MacRumors

Apple today released the first beta of an upcoming macOS Sequoia update to its public beta testing group, giving the general public a chance to try out the new operating system's features ahead of its fall launch. The first public beta includes the same content as the third developer beta.

Public beta testers can download ‌macOS Sequoia‌ from the Software Update section of the System Settings app after signing up on Apple's beta testing website and opting into the public beta under the Beta Updates section.

‌macOS Sequoia‌'s biggest feature is iPhone Mirroring, which is designed to let you control your ‌iPhone‌ from your Mac using your keyboard and mouse. You can see notifications and use your ‌iPhone‌ apps even when your ‌iPhone‌ is tucked away and locked, and later this year, you'll be able to use the feature to drag and drop apps from your Mac to your ‌iPhone‌ and vice versa.

Window tiling has been improved to make it easier to get multiple windows on your Mac in a way that works for you, Safari can summarize websites and show you highlights, and the Messages app supports scheduling messages and using the Tapback feature with any emoji.

There's a new Passwords app for managing your passwords, logins, and passkeys, the Photos app has a new design, the Notes app supports audio transcription and summarization, and you can also type in any equation and get it solved automatically.

‌macOS Sequoia‌ supports all of the new Apple Intelligence features that are also coming to iOS 18, offering all kinds of quality of life improvements. Writing tools help you proofread and polish your writing across apps, you can create unique images with Image Playground, and make up your own emoji with Genmoji. ‌Photos‌ includes a Clean Up tool for removing unwanted images, and Siri will use AI for better language understanding and contextual relevance. ‌Siri‌ will even be able to consult ChatGPT for complicated queries.

There are a long list of additional features coming to ‌macOS Sequoia‌, with more information available in our dedicated roundup.

Apple today released the first beta of watchOS 11 to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to give the new features a try ahead of when the software launches this fall.

‌watchOS 11‌ can be downloaded after signing up on Apple's beta software website and upgrading your iPhone to the public beta version of iOS 18. You'll need to open up the Watch app on ‌iPhone‌, go to General, select Software Update, and choose the ‌watchOS 11‌ Public Beta option under Beta Updates.

With ‌watchOS 11‌, Apple added a new Vitals app that can be used to give you a daily overview of your health metrics, letting you know if anything is out of the ordinary. It compares information collected at night like heart rate, sleep, respiratory rate, and oxygen level to your levels over the previous weeks.

Smart Stack has new widgets like Translate and Shazam, plus it's smarter because it is able to suggest widgets based on time, date, location, and daily routine. Interactive widgets let you access app features from the Smart Stack, and it also supports Live Activities.

Training Load is a new way of measuring how the intensity and duration of workouts impact the body over time, with Apple providing an effort level for cardio-based workouts to help you know when to rest and when to push harder.

You can now customize your Activity Ring requirements for different days of the week, and Apple added support for rest days. Taking a break from activity will no longer ruin a streak because you can pause for a day, a week, a month, or more.

Other new features include more workout types, Check In for Messages, a revamped Photos watch face, improvements to Double Tap, and more, with additional information available in our watchOS 11 roundup.

Apple today released the first public beta of tvOS 18, giving the general public a chance to try out the new features ahead of the software's fall launch.

Public beta testers can download the tvOS 18 beta by opening up the Settings app on Apple TV, choosing the Software Updates section under System, and then toggling on the Get Public Beta Updates option. Signing up on Apple's public beta website is required to get the option to show up.

tvOS 18 isn't as feature rich as some of Apple's other updates, but it brings a new InSight feature to the ‌Apple TV‌ app. InSight is similar to Amazon X-Ray, providing real-time information about actors, music, and more in ‌Apple TV‌+ shows and movies.

The Enhanced Dialogue feature uses computational audio and machine learning to better boost vocal clarity over background noise and music, plus it works with built-in TV speakers, AirPods, and other Bluetooth devices. Subtitles have been tweaked to show up automatically when relevant, such as when the TV is muted.

Apple added new screen savers and made it easier to swap between them, plus there's 21:9 aspect ratio support for projectors and an option for Live Captions during FaceTime calls.

tvOS 18 is limited to public beta testers and developers right now, but it will see a public launch this fall.

