MacRumors

Intel plans to slash its employee numbers by the thousands in a bid to cut costs in the face of the slowing global PC market, a new Bloomberg report has claimed.

The company's sales and marketing teams could see cuts affecting around 20% of staff, said the report, citing people with knowledge of the matter who wished to remain anonymous.

The "major reduction in headcount" hasn't officially been made public, but it is expected to be announced as early as this month around the time of Intel's third-quarter earnings report on October 27. The last big wave of layoffs at Intel was in 2016, when about 12,000 people were made redundant. Based on the last count in July, Intel currently has around 113,700 staff.

The likes of Lenovo, HP, and Dell have all been impacted by a significant drop in PC sales due to global inflation and geopolitical instability, and the steep decline in demand for PC processors has negatively affected Intel's revenue.

Worldwide PC shipments went into free-fall in the third quarter, with overall sales declining by 18%, according to numbers compiled by Canalys. IDC provided similar findings, with sales falling over 15%, while Gartner reported PC shipments down 19.6% over the same quarter.

However, Intel's shares have been hit harder than other chipmakers as it struggles to win back market share lost to rivals like AMD. Earlier this year, Intel said 2022 sales would be around $11 billion lower than it had expected, and analysts are now said to be predicting a third-quarter revenue drop of about 15%. Intel's margins are also on the decline.

During its second-quarter earnings call, Intel pledged to cut expenses and make other changes to improve profits. Still, the short-term outlook remains poor. The chipmaker has not yet recovered from the impact of Apple's decision in 2020 to move away from using Intel processors in its Mac computers and adopt custom Apple silicon instead. It has also lost its prime position in microprocessor manufacturing to TSMC and Samsung Electronics.

To counter market conditions and boost innovation, Intel is looking to sell more advanced AI-powered chips to the data-center market and is working with TSMC to build chips using the Taiwanese foundry's 5nm process. Intel also plans to sell shares of its Mobileye self-driving technology business in an initial public offering, which has been valued at $30 billion.

For the last several years, Apple has not provided breakdowns of the number of iPhones, Macs, and iPads sold, keeping analysts, customers, investors, and others in the dark on exact device sales. This has led analysts to attempt to estimate product shipments, and as the Q3 quarterly Mac numbers confirm, it's a very inexact process.

Companies like Gartner, IDC, and Canalys in fact appear to have no clue how many Macs Apple sold as the third quarter estimates are wildly different.

IDC estimates that Apple sold 10 million Macs during the quarter, up from 7 million in the year-ago quarter for an impressive 40.2 percent growth. Gartner, however, believes that Apple sold just 5.8 million Macs, down from 6.9 million in the year-ago quarter for a 15.6 percent drop.

There's a 4.3 million Mac shipment discrepancy between the estimates from IDC and Gartner, which highlights just how unreliable these shipment estimates can be. Canalys is in the middle of those two estimates, suggesting that Apple shipped 8 million Macs, up from 7.9 million in the year-ago quarter for 1.7 percent growth.

We have historically seen discrepancies between the estimates provided by IDC, Gartner, and Canalys, but not to this degree. Apple will provide more data on its revenue for the third calendar quarter (fourth fiscal quarter) during its October 27 earnings call, which should give us some insight into how well the Mac sold.

Apple this quarter was offering the new M2 MacBook Air and ‌M2‌ MacBook Pro, but it was also facing shipment delays on a number of Macs due to supply chain issues. As mentioned up above, Apple will not provide unit sales information, but overall Mac revenue will clear things up a bit, at least in terms of year over year sales and revenue.

Apple devices and services continue to be the most popular options among teenagers in the United States, according to new data shared today by investment firm Piper Sandler in its biannual teen survey.

87 percent of teenagers surveyed own an iPhone, according to the results, and 88 percent of teens expect an ‌iPhone‌ to be their next phone. Over the course of the last 10 years, ‌iPhone‌ ownership among teens has more than doubled. Back in 2012, 40 percent of U.S. teens owned an ‌iPhone‌, for example.

