MacRumors

The larger Apple Watch Series 8 model expected to arrive later this year is rumored to feature a titanium casing, raising questions about the future of the Apple Watch Edition.

Yesterday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that the new, larger Apple Watch model scheduled to launch this year will feature a casing made of "a more durable formulation of titanium to make it extra rugged."

Apple has offered a titanium version of the Apple Watch since the launch of the Apple Watch Series 5 in 2019, under the "Apple Watch Edition" brand. Currently, the Apple Watch Edition comes with an additional Sport Band, and while it offers a lighter, stronger casing than the stainless steel model, it is otherwise identical to the standard Apple Watch.

Now, a wide range of rumors point toward the launch of an all-new high-end Apple Watch model later this year. The device is expected to feature a larger display, longer battery life, a ruggedized casing, and a completely new design. Potential names for the device include "Apple Watch Pro" or "Apple Watch Explorer Edition," and the device has been associated with extreme sports, athletes, hikers, and other users that require a more durable watch.

Priced starting at $749, the current Apple Watch Edition is $150 more expensive than the stainless steel Apple Watch. For this year's new high-end Apple Watch, Gurman has floated a price point that "starts closer to $900 to $999," positioning it above the Apple Watch Edition.

Overall, it seems clear that the new high-end Apple Watch will be more of a departure from the standard Apple Watch models than any previous Apple Watch Edition model in terms of features, size, design, and price. This raises the question of if Apple will continue to offer the Apple Watch Edition after the launch of the new high-end Apple Watch later this year.

The Apple Watch Edition has evolved considerably since its launch in 2015. When it first launched, the Apple Watch Edition line was exclusively made up of Apple Watches with 18 karat yellow or rose gold casings that cost $10,000 to $17,000. These were discontinued just a year later upon the launch of the Apple Watch Series 2, which replaced the expensive gold casings with more affordable white ceramic models, starting at $1,249.

A gray ceramic variant was added with the Apple Watch Series 3 in 2017. While there were no Apple Watch Edition models available for the Series 4, Apple revived the white ceramic Apple Watch Edition line for the Series 5 alongside new natural and Space Black titanium models. With the Series 6, Apple again discontinued the ceramic Apple Watch Edition, and briefly discontinued the line once again ahead of the launch of the titanium Apple Watch Edition Series 7 models last year.

Since the Apple Watch Edition has such a tumultuous history, it is by no means certain that Apple will continue to offer the device. With its titanium casing being the Apple Watch Edition's key differentiating feature, it is difficult to see how the variant could be justified in the lineup with a substantially different titanium model placed just above it, not least because the Apple Watch Edition could draw sales away from the new high-end model.

Earlier this month, display analyst Ross Young said that the new high-end Apple Watch is expected to sell in comparatively low volume – just like previous reports of low sales for the Apple Watch Edition models due to their high price point. Apple is purportedly expecting to ship just one million units of the larger Apple Watch in the third quarter of this year, compared to four million 45mm ‌Apple Watch Series 8‌ models.

Beyond pricing and positioning in the market, Gurman's confirmation of a titanium casing for this year's new high-end Apple Watch model is the best indication yet that Apple may be planning to effectively fold the current Apple Watch Edition line into this new product category. This would allow it to continue to offer a titanium casing, but more overtly tout the weight and strength advantages of the material amid a focus on durability at a higher price point.

Leaving the more affordable titanium Apple Watch Edition in the lineup could also have the unwanted effect of cannibalizing sales of the new high-end model. Likewise, the new high-end Apple Watch could be much more appealing to some customers than the Apple Watch Edition, with meaningful differentiating aspects like display size, battery life, and design providing more justifiable reasons for an upsale.

With names like Apple Watch "Pro" being far from locked-in at this stage of the rumor cycle, it is also worth noting that the new high-end Apple Watch models could simply form the Apple Watch Edition line going forward. At minimum, it looks like the Apple Watch Edition line in its current form may not be around for much longer.

