Twelve South today announced the "HiRise 3" stand charger for iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, priced at $99.99. The stand supports MagSafe-compatible charging and holds an iPhone 12 or later vertically, and also includes a charging puck for Apple Watch and a Qi charging mat on the base that supports AirPods or any Qi-compatible smartphone.
The HiRise 3 is available in black and white color options and requires a 20W USB-C power adapter, which is not included. Twelve South noted that the HiRise 3 has a minimal footprint and was designed to declutter bedside tables and desks, while propping up your iPhone to easily read incoming notifications.
In regards to charging, the HiRise 3 does not include an official MFi MagSafe charging puck or 15W wireless charging. Instead, it has a magnetic Qi stand with 7.5W wireless charging, as well as 3W for the Apple Watch charger and 5W for the charger on the base.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Twelve South and Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Amazon today has the 64GB Apple TV 4K for $149.99, down from $199.00. This price drop disappeared over the past few days after first emerging last week, but it's now back in stock on Amazon. Only the 64GB model is on sale this time.
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.
At $49 off, this remains the best discount we've ever tracked for the 2021 64GB Apple TV 4K, and at this time no other retailer is matching the sale. As of writing, the Apple TV 4K is estimated to arrive between June 23-26 for most locations in the United States.
This is the version of the Apple TV 4K that Apple updated in 2021 with the A12 Bionic processor and an all-new Siri Remote. Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
While the summer months following WWDC are often a relatively quiet time of the year for Apple, there are still some notable items on the agenda through July. Below, we've rounded up six things to expect from Apple over the next six weeks or so.
Public Betas of iOS 16 and More
As part of WWDC 2022, Apple announced that public betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, tvOS 16, and HomePod software version 16 will be released at some point in July, allowing members of Apple's free Beta Software Program to test out the software updates before they are released to all users later this year.
Apple said the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip will be available in July, but the company has yet to announce exactly when orders will begin. Pricing will start at $1,199 in the United States, and the MacBook Air with the M1 chip remains available for $999.
The new MacBook Air has been redesigned with a larger 13.6-inch display, a notch, flatter edges, and new Starlight and Midnight color options alongside Space Gray and Silver. The notebook also features MagSafe charging, an upgraded 1080p camera, and more.
Apple says the M2 chip has an 18% faster CPU, a 35% faster GPU, and a 40% faster Neural Engine compared to the M1 chip. With the M2 chip, the MacBook Air can now be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory, compared to a max of 16GB with the M1 chip. Like the previous model, the new MacBook Air can be configured with up to a 2TB SSD.
Back to School Promotion
Apple's annual Back to School promotion typically launches in June or July in the United States, Canada, and select other countries. Last year, the U.S. promotion began on June 17 and offered qualifying students and educators free second-generation AirPods with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad model, as well as 20% off AppleCare+ plans.
For 2022, it appears likely that Apple will once again offer free second-generation AirPods with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad model.
Apple's Third Quarter Earnings Call
Apple has yet to announce a date for its third quarter earnings results, but they are typically released in late July each year. As usual, the earnings report will be followed by a conference call where Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will discuss the financial results, and there's always a chance they reveal some interesting tidbits of information.
WWDC 2022 "Behind the Design" Interviews
Starting June 27, Apple will be sharing a series of interviews with the creators of apps that won 2022 Apple Design Awards. "Go behind the design and learn about our winners' creative process, challenges, and how they brought their bold and distinctive ideas to life," says Apple. A full schedule of interviews is available on Apple's website.
Apple Camp
Apple Camp is returning to Apple Store locations around the world this summer, with sessions taking place each week from June 20 through August 31. The free program, designed for kids ages 8 to 12 and their guardians, will consist of two-hour sessions in stores and outdoors in which kids use products like the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to create their own digital comic book about protecting and celebrating the planet.
U.S. President Joe Biden this morning said that he was "proud" of Apple employees in Maryland who voted to unionize over the weekend, reports Reuters. Though other Apple retail locations have been discussing unionization, the Maryland employees are the first Apple retail workers to unionize in the United States.
"Workers have a right to determine under what condition they are going to work or not work," Biden told reporters. He went on to say that "everyone is better off, including the final product is better off," in reference to the unionization.
Over 100 employees at the Apple Store in Towson, Maryland participated in a unionization vote, which took place from last Wednesday to last Saturday. 65 employees voted to join the Machinists Union, while 33 voted against joining. The National Labor Relations Board will need to verify the votes, a process that might take around a week, and then Apple will begin negotiations with the union.