Piper Sandler suggests that high ‌iPhone‌ usage among teens bodes well for Apple's service products as well as continued product cycle refreshes.

We believe the elevated penetration and intention are important given the mature premium smartphone market. Additionally, these trends are encouraging as the company continues to introduce new iPhones, which could provide a significant product cycle refresh. We think these positive trends can also be a catalyst for further services growth as well, as the install base for Apple hardware continues to grow.

The Apple Watch is less popular, with just 31 percent of teens owning Apple's wristworn device, but the Apple Watch is by far the most popular smart watch among teens. 36.8 percent of teens reported owning a smart watch, so just 5.8 percent own smart watch that isn't an Apple Watch.

Piper Sandler has been hosting these teen surveys for more than a decade. For the most recent release, 14,500 teens with an average age of 15.8 were surveyed across 47 states.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg today announced the launch of the Meta Quest Pro, a new $1500 mixed reality headset that's aimed at "making the metaverse a reality." The Meta Quest Pro has several features that are rumored for Apple's AR/VR headset, which we are expecting to see launch next year.

The mixed reality headset incorporates both augmented and virtual reality, and it is equipped with pancake lenses" that keep it sleek while offering high resolution. Apple too is said to be using pancake lenses for a thin and light design.

The Meta Quest Pro has a curved battery at the back for a more ergonomic fit, and it is using high-resolution outward-facing cameras to capture 4x as many pixels as the prior-generation Meta Quest 2. It is, however, using LCD displays, while Apple's headset is rumored to use micro OLED screens.

Apple's headset is said to have more than a dozen cameras for functions like eye tracking, spatial detection, expression detection, and skin detection, and Meta is beating Apple to some of these features. The Meta Quest Pro has 10 high-resolution sensors for eye tracking capabilities, plus Meta says that it is able to "capture natural facial expressions," translating them to a virtual avatar.

According to Meta, mixed reality will let you combine the physical world with the virtual, so you can do things like set up a virtual workspace while using your physical keyboard and mouse.

Other Meta Quest Pro features include a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ chip (Apple's headset will use its Apple silicon chips, possibly the M2 or M3), 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, Touch Pro controllers that track their position in 3D space, and a 45W charging dock.

The Meta Quest Pro is available for preorder as of today and it is set to begin shipping out on October 25.

Apple will offer its next Apple Watch Activity Challenge on Friday, November 11, to honor the upcoming Veterans Day holiday in the United States.

Apple Watch owners can earn the Veterans Day award by doing any workout for 11 minutes or more on November 11.

Earn this special award on November 11 by doing any workout for 11 minutes or more. Record your time with the Workout app or any app that adds workouts to Health.

Like all Activity Challenges, the 2022 Veterans Day challenge will be accompanied by an award that can be viewed in the Fitness app and a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app.

Apple provides a Veterans Day Activity Challenge annually, and the challenge is often accompanied by other Veterans Day-themed content in the App Store, Apple TV app, Books app, and more.

Update: While Amazon was selling the Apple TV 4K models at record-low prices of $104.49 for the 32GB model and $123.49 for the 64GB model earlier today, prices have increased slightly to $109.99 and $128.99 respectively. These are still terrific prices, however, so this remains an excellent opportunity to pick up one of Apple's streaming boxes.

Our original article remains as initially published below.

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Amazon's fall Prime Early Access Sale has kicked off, and with it comes the best deal on the Apple TV 4K that we've ever seen. You can get the 32GB model for $104.49, down from $179.00.

You will need an active Amazon Prime subscription to see this deal, and many others during Prime Early Access. You can get one month of Amazon Prime for free when signing up this week, and afterwards the service will renew at $14.99 per month or $139 per year.

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

This is the best price we've ever tracked on the 2021 Apple TV 4K. This is the model that comes with the A12 Bionic chip and the new Siri Remote. The 64GB model is also available at an all-time low price at $123.49, down from $199.00.

