MacRumors

Happy MacBook Pro launch day! Apple's new M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pros are now in the hands of customers after what seems like years of waiting for the new machines. We've picked up a 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and thought we'd share our initial thoughts and first impressions with MacRumors readers.

When it comes to the unboxing experience, there's not a lot new, but Apple did bundle the MacBook Pros with black stickers to match the black keyboard, a departure from the traditional white stickers. There's also a fancy new braided USB-C to MagSafe cable that works with the ‌MagSafe‌ port for fast charging purposes.

Fast charging also works with USB-C too on the 14-inch models, but with this base model that we have here, you need an upgraded power adapter. It comes with a 67W power adapter by default, but you're going to need higher power output to fast charge, aka the 96W power adapter that comes with the higher-end 14-inch machine. If you have the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, you'll get a 140W power adapter and you'll need ‌MagSafe‌ for fast charging.

Design wise, the MacBook Pros are reminiscent of the PowerBook G4 with a thicker, heavier design that brings back an HDMI port and an SD card slot alongside the Thunderbolt 4 ports, ‌MagSafe‌ charging port, and upgraded 3.5mm headphone jack (it supports high-impedance headphones). There's no more "‌MacBook Pro‌" logo under the display, with Apple instead branding the word into the bottom of the machine.

The notch stands out a bit at first glance because it's not something people are used to seeing on a MacBook, but within just a few minutes of using the machine, it kind of blends right into the background like it does on the iPhone and you get used to it.

Apple redesigned the keyboard and made it all black with backlit keys, and it looks great. It feels similar to last year's model, but not quite the same because it's a bit quieter and softer, but still great to type on. There is no more Touch Bar, and Apple has instead implemented a full-sized row of function keys and a nice big Escape key that's easy to press. This is a scissor switch keyboard so you shouldn't run into failure problems like the butterfly keyboards used to have.

The mini-LED display, which supports ProMotion, looks vibrant, crisp, and super bright. It's a definite improvement over prior Intel and M1 Mac models thanks to the display quality and the slimmed down bezels. ProMotion is not as noticeable as it is on the ‌iPhone‌ and the iPad for most tasks, but you can see it when scrolling through websites.

Compared to the ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ we have on hand, the 14-inch model offers double the multi-core performance and double the GPU performance on benchmarks, and that should translate to notable real world usage gains as well.

Apple said that these MacBook Pros have the best audio systems in a notebook, and that wasn't an exaggeration. The speakers in the new MacBook Pros offer clear, full sound and higher volumes than prior ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. There's no distortion at max volume, and these can replace desktop speakers for those who use them now.

We'll have much more ‌MacBook Pro‌ coverage coming, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors. And if you got a new ‌MacBook Pro‌, let us know what you think in the comments.

It's officially MacBook Pro launch day, and customers around the world who pre-ordered after last Monday's event are receiving their devices today. We've already seen reviews of the new MacBook Pro models from media sites, but now first impressions from everyday users are available.

New 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro owners are sharing their opinions on the MacRumors forums and Reddit, and their insights are useful for those awaiting their own MacBook Pros and for those who are still considering a purchase.

MacRumors reader James C received a 16-inch M1 Pro model with 16GB of memory, which is likely to be a popular configuration. He ran several benchmarks comparing it to a M1 MacBook Air, a 2014 iMac, and a 2016 MacBook Pro. His results are useful for those who are upgrading from an older machine and want to see the possible gains.

MacRumors reader Rkuda highlighted how the Menu Bar works with full screen apps on the new models. On older Macs, the Menu Bar would always pop up when you moused up toward it, but on the new MacBook Pro models, that doesn't happen.

For those curious about the weight of the new machines compared to older models, MacRumors forum members are discussing the differences. GrindedDown gave a good overview and said that the weight is more manageable than you might think.

For as big as it is, I was actually shocked at the weight picking it up just now. It's way more manageable than a lot of people seem to be making it out to be. If portability is a high, high priority for you, the 14 is great. The 16 is still plenty portable and because my highest priority is having an optimized workstation laptop for video production, the 16 fits the bill. I'll take the added weight and slightly less portability, for bigger screen, better battery, high power mode and more.

Some readers have been discussing the ProMotion feature of the mini-LED displays on the new MacBook Pro models. Kylo83 said that the ProMotion feature is "really bad" and scrolling in Safari is more choppy than it was on his older 16-inch machine.