The Maryland Apple Store employees are aiming for improved pay and working conditions. "The decision to form a union is about us as workers gaining access to rights that we do not currently have," Towson organizers said in a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Apple has opposed unionization efforts, but the Maryland store's unionization vote could encourage other stores that have been discussing unionization to proceed. Back in May, Apple's head of retail Deirdre O'Brien aimed to thwart employee unionization efforts through a video that was sent out to retail stores.
O'Brien said that a union would make it more difficult for Apple to implement "immediate, widespread changes," and it could "make it harder for [Apple] to act swiftly to address things" that employees bring up.
Amid the unionization efforts, Apple said that it would improve working conditions for retail employees. Apple plans to make sure that there are at least 12 hours between each shift an employee must take on, up from the current 10 hour minimum. Employees will not have to work past 8:00 p.m. for more than three days a week unless they choose to work late shifts, and they will no longer be scheduled to work more than five days in a row except during holidays and major product launches.
Apple in February also bumped up the number of available paid sick days, began offering more vacation days, and upped parental leave time. Apple retail locations in Washington State, New York, and Atlanta have also taken steps toward unionization, with employees asking for higher pay, better retirement options, and more vacation time.
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.
Tapping on images of traffic lights or deciphering squiggly text to prove you are human will soon be a much less common nuisance for iPhone users, as iOS 16 introduces support for bypassing CAPTCHAs in supported apps and websites.
The handy new feature can be found in the Settings app under Apple ID > Password & Security > Automatic Verification. When enabled, Apple says iCloud will automatically and privately verify your device and Apple ID account in the background, eliminating the need for apps and websites to present you with a CAPTCHA verification prompt.
Apple recently shared a video with technical details about how the feature works, but simply put, Apple's system verifies that the device and Apple ID account are in good standing and presents what is called a Private Access Token to the app or website. This new system will offer a better user experience for tasks such as signing into or creating an account, with improved user privacy and accessibility compared to CAPTCHAs.
"Private Access Tokens are a powerful alternative that help you identify HTTP requests from legitimate devices and people without compromising their identity or personal information," said Apple, in the description of a WWDC 2022 video related to the topic.
Cloudflare and Fastly have already announced support for Private Access Tokens, meaning that the ability to bypass CAPTCHAs could be coming to millions of apps and websites powered by those platforms, and the feature will roll out more widely over time.
In the first betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Automatic Verification is enabled by default. Apple said the feature is also supported on macOS Ventura. All of the software updates are currently in beta and will be released later this year.
Amazon has knocked the 2020 M1 MacBook Air (256GB) down to $899.99 in all three colors, from an original price of $999.00. Gold and Silver are in stock today, while Space Gray has a slight shipping delay with an estimated delivery of June 28.
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.
Compared to previous 2022 deals, Amazon's price today is a second-best discount on the M1 MacBook Air. The notebook is shipped and sold by Amazon, and the two models that are in stock can be delivered as soon as June 22 for most locations in the United States.
This version of the MacBook Air launched in 2020 with the M1 chip, a 13-inch Retina display, and Touch ID support. Apple just announced the updated MacBook Air with the M2 chip, which will start at a higher $1,199 price tag. The M2 MacBook Air won't launch until next month, and the M1 model will remain in the lineup.
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.
Google has urged Apple to adopt Rich Communication Services (RCS) in its Messages app in a "lyric explainer video" for Drake's "Texts Go Green."
RCS is designed to replace SMS messaging and touts support for higher resolution photos and videos, audio messages, bigger file size, improved encryption, and more. Google has advocated the new communications protocol for several years.
Google's senior vice president of Android, Hiroshi Lockheimer, has repeatedly tried to persuade Apple to adopt support for RCS, and now, a video posted on the official Android Twitter account once again urges Apple to support RCS.
The video seeks to explain the meaning behind a song called "Texts Go Green," the third track on Drake's latest album, "Honestly, Nevermind," which explains the need to move on from a toxic relationship. The title is a reference to how when an iPhone user is blocked, they no longer see their messages sent as blue iMessage bubbles and send green SMS bubbles instead. "If only some super talented engineering team at Apple would fix this," the video says.
Apple is the last major RCS holdout, as U.S. carriers that include Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have adopted RCS support for Android devices. Apple has not commented on whether it plans to add RCS support in the future, so the company's position is still unknown.
