MacRumors

Sony in February introduced the LinkBuds, a curious set of earphones that have an open design that's not quite like any other in-ear headphone product on the market. We picked up a set of Sony's strange LinkBuds to see how they measure up to Apple's third-generation AirPods.

Priced at $178, the LinkBuds have a naked donut-shaped earpiece that goes in the ear. Much like the AirPods 3, there are no form or silicone tips included with the LinkBuds.

The hole in the LinkBuds is an open ring driver that's designed to let users listen to music while also keeping an ear open to their ambient surroundings, similar to headphone products like audio-equipped sunglasses and bone conduction headphones. Sound quality is not at the AirPods level, but it's above average.

An Adaptive Volume Control feature optimizes music to the sound in the ambient environment, and playback is controlled by double tapping right on your ear. The double tap gesture can be used to play/pause music, adjust volume, or skip tracks, with settings available in the Sony app. There's also an option in the app for EQ adjustments.

A secondary bulb with a small fin holds the LinkBuds in place, and Sony has described them as ultra small and lightweight. In our testing, comfort is not too far off from the AirPods. They can be worn for a decent length of time before they irritate the ears, and are light enough not to be uncomfortable over a couple hours of use.

The battery in the LinkBuds lasts for 5.5 hours, and they come with a charging case that provides a total of 23 hours of listening time. The charging case is tiny and pocketable.

For those in the Apple device ecosystem, LinkBuds can't really measure up to the AirPods because they lack features like automatic device switching and quick pairing. People who don't care about those features and who are looking for earbuds that are ideal for biking, running, and other similar purposes might want to check out the LinkBuds, though.

What do you think of the LinkBuds? Let us know in the comments.

A few companies are celebrating today's Saint Patrick's Day holiday by offering shoppers solid discounts across a variety of products. We've collected some of the best discounts and offers below, including sales from ZAGG and Mophie, Belkin, Casely, Pad & Quill, Satechi, JBL, and Hyper.

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.

ZAGG

ZAGG and Mophie are hosting one of the bigger tech-related Saint Patrick's Day sales this year, with 25 percent off sitewide for one day only. This sale excludes items that have already been discounted.

We've collected a few of Mophie's best charging accessories that you can save on during the Saint Patrick's Day sale, including the new 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe. Besides Mophie's accessories, ZAGG's website includes screen protectors, iPad keyboards, tech sanitizers, and much more.

• Snap+ Juice Pack Mini Wallet - $37.46, down from $49.95
• Snap+ Powerstation Stand - $52.46, down from $69.95
• Powerstation Wireless XL - $52.46, down from $69.95
• 3-in-1 Wireless Stand for MagSafe Charger - $67.46, down from $89.95
• 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe - $112.46, down from $149.95

Belkin

Belkin is taking 15 percent off select charging accessories today with the code POWER15. This includes the company's Boost Charge line of products, as well as Bluetooth speakers, wall chargers, cables, and more.

You can browse the full Saint Patrick's Day sale by heading to this landing page on Belkin's website. This code is expected to expire once the holiday ends, so shop soon if you're interested.

Casely

Casely is offering 25 percent off green cases and accessories for the Saint Patrick's Day holiday. You'll just need to use the code LUCKYME to see the discounts, and this will expire in three days.

Casely has cases that support iPhones as old as the iPhone 6. If you have the latest devices, you can opt for a MagSafe-compatible case in select accessories. There are also cases for the AirPods and AirPods Pro on sale this week.

Pad & Quill

At Pad & Quill you can save on Apple Watch bands, iPhone leather folios, AirTag accessories, and more. All of these products can be found in the company's new Warehouse Sale, and it also includes a pair of 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro cases.

Satechi

Satechi's discount is focusing on just one product: the 165W USB-C GaN Charger, priced at $96.00 with code CES20, down from $119.99.

This accessory includes four USB-C power delivery ports, and when purchasing you can select from four different territories for different power supply options.

Other Sales

• Adorama - Get 40% off photography equipment and more
• eBay - Get up to 50% off on home appliances, smart home tech, and more
• Hyper - Save on USB-C hubs and more
• JBL - Get up to 50% off portable speakers, headphones, and more

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

The European Union is set to introduce new legislation as soon as this month that would significantly affect how the App Store operates in Europe, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The Digital Markets Act has been in development for some time and the finalized version that could be completed as soon as this month will allow for sideloading and alternate app store options. Apple will be required to allow customers in Europe to download apps outside of the app stores, and it will also allow developers to use alternate purchase methods.

Failure to comply with the law could cost Apple tens of billions of dollars, and Apple's efforts to fight the act have been unsuccessful. Back in November, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that the sideloading mandated by the Digital Markets Act would open the "floodgates" to malware. The legislation would, said Federighi, "take away [the] choice of a more secure platform."

In a statement provided to The Wall Street Journal, Apple shared a similar sentiment.

Governments and international agencies world-wide have explicitly advised against sideloading requirements, which would cripple the privacy and security protections that users have come to expect."

