MacRumors has confirmed that Apple's new entry-level iPad unveiled this week is equipped with more RAM than the iPad 10 that it replaced.
The new iPad with the A16 chip includes 6GB of RAM, according to data from the latest beta of Apple's developer tool Xcode, released today. That is up from 4GB of RAM in the previous-generation iPad 10 with the A14 Bionic chip.
iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, and iPhone 15 Plus models with the A16 chip also have 6GB of RAM, but the A16 chip has slightly reduced CPU and GPU specifications in the new entry-level iPad, so it was not entirely clear until now if the device would also have 6GB of RAM, or stick with the same 4GB as the previous model.
Unfortunately, the new entry-level iPad lacks support for Apple Intelligence, which currently requires at least 8GB of RAM.
Still, increased RAM contributes to faster performance, particularly for multitasking.
The new iPad can be pre-ordered now, and it is set to launch on Wednesday, March 12.
Apple today said it will be easier than ever to set up the new MacBook Air and Mac Studio models with a nearby iPhone or iPad.
Once the new MacBook Air or Mac Studio are updated to macOS Sequoia 15.4, which is set to be released in April, users will be able to simply bring their iPhone or iPad close to the Mac to quickly sign in to their Apple Account. This will simplify the process of getting the user's files, photos, messages, passwords, and more on to the new Mac.
Next month, macOS Sequoia 15.4 will make it easier than ever to set up the new MacBook Air with iPhone. By simply bringing iPhone close to Mac, users can quickly and conveniently sign in to their Apple Account to get their files, photos, messages, passwords, and more on their new MacBook Air.
Apple's press release for the new Mac Studio has a nearly-identical paragraph.
We previously discovered that this feature might extend to at least some existing Mac models with the macOS Sequoia 15.4 update.
The nearby iPhone or iPad must be updated to iOS 18.4 or iPadOS 18.4 or newer. Those updates will also be released in April.
All of the software updates are currently in beta.
Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and: Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
This is a significant quality-of-life improvement for the MacBook Air in the Apple silicon era. MacBook Air models with the M1 chip and M2 chip officially support only one external display, while MacBook Air models with the M3 chip gained support for two external displays, but only with the lid closed. With the new model, users can have a total of three screens, with the MacBook Air open next to two external displays.
Apple silicon MacBook Air models already worked with multiple external displays with the use of DisplayLink adapters, but many casual customers in the MacBook Air's target market might not have known about that option, so official plug-and-play support for two external displays with the lid open is a welcomed improvement.
The latest 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, released last year, also natively supports two external displays while the lid is open.
The new MacBook Air can be pre-ordered now, and it launches Wednesday, March 12.
Apple just announced a new MacBook Air, introducing its latest chip, an enhanced camera, and a striking new color option. Simultaneously, it discontinued the two previous generations. So how does the new model compare?
Before the introduction of the latest model, the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air started at $1,099 and the 15-inch model started at $1,299. The 13.6-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip from 2022 remained in the lineup at a price of $999. Now, the 13-inch M4 model starts at $999. It is also worth remembering that it is possible to shave at least $100 off the price of a new MacBook Air directly from Apple with education pricing.
The main upgrade offered by the three MacBook Air models are their chips. In benchmark tests, the M3 outperforms the M2 by about 17% in single-core tasks and approximately 21% in multi-core tasks. In GPU performance measured by Metal benchmarks, the M3 exhibits a notable improvement of around 15% over the M2. The M4 outperforms the M3 by about 25% in single-core tasks and 30% in multi-core tasks. In GPU performance, the M4 offers improvement of around 21% over the M3.
There are a number of other notable differences between the three MacBook Air generations beyond their chips. While these upgrades are fairly small, they are worth bearing in mind when contemplating whether to get the latest model, or a used or refurbished unit for a lower price.
Read on to find out about all of the differences between the M2, M3, and M4 MacBook Air models to help you decide which model will suffice for you, as well as if it may be worth upgrading.