Just got the 16 M1 max model and the pro motion is really bad, it's good on the ui like swiping pages but on safari it's actually more choppy than my old 16" i9 also the speakers are not as loud as the older MacBook Pro and it doesn't sound better if anything the highs are better on the last model, also the display is the exact same brightness than the 2019 MacBook and using 4k hdr on YouTube it's only slightly better, so to be honest everything apple said about it is minor I expected a big change with the display but it's just not there; anyone have any views on this

Other readers have also said that there are issues with lag in Safari, so this could be a bug that will be addressed in the future. Still other MacBook Pro owners have had no complaints about the display and the ProMotion.

MacRumors reader LFC2020, who was one of the first to get the new machines in Australia, said that ProMotion is not as noticeable on the MacBook Pro as it is on the iPhone and the iPad, and that the mini-LED screen is "not as good" as the display from the iPad Pro. He also said that the battery life is "awesome" and that overall, it's a great machine.

MacRumors reader Prism, who upgraded from a 2020 MacBook Air with an Intel Core i5 chip, said that the new 14-inch model is "simply night and day" when it comes to responsiveness, display, look, and feel.

I am coming from a 2020 MBA intel i5 and I have to say that responsiveness, display, look and feel are simply day and night.

I am so impressed by the build quality of this "tank" and I am so happy to have chosen silver as it contrasts beautifully with the black keyboard and apple logo! I am also glad of not having purchased the M1 MBA or MBP of last year, I would have felt terrible right about now! All this to say that I am in my element, a happy camper, this machine has pretty much everything I was dreaming of which is why I say good riddance to Jonny Ive, you certainly won't be missed

Over on Reddit, the-cats-pajamas said that the biggest standout on the new MacBook Pro is the display.

The biggest standout so far is the display, I have an LG C8 OLED TV and this easily tops it when it comes to colours and contrast. Using the mouse on the 2012 60hz display almost feels laggy now. Most of my usage has been installing software at this point so I don't have much to talk about performance wise yet, but with regards to the basic user experience it's been nothing but smooth, responsive sailing so far.

Do you have a new MacBook Pro? Let us know your thoughts and first impressions in the comments below.

Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 14.8.1, minor updates to the iOS and iPadOS 14 operating systems. iOS and iPadOS 14.8.1 come more than a month after the release of iOS and iPadOS 14.8, another security fix update.

The iOS and iPadOS 14.8.1 updates can be downloaded for free and the software is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

iOS and iPadOS 14.8.1 introduce multiple security updates and the software is recommended for all iPhone and iPad users who are continuing to run iOS 14. According to Apple's security support document, the update addresses a number of vulnerabilities with Sidecar, WebKit, Voice Control, the Status Bar, and more.

Most of these vulnerabilities do not appear to have been used in the wild, and Apple says that just an IOMobileFrameBuffer may have been actively exploited. This issue could allow an application to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

Apple made upgrading to iOS 15 optional, and has allowed people to remain on iOS 14 if they so desire. Apple is continuing to release iOS 14 updates as a result, but these updates will be focused on security fixes and will not be introducing new features. New features will be limited to updates to iOS 15, the newest version of iOS.

Apple is planning to offer its next Apple Watch Activity Challenge on Thursday, November 11 in honor of the upcoming Veterans Day holiday.

Apple says that Apple Watch owners can earn the Veterans Day award by doing any workout for 11 minutes or more on November 11.

Earn this special award on November 11 by doing any workout for 11 minutes or more. Record your time with the Workout app or any app that adds workouts to Health.

As with all of Apple's Activity Challenges, the 2021 Veterans Day challenge will be accompanied by an award that can be viewed in the Fitness app and a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app.

Apple has hosted a Veterans Day Activity Challenge for many years now, and the challenge is also often accompanied by other Veterans Day content that Apple highlights in the App Store, Apple TV app, Books app, and more.

Native Union this week announced the launch of AirPods Beanies, a new carrying case for the AirPods that's modeled after the iconic iPod Sock. AirPods Beanies come just after the 20th anniversary of the iPod, and will be appealing to iPod fans.

Apple began selling iPod Socks in 2004, offering a set of six for $29. When they were introduced, Steve Jobs jokingly referred to them as a "revolutionary new product" and they became a favorite of Apple users as they were able to fit several devices, even early iPhones.

AirPods Beanies feature a two-tone knit design, similar to the iPod Sock, and they're available in four pastel colors: Glacier, Peach, Indigo, and Sage. The Beanies are sized to fit all AirPods models, including the original AirPods, AirPods 2, AirPods 3, and AirPods Pro.

