MacRumors

A bug on tvOS 16.1 is causing models of the latest Apple TV with 128GB of storage to virtually run out of storage once a user has used 64GB of storage.

The bug, first highlighted in FlatpanelsHD's review of the new ‌Apple TV‌ and more recently by Macworld, causes new models of the ‌Apple TV‌ with 128GB of storage to think they only have 64GB of storage when in reality they have double the storage. Once the ‌Apple TV‌ surpasses 64GB of used storage, the user is presented with the following message when trying to download a new app: "The app can't be installed because there isn't enough space. Delete one or more apps or manage your storage in Settings."

According to FlatpanelsHD, the bug is not fixed in the latest beta of tvOS 16.2. In the meantime, users impacted by the bug using an ‌Apple TV‌ with 128GB of storage can try queueing enough downloads together until their ‌Apple TV‌ passes the artificial 64GB limit.

A new report has revealed internal disagreement within Apple, causing some employees who work on the company's ads business to raise concerns that showing more ads to iPhone users ruins the premium experience that's been long offered to its customers, The Information reports.

The lengthy report by The Information takes a deep dive into how Apple's ads team operates and internal concerns that the company's already growing ads business is going too far. According to the report, for example, Apple's ads salespeople are forbidden from using specific keywords when talking about the company's ads business. Salespeople should use "audience refinement" instead of saying "targeting," "platform" instead of "algorithm," and "competitor keywords" and "brand defenses" instead of "conquesting."

An Apple spokesperson, responding to the list of forbidden words, told The Information that the company wants employees to use language that is appropriate to Apple's offerings and that terms such as "targeting" do not apply since Apple doesn't let advertisers target specific users. Apple does not allow advertisers to target a demographic of less than 5,000 users to safeguard user privacy, according to the company.

While publicly, Apple displays a unified front on ads, especially those in the App Store meant to help developers gain more users and customers discover more apps, internally, employees are less than satisfied with the current approach. In internal chatrooms, at least seven employees who worked on Apple's ads team voiced concerns that the company is going too far in its ads business and will damage the premium experience of using an ‌iPhone‌. The report reveals that in 2018, Apple had plans to show users ads in Spotlight search on iOS, but it was reportedly abandoned after possible internal backlash.

Some managers within Apple's ads department previously pushed salespeople to pitch ad opportunities to different companies using keywords that were less relevant to their apps but that were less expensive than other keywords, according to the report. The requests from managers often made salespeople uncomfortable, adding to the fact that Apple's ads team did not have access to contact information or financial details about developers on the ‌App Store‌, alienating them further.

In the last few weeks, developers, customers, and critics of Apple have all voiced disapproval of the company's plans to expand its ads footprint in the App Store. Reports also suggest Apple plans to introduce ads in Apple Maps and Apple TV+. Even with the expansion in ads, Apple has no ambition to grow its ads business to the size of Meta or Google, according to a person familiar with the matter cited by the report.

But inside Apple there doesn't currently seem to be much appetite for goals that big. One person familiar with Apple's ad business said the company doesn’t harbor ambitions to compete at the same level as Meta and Google in digital advertising, nor does it plan to build an advertising network similar to those of its rivals that would serve ads to users outside its own apps and services. The person said ad executives are pleased with revenue growth based on Apple's existing ad spots and don’t plan to significantly increase the number of ads on iPhones to meet growth targets.

In the meantime, Apple has paused ads on the App Store for specific categories after a botched roll-out last month, and the company has not formalized plans to expand ads into other services. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's advertising chief Todd Teresi wants to more than double Apple's current revenue from its ads business to $10 billion annually, up from the current $4 billion.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk plans to eliminate a Twitter feature that provides details on what device a tweet was sent from, information that has gotten Android promoters in hot water multiple times over the past several years.

Musk said in a tweet this morning that Twitter will be eliminating the line that says "Twitter for iPhone" or "Twitter for Android," as this is a "waste of screen space." He said that "no one even knows" why the feature was introduced in the first place.

