MacRumors

The 2018 MacBook Pros just went on sale yesterday, but Apple was quick about shipping them out and some customers already have the new machines in hand.

Laptop Mag was able to get one of the new 13-inch 2018 MacBook Pro models and performed some benchmarks to give us an idea of how it measures up to competing PCs. According to Laptop Mag, it the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is the "fastest system in its class."

The site's tests were performed on the $2,499 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar equipped with a 2.7GHz quad-core 8th-generation Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, Intel Iris Plus 655, and a 512GB SSD.

A file copy test of the SSD in the new MacBook Pro, which Apple says supports sequential read speeds of up to 3.2GB/s and sequential write speeds up to 2.2GB/s, led Laptop Mag to declare the SSD in the MacBook Pro "the fastest ever" in a laptop. Higher capacity SSDs may see even faster speeds on disk speeds tests. A BlackMagic Disk Speed test was also conducted, resulting in an average write speed of 2,682 MB/s.

I had to do a double take when I saw how quickly the new 13-inch MacBook Pro duplicated 4.9GB worth of data. It took 2 seconds, which comes out to a rate of 2,519 megabytes per second. That's insane.

So we also ran the BlackMagic Disk Speed test for macOS, and the system returned an average write speed of 2,682 MBps.

To be fair, Apple’s relatively new APFS file system is designed to speed up file copies using a technology Apple calls Instant Cloning. But a win is a win.

On a Geekbench 4 CPU benchmark, the 13-inch MacBook Pro earned a score of 18,055 on the multi-core test, outperforming 13-inch machines from companies like Dell, HP, Asus, and Microsoft. That score beats out all 2017 MacBook Pro models and is faster than some iMac configurations. 15-inch MacBook Pro models with 6-core 8th-generation Intel chips will show even more impressive speeds.

The MacBook Pro took 16:57 minutes to transcode a 4K video clip to 1080p using Handbrake, faster than most competing machines and two and a half minutes faster than the 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro. It didn't win at an Excel VLOOKUP macro matching 65,000 names to corresponding addresses, but at 1 minute 16 seconds to complete the task, it was competitive with the Dell XPS 13 and Asus Zenbook, while beating out the Surface Book 2 and the Huawei MateBook X Pro.

One area where the MacBook Pro didn't quite measure up to other machines with similar specs was GPU performance. The 13-inch 2018 MacBook Pro uses Intel's Iris Plus Graphics 655 with 128MB of embedded DRAM and was unable to compete in a Dirt 3 graphics test, getting only 38.8 frames per second. All Windows-based machines tested offered much better performance.

Apple did team up with Blackmagic to offer a Blackmagic eGPU for gaming purposes and system intensive creative tasks, but the device is priced at $700. It does, however, offer super fast performance with a built-in Radeon Pro 580 GPU.

Additional benchmarks and details about the 2018 MacBook Pro models will surface over the course of the next few days as orders arrive and retail stores begin stocking the machines.

The new 2018 models can be purchased from the Apple online store, with prices on the 13-inch machine starting at $1,799 and prices on the 15-inch machine starting at $2,399.

When using certain external monitors with the new 2018 MacBook Pro models, the built-in True Tone feature that matches the color of the MacBook Pro's screen to the ambient lighting in a room will also extend to the connected display.

According to a support document published this morning by Apple, True Tone can adjust the Apple Thunderbolt Display using an Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, the LG UltraFine 5K Display, and the LG UltraFine 4K display.

When using these displays, you can activate or deactivate True Tone by clicking on the Apple logo in the menu bar, opening up System Preferences, choosing the Displays section, selecting the Display tab and then selecting or unselecting the True Tone checkbox.

With other third-party monitors, True Tone will not be an available option.

True Tone, first introduced on the iPad Pro and then the iPhone X, uses the sensors in the MacBook Pro to measure the white balance in the room, adjusting the tone of the display for a more natural viewing experience.

True Tone can cut down on eyestrain and it allows for a more paper-like look for websites, documents, and more.

The True Tone feature is available in the new 13 and 15-inch 2018 MacBook Pro models, which Apple unveiled yesterday. You can purchase the new machines from the Apple online store, with stock configurations set to arrive in just a few days after purchase.

