In iOS 17.2, you can turn off your Apple Music Listening History with a new Focus filter, so if you allow someone else to use your device to listen to music, you can quickly activate the Focus with a tap and prevent their song choices from affecting your recommendations.
Have you ever regretted letting a friend or family member use Apple Music on your iPhone after their poor song choices negatively influenced your personal music recommendations?
If you have very young kids, the chances are that at some point you've played their favorite preschooler ditty to avoid a meltdown, only to later cringe when Apple's algorithms slip "Baby Shark" or some other infuriatingly repetitive song into your recently played/replay mixes.
Thankfully, Apple has finally become aware of the regularity of such events, and in iOS 17.2, currently in beta, it has added a new Focus filter option that can help you automatically turn off your Apple Music listening history whenever you give up your device to those with, shall we say, more acquired listening tastes.
The following steps show you how it's done. Note that you'll need to download the iOS 17.2 beta for this to work, otherwise you won't see the Listening History filter option.
Go to Settings ➝ Focus on your iPhone.
Tap the + button in the top-right corner to create a new Focus, then tap Custom.
Give your new Focus an identifiable name, symbol, and color, then tap Next.
Tap Customize Focus.
Scroll down to "Focus Filters," ten tap Add Filter.
Choose the Music filter.
Make sure the button is off next to Use Listening History, then tap Add.
That's all there is to it. The next time music is going to be played for someone else on your iPhone, simply swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to bring up Control Center and long press on the Focus button to select the Focus you created. Rest assured that whatever they play after that, won't play havoc with your Apple Music algorithms.
Of course, if you don't feel like you benefit from Apple Music's personal recommendations, and you don't have an Apple Music profile where your listening history is shared, you can disable Listening History more permanently by going to Settings ➝ Music and toggling off the switch next to Use Listening History.
Apple in October announced an M3-powered 24-inch iMac, as well as new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M3 series chips. So when will the rest of Apple's Mac lineup be updated to the latest M3 processors, and will they be worth the wait?
Now that Apple's "Scary Fast" event has passed, attention naturally turns to the other Macs in the company's lineup and where they might fit into Apple's M3 roadmap. Here's what the latest rumors say.
M3 MacBook Air
Apple sells three versions of MacBook Air: A cheaper previous-generation 13-inch model with M1 chip, and 13-inch and 15-inch models equipped with the newer M2 chip. The question is, when will Apple discontinue the M1 MacBook Air and replace its top-of-the-line 13-inch and 15-inch machines with M3 equivalents?
The existing 15-inch MacBook Air arrived earlier this year in June, which is not that long ago in terms of Mac update cycles. However, Apple released the M2 13-inch MacBook Air back in June 2022. It is now the oldest Mac in Apple's current crop, having not been updated in over 480 days.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air models in development, and both are said to be scheduled for release sometime in the first half of 2024. Both models are said to have reached engineering verification testing (EVT), an early production testing phase on prototype devices. The M3 chip used in the Airs is expected to have similar CPU and GPU core counts as the M2 chip in the current models.
Given so much time has elapsed since the current 13-inch MacBook Air was launched, it might seem safe to assume this model will be the next beneficiary in line for Apple's M3 chip. However, Apple's roadmap for Apple silicon appears to be partly dictated by supplier production capacity, so we could see either one model launched first or both 13-inch and 15-inch models launched in tandem.
Gurman says the next-generation MacBook Airs are on schedule for launch between the spring and summer of next year at the earliest, which could also mirror the time frame of the current models' launches that took place at WWDC in June 2022 and 2023.
Mac Mini
Apple announced M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini models in January, just over 280 days ago, but Apple could be already testing an M3 Mac mini, according to Gurman.
In August, signs of an unknown "15,12" Mac machine were found in developer code, with the Mac featuring an 8-core CPU (consisting of four efficiency cores and four performance cores), 10-core GPU, and 24GB RAM. Based on the similar specifications to the base M2 Mac mini (bar the existing model's 8GB RAM as standard), Gurman believes it represents a next-generation Mac mini.
Gurman previously said he was not expecting an M3 version of the Mac mini to launch until late 2024, but as it is already in testing, it could potentially be unveiled sooner.
