MacRumors

While users and developers come to terms with the fact that the last-minute notch rumor for the new MacBook Pros was true, Apple has released new Human Interface Guidelines explaining how developers can make the best use of the extended screen areas around the camera housing if they think their app would benefit from it.

According to the new documentation, the fullscreen mode in macOS Monterey features a "compatibility mode" that automatically accounts for the camera housing by placing a black bar across the top of the screen to hide the notch and prevent app content from being placed there.

However, macOS also includes a new "NSPrefersDisplaySafeAreaCompatibilityMode" property list key that lets developers specify whether their apps should conform to compatibility mode or if their apps can expand to use the space on either side of the notch.

On Macs that include a camera housing in the screen bezel, the system provides a compatibility mode to prevent apps from unintentionally putting content in the region the housing occupies. When this mode is active, the system changes the active area of the display to avoid the camera housing. The new active area ensures your app's contents are always visible and not obscured by the camera housing.

On Macs that have a notch, the Finder automatically adds a checkbox to an app's Get Info panel that can be used to manually enable or disable the new compatibility mode. Alternately, developers can force compatibility mode on or off using new code properties that define the safe area of the screen and allow them to make use of the areas on either side of the notch for active content.

Developers should confirm that their app layouts do not overlap with the notch area before setting the NSPrefersDisplaySafeAreaCompatibilityMode key to "false" to bypass compatibility mode.

The inclusion of a notch allowed Apple to make the bezels on the new 14-and 16-inch MacBook Pros considerably thinner compared to the previous 13-inch and 16-inch models. The new Liquid Retina XDR displays also feature ProMotion technology, which allows the screen to run at as high as 120Hz, and as low as 24Hz, similar to the iPad Pro.

The new MacBook Pros are available to order now and begin shipping next week, but delivery dates for various MacBook Pro configurations have already slipped, with some of the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models now listing delivery dates ranging from November 2 to November 16, up from the original October 26 delivery date.

Update: This article was updated to clarify how the property list key for compatibility mode functions.

Apple may not begin production on its upcoming AR/VR headset until the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a note sent out to investors. That would likely result in the device launching late in 2022 or in early 2023.

Before launching the headset, Apple wants to have "complete software, ecosystem, and services," which Kuo cites as the reason why Apple could be planning to delay mass production from the second quarter of 2022 to the end of 2022.

According to Kuo, Apple has the "best industrial design solutions" for an AR/VR headset because of the headset's complexity and the need for a comfortable fit. Kuo also believes that Apple has more of a design challenge in front of it because the company wants to go beyond games with AR/VR software.

The AR/MR HMD requires much more industrial design requirements than smartphones because the comfort of wearing them involves so many design details. Therefore, we believe Apple continues to test the best industrial design solutions so far.

The key to the success of the HMD lies in the software, ecosystem, and service. We believe that Apple is positioning its HMD for various applications, not just gaming applications, so the challenge of building software/ecosystem/services is significantly higher than current products/competitors.

In general, Kuo expects head mounted displays to lead to the "next wave of user interface revolution" much like multi-touch on the iPhone. Apple will be able to change the market consensus that these kind of AR/VR devices are mainly for gaming, as the company "is the most capable of developing and promoting diverse applications."

Kuo previously said the AR/VR headset would launch in the second quarter of 2022, and before that, he believed the headset would come out sometime in 2021.

Rumors suggest Apple's AR/VR headset will be similar in design to the Oculus Quest, but with a sleeker look that uses fabrics and lightweight materials for a comfortable fit.

The headset is rumored to feature two high-resolution 8K displays that may be micro-OLED and a whole slew of cameras for eye detection, head detection, and other augmented reality functions. The headset will be reliant on the iPhone, and Apple is rumored to be experimenting with multiple input methods.

Apple is also working on a set of smart glasses, but the smart glasses are expected to launch after the headset, which will be Apple's first head mounted AR/VR device. More details are available in our AR/VR roundup.

Apple today held its second fall event, which focused on the MacBook Pro and the AirPods. Apple introduced new 14 and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with a total design overhaul featuring MagSafe, no Touch Bar, HDMI port and SD card slot, and a mini-LED display that features a notch. Apple also debuted new super powerful M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, which join the existing M1 chip.

It took Apple almost an hour to introduce the new devices at today's "Unleashed" event, but we've recapped all of the announcements in a 7 minute video for our readers who want a no-frills but thorough overview of what's new. All of our event coverage is also listed below, so make sure to check it out so don't miss details about Apple's newest products.