Over the past few months, Apple has been preparing itself for product launches later in the year by registering several new iPads, iPhones, and Macs with the Eurasian Economic Commission. The filings are legally required for any products that include encryption features and are to be sold in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia, making them good indicators of products coming down the line.

Earlier in July, Apple registered five tablet models, including A1876, A1934, A1979, A2013 and A2014, but today Consomac discovered recent authorization for two new tablets: A1895 and A1980. Most of these are expected to be models of Apple's 2018 refresh of the iPad Pro.

Later this year we're expected to see a major update to the iPad Pro with design elements from the iPhone X, like slimmer bezels, faster processor, and a TrueDepth front-facing camera with Face ID support. This means that the 2018 iPad Pro models are also expected to drop support for the home button for the first time on Apple's line of tablets.

The 2018 iPad Pro refresh is predicted to come in two sizes, measuring 11 inches and 12.9 inches, according to recent report by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. With two size tiers and a Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi + Cellular, and potentially a special Cellular model for China, there would be just one model number left over from the seven EEC filings.

While this could be an additional model of the iPad Pro we don't yet know about, it could also relate to a model of iPad not in the Pro family, including the iPad mini 5. A rumor from May 2017 suggested the mini lineup was being discontinued, but over a year later Apple has yet to officially make such a commitment to ending the line.

Consomac's other findings relate to model numbers previously reported, including 11 model numbers for smartphones and five model numbers for laptops, two of which we now know were the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar refresh launched yesterday. For MacBook, this leaves three other models with a potential launch in 2018, perhaps indicating cheaper, entry-level MacBooks without the Touch Bar.

Today's filings also include 11 existing iPhone models listed as running iOS 12, including the iPhone SE and iPhone X, two devices Apple has been rumored to possibly be discontinuing with the release of the new lineup. It's unclear, however, if their inclusion is confirmation that Apple will continue selling them.

Of course, it's difficult to obtain any information based solely on model numbers, so at this point those looking forward to new iPads and iPhones this year can at least know that the devices are a few months away.

Adobe will launch a "full version" of Photoshop for iPad in 2019, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Nico Grant. The report claims Adobe will preview the app at its annual MAX creative conference in October.

Adobe's chief of Creative Cloud software Scott Belsky confirmed that the company is working on a new cross-platform version of Photoshop and other apps, but declined to specify the timing of their launches.

"My aspiration is to get these on the market as soon as possible," Belsky said in an interview. "There's a lot required to take a product as sophisticated and powerful as Photoshop and make that work on a modern device like the iPad. We need to bring our products into this cloud-first collaborative era."

Adobe already offers a range of companion apps for Photoshop on iPhone and iPad, including Photoshop Fix for basic retouching, Photoshop Express for basic photo editing and creating collages, Photoshop Sketch for drawing and painting, and Photoshop Mix for creating multilayered images.

The full version is expected to offer a wider range of tools, enabling users to start a project on the desktop and continue editing on the iPad, or vice versa. The app is said to have a mobile-friendly interface, as part of an architecture overhaul that will extend to other Adobe apps, such as Illustrator.

The app will presumably be named Photoshop CC for iPad, and will likely be a free download, but like the already-available Lightroom CC for iPad, a $9.99 per month Creative Cloud subscription will likely be required to access the full feature set and syncing with Photoshop on the desktop.

Photoshop CC would compete with other photo editing apps on iPad, including Affinity Photo, Pixelmator, and Snapseed by Google.

Apple today released a series of new 15-second ads highlighting Apple Pay Cash under the tagline "Just text them the money."

One ad shows how roommates can use Apple Pay Cash in Messages to send rent money, while another includes a "lost shirt" scenario that demonstrates the ability to request a specific dollar amount.

A third ad highlights two friends discussing and paying for tickets to a game even though it conflicts with another friend's wedding, while the fourth ad covers a mother sending money to her child after receiving a photo of an empty fridge.

Apple Pay Cash launched in the United States with iOS 11.2 in early December through a partnership with Green Dot Bank and has yet to expand to any other countries.

Customers who ordered one of the new 2018 MacBook Pro models that Apple released this morning are starting to see shipment notifications with the first deliveries of stock configurations slated for tomorrow.

As noted by 9to5Mac, customers have had their cards charged, and orders started shifting to preparing for shipment earlier today before some new machines were sent out by Apple.