Mac Studio, Mac Pro
Apple updated the Mac Studio and Mac Pro with M2 series chips in June of this year. Mac Studio models come with either the M2 Max or M2 Ultra chip, while the Mac Pro has adopted the M2 Ultra.
Both Macs are considered to be in the middle of their product cycles, and there are as yet no reliable rumors about when more powerful M3 versions of either machines will be launched. But if Apple is committed to an annual upgrade cycle, we could see them in June 2024.
13-inch MacBook Pro
Apple has discontinued the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro – and along with it the Touch Bar – replacing it with a 14-inch model that's equipped with a next-generation M3 chip.
Apple says that the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is up to 60 percent faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1. The M3 14-inch MacBook Pro also comes with a number of other benefits that make it worth the upgrade for anyone with the original 13-inch machine. So do not expect to see an M3-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro anytime soon, if ever.
M3 Performance Gains to Expect
The M3 series of chips are built on TSMC's 3-nanometer process, bringing performance and efficiency improvements over Apple's previous M2 chips, which are based on the earlier-generation 5-nanometer process. Since its transition to Intel chips, Apple's strategy has been as follows.
In the M1 and M2 series of Apple silicon, each generation has a baseline version, then a "Pro" chip with more cores for its central processing unit and graphics. Next is an even more powerful "Max" version that doubles the number of graphics cores. Lastly, an "Ultra" model doubles the number of main processing cores and graphics cores found in the "Max." Things are slightly different with the M3 series, as explained below.
In terms of the actual real-world gains, this of course depends on the M3 processor version, coupled with the particular Mac model and other component factors like RAM and thermal dissipation. Nevertheless, all of Apple's M3 chips also boast GPU improvements not found in the M2 series, including Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and hardware-accelerated mesh shading.
M3
Apple's base M3 chip will likely feature in future MacBook Air models, as well as an updated lower-end version of the Mac mini. At least in the MacBook Airs, the M3 chip is expected to have similar CPU and GPU core counts as the M2 chip in the current models, but that could be true for the Mac mini as well.
Based on early benchmarks, the M3 chip has single-core and multi-core scores of around 3,000 and 11,700, respectively. The standard M2 chip has single-core and multi-core scores of around 2,600 and 9,700, respectively, so the M3 chip is up to 20% faster than the M2 chip, which is what Apple claimed during its "Scary Fast" event in October.
M3 Pro
It's not yet clear what performance gains to expect from the M3 Pro chip compared to the previous M2 Pro generation, but it is likely to be relatively minor. Bear in mind that when Apple announced the M3 series, the only slide that it didn't show is how much faster the M3 Pro is than the equivalent M2 chip.
The M3 Pro and M2 Pro chips in the 16-inch MacBook Pro have 12 CPU cores, but the M2 Pro actually features one additional GPU core over the M3 Pro. Despite that, Apple claims it is 10 percent faster than the M2 Pro GPU and 40 percent faster than the M1 Pro GPU.
M3 Max
With the M3 series, Apple deviated slightly from the doubling strategy it followed with the M2 Max by adding several more CPU cores to the M3 Max compared to the M3 Pro. Early benchmarks indicate that Apple's new M3 Max chip in the 16-inch MacBook Pro is around as fast as the M2 Ultra chip used in the current-generation Mac Pro and the higher-end Mac Studio. In other words, the M2 Ultra Mac Pro is being outperformed by what is on paper a lower-end machine, just four months after it was released.
Note that the new 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $3,499 in the U.S. when configured with the M3 Max chip, while the Mac Studio with the M2 Ultra chip starts at $3,999, so you can effectively get the same performance for $500 less by buying the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, which also includes a display, keyboard, and trackpad.
Will this performance imbalance alone encourage Apple to bring forward the launch of M3-powered Mac Studio and Mac Pro models? Unlikely. But we can always hope.
M3 Ultra
Having not yet been announced, the M3 Ultra chip is something of an unknown quantity. The existing M2 Ultra encompasses two M2 Max chips for double overall CPU and GPU performance, as well as twice the memory bandwidth (800GB/s), so it would seem safe to expect Apple to follow the same strategy as it did with the M3 Ultra, with similar performance gains over the M3 Max from Apple's next-generation high-end M3 Ultra chip.