Device details have been used several times to catch employees promoting Android-based smartphones from their iPhones. In 2019, for example, a Huawei employee wished Huawei followers a happy new year, but used an ‌iPhone‌ to do so. A screenshot of the tweet went viral, and the employees involved were demoted for causing "damage to the Huawei brand."

Samsung employees have tweeted Samsung promotions from iPhones multiple times over the years, and celebrities have also gotten into trouble. Actress Gal Gadot, for example, sang the praises of her new Huawei Mate 10 Pro while tweeting from an iPhone.

It is not clear when the device labels will be removed, but as of right now, the feature is still in place. Musk also said that he has instructed Twitter employees to turn off unspecified "microservices" bloatware, as "less than 20% are needed for Twitter to work."

Musk last week implemented his new $8 Twitter Blue subscription service, which provides a verification badge that was previously limited to verified individuals. It resulted in immediate chaos with a number of people paying $8 to impersonate companies and celebrity accounts. Insulin maker Eli Lilly, for example, saw its stock fall more than 4 percent after a verified account impersonated the company and announced that insulin was free. Another person impersonated LeBron James and announced he was requesting a trade, while yet another account impersonated Nintendo and tweeted an image of Mario making a rude gesture.

Twitter ended up pausing the Twitter Blue verification temporarily, and people are not able to purchase Twitter Blue subscriptions at this time. Twitter has been considering another "Official" verification badge, and it is not yet known how the company will solve the problem.

Apple is offering small and midsize businesses up to 10 percent off 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in an effort to boost Mac sales in the holiday quarter, reports Bloomberg. That is a larger discount than businesses are typically offered, with Apple describing the deal as a "very special Mac campaign."

During October's earnings call, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that Apple expects Mac revenue to "decline substantially" year over year in the period between October and December.

Mac sales will drop because in 2021, Apple had a lineup of new Macs that included the 14 and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. In 2022, there are no Mac updates planned for the final months of the year, and nothing available to spur holiday sales.

Apple in June refreshed the MacBook Air and the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, but the 14 and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will not see an update until 2023. Apple also has not refreshed the iMac, the Mac mini, or the Mac Pro this year.

The ‌MacBook Air‌ launch in June pushed significant Mac sales in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2022 with Macs responsible for $11.5 billion in revenue, but there will apparently not be enough momentum to match 2021 ‌MacBook Pro‌ sales.

The ongoing legal battle between Apple and Epic Games resumed today, with lawyers for both companies meeting in the United States Court of Appeals to attempt to get the initial ruling from last year overturned.

The ‌Epic Games‌ v. Apple saga started way back in 2020 when ‌Epic Games‌ started allowing Fortnite players to make purchases directly in the app, skirting the in-app purchase rules. Apple quickly pulled the Fortnite app from the App Store, and ‌Epic Games‌ was ready with an antitrust lawsuit over Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules.

‌Epic Games‌ aimed to get the court to allow for third-party app stores and alternate methods of getting apps on iOS devices, but ‌Epic Games‌ largely lost the lawsuit, leading it to file an appeal. Apple won the antitrust suit, but was ordered to allow developers to add in-app links to outside websites where payments could be accepted.

Apple does not want to change its ‌App Store‌ rules and also appealed, leading to the court battle today. Epic Games will argue that the court made "multiple legal errors" in its initial ruling, once again arguing for sideloading to be allowed.

Apple maintains that ‌Epic Games‌ lost the trial because of "unprecedented" and "unfounded" accusations of anticompetitive conduct that ultimately did not sway the judge. Epic, says Apple, made far-reaching claims at the edges of antitrust law, and there is no basis for the ruling to be overturned on appeal. Apple will also argue that the original court made an error when implementing an injunction that will force ‌App Store‌ changes.

Apple claims that because it was not found to be engaging in anticompetitive behavior, the ‌App Store‌ rules are not unfair and the district court did not have the authority to mandate an injunction.

The ‌Epic Games‌ v. Apple appeal will kick off in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The appeal is being livestreamed on YouTube for those who are interested in watching.

Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers around the world are now able to complete same-unit repairs for all four iPhone 14 models, instead of having to replace the entire device, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors.

