Friday is the official launch day of Apple's new M2-powered MacBook Air, and as customers who pre-ordered begin to receive their purchases, Apple has also started in-store sales for the new notebook.
Customers across the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and other regions can now place an order on Apple's website or in the Apple Store app and arrange for in-store pickup at a local retail location.
A quick spot check on the U.K. Apple online store suggests that most stores in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have available stock for customers today, although there are exceptions.
For example, the 8-Core GPU model in Midnight color with 256GB of storage isn't available for in-store pickup in Scotland's Apple stores until Tuesday, August 16, reflecting a similar wait time for online orders.
Similar delays for base configurations are reflected in certain stores in other European countries, while Australian stores won't receive stock for any configurations until Monday or Tuesday.
Key features of the new MacBook Air include Apple's latest M2 chip, a new design with flatter edges, a slightly larger 13.6-inch display with a notch, MagSafe charging, an upgraded 1080p camera, and new Starlight and Midnight color options alongside Silver and Space Gray.
The notebook is also equipped with two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones.
Pricing for the new MacBook Air starts at $1,199. The notebook is available with up to 24GB of unified memory and up to a 2TB SSD. The previous MacBook Air with the M1 chip remains available for $999.
Apple has updated its Developer System Status page to indicate multiple outages, reflecting developers' struggle to upload new versions of their apps.
Developers have contacted MacRumors to report frustration as their binaries are currently failing to upload with no informative error codes.
Apple's System Status page shows issues with Xcode Cloud, TestFlight and App Store Connect, with the latter experiencing problems with app processing and app upload.
It's not clear what the source of the problem is, but Apple is clearly aware of the situation and will already be working on a fix. We'll update this article when the issues are resolved.
Update: Apple's Developer System Status page says the issues with App Store Connect, TestFlight, and Xcode Cloud have been resolved.
It's July 15 in New Zealand and Australia, which means the M2MacBook Air launch day has officially kicked off. Customers in New Zealand and Australia are always the first to get their hands on new devices due to time zone differences.
Customers who ordered the M2 MacBook Air last week are starting to receive their new machines and will soon be sharing their experiences with the new design and M2 chip on the MacRumors forums, Twitter, and other social networks.
Because New Zealand does not have Apple retail locations, customers in Australia will be the first to be able to pick up an M2 MacBook Air from an Apple Store. Available MacBook Air stock in Australia will give us an idea of what we might be able to expect from other stores around the world. Apple is likely to have stock machines available, but custom configurations will need to be ordered online.
Delivery dates for the M2 MacBook Air slipped just after the machine was launched, suggesting that it is in short supply. M2 MacBook Air models ordered online will not be shipping out until mid to late August due to supply constraints.
Following New Zealand and Australia, sales of the MacBook Air are set to begin in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and then North America.
Pricing on the M2 MacBook Air starts at $1,199 in the United States. The updated M2 chip features a faster 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, plus the body has been redesigned. It includes a larger 13.6-inch display, a MacBook Pro-like chassis with no taper, MagSafe charging, and new colors like Midnight Blue and Starlight.
Get a new M2 MacBook Air today? Let us know in the comments.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 149 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Web Inspector, Media, CSS, CSS Container Queries, Rendering, JavaScript, Screen Sharing, Web Animations, WebAuthn, Navigation Preload, Web API, and Security.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is built on the Safari 16 update and it includes support for feature coming in macOS Ventura such as Live Text, Passkeys, Web Extension improvements, and more.
The new build of Safari Technology Preview is compatible with machines running macOS 13 Ventura, unlike prior versions of Safari Technology Preview, but it no longer works with macOS Big Sur.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
The iOS 16 Safari update builds on the Tab Groups feature introduced in iOS 16, plus it adds some much-needed quality of life improvements and security enhancements.
This guide covers all of the new features in Safari in iOS 16, which is available now, and iPadOS 16, coming in October.
Tab Group Updates
Introduced in iOS 15, Tab Groups let you organize and save your tabs into different segments that you can swap between. So, for example, if you're planning a trip, you can save all your tabs into a "Trip" group. In iOS 16, Apple takes Tab Groups even further with new features.