The revised third beta of iOS 18 that Apple released today eliminates the emoji and sticker changes that Apple introduced with the initial third beta release.

In the prior beta, stickers behaved like emoji and could be added right inline with your messages, rather than only being available as large, stand alone message additions or drag and drop add-ons to texts. You could type a message and add a little sticker or Memoji to the end of it rather than an emoji, but Apple has pulled back this change, along with the interface changes that were introduced.

Emoji, Memoji, and stickers were all combined, and could be navigated using small icons at the bottom of the emoji picker, plus emoji were displayed larger than before, with fewer on a single screen. Apple added dedicated sections for stickers and Memoji rather than showing stickers only in the Recents section, and both stickers and Memoji could be created from the emoji window. It was a design that made both Memoji and stickers quicker to access and use.

With the revised version of beta 3, the emoji picker has been reverted to the beta 2 design. It's not clear why Apple made the change, but it's likely temporary. Sometimes Apple adds features in the beta and then pulls them to implement further refinements before reintroducing them at a later time, so we could see the emoji picker changes re-added in a later beta.

Best Buy's "Black Friday in July" sale is in full swing today, and in addition to a few iPad Air discounts we shared earlier, there are also some steep markdowns on the M3 MacBook Pro. You will need a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership in order to get some of these deals.

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

Best Buy's deals include all-time low prices on the 14-inch and 16-inch models, and the best discounts will be found on the larger screen computers. The 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro is currently discounted by $500 for all customers on Best Buy, but if you have a My Best Buy Plus/Total membership, you can add up to an extra $200 off select models.

You can also find $300 off 14-inch models on Best Buy this week, and these deals do not require a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership. We've collected all of the M3 MacBook Pro discounts in the list below, and remember that the Black Friday in July sale ends Wednesday, so be sure to place any orders before that day.

14-inch MacBook Pro

• M3 Pro 512GB - $1,699.00 ($300 off)
• M3 Pro 1TB - $2,099.00 ($300 off)
• M3 Max 1TB - $2,899.00 ($300 off)

16-inch MacBook Pro

• M3 Pro, 18GB RAM, 512GB - $1,899.00 for members ($600 off)
• M3 Pro, 36GB RAM, 512GB - $2,299.00 for members ($600 off)
• M3 Max, 36GB RAM, 1TB - $2,799.00 for members ($700 off)
• M3 Max, 48GB RAM, 1TB - $3,299.00 for members ($700 off)

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

OWC this week has knocked the price of the popular 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock down to $99.99, from its original price of $279.99. This is a match of the all-time low price on the accessory, which we last tracked way back in April. You'll see this price once you add the accessory to your cart and head to the checkout screen, where an automatic coupon will be applied.

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

Besides this dock, you'll find a large collection of accessories on sale at this time on OWC, including USB-C hubs, external drives and enclosures, and internal memory upgrade kits for Mac.

In regards to the 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock, this accessory features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, five USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-C port, one Mini DisplayPort port, one gigabit Ethernet port, one S/PDIF digital audio output port, and one 3.5mm stereo audio input/output port. There are also two memory card slots for microSD and SD cards.

All of the devices listed below are in new condition at OWC, although the retailer does provide various item condition options for anyone who might want to save money by purchasing open box items. Be sure to visit OWC's sale landing page to browse the full sale, which also features deals on cables, Mac accessories, keyboards, and headphones.

Docks and Hubs

• Atlas Dual SD Card Reader - $79.99, down from $89.99
• Thunderbolt Mini Dock - $109.99, down from $129.99
• Thunderbolt Hub - $139.99, down from $149.99
• 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock - $99.99, down from $279.99
• Thunderbolt Go Dock - $299.99, down from $349.99

External Drives and Enclosures

• 4TB Mercury Elite Pro External Storage - $124.99, down from $199.99
• 8TB Mercury Elite Pro RAID External Storage - $217.76, down from $394.99

Memory

• 32GB Memory Upgrade Kit - $74.74, down from $89.98
• 64GB Memory Upgrade Kit - $147.74, down from $179.96

Miscellaneous

• 2M USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable - $2.99, down from $14.99
• Matias Wireless Multi-Pairing Keyboard - $49.99, down from $69.00

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple today seeded a revised third beta of macOS 15 Sequoia to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the initial release of the third beta.