In a small deviation, Apple did add several more CPU cores to the M3 Max compared to the M3 Pro. However, if Apple continues to double both the CPU and graphics configurations with the Ultra, the M3 Ultra could end up having 32 CPU cores and 80 graphics cores.
Apple's embrace of titanium for its latest iPhone 15 Pro chassis appears to have impressed Samsung enough that the Korean rival plans to adopt the material for the next version of its flagship smartphone.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra will be the first Samsung phone to use titanium and the company intends to expand the application depending on users' reception, according to The Elec.
For the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple is using a new titanium frame rather than a stainless steel frame, which cuts down on weight. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are approximately nine percent lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The iPhone 15 Pro weighs 187 grams, down from 206 grams for the iPhone 14 Pro, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max weighs 221 grams, down from 240 grams for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
According to the report, Samsung's adoption of titanium for the S24 Ultra is unlikely to lead to an equivalent weight reduction compared to the S23 Ultra, since Samsung currently uses light aluminum in its flagship devices, whereas Apple previously used heavier but more durable stainless steel.
According to The Elec's sources, Samsung has been mulling using titanium cases for around two years, although the decision to go ahead with its commercializtion only came recently – but not without cost. Titanium is widely used in the aerospace sector. However, it is more difficult to handle in cutting and processing, and its low heat conductivity makes it harder to cut cleanly.
Samsung is therefore bracing itself for lower yield rates, which will push up the price of the frames. The aluminum cases in the company's premium phones currently cost less than $20, while titanium versions could cost up to $100, according to the report. Samsung is said to have "tentatively" set a goal to make 15 million frame units – the same number of Galaxy S23 Ultra models it shipped this year.
Apple today held an earnings call for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2023 (third calendar quarter), with Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri sharing details on recent product sales, services growth, Apple's future plans, and more.
We've highlighted the most interesting takeaways from Apple's earnings call.
Services
Apple's quarterly revenue was down one percent year over year at $89.5 billion, but services revenue hit a new all-time revenue record. Services revenue was $22.3 billion, up 16 percent from $19.2 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Across all of 2023, Apple's services category brought in $85 billion, up from $78 billion in 2022.
App Store, advertising, iCloud, AppleCare, payment services, and video hit all-time revenue records, while Apple Music saw an all-time revenue record for the September quarter.
iPhone Sales
iPhone revenue was up during the quarter, coming in at $43.8 billion, up from $42.6 billion in the year-ago quarter. iPhone revenue was down for the year, though, at $200.6 billion, down from $205.5 billion last year.
Apple's iPhone revenue set a September quarter revenue record.
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the iPhone 15 models sold better than the iPhone 14 models, but supplies of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max were constrained, which impacted Apple's total iPhone revenue.
Cook said that Apple is "working hard" to make more iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max devices, and that the company expects to reach supply/demand balance at the end of the holiday quarter. iPhone revenue is expected to grow year-over-year in the December quarter.
Mac Sales
Mac sales were way down in Q4 2023, with Macs bringing in $7.6 billion, down 34 percent $11.5 billion in the year-ago quarter. Mac revenue for all of 2023 was $29.4 billion, down from $40.2 billion in 2022.
Last year, September Mac sales were up because of supply chain issues in June, a situation that Apple could not compete with this year. Cook expects Mac revenue to improve next quarter thanks to the October introduction of the M3 Macs, and he said that the negative 34 percent growth should not be seen as representative of the underlying performance of the Mac.
iPad Sales
iPad sales did not fare quite as badly as Mac sales, but iPad revenue was also down. The iPad category brought in $6.4 billion, down from $7.1 billion in the year-ago quarter. Apple has not released any new iPads this year, so the drop in iPad revenue does not come as a surprise.
Across 2023, iPad revenue came in at $28.3 billion, down from $29.3 billion in 2022. Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that year over year performance for the iPad will "decelerate significantly" because of changes in product launch timing. Apple last year launched a new iPad Pro during the December quarter, and no new iPads are planned in 2023.