MacBook Pros

• Apple Unveils Redesigned MacBook Pro With Notch, Added Ports, ProMotion Mini-LED Display, M1 Pro or M1 Max Chip, and More
• Apple Announces M1 Pro and M1 Max Chips Designed for New MacBook Pro
• AirPods 3 and New 14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pro Models Now Available for Pre-Order
• First Geekbench Score Surfaces for MacBook Pro M1 Max With 2x Faster Multi-Core Performance Compared to M1
• 14-Inch MacBook Pro Starts With 8-Core CPU and Has 2 Power Adapter Options, 24-Core GPU Option Available for 16-Inch Model
• M1 Max Supports Up to Three Pro Display XDRs and a 4K TV All at the Same Time
• New MacBook Pro Finally Features a 1080p Webcam Within a Notch
• Maxed Out High-End 16-Inch MacBook Pro Costs $6,099
• New MacBook Pros Offer Up to 10 Hours Longer Battery Life Than Prior-Generation
• New MacBook Pro Features 120Hz ProMotion Display Similar to iPad Pro
• New 16-Inch MacBook Pro is Thicker and Heavier Than Previous Generation
• Apple Selling New $49 Braided MagSafe Cable and $99 140W Power Adapter for 16-Inch MacBook Pro
• Delivery Dates for MacBook Pro Models Slipping Into November and December
• New MacBook Pro Models Include HDMI 2.0 Port Instead of HDMI 2.1

AirPods

• Apple Announces Redesigned Third-Generation AirPods
• AirPods 3 Available to Order Today for $179 and Launch October 26
• AirPods Pro Now Available With MagSafe Charging Case for Same $249 Price
• Apple's New AirPods Lineup Starts at $129 With AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max
• Third-Generation AirPods Require iOS 13, Drop Support for Older iPhones, iPads, and iPods

Software

• iOS 15.1, watchOS 8.1, and macOS Monterey Available Next Week
• Apple Releasing macOS Monterey on October 25
• Apple Seeds macOS Monterey Release Candidate to Developers
• macOS Monterey Release Candidate Undoes Safari Changes, Reintroduces Old Tab Design
• Apple Says Universal Control Coming to macOS Monterey Later This Fall
• macOS Hides the Notch on New MacBook Pro in Full-Screen Mode
• Apple Seeds iOS and iPadOS 15.1 Release Candidates to Developers
• Apple Seeds tvOS 15.1 Release Candidate to Developers
• Apple Seeds watchOS 8.1 Release Candidate to Developers

Other Announcements

• HomePod Mini Getting Three New Colors in November: Yellow, Orange, and Blue
• Apple Music Gaining New 'Voice Plan' for $4.99/Month
• Apple Updates Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro With New 8K ProRes Video and Spatial Audio Editing Features
• Apple Releases Polishing Cloth for $19
• Apple Restructures Website, Separates AirPods and 'TV & Home' Into Their Own Sections
• New Beats Fit Pro Headphones Revealed in iOS 15.1 Beta
• Mentions of High Power Mode Possibly for New MacBook Pros Again Found in macOS Monterey
• iMovie for Mac Optimized for New MacBook Pro and Editing Cinematic Mode Videos Shot on iPhone 13

Both the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models and the AirPods 3 are available for pre-order starting today, and are set to launch on Tuesday, October 26. macOS Monterey, iOS 15.1, and the other software updates will come out on Monday, October 25.

As we predicted, Apple's new MacBook Pro models unveiled today feature a redesigned keyboard with an all-black design, a row of full-size function keys, and a Touch ID ring that provides a more tactile experience for unlocking the Mac with your finger.

The function keys include new shortcuts for Spotlight, Siri, Dictation, and Do Not Disturb, in addition to usual shortcuts for display brightness, media playback, volume, and more. These keys replace the Touch Bar, which was removed on all new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, five years after it was introduced.

Apple didn't comment on its reason for removing the Touch Bar, but during its "Unleashed" event, the company said that the return of physical function keys brings back the "familiar, tactile feel of mechanical keys that pro users love."

The keyboard is now surrounded by a black anodized aluminum inset, whereas there used to be silver or space gray aluminum between the keys.

While some users are disappointed that Apple removed the Touch Bar, the new MacBook Pro is likely to be a crowd-pleasing design given not only physical function keys, but the return of additional ports like an HDMI port, SD card slot, and MagSafe. The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models also feature Apple's next-generation M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, mini-LED displays with a ProMotion adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, and more.

The new MacBook Pro models can be ordered now and will start arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, October 26. Pricing starts at $1,999 for the 14-inch model and at $2,499 for the 16-inch model. Apple said macOS Monterey will be publicly released one day earlier on Monday, October 25, following over four months of beta testing.