The change came into effect last week, with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers now able to order parts to complete iPhone 14 repairs in store. It is typical for parts to take a few weeks or months to become available for new Apple products.

Released in September, the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are equipped with a removable back glass panel for easier repairs, making them the first models that can be opened from both the front and back sides since the iPhone 4S. The change does not extend to iPhone 14 Pro models, which can be opened from the front side only.

Apple Stores can replace the battery inside any iPhone 14 model for $99 in the U.S., up from $69 for previous models. Customers with AppleCare+ can get an iPhone battery replaced for free, but only if the battery retains less than 80% of its original capacity.

Apple's out-of-warranty service fees have also increased for select other iPhone 14 repairs. For example, in the U.S., Apple charges $379 to fix cracked glass on an iPhone 14 Pro Max's display, compared to $329 for the same repair on an iPhone 13 Pro Max. Apple's iPhone Repair and Service page outlines additional repair fees.

Apple's 2020 M1 MacBook Air (256GB) has dropped to $799.99 on Amazon today, down from $999.00, which is a record low price. This sale is available in all three colors of the M1 MacBook Air: Gold, Silver, and 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.

Gold and Space Gray are in stock and ready to ship, with estimated delivery dates between November 16 and 21. Silver is seeing slight delays into late November, with estimated delivery dates between November 23 and 28.

Apple updated the MacBook Air this year with the M2 chip, but kept the M1 notebooks in its lineup as entry-level models. Although they are previous-generation devices with older hardware, the M1 MacBook Air should be perfect for anyone who needs a computer for everyday tasks like internet browsing and checking email, especially at this all-time low price.

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2022.

The third-generation Apple TV 4K released earlier this month is equipped with a binned version of the A15 Bionic chip with one CPU core disabled, according to the website FlatpanelsHD, citing information from the TV Info app for tvOS.

The review claims the A15 Bionic has a five-core CPU in the new Apple TV, whereas the chip has a six-core CPU in iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models.

Despite having a binned CPU and a fanless design, the website found the new Apple TV to be roughly 40% faster and throttle less than the previous Apple TV 4K with the A12 Bionic chip. The review said the new Apple TV is much faster than previous-generation consoles like the Xbox One, but the PS5 still pulls ahead in multi-core benchmark testing.

While not confirmed, the report also suspects that the Apple TV uses a version of the A15 Bionic with a four-core GPU, compared to a five-core GPU in iPhone 13 Pro models. Apple's streaming box still lags behind popular consoles in graphics performance, but the review said it is "starting to get to a point where Xbox One and PS4 games should, in theory, be playable on Apple TV without too many compromises."

Apple says GPU performance is up to 30% faster on the new Apple TV compared to the previous generation, but there are no GPU benchmark apps for tvOS.

The review pointed out that the Apple TV only offers a limited number of games that take full advantage of the A15 Bionic's capabilities, so the device remains far from a "console killer," but the performance boosts could set the stage for a bigger gaming push.

Some iPhone and iPad users appear to be experiencing a curious bug in Safari at the current time, with the app crashing when certain search terms are entered. The bug has been going on since last night, from what we can tell, and affected users are running a variant of iOS 16, though there are also reports from iOS 15 users.

Reports suggest that Safari crashes after the first three letters of select words are typed into the search bar, and it is not clear what's causing the issue. We've seen reports of "tar," "bes," "wal," "wel," "old," "sta," "pla," and other words crashing the app. What happens is that people attempt to type in something like "Walmart" or "Starbucks" or "best" and do not get beyond the first three letters before Safari crashes.

It is not clear what is causing this issue, and not all users appear to be affected at this time. It is affecting those running iOS 15.7.1, iOS 16, iOS 16.1, iOS 16.1.1, and the iOS 16.2 beta, and Apple does appear to be aware of the problem due to reports people have provided to the support team.

Given that this issue popped up overnight, it is likely some kind of server side bug that Apple will be able to resolve without an iOS update.

Update: The Safari crashing bug has now been fixed.