Wearables, Home and Accessories
Wearables revenue dropped as well, coming in at $9.32 billion for the quarter, down from $9.65 billion in the year-ago quarter. Wearable revenue for 2022 was at $39.9 billion, down from $41.2 billion last year.
Year over year revenue for the wearables category is expected to drop in the December quarter.
Research and Development Spending
Apple spent a total of $30 billion on research and development in 2023, up from $26.3 billion in 2022. Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple's increased spending is due to Vision Pro, AI, machine learning, and silicon investments.
Active Install Base
Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that Apple's active installed base of devices has hit a new all-time high across all products and all of Apple's geographic segments.
Vision Pro
Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked whether he thinks the Vision Pro launch and consumer education process will ultimately be similar to the AirPods and Apple Watch, but he said no, because of the purchasing experience.
"I would say no. There's never been a product like the Vision Pro, so we're purposely bringing it out in our stores only so we can really put a great deal of attention on the last mile of it. We'll be offering demos in the stores and it'll be a very different process than a normal grab-and-go kind of process."
Cook went on to say that Apple is seeing a "tremendous amount of excitement around Vision Pro." Cook has tested some of the apps that developers are working on, and he claims that some "real blow away kind of things are coming out."
The Vision Pro will be sold solely in the United States to begin with, and Cooks comments suggest that customers might be required to visit a retail store to make a purchase. Apple's Vision Pro website says that the headset will be available for purchase both online and in retail stores, but Apple could ask customers to come to a retail store to pick up an online purchase in order to ensure a proper fit.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurmanrecently said that Apple will assemble Vision Pro headsets for customers in its stores, giving each user the appropriate headband, light seal, and prescription lenses if necessary.
Generative AI
Cook was asked how Apple might be able to monetize generative AI, which he of course declined to comment on, but he said that Apple is "investing quite a bit" in AI and that there are going to be product advancements that involve generative AI in the future.
Apple silicon
An analyst asked Cook if it would ever be feasible for Apple to purchase "from the industry." Cook said that Apple silicon is "at the heart of the primary technologies" that Apple likes to control in its devices, and so he does not see the company "going back to buying off of the shelf."
"I am happier today than I was yesterday than I was last week that we made the transition that we've made and I see the benefit every day of it," said Cook.
Apple's Search Deal With Google
Cook was asked to comment on its web search partners, with a specific focus on the ongoing antitrust lawsuit that Google is facing from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Cook said that Apple has "important relationships" with its web sear partners, but that he would not get into "commercial relationships" on the call. Cook said that he sees them "as important" and that Apple makes "decisions that we feel are in the best interests of our users."
Read More
A more complete picture of Apple's earnings on a per-category basis can be found in our full live blog.
During today's earnings call covering the fourth fiscal quarter of 2023, Apple executives held a Q&A session with analysts and investors. Apple CEO Tim Cook was questioned about how Apple might be able to monetize generative AI, which he of course declined to comment on, but he said that Apple is "investing quite a bit" in AI and that there are going to be product advancements that involve generative AI.
If you zoom out and look at what we've done with AI and machine learning and how we've used it, these are fundamental technology integral to every product we ship.
When we shipped iOS 17, it included features like Personal Voice and Live Voicemail. AI is at the heart of these features. You can go all the way to the life-saving features on the watch and phone, like Fall Detection, Crash Detection, and ECG on the watch. These would not be possible without AI. We don't label them as such, because we labeled them as to what their consumer benefit is, but the fundamental tech behind it is AI and machine learning.
In terms of generative AI, we obviously have work going on. I'm not going to get into detail about it because we really don't do that, but you can bet we're investing. We're investing quite a bit. We're going to do it responsibly. You will see product advancements over time where those technologies are at the heart of it.
Cook said that Apple is planning to be "responsible" when it delves into generative AI technology, and he suggested that features will roll out over time. Current rumors suggest that Apple's is planning some major AI updates for 2024, some of which could use generative AI.
Reports suggest that Apple is spending billions on generative AI research and product development.
Apple today shared its earnings results for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2023 (third calendar quarter), and Mac revenue saw a major drop compared to last year.