Redesigned GPU architecture with improved efficiency
Same GPU architecture as M3
Dynamic Caching
Dynamic Caching
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Hardware-accelerated mesh shading
Hardware-accelerated mesh shading
LPDDR5 memory
LPDDR5 memory
LPDDR5X memory
100 GB/s memory bandwidth
100 GB/s memory bandwidth
120 GB/s memory bandwidth
8GB, 16GB, or 24GB memory (8GB discontinued in 2024)
8GB, 16GB, or 24GB memory (8GB discontinued in 2024)
16GB, 24GB, or 32GB memory
16-core Neural Engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second
16-core Neural Engine, 18 trillion operations per second
16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second
Dedicated display engine
Dedicated display engine
Support for one external display
Support for up to two external displays when the lid is closed
Support for up to two external displays when the lid is open
Support for AV1 decode
Support for AV1 decode
Wi-Fi 6 connectivity
Wi-Fi 6E connectivity
Wi-Fi 6E connectivity
Anodization seal to reduce fingerprints (Midnight finish only)
Anodization seal to reduce fingerprints (Midnight finish only)
Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Space Gray
Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Space Gray
Available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Sky Blue
Introduced in June 2022 (13-inch) and June 2023 (15-inch)
Introduced in March 2024
Introduced in March 2025
Started at $1,099, dropped to $999 in 2024
Started at $1,099
Starts at $999
Overall, the M3 and M4 MacBook Airs represent minor upgrades over their predecessors, largely focusing on enhanced performance rather than new capabilities. Their main target audiences are those who have an older MacBook Air, such as an M1 or Intel-based model, or no MacBook Air at all.
Unless you can leverage the specific advantages of the M4 chip and require maximum performance from its highly portable form factor, it is likely not worth buying the M4 MacBook Air over the previous MacBook Air for most users, providing you can get it for a good enough price.
However, if future-proofing is a major priority because you tend to keep your computer for many years, the extra cash to get the latest model will probably be warranted. The M4 model's significantly improved camera and enhanced support for two external displays may also justifiably swing your buying decision if you make a lot of video calls or have multiple monitors.
It is certainly not worth upgrading from the M2 or M3 to the M4 MacBook Air for the overwhelming majority of customers. Upgrading from an M2 13-inch MacBook Air to an M4 15-inch MacBook Air may be more justifiable owing to the display size increase, but there is little that the latest generation meaningfully offers over its predecessor. The two older machines are still highly capable.
The new M4 MacBook Air models that Apple announced today are a better deal than ever, with pricing that starts at $999. That's $100 less than the previous $1,099 starting price for the prior-generation M3 MacBook Air models.
Before today, Apple sold the M3 MacBook Air starting at $1,099, and the prior-generation M2 MacBook Air starting at $999, but both of those models have been discontinued and now Apple only has the M4 MacBook Air models available. Here are the base configurations and price points.
As noted in the pricing above, while $999 is the starting price for the 13-inch model, the next move up to the 13-inch model with a 10-core GPU is priced at $1,199, with no $1,099 model available for purchase. The 15-inch model continues to start at $1,199, the same as the M3 version, and there is no version with an 8-core GPU available.
The base MacBook Air models that Apple offers can be customized with upgraded memory and SSD storage, with up to 32GB of unified memory and 2TB of storage as options.
Pre-orders for the MacBook Air models are available starting today, with a launch to follow on March 12.
As expected, YouTube has announced the expansion of its $7.99 a month Premium Lite plan to the United States, following a months-long pilot phase in international markets. The new, lower-priced version of YouTube's paid video subscription service functions largely without ads, though music videos on the platform continue to include them.
Today we'll begin expanding our Premium Lite pilot to users in the US. Premium Lite gives viewers a new, more affordable way to enjoy most videos on YouTube ad-free for $7.99 per month. In the coming weeks, we'll also make Premium Lite available to all users in our current pilot countries - Thailand, Germany, and Australia.
According to the Google subsidiary, YouTube Premium Lite is aimed at people who want to consume podcasting, make-up, gaming streams, tutorials, and other core creator content on YouTube that is distinguishable from music.
It's important to note that the new Premium Lite plan does not include the ability to download and background play YouTube videos on devices. For users who want ad-free music on YouTube and YouTube Music, plus offline and background play, YouTube continues to recommend its Premium plan ($13.99 per month).
YouTube said it will continue to expand its Premium Lite pilots to additional countries this year and introduce more ways for users to get the most from their subscriptions. YouTube also revealed today that it now has over 125 million users worldwide who subscribe to YouTube Premium or YouTube Music.
A spokesperson for Apple has told French technology website Numerama that its M4 Max chip lacks an UltraFusion connector, which would have paved the way for the release of a doubled-up M4 Ultra chip in the future.
As we recently covered, Apple told Ars Technica that not every generation of M-series chips for Macs will include an "Ultra" chip. That seems like Apple indirectly confirming that it has no plans to release an M4 Ultra chip, and the M4 Max's lack of UltraFusion technology makes it even more likely there won't be an M4 Ultra chip.