Apple is evaluating OLED displays for the iPhone 14 this week ahead of mass production, The Elec reports.
The OLED display panels in question are reportedly destined for the standard, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 model, with mass production due to begin between July and August.
The displays are from Chinese display panel maker BOE, which was embroiled in controversy earlier this year after Apple discovered that the supplier secretly changed the circuit width of thin-film transistors on OLED panels for the iPhone 13. After BOE executives visited Cupertino to resolve the situation with Apple, the OLED panels were approved once again, not least because its presence in the supply chain puts pressure on Samsung Display and LG Display to be more competitive and cut prices.
The debacle with changes to the iPhone 13's display is likely to cap the number of displays that Apple orders from BOE at around five million. BOE hopes to receive Apple's approval before the end of June, but the supplier is said to be several weeks behind Samsung and LG. Despite delays with manufacturers in China, the iPhone 14 lineup is expected to launch as normal in the fall.
Apple has gradually sold an increasing number of AirTags, despite not receiving much attention, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a tweet, Kuo explained that he believes Apple shipped around 20 million AirTag item trackers in 2021, rising to 35 million in 2022:
AirTag, which has not received much attention, has gradually grown in shipments since its release. Shipment estimations of AirTag reach about 20 mn & 35 mn units in 2021 & 2022, respectively. If AirTag shipments continue to grow, I believe Apple will develop the 2nd generation.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) June 19, 2022
He added that if the trend continues and AirTag shipments grow further, Apple may be more likely to develop a second-generation version of the device. It is unclear what an upgraded AirTag could offer, but early rumors and patent filings related to the device suggested that it could be rechargeable instead of using a disposable CR2032 battery, feature motion sensing for AR and VR, or even offer proximity-based experiences for commercial settings.
Apple Store employees in Maryland have made history by voting to officially unionize, becoming the first Apple retail location to do so in the U.S. after efforts by Apple to calm down unionization efforts.
As reported by CNBC, employees at the Apple Store in Towson, Maryland voted 65 for and 33 against a call to join the Machinists Union. 110 employees were eligible to vote Wednesday through Saturday evening. The employees are hopeful the new move will encourage Apple to provide better pay and working condition, both of which the company has already pledged to do.
As noted by CNBC, the National Labor Relations Board still needs to verify the votes before Apple must begin negotiations with the union.
In a video shared in May, Apple's head of retail and people, Deirdre O'Brien, said that employees have a "right to join a union" but added that it's also employees right to "not join a union." "We have a relationship that is based on an open and collaborative and direct engagement, which I feel could fundamentally change if a store is represented by a union under a collective bargaining agreement," O'Brien added.
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.
The craziness of WWDC has wound down, but that doesn't mean there still isn't lots of Apple news to go around. This week saw some continued discussion and controversy surrounding the new Stage Manager multitasking mode in iPadOS 16, as well as the launch of pre-orders for the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip.
Ahead of the actual release of the new MacBook Pro, we're learning more about the M2 chip from early benchmarks, while we're still looking ahead to the debut of the iPhone 14 lineup later this year, so read on for all the details on these stories and more!
Apple Explains Why Stage Manager is Limited to M1 iPads
One of iPadOS 16's key new features is Stage Manager, which allows users to resize apps into overlapping windows. Stage Manager includes full support for an external display, allowing users to work with up to four apps on the iPad and up to four apps on an external display simultaneously.
13-Inch MacBook Pro With M2 Chip Now Available to Order
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 chip introduced at WWDC earlier this month is now available to order worldwide. Apple says deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin on Friday, June 24.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro features the same design as the previous model, with the only notable change being the addition of the M2 chip. Pricing starts at $1,299, and if you're already an M1 MacBook Pro owner, be sure to check out our comparison guide to see whether it's worth upgrading to the new M2 model.
Hands-On With iPhone 14 Models Showing New Sizes and Camera Design Updates
We're likely around three months away from Apple announcing the iPhone 14 lineup. Ahead of time, we have shared a hands-on look at a set of iPhone 14 dummy models, providing a closer look at the expected design of Apple's next flagship smartphones.
iPhone 14 Pro models are expected to feature a new pill-shaped cutout and a hole for Face ID sensors and the front camera, along with a larger rear camera bump to accommodate an upgraded 48-megapixel Wide lens and other camera improvements.
