MacRumors

Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is in development, according to a recent report.

Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag.

Timing

A new AirTag is one of many new products that Apple aims to announce in the first half of 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

From his Power On newsletter on Sunday:

I expect Apple to kick off 2025 with several other new devices in the first half of the year:

- 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with M4 (J613 and J615).
- Revamped iPhone SE (V59).
- Refreshed 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models (J607 and J637).
- New Magic Keyboards for the updated iPad Air line (R307 and R308).
- An upgraded AirTag item finder accessory (B589).

He did not provide any specific details about the new AirTag in the newsletter.

In October 2023, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said mass production of the second-generation AirTag had been postponed from the fourth quarter of 2024 until some point in 2025, but he did not provide a reason for the apparent change in plans. Kuo and Gurman are thus in agreement that a new AirTag is coming next year.

Features

Gurman previously said the new AirTag would feature an upgraded chip with improved location tracking. If so, the AirTag could be updated with the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip that debuted in all iPhone 15 models last year.

Kuo believes the new AirTag will have some kind of integration with Apple's Vision Pro headset, but he has not shared any specific details.

No design changes have been rumored for the AirTag so far. Read our AirTag 2 guide for more.

Prime Day deals are continuing today with a match of the all-time low prices on both the 9th and 10th generation iPad. For more early Prime Day deals, check out our dedicated post with discounts on AirPods, MacBooks, and more.

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 the iPads, you can get the 64GB Wi-Fi 9th generation iPad for $199.99 in both colors, down from $329.00. This is a match of the record low price on this version of the 2021 tablet, and it's a deal we haven't seen in a few weeks.

Moving to the newer models, Amazon has the 64GB Wi-Fi 10th generation iPad for $299.00 in every color, down from $349.00. You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad for $447.00, down from $499.00. Both of these deals represent best-ever prices on the 10th generation iPad.

Cellular models are also seeing all-time low prices during Prime Day. The 64GB Cellular 10th generation iPad has hit $449.00 ($50 off), while the 256GB Cellular model is available for $598.00 ($51 off).

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

Saturday marked the 13th anniversary of Steve Jobs passing away at the age of 56, following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He died just one day after Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller unveiled the iPhone 4S and Siri.

Apple CEO Tim Cook once again paid tribute to Jobs on the day.

"Steve showed us that the future isn't something you wait for—it's something you build," said Cook, in a social media post on Saturday. "His memory lives on in the hearts of innovators and dreamers everywhere—at Apple and beyond."

Cook also reflected on Jobs while opening Apple's first-ever event at Steve Jobs Theater in September 2017.

"There is not a day that goes by that we don't think about him," said Cook.

At that event, Apple unveiled the iPhone X, which was a major update to the smartphone that Jobs had famously unveiled in 2007.

The Steve Jobs Archive website contains a collection of quotes, videos, and emails from Jobs, and offers fellowships to young creators to follow in his footsteps. In addition, Apple still has a "Remembering Steve" page on its website with condolences shared by customers around the world following his death in 2011.

Apple today started selling refurbished second-generation HomePod units in Canada for the first time since the speaker was released in January 2023. The refurbished units are priced at $339 in Canada, down from $399 brand new.

Apple began selling refurbished HomePod 2 units in the U.S. and many other countries just over a year ago, so it took a while for availability to expand to Canada.

Apple says its refurbished HomePods undergo full functionality testing, and they are inspected, cleaned, and repackaged in a plain white box with the power cord and documentation. The refurbished HomePods are covered by Apple's limited one-year warranty policy, and they are eligible for extended AppleCare+ coverage.

The second-generation HomePod has a similar design as the original HomePod that was discontinued in 2021, but with a larger backlit touch surface, two fewer tweeters, two fewer microphones, an indoor temperature and humidity sensor, and a few other changes. For more details about the speaker, read our HomePod roundup.

Apple has yet to release a third-generation HomePod, so this is still the newest model.

Prime Day doesn't officially start until tomorrow, October 8, but we've been tracking early deals for a few days now. To kick off the week, Amazon is now also providing two all-time low prices on the M2 MacBook Air.

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.