Adobe has started a few of its Black Friday offers early this year, including up to 71 percent off Creative Cloud All Apps. These deals can only be found on Adobe's website and are aimed at new customers signing up for their first year of the subscription platform.

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

Specifically, there are three separate deals on Creative Cloud All Apps for Black Friday this year: one for Individuals, one for Students and Teachers, and one for Business. Starting with Individuals, you can get this subscription for $39.99/month, down from $54.99/month ($479.88/year billed upfront, down from $599.88/year).

Additionally, Businesses can get Creative Cloud All Apps for $59.99/month, down from $84.99/month; and Students and Teachers can get the platform for just $15.99/month, down from $54.99/month. Remember that these discounts are for your first year only of Creative Cloud All Apps, and after it ends your subscription will revert to its original price, unless you cancel.

Adobe's Creative Cloud platform is a collection of more than 20 desktop and mobile apps that provide services for photography, design, video, and more. This includes Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Acrobat Pro, and many more. Your subscription to Creative Cloud All Apps grants you access to each of these apps.

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2022.

In an interview with CBS Mornings co-host Nate Burleson, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that his company is taking a careful approach to hiring amid a period of increased economic uncertainty. The full interview will air on Tuesday, but a preview is available now.

"So what we're doing as a consequence of being in this period is we're being very deliberate on our hiring," said Cook, when asked about Apple's hiring plans. "That means we're continuing to hire, but not everywhere in the company are we hiring." Cook added that Apple continues to believe strongly in investing for the long term.

Last month, Apple paused hiring for many non-R&D roles as a cost-cutting move, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The report said the move affects some "corporate functions" and "standard hardware and software engineering roles."

Cook also discussed Apple's return-to-office policy. As of September, corporate employees are required to work in the office three days a week.

"We make product, and you have to hold product," said Cook. "So that takes the serendipity of running into people, and bouncing ideas off, and caring enough to advance your idea through somebody else because you know that'll make it a bigger idea," he added.

CBS Mornings said the full interview will touch on the iPhone 14's new features and more.

Amazon has sweetened its deal on Apple's new AirPods Pro 2, now available for $229.99, down from $249.00. This is about $5 higher than the all-time low price we saw last month, making it still a great deal on the just-launched headphones.

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.

The AirPods Pro 2 are in stock and have a delivery window of November 16 to November 21 for most locations in the United States. Other than the AirPods Pro 2, we're tracking numerous early Black Friday sales on Amazon and at other retailers, which you can find in our roundup.

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2022.

Apple's work on the first version of its long-rumored mixed reality headset's operating system is concluding, while new hires related to the device are ramping up ahead of launch next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The headset itself is rumored to run "rOS" or "realityOS," internally codenamed "Oak." Apple's work on realityOS has been rumored since 2017, but the existence of the operating system was finally confirmed earlier this year when references to it were found in App Store upload logs and Apple open source code.

In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that realityOS "will include mixed-reality versions of core Apple apps like Messages, FaceTime and Maps." The first version of the operating system is reportedly "wrapping up internally and should be ready for the new hardware next year." Gurman previously said that Apple's mixed-reality headset will focus on gaming, media consumption, and communication. He believes that Memojis and SharePlay could be central to the experience.

Gurman added that job listings indicate that Apple is now ramping up hiring related to the device. The company is seeking a software producer with experience in visual effects and game asset pipelines to create content for AR and VR environments, developers that can "build tools and frameworks to enable connected experiences in a 3D mixed-reality world," and engineers who can work on development tools including App Intents, which let apps work with features like Siri and Shortcuts. The job listings also suggest that Apple is planning to build a video service for the headset, featuring 3D content that can be played in virtual reality.

In addition to a wave of new hires, Apple has reportedly also made additions to the management team overseeing the headset's development, bringing in a former senior leader from its self-driving vehicle project and one of its most senior software engineering managers. The nature of the new positions suggest a range of health and productivity apps could be coming to the headset.

DigiTimes believes that Apple's headset will begin mass production in March next year and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that it could be introduced to the public as soon as January.

Apple is facing a proposed federal class action alleging that it records users' mobile activity without their consent and despite privacy assurances, in violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, reports Bloomberg.