Apple's delivery estimates when placing an order suggest the new 2018 MacBook Pro models won't deliver until July 16 at the earliest, which is next Monday, but some customers will be getting deliveries early.

Custom configurations for both 13 and 15-inch machines will not be arriving until next week, however, with build-to-order machines listing delivery dates between July 19 and July 23 for the most part.

In-store pickup for stock machines is not yet available, but Apple says the new models will be available in retail stores "later this week."

The new MacBook Pro models feature 8th-generation Coffee Lake chips with quad-core chips in the 13-inch models and 6-core chips in the 15-inch models, up to 32GB of RAM for the 15-inch MacBook Pro, a T2 chip for enhanced security and "Hey Siri" support, a quieter third-generation butterfly keyboard, True Tone for both the display and the Touch Bar, and up to 4TB of SSD storage.

Apple today announced the launch of a $300 million investment fund in China which is designed to connect Apple's suppliers with renewable energy sources.

Apple, along with 10 initial suppliers, is investing $300 million into the China Clean Energy Fund over the course of the next four years. Apple says the fund will invest in and develop clean energy projects totaling more than 1 gigawatt of renewable energy in China, which is equivalent to powering close to 1 million homes.

Apple's new fund will be managed by DWS Group, a company that specializes in sustainable investments. DWS also plans to invest in the fund.

"At Apple, we are proud to join with companies that are stepping up to address the climate challenge," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. "We're thrilled so many of our suppliers are participating in the fund and hope this model can be replicated globally to help businesses of all sizes make a significant positive impact on our planet."

According to Apple, the China Clean Energy Fund will provide participates with the advantage of greater purchasing power and the ability to attain "more attractive and diverse" clean energy solutions.

Participating suppliers include Catcher Technology, Compal Electronics, Corning Incorporated, Golden Arrow, Jabil, Luxshare-ICT, Pegatron, Solway, Sunway Communication, and Wistron.

Apple earlier this year announced that all of its facilities around the world are powered by 100 percent renewable energy, a milestone achievement for the company.

To hit that goal, Apple invested in and constructed renewable energy facilities around the world, including solar arrays, wind farms, biogas fuel cells, micro-hydration generation systems, and other energy storage technologies.

Since the launch of its Supplier Clean Energy Program in 2015, 23 manufacturing partners across 10 countries have committed to powering their Apple production lines with 100 percent clean energy.

Apple's worldwide Mac shipments grew 3 percent in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the year-ago quarter, according to new preliminary PC shipping estimates shared today by Gartner.

During the quarter, Apple shipped an estimated 4.4 million Macs, compared to 4.26 million in the second quarter of 2017. Apple's market share also saw slight growth, improving from 7 percent in Q2 2017 to 7.1 percent in Q2 2018.

Apple's improved Mac sales come amid an overall increase in worldwide PC shipments, the first growth that's been seen in the last six years. Worldwide PC shipments totaled an estimated 62.1 million units in Q2 2018, up from 61.3 million in the year-ago quarter.

Though Apple saw sales growth in Q2 2018, the company was ranked the number four PC vendor in the world, coming in behind Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Lenovo was the number one vendor with 13.6 million PCs shipped, followed by HP with just under 13.6 million and Dell with 10.5 million. Acer Group, the number five worldwide PC vendor, shipped 4 million PCs during the quarter.

Lenovo and HP are tied for 21.9 percent market share, followed by Dell at 16.8 percent and Apple, as previously mentioned, at 7.1 percent. All of the top five worldwide PC vendors saw shipment growth in Q2 2018 compared to last year.

"PC shipment growth in the second quarter of 2018 was driven by demand in the business market, which was offset by declining shipments in the consumer segment," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "In the consumer space, the fundamental market structure, due to changes on PC user behavior, still remains, and continues to impact market growth. Consumers are using their smartphones for even more daily tasks, such as checking social media, calendaring, banking and shopping, which is reducing the need for a consumer PC.

Apple saw less growth in the United States, shipping an estimated 1.84 million Macs, up from 1.81 in the year-ago quarter, an increase of 1.7 percent. Apple was also the number four vendor in the U.S., coming in behind HP (#1), Dell (#2), and Lenovo (#3). Apple holds 12.7 percent of the PC market in the United States, compared to 14.9 percent for Lenovo, 28.6 percent for Dell, and 29.3 percent for HP.