Pinned Tabs
Pinned tabs are now available in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, and they can be used in Tab Groups. If you have tabs in your Tab Group that you want to have open all the time, pinning is an option. To pin a tab to a Tab Group in iOS 16, open up the Tab Group then long press on the URL bar in Safari and choose the "Pin Tab" option.
Every Tab Group has its own separate Start Page in iOS 16, so you can have different favorites, frequently visited sites, and other options that are exclusive to each group of tabs.
Accessing the start page can be done by going to the Tab View and then pressing the "+" button to open an empty page. If you scroll down to the bottom, you can tap on "Edit" to customize your Tab Group start page. You'll need to have the Tab Group you want to customize active, as this is a process that needs to be done separately for each Tab Group.
Any Tab Group you've created can now be shared with friends and family, allowing multiple people to contribute links and work together. Everyone can add tabs and see the Tab Group update instantly.
A Tab Group can be shared by tapping on the share sheet icon at the top of the Tab View and then selecting a person to share with. You can send an invite using Messages, and then see who's participating in the Tab Group interface.
Passkeys are meant to replace traditional passwords when signing into websites or apps, and Apple is aiming to roll out Passkeys starting in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura.
Passkeys are next-generation credentials that are safer and easier to use than passwords, using a dual authentication key system. One key is public and stored on the website server, while the second key is private and kept on-device. On the iPhone and other devices with biometric authentication, Face ID or Touch ID is used to authorize the passkey to authenticate the user to the website. The keys must match to allow for a log-in, and because the second key is private and available only to the user, it cannot be stolen, leaked, or phished.
Passkeys rely on iCloud Keychain, which in turn requires two-factor authentication for further protection. Passkeys sync across all of a user's devices through iCloud Keychain, which is end-to-end encrypted with its own cryptographic keys.
Passkeys will work on all Apple devices, but Apple is also working with companies like Microsoft and Google to ensure that Passkeys can also be used with non-Apple devices.
Extension Syncing
If you've downloaded an extension on another device, you can see it in the Safari preferences on your iPhone thanks to Extensions syncing, a new iOS 16 feature.
After it's installed, the extension will sync across devices so you only need to turn it on once. Extensions are listed in the Settings app under Safari > Extensions. Extensions not on your device are listed in the "On Other Devices" section so you can easily download them.
If you don't want to share extensions across devices, you can toggle off the option in the same Settings section.
Web Push Notifications
Website push notifications have been available through Safari on the Mac for some time now, but in iOS 16, these push notifications are also going to be available on the iPhone and iPad.
Support for web push notifications won't be available when iOS 16 launches, with the feature coming in an update later this year.
As on the Mac, web notifications will be available on an opt-in basis, and you will be able to choose websites to receive notifications for.
Website Settings Sync
Your website settings like page zoom, automatic Reader view, and more, will now sync across devices so you only need to set your preferences once. If you don't want to share settings for websites across devices, you can toggle it off in the Safari section of the Settings app.
Strong Password Editing
When you're creating a website account using Safari, Safari will suggest a strong password for you to use, which syncs with iCloud Keychain. Unfortunately, some websites have specific requirements like a certain number of symbols or capital letters that strong passwords don't always fulfill.
With iOS 16, there is an option to edit strong passwords so you can adjust them as needed to meet site requirements.
Apple in iOS 16 added a new Focus option called Filters. Filters are designed to allow users to filter out content within apps, displaying a specific Safari Tab Group or Mail account. When you use a Focus with a filter set, the app with the filter will only show what you've selected, hiding everything else.
For Safari, you can choose any Tab Group account to associate with a Focus. With a filter set, when you're in that Focus, Safari will only show the Tab Group you've selected.
Lift Subject From Background
iOS 16 has a fun feature that lets you drag subjects right out of images, and it works in the Safari app. Open up a webpage with any image, long press on the image, and then choose the "Copy Subject" option.
Your iPhone will automatically copy the main subject of the image and then you can paste it elsewhere, into the Messages app, for example.
The new MacBook Air with the M2 chip launches this Friday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the new MacBook Air have been shared by some media outlets and YouTube channels, providing a closer look at the redesigned notebook and its capabilities.