We will continue to track Prime Early Access deals as the event continues, so be sure to keep an eye on our front page for more news and on our main Prime Early Access article for more Apple deals. Remember that you can sign up for Amazon Prime for free for one month to take advantage of the deals.

Apple today introduced a new "Ask Apple" feature that is designed to allow developers to get help with app development from Apple engineers and experts. With Ask Apple, developers can get information on implementing new beta features, updates introduced at WWDC, adopting Dynamic Island, swapping to SwiftUI, and more.

Developers will be able to ask questions of Apple team members through Q&As delivered through Slack or in 25-minute one-on-one "office hour" sessions. Developers can speak with Apple evangelists, engineers, and designers, with office hours focused on creating apps that take advantage of the latest Apple technologies.

"We've been listening to feedback from developers around the world about what will be most helpful to them as they build innovative apps, and we've seen an increased appetite for one-on-one support and conversation with Apple experts," said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations and Enterprise and Education Marketing. "Our team is committed to continuously evolving our support for our diverse global developer community, and we're excited to offer Ask Apple as another new resource."

Ask Apple is a free program with registration available to all members of the Apple Developer Program and the Apple Developer Enterprise Program. The first round of Ask Apple opportunities will be coming from October 17 to 21, with signups available on Apple's developer website.

More information can be found on Apple's developer site.

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of iOS 16.1 to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming one week after the release of the fourth iOS 16.1 beta. The iOS 16.1 beta is also joined by the sixth beta of iPadOS 16.1, which is on a slightly different schedule as Apple started testing it prior to the launch of iOS 16.

Registered developers can download the iOS 16‌ and iPadOS 16 profiles from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the betas will be available over the air.

iOS 16.1 introduces support for Live Activities, the interactive notification feature that lets you keep an eye on things happening in real time right from the Lock Screen and, on the iPhone 14 Pro, the Dynamic Island.

Live Activities cannot be used at the current time as developers still need to update their apps to add support, but it will be available when iOS 16.1 launches. Developers have access to an ActivityKit API to begin getting their apps ready.

The update also introduces a new Clean Energy Charging feature in the United States that is designed to selectively charge when lower carbon emission electricity is available, plus it lays the groundwork for Matter, a new smart home standard that Apple plans to begin supporting this fall.

Matter will allow for interoperability between smart devices from different companies, and Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon, and others are working on support.

On the iPad, iPadOS 16 will expand the Stage Manager feature to the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro models, and it is no longer limited to the M1 ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌M1‌ iPad Air. The beta removes the external display function of ‌Stage Manager‌, and this feature will return in a later beta. External display support will remain limited to the ‌M1‌ ‌iPad‌ models even though older ‌iPad Pro‌ models are now able to use ‌Stage Manager‌.

During the beta, Apple tweaked the design of the battery status bar icon, adding a visual indication of charge level. It also changed the battery font, updated the Lock Screen charging indicator, and fixed a copy and paste bug.

Other new features in the update include a deletable Wallet app, changes to the Lock Screen customizing interface, and more, with details available in our iOS 16.1 feature guide.

Apple today seeded the eleventh beta of macOS 13 Ventura, the next-generation version of the Mac operating system that's set to launch this fall. The eleventh beta comes one week after Apple provided the tenth beta to developers.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.

macOS Ventura introduces Stage Manager, a new feature that lets Mac users focus on a task while keeping other apps at the ready for easy swapping between tasks. The update adds Continuity Camera, which is designed to let you use the iPhone as a webcam for your Mac. It supports Center Stage, Desk View (for showing off your desk), and Studio Light.

Handoff is now available for FaceTime so you can transfer calls between ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Mac at will, and Messages supports features for marking an iMessage as unread, unsending an iMessage, and marking as unread. SharePlay also now works in the Messages app.

The Mail app supports scheduling and undoing emails for up to 10 seconds after they're sent, and there are now Weather and Clock apps that are available on the Mac. System Preferences has been renamed System Settings, and it features an iOS-like design.

