch ID
• Apple's New MacBook Air Features Impressive Battery Life That Bests MacBook and MacBook Pro
• 2018 MacBook Air and Mac mini Hands-On: Long-Awaited Updates Don't Disappoint
• Apple Shares T2 Security Chip Guide Detailing Privacy Features 'Never Before Seen on Mac'
• Apple's New MacBook Air Uses MacBook-Class 5W Amber Lake Chips

Mac mini

• Apple Announces New Space Gray Mac mini With 4-Core or 6-Core Intel Processor and Up to 64GB RAM, Starting at $799
• A Maxed Out Mac Mini With Full Upgrades Will Cost You $4,200
• Apple Highlights Mac Mini Use in Live Concerts, Theater, and Data Centers
• Apple's New Mac Lineup, From Mini to iMac Pro: $799 - $13,199

Software Updates

These weren't part of the event, but Apple yesterday released major software updates for iOS devices, the Apple TV, Macs, and the Apple Watch, which you won't want to miss out on.

• Apple Releases iOS 12.1 With eSIM Support, Real-Time Depth Control, Group FaceTime, New Emoji and More
• iOS 12.1 Includes Addresses Two Major iPhone XS/XR Issues: 'BeautyGate' and Cellular Connectivity Problems
• Apple Releases macOS 10.14.1 With Group FaceTime and New Emoji
• Apple Releases tvOS 12.1 Update for Fourth and Fifth-Generation Apple TV
• Apple Releases watchOS 5.1 With New Color Watch Faces and Updated Emoji
• Apple Updates Shortcuts App With New Weather, Alarm, Conversion and Photos Options
• PSA: Group FaceTime's Video Chat Not Available on Older iOS Devices
• watchOS 5.1 Update Bricking Some Apple Watches

Other Announcements

• Apple Online Store Lists Blackmagic eGPU 'Pro', Available Late November for $1,199
• Apple Quietly Announces AMD Radeon Pro Vega Graphics Options Coming to MacBook Pro
• Apple Quietly Eliminates Rose Gold 12-Inch MacBook

Apple's new iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini models can be purchased now from the Apple online store, with the products set to be delivered starting on November 7.

AppleCare+ for Mac with accidental damage coverage is now available in Canada, Mexico, and many countries across Europe and the Middle East, including Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

AppleCare+ for Mac was previously limited to the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and Japan, but its availability expanded to the aforementioned countries following the conclusion of Apple's special event in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

AppleCare+ provides up to three years of hardware coverage and tech support for an eligible Mac, effective on the purchase date of the plan. This includes up to two incidents of accidental damage, each subject to a service fee that varies based on damage to the screen, external enclosure, or other components.

In the UK, for example, the per-incident fees are £79 for screen or external enclosure damage, and £229 for other damage.

The accidental damage fees are in addition to the cost of the AppleCare+ for Mac plan itself, which varies. The plan is available for the MacBook, MacBook Air, 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, and Mac mini.

AppleCare+ for Mac benefits are in addition to any legal rights provided by consumer law in the aforementioned countries.

AppleCare+ can be purchased alongside a new Mac on Apple's website, at Apple retail stores where available, and at select Apple Authorized Resellers or Apple Authorized Service Providers. It can also be added within 60 days of a Mac's purchase date, pending an inspection or diagnostic test.

In these countries, AppleCare+ for Mac replaces the basic AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac, which didn't include accidental damage coverage. Apple continues to offer the AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac in certain countries, such as Spain, Finland, Norway, Poland, Taiwan, Singapore, and Brazil.

A month and a half after release, Apple's iOS 12 operating system is installed on 63 percent of active devices released over the course of the last four years, according to updated iOS 12 installation statistics shared on the App Store support page for developers.

Following the release of iOS 12, Apple has been sharing details on installation rates in a new way, providing information on both newer and older devices.

While 63 percent of devices released in the last four years are running iOS 12, 60 percent of all iOS devices out in the wild have the update installed.

Among all iOS devices, 29 percent continue to run iOS 11 while 11 percent run an earlier version of iOS. As for devices released within the last four years, 30 percent continue to run iOS 11 while 7 percent have an earlier version of iOS installed.

iOS 12 installation has grown 10 percentage points over the course of the last two and a half weeks, as the update was installed on 53 percent of devices released within the last four years back on October 10.

Between October 10 and October 29, the date Apple last collected installation numbers, the new iPhone XR was released, which likely explains the 10 percent jump in active devices using the new operating system. The iPhone XR, like the XS and XS Max, came pre-installed with iOS 12.