European officials have been unswayed by Apple's privacy and security-related arguments, and in July, European Union digital competition chief Margrethe Vestager said that Apple should not use privacy excuses to limit competition. "Customers will not give up neither security nor privacy if they use another app store or if they sideload," she said.

The full scope of the sideloading provision in the bill is not yet known as final language could give Apple some room to limit the scope of sideloading. After the bill is finalized, it will be approved by the parliament and member states, and it would take effect early next year.

Apple's new Mac Studio desktop computer will begin arriving to customers this Friday. Ahead of the launch, TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino spoke with a trio of senior Apple employees about the company's process of designing the Mac Studio.

Just like the Mac Pro tower released in late 2019, the Mac Studio was born as a result of Apple's Pro Workflows Team that was created shortly after the company apologized to pro users and ensured that it remains committed to the Mac.

"We look very much at Mac Studio for what it is, a completely new Mac product line," said Tom Boger, vice president of Mac and iPad product marketing at Apple. "Our philosophy was not at all to take a Mac mini and scale it up, it was 'we know we're working on this M1 chip and we want to bring it to those users who want performance and conductivity and a modular system. And let's allow it to live right on people's desks so it's within easy reach."

Xander Soren, director of product marketing for the Pro Apps team at Apple, told Panzarino that creative and pro users expressed a clear desire for a so-called "modular" system that sat between the iMac and the Mac Pro in Apple's desktop lineup.

"I think the way we look at it is we're happy to provide multiple ways for our users to work," added Boger. "So you could decide to have a MacBook Pro with an M1 Max chip in it and you could decide to have a setup in your studio where you bring the MacBook Pro back and forth. And if that's the way that you choose to work, great. But we also have users that prefer to have that desktop that always lives on their desk."

Apple said that it listened to customer feedback to decide which ports to offer on the Mac Studio, and it also designed the computer to ensure that all of those ports were easily accessible on both the front and back of the machine.

"We've got IO right on the front, and even if you need to get to the back, you just spin it around," said Boger. "It's relatively light; it's very small; it fits under most displays at 3.7 inches high. We're really giving users something they've never had before. They've always had to trade off. If I wanted a smaller form factor computer, I had to trade off performance. And what we wanted to do was give people something where you don't have to do that."

Shelly Goldberg, senior director of Mac and iPad product design at Apple, said the Mac Studio was a fun challenge in terms of fitting the powerful performance of the M1 Ultra chip into a more compact form factor with optimal thermal management.

"…The team did hundreds of thermal simulations for the airflow to try to figure out what's the best pattern of airflow through the system to try to optimize for performance and acoustics and ultimately, we came up with the the design that we have which has the inlet on the bottom coming in through over 2,000 machined holes that are all machined at [a specific] angle that rotates as you go around the perimeter," said Goldberg.

As for the Studio Display, Boger said Apple aimed for a "great, very accessible, very mainstream display for all of our Mac users."

"It's a great display if you want to hook up to the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro, whatever," said Boger. "And we know that there's still users out there that are using Intel-based Macs and so putting A13 in there processes the audio for Spatial Audio and makes the magic of Center Stage happen."

Notably, many reviewers found the Studio Display's webcam quality to be unsatisfactory, leading Apple to issue a statement indicating that it will be making unspecified improvements in a future software update. No timeframe was provided for the update.

We've rounded up reviews of both the Mac Studio and Studio Display for a closer look at both products ahead of their Friday launch.

LG's 27-inch UltraFine 5K external display has not been discontinued and will be back in stock next month, LG has told The Wall Street Journal.

Following speculation that the LG UltraFine 5K display may have been discontinued when it went out of stock at most major retailers, LG told The Wall Street Journal that the UltraFine 5K is still in production and has not been discontinued. The display is simply out of stock at the current time due to component shortages and high demand. LG expects the UltraFine 5K to come back in stock on its website as soon as next month, with availability at other retailers presumably set to improve around the same time.

Apple worked with LG to develop the UltraFine 5K display, which contains almost the exact same panel as a 27-inch 5K iMac, featuring Thunderbolt connectivity, close integration with macOS, and the ideal 5120 by 2880 resolution for Retina scaling on a Mac, making it the go-to option for many Mac users in recent years.

Following the announcement of the Studio Display, Apple delisted the 27-inch UltraFine 5K display from the Apple Store. Apple presumably chose to stop selling the UltraFine 5K due to its similarity to the Studio Display. The UltraFine 5K features almost the same 27-inch 5K panel with P3 wide color, built-in speakers, a built-in camera, a single Thunderbolt port that is capable of charging a MacBook, and three USB-C ports, but for a price of $1,299, $300 cheaper than the Studio Display.

The Studio Display adds a slim aluminum design, an extra 100 nits of brightness, and Center Stage functionality, but does not come with a height-adjustable stand as standard. Apple continues to sell the UltraFine 5K's smaller sibling, 23.7-inch UltraFine 4K display, for $699.