Apple could still design an M4 Ultra chip from scratch, but it seems to have downplayed this possibility, according to the Numerama report.
The new Mac Studio announced today is available with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip options, with no M4 Ultra chip offered. Apple says the M3 Ultra chip is essentially two M3 Max chips fused together with its UltraFusion technology, so the chip's specs are all doubled compared to the M3 Max. There was speculation last year about the M3 Max chip lacking UltraFusion technology, but Apple's announcement today has proven that rumor was false.
In summary, the M3 Max chip has an UltraFusion connector, but the M4 Max chip does not.
The M3 Ultra chip features up to a 32-core CPU, up to an 80-core GPU, a 32-core Neural Engine, and support for up to 512GB of unified RAM. Apple says the M3 Ultra chip is up to 1.5x faster than the M2 Ultra chip, and up to 1.8x faster than the M1 Ultra chip. To learn more about the chip, read our coverage of Apple's announcement.
Apple today updated the Mac Studio with mismatched M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip options. Naturally, this has led people to wonder why Apple opted for an M3 Ultra instead of an M4 Ultra chip, and the answer is fairly interesting.
"When asked why the high-end Mac Studio was getting an M3 Ultra chip instead of an M4 Ultra, Apple told us that not every chip generation will get an 'Ultra' tier," he wrote.
Perhaps that means we will never get an M4 Ultra chip?
Apple's explanation leads us to wonder which chip the next Mac Pro desktop tower will use. Both the Mac Studio and Mac Pro were updated with the M2 Ultra chip simultaneously in June 2023, and many people in the Apple community felt that the Mac Pro was thereby a bad buy since it costs thousands of dollars more than the Mac Studio despite there being a perceived lack of differentiation between the computers.
When the rumor broke yesterday that the Mac Studio would be updated with M3 Ultra chip, there was hope that Apple would eventually update the Mac Pro with an M4 Ultra chip, for increased differentiation between the computers. Apple's explanation doesn't bode well for that possibility, although it does not explicitly rule it out.
The next Mac Pro could simply end up getting the M3 Ultra chip, and maintain that lack of differentiation over the Mac Studio.
To learn more about the M3 Ultra chip, which is effectively two M3 Max chips combined, read our coverage of Apple's announcement.
Apple today announced refreshed Mac Studio models with M4 Max and M3 Ultra Apple silicon chips, and when configured with the highest specs, the faster M3 Ultra costs $14,099, which is $10,100 more than the starting price.
Starting at $3,999, the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra comes with an Apple M3 Ultra chip with 28-core CPU, 60-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine, 96GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. When configuring the machine with the following highest specifications possible, the pricing breakdown is as follows:
Apple M3 Ultra chip with 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine: +$1,500
512GB of unified memory: +$4,000
16TB of storage: +$4,600
Customers can also purchase Final Cut Pro ($299.99) and/or Logic Pro ($199.99) at Apple's checkout, which if chosen would result in a cost totaling $14,598.98.
Apple says the M3 Ultra is the fastest Mac chip it has ever released, thanks to its strategy of fusing two M3 Max chips together using the company's "UltraFusion" technology. This makes the chip's specs double that of the M3 Max. The new Mac Studio is available to pre-order starting today, and it launches on Wednesday, March 12.
Amazon is back with an all-time low price on Apple Studio Display, available for $1,299.99, down from $1,599.00. This is the standard glass version of the Studio Display with the tilt adjustable stand, and right now it's the only model on sale at Amazon.
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.
The Apple Studio Display pairs perfectly with the Mac Studio, so anyone looking to purchase the updated Mac Studio with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip options might be interested in Amazon's low price on the Studio Display.
The Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K Retina display with a 5120 x 2880 resolution and up to 600 nits of brightness. Apple says that the standard display is engineered for "extremely low reflectivity," but for rooms where there is a lot of glare, Apple suggests the nano-texture glass option with even less reflectivity.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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Apple today announced the next of its M4 Mac models, but how much better really is the M4 chip over its predecessor?