Registered developers can opt-in to the macOS Sequoia beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

‌macOS Sequoia‌ includes iPhone Mirroring, which allows you to control your locked ‌iPhone‌ from your Mac. You can open and use ‌iPhone‌ apps, interact with notifications, and drag and drop files between your ‌iPhone‌ and Mac and vice versa.

There are new options for window tiling, and dragging a window to the edge of the display will suggest a tiled location to make it easier to use multiple apps at once. Apple is adding a Passwords app for managing passwords, Safari can summarize websites and surface key information, and Notes has support for live audio transcription and math equations.

All of the Apple Intelligence features coming to iOS 18 will also be available in ‌macOS Sequoia‌, but Apple does not plan to add these until later in the beta testing process. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ includes Writing Tools for editing, proofreading, and summarizing text in apps, and an Image Playground allows for AI images to be created from prompts.

Custom emoji or "Genmoji" can be created for any situation and used just like emoji, and Siri is getting much smarter. ‌Siri‌ will be able to do more in apps and will better understand requests, especially those made in regard to on-screen content.

The updated third beta comes as we await the launch of a public beta for ‌macOS Sequoia‌. Apple said that a version of ‌macOS Sequoia‌ would be available for public beta testers at some point in July.

Apple today seeded updated third betas iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple initially released the third betas.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the ‌‌iOS 18‌/‌iPadOS 18‌‌ Developer Beta setting. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

‌iOS 18‌ introduces Apple Intelligence, a set of AI features that are built deeply into the operating system. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ won't be coming until later in the beta testing process, but it includes features for refining and editing writing, generating images and emoji, and most notably, improving Siri and search. ‌Siri‌ is gaining a better understanding of natural language, improved contextual awareness, and the personal assistant will integrate with ChatGPT to answer more complex queries.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ features are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models and iPads with an M-series chip, but there are a number of other features that are coming. Apple is allowing users to rearrange Home screen apps to have open spaces, plus there's a dark mode for app icons and tinting options.

The Control Center is customizable and third-party developers can add controls for their apps, with the Lock Screen Flashlight and Camera icons able to be replaced or removed. Messages is gaining Rich Communication Services support to improve conversations with Android users, the option to schedule texts to be sent later, new text effects, messages over satellite when there's no cellular, and the option to use any emoji for Tapback responses.

There's a dedicated Passwords app for logins, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes, and there's now an option to lock and hide apps, which means they can't be opened without secondary Face ID or Touch ID authentication even when your phone is unlocked.

Safari has a highlights feature that summarizes articles and surfaces key information on websites, the Photos app interface has been overhauled, and there's a new Tap to Cash feature for privately and securely transferring money using Apple Cash. Other features include equation solving and voice memo transcription in Notes, a game mode for improving game performance, and an option to respond to ‌Siri‌ on AirPods with head gestures.

‌iOS 18‌ is only available to registered developers at the current time, but this revised third beta comes as we are expecting a public beta. Apple said in June that a public beta would be made available sometime in July.

Today we're tracking deals on Apple's fifth-generation iPad Air, which are only available on Best Buy. This sale includes nearly every model of the M1 iPad Air on sale at an all-time low price, with as much as $250 off select models. The deals are part of Best Buy's Prime Day-like "Black Friday in July" sale, which lasts through Wednesday.

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

Starting with the 64GB Wi-Fi M1 iPad Air, Best Buy has this model for $399.99, down from $599.99. This is an all-time low price on this model of the 2022 iPad Air, and it's available in three colors. You'll also find the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad Air on sale for $499.99, down from $749.99, which is about $50 cheaper than the previous record low price.

Apple introduced new M2 iPad Air models in May, which is why we're seeing steep discounts on the previous generation models more often. You can still save a bit of money on the 2024 models if you're interested in owning the latest version.