Safari supports Shared Tab Groups and Apple is working on Passkeys, a next-generation credential that replaces the password. There are updates to Spotlight, Photo Library has new features, and Metal 3 is included in macOS Ventura for better graphics in games.

For everything new in macOS Ventura, we have a dedicated roundup that goes through all of the features. macOS Ventura is set to see a public release in October.

Apple may expand MacBook production to Thailand in the future as the company continues to diversify its supply chain, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a series of tweets today, Kuo said the main production location outside of China for Apple's future MacBooks may be Thailand. Kuo noted that Apple's entire range of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are currently assembled in Chinese factories.

Kuo said Apple plans to increase shipments of products to the U.S. from non-Chinese factories within the next 3-5 years, but it's unclear if this would include MacBooks assembled in Thailand within that timeframe. Apple's longtime MacBook supplier Quanta Computer has been expanding its operations in Thailand over the last few years.

Apple has expanded its supply chain beyond China over the past several years, with some production now occurring at factories in India and Vietnam. Kuo said this diversification helps Apple to avoid risks like U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Following the "Made by Google" launch event last week, we talk through how the Pixel Watch, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel Tablet compare to Apple's devices on the latest episode of The MacRumors Show podcast.

The Pixel Watch features a striking round design with a 41mm stainless steel casing, and offers an always-on display, 24-hour battery life, and Fitbit sleep tracking, for a price of $349. With Apple Watch features like blood oxygen monitoring, ECG, Fall Detection, Emergency SOS, 32GB of memory, and more, we talk through how the Pixel Watch compares to Apple's long-reigning smart watch.

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro offer many features that will be familiar to iPhone users such as 2x crop mode to simulate a telephoto lens, Cinematic Blur for video, Active Stabilization mode, and Face Unlock, but adds faster Night Sight, Photo Unblur, 8GB or 12GB of memory, and the custom-silicon Tensor G2 chip. The devices look to directly compete with Apple's latest iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro models, but undercut them in price by about $100.

Google also offered an early look at the Pixel Tablet that is set to launch next year – a device that will undoubtedly compete with the iPad. The tablet comes alongside a speaker dock that charges the device and turns it into a home-focused device to glance at information, display photos, and control smart home accessories.

Listen to The MacRumors Show using apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or subscribe by copying our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. You can also watch a video version of the podcast on the MacRumors YouTube channel.

If you haven't already listened to the last episode of The MacRumors Show, be sure to catch up for a deep dive into the second-generation AirPods Pro after a week spent with Apple's new earbuds.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Sarah Dietschy, Luke Miani, Sam Kohl, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, Rene Ritchie, Andru Edwards, Jon Prosser, and Mark Gurman. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.

Amazon's second major discount event of the year has kicked off, and in this article we're focusing on discounts and promotions on the best accessories for smartphones, tablets, smart homes, smartwatches, and more. You'll need an Amazon Prime membership to access the sale, and you can sign up for Prime on Amazon. There's a 30 day free trial, and the service costs $14.99/month thereafter, or $139/year.

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

For a collection of discounts focused on Apple products, be sure to read our post on The Best Apple Deals during Prime Early Access.

Beats

Beats has multiple headphones and earbuds on sale during the Prime Early Access event. This includes the Beats Studio Buds for $99.95 (33% off), Beats Fit Pro for $159.95 (20% off), and more.

Anker

Anker is taking up to 44 percent off select charging accessories this week, including solid deals on USB-C chargers, portable chargers, and more. Eufy also has a few deals of its own among its health and security products, including its Smart Scale P2 Pro for $49.99, down from $79.99.