Almost all top vendors in the U.S. saw shipment growth, with the exception of HP, which saw shipments fall 0.6 percent. Acer Group had the best quarter in the United states with 25.7 percent growth. Overall U.S. shipments were up 1.7 percent, with a total of 14.5 million PCs shipped during the quarter, compared to 14.3 million in Q2 2017.

It's important to note that data from Gartner is preliminary, and that the numbers can shift, sometimes dramatically and sometimes less so. Last year, for example, Gartner estimated Q2 2017 worldwide Mac shipments at 4.236 million when the actual number was 4.266 million.

Apple's Mac sales could grow significantly next quarter and through the end of 2018. Apple today introduced new 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with improved processors, more maximum RAM, higher-capacity SSDs, True Tone displays, and more.

The rest of Apple's Mac lineup, including iMacs, MacBooks, and the Mac mini, is also expected to get a refresh before the end of 2018.

Update: IDC also released its Q2 2018 worldwide PC estimates, suggesting Apple shipped 4.308 million Macs, compared to 4.303 million in the year-ago quarter for growth of just 0.1 percent. IDC also ranked Apple as the number four worldwide vendor and according to IDC's estimates, worldwide PC shipments were up 2.7 percent overall.

A month after a judge approved AT&T's $85.4 billion purchase of Time Warner with no conditions, the United States Department of Justice has announced plans to appeal the merger's approval.

In a court document filed with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the DoJ announced its formal appeal. No additional data was included in the initial document.

Notice is hereby given that the United States of America, plaintiff in the above named case, appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from the final judgment entered in this action on June 12, 2018.

AT&T first announced its plan to purchase Time Warner in late 2017, but the acquisition was put on hold when the DoJ filed a lawsuit to put a stop to the merger based on the grounds that it would result in higher bills and fewer options for consumers.

A judge in June, however, ruled that the merger was legal, and while the Justice Department said it was disappointed in the court's ruling and would consider its next steps "in light of [its] commitment to preserving competition for the benefit of American consumers," it ultimately decided not to interfere with a stay at the time that the ruling was announced.

Just days after the judge's approval, AT&T completed its acquisition of Time Warner, but the DoJ is still able to appeal the decision even after the completion of the merger.

Shortly after the acquisition, AT&T announced a new WatchTV service that offers AT&T wireless subscribers under the new "AT&T Unlimited &More" and "AT&T Unlimited &More Premium" plans access to more than 30 live channels and 15,000 TV shows and movies on demand. These new plans are more expensive than AT&T's previous unlimited wireless plans, but includes WatchTV. On a standalone basis, WatchTV is $15 per month.

While AT&T said that its prices would not increase following the merger, it raised prices on its DirecTV Now plans by $5. AT&T also recently raised its administrative fees for postpaid wireless subscribers to $1.99, which some analysts have speculated is to make up for the expense of the Time Warner purchase.

Update: AT&T has released a statement on the DoJ's decision to appeal: "The Court's decision could hardly have been more thorough, fact-based, and well-reasoned. While the losing party in litigation always has the right to appeal if it wishes, we are surprised the DoJ has chosen to do so under these circumstances. We are ready to defend the court's decision at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals."

Apple today introduced new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models, now available to order from its online store.

As with any new product launch, there is a wealth of information to sift through, so we've created a list of key takeaways about the 2018 MacBook Pro lineup, particularly as it compares to the 2017 MacBook Pro lineup.

• 2018 MacBook Pros feature eighth-generation Intel Core processors. Apple says the 15-inch model is up to 70 percent faster, and the 13-inch model is up to two times faster, than the equivalent 2017 models with seventh-generation Intel Core processors in benchmarks.

  15-inch models can now be maxed out with a 2.9GHz six-core Core i9 processor, while the previous generation topped out at a 3.1GHz quad-core Core i7. Quad-core 13-inch models with the Touch Bar are now available, up to 2.7GHz, while 2017 models were dual-core up to 3.5GHz.

• 15-inch models have much-requested support for up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, compared to 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM on 2017 models, accommodated by a 10 percent increase in the battery's watt-hour rating. Overall battery life remains up to 10 hours per full charge.