In a lawsuit filed by New York citizen and iPhone 13 owner Elliot Libman, Apple is accused of "utterly false" assurances that users are in control of what information they share when they use its stock ‌iPhone‌ apps.

Specifically, the class action claims that Apple mobile device options to disable the sharing of device analytics and opting out of settings such as "Allow Apps to Request to Track" do nothing to stop Apple from continuing to collect data relating to users' browsing and activity for monetization purposes. From the complaint:

Apple records, tracks, collects and monetizes analytics data—including browsing history and activity information — regardless of what safeguards or "privacy settings" consumers undertake to protect their privacy. Even when consumers follow Apple's own instructions and turn off "Allow Apps to Request to Track" and/or "Share [Device] Analytics" on their privacy controls, Apple nevertheless continues to record consumers' app usage, app browsing communications, and personal information in its proprietary Apple apps, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Books, and Stocks.

To back up its allegations, the complaint cites a recent Gizmodo report covering the work of security researchers at the software company Mysk. Earlier this month, researchers Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakry claimed to have found evidence that the analytics control and anti-tracking settings have no obvious effect on Apple's data collection in the above stock apps.

For example, according to the researchers, the App Store app continually harvested a wealth of usage data in real time, including user taps, apps searched for, viewed ads, and how long a user looks at any given app. Along with these details, Apple is also allegedly able to gather details typical of device fingerprinting methods, including ID numbers, device model, screen resolution, installed keyboard languages, and internet connection type.

In another example, the Mysk researchers said the Stocks app sent Apple a user's list of watched stocks, stocks viewed or searched for (including timestamps), as well as a record of news articles viewed in the app. This information was said to be sent to a web address via a transmission separate from the iCloud communication necessary to sync user data across devices.

"Opting-out or switching the personalization options off did not reduce the amount of detailed analytics that the app was sending," Mysk told Gizmodo. "I switched all the possible options off, namely personalized ads, personalized recommendations, and sharing usage data and analytics."

The researchers uncovered these findings using a jailbroken ‌iPhone‌ running iOS 14.6. Notably, while the team discovered similar ‌iPhone‌ activity on a non-jailbroken phone running iOS 16, the data was encrypted and it was therefore not possible to determine exactly what it contained. This limitation has not prevented the findings from instigating a lawsuit, however.

"Through its pervasive and unlawful data tracking and collection business, Apple knows even the most intimate and potentially embarrassing aspects of the user's app usage — regardless of whether the user accepts Apple's illusory offer to keep such activities private," reads the complaint. We've reached out to Apple for comment and will update this article if we hear back.

Meta has scrapped the development of its health and messaging-focused smartwatch, in an abrupt end to the company's plans to directly compete with the Apple Watch.

Employees were reportedly told on Friday that work on its smartwatch project would be halted as part of a cost-cutting effort that will involve structural changes to the company.

Meta's smartwatch development team will now switch to building augmented reality glasses, according to chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth, who runs Meta's Reality Labs division.

Rumors about Meta's plans to bring a smartwatch to market first appeared in February 2021, with reports indicating that the device had a detachable display with two built-in cameras for taking pictures and videos to share on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Early reports suggested Meta intended for the device to work using a cellular connection without the need for a tethered smartphone, and to run a version of Google's Android software. Meta also planned to work with other companies to create accessories that would allow the detachable display to be attached on backpacks and similar items.

In addition to the demise of its smartwatch project, Meta's internal reorganization will also bring an end to all Portal development, reports Reuters. First launched in 2018, Portal was a brand of smart display featuring video calling capabilities using exclusively Meta-owned services like WhatsApp and Facebook.

Despite the release of several versions, Portal never really took off as a consumer device, while Meta's attempts to promote it in the enterprise market also failed. The company plans to continue selling smart displays under the Portal brand until the end of the year while supplies last.

The structural changes to Meta come shortly after the company laid off 11,000 people, or about 13% of its global workforce. Announcing the move in a note, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the layoffs were the combined result of his own poor decisions, macroeconomic downturn, increased competition, and ads signal loss, all of which resulted in lower-than-expected revenue.