USB-C Chargers

• Nano II 65W Charger - $38.49, down from $59.99
• 3-Port Charger - $66.49, down from $94.99
• 20W Fast Charger 3-Pack - $21.69, down from $29.45
• USB-C 140W Laptop Charger - $69.99, down from $99.99

Portable Chargers

• MagGO 10,000mAh Charger - $54.99, down from $79.99
• PowerCore 24,000 mAh Charger - $99.99, down from $149.99
• PowerCore 20,000mAh Charger - $34.99, down from $59.99
• PowerHouse Charger - $139.99, down from $199.99
• Portable Power Station - $699.99, down from $1,099.99

Wall Chargers

• Charging Station (2 Outlets, 4 USB Ports) - $66.49, down from $94.99
• 2-in-1 Hybrid Wall Charger + Portable Charger - $69.99, down from $99.99
• PowerStrip 5-in-1 - $48.99, down from $69.99

Cables

• USB-C to Lightning Cable 3-Pack - $21.99, down from $38.99

Satechi

Satechi has a collection of notable discounts - up to 50 percent off - on its USB-C hubs, wireless chargers, and more desk accessories during the Prime Early Access Sale this year. You can find every accessory on sale below.

• USB-C Magnetic Wireless Charging Cable - $14.99, down from $29.99
• Type-C Pro Hub Adapter with USB-C PD - $51.99, down from $79.99
• Aluminum USB Headphone Stand Holder - $34.99, down from $49.99
• 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand - $89.99, down from $119.99
• 108W Pro USB-C PD Desktop Charger - $59.99, down from $79.99
• Dual Sided Eco-Leather Deskmate - $29.99, down from $39.99
• Trio Wireless Charger with Magnetic Pad - $89.99, down from $119.99

Ecobee

Ecobee is discounting its thermostats during Prime Early Access, including the Ecobee Smart Thermostat with Voice Control for $173.13, down from $219.99. Additionally, there's the Ecobee Smart Sensor for Doors and Windows for $59.99, down from $79.99.

Casetify

You can get 20 percent off Casetify's Essential Case for iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max during Prime Early Access. For previous generation devices, Casetify is offering 30 percent off its best-selling cases for iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 on Amazon.

20% Off

• Amazon Exclusive Essential Case for iPhone 14 Pro Max
• Amazon Exclusive Essential Case for iPhone 14 Pro
• Amazon Exclusive Essential Case for iPhone 14

30% Off

• Impact Case for iPhone 13 Pro
• Impact Case for iPhone 13 Pro Max
• Impact Case for iPhone 12
• Ultra Impact Case for iPhone 12
• Impact Case for iPhone 11

Totallee

Totallee is offering 35 percent off for both days of the Prime Early Access Sale. This promotion includes savings across all of Totallee's accessories on Amazon, covering iPhone cases, screen protectors, and more.

Jabra

Jabra's range of Bluetooth headphones is seeing notable markdowns this week, with nearly a dozen products on sale.

• Jabra Elite 5 - $119.99, down from $149.99
• Jabra Elite 85t with 2 wireless charging pads - $149.99, down from $289.99
• Jabra Elite 3 - $47.99, down from $79.99
• Jabra Elite 4 Active - $75.99, down from $119.99
• Jabra Elite 7 Active - $119.99, down from $179.99
• Jabra Elite 7 Pro - $129.99, down from $199.99
• Jabra Elite 85h - $199.99, down from $249.99

Das Keyboard

Das Keyboard is offering its new Mac-specific mechanical keyboard, the MacTigr, for $179.00, down from $219.00 with the on-page coupon. You can also get the 5QS smart mechanical keyboard for $169.00, down from $199.00 with the on-page coupon.

More Accessory Deals

• Aqara - Save on smart home accessories.
• Kindle Bundles - Get up to 38 percent off.
• Bose Headphones - Get up to 40 percent off.
• Western Digital/SanDisk Memory - Get up to 65 percent off.
• Anker - Get up to 44 percent off.
• ZAGG - Save on charging accessories.

We will continue to track Prime Early Access deals as the event continues, so be sure to keep an eye on our front page for more news. Remember that you can sign up for Amazon Prime for free for one month to take advantage of the deals.

In a few weeks, Apple will release iOS 16.1 for all compatible iPhones, marking the first major update to the iOS 16 operating system since its public release in September.

With iOS 16.1, Apple is bringing several new changes, features, and bug fixes to iPhone users. We've highlighted five noteworthy changes below. iOS 16.1 is currently still in beta testing with developers and public beta testers.

