MacRumors

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with BluShark to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an aluminum Apple Watch Series 7 and a matching BluShark Apple Watch band to go along with it.

BluShark has a wide array of Apple Watch bands available in materials that include Leather, Silicone, Cordura, Knit Weave, Canvas, and an AlphaPremier seatbelt weave. All of the bands are affordable, ranging in price from $10 to $42, and there are designs for both smaller 38/40/41mm models and the larger 42/44/45mm models. Each band comes with customizable Apple Watch lugs in silver, space gray, or black.

Leather bands from BluShark are available in several attractive styles and colors. The Rally band, for example, has a perforated design and comes in brown, black, and red, while Italian Calfskin Leather bands are available in blue, black, and gray.

BluShark's Leather Basics bands come in an vintage gray, shade, and it features a weathered look and a soft leather design that makes them comfortable to wear. There are also Two Switch Leather Bands with a classic look.

BluShark's Cordura bands use strong and lightweight Cordura fabric, which is wear resistant and will hold up over time. The bands are thinly padded with leather so they're comfortable to wear, and they come in colors like pink, silver, blue, black, gray, and orange.

The CanvaSoft bands are made from a soft canvas material that's meant to provide a rugged canvas look without the stiffness that's typically associated with canvas watch bands. The bands are 1.9mm thick and designed to be soft and pliable.

The Knit Weave Bands are available in eye-catching two-tone striped designs and are made from a nylon weave that provides a texture that resembles a knit fabric. BluShark says these bands are designed to create a complex depth of color.

BluShark's AlphaPremier bands are made from a soft, supple seatbelt weave nylon and are modeled after BluShark's original AlphaPremier bands for traditional watches. The straps are dual-layer and held in place with nylon keepers, with the band available in black and white, black and red, black, navy blue, and gray.

Silicone bands are BluShark's most affordable offering at $10, with both textured and smooth options available. Silicone bands come in gray, blue, black/yellow, orange, and white pearl.

We have one aluminum Apple Watch Series 7 to give away, with the winner to select the size and color. The winner will also receive a BluShark band of their choice.

To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

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

The contest will run from today (March 11) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 18. The winner will be chosen randomly on March 17 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Apple has aggressively defended its ecosystem in a newly-published response to the UK's competition watchdog.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today published Apple's response to its Interim Report on mobile ecosystems, as well responses from dozens of other companies, including Google, Microsoft, and Epic Games.

The detailed 47-page response from Apple aggressively dismissed the conclusions of the Interim Report, saying that the CMA has set the benefits of Apple's ecosystem aside "without reasoned basis, either ignoring them entirely or dismissing them on the basis of nothing more than speculation." Apple alleged that the CMA's report is based on "unsubstantiated allegations and hypothetical concerns" from Apple's rivals that would commercially gain from "deep" changes to the iPhone:

... the IR reaches conclusions about technologies, product design, and competitive impact derived from the unsubstantiated allegations and hypothetical concerns raised primarily by self-serving complaints from a handful of multi-billion dollar developers such as Microsoft, Facebook, Match, Spotify, and Epic, all seeking to make deep changes to the iPhone for their own commercial gain, without independent verification.

Apple expressed intense concerns about potentially having to "redesign the ‌iPhone‌" to benefit this small, powerful group:

Apple is deeply concerned that the IR is proposing solutions to hypothetical problems that will result in real-world market interventions that could force it to redesign the iPhone to benefit a handful of powerful developers. The IR appears to assume that its proposed changes would be relatively simple. Yet many would require a complete re-architecting of a product that has existed for 15 years, has been constantly improved by Apple’s investment in IP and is valued and trusted by millions of consumers.

The CMA's proposition to allow alternative app stores on the ‌iPhone‌ or sideloading was shot down for "downplaying the security risks" and failing to account for "the fact that users highly value that security, and that many choose Apple over Android on that basis."

Remedies that jeopardize Apple's holistic approach to security would effectively remove the competitive differentiation between Apple and Android, taking this valued element of choice away from users.