The Beanies are close to identical to the original iPod Socks, though they're shorter to fit the AirPods and come in a series of fresh colors. The Beanies can be slipped off for wireless charging purposes or when in use, and they offer protection for the AirPods while they're tucked in a bag or a pocket.

Native Union is selling the AirPods Beanies in a set of four for $19.99 and they can be purchased from the Native Union website.

Shortly after the launch of the new iPhone 13 models in September, Google came out with the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro, its latest flagship devices, which are feature rich and priced at $599 and $899 respectively. We picked up the Pixel 6 Pro, which has the most advanced lens system, and thought we'd compare it to the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max to see the similarities and differences between the two smartphone cameras.

The ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max includes a 12-megapixel Wide, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto lenses for a total of three lens options, which is similar to the lens setup offered by the Pixel 6 Pro. It features a 50-megapixel wide angle camera, a 12-megapixel ultra wide angle lens and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens that supports 4x optical zoom, a wider range than the 3x optical zoom offered by the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max.

With smartphone cameras this advanced, both the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max and the Pixel 6 Pro take incredible photos and there's often not a lot of difference in quality just because they're both offering excellent camera options. There are some small differences that might make you prefer one over another, but even from image to image, these differences can vary.

You'll notice that at times, the Pixel 6 Pro is warmer and more natural looking than the ‌iPhone‌, which primarily factors in with the sky. Apple tends to make the sky very blue, which looks striking, but not always true to life. There are also differences in the highlights and the shadows, with the ‌iPhone‌ tending to lose a bit of the black tones and the Pixel trending towards higher exposure for the highlights.

There's not a lot of difference with the ultra wide lenses, and for the telephoto, Google's Pixel 6 Pro can be a bit sharper (and it can zoom in further), but it does not let in as much light as the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max's telephoto lens so when taking photos of light sources, there's too much flare.

The ‌iPhone‌ wins out when it comes to Night Mode photos, and in our testing, it was just much better at preserving detail and accurately recreating color. It also didn't have quite as much of a light source flare issue as the Pixel 6 Pro.

As for Portrait mode, the Pixel 6 Pro is producing better photos. Subjects are sharper and more in focus, with more detail preserved, and it produces great bokeh. That's not to say that ‌iPhone‌ Portrait mode images aren't nice, but Google still seems to have better software algorithms for edge detection.

Apple's iPhones almost always have superior video compared to Pixel smartphones, and that's still true, but Google has made improvements to image quality and stabilization. The Pixel 6 Pro can take decent video, but the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max is better, especially with Cinematic Mode and ProRes support.

Google also built in some neat little features to its Pixel 6 Pro camera. There's a Magic Eraser that can use the Tensor chip inside to erase objects that you don't want from a photo, and it works super well so it's a great option to have available natively.

So both the Pixel 6 Pro and the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max have their pros and cons when it comes to camera quality, and realistically, the differences are minor. These are incredibly advanced smartphone cameras and you're not going to be disappointed by either one. Make sure to watch the video up above for our full comparison, and let us know which images you preferred in the comments below.

watchOS on the Apple Watch Series 7 is optimized for its larger display. Now, Apple executives Alan Dye and Stan Ng have explained some of the rationale behind watchOS's tweaks for the Series 7 in an interview with CNET.

Alan Dye is Apple's vice president of interface design and Stan Ng is the company's vice president of product marketing. They explained that Apple chose to increase the display size of the Apple Watch with the Series 7 due to a need for easier-to-read text to improve accessibility:

We had the opportunity to allow users to increase the point size [for text] even larger than we've allowed for in the past. That was very much motivated by the new display... [it will be] far more useful and accessible to a lot of users who just need the larger point size.

Ng said that the refractive border of the Apple Watch Series 7's front crystal drove the company's design decisions for watchOS and explained how the refractive edge works:

This refractive edge creates this very subtle wraparound effect. And it makes the screen appear to bend downward, right toward the watch housing. Really, it's an optical effect, it's due to the way the light from the OLED refracts at the edges of the front crystal. We redesigned that crystal to be more of a dome shape, which also contributed to the thicker crystal and the greater durability. So it was kind of a twofer for both.

The decision to create watch faces that emphasize the curvature of the display's edges apparently came after the development of the new front crystal. Dye said that "Once we started to play with this new crystal and the display, that's where all those subtle design decisions were made to push those ticks out to the very edge of the display to highlight some of these effects."

The Apple Watch offers a full on-screen keyboard for the first time with the Series 7 that also works with QuickPath. According to Dye, Apple chose not to add distinct areas for each key to make the keyboard less cramped, but also to suggest to users that "precision isn't totally critical with your taps because we have that intelligence built-in."