Best Buy's Black Friday in July event has much more on sale than just the iPad Air, including other Apple products like MacBooks and Apple Watches. You can also find great deals on TVs, video games, appliances, headphones, smartphones, sound bars, streaming devices, computers, and much more.

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

Amazon today has kicked off early Prime Day deals on Apple's 2024 M3 MacBook Air, with new record low prices on both the 13-inch and 15-inch models. This is the first time we've tracked discounts on these computers in a few weeks, and they're reaching up to $200 off original prices.

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.

Prices start at $898.99 for the 8GB RAM/256GB SSD 13-inch MacBook Air, which is down from $1,099.00. For the bigger model, prices start at $1,099.00 for the 8GB RAM/256GB SSD 15-inch MacBook Air, down from $1,299.00.

Shoppers should note that Best Buy is offering an extra $50 in savings on these computers, but you'll need to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership in order to see the discounts. Otherwise, if you don't have a membership, you can find matching prices on every M3 MacBook Air at Best Buy.

13-inch M3 MacBook Air

• 8GB RAM 256GB SSD - $898.99, down from $1,099.00
• 8GB RAM 512GB SSD - $1,099.00, down from $1,299.00 (matched at Best Buy)
• 16GB RAM 512GB SSD - $1,299.00, down from $1,499.00 (matched at Best Buy)

15-inch M3 MacBook Air

• 8GB RAM 256GB SSD - $1,099.00, down from $1,299.00 (matched at Best Buy)
• 8GB RAM 512GB SSD - $1,299.00, down from $1,499.00 (matched at Best Buy)
• 16GB RAM 512GB SSD - $1,499.00, down from $1,699.00 (matched at Best Buy)

If you're looking to spend a little less, and are fine with investing in a previous generation model, Amazon also has great deals on the 2022 13-inch M2 MacBook Air. You can get the 256GB model for $799.00 (matched at Best Buy) and the 512GB model for $999.00 (also matched at Best Buy), and they're both $200 off and all-time low prices.

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

Apple today announced that the existing HomePod mini is now available in a Midnight color option, which replaces the nearly-identical Space Gray color previously offered. The speaker remains available in Blue, Orange, White, and Yellow as well.

Apple now offers both the full-sized second-generation HomePod and the HomePod mini in Midnight, so this minor change brings some consistency to the lineup. Apple did not mention any other changes to the HomePod mini today, and the speaker remains priced at $99 in the U.S. for all of the color options.

The new Midnight color option can be ordered on Apple.com starting today, and it will be available at Apple Store locations in the U.S., Canada, China, Singapore, and 28 other countries and regions starting July 17.

Apple first released the HomePod mini in November 2020, and it has yet to release a second-generation model of the speaker.

Apple this weekend approved free PC emulator "UTM SE" for the App Store on iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro. The app allows users to emulate old versions of Windows OS, macOS, Linux, and more to fire up classic software and games on Apple devices.

As the first of its kind to be allowed on the App Store, UTM SE offers several unique features like VGA mode support for graphics and terminal mode for text-only OSes, emulation of x86, PPC, and RISC-V architectures, support for pre-built machines, and the ability to create custom bootable machines.

Apple initially rejected the app in June, despite changing its global App Store policy in April regarding retro game emulators. According to the developers, Apple said the app violated rule 4.7 of its App Review Guidelines because "PC is not a console," regardless of the fact that there are retro Windows/DOS games for the PC that UTM SE can be useful in running.

Apple also deemed UTM SE unsuitable for third-party marketplaces in the European Union, because it violated rule 2.5.2 of its Notarization Review Guidelines. That rule states that apps have to be self-contained and can't execute code "which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps."

After Apple's rejection, UTM's developer said they would not keep going back and forth because the app would become "a subpar experience." However, after help from the AltStore team and another developer to work on some changes, UTM SE was finally approved by Apple on Saturday.

As with other emulators, UTM SE requires that users supply the operating systems they want to emulate, but the UTM site includes guides for Windows XP through Windows 11 emulation, as well as downloads of pre-built virtual Linux machines. UTM SE can be downloaded from the App Store [Direct Link].