Reviews of the Studio Display were released earlier today with a largely negative response, but Apple is rumored to be planning to launch a more high-end 27-inch "Studio Display Pro" with mini-LED technology later this year.

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), which includes Apple, Samsung, Google, Amazon, and others, today announced the launch of the "Matter" smart home standard has been delayed until the fall of 2022 (via The Verge).

Matter seeks to unify and simplify the smart home ecosystem with a new interoperable standard. Announced in 2019 as "Project CHiP," Matter is a unified IP-based connectivity that aims to offer a standard universal protocol for developers to build Internet of Things devices. The Alliance previously sought to release the standard in late 2020. This was then delayed to the second half of 2021, before again being delayed until summer 2022. Now, it has been delayed until the fall of 2022.

The delay is needed to finalize the software development kit (SDK) that device manufacturers will use to incorporate their products into the Matter ecosystem. The CSA is working to improve the SDK so that it works smoothly across the large number of platforms that are adopting Matter, ensuring that there is long-term confidence in the standard.

The updated timeline suggests that Matter-certified devices could still go on sale this year, with 130 devices in 15 categories from 50 companies set to be part of the first roll-out. Companies that are not yet enrolled into the initial phase may need to wait until the end of 2022 or early 2023 to begin testing.

A multitude of smart home accessory makers have signed up to adopt Matter, including Amazon, ASSA ABLOY, Comcast, Espressif Systems, Eve Systems, Grundfos Holding A/S, Huawei, Infineon Technologies, LEEDARSON, Legrand, Nanoleaf, and others.

The first reviews have surfaced for Apple's new Studio Display, and one common point among reviewers was that the built-in webcam's image quality ranges anywhere from an "old BlackBerry" to downright "awful" in their hands-on testing.

The Studio Display features a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide front camera that can be used for the likes of FaceTime and Zoom calls. While the camera is a welcomed addition compared to the webcam-less Pro Display XDR, reviewers have criticized the image quality.

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern:

You can understand why I anticipated that the Studio Display's webcam would be the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). With a 12-megapixel camera and the A13 Bionic chip, it should be on par with the front-facing camera of an iPhone 11 Pro.

Yet Apple's camera consistently produced grainy and washed-out images. There was so much missing detail in some of the shots that it reminded me of the camera on my old BlackBerry. On the plus side: No one could see my frizzy hair.

The Verge's Nilay Patel:

The bad part is that I have no idea what's going on with this webcam. Apple has a long history of producing amazing images with 12 megapixel sensors and A-series chips, and for some reason this thing just looks awful.

Actually, it looks awful in good light, and downright miserable in low light. I've tried it connected to the Mac Studio and on my MacBook Pro running macOS 12.3, and on both machines it produces a grainy, noisy image with virtually no detail. I tried it in FaceTime, in Zoom, in Photo Booth, in QuickTime – you name it, it's the same sad image quality. Turning off the Center Stage feature that follows you around the room doesn't help. Turning portrait mode on and off doesn't help.

In response to inquiries about the webcam's quality, an Apple spokesperson told both Stern and Patel that Apple "discovered an issue where the system is not behaving as expected" and will be "making improvements in a software update." Apple did not specify what the "improvements" will be made, and no timeframe was provided for the update.

We've rounded up reviews of both the Studio Display and the Mac Studio for those interested in a hands-on look at both new products.

First impressions of the Apple Studio Display have now been shared by select media outlets and YouTubers, providing a closer look at Apple's latest standalone display. Reviewers praised some aspects such as the display's built-in speaker and microphone setup, while others felt that "the Studio Display in its current state is a confounding miss."

Priced starting at $1,599, the Studio Display is Apple's first new external display since the 2019 Pro Display XDR. It features a 27-inch 5K Retina display with up to 600 nits brightness, P3 Wide color, True Tone, one Thunderbolt port, three USB-C ports, a built-in A13 Bionic chip, a three-microphone array, a 12-megapixel f/2.4 Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage, and a six-speaker sound system with support for Spatial Audio.

An angle-adjustable stand is included in the price of the display, but for an extra $400, there is a tilt and height-adjustable stand, and a VESA mount adapter option that lets the display be used in portrait or landscape orientation. There is also a $300 upgrade for nano-texture glass that minimizes glare in workspaces with bright lighting.

Design

Reviewers generally admired the slim, all-aluminum design of the Studio Display. Gizmodo's Phillip Tracy highlighted the Studio Display's passive cooling design elements and criticized the display's rubbber feet:

On the top are vent holes for passive cooling; the rear panel got warm during my testing but never reached concerning temps.

Like those on the Mac Studio, the Studio Display's rubber pads failed to keep the monitor planted to my wooden desk. It slid around as I inserted or disconnected cables from the rear I/O.