Key features of the new MacBook Air include Apple's latest M2 chip, a new design with flatter edges, a slightly larger 13.6-inch display with a notch, MagSafe charging, an upgraded 1080p camera, and new Starlight and Midnight color options alongside Silver and Space Gray. The notebook is also equipped with two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones.
Pricing for the new MacBook Air starts at $1,199. The notebook is available with up to 24GB of unified memory and up to a 2TB SSD.
The Air is impressively thin and light, but it also has a bigger and better screen, a great set of speakers and a nifty MagSafe power adapter. And thanks to Apple's M2 chip, it's also far speedier than the last model, a computer I called "stunningly fast" just a year-and-a-half ago. Once again, Apple has set a new standard for ultraportables.
The Verge's Dan Seifert said the new MacBook Air is "a success on virtually every level," but he said that customers looking to upgrade from an older notebook should still consider the previous MacBook Air with the M1 chip, which starts at $999:
The new MacBook Air is a success on virtually every level. It's got a better screen, thinner and lighter design, better speakers, a much-improved webcam, an excellent keyboard and trackpad, more convenient charging, and excellent build quality.
But that success comes at a cost, literally, and the performance advancements over the M1 model aren't as stark as the design and feature improvements are. The M2 Air is a better choice for the vast majority of people over the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro model, even though the Pro has slightly better performance and longer battery life.
Faster Performance With M2 Chip
Jason Snell shared a variety of benchmarks for the new MacBook Air in his review at Six Colors. In line with Apple's advertising, Geekbench 5 results show that the M2 chip delivers up to around 18% faster multi-core performance compared to the M1 model, while single-core performance is up to 11% faster.
Thinner and Lighter Design
The new MacBook Air does away with the notebook's iconic wedge-shaped design in favor of a flatter design. The Verge's Dan Seifert said he is "a fan of this new design," which he described as "remarkably thin" and "extremely portable":
Yet it's remarkably thin — just a smidge over 11 millimeters — and that thinness is immediately noticeable when you open the lid and start typing on it. It's also noticed whenever you slot it into a bag or carry it around. The older MacBook Air's tapered shape had less visual weight and may look thinner, but the new model is indeed slimmer than its predecessor.
It's also slightly lighter, at 2.7 pounds vs. the older model's 2.8. That's not a huge difference, and the Air is far from the lightest computer you can buy, but it does make it extremely portable and easy to tote around wherever I need it.
Slower SSD in Base Model
In a statement issued to The Verge, an Apple spokesperson confirmed that the base 256GB model of the new MacBook Air has a single NAND chip, which will result in slower SSD speeds in benchmark testing. Apple said real-world performance of the new MacBook Air is "even faster," but the statement does not explicitly refer to SSD speeds:
Thanks to the performance increases of M2, the new MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro are incredibly fast, even compared to Mac laptops with the powerful M1 chip. These new systems use a new higher density NAND that delivers 256GB storage using a single chip. While benchmarks of the 256GB SSD may show a difference compared to the previous generation, the performance of these M2 based systems for real world activities are even faster.
Last month, it was discovered that the 256GB model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip has up to 50% slower SSD read speeds and up to 30% slower SSD write speeds compared to the equivalent previous-generation model in benchmarks.
The dilemma arises from the fact that Apple switched to using a single 256GB flash storage chip instead of two 128GB chips in the base models of the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Configurations equipped with 512GB of storage or more are equipped with multiple NAND chips, allowing for faster speeds in parallel.
If the fastest SSD speeds are important to your workflow, we recommend configuring the new MacBook Air with at least 512GB of storage.
Apple and Major League Baseball today announced the August schedule for "Friday Night Baseball," with all of the games available to watch for free on Apple TV+ without a subscription. Assigned broadcasters for each game will be announced on a weekly basis.
The weekly "Friday Night Baseball" doubleheaders, along with live pregame and postgame shows, can be watched in the Apple TV app across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD boxes, select Xbox and PlayStation consoles, select smart TVs, on the web at tv.apple.com, and elsewhere. The games are available to watch in the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the UK.
The schedule is as follows:
Friday, August 5 Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies 7 p.m. ET
Cincinnati Reds at Milwaukee Brewers 8 p.m. ET
Friday, August 12 San Diego Padres at Washington Nationals 7 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets 7 p.m. ET
Friday, August 19 Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees 7 p.m. ET
Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins 8 p.m. ET
Friday, August 26 Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 7 p.m. ET
Cleveland Guardians at Seattle Mariners 10 p.m. ET
"Friday Night Baseball" debuted on Apple TV+ in April and will continue throughout the 2022 regular season, with no subscription required for a limited time.