Things are starting to wind down for 2022, though we're not quite there yet with a few more items still on Apple's plate including iOS 16.2, which is proceeding through beta testing with some new features and tweaks.

Looking further into the future, we're expecting plenty of news for 2023 with the iPhone 15 naturally being the flagship launch for the year, and we're already hearing a decent amount about what to expect from it, so read on for details on these stories and more!

8 Features Rumored for the iPhone 15 Coming in 2023

There's almost a year to go until we get new iPhone 15 models in September 2023, but we've been hearing rumors about potential features and changes for months now, including a USB-C port and more. We've rounded up eight features rumored for the iPhone 15 so far.

A familiar lineup of devices is expected next year, including the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Rumors suggest the Pro Max model could be named the iPhone 15 Ultra instead as Apple further distinguishes its highest-end smartphone.

Check out our comprehensive iPhone 15 roundup for even more details.

Everything New in iOS 16.2 Beta 2 for iPhone

Apple this week seeded the second beta of iOS 16.2 to developers and public beta testers. As usual, there are a handful of changes in the latest beta, including 5G support in India and a Medications widget.

iOS 16.2 also features Apple's new whiteboard app Freeform, new Home app architecture, Live Activities for select sports games via the Apple TV app, unintentional Emergency SOS call reporting, and more.

Apple also released iOS 16.1.1 with bug fixes.

Apple Working On Shorter Siri Trigger Phrase

Apple plans to drop "Hey" from the "Hey Siri" trigger phrase within the next few years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Users would simply say "Siri" followed by a command.

"While that might seem like a small change, making the switch is a technical challenge that requires a significant amount of AI training and underlying engineering work," said Gurman, in the latest edition of his newsletter.

15 Tips to Make Your iPhone Battery Last Longer

iPhone battery life has improved over the years, but there are still some situations where you may be away from a charger for a prolonged period and need your device to last as long as possible.

We've put together a list of 15 useful tips for maximizing iPhone battery life, ranging from turning off Background App Refresh to adjusting Mail app settings and more. Of course, enabling Low Power Mode also helps.

The MacRumors Show: John Gruber Talks macOS Ventura and Upcoming Macs

John Gruber of Daring Fireball joined us on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show podcast to discuss everything Mac and macOS Ventura.

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

Apple Still Has These Five Things Coming Before 2022 Ends

Apple recently indicated that its product lineup is "set" heading into the holiday shopping season, suggesting that there won't be any new Macs or other devices announced through the remainder of 2022. Nonetheless, there are still at least five notable items on Apple's agenda to expect before the end of the year.

Looking ahead, we recently shared a list of six major products to expect from Apple in 2023.

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!

Last month, Apple began selling a new 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe from Anker, which is a compact charging accessory capable of charging an iPhone, and Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously. I've spent the past couple of weeks testing it out, and it's quickly become my favorite multi-device charger.

The Cube is Anker's first officially certified MagSafe product, which means it supports full 15-watt wireless charging on compatible ‌iPhone‌ models. It also supports Apple Watch fast charging on Series 7, Series 8, and Ultra, a significant improvement over standard charging speeds. Combine those features with a charging surface for AirPods, and you've got all of your device charging needs covered with the highest possible specs.

Anker has also included some innovations on the design front with the 3-in-1 Cube, as the whole thing collapses down to a roughly 2.5-inch cube, which is great for a smaller nightstand or desk area and for portability. This is a significant improvement over some other options like Belkin's 3-in-1 stand with fixed arms that make it quite bulky for shipping and everyday use, never mind trying to travel with it.

At around 14.5 ounces, Anker's Cube is fairly weighty, which does hamper portability a bit if you're looking to toss it in a travel bag, but that tradeoff is necessary to provide stability in counterbalancing a phone stuck to the ‌MagSafe‌ charging surface.

The ‌MagSafe‌ phone charging surface on Anker's Cube is a platform hinged on the front, and it swings up with enough resistance that you can position it across a range of angles for maximum convenience while also revealing the AirPods charging surface beneath.