Leaked Benchmarks Confirm M2 Chip is Up to 20% Faster Than M1
We are still waiting on benchmark results for the M2 chip in the new MacBook Air, but it's likely that performance will be virtually identical to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, as was the case for the M1 chip in both machines.
13-Inch MacBook Pro With M2 Chip Outperforms Base Model Mac Pro Despite Costing Nearly $5,000 Less
Given the Mac Pro has other benefits like expandability, configurable GPU options, and more this certainly isn't an apples-to-apples comparison, but the benchmarks are nevertheless a testament to the impressive performance of Apple silicon chips in more affordable Macs.
Video: Apple's Coolest iOS 16 Feature Lets You Drag Subjects Right Out of Images
With iOS 16, Apple introduced a curious new feature that's kind of like instant Photoshop, as you can use it to pull the subject out of any image or photo, pasting it into another photo or using it as a sticker in the Messages app. It's nifty enough that we thought we'd show it off in our latest YouTube video.
It works in Photos, Screenshot, Quick Look, Safari, and even videos, and it is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, so make sure to check out our video to see it in action.
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.
Following yesterday's launch of orders for the two new 35-watt dual USB-C power adapters introduced at WWDC, Apple has posted a new support document outlining how power is split when devices are connected to both ports.
Under most scenarios, the 35 total watts will be split evenly between the two connected devices, with the exception being when one of the devices has relatively low power requirements, such as an Apple Watch or AirPods case.
If you connect a Mac notebook and an iPhone or iPad, each device receives up to 17.5W.
If you connect an iPhone and an iPad, each device receives up to 17.5W.
If you connect a Mac notebook or iPhone and an Apple Watch or AirPods, the Mac notebook or iPhone receives up to 27.5W and the Apple Watch or AirPods receive up to 7.5W.
The standard version of the dual USB-C adapter is available worldwide and has a removable plug head for compatibility with international plug heads and extension cables. The compact version is only available in the U.S., Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, and a few other countries that use the Type A plug style. Both versions are priced at $59 in the United States, and the new adapters will ship with higher configurations of the new MacBook Air launching next month.
Apple this morning began accepting orders for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip, and as with many other Macs, this new machine is facing some shipping delays.
Select custom configurations of the M2 MacBook Pro with upgraded unified memory are backordered, and will not be available for delivery until August. All 13-inch MacBook Pro models in the United States with the 24GB unified memory upgrade selected are listing delivery dates from August 3 to August 10.
Stock MacBook Pro models are available for delivery on launch day, which is Friday, June 24, but other memory and SSD upgrades push delivery back until at least July.
It is no surprise to see shipping delays for the 13-inch MacBook Pro because Apple has been dealing with Mac supply shortages for most of the year. 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, even stock configurations, are not arriving to customers until mid-August in some cases.
Apple has said that these supply issues can be attributed to ongoing component shortages and manufacturing issues caused by the global pandemic.
During the April earnings call, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that Apple was expecting ongoing supply issues to impact product sales into the third fiscal quarter of 2022. Apple had issues meeting demand in the second quarter, and was expecting these problems to worsen later in the year.
The supply constraints are expected to cost Apple $4 to $8 billion, and will impact many of Apple's product categories.
Apple has not yet announced a launch date for the M2 MacBook Air, but given the Mac delays we've seen for the entirety of 2022, supply shortages can be expected.
Streaming service Paramount+ kicked off a new summer special in June, offering a free first month of the service for any new subscribers. Once your extended free trial ends, the service is available from $4.99/month for the ad-supported tier, but you can choose to cancel it before you're charged.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Paramount+. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Paramount+ typically has a week-long free trial, so this should give new subscribers a longer chance to catch up on the service's streaming content before they have to decide whether to keep paying for it or not. This offer will expire on Monday, June 20, and it can also be redeemed through the Paramount+ iOS app.
To get the offer, just click the "Try It Free" button on the Paramount+ website and select from the "Essential" (limited ads) or "Premium" (no ads except live TV and a few shows). Once you create your account and sign up, your offer of one month free will automatically be applied to your account.
Last year, Paramount+ offered a similar deal through Apple TV Channels, but readers should note that the 2022 offer is not through the Apple TV app's Channels feature and can only be found on the Paramount+ website or in its mobile app.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
With iPadOS 16, Apple introduced Stage Manager, a feature that's designed to improve multitasking through a more Mac-like multi-window experience. Apple also added full external display support, so for our latest YouTube video, we thought we'd test out both of these features to show MacRumors readers what the iPad experience is like in iPadOS 16.