Aqara this week launched the Curtain Driver E1, providing a solution to retrofit traditional curtains with automated motors and HomeKit functionality.
The Curtain Driver E1 hooks onto curtain rods and uses a motor to push curtains open or pull them closed, also offering Zigbee 3.0 and a 6,000mAh battery that can deliver 12-month battery life. Like Apple's Home app, the Curtain Driver E1 will be updated to support Matter in the future, according to Aqara.
There are two variants of the device, including a rod version for curtain poles and a track version for U-rails and I-rails, and you will need to ensure that you select the correct variant at the point of purchase. The driver can support heavy curtains up to 12kg, but it is worth checking exactly what sort of curtains and rod or track you have against Aqara's exact compatibility requirements. For example, curtain rods must be between 0.98-inches (25mm) and 1.26-inches (32mm) in diameter and cannot be telescopic. It is also important to note two separate curtain drivers are required for pairs of curtains.
Setup
Installing the Curtain Driver E1 is relatively easy. You simply mount the rod hanger over the curtain rod between the last two curtain grommets, extend the driver's hooks by double-pressing the button, hook the motor onto the hanger, and retract the hooks by double-pressing the button again. This ensures that the motor applies the correct amount of pressure to the rod depending on its size.
The driver also comes with set of eight curtain clips and a rubber strip. The instruction manual suggests using the clips and strip along the top of a curtain, presumably to help the motor pull it along uniformly, but I found this fiddly and unsightly, with the clips scraping along my ceiling, so I left them off and this didn't seem to affect the motor's ability to pull the curtain at all.
To connect the driver to the network, open the Aqara app, select the E1 from the list of accessories, and follow the on-screen instructions to set the open and closed positions. If you have two Curtain Driver E1 units, you can bind them together in the app so they operate in sync.
To add the curtains to the Home app, simply select the option in the Aqara app and scan the HomeKit code printed on the curtain driver's base. The Home app then correctly displays the curtains with relevant controls, so it is virtually no longer necessary to use the Aqara app.
Camera Hub G3
The Curtain Driver E1 requires the use of an Aqara home hub. In this case, I used the Camera Hub G3, which doubles as a feature-rich HomeKit-enabled camera, avoiding the need for a dedicated hub to be connected to the router.
At its core, it is a Zigbee 3.0 hub with support for up to 128 sub-devices and both 2GHz and 5GHz networks, but it also offers a 2K camera, 20 FPS playback, support for two-way conversations, an infrared blaster, 360° rotation with pan and tilt, AI gesture and facial recognition, a built-in privacy mode, local storage, a 1/4-inch tripod mount, a USB-C port, and more.
The camera seems to handle bright, natural sunlight well and nighttime performance is good thanks to its high-resolution. Two-way conversations are possible thanks to a built-in microphone and speaker. It features a privacy mode that rotates the camera inside the body, shows two closed eyes on the front, and provides access to a micro-SD card slot for local storage. If you're not a fan of the camera's look, you can easily push off the silicone hood to remove the "ears."
The camera can locally detect individual faces and can be set to follow people and pets, or be triggered by abnormal sounds, with plenty of conferable settings in the Aqara app. When manually looking around a room or automatically following a person, motor operation is smooth and effectively silent.
Pan and tilt features are not supported natively in the Home app, but if you configure it in the Aqara app, it is displayed perfectly in Apple's Home app. The camera seemed a little reluctant to tilt upwards when necessary and I noticed that it seems to get quite warm, but otherwise it works extremely well, especially in iOS 16's redesigned Home app camera views. The hub functionality of the G3 will support Matter later this year, as Matter will not support cameras in its initial release.
Daily Use
I found that the Curtain Driver E1 opened my curtains quickly and fairly reliably. The driver is heavy owing to its large internal battery and it has a bulky design, but it is very good in terms of build quality, and this is all hidden behind the curtain. It is also easy enough to unhook the driver from the rod hanger and charge it via USB-C.