Apple Store enthusiast and creative extraordinaire Michael Steeber today announced the launch of The Apple Store Time Machine, a new interactive Mac app that lets you "travel back in time" and revisit four iconic Apple Stores on their grand opening days.

"The Apple Store Time Machine is a celebration of the places and products that have shaped our lives for more than twenty years," said Steeber, who spent hundreds of hours researching, designing, and developing the project. "This interactive experience recreates memorable moments in Apple history with painstaking detail and historical accuracy."

The app is free to download and runs on Apple silicon Macs and recent Intel-based Macs. There is an option to make a donation on the project's website. Michael's brother Robert Steeber was also involved with the project, creating music and UI sounds.

The four Apple Store locations that the app allows you to experience are Apple Tysons Corner in Virginia circa 2001, Apple Stanford Shopping Center in California circa 2004, Apple Fifth Avenue in New York circa 2006, and Apple Infinite Loop in California circa 2015. All four stores include easter eggs such as iPhone and Mac commercials, interactive Mac apps like GarageBand and Photo Booth, a ringing phone at the original Genius Bar, and more.

The app is similar to a video game or a simulator, complete with keyboard controls for moving around stores, but Steeber prefers to describe the app as an experience. However you view it, it's clear that Steeber put a tremendous amount of effort into this project, with every detail accounted for, down to the last iPod and box of software.

For more Apple Store coverage, subscribe to Steeber's newsletter "Tabletops."

Amazon is discounting the 32GB Apple TV 4K to $129.99 this week, down from $179.00. We saw an all-time low price (around $109) on the Apple TV 4K earlier in July during Prime Day, but since that event ended this is the best deal we've tracked on the 2021 Apple TV 4K.

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.

Shoppers should note that there is a delayed shipping estimate for the 32GB Apple TV 4K right now on Amazon, with an approximate August 10 delivery date given for most places in the United States. Although this is a few weeks away, you can lock in the deal price today to guarantee the sale ahead of the delivery date in August.

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.

The X14 Pro Max was today unveiled by Chinese low-cost smartphone brand LeBest, a phone that overtly imitates multiple iPhone design features.

Android brands and other smartphone makers often come under fire for allegedly copying Apple. Priced at just $150, the LeBest X14 Pro Max is the latest device that looks to capitalize on the success of the ‌iPhone‌ by emulating many of its design features. The "X14 Pro Max" name, an obvious nod to the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro Max, is just the start of several design decisions that directly imitate Apple's flagship iPhones.

For example, the device features a rear camera array arranged exactly like that of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, with three lenses arranged in a triangle, and a flash above the right lens and a cutout intended to look like a LiDAR scanner below it. Just like the ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, 12 Pro, and 13 Pro, the device has a polished stainless steel frame and frosted glass back.

The device's color options mirror the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro with the exception of Gold, being available in a "Graphite" gray, silver, and a "Sapphire Blue" that clearly mimics Apple's Sierra Blue. In the most striking duplication, LeBest's marketing materials for the X14 Pro Max use Apple's exact wallpaper for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro.

Beyond these parallels, the LeBest X14 Pro Max differs from the ‌iPhone‌ with a rear display next to the camera array, a hole-punch cutout for the front-facing camera, support for 40W fast charging, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a 16-megapixel rear camera.

As a budget device, it is also significantly inferior to the ‌iPhone‌ in terms of hardware and specifications, sporting a 6.5-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels, a 60Hz refresh rate, and an 8-megapixel front camera. The device is designed to use Huawei Mobile Services as an alternative to Google.

An iPhone production plant in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen is being forced into a seven-day "closed loop" lockdown by Chinese authorities, alongside 100 other companies in an attempt to curb COVID-19 infections, Bloomberg reports.

The "closed loop" system will mean only employees who live on-site will be able to work, blocking access from the outside and largely prohibiting anyone from leaving the factory.

A Foxconn spokesperson said despite the new lockdown, operations at the plant remain "normal." Foxconn's plant in Shenzhen is second-largest to the "‌iPhone‌ city" in Zhengzhou, China. The new lockdown, nonetheless, adds strain to a struggling supply chain impacting tech giants.