Dye said that despite the extra screen space, Apple still views the Apple Watch as a device intended to be used briefly, just like the original 2015 model:

I think a lot of those core foundational values around how we manage to watch the news remain the same. Despite the fact that we are able to allow for more content on the display, we still see it as a glanceable, smaller, shorter-interaction type of a product versus something like a phone or certainly an iPad.

Ng added that he sees the larger screen of the Apple Watch Series 7 mainly as a tool to "consume that information faster and easier."

It isn't about the 30 minutes you're spending looking at your phone and social media, or the hour on your Mac working on a document. The power of Apple Watch is in those hundreds of glances a day that might give you information that you need right at that moment.

Dye suggested that Apple still sees watchOS as distinct from iOS and iPadOS, with the fundamental concept of the Apple Watch working well. Looking to the future, he said that "we're always thinking about the future, we're always looking at and challenging the language we have."

The initial design we spent a great deal of time on. I think we got a lot of things right, especially as a wearable device that was really built for comfort on the wrist. We're pretty pleased with where it's at from the design perspective.

CNET asked Dye and Ng why Apple has chosen not to create a watch face store on the Apple Watch, despite partnerships with companies like Nike and Hermés. Dye suggested that Apple has no immediate plans for a watch face store:

As critical as the hardware is at playing the role distinguishing Apple Watch as Apple Watch, we think the watch faces play a pretty big role there as well, which is why we've been so careful over the years, despite the fact that there's wide variety, to have a lot of consistent design elements. If you look closely, the watch hands are always drawn exactly the same way, despite the fact that they show up in different colors. We think we struck a really good balance. The watch faces themselves, they provide a canvas for third parties for sure, and a template that they can [use to] create multiple complications and turn a watch face into their watch face, and that becomes the interface in some ways for their application.

See the full interview for more information about the design decisions around the Apple Watch Series 7's larger display.

Apple's new $19 polishing cloth that it introduced alongside the redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models is now available for same-day pickup at many Apple Store locations across the United States and Canada.

Apple Store pickup is a much quicker way of getting the polishing cloth for those who haven't ordered one yet, as Apple's online store is currently quoting mid-January delivery for orders placed today in the United States. In-store availability can be checked by zip code or postal code on the polishing cloth's product page on Apple's website.

Apple says the polishing cloth is made with soft, nonabrasive material and can be used to clean any Apple product's display safely and effectively, including those with nano-texture glass like the Pro Display XDR. Note that Apple already includes a polishing cloth with the Pro Display XDR, but it does not include one with other products.

Those who were quick to order the polishing cloth when it first became available last week are now beginning to receive their orders.

The third-generation AirPods are also available for same-day pickup at select Apple Store locations in the United States and some other countries today, as are select configurations of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

We've partnered up with Anker again this week, offering a collection of popular accessories on sale for up to 45 percent off their original prices. These include Anker's USB-C wall chargers, MagSafe-compatible Magnetic Car Mount, and an array of wireless chargers for iPhone and Apple Watch.

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.

Anker's Magnetic Car Mount is also at a new low price of $16.49 with our exclusive code, down from $29.99 and beating our previous sale on the accessory by about $1.50. This accessory is compatible with the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Other items in the sale include the PowerPort III USB-C Charger for just $12.79, down from $15.99; the MagSafe-compatible Magnetic Wireless Charger for $19.49, down from $25.99; and the Portable Magnetic Charger for Apple Watch at $27.99, down from $34.99. All items in this sale will be live for the rest of this week, ending on Sunday, October 31.

Wall Chargers

• PowerPort III USB-C Charger - $12.79 with code MRANKER2632, down from $15.99
• PowerExtend USB-C Cube (3 AC Outlets, 2 USB-A, 1 USB-C) - $25.99 with code MRANKER9134, down from $39.99

Car Mount and Chargers

• Magnetic Car Mount - $16.49 with code MRANKER2975, down from $29.99
• PowerDrive III 2-Port USB-A Car Charger - $15.99 with code ANKERA2729, down from $19.99
• PowerDrive Duo 2-Port USB-C Car Charger - $31.99 with code MRAK2724, down from $39.99

Wireless Chargers

• Magnetic Wireless Charger - $19.49 with code MRANKER2567, down from $25.99
• Portable Magnetic Charger for Apple Watch - $27.99 with code MRANKER803, down from $34.99
• PowerWave Magnetic 3-in-1 Stand - $53.99 with code MRANKER597, down from $59.99

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

Adobe hosts an annual MAX conference each year to unveil new features for its Creative Cloud apps, and this year's event will see Adobe introducing updates for Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, and more.