For granular controls, you need to use Aqara's app. There, you can mitigate motor noise by slowing it down. There are also options to have curtains open very slowly over the course of a period of time to simulate a natural sunrise. Nevertheless, the Home app can be used for basic functions like opening and closing, checking battery level, or if there are any obstructions to the motor's movement.
The Curtain Driver E1 can be controlled physically by pressing the buttons or by simply tugging the curtain gently in the direction that you want it to travel. The motor detects this and completes the procedure.
However, I would caution users who seek to use the Curtain Driver E1 with longer curtains. In this instance, the top end of the curtains close seamlessly, but the bottom half can be dragged along the floor and not close fully, so the drivers probably work best with curtains that do not reach the floor. I would also warn people that have curtain rods with a support in the middle that there could be some gap left between curtains, and it is not possible to ensure that pairs of curtains overlap to block out light.
Automations
Below its status LED and button, the Curtain Driver E1 features a built-in ambient light sensor. Unfortunately, the sensor is not exposed to HomeKit and does not provide an exact reading of lux it detects, but it allows curtains to be opened or closed around the thresholds of "weak ambient light" or "strong ambient light" in automations in the Aqara app.
For more accurate and specific light automations, you can always use another sensor and set up an automation in the Home app. There are possibilities to control curtains with pre-set schedules such as sunset and sunrise, local weather, and geofencing, or connect with other accessories and scenes.
Beyond acting as a hub for the Curtain Driver E1, the Camera Hub G3 allows the Curtain Driver E1 to be controlled with hand gestures. While this is contingent on using Aqara's app and being located inside the camera's field of view, there are plenty of other automations possibilities work in Apple's Home app natively.
The Curtain Driver E1 is also easily paired with other accessories for specific automations. For example, Aqara's Motion Sensor P1 can trigger curtains to open upon entering a room for the first time in the morning or when an exact light level is reached outside. The motion sensor has three sensitivity modes, a built-in light sensor, a wide 170° field of view, configurable detection timeout, and support for Matter later this year.
The Bottom Line
With a large battery capacity, USB-C charging, excellent build quality, manual control options, and built-in light sensor, the Curtain Driver E1 justifies its price, but things can start to get expensive if you need two drivers for a pair of curtains, as well as an Aqara hub. It may be one of the best available solutions for retrofitting existing curtains with motorization and HomeKit integration, but it inevitably falls short of more costly, dedicated motorized curtain rails.
I was still impressed with Aqara's Curtain Driver E1 and it seems to be a great option for customers who want to automate existing curtains in HomeKit, especially if they already have just a single curtain or other devices in the Aqara ecosystem, and are willing to put up with a little bit of friction with regards to compatibility, setup, and charging.
For those looking for a hub for the Curtain Driver E1 or a reliable smart home camera, I would also highly recommend the Camera Hub G3. It is by far the most feature-rich and versatile HomeKit camera I have ever used, delivering high image quality and useful object tracking.
How to Buy
The Curtain Driver E1 is Amazon in both North America and Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain), as well as via selective Aqara retailers around the world (availability may vary).
Note: Aqara provided MacRumors with a Curtain Driver E1, Camera Hub G3, and Motion Sensor P1 for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
Ubiquiti earlier this week announced that it is rolling out firmware version 3.7.0 for its AmpliFi Alien router, which delivers HomeKit support.
HomeKit support allows the router to be managed from the Home app across Apple's platforms to adjust security settings for various HomeKit accessories installed in the home. The functionality serves to firewall HomeKit devices by allowing them to communicate only with other approved devices, helping secure potentially sensitive accessories such as cameras from unauthorized access.
Only a few brands such as Linksys and Eero have supported HomeKit on select routers so far, so Ubiquiti is a notable addition.
Ubiquiti says the firmware update is a staged automatic rollout, but instructions for manually updating to the latest version are linked in the announcement. Users will also need the latest version of the AmpliFi WiFi app for iPhone.
In the wake of Prime Day we aren't tracking as many discounts as we were earlier in the week, but Amazon is offering a handful of solid markdowns on the 2021 MacBook Pro lineup today. These include multiple all-time low prices on the 14-inch and 16-inch models of the MacBook Pro.