Starting with the 256GB 13-inch M2 MacBook Air, you can get this model for $749.00 in three colors, down from $999.00. For more storage, Amazon has the 512GB model of the same computer for $949.00, down from $1,199.00.

Although Apple updated the MacBook Air back in March, it kept these 13-inch M2 models around as a low-cost option for customers. This means that the M2 MacBook Air should be perfect for anyone who doesn't care about owning newest generation notebook, but would rather save money while still getting a reliable computer.

Be sure to visit our early Prime Day deals post for a deeper dive into all the discounts already available for the event. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Apple's new Vitals app for watchOS 11 appears to be impressing some users with its ability to detect potential illness days before symptoms manifest, according to recent reports on Reddit.

The Apple Watch app, which analyzes key health metrics measured during sleep over the last seven days, appears to be providing early warnings of impending sickness for at least some Apple Watch wearers ahead of time. It's available on Apple Watch Series 8 and newer models, including the Apple Watch Ultra series, as long as the devices are running ‌watchOS 11‌.

One Reddit user, RCG21, shared their experience with the new feature:

"I started using Vitals when it first came out on the beta and since then I've gotten sick about twice. Both times it knew a couple days in advance and I hadn't felt anything wrong."

Vitals can be viewed on the Apple Watch in the Vitals app, or in the Vitals section of the Health app on iPhone, where it displays metrics such as heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, and blood oxygen levels. It establishes a typical range for each user over time and notifies them when metrics fall outside this range.

Another user, dalethomas81, posted a screenshot of their Vitals data, stating, "Woke up today feeling off. Now as the evening is setting in, I am feeling that old familiar feeling in my head. I'm sick." The image showed multiple metrics falling outside the typical range days before the user reported feeling ill.

Some users also reported the app detecting outliers associated with vaccines in their system before they experienced associated symptoms. TizianosBoy said:

"My watch knew I wasn't 100% after my COVID and flu jabs as all three vitals (Wrist Temperature, Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate) were outliers and that's how I knew I was not well, amazing tbh."

While many users praised the feature's accuracy, experiences varied. At least one user in the thread mentioned that the app didn't detect their illness in advance, suggesting that individual results may differ.

Despite signs that Vitals is picking up illnesses before users present symptoms, it's worth emphasizing that Apple says the app is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions. Bear in mind that the ability to measure blood oxygen is not available on Apple Watch units sold by Apple in the United States after January 18, 2024, due to a legal ruling that found Apple violated Masimo's pulse oximetry patents with the feature.

An alleged unboxing video for an unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The video was later linked to on social media platform X by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

It is possible that this is the same MacBook Pro box shown in photos that were shared by leaker ShrimpApplePro in late September, as he claimed that this MacBook Pro unit was apparently being sold in a private Facebook group at the time.

While we cannot confirm the authenticity of this leak, the box reveals four potential upgrades for what seems to be the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro:

• 25% faster M4 chip: The box lists this 14-inch MacBook Pro as having an M4 chip with a 10-core CPU, whereas the current model has the M3 chip with an 8-core CPU. An alleged Geekbench 6 benchmark result shared by the YouTube channel behind this leak suggests that the M4 chip will be up to 25% faster than the M3 chip. Apple already introduced the M4 chip in the iPad Pro in May, and it indeed has up to a 10-core CPU and up to 25% faster performance compared to the M3 chip.
  

• 16GB of RAM: It was previously rumored that 16GB of RAM could become the minimum for all future Macs, and the alleged packaging indeed suggests that the next 14-inch MacBook Pro would start with 16GB of RAM, unless it is somehow a built-to-order configuration that will be offered on Apple's online store.
• Three Thunderbolt 4 ports: The box suggests the base 14-inch MacBook Pro will have three Thunderbolt 4 ports, up from two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the current model.
• Space Black: The box suggests that Space Black would become a color option for the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, whereas it is currently exclusive to models configured with the M3 Pro or M3 Max chip.

Here is a screenshot of the box from the video:

Gurman today said he expects Apple to announce the first Macs with M4 chips in late October, and release at least some of them on Friday, November 1.