Apple's new MacBook Pro models are equipped with the "best audio system in a notebook," according to Apple, with upgrades to the headphone jack and the speaker system.

The 3.5mm headphone jack now offers support for high-impedance headphones. High-end headphone options that are high-impedance models from companies like Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic will offer better sound quality on the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, a boon for professionals who want to use the ‌MacBook Pro‌ with studio quality headphones.

The 14 and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models also include an upgraded high-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers and wide stereo sound, along with a studio-quality three-microphone array with a high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming.

While all MacBook Pro models released in the last five years featured only two to four Thunderbolt ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack, that changed this week with the introduction of the redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

Following years of complaints about a lack of ports, both sizes of the new MacBook Pro feature several ports that Apple had removed in 2016, including an HDMI port, SD card slot, and MagSafe. Both models also have three Thunderbolt 4 ports — two on the left side of the machine and one on the right — and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

These ports allow the new MacBook Pro models to support up to two external displays at up to 6K resolution when configured with the M1 Pro chip, and up to four external displays at up to 6K resolution when configured with the M1 Max chip. Apple's tech specs confirm the HDMI port is HDMI 2.0 instead of HDMI 2.1 to the disappointment of some users.

Key features of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro include the additional ports, Apple's next-generation M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, mini-LED displays with a ProMotion adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, up to 10 hours longer battery life, and more.

The new MacBook Pro models can be ordered now, with pricing starting at $1,999 for the 14-inch model and at $2,499 for the 16-inch model. The notebooks will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, October 26.

With the macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15 release candidates that were seeded to developers today, Apple has eliminated the option to use the Color Tab Bar with the separate tab design in Safari.

If you want to have a color tab bar that blends in with the background color of a website, you need to toggle on the Compact Tab Bar, which is the tab bar design that Apple introduced with macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15 updates. "Show Color in Compact Tab Bar" is an option that can be enabled in both iPadOS 15.1 and macOS Monterey.

On the iPad, the option is available in the Safari section of the Settings app. Scroll down to the bottom to find it and toggle it on, and then the color tab interface will show up when the ‌iPad‌ is using the Compact Tab Bar.

On the Mac, the Show Color in Compact Tab Bar option can be toggled on in the Safari preferences under Advanced and then Accessibility.

Apple today updated macOS Monterey to change the tabs back to the original tab design, essentially undoing many of the design changes that were introduced in Safari with the initial release of the Monterey beta. As of now, the standard Big Sur design is the default, and the Compact Tab Bar is an optional change that can be toggled on.

It is not surprising that Apple has made this change as the color tab bar interface was designed for the new look in Monterey and not the older Big Sur design that Apple has now reverted to.

Apple's new MacBook Pro machines are equipped with super efficient M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, which means improvements in both performance and efficiency. The new machines have much improved battery life compared to prior-generation Intel machines.

The 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with ‌M1 Pro‌/Max chip offers up to 17 hours of movie playback with the Apple TV app and up to 11 hours of wireless web browsing. The prior 2020 Intel model offered 10 hours of movie playback and 10 hours of wireless web browsing.

‌M1 Pro‌/Max performance is on par with M1 performance, but it can't quite match wireless web battery life. The ‌M1‌ chip in the entry-level ‌MacBook Pro‌ and the MacBook Air offers 20 hours of movie playback and up to 17 hours of wireless web browsing.

The 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ has far more impressive performance than the prior-generation Intel model. It offers up to 21 hours of movie playback and 14 hours of wireless web browsing. The 16-inch Intel machine offered 11 hours of movie playback and 11 hours of wireless web usage.

According to Apple, the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is equipped with a 70-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery, while the 16-inch model includes a 100-watt hour battery. The 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ uses a 140W power adapter, while the 14-inch model uses a 67W power adapter for the 8-core machine and a 96W power adapter for the 10-core machine. Both models can charge over Thunderbolt or MagSafe.

The 10-core 14 and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are also capable of charging from zero to 50 percent within 30 minutes through a new fast charge feature. The 14-inch model can fast charge over Thunderbolt or ‌MagSafe‌, while the 16-inch model needs the ‌MagSafe‌ connection for fast charging.

Apple in 2016 removed all of the ports from its MacBook Pro models except for Thunderbolt ports, a design that persisted for years -- until today. The newly announced 2021 ‌MacBook Pro‌ models include an SD card slot and an HDMI port alongside three Thunderbolt ports.

As noted in Apple's technical specifications for the new machine, the HDMI port is unfortunately not top of the line -- it is an HDMI 2.0 port instead of an HDMI 2.1 port.