• AMD's Radeon Pro graphics cards now come with 4GB of GDDR5 memory standard on 15-inch models, while 13-inch models now have 128MB of embedded DRAM, compared to 64MB on 2017 models.

• 2018 MacBook Pros have an Apple T2 chip with "Hey Siri" support, versus an Apple T1 chip in 2017 models. The T2 chip integrates several previously separate components, including the system management controller, image signal processor, audio controller, and SSD controller.

• Apple now offers doubled SSD storage capacities of up to 2TB for 13-inch models and up to 4TB for 15-inch models, compared to up to 1TB for 13-inch models and up to 2TB for 15-inch models in 2017.

• 2018 MacBook Pros now feature True Tone displays, including the Touch Bar, on 13-inch and 15-inch models. Like the latest iPhone and iPad displays, the white balance automatically adjusts to match the color temperature of the light around you for a more natural viewing experience.

• 2018 MacBook Pros now feature an "improved third-generation keyboard for quieter typing," but they still use butterfly switches, and it's unclear if the new keyboard addresses the issues with sticky, repeating, or unresponsive keys that prompted Apple's new service program.

• 2018 MacBook Pros feature Bluetooth 5.0, up from Bluetooth 4.2. 802.11ac Wi-Fi remains unchanged.

• 2018 MacBook Pro models have the same overall design and I/O as their 2017 equivalents, with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, Space Gray or Silver finishes, and so forth. 13-inch model still weighs three pounds, and 15-inch still weighs four.

• 2018 MacBook Pros also have unchanged display resolutions of 2880×1800 for 15-inch models and 2560×1600 for 13-inch models.

• 13-inch models start at $1,799 and 15-inch models start at $2,399 in the United States, the same pricing as 2017 models. However, configure-to-order prices top out higher, primarily due to larger storage options.

• 13-inch MacBook Pro models without the Touch Bar were not refreshed today.

MacRumors will have continued coverage of the new MacBook Pro lineup throughout the week, so keep checking back.

Apple's new MacBook Pro models come with faster processors, more maximum RAM, and higher capacity SSDs all aimed at Apple's professional users, but none of those upgrades come cheap.

Base prices for the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models are unchanged from last year, with pricing on new 13-inch models starting at $1,799 and pricing on new 15-inch models starting at $2,399, but build-to-order customizations can tack on thousands of dollars.

The maximum stock $2,799 15-inch MacBook Pro ships with 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, a Radeon Pro 560X graphics card, and a 6-core 2.6GHz Core i7 processor, but with upgrades, an ultimate machine with top-of-the-line components costs $6,699.

That includes an additional $300 to upgrade to a 2.9GHz 6-core Core i9 processor, $400 to upgrade to 32GB RAM, and $3,200 to upgrade to the 4TB SSD.

Comparatively, a maxed out 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro was priced at $4,199 for a 3.1GHz Core i7 processor and a 2TB SSD.

It's the new 4TB SSD upgrade that's the most expensive, with Apple also offering more affordable 1TB and 2TB upgrades, for $400 and $1,200, respectively. Last year's 2017 MacBook Pro models maxed out at 2TB of storage rather than 4TB, and didn't offer RAM upgrades.

The highest-end stock 13-inch 2018 MacBook Pro with 2.3GHz quad-core Core i5 processor, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, 8GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD is priced at $1,999, but a fully maxed out machine will cost $3,699.

That's an additional $200 for a 2.7GHz quad-core Core i7 processor, $200 for 16GB RAM, and a 2TB SSD for $1,200. 16GB RAM and a 2TB SSD are the maximum options for the 13-inch machine, with a 1TB SSD also available for $400.

In 2017, a fully upgraded 13-inch MacBook Pro was priced at $2,899 for a 3.5GHz Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

If you skip out on the SSD upgrades in the new machines, you can get a 15-inch MacBook Pro with maximum RAM and the best processor for $3,499, or a 13-inch model for $2,499, which is just a few hundred dollars more expensive than similar upgrades cost last year rather than a few thousand.

Most users won't need 4TB of storage, but it's a good option to have for those professional users who do need the extra capacity.

Apple's new MacBook Pros with customizations will be delivered starting on July 18 with the fastest shipping according to Apple's website, while stock configurations will be delivered starting on July 16. The new machines will be available in Apple retail stores later this week.