14-inch MacBook Pro
You can get the 14-inch MacBook Pro (8-Core M1 Pro/512GB) for $1,799.00 in Silver and Space Gray, down from $1,999.00. This is a solid second-best price on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, and there's a slight shipping delay with estimated delivery of around July 23 for Silver and August 2 for Space Gray.
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 higher-end model, the 10-Core M1 Pro/1TB 14-inch MacBook Pro is on sale for $2,249.00, down from $2,499.00. This is an all-time low price on this model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro, and at this time it's only available in Silver.
Moving to the larger 16-inch MacBook Pro, we're tracking an all-time low price on the 10-Core M1 Pro/512GB 16-inch MacBook Pro, priced at $2,249.00, down from $2,499.00. This one is available in both colors, with Space Gray running low on stock as of writing.
On the higher end, the 10-Core M1 Pro/1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro is on sale for $2,449.00, down from $2,699.00. At $250 off, this is the best price you'll find online for this version of the 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro.
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.
Counterfeit cases for the entire iPhone 14 lineup, seeking to imitate official Apple accessories, are already available in China.
The cases, shared on Twitter by Majin Bu, are intended to look like official Apple silicone cases for all four of the expected iPhone 14 models, including the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, and the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Genuine Apple silicone cases feature MagSafe and no longer come in a transparent plastic shell, but the replicas may be stylistically close enough to Apple's offerings to fool some customers.
The iPhone 14 lineup is still around two months away from launch, but the proliferation of fake cases coming from China indicates how accessory makers are now certain about the exact design of this year's new devices. Accurate production molds often enter the supply chain well ahead of a new iPhone's launch, allowing companies to work on accessories that will fit the new iPhones correctly when they launch.
The Twitter user known as "DuanRui" today shared one such mold for the iPhone 14 Pro, showing how much larger the rear camera array is expected to get this year:
As suppliers prepare to ramp up production before this year's new iPhone models are unveiled, it was reported earlier today that Apple expects the iPhone 14 lineup to sell better than the iPhone 13.
The first embargoed reviews of the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip have now been published. One notable detail confirmed by The Verge is that the $1,199 base model equipped with 256GB of storage has a single NAND chip, which will lead to slower SSD speeds in benchmark testing, but real-world performance may vary.
Last month, it was discovered that the 256GB model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip has up to 50% slower SSD read speeds and up to 30% slower SSD write speeds compared to the equivalent previous-generation model in benchmarks.
The dilemma arises from the fact that Apple switched to using a single 256GB flash storage chip instead of two 128GB chips in the base models of the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Configurations equipped with 512GB of storage or more are equipped with multiple NAND chips, allowing for faster speeds in parallel.
In a statement issued to The Verge, Apple said that while benchmarks of the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro with 256GB of storage "may show a difference" compared to previous-generation models, real-world performance is "even faster":
Thanks to the performance increases of M2, the new MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro are incredibly fast, even compared to Mac laptops with the powerful M1 chip. These new systems use a new higher density NAND that delivers 256GB storage using a single chip. While benchmarks of the 256GB SSD may show a difference compared to the previous generation, the performance of these M2 based systems for real world activities are even faster.
It's unclear if Apple's statement refers explicitly to real-world SSD performance or overall system performance. Some tests of the base model 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip showed that SSD speeds were slower even in real-world usage, but results have been mixed. Overall, if the fastest SSD speeds are important to you, we recommend configuring the new MacBook Air with at least 512GB of storage to avoid any potential impact.
Nanoleaf, known for its unique HomeKit-enabled lighting panels, today announced the launch of new limited edition Shapes Ultra Black Triangles. The new Ultra Black panels are debuting to celebrate Nanoleaf's 10th anniversary, or "Nanoversary."
Lighting panels that are available in black have been a frequent customer request that Nanoleaf decided to deliver on for its anniversary. The Shapes Ultra Black Triangles have a 360-degree black finish that's quite unlike Nanoleaf's previous white plastic panels that some have criticized for the design when not activated.
We were able to take a look at the Shapes Ultra Black Triangles ahead of their launch, and the design should appease those who have always hoped for a darker, less stark color. Nanoleaf's standard white panels, when off, can look odd on the wall because of the white plastic design, but the black panels have a more natural art-like look when turned off.