Apple addressed specific issues raised by the Interim Report, such as the company's WebKit restriction on iOS and iPadOS, which bans any rival browser engines on the platform. It claimed that WebKit is innovative and responds to demand for features, such as adding "new functionality to enable greater features and functionality for web apps."

Open Web Advocacy, a group of web developers who are in talks with the CMA and have raised the profile of Apple's WebKit restriction, disagree and say that "Apple's ban of third party browsers on iOS is deeply anti-competitive... All artificial barriers placed by gatekeepers must be removed. Web Apps if allowed can offer equivalent functionality with greater privacy and security for demanding use-cases."

• Should Apple Continue to Ban Rival Browser Engines on iOS?

Apple highlighted the ‌iPhone‌'s high level of customer satisfaction, ease of use, and performance, as well as the company's commitment to innovation and privacy. Apple dismissed the findings of the Interim Report and ruled out the potential for discussion of changes to the company's ecosystem.

...the findings in the IR are, in effect, nothing more than hypotheses about how Apple's ecosystem "may" have the "potential" to harm competition, being as they are untested and based on one-sided evidence. Such hypotheses are insufficient to warrant, never mind support, discussion of potentially radical remedies at this stage...

Apple urged the CMA to "undertake a more fulsome analysis of the benefits that Apple's ecosystem brings to both consumers and developers, and to consider objectively the ramifications of any proposed interventions on consumers and competition in the markets that would be impacted." For more information, see Apple's full response to the CMA.

Today, pre-orders started for Apple's new iPhone SE, iPad Air, and the new green color options of the iPhone 13. For anyone shopping for the cellular models of the latest Apple devices, we've gathered the best offers in this article.

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.

All pre-orders for the new iPhone SE and iPad Air will begin shipping to customers on their March 18 release date. Shoppers should remember that shipping estimates from carriers may vary, so be sure to pay attention to that when ordering from these companies.

iPhone 13

You can now get the iPhone 13 in Green, with pre-orders up today at Apple and various cellular carriers. AT&T has one of the best offers, providing the 128GB iPhone 13 for $0/month with eligible trade-in and installment plan.

• AT&T - Get up to $800 off
• Verizon - Save $439.99 when adding a new line
• T-Mobile - Get up to $800 off

iPhone 13 Pro

Secondly, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are now available for pre-order in Alpine Green. Note that some carriers have multiple offers, so be sure to read more about each device's offers by following the links below.

iPhone 13 Pro

• AT&T - Get up to $1,000 off
• Verizon - Get up to $1,000 off / BOGO up to $1,000 off
• T-Mobile - Get up to $800 off

iPhone 13 Pro Max

• AT&T - Get up to $1,000 off
• Verizon - Get up to $1,000 off / BOGO up to $1,000 off
• T-Mobile - Get up to $800 off

iPhone SE

Also up for pre-order today is the new version of the iPhone SE, which now features the A15 Bionic chip, 5G connectivity, and up to 256GB of storage. T-Mobile is one of the only carriers offering a discount on the new iPhone SE, where you can get up to $400 off the smartphone with an eligible trade-in.

• AT&T - Starting at $11.95/month for 64GB
• Verizon - Starting at $11.94/month for 64GB
• T-Mobile - Get up to $400 off

iPad Air

The new iPad Air features the M1 chip and up to 256GB of storage. It comes in six colors: Space Gray, Pink, Purple, Blue, and Starlight.

If you plan on buying an iPhone at the same time as the new iPad Air, Verizon is offering a solid deal that provides $200 in promo credits when purchasing an eligible iPad and iPhone.

• AT&T - Starting at $20.84/month for 64GB
• Verizon - Get $180 when trading in old device / Save when purchasing with iPhone
• T-Mobile - Starting $30.00/month for 64GB

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

The first reviews of Apple's newly-introduced Green and Alpine Green color options for the iPhone 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro have now been shared by various media outlets and YouTubers, and the general consensus is that the new shades are very saturated compared to similar colors from other smartphone makers, but still make for a subtle color option overall.