Display Quality

CNBC's Kif Leswing felt that the display quality was adequate but unimpressive:

The picture quality on the Studio Display is good, but it won't blow you away. I like that text is nice and sharp thanks to the extra pixels, so people who read on their computer for hours per day might want to consider it. And while it might seem expensive, it's a lot less than the Pro Display XDR Apple also sells, which costs $4,999 before you add in the $1,000 stand.

The Verge's Nilay Patel criticized the Studio Display's lack of HDR and ProMotion:

The real issue is that $1,599 is a lot of money, and here it's buying you panel tech that is woefully behind the curve. Compared to Apple's other displays across the Mac, iPhone, and iPad lineup, the Studio Display is actually most notable for the things it doesn't have.

[...]

The Studio Display is also notable for being an SDR display, with no HDR modes to speak of. Apple's high-end iPhones, iPads, and Mac laptops all support HDR, but the Studio Display tops out at 600 nits, and Apple doesn’t offer a HDR mode in the software at all. Again, this comes back to the ancient backlight tech: true HDR requires local dimming, and the Studio Display doesn’t have it.

The Studio Display also only offers a 60Hz refresh rate, which is both bog-standard and also woefully behind Apple’s other top-tier products like the iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Pro, and MacBook Pro...

Tracy was similarly disappointed at the lack of true blacks due to the Studio Display's LCD panel:

Keep in mind that this is a standard IPS panel so you won't get the perfect black levels found on an OLED screen nor do you get HDR support for greater contrast. I placed the HP Spectre x360 16's OLED display side-by-side with the Studio Display and my eyes were drawn to the laptop. Blacks on the monitor looked dark gray in comparison, and the colors didn’t have the same wet paint-like saturation to them as those on the Spectre. I also wouldn't use the Studio Display as a gaming monitor considering the measly 60Hz refresh rate. That's standard for a screen of this resolution, but part of me was hoping Apple could find a way to add ProMotion.

The specifications of the display were consistently flagged as disappointments by reviewers given the Studio Display's price point.

Microphones and Speakers

Patel praised the Studio Display's built-in microphone and speaker setup:

Let's start with the good stuff: the mic and speakers sound great. Really, really great. You can adjust the three-mic array to do voice isolation or not in Control Center, and you'll sound as good or better on calls as any conference mics I've ever heard... The speakers are loud and deep, and while I am not entirely convinced that spatial audio in music is anything but a gimmick and even less convinced that anything like "spatial" audio can be produced by a stereo speaker system located in front of you, Apple is certainly processing its heart out here — if you play an Atmos clip you'll hear some dramatic swooshing about, which is always fun. These are the best built-in speakers I've ever heard.

TechRadar's Matt Hanson praised the microphones, but found the Studio Display's support for Spatial Audio less impressive:

The spatial audio support was less impressive. We tried a few tracks in Dolby Atmos and didn't really feel like the sound was coming from around us. Virtualized surround sound is always a challenge to get right, and can never compare to physical speaker setups, and that's true with the Studio Display, unfortunately.

Tracy likewise lauded the speaker setup, saying that "the sound quality is better than anything I've ever heard out of a monitor." TechCrunch's Brian Heater said that while the microphone setup is marketed as "studio quality," for users "planning to do much more than just webconferencing, I'd recommend plugging an external mic into one of the aforementioned ports."

Camera

A major area of concern among reviewers was the built-in 12-megapixel camera. Patel said that "the Studio Display's headline webcam feature works so badly that it's virtually unusable."

Apple has a long history of producing amazing images with 12-megapixel sensors and A-series chips, and for some reason this thing just looks awful.

Actually, it looks awful in good light, and downright miserable in low light... it produces a grainy, noisy image with virtually no detail. I tried it in FaceTime, in Zoom, in Photo Booth, in QuickTime – you name it, it's the same sad image quality. Turning off the Center Stage feature that follows you around the room doesn’t help. Turning portrait mode on and off doesn’t help.

Our rule has always been to review products based on what we have in front of us and never against the promise of a future software update, and based on what I have in front of me, I simply wouldn’t want to use this camera. The cameras on the new MacBook Pro and M1 iMac are far superior to what we're seeing here, and an iPhone front camera is even better still. I'm hopeful Apple will improve things via software in the future, but I would not spend $1,599 on this display until that actually happens.

Other reviewers generally agreed with the disappointing results from the built-in webcam, with Heater commenting:

...the image is a surprising step down from recent M1 Macs. The white balance is off and there's more image noise. My first instinct was to try to peel away a protective film I might have left on by accident, but to no avail. That's just how the image is now — a pretty huge disappointment for a monitor that starts at $1,599.

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern agreed:

With a 12-megapixel camera and the A13 Bionic chip, it should be on par with the front-facing camera of an iPhone 11 Pro.

Yet Apple’s camera consistently produced grainy and washed-out images. There was so much missing detail in some of the shots that it reminded me of the camera on my old BlackBerry.

Tracy similarly found the camera to be "fine" but "noisy." Apple told multiple publications that improvements to the Studio Display's camera would be coming in a software update, but it is unclear exactly what aspect of the reviewers' complaints this update pertains to or when it will be released.