Mac sales came in at $7.6 billion in Q4 2023, down 34 percent from $11.5 billion in the year-ago quarter. Mac revenue for all of 2023 was $29.4 billion, down from $40.2 billion in 2022.
Apple CFO Luca Maestri attributed the drop to challenging market conditions and challenging compares to last year's Mac lineup. Because of supply chain issues during the June 2022 quarter, Mac sales spiked in the September 2022 quarter, which did not happen this year. Apple also updated the MacBook Air in June 2023 rather than September, which impacted September quarter sales compared to last year.
Apple did release new M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max Macs in late October, but sales of those devices will be reflected in the December quarter. Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC that he expects Mac performance to improve over the holidays.
"I think the Mac is going to have a significantly better quarter in the December quarter," said Cook. "We've got the M3, we've got the new products, and we don't have the compare phenomenon on a year-over-year basis," Cook said.
Apple began allowing customers to purchase the new M3 Macs on Monday, with shipments to begin arriving next week. Apple appears to have plenty of supply of the new models, so there should be no supply constraints during the upcoming holidays.
Apple today announced financial results for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2023, which corresponds to the third calendar quarter of the year.
For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $89.5 billion and net quarterly profit of $23.0 billion, or $1.46 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $90.1 billion and net quarterly profit of $20.7 billion, or $1.29 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.
Gross margin for the quarter was 45.2 percent, compared to 42.3 percent in the year-ago quarter. Apple also declared a quarterly dividend payment of $0.24 per share, payable on November 16 to shareholders of record as of November 13.
For the full fiscal year, Apple recorded $383.3 billion in sales and $97.0 billion in net income, down slightly from $394.3 billion in sales and $99.8 billion in net income for fiscal 2022.
"Today Apple is pleased to report a September quarter revenue record for iPhone and an all-time revenue record in Services," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "We now have our strongest lineup of products ever heading into the holiday season, including the iPhone 15 lineup and our first carbon neutral Apple Watch models, a major milestone in our efforts to make all Apple products carbon neutral by 2030."
As has been the case for over three years now, Apple is once again not issuing guidance for the current quarter ending in December.
Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q4 2023 financial results conference call at 2:00 pm Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.
Apple appears to be internally testing an iOS 17.1.1 update for the iPhone, based on evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs this week.
iOS 17.1.1 will almost certainly be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues the update will address. The update could include the same fix for Wi-Fi connectivity issues that Apple rolled out in the first iOS 17.2 beta, and it could resolve an issue where some iPhones temporarily shut off overnight for users still experiencing that. Apple also promised to fix a BMW wireless charging issue affecting the iPhone 15 lineup in an update later this year, but it remains to be seen if that fix will be included in iOS 17.1.1.
It's unclear when iOS 17.1.1 will be released to the public, but our best guess is that the update will be available within the next week or two.
iOS 17.2 remains in beta testing, and is expected to be released in December, so iOS 17.1.1 will be a stopgap update. iOS 17.2 includes many new features and changes, including the promised Journal app, the ability for Apple Music subscribers to collaborate on playlists, a Translate option for the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro models, an iMessage Contact Key Verification security option, additional Weather and Clock widgets, and more.
Macs equipped with the standard M3 chip still support only one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz, according to Apple's tech specs. So far, the chip is available in the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 24-inch iMac.
This limitation has existed since the first Apple silicon Macs with the M1 chip were released in 2020, but users can connect multiple external displays to M1, M2, and M3 Macs with DisplayLink adapters as an unofficial workaround. One exception is the Mac mini, which will likely be updated with the M3 chip next year and should retain support for up to two external displays, given that it lacks a built-in display.
The higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models support up to two external displays with the M3 Pro chip, and up to four with the M3 Max chip.
M3 chip display support:
One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
M3 Pro chip display support:
Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
One external display supported at 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display at 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
M3 Max chip display support:
Up to four external displays: Up to three external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
Up to three external displays: Up to two external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display with 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
The new MacBook Pro models are now available to order, and most configurations will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, November 7. M3 Max configurations will be available a few days later.