The new green color options for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro follow the introduction of the Purple iPhone 12 last year. Green for the ‌iPhone‌ 13‌ and ‌‌iPhone‌ 13‌ mini is a dark, forest-like green, while the Alpine Green for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max is lighter. ZDNet's Jason Cipriani commented:

The iPhone 13's green color is glossy, like the rest of the color options, and looks more like a camouflage green to my eyes. It's as dark as the photos on Apple's website look, but perhaps slightly more vibrant.

[...]

As with the rest of the color options for the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, Alpine Green has a matte finish to it. It's a lighter version of camouflage green. I can't decide which color I like more, Sierra Blue or Alpine Green.

The Verge's Allison Johnson said that the new green shades are both better than the green color offered with the Samsung Galaxy S22:

The regular green on the standard iPhone is a little more saturated, more Kelly green than I was expecting. It also makes the Apple logo stand out more than I like. Alpine green is a bit softer and more muted. And sitting side by side by side, they both make the green S22 look much less green than I thought it was and more of a deep blue-green.

[...]

In any case, a green phone just looks different, but not in an attention-hungry kind of way. It's a subtle statement, something that makes you wonder about the person carrying it...

[...]

Anyway, the iPhone 13 Pro is the current best green phone, followed by the standard iPhone 13, and the Galaxy S22 ranks third.

Similarly, Engadget's Cherlynn Low compared the new green iPhones to the Sage Pixel 5 and the "Mostly Black" Pixel 5a, but ultimately concluded that the Midnight Green of the ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro was better than Apple's new offerings.

• iPhone 13 Colors: Deciding on the Right Color

Apple continues to sell the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro in all of its other colors, including Black, White, Blue, Green, and (PRODUCT)RED. Pricing starts at $699 for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini and $999 for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro in the United States. Pre-orders of the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro in Green and Alpine Green opened earlier today.

Videos

At Tuesday's "Peek Performance" event, Apple introduced refreshed versions of the iPhone SE and iPad Air. Both devices are available for pre-order from today, along with Apple's new Green and Alpine Green color options for the iPhone 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro.

The new ‌iPhone SE‌, which replaces the second-generation version, starts at $429, up from $399 on the 2020 model. It features the same A15 Bionic chip as the one used in the ‌iPhone‌ 13, 5G connectivity, up to 256GB of storage.

Compared to previous models, it includes a higher-perfomance 12MP Wide camera system that offers a range of improvements and computational photography features including Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles, Portrait Mode, and Smart HDR 4.

The new ‌iPad Air‌, which replaces the fourth-generation version, starts from $599, and features Apple's powerful M1 chip that has previously only been seen in Apple's tablet lineup in the iPad Pro, as well as up to 256GB of storage.

Like the ‌iPad Pro‌, the ‌iPad Air‌ supports the $129 second-generation Apple Pencil and it works with the $299 Magic Keyboard with trackpad that Apple offers.

Available in a new array of colors, the ‌‌iPad Air‌‌ features Apple's Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage for a more natural video conferencing experience, a USB-C port with up to 2x faster transfer speeds, and 5G on the cellular models.

Both the new ‌iPhone SE‌ and ‌iPad Air‌ will be delivered to customers starting on Friday, March 18.

Telegram Messenger has updated its iPhone and iPad app with several new features, including a new download manager, redesigned attachment menu, support for live streaming with third-party apps, and more.

Telegram users are able to send files of any type up to 2GB each and access them from any device, with no limit on cloud storage, which has made downloading files more popular on the platform.

To that end, when files are actively downloading, a new icon now appears in the Search bar that users can tap to view and manage downloads, pause and resume all downloads or just individual items, and select one to increase its priority or view it in a chat.

Meanwhile, a completely redesigned attachment menu appears when sending multiple photos or vides. Users can tap "X selected" (X being the number of items) at the top of the panel to preview how the album will look in the chat when it's sent, as well as rearrange or remove selected media.