Stands and Nano-Texture Option

Patel noted that the "$300 nanotexture option smudges easily and is hard to clean," while Tracy criticized the Studio Display's stand options:

The Studio Display inexplicably lacks height adjustment. For that, you need to pay an extra $400 for a completely different stand. Perhaps Apple thinks some folks won't need it; whatever the case, a height-adjustable stand should be table stakes at the base price. To make matters worse, the stand options aren't interchangeable, meaning what you buy is what you get. What you can do with the standard stand is tilt the screen from -5 degrees to 25 degrees, which was more effective in providing an optimal viewing angle than I had anticipated. That said, if, like me, you need to stretch your legs and stand at various times throughout the workday, then prepare to spend extra or go with a VESA mount.

Hanson said that "it's these kinds of 'hidden' extra costs that try a lot of peoples' patience when it comes to Apple."

More Reviews

• TechCrunch
• SixColors
• Ars Technica
• The Independent
• Popular Science

Videos

Apple's all-new Mac Studio desktop computer launches this Friday. Ahead of time, the first reviews and unboxing videos for the Mac Studio have surfaced, providing us with a closer look at the machine and its companion Studio Display.

Performance

While the Mac Studio resembles a larger Mac mini, it is far more powerful. The computer can be configured with the same M1 Max chip available for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, or the new M1 Ultra chip, which features a 20-core CPU, up to a 64-core GPU, and a 32-core Neural Engine. With the M1 Ultra chip, the Mac Studio has faster performance than a 28-core Mac Pro tower released in December 2019.

Specifically, the Mac Studio has earned a multi-core score of around 23,500 to 24,000 in many Geekbench 5 results, compared to an average multi-core score of 19,956 for the Mac Pro with a 28-core Intel Xeon W processor. This is especially impressive given that the Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip starts at $3,999, while a Mac Pro tower configured with a 28-core processor is over three times more expensive at $12,999.

The Verge's Monica Chin:

My first stop was Becca Farsace, our video director who edited the entire video review of the Mac Studio and Studio Display (which you should go watch if you haven't already) on our Studio unit. I watched her work in Premiere and Media Encoder for hours, and even to my amateur eyes, it was clear that the Studio was flying. It was miles better than our two-year-old Mac Pro (which Becca uses for most of her work) at basically everything.

Becca was able to play 4K, 10-bit 4:2:2 footage from a Sony FX3 at full resolution in Adobe Premiere Pro at 4x speed with no proxies. It was lightning fast. On any other machine, she'd have had to be in half-resolution at most. There was also no lag between hitting the spacebar and stopping playback when playing footage at 2x or 4x speed, something she finds to be a big annoyance on the Mac Pro.

Connectivity

On the back of the Mac Studio, connectivity options include four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one 10-Gigabit Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones. On the front, there is an SD card slot, along with two USB-C ports for M1 Max configurations or two Thunderbolt 4 ports for M1 Ultra configurations. The computer supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

Six Colors' Jason Snell:

But that may be the point: this is a computer designed to be used, not to be looked at as a piece of art. When you choose to stick ports on the front of a computer—hey everybody, Apple put ports on the front!!—you are choosing function over form. That's the story of the Mac Studio.

Apple hasn't skimped on the Mac Studio when it comes to what a certain portion of its customer base wants—connectivity. I used the SD card on the front of the Mac Studio twice on the very first day I had it connected. I also plugged a keyboard into that front USB port. (My test unit was an M1 Max model, so those front ports were USB-C; on models with the M1 Ultra chip, they’re full-fledged Thunderbolt 4.)

And then there's the full array of ports on the back: Four Thunderbolt 4, two USB-A, HDMI, a headphone jack, and 10Gb Ethernet. While I didn't fill up all of those ports, I did transfer an array of cables and adapters from the back of my iMac Pro to the Mac Studio and didn't have to dig out a single adapter or find a USB hub to accommodate them.

More Reviews

• WIRED's Brenda Stolyar
• TechCrunch's Brian Heater
• Pocket-lint's Stuart Miles
• Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham
• CNET's Dan Ackerman

Videos

Prices on the new 14-inch MacBook Pro have dropped to even lower prices today on Amazon, starting with the M1 Pro/8‑core CPU/512GB SSD model at $1,749.00, down from $1,999.00. This beats current sales at other retailers by about $50, and is an all-time low price on this version of the MacBook Pro.

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.

Only the Space Gray color option is being discounted as of writing, and only Amazon is reaching this low of a price. The sale price has been applied automatically, so you won't need a coupon or discount code either.

Secondly, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro/10-core CPU/1TB SSD is being discounted to $2,249.00, down from $2,499.00. This is another record low price on the new MacBook Pro, and it's only available in the Silver color option.

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.

The latest macOS Monterey update, released to the public this week, is bricking Macs that have had their logic boards replaced, causing panic among customers who are unable to get their Mac back to a working state, according to a cluster of user reports posted on social media and Apple's support forums.