Live Activities

With iOS 16.1, Apple is enabling Live Activities on the redesigned iOS 16 Lock Screen and on the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro. Live Activities are a new type of interactive notification that can dynamically display real-time information from apps without needing to open an app directly.

Uber, for example, can display a Live Activities notification on the iOS 16 Lock Screen to show the estimated time of arrival of a car. Sports apps will also be able to utilize Live Activities to showcase game scores in real time.

On the latest ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro models, Live Activities are also integrated into the ‌Dynamic Island‌, which allows users to see real-time information from apps as they use their phone. Live Activities are also shown on the Lock Screen in always-on display mode. Once iOS 16.1 is released to the public, apps will begin to adopt support for Live Activities.

Redesigned Battery Indicator

Over the summer, Apple added a battery percentage indicator to the status bar for iPhones with a notch. The initial version of the battery indicator included a battery icon that remained visually full, regardless of the ‌iPhone‌'s actual charge. In iOS 16.1, Apple is changing the behavior of the battery icon to accurately reflect the iPhone's charge level when the percentage is shown. iOS 16.1 also expands the battery indicator to more devices, including the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini.

Apple Fitness+ With Just an iPhone

Starting with iOS 16.1, ‌iPhone‌ users will be able to subscribe and use Apple Fitness+ without needing an Apple Watch. Fitness+ is a subscription from Apple that provides a wide catalog of workout videos and programs with different trainers. At launch, an Apple Watch was needed to use Fitness+ to display real-time metrics on the screen.

Clean Energy Charging Option

In iOS 16.1, Apple has added a new Clean Energy Charging Option that selectively charges the ‌iPhone‌ when lower carbon emission electricity is available in an effort to provide a more green charging method. Apple says the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ will still reach a full charge before it's needed based on a user's daily routine, and the feature can be toggled off if desired.

Pre-Load In-App Content

iOS 16.1 adds a new toggle for apps downloaded from the App Store that can automatically run newly downloaded apps in the background to download content before you first launch them. The new toggle is meant to make it faster for users to begin using an app immediately after downloading without waiting for the in-app content to load.

More

iOS 16.1 is the first major update to iOS 16, so as expected, several smaller but noteworthy changes and bug fixes are included in the update.

• Redesigned Wallpaper section within Settings
• Constant Copy and Paste prompt has been fixed
• Includes the groundwork for the smart home standard Matter and Emergency SOS via Satellite
• Ability to delete the Wallet app

Amazon is hosting another Prime Day event this year, called the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale 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 and you'll find a large selection of deals and offers 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, iPad Air, and MacBook Pro.

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 Early Access 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

Over the past few years, one of the most popular discounts around the holidays is on Apple's AirPods. Amazon is officially kicking off this trend in 2022 with solid markdowns on AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro 2.

Prices start at $89.99 for the AirPods 2 ($39 off), then increase to $223.24 for the AirPods Pro 2 ($25.86 off). [Update: The $223.24 AirPods Pro 2 price is an additional drop beyond the previous deal from earlier today.]

These are some of the lowest prices of the year, and in the case of the AirPods Pro 2 this is now the lowest price we've ever tracked. Every deal has been applied automatically so you won't need any coupon.

Apple TV 4K

During the summertime Prime Day, Amazon introduced a massive discount on the Apple TV 4K, and now this device is available for $109.99, down from $179.00. This model actually hit an all-time low price of $104.49 earlier today but remains an excellent price. The 64GB model is also available at $128.99 after hitting $123.49, but it remains a very substantial deal compared to the regular price of $199.00 for this model.

[Update: Prices have fluctuated multiple times today, but have remained excellent discounts compared to normal pricing.]

Apple Watch

Another item seeing big discounts during Prime Early Access is the Apple Watch, with the first-ever markdowns on the Apple Watch Series 8 arriving this week.

41mm GPS Series 8

Starting with the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 8, this model is on sale for for $349.00, down from $399.00. It's available in (PRODUCT)RED, Midnight, and Silver aluminum color options, with the Midnight version having particularly low stock.