Elsewhere, version 8.6 of Telegram integrates the in-app camera option into the gallery, while a new navigation bar gives quick access to photos, files, location sharing, and more.

Also in the latest update is the ability for users to create t.me/phonenumber links as well as a redesign of t.me pages.

In addition, Telegram now supports the use of third-party streaming tools like OBS Studio and XSplit to broadcast live video, allowing users to add overlays and multi-screen layouts for a more professional look.

Lastly, the web previews of t.me links have been given a new look, adding chat backgrounds and design elements from the fully-features Telegram Web client.

Telegram version 8.6 is available now on the App Store for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌.

Immediately after Apple's "Peek performance" event on Tuesday in which it unveiled the Mac Studio and 27-inch Studio Display, Apple quietly discontinued the Intel-powered 27-inch iMac. This left some observers wondering whether we'll see a new larger iMac sooner or later, or if the existing 24-inch iMac is as big and as powerful as it gets for the foreseeable future.

After unveiling the Mac Studio and Studio Display at Apple's spring event, John Ternus, SVP of hardware engineering, said that the Mac lineup's transition to Apple silicon was nearly complete, "with just one more product to go: Mac Pro."

The comment was interpreted by some to suggest that Apple sees the Mac Studio and Studio Display as natural replacements for the 27-inch iMac. Indeed, in conversations with MacRumors, Apple has suggested that existing 27-inch iMac owners looking to upgrade should consider its separately offered Studio products, while the 24-inch iMac is available for those still seeking an all-in-one experience.

And in what could be read as another nail in the coffin for Apple's 27-inch iMac, Apple also reportedly confirmed to Ars Technica this week that the machine has "reached end of life."

Despite these developments, not everyone has given up hope that Apple will unveil a larger iMac in future, though perhaps not as soon as rumors previously suggested. Over the past few months, persistent rumors from multiple sources have suggested that Apple is readying a bigger all-in-one desktop Mac.

Well-respected display analyst Ross Young last month said that an iMac Pro would launch as early as summer 2022. However, after Apple's reveal of the Mac Studio and 27-inch Studio Display on March 8, Young no longer believes that to be the case. Young explained that his sources were not aware of the separation between the iMac, Mac Studio, and Studio Display, which had added confusion to Apple's exact plans before this week's spring event.

The confusion apparently stemmed from the fact that the Studio Display features a webcam and built-in Apple silicon, making it appear in supply chains to be an iMac when it's not. Young now believes earlier rumors about an iMac Pro launching in June weren't referencing an actual iMac, but instead a Pro version of the Studio Display. Young now speculates that the 27-inch mini-LED panel Apple has in production could be a Studio Display Pro set to arrive in June, along with Apple's new Mac Pro.

Young's latest comments appear to corroborate information shared by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who this week said that an "iMac Pro" would not launch until 2023. Well-connected Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman this week also reiterated his expectation that an iMac Pro is still in the works.

Rumors suggest a refreshed larger-screened ‌iMac‌ could be similar in design to the 24-inch ‌iMac‌, the Pro Display XDR, and the Studio Display. It's said to feature black bezels, and if it does indeed look similar to the Pro Display XDR, bezel size could be much slimmer and it could perhaps have less of a bottom chin, while being offered in darker shades than the colors of the 24-inch iMac.

As for what could power a new all-in-one under the hood, Apple could opt to use the same M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that were introduced in the MacBook Pro, and Apple could perhaps also introduce one additional higher-end configuration for the machine.

Whether or not the 27-inch iMac rumors turn out to be accurate, users who can't wait that long and want a top-of-the-line, large-screened Mac have the option of pairing a $1,999 Mac Studio with a $1,599 Studio Display, although doing so will cost around twice as much as the cheapest 27-inch iMacs did.

Apple will not launch a new Mac mini until 2023, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today on Twitter, revising a previous prediction he made prior to Apple's spring event earlier this week.