Apple this week released macOS Monterey 12.3, which among other things, brought Universal Control to users. Sadly, not all users are being able to experience ‌Universal Control‌ or the latest update at all.

As chronicled on an Apple Developer forum thread, users who attempt to update their Mac to macOS 12.3 from macOS 12.2.1 or earlier are met with errors, endless restart loops, and possibly a bricked Mac. The reports are limited to just Macs that have had their logic boards replaced, specifically new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.

There is a firmware bug in Mac OS 12.3 that renders the update impossible to install on any 2021 14 or 16 inch MacBook Pro that has had it's logic board replaced.

The cycle is:

You try to upgrade, the upgrade will fail but recovery to handle it correctly, you'll reboot still on 12.2.1 but with a report a problem dialogue informing you of an iBoot Panic
You'll try to upgrade again. This time, the iBoot FW will corrupt. You'll see the apple icon flash on boot 5-6 times before seeing the exclamation mark symbol telling you recovery is needed.
You can try and revive using a second Mac with Apple Configurator 2. This will fail, because it tries to load the 12.3 firmware from the IPSW, in either DFU or Recovery mode.
The only way to get things running again is to manually download the 12.2.1 IPSW and use Apple Configurator 2, with the Mac in DFU mode, to load the revive image. This will update the firmware of iBoot, and the recovery image to a working build. The Mac will then restore 12.2.1's OS, keeping your data upon finishing.

According to the reports, there are two possible outcomes users are facing. Either a Mac becomes bricked and unusable, or a Mac finishes the update process and reboots but doesn't update and displays an "iBoot Panic" message.

A thread on Reddit by users also reports similar issues. "When I attempt to upgrade to 12.3 on a 2021 M1 14 inch macbook, the entire download and then upgrade sequence completes (30 or 40 minutes in upgrade sequence) and when it reboots has not upgraded and is still on 12.2.1," one user said.

In the case the Mac does not boot up after the update sequences, users must put their Mac into DFU and revive it manually. This process, however, requires users to have a second compatible Mac to revive their bricked Mac. As many customers only have one Mac, or no compatible Mac to use Apple Configurator with, they're forced to head to the Apple Store for assistance.

Even a trip to the ‌Apple Store‌, however, will result in staff likely replacing the already faulty logic board with another logic board, putting users in an endless loop until the bug is patched. Users are generally reporting mixed results when trying to put their Mac into DFU mode, but one user on Reddit has offered some advice:

Any attempts to get 12.3 on your mac will fail with that error.

You should be able to get into DFU though - wait until you're on the exclamation mark screen after a few flashes, then do the DFU key sequence. Configurator will let you try a revive in recovery mode though, but not sure if that works - I assume that's your 21 error. You should get a 2006 error when trying in DFU mode.

The second time I tried a normal in system upgrade, the screen refused to show anything as a result of the firmware failure - but it still appeared in Configurator and the DFU key sequence still worked.

There are also reports on the MacRumors Forum, with one user saying, "I cannot install macOS 12.3 in any way: direct upgrade, install via App Store, Recovery Mode, DFU Restore, all failed. All versions before macOS 12.3 works. I have to download IPSW for macOS 12.2 to use it." Apple does offer IPSW files for macOS updates, but as stated above, that process requires a second Mac to install onto the bricked Mac.

Apple has instructions for how to revive an Apple silicon Mac here and an Intel-based Mac instructions can be found here. Apple has so far not commented or acknowledged the specific issue bricking Macs attempting to update to macOS 12.3, but we've reached out to Apple for comment and will update accordingly.

Reliable display analyst Ross Young has reiterated his belief that Apple will unveil a new product with a 27-inch mini-LED display around June, despite another well-known analyst claiming new mini-LED products from Apple are unlikely this year.

On Wednesday, Ming-Chi Kuo said there may be no new products with mini-LED displays from Apple in 2022 because of cost concerns to do with sourcing the technology.

Kuo believes that only Apple's existing mini-LED products like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro may be updated in 2022, but he said he doesn't expect any additional products to feature or transition to the more advanced display technology.

In an apparent response to Kuo's prediction, Young later tweeted that he was still "quite confident" that a 27-inch mini-LED display will feature in a new Apple product set to come in or around June, but said that he was unsure what Apple was going to call it.

Young previously suggested that the product could be a Studio Display "Pro," although he conceded this is a guess. Young has also independently told MacRumors he feels positive that Apple will use a 27-inch mini-LED panel this year "in some implementation." Young says he has confirmed its existence with multiple companies in Apple's supply chain, and today reminded readers that his consultancy has "called every mini-LED product right from Apple so far."

That said, in February, Young claimed Apple would launch an iMac Pro as early as summer 2022, but the analyst withdrew that prediction immediately after Apple unveiled the Mac Studio, which was only rumored at the last minute. Young explained that his sources weren't aware of the separation between the ‌iMac‌, ‌Mac Studio‌, and Studio Display, which had added confusion to Apple's exact plans.