Here is the video, which could be removed from YouTube at any point:

Early deals for Prime Big Deal Days are flowing in this weekend, and now include the AirPods Max (Lightning) for $399.00 in every color, down from $549.00. This if the first time in a few weeks that we've seen the 2020 AirPods Max drop this low, and overall this is just about $5 higher when compared to their all-time low price.

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.

This deal is available in all five colors: Green, Pink, Silver, Sky Blue, and Space Gray. All colors have had the sale applied automatically with the exception of Pink, which does require an on-page coupon in order to see the final sale price at checkout.

If you're looking for the new USB-C models of the AirPods Max, there aren't any steep discounts seen yet on Amazon. However, you can save a small amount of money on select models, starting at $534.99 for the Purple AirPods Max.

We've been tracking all of the best early deals for Prime Big Deal Days in our dedicated article, and it includes even more AirPods deals. 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.

Amazon today has the Apple Pencil Pro for $99.00, down from the regular price of $129.00. This is a new record low price for the accessory, beating the previous sale price by about $10.

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.

This discount is part of Amazon's early access deals for Prime Big Deal Days, which officially begins on October 8. We've been tracking early deals for the event this weekend, and it also includes discounts on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and more.

The Apple Pencil Pro launched in May alongside the new 2024 iPad lineup, introducing new gestures and capabilities into the stylus. The Apple Pencil Pro is compatible with the M4 iPad Pro and the M2 iPad Air, and marks the first update to the Apple Pencil since the Apple Pencil 2 in 2018.

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

Apple will announce several new M4 Mac models around the end of October, with the company planning to launch at least some of them as soon as Friday, November 1, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple will launch a new M4 version of its low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, as well as higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.

Desktop Macs are not being left out of the refresh, either. Gurman reports that Apple is planning to unveil a redesigned Mac mini with both M4 and M4 Pro chip options. Additionally, the iMac is set to receive an update, with Apple's all-in-one desktop finally transitioning to the M4 chip.

A refreshed iPad mini is also reportedly on the horizon, with a potential release date in early November. This would mark the first update to Apple's smallest tablet since its redesign in 2021.

Looking further ahead, Gurman outlined Apple's hardware plans for the first half of 2025. The company is expected to introduce M4-powered 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, a new iPhone SE with Apple Intelligence, updated 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models with accompanying new Magic Keyboards, and a refreshed AirTag.

Mac power users may need to wait a bit longer for high-end desktop updates. While new Mac Studio and Mac Pro models with M4 chips are in development, Gurman says they are slated for later releases. The Mac Studio is anticipated around mid-2025, with the Mac Pro following towards the end of the year.

Apple intends to launch iOS 18.1 with the first set of much-anticipated Apple Intelligence features on October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Writing in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman says the release date is arriving this month later than initially expected, as Apple is reportedly taking extra time to ensure a smooth rollout and prepare its AI cloud servers for the increased traffic.

The update will bring the first wave of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 owners. Among the initial features are enhanced writing tools for rewriting, summarizing, and proofreading text, as well as a new Siri user interface. Users can also expect notification summaries for various apps, including Messages and Mail, and a new "Clean Up" tool in the Photos app that can remove unwanted elements from images using generative AI.

However, some of the more advanced Apple Intelligence features will be rolled out in subsequent updates. iOS 18.2, expected in December, will introduce ChatGPT support, Image Playground, and Genmoji for custom emoji creation. The full overhaul of Siri, which promises more precise app control and personalized responses, is slated for early 2025.

It's hard to believe we're already into October with the iPhone 16 launch behind us, but there's lots more still to come from Apple this year on both the hardware and software fronts.

We're still expecting a number of Mac and perhaps some iPad updates in the very near future, while Apple Intelligence features are set to begin rolling out with iOS 18.1 and related operating system updates. The train never really stops rolling though, as we're also looking ahead to a new iPhone SE and other updates in early 2025, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.1

iOS 18.1 is still in beta, but it's coming to all users later this month and will bring a number of new features and improvements including the first Apple Intelligence capabilities for owners of the latest iPhone models. Other tweaks include fresh functionality for the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 lineup and a much-desired ability to reset a customized Control Center layout.

macOS Sequoia 15.1 is also on the way, and we've put together a similar overview of what you can expect to see in that update, likewise headlined by Apple Intelligence features.