Both Stage Manager and external display support are limited to the iPad Pro and iPad Air models that are equipped with M1 chips, which includes only Apple's most recent devices. Apple's decision to limit Stage Manager to M1 iPads has been highly controversial because many people have older iPads and are unable to use some of the best multitasking updates we've seen in years, but Apple has maintained that it was not possible to deliver an acceptable multitasking experience on iPads that don't have the power of the M1 chip.
If you're lucky enough to have an M1 iPad Pro or M1 iPad Air, Stage Manager is a useful multitasking update. You can activate it through Control Center, and once on, you'll see a tiled view of your open apps off to the left side of the app with the main app available center stage.
You can resize the windows and move them freely around on the iPad, which is a new experience. Previously, Split View and Slide Over were the only available multitasking options, and were limited to two apps or app windows at a time.
Stage Manager works with the aforementioned external display support, and that's where the feature is best shown off, as it allows for a much more Mac like experience. With an iPad alone, Stage Manager is capable of handling four apps at once, but with an external display, you can use up to eight.
iPadOS 16 allows an iPad to take full advantage of the external display rather than mirroring the iPad, and it's like using a display with a Mac. You can move windows from the iPad over to the display, and adjust the arrangement between the two as you would in macOS.
Stage Manager isn't perfect as we're still early in the beta testing process, so some apps aren't working well on the external display, but there's plenty of time for Apple to make refinements and updates. Stage Manager is likely going to make for a much more pleasant working experience for those who like to use an iPad in lieu of a desktop computer, but it is a shame that it is limited to the newest iPads.
Have you tried Stage Manager? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below.
The Apple TV 4K is the centerpiece of this week's deals, with a rock bottom price of $129.99 hitting the 32GB model on Amazon. This sale is still in stock and available today, along with many others that we've collected below.
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.
The week kicked off with a steep discount on the Apple TV 4K, with the 32GB model dropping to just $129.99, down from $179.00; the 64GB model dropped to $149.99, down from $199.00. Both of these sales represent the best prices we've ever seen on the Apple TV 4K.
Alongside all-time low prices on the Apple TV 4K, we saw the Apple Pencil 2 return to its record low of $99.00 on Amazon this week, down from $129.00. This is a rare discount on the Apple Pencil 2, as we haven't seen many markdowns arrive for the accessory so far in 2022.
AirPods Max hit an all-time low Amazon price this week in select colors, available at $429.00, down from $549.00. This price is available in Silver, Blue, and Space Gray, while Pink is slightly higher at $430.00.
Satechi kicked off a Father's Day sale this week, which will continue to run through this Sunday, June 19. During the event, you can get 20 percent off sitewide on Satechi's website, which includes solid savings on USB-C chargers, wireless chargers, and many more Apple-compatible accessories.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
Apple's M2MacBook Pro comes over a year and a half after its M1-based predecessor. The new device features the exact same design, but there are several important, under-the-hood differences between the two machines that could make it an upgrade worth considering for some users, even though it may not be worthwhile for many customers.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro is often chosen by those who require active cooling for better sustained performance, the best compact MacBook battery life, or simply like the Touch Bar, with the device offering more than the MacBook Air but a price well below the high-end MacBook Pro models. Apple outlines at least six key differences between the now-discontinued M1 MacBook Pro and the new M2 MacBook Pro:
M1 MacBook Pro
M1 chip with 8-core GPU
8GB and 16GB unified memory configurations
68.25GB/s memory bandwidth
3.5mm headphone jack
61W USB‑C Power Adapter
M2 MacBook Pro
M2 chip with 10-core GPU and dedicated media engine
8GB, 16GB, and 24GB unified memory configurations
100GB/s memory bandwidth
3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones
67W USB‑C Power Adapter
Made with more recycled materials
M1 vs. M2
The main difference between the current and previous-generation 13-inch MacBook Pros is their Apple silicon chip. The M1 chip, introduced in November 2020, is based on Apple's A14 Bionic chip. On the other hand, the M2 is seemingly based on the A15 Bionic chip. While both chips feature an eight-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, the M2's cores offer moderate performance and efficiency improvements. The M2 also adds two additional GPU cores.
According to Apple, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is nearly 40 percent faster than the previous generation when working with RAW images in apps like Affinity Photo or playing graphics-intense games like "Baldur's Gate 3."