The M4 chip debuted in the iPad Pro last year, promising around 20% faster performance than the M3 chip in both single and multi-core tasks. All of the key differences between the two chip generations are listed below:
Up to 10 CPU cores (4 performance + 6 efficiency cores)
4.05 GHz CPU clock speed
4.3 GHz CPU clock speed
16-core Neural Engine, 18 trillion operations per second
16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second (+111%)
LPDDR5 memory
LPDDR5X memory
100 GB/s memory bandwidth
120 GB/s memory bandwidth (+20%)
Dedicated display engine
GPU with standard power efficiency
More power-efficient GPU: Maintains performance with significantly less power
Most of these upgrades, with the exception of core counts and memory bandwidth, apply to the entire selection M3 and M4 chips. Using Geekbench benchmarks, these are the approximate performance gains you can expect from the M4 chip:
Benchmark Type
M3 Chip Performance
M4 Chip Performance (Improvement)
Single-core CPU
3,088
3,864 (+25.1%)
Multi-core CPU
11,711
15,288 (+30.5%)
Metal GPU
47,466
57,603 (+21.4%)
While the M4 chip features notable enhancements over the M3, such as increased CPU and GPU performance and improved efficiency, the practical differences for users upgrading from an M3 system may not be as radical as the specifications suggest. The M3 chip already delivers impressive performance and efficiency, making it a formidable contender in its own right.
The 25.1% improvement in single-core performance and 30.5% in multi-core performance highlight technical advancements, but for many users, especially those already equipped with M3-based devices, the everyday experience will likely not feel dramatically different. Tasks that benefit from single-core speeds, like launching apps and light productivity work, will be snappier, but for those accustomed to the M3's capabilities, this difference may not significantly impact their workflow.
Similarly, the 21.4% increase in GPU performance means better graphics rendering and gaming capabilities, yet users who have enjoyed the M3's performance may find these enhancements less noticeable in routine tasks. The improvements in gaming and creative applications will benefit users who are heavily engaged in graphics-intensive work, but those using the M3 might not feel compelled to upgrade solely for these reasons.
The 111% boost in the Neural Engine is a standout figure, demonstrating the chip's impressive artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning capabilities. However, for many users, especially with less demanding requirements, the difference might not justify the upgrade, especially as both the M3 and M4 chip support Apple Intelligence. That being said, the M4 chip's significantly improved Neural Engine makes it more likely to support and effectively run new Apple Intelligence and AI features as they emerge over the years.
In terms of memory bandwidth, the 20% increase allows for faster data transfer, which is beneficial for data-heavy applications. Yet, again, for users already using the M3, this improvement may not translate into a dramatic change in performance.
Ultimately, while the M4 chip certainly pushes the boundaries of what is possible with Apple silicon, it may not represent a radical shift for those already using the M3. Instead, the M4 is likely aimed at users looking to upgrade from M1 chips or older Intel systems, where the jump in performance is far more pronounced. It is telling that Apple primarily compares the M4 to the M1 rather than the M2 or M3.
For existing M3 users, the decision to upgrade may hinge more on specific needs and applications rather than a broad expectation of enhanced performance. For example, M3 Max chip users who push their system to the limit with highly intensive tasks may have good reason to upgrade. Likewise, if your current M3 or M3 Pro system seems to be insufficient for your workflow, you could consider upgrading to an M4 Pro or M4 Max device, but these upgrade paths will be unusual.
Apple yesterday announced the new M3 iPad Air, and Best Buy is already offering $50 off to My Best Buy Plus/Total members when pre-ordering. This marks the first official deal on the latest iPad Air, and we aren't tracking any similar discounts on the new 11th generation iPad yet.
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If you're a My Best Buy Plus/Total member, prices now start at $549.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M3 iPad Air, down from $599.00. Best Buy has all models of the 11-inch M3 iPad Air at $50 off for members, including both Wi-Fi and cellular models.
Note: You will need a My Best Buy Plus/Total membership to see this deal.
Similarly, Best Buy has every model of the 13-inch M3 iPad Air on sale for $50 off if you're a My Best Buy Plus/Total member. Prices for these models start at $749.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 13-inch M3 iPad Air, down from $799.00, and also include cellular tablets.
These tablets feature up to 20 percent faster performance compared to the previous generation iPad Air. Apple also introduced a redesigned Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air, featuring a larger built-in trackpad, 14-key function row, and new aluminum hinge.
The M3 iPad Air will officially launch on March 12. You can also pre-order the 11th generation iPad on Best Buy, but there are no discounts for members at this time.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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Following the introduction of new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with M4 chips, Apple has discontinued the M2 and M3 variants on its online stores. Both models were available to buy new from Apple up until today.
Apple launched the M2 MacBook Air in July 2022, and the M3 MacBook Air became available in March 2024. Both laptops will likely remain available to buy from Apple through its online Refurbished store in the months to come.