This is also the first third-party ‌MagSafe‌ charger I've seen that doesn't use the traditional Apple-style white charging surface, instead using a dark gray surface that blends in with the rest of the Cube's body while including a stylized charging symbol and a ring of markings to provide a subtle visual representation of the ‌MagSafe‌ magnets. I quite like the contrast to the Apple's bold white ‌MagSafe‌ surfaces, and hopefully this is a sign of more visually unique designs for MagSafe-certified products going forward.

In my testing with the phone charger, I found solid charging speeds on par with other third-party MagSafe-certified chargers. For some reason, none of the third-party 15-watt chargers I've tried are able to charge quite as quickly as Apple's own ‌MagSafe‌ Charger, but they come reasonably close and are definitely faster than you can get with an unofficial "MagSafe-compatible" charger that Apple limits to 7.5 watts.

The Apple Watch charging puck on the Cube also features a clever design that can retract into the body of the Cube, which is useful while traveling or when it's otherwise not needed. A quick press on the spring-loaded charger pops it in or out, though my unit tends to need an additional tug after deploying it in order to ensure it's fully extended.

As I noted above, the Apple Watch charger supports fast charging, which is really a must-have for people like me who like to wear their Apple Watch as much as possible. Anker says it can charge an Apple Watch Series 7 or 8 from empty to 75% in just 45 minutes, and my experience has been in line with those numbers. In fact, my testing showed it charging my Apple Watch Ultra even slightly faster than Apple's own fast charging Apple Watch USB-C cable.

One potential downside of the compact design of the Cube and its Apple Watch charger crops up if you're a fan of bulky Apple Watch bands. I use the Apple Watch Ultra's Ocean Band as my everyday band and I do have to be a little bit careful with how I set the watch on the charger to ensure the band doesn't interfere with the positioning as it droops down onto the table or desk below. It's certainly not a deal-breaker and it works just fine, but thinner, more flexible bands are less likely to be finicky.

Another consideration is that the Apple Watch charging surface is oriented horizontally, so it's not particularly convenient to use with Nightstand mode on the Apple Watch compared to some other solutions with angled charging pucks. As a multi-device charger, however, you're probably going to also have your ‌iPhone‌ sitting on the angled ‌MagSafe‌ charger which you can use to check the time during the night if needed.

The AirPods charging surface is just a simple platform with the same stylized charging symbol as on the ‌MagSafe‌ charger, and it's quite hidden behind the phone charger. The AirPods charger isn't really usable unless the ‌MagSafe‌ charging surface has been rotated as far upright as possible, but that's not a significant issue for me as I prefer my phone in that orientation anyway.

As for the rest of the design of Anker's Cube, I like the uniform dark gray plastic that helps it blend in to most environments, and the only visible branding is a slightly debossed Anker logo on the front in the same dark gray color, so it's quite subtle. The one thing I'm not a huge fan of is that the hinge is a shiny, almost mirrored material that readily shows fingerprints. The back side of the ‌MagSafe‌ charging surface is made of the same material, but it's not very visible given its location and the maximum angle of the charging surface.

The bottom of the Cube includes a rubber-like material that helps ensure it doesn't slide around or damage the desk or table it's sitting on, and there's a small white power LED on the rear of the Cube. It briefly comes on when you plug it in and otherwise shines only while AirPods are charging, and its location means it doesn't shine disruptively at you during the night.

In addition to the Cube itself, Anker includes a basic 30-watt USB-C power adapter with folding prongs, as well as a 1.5-meter (5-foot) USB-C to USB-C cable that I've found to be long enough for the several locations where I've tested the Cube.

Likely the biggest drawback to the Anker 3-in-1 Cube is its price tag, coming in at $149.95. That's in line with other premium officially-certified 3-in-1 chargers like Belkin's, but definitely a bit of sticker shock for customers used to Anker's products being of excellent quality but at good value. The high price tag on the Cube can almost certainly be attributed to the ‌MagSafe‌ and Apple Watch fast charging support, with Anker needing to work directly with Apple to obtain premium-priced components and certification for the product.

