The M1MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini are the first of Apple's Macs to support WiFi 6, or 802.11ax. WiFi 6 support started rolling out in Apple devices with the March 2020 launch of the iPad Pro, but Apple did not include the feature in Macs refreshed earlier in the year.
WiFi 6 brings faster speeds, expanded network capacity, lower latency, and improved power efficiency, plus it is ideal for homes where there are many WiFi-connected smart home products in use. With more and more routers starting to offer WiFi 6 performance, the update is a welcome change to the Mac lineup.
None of the Macs refreshed today got major design changes, but the MacBook Air features an updated row of function keys that gains Spotlight search instead of Launchpad, and a dictation key and a Do Not Disturb key in place of the function keys that used to be available for adjusting keyboard brightness.
The Fn key at the bottom of the keyboard has also been updated to serve as an emoji key for bringing up emoji on the MacBook Air.
Aside from these function key updates, the M1 MacBook Air uses the same scissor switch keyboard that Apple added to the 2020 MacBook Air earlier this year. The scissor switch keyboard is more reliable than the prior-generation Butterfly Keyboard and not prone to failure due to exposure to crumbs and other small particulates.
The new M1 Macs are available for purchase as of today from Apple's online store, and the first orders are set to arrive to customers on November 17.
Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by Joe Rossignol
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week.
Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far.
Apple Intelligence for Siri
Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker.
In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again.
This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week.
Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19.
"Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by Joe Rossignol
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note.
Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal.
That's no longer...
Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech.
iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech
In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead.
There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event:
...
Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE.
We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on.
Naming
Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...