We'll probably see another significant jump in installation numbers the next time Apple provides an update as the new iOS 12.1 update is likely spurring people who haven't yet upgraded to iOS 12 to download the update.

iOS 12.1 introduces 70 new emoji characters, which are always a big draw, and it introduces support for Group FaceTime, allowing iOS users to video chat with up to 32 people at once.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1.1 update to developers, one day after the release of iOS 12.1, a major update that brought multiple new features to the operating system that runs on the iPhone and iPad.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.1.1 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.

As a 12.1.x update, the new software is minor in scale and has been released to address bugs that were not able to be fixed in the iOS 12.1 update. According to Apple's release notes, iOS 12.1.1 "contains bug fixes and improvements."

Given the non-specific information provided by Apple, we may not know exactly what issues are fixed in the beta until more specific release notes are provided, but we'll update this post if we find anything new in the update.

iOS 12.1.1 follows iOS 12.1, which was the first major update to iOS 12. iOS 12.1 introduces Group FaceTime for video chatting with up to 32 people, real-time Depth Control and eSIM support for Apple's newest iPhones, and fixes for several major bugs.

The update fixes a problem that could cause excessive skin-smoothing when using the front-facing camera on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR, and it addresses LTE connectivity issues on those same devices. It's also worth noting that the iOS 12.1 software introduces battery-related performance management features on the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X to prevent unexpected shutdowns.

What's new in iOS 12.1.1: The iOS 12.1.1 update reintroduces the feature that lets you take a Live Photo while on a FaceTime call, and it makes improvements to the FaceTime user interface.

Following the update, FaceTime features a reworked bottom bar that includes quick access buttons for muting a call and flipping the camera. Sliding up on the bottom bar brings up additional options with conversation participants.

Previously, FaceTime users were required to tap on three dots to access a secondary menu with these features.

A new article by Business Insider today takes a look into failed talks that occurred between Apple and startup Leap Motion, which the Cupertino company tried to acquire twice in less than five years. Leap Motion is a company that focuses on making advances in the fields of virtual reality, augmented reality, and hand tracking technology.

According to multiple unnamed insiders, the most recent deal was nearing completion in spring 2018 before poor management, "swirling negatives," and "eccentric behavior" of Leap Motion's young co-founders Michael Buckwald and David Holz halted the talks.

Prior to that, in 2013 the first meeting was held between the two companies and things reportedly went very poorly after Holz -- then 24 years old -- said he had no interest in joining Apple. Sources say Holz was insulting to Apple's staff, told the company representatives that Apple was no longer innovative, its technology "sucked," and discussed the ways that Google's Android was better than iOS. During this time, Apple was said to have been mainly interested in Leap Motion's team to help work on its own AR and gesture-based projects.

Despite this poor first meeting, Apple continued to express interest in acquiring Leap Motion in the ensuing years, particularly as augmented reality and virtual reality technologies began to be more mainstream. Some of Leap Motion's original employees even left the company to work for Apple over the years, and are now helping with Apple's various AR projects, some former Leap Motion employees said.

The latest rumors point towards Apple developing AR smart glasses, which could potentially include a VR component. Apple's interest appears to lean more towards AR, since it has already backed AR as a service with the ARKit developer platform, and CEO Tim Cook often talks excitedly about the potential of AR.

Because of this, Apple made another attempt to acquire Leap Motion earlier this year, but talks fell through once again. Apple was on the verge of acquiring Leap Motion for between $30 million and $50 million in the spring, and had already started talks with the startup's human resources department and sent out offer letters to employees. As Leap Motion celebrated the upcoming acquisition, Apple pulled its offer.

Business Insider says it remains unclear why exactly Apple made this move at the last minute, but one thing appears certain: "the founders ultimately thought [Leap Motion] was more valuable than the offers on the table."

Many people close to the company say that the issues afflicting Leap Motion are a case of poor management: Much of the company's venture capital was spent on sleek office space in San Francisco's pricey SoMa neighborhood, complete with tech industry perks including beanbag chairs and daily lunches, and costly engineering salaries.

That Leap Motion should fall upon dire financial straits when the company's core technology had such great potential was described by many as a failure that could have been easily avoided.

Increasingly, it looks like Leap Motion's technology might end up bought as a hidden gem for a company looking to add its hand-tracking technology to future smartglasses products — but only if it can get the founders on board with the deal.

Now, Leap Motion is said to have new meetings lined up to explore other potential deals outside of Apple's offer, but it may be too late for the startup. According to sources familiar with the company, Apple's latest bid for Leap Motion was the AR/VR company's "last-ditch opportunity" to sell the business, which has faced financial instability for years.

Apple makes acquisitions of smaller companies like Leap Motion all the time, with news coming just in the past month of Apple acquiring Asaii and Spektral. Asaii is a music analytics platform that Apple will likely integrate into Apple Music and iTunes, while Spektral creates real-time green screens that can intelligently separate people and objects from their original backgrounds to overlay a new setting, which could be integrated into a future iPhone.