Last weekend, Kuo outlined his predictions for Apple's Mac lineup in 2022 and 2023, claiming that Apple plans to release a new high-end ‌Mac mini‌ and a 27-inch external display without mini-LED in 2022, while an Apple silicon ‌Mac Pro‌ and ‌iMac‌ Pro will not launch until 2023.

Today, however, Kuo issued an update to his original tweet to underline that he now believes Apple will launch all of these products no earlier than next year.

At the current time, the M1 ‌Mac mini‌ is sold alongside older high-end models that continue to feature Intel chips. The updated model could see Apple introduce M2 and M2 Pro chips. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also tweeted on Tuesday that Apple has M2 versions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 24-inch ‌iMac‌, and ‌Mac mini‌ in development.

The ‌M2‌ chip is expected to feature the same 8-core CPU, but with speed and efficiency improvements, along with a 9 or 10 core GPU, up from 7 or 8 cores in the ‌M1‌.

As for the ‌M2‌ Pro, we don't know full details yet, but it could feature a 12-core CPU. The current M1 Pro chip has a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, so we could also see a GPU boost. Testing on the ‌M2‌ is already underway as evidenced by references to the chip in the latest beta of macOS Monterey.

Prior rumors suggested a future ‌Mac mini‌ could get a redesign with a smaller chassis, a plexiglass like top, and two-tone color options.

For more on the ‌Mac mini‌, we have a dedicated guide that walks through all of the expected features and the release timeline.

Apple's online store is down ahead of iPad Air and iPhone SE pre-orders, which are set to begin at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time in the United States.

The new ‌iPhone SE‌ features the same 4.7-inch display as the current model, but now offers the toughest glass in a smartphone on the front and back — the same as on the back of the iPhone 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro.

The device's new 12MP Wide camera system offers a range of improvements and computational photography features including Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles, Portrait Mode, and Smart HDR 4.

The new ‌iPhone SE‌ contains the same A15 Bionic chip from the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro. With a 6-core CPU, the A15 Bionic means that the ‌iPhone SE‌ is 1.8x faster than the ‌iPhone‌ 8. The 16-core Neural Engine, aimed at machine learning tasks, performs 15.8 trillion operations per second, making it 26x faster than ‌iPhone‌ 8. The 4-core GPU delivers 2.2x faster speed than the ‌iPhone‌ 8.

The A15 Bionic also gives the new ‌iPhone SE‌ longer battery life than the previous-generation and older 4.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ models despite having a compact form-factor and 5G connectivity. It continues to support fast charging and be compatible with Qi-certified chargers for wireless charging.

The new ‌iPhone SE‌ is available in two new colors, Midnight and Starlight, alongside PRODUCT(RED). The new ‌iPhone SE‌ starts at $429, up from $399 on the 2020 model, and is available with 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB of storage. Preorders begin on Friday, March 11, with the first devices shipping on March 18.

Available in a new array of colors, the new ‌‌iPad Air‌‌ features Apple's Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage for a more natural video conferencing experience, a USB-C port with up to 2x faster transfer speeds, and 5G on the cellular models.

In terms of the ‌M1‌'s pure performance, the 8-core CPU delivers up to 60% faster performance, and the 8-core GPU delivers up to 2x faster graphics performance compared to the previous ‌‌iPad Air‌‌. That makes it faster than the fastest competitive tablet, and 2x as fast as the best-selling Windows laptop in its price range, according to Apple.

The USB-C port is now up to 2x faster than the previous generation, with data transfers up to 10Gbps, enabling it to support a range of USB-C accessories, including cameras, external storage, and displays with up to 6K resolution. Lastly, the new ‌‌iPad Air‌‌ supports the second-generation Apple Pencil.

The new ‌‌iPad Air‌‌ is priced from $599. It is available in 64GB and 256GB configurations, and comes in space gray, starlight, pink, purple, and blue colors. The new ‌‌iPad Air‌‌ is available to pre-order on Friday, March 11, and will be available from March 18.