The panels look more like a decorative piece when not in use, and the black finish does not at all diminish the bright colors that are available when the lights are turned on. The dark panels are prone to picking up fingerprints, though, so Nanoleaf has included a microfiber cloth. If you use the touch-based features, expect to need to clean them every so often because the fingerprints are noticeable when the panels are turned off.
Aside from the color, the Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black Triangles are identical to the standard Shapes Triangles, with no notable design changes, so expect the same rounded corners. The panels also include all of the same features, including access in the Nanoleaf app, HomeKit connectivity, and interoperability with Mini Triangles and Hexagons.
The Shapes Ultra Black Triangles ship with black mounting plates, power supply, and controller for a streamlined look. The mounting plates were added with the Shapes line, and they make it much easier to get the panels off of the wall without adhesive damage because it's simpler to get to the adhesive pull tabs.
Because the panels feature the same design as the standard Triangles, it's worth noting that there is some light leak in the corners, and with certain colors, the corners can look a bit brighter than the rest of the panel. This isn't super noticeable in day to day use, but it may bother some people.
Dark colors look great with the darker panels, with rich dark blues, purples, and greens blending well with the black color. The black panels provide a much different aesthetic with lighting patterns that turn the panels off and on because you get a black triangle thrown into the mix, and it's a sleeker look than you get with the white panels.
There are thousands of pre-created community lighting scenes to choose from in the Nanoleaf app, along with built-in options in the app, plus you can create all kinds of light scenes yourself with different colors and light patterns. Schedules and automations are available, and the panels can be linked up with other HomeKit devices and controlled with Siri commands.
Other available features include Screen Mirroring to match content on your display and the Rhythm Music Visualizer for matching the rhythm of the color changing to music that's playing. If you're familiar with Nanoleaf's previous lighting panels, these are the same, just in a new, improved color option. If you want to know more about the available feature set, we have a full review available on the Shapes line.
The Shapes Ultra Black Light Panels can be purchased for $220 starting today, and are available as a limited edition product. The base kit includes nine panels, and an additional three can be purchased in an Expansion Pack for $70.
Nanoleaf is also launching exclusive merchandise, a charity livestream, giveaways, and surprise gift packages that will go out to 100 customers around the world. Nanoleaf merchandise that includes a bottle shaker, hat, pillow, and more can be acquired through Mystery Boxes and Swag Boxes priced starting at $35.
While the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip officially launches this Friday, one lucky customer received delivery of the notebook over a day early. The customer shared some photos on Reddit, offering a closer look at the new MacBook Air in a Silver finish.
Apple redesigned the MacBook Air with a slightly larger 13.6-inch display, a notch, flatter edges, MagSafe charging, an upgraded 1080p camera, and new Starlight and Midnight color options alongside Silver and Space Gray. The notebook is also equipped with two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack that supports high-impedance headphones.
The photos also provide a look at the new MacBook Air's box with manuals, Apple stickers, and a color-matched MagSafe 3 charging cable.
The first reviews of the new MacBook Air were published today ahead of the notebook's launch on Friday, with one describing it as "Apple's near-perfect Mac."
Rumors have been circulating about Apple bidding on the massive NFL Sunday Ticket package for out-of-market games, with a report just a few weeks ago stating that Apple, Amazon, and Disney were all in the running.
According to Dylan Byers at Puck News, Apple is now regarded as the "most likely winner" as Disney has dropped out of the bidding that could approach $3 billion per year.
As I learned at Sun Valley, and in subsequent conversations this week with sources close to the talks, the deal will likely come in significantly higher than $2 billion a year—some sources with insight into the talks believe it could come in close to $3 billion. This has effectively removed the cautious, ever-disciplined Disney from consideration, since its own bid came in under $2 billion. (Disney declined to comment.) Existing media partners, like Fox, Comcast and CBS, are also not in contention, I’m told. The race for the Ticket has therefore come down to Apple and Amazon, and while nothing has been signed or agreed to, I have been given ample reason to believe that Apple is the most likely winner of the sweepstakes—and not merely because I was told that Apple’s Tim Cook and Eddy Cue met with Goodell in Sun Valley.
Byers says that Apple and Amazon are also considering bids for a domestic package of UEFA Champions League games that could cost up to $2.5 billion over six years.