Adding further to the confusion regarding Apple's product roadmap, Apple this month discontinued the 27-inch Intel-based ‌iMac‌, leaving questions on whether there will be a larger ‌‌iMac‌‌ to join the 24-inch in Apple's lineup. Rumors are mixed on whether Apple is developing a larger-screened version of the ‌iMac‌ at all, so the company's plans are unclear at this time.

• Have We Seen the Last of the 27-inch iMac?

Kuo and Young both have respectable track records regarding display-related information for future Apple products, so it will be interesting to see whether Apple announces any new mini-LED products this year.

Apple's new third-generation iPhone SE with 5G connectivity is set to go on general sale on Friday, and Taiwan-based analysts have today shared their shipment expectations for the device over the coming year.

Apple's new ‌iPhone SE‌ shipments are expected to reach 30 million units in 2022, according to estimates by DigiTimes research analysts Sean Lin and Luke Lin. That's at the top-end of the predicted number of second-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ (2020) units that Apple managed to ship in the first year of its release.

Apple is said to have prepared components for under five million units of the new ‌iPhone SE‌ in the first quarter of 2022, but actual shipments for the entry-level smartphone are expected to be lower than that in the first quarter.

In the next quarter, shipments are expected to rise to 11 million units, with volumes in the third quarter to stay at around the same level before slowing down in the fourth quarter, leading up to the launch of Apple's iPhone 14 series.

According to DigiTimes, the availability of the new ‌iPhone SE‌ is expected to significantly drive up 5G handset shipments to non-China markets in 2022, with a significant cross-section of customers preferring its lower price and traditional iPhone design with a physical Home button.

In 2021, around 280 million 5G handsets were shipped to non-China markets, according to the analysts, but the number is expected to rise sharply by over 60% to over 450 million units, accounting for 63.5% of worldwide volumes. In China, by contrast, where nearly 80% of shipments are already 5G devices, shipment growth this year is only expected to be in the single digits.

Following basic iPhone 14 Pro CAD renders surfacing online yesterday, new images today alleged to be renders for the lower-end iPhone 14 models have been leaked, showing the same iPhone 13 notch and rear camera design.

The renders, shared by MySmartPrice, obtained through an "industry insider," depict a very similar design for the assumed two lower-end models of the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 13.

Apple made small design changes to the ‌iPhone‌ 13 compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 12, with the main change being a new camera layout. The updated diagonal camera layout from the ‌iPhone‌ 13 will carry over to the ‌iPhone 14‌ with no changes, according to the CAD files. MySmartPrice notes, however, that the camera on the back seems to "have received a minor refresh and seems to have a thicker frame of glass surrounding the housing."

Regarding the notch, Apple did make it smaller by shrinking it in size but increasing it in height on the ‌iPhone‌ 13 compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 12. Apple is planning to stick with the same notch on the base ‌iPhone 14‌ models, according to the renders, which show no noticeable difference in size or design.

Apple is reportedly planning to announce four new ‌iPhone 14‌ models this coming fall, including two 6.1-inch and two 6.7-inch sizes. The ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Max, possible names for the two lower-end models, will keep the same notch and overall design as the current ‌iPhone‌ 13. The higher-end ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 14‌ Pro Max will receive a more noticeable design change - removing the notch.

For the first time on its flagship ‌iPhone‌ since the introduction of the ‌iPhone‌ X in 2017, Apple is planning to do away with the notch on the high-end ‌iPhone 14‌ models. While the display will not be completely free of intrusions as some customers may hope, it will feature a pill-shaped and circular cutout at the top of the display that takes up less space than a notch.

Rumors and leaks point to Apple wanting to further differentiate its "Pro" iPhones from its lower-end models. Today's renders for the ‌iPhone 14‌ reveal very few design changes compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 13. In addition, the iPhone 14 may even feature the same A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13. As with every year, Apple can be expected to improve the cameras on this year's new ‌iPhone‌, so it remains to be seen what exactly Apple plans to change with the ‌iPhone 14‌ compared to the current base model iPhones.

For a rundown of everything we know about the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup, see our roundup.

Google today announced that its annual Google I/O developers conference is set to take place on Wednesday, May 11, and Thursday, May 12, about a month ahead of when we're expecting Apple to hold the annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai shared the news this afternoon, and he said the event will be "live from Shoreline Amphitheatre," with the content available online. The wording of his tweet was confusing, but Google has clarified that this will be an online-only event as it has been for the past two years.

A "limited audience" will be at the event, but that will consist of Googlers, with press and other attendees expected to tune in online.

With COVID cases dropping in California and mask mandates lifting, it's possible Google could have chosen to invite some people to attend in person, but the company has opted not to do so, perhaps because Google I/O typically sees attendees from around the globe.

Google's decision to hold an online-only event may give us some insight into Apple's plans. Apple has not announced the dates for the Worldwide Developers Conference, nor has the company said whether this year's event will have an in-person element. Apple has been cautious throughout the global health crisis, so with Google going online only for I/O, we are likely to see Apple opt for an online event as well.