The timing of the lockdown also comes as a worry as Foxconn is expected to begin mass production of the upcoming iPhone 14 series in several weeks, ahead of launch in September. In 2020, amid widespread lockdowns and uncertainty, Apple had to postpone its ‌iPhone‌ 12 launch till October, a month delay due to supply chain woes.

While a similar sequence of events is unlikely to happen this year, the lockdowns could mean limited availability at launch for customers.

A chip expert who worked for Apple for nine years has left the company to join rival Samsung, Business Korea reports.

Kim Woo-Pyeong, according to the report, worked for Apple since 2014 after working for Texas Instruments and Qualcomm in prior years. The report is vague on what Kim's responsibilities were at Apple, only saying he was a semiconductor expert.

Apple uses a wide range of chips in its devices, from ultrawideband chip technology to the processors that power all of its devices and a custom-made 5G modem that is reportedly in the works.

At Samsung, Kim will be the company's director for a new packaging solution center. In the last couple of years, Samsung has upped its involvement in the semiconductor space amid increased competition from TSMC, Apple, and others. Samsung announced last month that it had started production of 3nm chips using a new transistor architecture.

Competition between Apple and Samsung remains fierce, with both companies continuing to compete for customers in smartphones, smartwatches, and accessories such as the AirPods and Galaxy Buds. Business Korea calls Samsung's latest hire from Apple "somewhat unusual" given the cooperative yet competitive relationship between the two companies. Despite their rivalry, Samsung and Apple work together, most notably for OLED displays.

Apple has scaled up its orders for iPhone 14 components, in contrast to faltering Android devices, DigiTimes reports.

Ahead of the launch of the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup in September, Apple has reportedly increased its component orders from suppliers. This comes in stark contrast to a range of Android brands, which continue to face sluggish sales, according to supply chain sources speaking to DigiTimes.

Apple is believed to be the only smartphone vendor that has sustained stable sales in recent months, with a noticeable year-on-year rise in sales. After cutting initial chip orders for the ‌iPhone 14‌ models in expectation of falling market demand, good sales performance for the current iPhone lineup encouraged Apple to boost preparations for later this year. This lines up with a report from earlier this month that said Apple's ‌iPhone 14‌ models are forecasted to sell even better than the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup.

‌iPhone‌ sales normally slow down in the July-August period as customers anticipate the launch of new models in September, but ‌iPhone‌ 13 shipments were reportedly one-third higher this July than at the same time last year, suggesting that the device has ongoing demand. Apple is said to have informed suppliers that the initial sales of the ‌iPhone 14‌ will be higher than those of the ‌iPhone‌ 13.

Meanwhile, the mid- to low-end of the smartphone market, which is dominated by Android devices, has struggled over the past year as demand has waned. As an indication of this, Android chip supplier MediaTek has reportedly seen its clients cut orders by as much as 30 percent.

Apple is believed to have already begun trial production of the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup and plans to begin mass production in August ahead of launch in September.

The iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max will both feature 6GB of RAM and a newer and faster type of memory, according to a report today from DigiTimes.

The report claims that the high-end models of the upcoming iPhone lineup will feature 6GB of LPDDR5 RAM, a faster and more efficient type of memory compared to older standards. Current iPhones feature LPDDR4X, and that's expected to continue to be the case for the standard iPhone 14 models.

Unlike the ‌iPhone‌ 13 series, which starts at 4GB of memory, all models of the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup will feature 6GB of RAM. LPDDR5 memory on the higher-end iPhones will mean better and more energy-efficient performance compared to the standard models. The lineup will look as follows:

• iPhone 14: 6GB (LPDDR4X)
• iPhone 14 Max: 6GB (LPDDR4X)
• iPhone 14 Pro: 6GB (LPDDR5)
• iPhone 14 Pro Max: 6GB (LPDDR5)

In a shift from precedent, only the higher-end ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max models are rumored to be powered by the new "A16" chip. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to report on the newer memory standard in March, alongside saying the standard ‌iPhone 14‌ models will retain the A15 chip.