Game emulator Delta, which has been a hit among retro gaming enthusiasts on iPhone, is now officially available for iPad, following an app update to version 1.6.

Delta has been hugely popular since its debut on the App Store and the emulator has been a constant presence in the Top Charts, with users flocking to play retro games that originally appeared on NES, SNES, N64, Nintendo DS, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance.

With iPad support in v1.6, users can now take full advantage of the device's larger display and play in fullscreen. There are new controller skins designed specifically for iPad, and the app supports multiple windows in Stage Manager and Split View, with games able to optionally pause when switching windows. The iPad version also supports external game controllers, and the developer Riley Testut says emulated games "hand off" seamlessly between iPhone and iPad, allowing gamers to continue playing where they left off.

Testut says the need for BIOS files has now been eliminated, streamlining the setup process. Users should also notice a considerable improvement in the performance of DS games. The update introduces various menu button gestures, providing more intuitive navigation options. An experimental feature, "Reverse Controller Skin Screens," has also been added, allowing users to switch controller skin screens at runtime, offering greater customization and flexibility during gameplay.

Testut previously explained that Delta for iPad had not originally been a development priority because the plan was to limit the emulator's launch to the EU via alternative app marketplace AltStore PAL, which doesn't support iPad.

However, in a reversal of a years-old policy, Apple in April decided to allow retro game emulators on the ‌App Store‌. Delta was therefore made available on the App Store as a free download in the United States and other countries, with users supporting the developer via Patreon. Official download links for the latest version can be found on the Delta website.

Samsung this week introduced its latest earbuds, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, which look quite a bit like Apple's AirPods Pro 2. Given the similarities, we thought we'd compare Samsung's new earbuds to the ‌AirPods Pro‌.

Design wise, you could potentially mistake Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro for the ‌AirPods Pro‌. The Buds3 Pro have the same general shape and a silicone tip, though it's worth noting that the Buds3 Pro come in both white and gray, so you're not limited to white as you are with the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2. The charging case is similar to the AirPods Charging Case too, but there's a transparent upper portion.

The Buds3 Pro sound great out of the box, but there is an option to adjust the sound using the equalizer, which isn't possible with the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2. The Active Noise Cancellation and the "Ambient Mode" or transparency on the Buds3 Pro work as well as those features on the ‌AirPods Pro‌, and it's tough to tell the difference between them.

Samsung's Buds3 Pro do not perform as well as the ‌AirPods Pro‌ when it comes to ambient noise detection to adjust sound, however. The ‌AirPods Pro‌ can adjust sound when someone is speaking to you so you can hear them, but the Buds3 Pro struggled to do the same.

The Buds3 Pro have a built-in LED light for aesthetics, and there are controls on the stem for adjusting volume. Samsung also added an interpreter mode for translating foreign languages when connected to the most recent Galaxy phones, but the feature wasn't super accurate.

Though the Buds3 Pro are similar to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2, it's hard to see the two as competitors because you're only going to want to use the Buds3 Pro with Android devices, while the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 work best with Apple devices. iPhone users should stick with the AirPods, while Samsung users will want to check out the Buds3 Pro.

Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro are priced at $250, which is the same price as the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2. Pre-orders are available now ahead of a July 24 launch date.

Amazon is soon to be back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for just two days from July 16-17. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and there are already many deals you can get on sale ahead of the event.

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.

For our coverage, we're focusing entirely on early discounts for Apple and Apple-related products that can be purchased right now on Amazon. As of today, this includes deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, MacBook Air, and more. We're also sharing deals being matched at retailers like Best Buy in some cases.

As is typical for Prime Day deals, these markdowns are very time sensitive, so sales listed below may disappear fast, and new ones may appear even faster. With this in mind, we'll keep this article updated over the next few days, and keep an eye on the MacRumors front page as we'll be posting particularly great deals in separate articles next week.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Amazon Prime Day requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Apple Watch

Series 9

You can get up to $100 off most Apple Watch Series 9 models right now on Amazon, starting at $299.00 for the 41mm GPS watches. We've rounded up all of the deals below, focusing on the aluminum devices, but you can also find $100 discounts on a few stainless steel models as well.