What to Expect From an Apple Event in October: iPad Mini 7, Redesigned Mac Mini, and More

With Apple's annual iPhone and Apple Watch event now in the rear-view mirror, we're still awaiting some updates to the Mac lineup.

We're expecting some sort of event this month where we're likely to see several M4-based Macs including a redesigned Mac mini, as well as a new iPad mini and perhaps a few other things.

Apple Releases iOS 18.0.1 With Touch Screen Bug Fix and More

Ahead of the larger iOS 18.1 update coming later this month, Apple this week released an iOS 18.0.1 update with fixes for a number of bugs including touchscreen issues on the latest iPhone 16 models, camera freezes, and Messages app crashes.

Also of note, iPadOS 18.0.1 finally allows owners of M4 iPad Pro models to update to iOS 18 once again after Apple pulled the original release over two weeks ago due to device bricking issues.

AirPods 4 With ANC vs. AirPods Pro 2

Apple last month released the AirPods 4, and one version of the new earbuds has Active Noise Cancellation included. ANC means the ‌AirPods 4‌ have a feature set that rivals the AirPods Pro 2, so we thought we'd compare the two for those undecided on which to get.

You're not going to get the same level of ANC with the ‌AirPods 4‌ that you get with the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 because there's no sealing mechanism to block out noise, but the ‌AirPods 4‌ still perform impressively well.

iPhone SE With Apple Intelligence, New iPad Air, and More Reportedly Launching 'Early Next Year'

Looking beyond the new Macs coming later this year, early 2025 is expected to see the debut of several other new Apple products including a fourth-generation iPhone SE, updated iPad Air models, and more, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The next iPhone SE is expected to be a notable upgrade, moving from the legacy iPhone 8-style design with Touch ID Home button and large display bezels to an iPhone 14-like design with an OLED display and Face ID.

Apple May Launch First iPad-Like Smart Home Accessory Next Year

Following a report last week from 9to5Mac indicating that Apple's rumored iPad-like smart display for the home could feature a "squarish" display with a launch targeted for next spring, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has confirmed that this is a simpler device than the one equipped with a robotic arm which has also been rumored.

This simpler device arriving as soon as next spring would run a new "homeOS" platform capable of running Apple apps like Calendar, Notes, and Home, and be "optimized for controlling home appliances and quickly seeing information."

MacRumors Newsletter

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!

A jury for the U.S. District Court for Western Texas on Friday found that the Secure Enclave built into modern Apple devices does not infringe four user verification patents owned by the company "Identity Security LLC," according to Bloomberg Law.

Apple introduced the Secure Enclave in 2013 in the iPhone 5s, the first iPhone with Touch ID, and it is now used in all iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and HomePod models. Apple says the Secure Enclave is a secure subsystem within its chips that is designed to keep sensitive user data secure, including Touch ID and Face ID data.

Identity Security LLC had sued Apple for patent infringement in 2021. It is not immediately clear if the company plans to appeal the jury's verdict.

NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition is now available in Apple Arcade on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, and the latest version of the game offers many new features.

Here's what's new in NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition, according to its App Store description:

• Outdoor streetball courts and indoor courts, complete quests to earn rewards for your MyPLAYER like, shoes, outfits, tattoos, and more!

• Ability to recruit NBA Legends to join your streetball squad and challenge players from across the globe in PvP Ranked Matches via Connection Games! Climb the Game Center Leaderboard and show the world who's boss!

• An all-new badge system to mold your MyPLAYER into an NBA legend. Explore The Neighborhood and complete quests to earn badge points to enhance offensive and defensive stats!

• Revamped Greatest Mode: relive career-defining moments and unlock a whole new lineup of NBA Superstars throughout the 2024-2025 NBA Season!

• Make sure to log in throughout the year for limited-time quests and unique rewards!

Accessible through the App Store, Apple Arcade is a subscription-based service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, all free of ads and in-app purchases. The service received its first price increase last year, with U.S. pricing rising from $4.99 to $6.99 per month.

Now that it's been two weeks since the iPhone 16 models were released, we've been able to spend enough time with the new devices to share a more in-depth review on their performance, battery life, feature set, and more.