Apple has just begun dipping its toes into the live sports market, starting with a limited package of Friday night Major League Baseball games this season, and recently announcing a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer for worldwide broadcast rights to all games, but it's clear the company has significant ambitions as it seeks to increase its presence in the competitive market.
Amid continued healthy sales for the iPhone 13 lineup, Apple's iPhone 14 models are forecasted to sell even better, Sina Finance reports.
The report claims that Apple has begun trial production of the iPhone 14 lineup and plans to begin mass production in August ahead of launch in September. Apple is said to have informed suppliers than the initial sales of the iPhone 14 will be higher than those of the iPhone 13.
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.
Meanwhile, ETNews reports that Samsung is expecting to ship as many as 80 million displays for the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max in the third quarter of this year. In 2021, all four iPhone 13 models were announced on September 14, became available to pre-order on September 17, and launched on September 24 in the United States and more than 30 other countries, and the iPhone 14 lineup is expected to launch in a similar timeframe this year.
Apple's rumored mixed-reality headset is on schedule to launch in early 2023, but a second-generation model with substantial upgrades is already in development for 2024, ETNews reports.
Suppliers are reportedly preparing to kick off mass production for Apple's headset in the fourth quarter of this year ahead of the product's launch early next year, but initial production volume is not expected to be large.
In line with previous reports, Apple's headset is said to feature a micro-OLED display supplied by Sony and LG Display that boasts a thin design and power-efficiency, three 3D-sensing modules from LG Innotek, and a mid- to low-specification camera from a supplier in China.
The headset will focus on entertainment and games, but will effectively serve as a testing device to prepare the market for a better, second-generation product, which the report claims is already in development. The second-generation Apple headset is said to be scheduled to release in 2024 and will tout a lighter design, the ability to make calls, and ultra high-definition cameras from LG Innotek.
Apple purportedly plans to differentiate its augmented-reality and virtual-reality devices from other companies like Meta, Sony, and Google with better usability, content, and portability. Samsung is expected to release a competing device after observing Apple's headset launch and its impact on the market.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max will be the sole Apple smartphone of 2023 to get a periscope camera lens and benefit from greatly enhanced optical zoom, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Rumors about the iPhone getting a periscope lens have been circulating since early 2020, when Kuo first mentioned the possibility. The analyst initially said that a periscope lens would be an iPhone 14 Pro feature, but more recently he has said the lens type will debut in a "Pro" model of the iPhone 15 series, a prediction that analyst Jeff Pu has also made.
Apple will likely continue to offer four models in 2023: The 6.1-inch iPhone 15, the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro, the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Max, and the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max. Writing in his Medium blog, Kuo says he now believes that the periscope lens will be exclusive to the 6.7-inch Pro Max device, with the 6.1-inch Pro model keeping the telephoto lens for optical zoom.
In a periscope system, light entering the telephoto lens is reflected by an angled mirror towards the camera's image sensor. The change in direction in which the light travels allows for a longer "folded" telephoto setup inside phones, enabling users to zoom in further without any blurriness. Largan and Genius are expected to be Apple's main suppliers of such a lens in 2023.
There are already some Android smartphones with periscope lenses. Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra for instance features up to 10x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. With the addition of a periscope lens, the iPhone 15 Pro Max would follow suit. Kuo says the 1/3" sensor will have 12-megapixel resolution with f/2.8 aperture and up to 6x optical zoom, with sensor-shift stabilization. For context, iPhone 13 Pro models are limited to 3x optical zoom.
Looking ahead, Kuo also believes both iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024 will use the same or similar periscope lens as the one used in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with Apple continuing its trend of setting apart standard and Pro models by reserving certain higher-end hardware features for the latter.
This year, Apple is expected to introduce improvements to the telephoto and wide-angle lens on its iPhone 14 Pro models. Kuo says that Apple will upgrade the telephoto camera from a 6-element lens to a 7-element lens.
Kuo also believes that the 2022 Pro iPhone models will feature a 48-megapixel Wide camera, which would be a major improvement over the current 12-megapixel camera, and 8K video recording capabilities that will allow iPhone-recorded videos displayed on an 8K display or TV to provide "a better user experience."
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