SE

Apple's 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE is available for $189.00 today on Amazon, down from $249.00. This is just $10 higher compared to the all-time low price on the wearable. This deal is available in all three aluminum color options, and only Amazon has the discount.

You can also get the 44mm GPS Apple Watch SE on sale right now, available for $219.00 on Amazon, down from $279.00. This is another near all-time low price that's just $10 away from the lowest price on the Apple Watch SE, and it's only available in Starlight.

M2 iPad Pro

Over at Best Buy, today you can find some of the biggest discounts on the M2 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro that we've seen in months, including both Wi-Fi and cellular tablets. A My Best Buy Plus/Total membership is not required to see these discounts.

With such steep savings, these previous generation iPad Pros are worth looking into purchasing for anyone who wants to prioritize saving money over owning the newest M4 iPad Pro. There are some major differences between the two generations, like the M4's support for Apple Pencil Pro and a new nano-texture display option, so be sure to read about which one works best for you in our Buyer's Guide.

11-Inch

Wi-Fi

• 512GB Wi-Fi for $899.00 ($200 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi for $1,199.00 ($300 off)
• 2TB Wi-Fi for $1,599.00 ($300 off)

Cellular

• 128GB Cellular for $799.00 ($200 off)
• 256GB Cellular for $899.00 ($200 off)
• 512GB Cellular for $949.00 ($350 off)
• 1TB Cellular for $1,249.00 ($450 off)
• 2TB Cellular for $1,649.00 ($450 off)

12.9-Inch

Wi-Fi

• 128GB Wi-Fi for $899.00 ($200 off)
• 256GB Wi-Fi for $999.00 ($200 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi for $1,099.00 ($300 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi for $1,399.00 ($400 off)
• 2TB Wi-Fi for $1,799.00 ($400 off)

Cellular

• 128GB Cellular for $999.00 ($300 off)
• 256GB Cellular for $1,099.00 ($300 off)
• 512GB Cellular for $1,149.00 ($450 off)
• 1TB Cellular for $1,449.00 ($550 off)
• 2TB Cellular for $1,849.00 ($550 off)

M4 iPad Pro

For the newest M4 iPad Pros, Amazon is offering up to $200 off select models of both the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro. Deals are primarily focused on Wi-Fi models, but you can find a few cellular tablets on sale at this time as well.

11-Inch

• 256GB Wi-Fi for $928.00 ($71 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi for $1,114.00 (85 off)

13-Inch

• 256GB Wi-Fi for $1,199.00 ($100 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi for $1,399.00 ($100 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi for $1,754.00 ($145 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi (Nano-Texture Glass) for $1,844.00 ($155 off)
• 2TB Wi-Fi for $2,099.00 ($200 off)

M2 iPad Air

11-Inch

The cheapest model is the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Air for $559.00, down from $599.00. You'll also find deals on the 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models below, all of which are in stock on Amazon with delivery dates as soon as the middle of next week for Prime members.

13-Inch

The 13-inch M2 iPad Air models start at $729.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $799.00. Similar to the 11-inch devices, all Wi-Fi models are on sale this week, and for the larger display iPad Airs these discounts reach up to $90 off original prices.

The iPad Air is Apple's middle-tier iPad model, equipped with an LCD Liquid Retina display, True Tone support, four unique color options, Touch ID, relocated front-facing camera, and two new size options with the 11-inch and 13-inch sizes.

10th Gen iPad

Amazon is taking $30 off the Wi-Fi models of the 2022 iPad, starting at $319.00 for 64GB Wi-Fi. You'll also find both cellular devices on sale this weekend.

M3 MacBook Pro

The best M3 MacBook Pro deal you'll find right now is on the 14-inch M3 Pro 512GB model, priced at $1,699.00. That's a $300 discount and the best price we've ever tracked, but you can also find a few other solid markdowns on more 14-inch MacBook Pros and 16-inch MacBook Pros at Amazon.

M2 MacBook Air

Best Buy and Amazon today have Apple's 256GB 13-inch M2 MacBook Air for $799.00, down from $999.00. You'll find all four colors on sale at this price, including Midnight, Silver, Space Gray, and Starlight.