Apple does not provide a like-for-like performance comparison for the new M4 MacBook Air versus the M2 or M3 models. Instead, it compares the new version with MacBook Air models powered by Intel and Apple M1 chips. However, when the M4 chip debuted in the iPad Pro last year, Apple promised around 20% faster performance than the M3 chip in both single and multi-core tasks.
The M4 provides up to 23x faster performance than equivalent Intel-based MacBook Air models, and up to double the performance than the M1 model, according to Apple. The new MacBook Air models also support up to two external displays with the lid open, versus two with the lid closed on the M3 models.
The new MacBook Air with M4 chip starts at $999, and is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 12.
Apple says the M3 Ultra chip is essentially two M3 Max chips fused together with its "UltraFusion" technology, so the chip's specs are all doubled compared to the M3 Max. There was speculation last year about the M3 Max chip lacking UltraFusion technology, but Apple's announcement today has proven that rumor was false.
Apple:
Apple's custom-built UltraFusion packaging technology uses an embedded silicon interposer that connects two M3 Max dies across more than 10,000 signals, providing over 2.5TB/s of low-latency interprocessor bandwidth, and making M3 Ultra appear as a single chip to software.
The M3 Ultra chip features up to a 32-core CPU, with 24 performance cores and eight efficiency cores. Apple says the M3 Ultra chip is up to 1.5x faster than the M2 Ultra chip, and up to 1.8x faster than the M1 Ultra chip.
In addition, the M3 Ultra chip can be configured with up to an 80-core GPU. Apple says the M3 Ultra chip offers up to 2x faster graphics performance than the M2 Ultra, and up to 2.6x faster graphics than the M1 Ultra chip.
The chip has a 32-core Neural Engine, and it supports up to 512GB of unified RAM, with up to 819 GB/s memory bandwidth.
Like the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, the M3 Ultra chip supports Thunderbolt 5 for up to 120 GB/s data transfer speeds on Macs with Thunderbolt 5 ports.
Apple says the M3 Ultra chip has industry-leading power efficiency in its class.
Apple today announced refreshed 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models, now featuring the M4 chip, an upgraded camera, and a new "Sky Blue" color option.
"Sky Blue" is an all-new blue finish that joins Midnight, Starlight, and Silver. Apple describes it as a "beautiful, metallic light blue that creates a dynamic gradient when light reflects off of its surface." Space Gray is no longer available. All MacBook Air models come with a color-matched MagSafe charge cable.
The M4 chip features a 10-core CPU, an up to 10-core GPU, and support for up to 32GB of unified memory. Apple says the new MacBook Air is up to 2x faster than the M1 model. Neural Engine tasks are up to 3x faster. The M4 chip debuted in the iPad Pro last year, promising around 20% faster performance than the M3 chip in both single and multi-core tasks.
With a new display engine, the MacBook Air now offers support for up to two external 6K displays in addition to the built-in display.
The new MacBook Air introduces a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, which automatically keeps users centered in the frame as they move around during video calls. It also supports Desk View, which simultaneously displays the user and a top-down view of their desk.
The MacBook Air now features a lower starting price of $999. Education pricing starts at $899. It is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 12.
Apple today announced that it has updated the Mac Studio with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip options, Thunderbolt 5 ports, and more.
The M4 Max chip was already released last year in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. It can be configured with up to a 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, and up to 128GB of unified RAM. Geekbench 6 benchmark results indicate that the M4 Max is up to 75% faster than the M2 Max chip available in the previous-generation Mac Studio.
The all-new M3 Ultra chip features up to a 32-core CPU, with 24 performance cores and eight efficiency cores. Apple says the M3 Ultra chip is up to 1.5x faster than the previous Mac Studio's M2 Ultra chip, which has up to a 24-core CPU.
"The new Mac Studio is the most powerful Mac we've ever made," said Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus.
On the graphics side, the new Mac Studio can be configured with up to an 80-core GPU. Apple says graphics performance is up to 2x faster than the previous Mac Studio with the M2 Ultra chip, which is available with up to a 72-core GPU. And with the M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, the Mac Studio catches up to other newer Macs by gaining hardware-accelerated ray tracing for the first time. This technology enables improved graphics rendering in games.
In addition, the Mac Studio can now be configured with up to 16TB of SSD storage, up from the previous model's 8TB maximum. And the M3 Ultra chip supports up to 512GB of unified RAM, whereas the M2 Ultra maxed out at 192GB of unified RAM.