We're just roughly two months away from when Apple is expected to announce the ‌iPhone 14‌ during its annual fall event. Apple is rumored to have a busy fall planned for this year, with new iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods all on the horizon.

The new iPhones are rumored to feature several new features and changes, ranging from significantly improved cameras, to a potential new purple color, a hole-punch and pill-shaped notch replacement, and more. You can learn more about everything we know about the upcoming iPhones with our roundup.

Apple is preparing to launch a rare bundle of discounts for the iPhone 13, ‌iPhone‌ 12, and the iPhone SE in China next week, alongside accessories such as the AirPods and the low-cost Apple Watch.

The promotion will run from July 29 until August 1 and will apply to not only ‌iPhone‌ models but also the third-generation AirPods, the AirPods Pro, and the Apple Watch SE, according to a notice on Apple's website (via Bloomberg). The savings are as follows:

iPhone 13 Pro Max or iPhone 13 Pro, you can save RMB 600 immediately.
iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 mini, you can save RMB 600.
iPhone SE (3rd generation) can save RMB 200.
iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 mini, you can save RMB 500 immediately.
Save RMB 200 on Apple Watch SE.
AirPods Pro can save RMB 250.
AirPods (third generation) can save RMB 150.

Apple's footnotes state that only Chinese buyers using certain payment methods at checkout will be eligible for the promotion. Apple is also limiting customers to only two purchases per product category.

A single order must be paid with one of the aforementioned methods, and no other payment methods can be used at the same time. Each customer is limited to 2 pieces per product category (iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods are three different categories), and products that exceed this limit are no longer eligible for immediate discounts (for example: each customer can only buy 2 at a discounted price) an eligible iPhone, regardless of model).

While Apple does often run promotions for certain products, a wide-scale discount on ‌iPhone‌ models is rather rare in China. Apple is preparing to launch the iPhone 14 and new Apple Watch models later this fall.

Apple has detailed which of its products are eligible for upcoming sales tax holidays in select U.S. states, including Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Sales tax holidays provide a limited-time opportunity to purchase select Apple products online or in store without paying sales tax. Eligible products and price limits vary from state to state, with complete details outlined on Apple's website. Apple says tax savings may not appear during checkout, but will be reflected on the final receipt.

Depending on the state, eligible Apple products may include Macs, iPads, iPhones, and/or peripherals like the Apple Pencil and Studio Display.

Florida's sales tax holiday begins this Monday and runs through August 7, while many other states offer sales tax holidays in the first week of August. Apple's website provides a complete list of dates for each state's sales tax holiday.

Sales tax holidays are especially beneficial to students, as the tax savings can be combined with Apple's ongoing Back to School promotion, which offers students up to a $150 Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad, as well as 20% off AppleCare+ plans. Apple also offers students an educational discount on select purchases.

(Thanks, Juanchi Roca-Paisley!)

The upcoming high-end variant of the Apple Watch Series 8 will feature the device's first redesign in years and a new titanium casing, but will not feature the long-rumored squared-off look, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that this year's high-end Apple Watch model will be "a good bit bigger" than the current Apple Watch models, so much so that "it might only appeal to a subset of customers." The device is expected to feature a display that is seven percent larger.

Gurman reaffirmed rumors that the high-end Apple Watch will feature the first new design since the launch of the Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018. It will apparently not be circular, and contrary to reports of a squared-off design, "it also won't have those rumored flat sides." Instead, Gurman described the new design as being "an evolution of the current rectangular shape."

He added that it will have a casing made of "a more durable formulation of titanium to make it extra rugged." The device is also expected to feature longer battery life that could last multiple days on a single charge via a new Low Power Mode, according to Gurman.

The only new health feature expected for the Apple Watch Series 8 is still a body-temperature sensor, with blood-pressure monitoring not expected to arrive until 2025, and blood-glucose monitoring not set to be ready until "nearer to the end of the decade."

Gurman added that "the upcoming Apple Watch release is shaping up to be one of the company's more exciting product launches this year."

The AirPods Pro launched 1,000 days ago today and are the oldest current-generation Apple device still on sale.