Apple last year announced the dates for the 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference on March 30, so we may not have too long to wait to find out what Apple has in store for WWDC 2022.

Netflix today said that it may implement an extra payment for those who share their Netflix accounts with people outside of their households, a practice that is common with the streaming service.

According to Netflix, sharing accounts between households impacts its ability to "invest in great new TV and films" for its members, and so it has been exploring ways to permit users to share outside of their households by "paying a bit more."

A test launching over the next few weeks in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru will implement these extra payments for those who provide Netflix access to those who they do not live with. Netflix customers in these countries can add two extra members to their accounts for monthly fees of 2,380 CLP in Chile, 2.99 USD in Costa Rica, and 7.9 PEN in Peru. For reference, Netflix costs $8.99 to $15.99 per month in Costa Rica.

Netflix plans to give customers on the Basic, Standard, and Premium plans an option to enable the people who they share an account with to move a profile over to a new, paid account or an extra member account, suggesting multi-household Netflix account sharing is coming to an end.

According to Netflix, it will be working to "understand the utility of these two features" in Peru, Chile, and Costa Rica before making changes in other countries. Netflix has always included wording in its terms and services that prevents account usage across multiple households, but until now, the service has ignored password sharing.

Netflix is the only streaming service that charges by streaming quality. In the United States, Netflix charges $9.99 for the Basic no-HD plan that allows for streaming on a single device, $15.49 for a Standard HD plan that allows for two people to watch at the same time, and $19.99 for a Premium plan with Ultra HD streaming and support for four simultaneous viewers.

Apple is unlikely to launch any products with new mini-LED display sizes in 2022 due to cost concerns, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a tweet today.

When asked for further details by email, Kuo clarified that only Apple's existing mini-LED products like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro may be updated in 2022, with no additional products to transition to mini-LEDs this year. For example, Kuo said he does not expect Apple to update the 11-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display this year.

Apple's existing products with mini-LED displays include the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 14-inch MacBook Pro, and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

If accurate, Kuo's tweet suggests there also wouldn't be a mini-LED version of the Studio Display released this year. This prediction conflicts with information shared by display industry consultant Ross Young, who earlier this week said that Apple could launch a 27-inch monitor with mini-LEDs in June. Young said he believed the display would have a 5K resolution and may feature ProMotion for up to a 120Hz refresh rate.

Kuo and Young both have respectable track records regarding display-related information for future Apple products, so it will be interesting to see whether Apple announces any new mini-LED products this year or updates existing mini-LED devices only.

Amazon has returned with all-time low discounts on the Apple Watch Series 7 today, reaching up to $50 off many models of the newest Apple Watch. Compared to other Apple products, the Apple Watch Series 7 remains one of the most consistently discounted devices in Apple's lineup for 2022.

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.

41mm GPS Aluminum

Savings start with the 41mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7, priced at $349.00, down from $399.00. The Starlight and Green color options have been about $10 lower in previous sales, but otherwise this is the best price we've ever seen for the majority of 41mm GPS models.

• (Product)Red with (Product)Red Sport Band - $349.00, down from $399.00
• Green with Clover Sport Band - $349.00, down from $399.00
• Starlight with Starlight Sport Band - $349.99, down from $399.00
• Midnight with Midnight Sport Band - $349.00, down from $399.00
• Blue with Abyss Blue Sport Band - $349.00, down from $399.00

45mm GPS Aluminum

The 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 7 is on sale for $379.00, down from $429.00. Just like the 41mm option, we have seen a steeper discount in the past on just one color, but Amazon's sale today has a wide array of color options at a solid $50 off.

• Midnight with Midnight Sport Band - $379.99, down from $429.00
• (Product)Red with (Product)Red Sport Band - $379.00, down from $429.00
• Blue with Abyss Blue Sport Band - $379.00, down from $429.00
• Green with Clover Sport Band - $379.00, down from $429.00

41mm Cellular Aluminum

Three of the 41mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 7 devices are on sale on Amazon this week, with record low discounts on the Midnight, Green, and Starlight models. As with other versions of the Apple Watch Series 7, most models are in stock and ready to ship today.

• Midnight with Midnight Sport Band - $449.00, down from $499.00
• Green with Clover Sport Band - $449.00, down from $499.00
• Starlight with Starlight Sport Band - $449.00, down from $499.00

45mm Cellular Aluminum

Lastly, Amazon is now offering $50 off the 45mm Cellular Apple Watch Series 7. The last time we covered these deals, Amazon was only discounting these devices by $30, so today's deals are now all-time low prices on these Series 7 models.

• Green with Clover Sport Band - $479.99, down from $529.00
• Midnight with Midnight Sport Band - $479.99, down from $529.00
• Starlight with Starlight Sport Band - $479.00, down from $529.00
• (Product)Red with (Product)Red Sport Band - $479.99, down from $529.00

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.