Compared to previous sales, this is a match of the all-time low price on the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air. Right now, both Best Buy and Amazon have this steep discount, and we aren't tracking any notable deals on the 512GB model.

Apple Pencil

Apple Pencil deals include all-time low prices on the Apple Pencil 2 at $79.00 and Apple Pencil Pro at $119.00.

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

Apple is moving right along with development and testing on iOS 18 and related software updates, with the third developer betas arriving this past week and public beta versions of most of them expected very shortly.

Not all of the new features Apple showed off at WWDC last month will be available right away, however, with some rolling out in later iOS 18 updates over the next year. In particular, significant Siri enhancements with Apple Intelligence are reportedly slated for iOS 18.4 in the spring of 2025. Other news this week included hints of a touchscreen-equipped HomePod and rumors about the next-generation Apple Watch SE, so read on below for all the details!

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 3

Apple this week seeded the third beta of iOS 18 to developers for testing, and there are a handful of new features and changes. Check out our list of everything new in iOS 18 beta 3, including Dark Mode for additional app icons, tweaks to the Photos app, and more.

Apple also seeded the third betas of iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, visionOS 2, and more.

iOS 18 Public Beta Coming Soon: How to Get Your iPhone Ready

Apple last month announced that the first public beta of iOS 18 would be released in July, so it should be available to try out soon. The first public betas of iOS 17 and iOS 16 were both released in the first half of July over the past two years, so it is possible that the iOS 18 public beta will be available next week.

Ahead of time, read our story outlining how to get your iPhone ready for the iOS 18 public beta.

New Siri Experience With Apple Intelligence Likely to Debut in Spring 2025

While some Apple Intelligence features will be available when iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia are first released to the public later this year, Apple last month said that some of the remaining features will be rolled out "over the course of the next year."

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a smarter version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence will likely launch as part of iOS 18.4 in the spring of 2025.

tvOS 18 Hints at HomePod With Touchscreen Display

A reference to an unreleased HomePod with a built-in screen has allegedly been uncovered in the tvOS 18 beta, following earlier reports that Apple plans to release such a device in the future.

Apple is rumored to have been prototyping several different smart home accessories, including a HomePod with a screen, a smart home hub with a robotic arm, a device that combines a HomePod and Apple TV, and more, but it is unclear if or when all of them will be released to the public.

Apple Reportedly Developing Apple Watch SE With Plastic Casing

Apple is developing a next-generation version of the low-end Apple Watch SE with a plastic casing, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

A third-generation Apple Watch SE is expected to be released in September, but it is unclear if Apple will move forward with the plastic casing, which would replace the aluminum casing on previous models. The current Apple Watch SE starts at $249 in the U.S., and the move to plastic could allow for the next model to have an even lower starting price.

10+ Changes to Control Center in iOS 18

Apple is significantly overhauling Control Center on iOS 18 for the first time since iOS 11, with greater customization, multiple pages, additional controls, and more. Apple also now allows users to customize the Flashlight and Camera shortcuts on the Lock Screen.

Check out our list outlining more than 10 new features and changes in Control Center on iOS 18, which will be widely released later this year for the iPhone XS and newer.

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

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

iOS 18 includes updates for many of Apple's built-in apps, and Safari is no exception. Apple's browser has some useful new features for more quickly getting to the information that you want most from websites.

This guide highlights everything that's new in Safari.

Highlights

Highlights detects relevant information on a webpage that you're visiting and surfaces it for you so you can find pertinent details without having to scour a page.

When a Highlight is available on a webpage, you'll see a small purple sparkle over the tool icon in the browser bar, along with a quick flash to the Highlight data that's available. If you tap on the icon with the sparkle, Safari will show you key website information like location, hours, and directions.

Information that's shown in Highlights depends on the website you're visiting. For stores, hotels, and other places you might want to go to, Safari provides directions. For other websites, you might see links to learn more about people, music, movies, and TV shows.

Highlights is available in U.S. English at the current time, and you won't see it on all websites. Highlights can be disabled by opening up the Safari section of the Settings app and toggling it off.