Apple announced the AirPods Pro on Monday, October 28, 2019. The earbuds went on sale immediately and orders started arriving to customers on Thursday, October 31.

Apple went on to release the AirPods Max in December 2020 and the third-generation AirPods in October 2021. After the discontinuation of the iPod touch earlier this year, which itself is 1,153 days old today, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ are the oldest current-generation Apple device still on sale, followed by the 2019 Mac Pro, which is 957 days old today.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes have repeatedly said that the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 will launch in the second-half of 2022, so the new model is now likely just a matter of months away. According to reports from a range of sources, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 are expected to feature:

• The same design as the current model.
• Skin-detect sensors instead of IR sensors.
• "Significantly upgraded" wireless chip.
• Support for Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) playback.
• Updated motion sensors with a focus on fitness tracking.
• A sound-emitting charging case for location-tracking purposes.

It has also been suggested that the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 will feature an updated chip, self-adaptive noise cancellation capabilities, heart rate and temperature sensors, hearing aid capabilities, and a USB-C port, but Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman have cast doubt over this information.

It seems likely that the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2's sound-emitting charging case will integrate into the Find My app, similar to how users can currently emit a sound from their individual AirPods inside the case to help find them. This lines up with alleged leaked photos of the next-generation AirPods Pro, which showed a charging case with speaker holes to emit a sound for location tracking, allowing the earbuds and the case to be located separately.

Support for Lossless audio is among the biggest upgrades expected for the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 and could have ramifications for the AirPods lineup in the future. All of Apple's current AirPods products, including the third-generation AirPods, ‌AirPods Pro‌, and ‌AirPods Max‌, do not support Lossless audio.

This is because AirPods play audio via Bluetooth, limiting them to the AAC codec. Higher quality Apple Lossless Audio Codec files may need to be streamed to AirPods directly to circumvent Bluetooth and enable a Lossless listening experience, but it is possible that Apple could develop an alternative solution to bypass the current limits of Bluetooth.

Kuo has narrowed down the launch of the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 to the fourth quarter of 2022, which runs from October through December of the year. This means the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 could arrive around three years after their predecessors. For more information, see our detailed AirPods Pro 2 guide.

Earlier this week, Apple agreed to a proposed $50 million settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging that the butterfly keyboard used in certain MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models is defective, which can result in usability issues.

The settlement still needs to receive final court approval. In the meantime, here is everything to know about the agreement as currently proposed.

Eligible Customers

The proposed settlement applies to any U.S. resident who meets all three criteria:

• Purchased any MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro equipped with a butterfly keyboard between 2015 and 2019 in the United States (except for resale purposes)
• Obtained a qualifying keyboard repair from Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider
• The repair did not resolve your keyboard issues

The class action lawsuit does not apply to MacBook models sold outside of the United States.

Eligible MacBook Models

• MacBook (Retina, 12-­inch, Early 2015)
• MacBook (Retina, 12­-inch, Early 2016)
• MacBook (Retina, 12-­inch, 2017)
• MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
• MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2019)
• MacBook Pro (13­-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2016)
• MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2017)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2018)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2019)

To identify your Mac, click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen and click on "About This Mac" in the dropdown menu.

Payout Amounts

Eligible class members may be able to receive a payout of up to $395 from Apple, but it depends on how many people submit a claim and other factors.

• Class members who obtained two or more top case replacements from Apple or an Authorized Service Provider within four years after purchase of an eligible MacBook model, based on Apple's records, will be paid automatically without the need to submit a claim, according to the proposed settlement. Apple's payment to each class member in this group is estimated to be between $300 and $395.
• Class members who obtained one top case replacement from Apple or an Authorized Service Provider within four years after purchase of an eligible MacBook model, and who attest on a claim form that the repair did not resolve their keyboard issues, are estimated to receive up to $125.
• Class members who obtained one or more key cap replacements (but no top case replacements) from Apple or an Authorized Service Provider within four years after purchase of an eligible MacBook model, and who attest that the repair did not resolve their keyboard issues, are estimated to receive up to $50.