45mm GPS Series 8

Secondly, the 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 8 is discounted to $379.00, down from $429.00. It's available in (PRODUCT)RED, Silver, and Starlight, and for this model the Silver is the one facing low stock as of writing.

iPad (2021)

Amazon today has the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad for $269.00, down from $329.00. This is a brand new all-time low price on the 10.2-inch iPad.

For a cellular option, there's also the 64GB cellular iPad for $399.00, down from $459.00. This deal is a record low price and available in both Silver and Space Gray colors.

iPad Air (2022)

All five of the 2022 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air color options are available for $519.00, down from $599.00. This is another brand new record low price. The 256GB Wi-Fi model four colors on sale at $669.00, down from $749.00, an all-time low price.

More Apple Deals

• M1 MacBook Air - $799.00, down from $999.00
• iPad mini 6 - $399.00, down from $499.00

We will continue to track Prime Early Access deals as the event continues, so be sure to keep an eye on our front page for more news. We'll also be regularly updating this article as prices have been fluctuating and several products have gone in and out of stock throughout the event. Remember that you can sign up for Amazon Prime for free for one month to take advantage of the deals.

Apple will add support for 5G on compatible iPhones for Indian carriers through a software update as soon as December, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to ET News.

According to the publication, Apple and the Indian carrier Airtel will meet this week to discuss why Apple's iPhones are not compatible with India's 5G networks. Apple is reportedly already testing 5G support on iPhones in Mumbai and New Delhi, with an update officially adding support possibly being rolled out in December, the report said, citing a source.

A separate report from Reuters says the Indian government is placing pressure on Apple and Samsung to adopt 5G support for their latest smartphones. Apple first added support for 5G with the iPhone 12 in 2020, and two years later, Indian ‌iPhone‌ customers are still unable to use the newer and faster network. On Wednesday, the Indian government, alongside executives from Apple, Samsung, and leading carriers in the country, will meet "to prioritize" adding support for 5G on the latest smartphones.

Update: In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple has confirmed it will release a software update in December to add support for 5G on compatible iPhones for Indian carriers.

We are working with our carrier partners in India to bring the best 5G experience to iPhone users as soon as network validation and testing for quality and performance are completed. 5G will be enabled via a software update and will start rolling out to iPhone users in December.

Apple could adopt a "hybrid" OLED technology in iPads by 2024 that could allow for slimmer devices while lowering production costs, according to a new report out today (via DigiTimes).

By combining rigid OLED glass substrates with flexible OLED thin-film encapsulation, the hybrid OLED technology is said to make OLED panels thinner than rigid OLED panels. The process also reportedly incurs lower production costs than flexible OLED panels because it doesn't require a backlighting layer.

Reference to the hybrid OLED technology first appeared in an August report from Korean outlet The Elec, which also said Apple could adopt it in iPads by 2024. However, that report claimed Apple preferred hybrid OLED over the flexible OLED panels it uses in its iPhone models because the flexible panels have a tendency to visibly "crumple," especially at larger screen sizes.

The return of the rumor appears in the context of a report claiming Apple has brought another manufacturing partner into its supply chain that will likely be involved in upcoming refreshes to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and MacBook Pro.

Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology (Taiwan SMT) will undertake SMT process for mini LED backlighting of 12.9-inch iPad Pro and MacBook Pro, becoming an Apple supply chain maker for the first time, according to industry sources.

The report claims that Apple has contributed financially to Taiwan SMT's efforts to expand its production capacity, with some equipment dedicated to the SMT process for mini-LED backlighting, which is more difficult to achieve than standard LED backlighting since the former involves the use of more mini-LED chips.

Currently the only Apple devices that use mini-LED are the 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌. All three devices are expected to be refreshed with M2 chips before the end of the year.

Apple is expected to continue to use the mini-LED backlighting technology until the hybrid OLED technology has matured and is ready for commercialization, which is unlikely to happen before 2024, according to the report.