Apple is working on the successor to the M1 chip, expected to be called the M2, and multiple rumors have already suggested that these chips are going to be used in machines that include a refreshed MacBook Air and a new version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

A new report today from 9to5Mac once again reiterates these rumors, with the site claiming that Apple will introduce a ‌MacBook Air‌ and a 13-inch MacBook Pro with ‌M2‌ chip later this year. Notably, 9to5Mac says that Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo's recent prediction that the next-generation ‌MacBook Air‌ will use either the ‌M1‌ or an updated version of it is incorrect.

While analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the new MacBook Air will have an updated M1 chip, our reliable sources have told us that the machine is being developed with the new M2 chip.

Codenamed J413, the next generation MacBook Air is expected to be released in a single version featuring M2.

As for the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 9to5Mac claims that Apple could drop the "Pro" labeling, referring to the new machine as just "MacBook" as it has done in the past.

We've already heard plenty about the next-generation versions of the ‌MacBook Air‌ and 13-inch MacBook Pro from sources like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who has confirmed that the new ‌MacBook Air‌ will see a complete redesign. Gurman has also provided details on the ‌M2‌ chip, which is expected to feature the same 8-core CPU as the ‌M1‌, but with 9 and 10-core GPU options.

There is no word on a release date as of yet, but ‌M2‌ machines are likely to come out in the later months of the year.

Sony today announced that PlayStation 4 owners who want to try out the Apple TV+ service can get an extended three-month free trial on their console. This offer applies only to those who have not previously had an ‌Apple TV‌+ subscription.

Interested users can download the ‌Apple TV‌ app from the PS4 TV and Video section, and then follow the on-screen instructions. An Apple ID will be required to redeem the deal, as will a PlayStation Network account.

After the trial period, the ‌Apple TV‌+ subscription plan will renew automatically at $4.99 per month until cancelled. The PlayStation extended trial deal will be available until July 22, 2022.

The trial is limited to those with a PlayStation 4 console, and it is not applicable to those who have the PlayStation 5 because there is a separate six month free trial for PS5 owners.

Facebook parent company Meta today announced an upcoming fitness update for the Oculus Quest 2, which will allow fitness data captured during VR workouts to be integrated with the Apple Health app.

Right now, when people exercise with interactive games like Liteboxer, Beat Saber, or Dance Central using the Oculus Quest 2, the data can only be viewed on the Oculus Mobile app on the headset itself, which is not particularly useful for those who like to track their fitness metrics.

Starting in April, fitness data from the Oculus Quest 2 will sync to the Oculus Mobile app on iOS devices or with the Apple Health app. Users will track minutes spent working out and calories burned while wearing the VR headset.

If you have an iOS device, you'll be able to choose to sync your VR fitness progress with the Apple Health app to automatically track your VR workouts on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch without having to manually input information about your exercise. This means all your exercise stats, including your activities both in and out of VR, can be tracked and available in one place.

Syncing Oculus Quest 2 data to either the Oculus Mobile app or the Apple Health app is opt-in, but choosing to connect to the Oculus Mobile app will see Move stats stored on Meta's servers. Meta says that Oculus Move stats will not be used to "inform the ads you see on any Meta services."

To celebrate the upcoming launch of the new Mac Studio from Apple, we've teamed up with GRID Studio to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a new M1 Max ‌Mac Studio‌ or one of GRID Studio's deconstructed Apple device art pieces.

GRID Studio is known for creating art from vintage Apple devices that are an important part of Apple's history. Each device is disassembled, and the components are artfully displayed behind a glass frame that can be hung on the wall of any Apple fan.

Because GRID Studio works with classic Apple devices, there won't be any deconstructed ‌Mac Studio‌ art pieces for sale for some time, but there are plenty of other offerings on the GRID Studio website, with prices starting at around $40 and going up depending on complexity.