Woot has kicked off a new Apple accessory blowout sale, offering as much as 90 percent off select first-party Apple accessories. This includes iPhone cases as recent as the iPhone 14 and MagSafe chargers.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
All accessories in this sale are in new condition and come with a one year Apple limited warranty (with the exception of the Powerbeats Pro, which have a 90 day Woot limited warranty). Amazon Prime members can get free standard shipping on Woot, and you'll have until November 7 to shop these deals, but they could disappear faster if stock runs out.
During this event, Woot has Apple's MagSafe Duo Charger for $94.99, down from $129.99, which is a match of the all-time low price on the accessory. You'll also find deals on iPhone leather cases, Beats earbuds, Apple Watch bands, AirTag accessories, and more. The steepest discounts are available on older products, like the iPhone 12 mini Leather Sleeve.
We've begun tracking all of the season's best deals in our dedicated Black Friday Roundup, so be sure to bookmark the page and visit it throughout the season as you do your online shopping. Our roundup mainly focuses on Apple products and related tech accessories.
Apple has stopped signing iOS 17.0.3, preventing iPhone users from downgrading to that version. However, Apple continues to sign iOS 17.0.2 for now.
Apple routinely stops signing older iOS releases over time in order to prevent users from downgrading to previous software versions.
iOS 17.1 is currently the newest version available to the public, while iOS 17.2 is in beta testing and is expected to be released in December.
iOS 17.2 includes many new features and changes, including the promised Journal app, the ability for Apple Music subscribers to collaborate on playlists, a Translate option for the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro models, an iMessage Contact Key Verification security option, additional Weather and Clock widgets, and more.
Apple also stopped signing iOS 15.7.9, iOS 16.7, and iOS 16.7.1.
The iMac now features the M3 chip, replacing the M1 model that Apple introduced in April 2021, so how different are the two successive generations?
The 2021 iMac was the first of its kind to feature an Apple silicon chip, replacing previous Intel-based models with 21.5- and 27-inch displays. It offered an all-new ultra-thin design, a 24-inch Retina display, a six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, and an array of seven two-tone color options. The 2021 iMac has now been discontinued by Apple and prices at third-party resellers are falling. As such, some customers may be weighing up whether to upgrade to a 2021 or 2023 iMac.
The two Apple silicon iMac models share the overwhelming majority of their features, so should you consider buying or sticking with the first-generation to save money? This breakdown also serves as a way to see all the differences that the 2023 iMac brings to the table.
Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW
ProRes encode and decode engine
Support for AV1 decode
Neural engine
60% faster Neural engine
Image signal processor (ISP)
"New" image signal processor (ISP)
3.5mm headphone jack
3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones
Wi-Fi 6
Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.3
68.25GB/s memory bandwidth
100GB/s memory bandwidth
8GB or 16GB unified memory
8GB, 16GB, or 24GB unified memory
Overall, the 2023 iMac is a very minor upgrade over the 2021 model, with the M3 chip being the most significant change. As a result, it is difficult to recommend upgrading from an M1 model unless you specifically need better performance, hardware-accelerated graphics, or a larger quantity of memory. The new iMac is up to 2x faster than the prior generation with the M1 chip, according to Apple, meaning that it should deliver a considerable performance improvement for those who need it.
Most users of the M1 iMac will not be able to justify upgrading to the M3 iMac, but customers coming from an older Intel-based machine or those who do not have one at all could still have good reason to prefer the latest model. For those upgrading from an Intel-based iMac, Apple says that the new iMac is up to 2.5x faster than previous 27-inch models and 4.5x faster than previous 21.5-inch models.
The 2023 iMac is otherwise very similar to the 2021 model, so some customers who have very basic needs and are interested in buying an iMac may prefer to look for a discounted 2021 model. The iMac is priced starting at $1,299, so if you are not interested in its new features and can find the original model for substantially less, it may be worth getting that instead. Even so, it should be remembered that this is a much older model; the M3 model will be more future-proof and capable in the long term.
The first benchmark results for Apple's M3 Max chip surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database today, providing a look at CPU performance. Based on the "Mac15,9" model identifier shown, the results appear to be for the new 16-inch MacBook Pro.