Like the M1 Pro, the M2 features a media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW video encode and decode. The M1 chip does not contain a dedicated media engine.
Apple says that this dramatically speeds up video workflows on the latest MacBook Pro, allowing users to play back up to 11 streams of 4K and up to two streams of 8K ProRes video. Users can convert their video projects to ProRes nearly three times faster than before.
Unified Memory
Both the M1 and M2 are configurable with 8GB or 16GB of unified memory, but the M2 offers an additional 24GB top-tier memory option. Multitasking and memory-hungry workflows, such as working with large assets, benefit from the M2 chip as a result. In addition, the M2 has a 100GB/s memory bandwidth, compared to 68.25GB/s with the M1, meaning that the latest MacBook Pro can access more memory faster.
Support for High-Impedance Headphones
The 13-inch MacBook Pro continues to offer better speakers and microphones than the MacBook Air, featuring high dynamic range and "studio-quality." The M2 MacBook Pro ups the device's audio credentials further with support for high-impedance headphones like the high-end 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which could be a meaningful upgrade for some audio professionals.
Power Adapter
The M2 MacBook Pro comes with a 67W power adapter for slightly faster charging compared to the previous model's 61W power adapter.
Environmental Improvements
The previous 13-inch MacBook Pro was free of numerous harmful substances, met Apple's energy efficiency standards, and used wood fiber in the packaging from recycled sources or responsibly managed forests, but the M2 MacBook Pro further reduces the device's environmental impact by using 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in the enclosure magnets and 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board.
Final Thoughts
The M2 MacBook Pro offers modest upgrades over the previous-generation model, with most aspects of the device remaining the same. Specific video and audio workflows stand to benefit from the 13-inch MacBook Pro's improvements, as will anyone who needs more than 16GB of memory or broader memory bandwidth, but everyday users are unlikely to notice substantial differences.
Given that it has only been 18 months since Apple launched the M1 MacBook Pro and the M1 chip continues to be offered in the iPad Air, iPad Pro, Mac mini, and iMac, the M2 MacBook Pro will likely not be worth it coming directly from the previous model and future-proofing is unlikely to be an important factor at this stage. Most 13-inch MacBook Pro customers may wish to wait longer in between upgrades for more meaningful improvements.
The M2 MacBook Pro is better suited to buyers who are upgrading from an older machine, rather than 2020's M1 model. Spearheaded by the M2 chip, the device's series of minor improvements offer a good overall package for these buyers, ensuring that they get a slightly more modern and capable machine.
Today we're tracking a collection of discounts across multiple Apple-related accessories on Amazon, including dual USB-C charger alternatives from Anker.
Anker's Dual USB-C Chargers
Anker has a few alternatives to Apple's new 35W power adapters with dual USB-C ports, and both undercut Apple's prices by half. Prices start at $27.99 for the 40W 2-Port USB-C PowerPort Charger in White, and there's a Black color at a slightly higher price of $29.99.
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.
Secondly is the 40W 2-Port USB-C Compact Charger for $30.59, down from $35.99. You can get this 15 percent off discount by clicking the coupon below the price on the Amazon page for the accessory, and it'll be applied at checkout.
The first Anker charger includes a foldable plug and measures about 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches, while the second option is much smaller at about 1.3 inches long, but it doesn't have a foldable plug. They're both around half the price of Apple's $59 price tag on its dual USB-C plugs.
AirTag
Amazon is discounting Apple's AirTag lineup today, offering the AirTag 4-Pack for $87.99 on Amazon, down from $99.00. This is about $2 lower than the previous sale we tracked, and overall it's a second-best price.
You can also get the AirTag 1-Pack for $26.99, down from $29.00. Both of the AirTag packs are sold directly by Amazon, and there's an estimated delivery date of June 21-22 for each accessory.
iPad Pro Magic Keyboards
Lastly, there are a few solid discounts on the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard lineup. Prices start at $249.00 for the 11-inch iPad Pro Magic Keyboard, down from $299.00 and available in White and Black.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro Magic Keyboard is priced at $299.00, down from $349.00, and also available in both White and Black. These accessories are in stock today and sold directly by Amazon, with a delivery estimate of June 21-22.
Both of these Magic Keyboard deals represent second-best prices on each accessory, and they're the first time we've seen notable markdowns in a few months. 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.
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.
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.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Paramount+. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with 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.
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.