The GRID 1, for example, is one of GRID Studio's most popular pieces because it features an original iPhone, perhaps the most important device in Apple's history. Priced at $400, the GRID 1 is often sold out, but GRID Studio has a new series of GRID 1 pieces coming later in March.

Measuring in at 13x13x8, the GRID 1 features a torn apart ‌iPhone‌ with all of the internal components separated out and labeled so you can see everything that made the original ‌iPhone‌ so special at a glance. The shell of the ‌iPhone‌ is displayed next to individual components that include the power button, headphone socket, speaker, logic board, circuit board, ear piece, and other components.

Each piece of GRID art highlights what was important about the featured ‌iPhone‌. With the $140 GRID iPhone 4S, for example, there's a clear look at the classic squared-off edges that Apple recently brought back for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 13, along with the circular volume buttons and the A5 chipset.

If you have a favorite classic ‌iPhone‌, there's a good chance that GRID has taken it apart. In addition to the original ‌iPhone‌, there are also GRID pieces for everything up to the ‌iPhone‌ X, along with A-series chips like the A5X, the Apple Watch, the Magic Mouse, and more.

The $269 GRID iPhone X is interesting because the ‌iPhone‌ X was Apple's first ‌iPhone‌ with a notch and the Face ID facial recognition system. You can see the ‌Face ID‌ components laid out next to other ‌iPhone‌ X parts like the dual-lens camera, Taptic Engine, and A11 Bionic chip.

Every GRID Studio piece includes all of the original parts of the device, but the company does not use real batteries to prevent any issues with the battery expanding or exploding with age. GRID's artwork is perfect for an office decoration or as a gift for an Apple fan. Disassembled devices are attractive to look at, informative, and offer a fun glimpse into Apple's history.

One grand prize winner will receive an ‌M1 Max‌ ‌Mac Studio‌ with 10-core GPU, 24-core GPU, 32GB unified memory, and 512GB SSD, plus a GRID 1 that features the original ‌iPhone‌. A second prize winner will receive the GRID ‌iPhone‌ X, a third prize winner will receive the GRID ‌iPhone‌ 4S, and three additional winners will receive the GRID A5X.

To enter to win our giveaway for one of GRID Studio's art pieces, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

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

The contest will run from today (March 10) at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 17. The winners will be chosen randomly on March 17 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Apple plans to launch a series of Macs with M2 chips based on TSMC's 4nm process later this year, according to Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. This advancement should allow for continued performance and power efficiency improvements.

"TSMC's 4nm process will also build Apple's M2 chip that will power the new Mac series slated for launch in the second half of this year," the report claims.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on Tuesday tweeted that Apple has M2 versions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 24-inch iMac, and Mac mini in development. In his newsletter last weekend, Gurman said Apple plans to launch at least some of those Macs around May to June of this year, while DigiTimes gave a second half of 2022 timeframe.

The standard M1 chip is built on TSMC's 5nm process and has an 8-core CPU, along with a 7-core or 8-core GPU depending on the configuration. The first M2 chip will also have an 8-core CPU, but with faster 9-core or 10-core GPU options, according to Gurman.

Curiously, oft-accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Tuesday tweeted that a 2022 version of the MacBook Air will still use the M1 chip, although he suggested it could be a modified version of the chip without elaborating further. Kuo said the new MacBook Air will feature a redesign with more color options and said that mass production of the notebook would begin in the late second quarter or the third quarter of this year.

The only Intel-based Macs remaining in Apple's lineup are high-end Mac mini configurations and the Mac Pro tower. During its "Peek Performance" event this week, Apple teased that an Apple silicon version of the Mac Pro is in the pipeline.

Amazon today is offering the white version of Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro Magic Keyboard for $293.00, down from $349.00. The keyboard is in stock and sold directly from Amazon, and only the US English version of the accessory is receiving the discount.

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.

This is a second-best deal on the 12.9-inch Magic Keyboard, and for the white color option it's the lowest price we've ever seen on this version of the accessory. Only Amazon is offering this sale, and you won't need any coupon code to see the deal.