The 3-in-1 Cube with ‌MagSafe‌ definitely appears to be proving popular with customers, and unfortunately it may already be too late to order if you're looking to give one as a holiday gift. Apple is currently quoting a delivery estimate of December 13 to December 28 even with expedited shipping, while Anker itself is saying new orders won't ship until at least Christmas and maybe not until early January.

Note: Anker provided MacRumors with the 3-in-1 Cube for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Although we're still two weeks out from Black Friday on November 25, we've begun seeing many solid deals arrive on Apple products, like the early Black Friday discounts we shared on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this post, we're focusing less on a specific device and more on Apple in general, with early holiday discounts hitting Apple TV 4K, iPad, AirPods Pro, MagSafe accessories, and more.

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 although many of the deals shared below are current record low prices, there is no guarantee we won't see steeper discounts later in the month or in December. Apple product sales fluctuate often during the holidays, so the best you can do is strike while the iron is hot during these best-ever price events.

HomePod mini

Verizon recently introduced the first notable discount on the HomePod mini in months, offering all colors of the smart speaker for $79.99, down from $99.99.

AirPods Pro

Verizon is providing an all-time low price on the 2021 AirPods Pro with MagSafe, available at $90 off for $159.99.

Apple TV 4K (2021)

The 2021 Apple TV 4K has seen steep discounts since the summer, and prices have only been dropping even more following the announcement of the new 2022 Apple TV 4K models. Right now on Amazon you can get the 32GB 2021 Apple TV 4K for $99.99, which is an $79 discount and an all-time low price.

Apple TV 4K (2022)

If you want the latest Apple TV 4K model, you won't be able to save as much money, but Amazon does still have a small deal. You can get the 64GB 2022 Apple TV 4K for $124.99, down from $129.00. The 128GB 2022 Apple TV 4K model is also available at a slight discount.

MagSafe Battery Pack

Amazon has a new record low price on the MagSafe Battery Pack, available for $71.00, down from $99.00. This accessory rarely sees discounts, so now is a great time to snag the battery pack at its best-ever price.

MagSafe Duo Charger

Another MagSafe accessory, the MagSafe Duo Charger, is down to $103.00 right now on Amazon, from its original price of $129.00. This is the first time we've tracked a deal on the MagSafe Duo Charger in more than a month.

AirPods 3

Amazon has dropped the price of the AirPods 3 with Lightning Charging Case to $139.99, from $169.00. This is an all-time low price on the headphones.

AirPods Pro 2

Update: Amazon has sweetened this deal and dropped the AirPods Pro 2 even further to $229.99.

Apple just launched the second-generation AirPods Pro, and Amazon has had the headphones at a $15 discount for a few weeks now. This is a second-best price, but still a solid markdown on the brand-new accessory.

10.9-Inch iPad (2022)

Update: This deal has returned in both Blue and Silver colors.

B&H Photo has the first major discount on the just-released 10.9-inch iPad, available for $399.00 (64GB Wi-Fi), down from $449.00. As of writing, only B&H Photo has this deal, and only in the Blue color.

10.2-Inch iPad (2021)

Apple's 10.2-inch iPad has dropped to $269.99 on Amazon this week, down from $329.00, which is an all-time low price.

11-Inch iPad Pro (2022)

Amazon has the first notable discount on the brand new iPad Pro lineup, with $50 savings on the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro. As of today, this remains the only new iPad Pro with a deal, and B&H Photo is matching Amazon's price.

iPad Mini 6

You can get Apple's 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 for its all-time low price of $399.99 right now on Amazon, which is a $99 discount on the 2021 tablet. This remains the best deal we've ever seen on the iPad mini 6, and only Amazon has the sale right now.

Studio Display

For Apple's display products, we're tracking best-ever prices on the Studio Display with standard glass at Amazon and B&H Photo. It's on sale for $1,499.00, which is $100 off its original price. The nano-texture glass option is also $100 off on B&H Photo.

Pro Display XDR

Apple's high-end Pro Display XDR with nano-texture glass has dropped to $5,499.00 on Amazon and B&H Photo, down from $5,999.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on this display.

We're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2022.