The HDMI 2.0 port supports a single 4K display with a refresh rate of up to 60Hz. HDMI 2.1 technology would have allowed the port to run a 4K display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

It's curious that Apple did not include HDMI 2.1 in the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models because the Apple TV 4K that was released earlier this year does have an HDMI 2.1 port.

With the Thunderbolt 4 ports, the M1 Pro ‌MacBook Pro‌ models overall support up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz. The M1 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models support up to three external displays with up to 6K resolution and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz.

As it does soon after every Apple product launch, Expercom is now providing small cash discounts on the latest MacBook Pro models. This includes deals on the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro, both with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

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

Discounted prices show up once you've logged into your Expercom account and across a variety of configuration options, all of which are currently estimated to ship in 3-6 weeks, as even Apple has quickly seen shipping estimates for the new models slip.

Here are the discounts on the equivalent version of Apple's stock and maxed-out configurations:

14-Inch

• 512GB 8-core M1 Pro - $1,899.05, down from $1,999.00 (Silver/Space Gray)
• 1TB 10-core M1 Pro - $2,374.05, down from $2,499.00 (Silver/Space Gray)
• Maxed-out: 8TB M1 Max (64GB memory) - $5,604.05, down from $5,899.00 (Silver/Space Gray)

16-Inch

• 512GB 10-core M1 Pro - $2,374.05, down from $2,499.00 (Silver/Space Gray)
• 1TB 10-core M1 Pro - $2,564.05, down from $2,699.00 (Silver/Space Gray)
• 1TB M1 Max (32GB memory) - $3,324.05, down from $3,499.00 (Silver/Space Gray)
• Maxed-out: 8TB M1 Max (64GB memory) - $5,794.05, down from $6,099.00 (Silver/Space Gray)

The new MacBook Pro models were announced at today's Apple event, and feature a major redesign with a notch that houses a 1080p front-facing camera. They also include MagSafe 3, 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch displays with ProMotion, and a new aluminum enclosure with a completely new thermal design.

You can find the best monthly deals on all new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air notebooks in our new "Best Deals" guide. Be sure to visit the guide and bookmark it if you're on the hunt for a new Apple notebook; we'll be updating it weekly as we discover new MacBook offers across the web.

Alongside updates to Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, Apple today updated its iMovie app for Mac with optimizations that take full advantage of the power and performance of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

On macOS Monterey, the new version of iMovie can also be used to edit Cinematic mode videos recorded with an iPhone 13.

The full release notes:

Cinematic Mode
• Edit videos recorded on iPhone 13 in Cinematic mode (requires macOS Monterey)
• Use the Cinematic control in the inspector to modify the intensity of the depth effect
• Choose to focus on faces or other objects by selecting them in the viewer
• View and delete focus points in the video timeline

Optimized for Apple silicon
• Improved performance and efficiency with optimizations for M1 Pro and M1 Max on the new MacBook Pro

iMovie is available on the Mac App Store as a free download, with version 10.3 rolling out now.

Back in late September, mentions of a "High Power" mode were spotted in macOS Monterey code, and it appears Apple is still working on the feature. Battery code in the macOS Monterey release candidate mentions a "High Power" option, and this time, includes additional detail.

"Your Mac will optimize performance to better support resource-intensive tasks. This may result in louder fan noise," reads the code. The mention was discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser.

There is no High Power mode that appears to be present in the macOS Monterey beta on an M1 Mac, so it's possible that this is something that's exclusive to the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro machines that are launching next week. Such a feature was not mentioned on stage today.

It's also possible that this is a forthcoming feature that's not quite ready to launch and that's why we're not yet seeing it as a consumer-facing option in macOS Monterey.

macOS Monterey is set to be released to the public on Monday, October 25, and the ‌M1 Pro‌ and ‌M1 Max‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will begin arriving to customers the next day, so we won't have long to wait to find out if there's a hidden High Power mode.

The new third-generation AirPods drop support for older iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch models previously supported by the second-generation AirPods.

According to Apple's specifications page for the new AirPods, the third-generation AirPods do not support the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and the iPhone 5s. They also drop support for the iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3 alongside the sixth-generation iPod touch. Apple’s footnotes for the new AirPods‌ explain why, stating that some of the features require iOS 13, which none of the above-listed devices support.

Some features require iOS 13 or iPadOS, which are not compatible with iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPod touch (6th generation), iPad Air (1st generation), iPad mini 3, and iPad mini 2. Audio Sharing not supported.

The new third-generation AirPods are being offered alongside the second-generation AirPods, as well as the higher-end AirPods Pro. The new AirPods are available for pre-order today and will begin shipping next week.