This is the new 2021 model of the Magic Keyboard, so it's been optimized to fit the slightly thicker 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro with mini-LED display, but it also fits the 2018 and 2020 models. It features a full QWERTY keyboard, trackpad, USB-C port for charging, backlit keys, and a floating cantilever design.

The iPad Pro attaches magnetically to the keyboard with passthrough charging for the iPad Pro via its Smart Connector, and the Magic Keyboard provides front and back protection when closed.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

iPhones.ru is reporting that iTunes and App Store purchases can no longer be made by Apple device users located in Russia, leaving them unable to pay for apps, media, or Apple services.

According to the Russia-based site, it is now impossible for users to add funds to their ‌App Store‌ or iTunes Store accounts using regional bank cards issued by Russian banks including Alfa-Bank, Sber, and Tinkoff.

Under normal circumstances, Apple users would still be able to buy Apple gift cards to top up their Apple ID account. However, iPhones.ru is also reporting that users are having problems with this mode of funding as well.

It's not clear whether the issue is a result of action by Apple, Russian banks, or the Russian government. If confirmed however, as it stands, users in Russia seemingly now have no way to make purchases in the ‌App Store‌ or the iTunes Store.

The development follows the Google Play Store's decision to turn off billing in Russia, and Apple's decision early last week to halt all sales from its online store in Russia as well as ban Apple Search Ads in the Russian ‌App Store‌.

Apple Pay has also reportedly been limited and major banks in Russia are not able to use the service, resulting in long lines at commuter rail systems that use ‌Apple Pay‌ to pay fares. The moves by Apple came independently after U.S. sanctions were implemented against the country back in February following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Geekbench scores for the new third-generation iPhone SE shows that Apple's most affordable iPhone features performance on par with the company's flagship ‌iPhone‌ 13, as they both feature the same A15 Bionic chip.

Geekbench scores for an "iPhone 14,6," the model identifier for the new ‌iPhone SE‌, show a single-core score of 1695 and a multi-core score of 4021. For reference, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 has a single-core score of 1672 and a multi-core score of 4481. The difference in scores are marginal and will not represent real-world difference for customers.

Corroborating MacRumors reporting from yesterday, the Geekbench scores confirm the new ‌iPhone SE‌ features 4GB of RAM.

Compared to the previous generation ‌‌iPhone SE‌‌, Apple promises up to 1.2x faster graphics on the new ‌‌iPhone SE‌. Apple also now claims up to 15 hours of video playback, which is two hours more than was advertised for the ‌iPhone SE‌ 2. The A15 Bionic chip also powers new features now available to ‌iPhone SE‌ customers, such as Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 4, and Live Text in iOS 15.

The new ‌iPhone SE‌ features the same 4.7-inch design with a Home button and Touch ID but now comes with 5G.

The third-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ starts at $429, $30 more than the previous model, and will be available for pre-order on March 11 and available on March 18.

Apple's new 5K Studio Display supports the 11-inch iPad Pro, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (third-generation or later), and the new fifth-generation iPad Air, but it isn't officially compatible with the fourth-generation iPad Air or the new iPad mini because the USB-C ports on these devices can't achieve the required data throughput to output in the native resolution.

That has led some users to wonder what happens, if anything, when a fourth-generation iPad Air or iPad mini 6 is connected to the Studio Display. Apple has now confirmed to MacRumors that these two devices output to the 5K-capable display in a downscaled 1440p resolution. Suffice to say, other older, non-supported iPads with USB-C aren't capable of driving the Studio Display at 5K either.

Apple's new Studio Display is compatible with a range of Macs, according to Apple, including the following:

Customers can order the Studio Display starting now through Apple's online store, with availability starting March 18, although delivery dates for both the new Mac Studio and its accompanying Studio Display have begun to slip well into April.

In the U.S., the Studio Display is priced at $1,599 with a tilt-adjustable stand and at $1,999 with a tilt- and height-adjustable stand. The monitor can also be configured with nano-texture glass and/or a VESA mount adapter.