The highest multi-core score for the M3 Max with a 16-core CPU is currently 21,084 as of writing. If this early result is accurate, this means the M3 Max is around as fast as the M2 Ultra chip, which has an average multi-core score of 21,182 in the Mac Pro and 21,316 in the Mac Studio, according to a chart on the Geekbench website.
The M3 Max in the new 16-inch MacBook Pro is around 45% faster than the M2 Max chip in the previous-generation 16-inch MacBook Pro, according to the Geekbench website. This is within the ballpark of Apple's claim that the M3 Max is up to 50% faster than the M2 Max, especially given variance in early Geekbench results.
Geekbench 6 multi-core scores for CPU performance:
M3: 11,836 (14-inch MacBook Pro, highest score listed so far)
Manufactured with TSMC's 3nm process, the M3 Max has up to a 16-core CPU with 12 performance cores and four efficiency cores. It also has up to a 40-core GPU and can be configured with up to 128GB of unified memory.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $3,499 in the U.S. when configured with the M3 Max chip, while the Mac Studio with the M2 Ultra chip starts at $3,999, so you can effectively get the same performance for $500 less with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, and do not need to supply your own display, keyboard, and mouse.
The first Geekbench 6 results for the standard M3 chip surfaced earlier today, revealing that it is up to 20% faster than the standard M2 chip. Benchmarks provide a useful reference point, but real-world performance can vary.
The new MacBook Pro models are now available to order, and most configurations will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, November 7. M3 Max configurations will be available later in November.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview 182 includes fixes and updates for CSS, Forms, HTML, JavaScript, Loading, Media, Rendering, Scrolling, Storage, SVG, Text, Web API, Web Assembly, Web Inspector, and WebRTC.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is compatible with machines running macOS Ventura and macOS Sonoma, the latest version of macOS that Apple released in September 2023.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Apple will report its earnings results for the fourth quarter of its 2023 fiscal year on Thursday, November 2 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will discuss the results on a conference call with analysts a half hour later.
Keep reading for some key things to know about the quarter, including a recap of new products announced, revenue expectations, and more.
New Products During Quarter
The quarter ran from ran from July 2 through September 30, according to Apple's fiscal calendar, and included the following product launches:
iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max
Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2
AirPods Pro with USB-C charging case and EarPods with USB-C connector
Revenue Expectations
Apple has not provided formal revenue guidance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Wall Street expects the company to report revenue of $89.28 billion in the fourth quarter, according to CNBC. This would be around a 1% decline compared to the $90.15 billion revenue the company reported in the year-ago quarter.
Maestri provided the following commentary on Apple's earnings call last quarter:
We expect our September quarter year-over-year revenue performance to be similar to the June quarter, assuming that the macroeconomic outlook doesn't worsen from what we are projecting today for the current quarter.
Conference Call
Cook and Maestri will hold a conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday to discuss the company's fourth quarter earnings results. The call should last around one hour and will include a Q&A segment with analysts.
A live audio stream of the conference call will be available on Apple's Investor Relations page, and a recording will be available later in the day for replay.
What's Next
Apple's first quarter of fiscal 2024 began October 1 and runs through December 30. So far during this period, new products announced by Apple include a lower-priced Apple Pencil with a USB-C port, an updated iMac with the M3 chip, and updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips.
AAPL closed at $173.97 today, down from a 52-week high of $198.23.
Apple this week discontinued the 13-inch M2MacBook Pro, replacing it with a 14-inch model that's equipped with a next-generation M3 chip. The 14-inch model is more expensive, but it comes with a number of benefits that make it worth the upgrade for anyone with a 13-inch machine.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro has a larger display than the 13-inch model for more screen real estate, and it features much more modern-looking thin bezels. There's also a notch that houses the front-facing camera, a necessity for those slimmed down bezels. It is a mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display, which is an upgrade over the LCD of the prior-generation 13-inch model.
Along with support for 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates, the 14-inch MacBook Pro's display is brighter and has better color and HDR support. SDR brightness is 600 nits, while XDR brightness is 1000 nits sustained and 1600 nits peak.