We've been testing the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, but the gap between the Pro models and the standard ‌iPhone 16‌ models is narrower than usual this year. The Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, and upcoming Apple Intelligence features are available across the lineup, which leaves fewer features to set the two iPhone tiers apart and justify the cost of the Pro upgrade.

You do get the 120Hz ProMotion display, the 5x Telephoto lens, upgraded 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens, and slightly bigger displays with the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ and Pro Max, but many people are going to be happy with the standard ‌iPhone 16‌ models.

Camera Control is kind of a love it or hate it feature that takes some time to get familiar with. It makes opening the camera and snapping a photo much quicker, but getting used to adjusting settings with the button rather than the display takes a good amount of time to get used to. On the bigger iPhones, it's difficult to use the button one-handed, especially in portrait mode.

Macro mode images are better and Photographic Styles and the customization that comes with them are great, but there isn't a lot of additional improvement to be seen with the cameras for photo taking. For videos, there's a 4K 120fps mode that can be adjusted later, and a new Audio Mix feature for adjusting video sound.

The A18 Pro chip is fast, but so was the A17 Pro from last year, and you're not going to notice a difference in performance if you're coming from an ‌iPhone‌ released in the last couple of years. The benefit of the A18 Pro is support for both current and future ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features coming in the next few years. The first ‌Apple Intelligence‌ options will be released in October, and while those won't necessarily stress the chip, future image generation capabilities could take advantage of the additional power you get with the A18 Pro.

Battery life has increased for all ‌iPhone 16‌ models, and there is a noticeable difference in battery life with the Pro Max that many users will notice day-to-day depending on workload compared to older iPhones.

If you got a new ‌iPhone 16‌, let us know what you think of it now that a couple of weeks have passed.

Apple's only retail store in Northern Ireland is moving, but rest assured that the new location will be in close proximity to the current one.

Apple has announced that its store at the Victoria Square shopping center in Belfast will be permanently closed starting Tuesday, October 15. The company is opening a new store in the nearby Corn Market area on Friday, October 18.

MacRumors reader Chris Ball shared a photo of Apple's new store in Belfast earlier this week, but the company's logo remained covered at the time. Ball said the store is located on High Street in the city's central shopping district.

Apple's website indicates that the new store will have an Apple Pickup station for in-store pickup of online orders, and a Genius Bar for technical support and repairs. The store will also host free Today at Apple creative sessions.

Amazon is hosting another Prime Day event this year, called Amazon Prime Big Deal Days and offering shoppers the first chance to save on holiday shopping from a major retailer. Similar to the first Prime Day, it will last for two days (October 8-9) and you can already find a large selection of early deals across Amazon's storefront, covering savings on tech, clothing, video games, groceries, and much, much more.

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 Apple and Apple-related discounts that can be purchased during this 48-hour event on Amazon. As of today, this includes deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and MacBook Air.

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 throughout the event, and keep an eye on the MacRumors front page as we'll be posting particularly great deals in separate articles this week.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Amazon Prime Big Deal Days requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime offers a one month free trial, and otherwise costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year.

AirPods

Starting with AirPods, you'll find a wide selection of solid deals across the AirPods lineup on Amazon during Prime Day. This includes a $10 discount on the new AirPods 4 at $119.00, as well as a low $129.99 price on the AirPods 3.

Apple Watch

SE

Apple's 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE is available for $189.00 today on Amazon, down from $249.00. This is a second-best 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 second-best price on the Apple Watch SE for Prime Day.

Ultra 2

Amazon has further discounted the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in Black this week. You can get a few models of the Black Titanium watch for $734.89, down from $799.00. This beats the sale price we tracked last week by about $15, and marks a new all-time low price for the Black Apple Watch Ultra 2.

The models on sale include the Black Titanium Case with Dark Green Alpine Loop (S) and the Black Titanium Case with Dark Green Alpine Loop (M).