Following in the footsteps of MacBook Pro and Mac mini models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, the Mac Studio now supports Thunderbolt 5. There are four Thunderbolt 5 ports on Mac Studio configurations with the M4 Max chip, and six Thunderbolt 5 ports on configurations with the M3 Ultra chip. Thunderbolt 5 provides up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds.
This is the first Mac Studio refresh since the desktop computer was updated with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chip options in June 2023.
The overall design of the Mac Studio has not changed. The front of the computer has two Thunderbolt 5 or USB-C ports depending on the configuration, and an SD card slot, while the rear side has four Thunderbolt 5 ports, an HDMI port, a 10-Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, a headphone jack, a power cord connector, and a power button.
Like the previous Mac Studio, the new model supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
The new Mac Studio can be used with up to eight 6K displays, such as Apple's Pro Display XDR. The previous model supports up to six 6K displays.
Apple Intelligence is supported on any Mac with the M1 chip or newer.
The new Mac Studio is available to pre-order starting today in many countries, and it will launch on Wednesday, March 12. In the U.S., pricing continues to start at $1,999 for configurations with an M4 Max chip, and at $3,999 for configurations with an M3 Ultra chip.
Qualcomm believes its latest X85 5G modem will set a "huge delta" between the performance of high-end Android devices and Apple devices, largely thanks to its AI-powered features.
Announced at this year's ongoing Mobile World Conference 2025 in Barcelona, Qualcomm's next-generation X85 modem supports 5G mmWave, 400MHz download bandwidth in the Sub-6GHz spectrum with 1024-QAM modulation for better data speeds, and Satellite connectivity.
The X85 can deliver peak download speeds of up to 12.5Gbps and peak upload speeds of up to 3.7Gbps, according to Qualcomm. In addition, the modem can combine multiple frequencies from different carriers to deliver better performance.
In terms of AI features, its AI-powered Data Traffic Engine is said to be able to reduce latency and improve speed and efficiency.
"It's the first modem that has so much AI, it actually increases the range of performance of the modem so the modem can deal with weaker signals," Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon told CNBC.
"What that will do will set a huge delta between the performance of premium Android devices, and iOS devices, when you compare what Qualcomm can do versus what Apple is doing."
Apple claims its new C1 modem, which recently debuted in the entry-level iPhone 16e, is the most power-efficient iPhone modem ever, contributing to the iPhone 16e having the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone ever. The company also says the C1 is up to 25% more power efficient than Qualcomm modems in other iPhones. Third-party scientific testing appears to back up Apple's claims.
The C1 modem lacks support for ultra-fast mmWave 5G technology. This means users won't have access to the exceptionally fast speeds that mmWave technology can provide in specific locations such as stadiums, airports, and dense urban areas. However, Apple says the C1 is just the "start" and that it is going to keep improving the technology with each successive generation. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said the iPhone 17 Air will also be equipped with the C1 modem.
Experience the next level of 5G connectivity with the Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF. Unrivaled connectivity and flexibility, even when your RF signal isn’t the strongest. pic.twitter.com/Ke6c3u62Yu
— Qualcomm (@Qualcomm) March 3, 2025
Apple's current agreement with Qualcomm extends through 2026, giving Apple ample time to perfect its modem technology while it has access to Qualcomm's modems for its premium iPhone models. The Qualcomm X85 5G modem is likely to debut on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 chip, which is expected to arrive in October 2025.
The second beta of iOS 18.4 expands RCS messaging support to more carriers in the United States and other countries, according to multiple reports on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and other social media sites.
After installing iOS 18.4, iPhone users with Mint Mobile, Google Fi, Ultra Mobile, Tello, and US Mobile are able to toggle on RCS messaging, and the functionality appears to be rolling out for all T-Mobile Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).
iPhone users with a T-Mobile MVNO can be enabled through the Messages section of the Settings app. It appears that RCS access is only available for those running the second iOS 18.4 developer beta, not the public beta.
In France, Orange and Sosh also have RCS available with iOS 18.4 beta 2, according to iPhoneSoft, so RCS may also be rolling out worldwide for other carriers.
RCS was enabled for major carriers with the launch of iOS 18, and it stands for Rich Communication Services. RCS is a communication protocol that improves messaging between iPhone and Android users, offering support for higher resolution photos and videos, larger file sizes, audio messages, Wi-Fi messaging, real-time typing indicators, read receipts, and more.
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