If you received a record of the repair from Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider, it will specify whether you received a top case replacement or a key cap replacement. The top case refers to the component including a MacBook's keyboard, trackpad, glued-in battery, and speakers. Key caps refer to individual keys.

Each of the 12 named plaintiffs/class representatives will receive up to $5,000 as an award for their time and effort, and lawyers will receive up to 30% of the Settlement Fund in attorney fees, according to the proposed settlement.

Settlement payouts are only available to class members who received repairs performed by Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. The settlement does not provide reimbursement for any repairs completed by unauthorized third-party repair providers or any other out-of-pocket expenses, according to the proposed agreement.

Request for Exclusion

All individuals who fit the description of the proposed class have the right to exclude themselves from the settlement. By excluding yourself from the settlement, you are not eligible to receive a payout as part of the settlement, but retain your individual rights to sue Apple for the same allegations outlined in the class action lawsuit.

Class members will be able to submit a request for exclusion through the forthcoming settlement website or by U.S. mail to the settlement administrator. The deadline for exclusion will be 95 days after preliminary approval of the settlement.

Apple Denies Any Wrongdoing

Despite agreeing to a $50 million settlement, Apple said it denies all of the allegations made in the lawsuit, according to the proposed settlement:

Apple denies all of the allegations made in the lawsuit, denies that any MacBooks are defective, and denies that Apple did anything improper or unlawful. Apple asserts numerous defenses to the claims in this case. The proposed settlement to resolve this case is not an admission of guilt or wrongdoing of any kind by Apple.

Apple nonetheless concluded that a settlement "is in its best interests" to avoid additional time and legal expenses involved with prolonged litigation.

Given the settlement, the court did not decide in favor of Apple or the plaintiffs.

Next Steps

If and when the proposed settlement receives final approval by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, a settlement website will be created where class members can file a claim, submit a request for exclusion, and learn additional information.

Apple will provide the settlement administrator with the email addresses of each class member for whom it has an email address on file. The settlement administrator will then notify class members by email in due time. Some class members may also be notified by U.S. mail. If you do not receive a notice but meet the description of the proposed class, it will be possible to submit a claim through the settlement website once live.

A final hearing to decide the fairness of the settlement will be held at least 130 days after preliminary approval of the settlement, so there are likely still several months remaining until things are finalized and payments to class members begin.

Apple's Free Keyboard Service Program

In 2018, Apple launched a Keyboard Service Program after it determined that a "small percentage" of the keyboards in certain MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models may exhibit one or more of the following behaviors:

• Letters or characters repeat unexpectedly
• Letters or characters do not appear
• Key(s) feel "sticky" or do not respond in a consistent manner

As part of the worldwide program, Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will repair eligible MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro keyboards, free of charge, for up to four years after the first retail sale of the affected notebook. However, a problem with the repair program is that Apple replaces the butterfly keyboard with another butterfly keyboard, which means that the same issues may reoccur over time.

Apple says customers who believe their MacBook was affected by this issue and paid to have their keyboard repaired can contact Apple about a refund.

In March 2019, Apple apologized about the matter. "We are aware that a small number of users are having issues with their third-generation butterfly keyboard and for that we are sorry," an Apple spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. "The vast majority of Mac notebook customers are having a positive experience with the new keyboard."

Starting with the 16-inch MacBook Pro in November 2019, Apple ditched the butterfly keyboard and returned to using a more reliable scissor keyboard. Apple no longer sells any Macs with butterfly keyboards, putting an end to years of complaints.

This week saw Apple news on both the software and hardware fronts, as the company released iOS 15.6, macOS 12.5, and related operating system updates while we also got our first good looks inside the brand-new M2 MacBook Air.

Other Apple news this week included the first major batch of Apple Arcade games leaving the service in the near future, while Jonathan Morrison joined us on this week's episode of "The MacRumors Show" podcast, so read on below for details on these stories and more!