Apple today unveiled third-generation AirPods with a similar design as the AirPods Pro and several new features, but those likely aren't the only new headphones launching soon, as MacRumors contributor Steve Moser has found images of unreleased Beats Fit Pro earbuds in the iOS 15.1 Release Candidate seeded earlier today.

The images reveal that the Beats Fit Pro will look similar to the Beats Studio Buds that were unveiled back in June, with the new headphones appearing to feature a completely wireless in-ear design with tiny earhooks.

The images also show that the Beats Fit Pro will be available in at least four colors, including a white, black, gray, and pink, and iOS 15.1 beta code indicates the headphones will have both Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode.

According to 9to5Mac's Filipe Espósito, the Beats Fit Pro will be announced around November 1 and shipments will begin within a few days after that.

The new MacBook Pros, for the first time in a Mac, feature a notch. While some have been quick to criticize Apple's design choice, it turns out that the notch may not be entirely visible in day-to-day use when using apps in full screen, as when macOS apps are in full-screen mode, it essentially disappears.

According to Apple's marketing material, when macOS apps are in full-screen mode, macOS places an artificial black bezel at the top of the display that essentially hides the notch. When users are not in full-screen macOS apps, the notch remains, and the macOS Menu Bar has been made thicker to accommodate the notch.

The inclusion of a notch allowed Apple to make the bezels on the new 14-and 16-inch MacBook Pros considerably thinner compared to the previous 13-inch and 16-inch models. The new displays, for the first time in a MacBook, are Liquid Retina XDR displays and include ProMotion technology. The new MacBook Pros are available to order starting today and will begin shipping next week.

Apple today updated the AirPods lineup with the AirPods 3, which feature an AirPods Pro-like design featuring shorter stems, spatial audio support, Adaptive EQ, longer battery life, HD voice quality for FaceTime, IPX4 water resistance, a MagSafe case, and more.

The new AirPods are priced starting at $179, which is $20 cheaper than the prior AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging Case, and Apple is also keeping the AirPods 2 around as a lower-cost option. Apple's full AirPods lineup now looks like this:

• AirPods 2 - $129
• AirPods 3 - $179
• AirPods Pro - $249
• AirPods Max - $549

It's worth noting that Apple has also introduced a new version of the AirPods Pro that come with a MagSafe Charging Case like the AirPods 3. The MagSafe Charging Case is able to quickly align with MagSafe charging pad options.

New AirPods Pro purchases will come with the MagSafe Charging Case, but for those wondering if you can get the case on a standalone basis, you can't. Apple does not plan to offer the MagSafe Charging Case on its own, so there will be no upgrade option. The standard AirPods Pro wireless charging case can be used with MagSafe anyway because it's a Qi-based wireless charging protocol. All that's missing is the magnetic alignment.

The AirPods 3 can be pre-ordered from Apple's website starting today, and are set to arrive to customers next week.

Just after Apple's event introducing the new MacBook Pro models with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, the first benchmark for the high-end ‌M1 Max‌ chip with 10-core CPU and 32-core GPU appears to have surfaced.

The chip features a single-core score of 1749 and a multi-core score of 11542, which offers double the multi-core performance of the M1 chip that's in the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ machine.

Based on these numbers, the ‌M1 Max‌ outperforms all Mac chips with the exception of the Mac Pro and iMac models equipped with Intel's high-end 16 to 24-core Xeon chips. The 11542 multi-core score is on par with the late 2019 ‌Mac Pro‌ that is equipped with a 12-core Intel Xeon W-3235.

The machine with the chip in question is running macOS 12.4, which we have seen in our analytics, and Geekbench's John Poole believes the result is legitimate. He initially said there was an issue with the frequency estimation, but he believes that this is an issue with Geekbench and not the processor.

We should be seeing additional ‌M1 Max‌ and ‌M1 Pro‌ Geekbench results in the coming days as the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are expected to arrive to customers next Tuesday and media review units will be going out even sooner than that.

Apple today announced completely redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that in the case of the 16-inch model is unsurprisingly thicker and heavier than the previous generation.

Apple announced a new 14-inch model that replaced the high-end Intel 13-inch MacBook Pros. Given the larger screen, it's not fair to compare the two models. What is fair game, however, is to take a look at the new 16-inch MacBook Pro compared to the previous generation. We've put side by side the weight, height, and depth differences for the new 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ compared to the previous generation.

As you can see from above, the new 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is nearly 9% heavier than the previous generation and is also slightly thicker. The new MacBook Pros feature a redesigned designed body, that is not also thicker and heavier, but also includes more I/O ports and new features. Learn more about these new MacBook Pros here.