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 - $925.00 ($75 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00 ($100 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,473.00 ($127 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $1,589.00 ($110 off)
• 2TB Wi-Fi - $1,842.00 ($156 off)
• 2TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $1,992.00 ($107 off)

13-Inch

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $1,198.00 ($101 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,389.00 ($110 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,749.00 ($150 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi with Nano-Texture Glass - $1,840.00 ($160 off)
• 2TB Wi-Fi - $2,099.00 ($200 off)

M3 MacBook Pro

The cheapest M3 MacBook Pro model you'll find right now is on the 14-inch M3 Pro 512GB model, priced at $1,299.00. 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.

14-inch

• M3 512GB - $1,299.00 ($300 off)
• M3 1TB - $1,499.00 ($300 off)
• M3 Pro 512GB - $1,699.00 ($300 off)
• M3 Max 1TB - $2,899.00 ($300 off)

16-inch

• M3 Max, 36GB RAM, 1TB - $2,999.00 ($500 off)

Apple Pencil

Apple Pencil deals include low prices on the Apple Pencil 2 at $99.00 and Apple Pencil Pro at $116.00.

Magic Keyboard

You can get the 11-inch Magic Keyboard in Black for $274.99, down from $299.00. This is an all-time low price on the accessory.

Amazon also has the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard on sale, available for $322.00 in Black and $325.99 in White, down from $349.00. These are also record low prices on the Magic Keyboard, and you'll find similar delivery estimates of early October for these models.

MagSafe Charger

Amazon recently introduced a few deals on Apple's new lineup of MagSafe Chargers, including the 1-meter model for $34.50 and 2-meter model for $44.00. Although these discounts represent just a few dollars in savings, they are the first notable sales on the 2024 MagSafe Chargers and the best deals you'll find online right now.

The new MagSafe Chargers provide overall faster charging speeds with compatible iPhone models. When paired with a 30W power adapter, iPhone 16 models can charge at up to 25W wirelessly over MagSafe, which is 10W faster than a regular non-MagSafe Qi2 wireless charger.

Apple Studio Display

Amazon has $249 off the Apple Studio Display for Prime Day, starting at $1,349.00 for the standard glass option. For this model, this is a solid second-best price on the monitor.

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

The Action button, introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro models and now featured on all iPhone 16 models, offers users a customizable hardware button for quick access to various functions. With iOS 18, Apple has expanded its capabilities to include Control Center functions, which could potentially increase its utility for many users.

Despite its versatility, user adoption of the Action button has been mixed. For example, in April 2024 a MacRumors survey of iPhone 15 Pro users revealed that while some found the button a "game changer," particularly for activating custom Shortcuts, over half of respondents often forgot the button is even there. The most common uses among those who did use it included activating the camera or flashlight – functions already accessible via the default Lock screen.

• How to Replace or Remove Lock Screen Camera and Flashlight Icons

However, the new ability to assign Control Center functions to the Action button may change its reception, and could address common criticisms about its limited usefulness. By providing quick access to frequently used Control Center settings, it may solve the "out of sight, out of mind" problem and make the Action button more integral to your daily iPhone use. For those looking to give the Action button another chance or maximize its potential, here's how to set it up:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap Action Button.
3. Swipe through the available actions until you reach Controls.
4. Tap the chevrons next to "Choose a Control."
5. Scroll through the Control Center options or use the search bar at the top to find a specific control.
6. Tap on the desired control to assign it to the Action button.

Some of the Control Center functions you can assign include Dark Mode, Airplane Mode, Cellular Data, Personal Hotspot, Quick Note, and Scan Code. Third-party app controls may also be available, depending on the apps installed on your device. Here's a full list of what's available:

Looking at the above list, you may have noticed that not all Control Center toggles are available as Action button controls. For example, while you can assign cellular data control, Wi-Fi control is not an option. Weirdly, neither is Orientation Lock or Low Power Mode. Whether Apple plans to rectify these omissions in a future software update remains unclear. Regardless, you can still use Shortcuts to activate the missing functions.

• How to Assign Two Functions to the Action Button

Once you've set up your preferred Control Center function out of those that are available, you can activate it by pressing and holding the Action button. This provides a convenient way to toggle features or access tools without navigating through menus or opening the Control Center.

While some users may still find it challenging to incorporate the Action button into their daily usage, experimenting with different Control Center functions could help dial in just the right amount of muscle memory that reminds you it's there.