Apple Releases iOS 15.6 With New Live Sports Features and More

Apple this week released iOS 15.6 with a handful of new features and bug fixes for the iPhone. In the TV app, for example, it is now possible to restart a live sports game that is already in progress.

We've put together a list of everything new in iOS 15.6, so be sure to check that out after updating your iPhone.

Apple has also released iPadOS 15.6 with a fix for an iPad mini 6 charging issue, macOS 12.5 with the same live sports enhancements, watchOS 8.7, tvOS 15.6, and HomePod software version 15.6 with support for Siri in two additional languages and more.

M2 MacBook Air Teardown Reveals Accelerometer, Battery Pull Tabs, and More

Following the launch of the new MacBook Air, both iFixit and YouTube channel Max Tech have completed a teardown of the notebook.

iFixit discovered that the new MacBook Air is equipped with an accelerometer for reasons unclear, along with battery pull tabs and more.

Max Tech provided a look at the M2 chip, single NAND storage chip for the 256GB model, and some other logic board components.

'The MacRumors Show' Podcast: Jonathan Morrison Talks Spatial Audio

YouTube creator Jonathan Morrison joined us on the latest episode of "The MacRumors Show" podcast to take a deep dive into Apple's audio technologies, including Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.

Listen to "The MacRumors Show" via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, or wherever you get your podcasts from. You can also watch a video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

M2 'Extreme' Chip Headed to New Mac Pro for Blazing Fast Performance

Apple is working on a new Mac Pro with an M2 "Extreme" chip, according to a recent report from well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.

Gurman said the new Mac Pro will include ‌"M2‌ Ultra" and ‌"M2‌ Extreme" chip options. At present, the M1 Ultra in the Mac Studio is Apple's most powerful chip available, featuring a 20-core CPU and up to a 64-core GPU, along with a 32-core Neural Engine for machine learning.

iPhone X vs. iPhone 14 Pro: New Features to Expect if You've Waited to Upgrade

Launched in 2017, the iPhone X was a major evolution of the iPhone, with new features like Face ID, an OLED display, wireless charging, and more.

If you've been holding on to your iPhone X and are considering upgrading to the iPhone 14 Pro later this year, check out our iPhone X vs. iPhone 14 Pro comparison for new features to expect.

Other comparisons: iPhone XS vs. 14 Pro, 11 Pro vs. 14 Pro, and 12 Pro vs. 14 Pro.

15 Games Leaving Apple Arcade Soon — Here's Why

Apple recently shared a list of 15 games that will be removed from Apple Arcade soon due to the upcoming expiry of some three-year deals that Apple signed with some game developers.

In a new support document, Apple clarified what happens when games are removed from Apple Arcade, including how long the games will remain playable, how a user's saved game progress will be affected, and more.

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!

Apple today replenished its stock of certified refurbished iPhone 12 Pro models in the U.S. for the first time since early April. A variety of storage capacities and color options are available to choose from, with pricing starting at $759.

Apple's online refurbished store currently has refurbished iPhone 12 Pro models available with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB of storage, with Gold, Silver, Graphite, and Pacific Blue color options. Orders placed today are estimated for delivery as early as next week, and in-store pickup is also an option at select Apple Store locations.

When the iPhone 12 Pro was first released in October 2020, pricing started at $999, meaning refurbished pricing is around 15% off. Apple stopped selling the iPhone 12 Pro brand new when the iPhone 13 Pro was released last year.

The refurbished iPhone 12 Pro models are all unlocked and SIM-free. All refurbished iPhones come with a new battery, a new outer shell, and a new white box that includes all manuals and a USB-C to Lightning cable. All refurbished iPhones are covered by Apple's standard one-year warranty and are eligible for extended AppleCare+ coverage.

Apple says its refurbished iPhones are thoroughly tested and cleaned, and in our view, they are virtually indistinguishable from brand new iPhones. One of the only notable differences with a certified refurbished iPhone is that it comes in a plainer box.

Key new features of the iPhone 12 Pro compared to the iPhone 11 Pro included a new design with flat edges, the A14 Bionic chip, 5G support, MagSafe, improved durability with the Ceramic Shield front cover, the LiDAR Scanner, and camera improvements.