In terms of performance, you're going to see a boost in CPU and GPU speeds, but it will be most noticeable if you're coming from an Apple M1 chip or an even earlier Intel chip. The M3 has an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU much like the M2, but the GPU supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing so gameplay will be improved.
Battery life has seen a boost, so the 14-inch MacBook Pro now lasts for up to 22 hours, up two hours from the 20 hour battery life of the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro. If you were a fan of the Touch Bar, be warned that the 14-inch MacBook Pro does not have one. With the discontinuation of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, Apple has officially nixed the Touch Bar.
In terms of size, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is a little wider, a little longer, and just a bit heavier than the 13-inch model. It weighs 3.4 pounds while the 13-inch model weighed 3 pounds. There are more ports with the M3 MacBook Pro, so in addition to two Thunderbolt ports, you'll also get an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a MagSafe charging port.
Other improvements include a better 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a six-speaker sound system, Wi-Fi 6E support, and Bluetooth 5.3.
The only real downside with the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the price. It starts at $1,599, making it $300 more expensive than the $1,299 starting price of the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro. If you can afford it, what you get for the extra $300 is worth it, but if that makes it too pricey, you'll need to look at the lower-cost MacBook Air.
For those with an M2 13-inch MacBook Pro, it's probably not worth upgrading to the 14-inch model right now despite the benefits, but if you're coming from an M1 13-inch MacBook Pro or an Intel machine, it's going to be a much more notable upgrade that will feel closer to night and day.
Are you upgrading to the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro? Let us know why or why not in the comments below.
"Beginning in November, Apple will discontinue the Apple Music Voice plan," said Apple. "We are focused on delivering the best, most robust music experience possible for our customers, with features like immersive Spatial Audio, Apple Music Sing with real-time lyrics, intuitive browse and discovery features, and so much more."
Apple said existing subscribers can continue to use the Voice Plan for the duration of their final billing cycle, but they will lose access after that period. It's unclear why the plan was discontinued, but Apple says other Apple Music plans "already work seamlessly with Siri, and we will continue to optimize this experience."
Apple added that existing subscribers will receive a notification prior to the end of their final billing cycle with more information.
Priced at $4.99 per month in the U.S., the Voice Plan was designed to let users access Apple Music exclusively through Siri. The plan launched as part of iOS 15.2 in December 2021 in the U.S., Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, and the U.K.
The primary way to subscribe to the Voice Plan was by asking Siri, and music playback was controlled via Siri too. While the plan provided access to the entire Apple Music catalog with over 100 million songs, it lacked some features available on more expensive plans, such as downloading, spatial audio, and Family Sharing.
This story was updated with additional information from Apple.
B&H Photo today kicked off a "Holiday Head Start" event, discounting a wide variety of products in the run-up to Black Friday later in the month. This includes a few solid deals on Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air line, with a few seeing all-time low prices.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
13.6-Inch M2 MacBook Air
Apple's 13.6-inch 256GB M2 MacBook Air is available for $899.00, down from $1,099.00. B&H Photo offers free two-day shipping in the contiguous United States, and has Space Gray, Silver, and Midnight at this price.
This is a match of the all-time low price on the 13.6-inch 256GB M2 MacBook Air, which we previously tracked at Best Buy in October. This sale will expire in two days on Friday, November 3 at 4:45 p.m. Central Time, so if you're interested be sure to visit B&H Photo soon.
B&H Photo also has the 512GB model of the 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air on sale, available for $1,199.00, down from $1,399.00. Compared to past sales, this is a second-best price and still a solid discount on the 2022 notebook. You can get Space Gray and Silver on sale at this price.
14-Inch M2 MacBook Pro
B&H Photo also has a few discounts on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro from early 2023, starting at $1,799.00 for the M2 Pro/512GB/16GB RAM 14-inch model, down from $1,999.00. There's also an option for 32GB RAM at $2,199.00, down from $2,399.00.
We've begun tracking all of the season's best deals in our dedicated Black Friday Roundup, so be sure to bookmark the page and visit it throughout the season as you do your online shopping. Our roundup mainly focuses on Apple products and related tech accessories.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