Reader Mode

Safari updated Reader Mode to provide a table of contents for long articles and also a quick summary of what's on the page.

The new Reader Mode features give users a way to get to a specific part of an article as well as an overview of what's in an article in order to decide whether it's worth continuing to read.

New Reader Mode options are available in English (Australia), English (Canada), English (Ireland), English (New Zealand), English (South Africa), English (UK), and English (U.S.)

Design Changes

Apple updated the design of the Safari tools that can be accessed through the URL bar. The tool icon is now a box with two lines, and tapping it brings you into full overlay window that's at the bottom of the display.

Not all tools are displayed at once anymore, with Apple prioritizing those people might want most like translate, Reader Mode, Privacy Protections, and font size. Tapping on the ellipsis at the bottom of the interface shows the rest of the Safari settings like Show IP Address, Request Desktop Website, and Hide Toolbar.

Apple has also changed the design of the tab management page, with a unified toolbar for separate sections and tab groups.

New Quick Access Options

Some of the features that used to be tucked away in the Share Sheet are now more readily available through the Safari toolbar.

New options include the following:

• Print
• Add to Favorites
• Add Bookmark
• Add to Quick Note
• Add to Reading List
• Move to Tab Group
• Pin Tab
• Camera Access
• Microphone Access
• Location Access
• Open Links in Profile

The Page Menu can be edited so that you can customize which tools go in your list of favorites for quicker access.

All of these options are still available through the Share Sheet as well.

Distraction Control

Safari includes Distraction Control, a feature that cuts down on distracting elements on webpages like sign-in windows, cookie preference popups, GDPR notices, newsletter signup banners, autoplay videos, and more.

Distraction Control can be used to hide static content on a page, but it is not an ad blocker and cannot be used to permanently hide ads. An ad can be temporarily hidden, but the feature was not designed for ads, and an ad will reappear when it refreshes. It was not created for elements on a webpage that regularly change.

To use Distraction Control, go to the Page Menu and select Hide Distracting Items. You can select an area on the page that you want to hide, and static content that you select will remain hidden. It is a good way to eliminate the pesky popovers that show up when browsing online stores, reading articles, and more. iPhone, iPad, and Mac users need to opt in to hiding elements on the page, and Apple says that nothing is hidden that is not proactively selected.

When hiding a cookie banner or GDPR popup with Distraction Control, the function is the same as closing a banner without submitting website preferences at all.

Your Distraction Control settings are on-device and will not sync from device to device, so you will need to hide website elements on each one of your devices. You can use the "Show Hidden Items" option by going to the Safari search field to instantly see all hidden elements on a webpage.

Passwords

With a new dedicated Passwords app, Safari logins, passwords, and passkeys are filled in automatically if you have your information saved to the app.

The Passwords app has the same functionality as the Passwords section in the Settings app, it's simply been split out into a standalone app for easier access. Safari can automatically save login and password information to the Passwords app, and everything syncs cross-device. Passwords can even be accessed on Windows PCs.

Locked Apps

Apps like Safari can be locked and hidden, requiring Face ID or Touch ID authentication to access them. Locking an app goes a step further than the protected private browsing feature that Apple introduced in an earlier version of iOS, as the entire Safari browser can be locked.

To open a locked app, you need to authenticate, so someone who has your unlocked phone still won't be able to see your browser if you lock Safari. Hiding an app locks it and removes it from the Home Screen, tucking it away in a secret Hidden apps folder in the App Library.

Read More

For more on the new features that Apple is adding in ‌iOS 18‌, we have a dedicated iOS 18 roundup.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple Software and Services chief Eddy Cue are attending the annual Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, this weekend. The media finance conference is well-known for attracting some of the biggest names in tech.

The Sun Valley Conference has been likened to a camp for billionaires, where tech and media moguls can negotiate deals while golfing, whitewater rafting, and similar activities. Cook and Cue are both regulars at the event.

Other attendees this year include Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Bill Gates, Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff, Nike CEO John Donahoe, Sony CEO Ken Yoshida, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Disney CEO Bob Iger.

The Sun Valley event is invite-only and members of the media have limited access, so the deals and relationships that originate at the event often go undocumented.