Apple has yet to begin selling certified refurbished iPhone 12 Pro Max models via its U.S. store.

Apple last week launched a redesigned version of the MacBook Air that's equipped with a next-generation M2 chip. If you own the original M1 ‌MacBook Air‌ and have been thinking about upgrading, or if you're simply new to the ‌MacBook Air‌ and are trying to choose between the two machines, we've done a hands-on comparison video pitting the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ against the prior-generation ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌.

Most Mac updates are iterative and focus on the internals of the machine, but that's not the case with the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌. Apple overhauled the entire design, getting rid of the tapered look in favor of a flat-edged shape that's much more similar to the MacBook Pro.

The new ‌MacBook Air‌ is thinner and lighter than the prior-generation version, and it's available in new colors that include Midnight and Starlight. The design is a notable update that's fresher and more modern, plus the display is 100 nits brighter.

The ‌M2‌ chip has the same 8-core CPU as the ‌M1‌ chip, but it's just a bit faster and more efficient, plus the base machine has an extra GPU core so GPU performance has been boosted. Both entry-level ‌M1‌ and ‌M2‌ machines feature 8GB unified memory and a 256GB SSD, but it's worth noting that the ‌M1‌ has two 128GB NAND flash chips, while the ‌M2‌ has just one, which has resulted in slower performance on benchmarks.

While the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ was limited to two USB-C ports, the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ adds a MagSafe port to allow for extra port access and a better charging experience. The keyboard and trackpad are largely the same, but Apple did introduce some major changes that make the speakers sound better.

Apple is selling the base ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ for $1,199 and the base ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ for $999, so is the ‌M2‌ worth the extra money? For most people, yes. The ‌M2‌ offers faster performance, a larger display, ‌MagSafe‌, and Apple's latest design, which is worth the $200 premium if you can swing it. If you already have an ‌M1‌, you should probably wait to upgrade because the ‌M1‌ still offers stellar performance. Make sure to watch our full video up above to see these two machines side by side, and see our M1 MacBook Air vs. M2 MacBook Air guide for a more in-depth comparison.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with ColorWare to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a set of custom-painted third-generation AirPods, available in hundreds of unique color combinations.

For those unfamiliar with ColorWare, it is a customization company that's been offering custom painted devices, electronics, and accessories for many years. ColorWare provides unique painting options and skins for everything from consoles to iPhones to earbuds like the AirPods.

Custom-colored third-generation AirPods can be purchased from ColorWare for $319 for just the AirPods, or $369 for the AirPods and the Wireless Charging Case together. There's a premium price tag for ordering from ColorWare, but it's the only way to get AirPods in a color other than white because Apple still doesn't sell alternate color options like black.

ColorWare offers solid and metallic color options, with gloss and matte finishes to top it off. You can get the traditional black, gold, or silver colors to match Apple's devices, but there are also bright shades in every color of the rainbow. If you want AirPods in yellow, orange, teal, green, deep purple, blue, pink, or one of dozens of other colors, ColorWare is the best option.

ColorWare even has an Illusion finish for the AirPods in multi-chrome colors that shift depending on the lighting in the room, plus there's a Retro version designed after classic Macs.

Each AirPod can be custom painted in the same color as the case or you can order the case and the earbuds all in different colors, so there are tons of color combinations to choose from.

Because ColorWare has been offering custom painted devices since 1998, the company has perfected the painting process. ColorWare uses a multi-step coating process that includes a primer, the application of a proprietary color formula, and an X2 liquid plastic coating that protects the color. ColorWare's custom painting is guaranteed for 12 months or 24 months with the purchase of an additional warranty.

ColorWare uses standard AirPods from Apple and paints them, which leaves the full AirPods functionality intact. There's an H1 chip for quick and easy pairing, and spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, Adaptive EQ, and more.

We have two sets of custom-painted third-generation AirPods and Wireless Charging case to give away, with each winner able to choose the color and finish of their choice. To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (July 22) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on July 29. The winners will be chosen randomly on July 29 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.