Photoshop

On the desktop, Photoshop is gaining an improved Object Selection Tool that lets users hover over the image that they want to select and then execute the selection with a click. The tool is AI-based and is designed to recognize most objects in an image to make them easy to select.

Adobe says that selections made with the Object Selection tool are more accurate and more detail is now preserved at the edges. There's also a new option to Mask All Objects to generate a mask for all of the objects detected within a given layer.

Adobe is also adding new adjustable Neural Filters for changing the look and season of a landscape, transferring the color palette of one image to another, and matching the color and tone of an element on one layer to another layer. For existing Neural Filters, Adobe is improving depth blur, superzoom, style transfer, and colorize.

Other new features include improved gradients that are designed to look clearer and brighter, Export As updates, a faster oil paint filter, improved color management and HDR, and an option to copy vector shapes from Illustrator to Photoshop.

Photoshop on iPad is gaining support for RAW images, so RAW photos can be opened and edited on the ‌iPad‌ as well as the desktop. This works with RAW photos from DSLRs and other cameras and RAW images captured with the iPhone 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 13.

Layers in Photoshop for ‌iPad‌ can be converted into Smart Objects for non-destructive edits, and there are new Dodge and Burn tools.

Illustrator

There are new collaborative features for Illustrator both on the ‌iPad‌ and on the desktop, with a new option for "Share for Commenting" to let users collect comments on their Illustrator documents. Creative Cloud Spaces also ensure that all creative work and resources are located in one spot and accessible to everyone, while Creative Cloud Canvas lets teams visualize and review creative work together.

Adobe has overhauled the 3D effects in Illustrator, and with the updated 3D panel, there are options for adding depth to drawings and creating 3D objects from paths. Adobe is using a new geometry processing engine for these improvements, and it also provides feedback in real-time.

Adobe Substance materials can be imported directly into Illustrator, and there's a Discover panel that provides instant access to product support and learning resources.

On the ‌iPad‌, Illustrator now supports Vectorize, a feature that can convert any image into a crisp vector graphic. Users can take a photo of a sketch and Adobe will automatically draw the graphic. Artistic or calligraphic brush strokes can be applied to artwork, and there's a new Object Blend tool for blending one shape into another.

Other new Illustrator for ‌iPad‌ features include rulers and guides for more precise placements, version history to track and revert to prior versions of a document, the option to add linked PSD files from Photoshop or Fresco into an Illustrator document, and a tool for natively cutting and pasting text or graphics between Photoshop, Fresco, and Illustrator.

Along with these updates, Adobe has announced plans to bring Adobe Illustrator to the web, allowing Illustrator files to be edited and accessed using a web browser.

Lightroom

For Lightroom and Lightroom Classic, Adobe is adding more precise selection and masking tools. Selective Adjustment tools have been redesigned from the ground up, and can now be found under the new "Masking" button.

Adobe says that the selection and masking updates will allow users to make more complex and accurate selections to easily pull out the areas of a photograph that you want to change with less hassle.

There are new AI-based Select Subject and Select Sky options in Lightroom that are designed to allow the subject of the photo or the sky to be selected with a single click, allowing edits to be applied just to these areas.

To give Lightroom users editing ideas, the app will suggest a selection of presets that will make photos more eye-catching. Adobe will scan an image and match the subject with the presets that will make it look best, plus there are eight new Premium Preset Packs.

Other Lightroom additions include Community Remix for allowing other Lightroom users to edit your photos, and Crop Overlays for fine-tuning framing.

Content Credentials

Adobe is introducing Content Credentials for Photoshop, Adobe Stock, and Behance. In Photoshop, the opt-in feature will capture edits and identify information from a working image, which can be attached to the image when exporting it. Adobe says that this metadata provides new transparency options for creative professionals and casual artists.

Images can be inspected and their details accessed through Adobe's verification website.

Other Updates

• After Effects - Multi-Frame Rendering with up to 4x faster performance, Speculative Preview for rendering compositions in the background when the system is idle, and Composition Profiler for highlighting the layers and effects that have the biggest impact on processing time. Scene Edit detection is also available in the beta version of the app.
• Premiere Pro - Speech to Text is more accurate for pop culture terminology, and it's better at formatting for dates and numbers. Simplify Sequence removes gaps, unused tracks, and user-designed clips, and there's new color management for H.264 and HEVC formats. Remix, a feature that rearranges songs so the music matches the video is available in the beta version of the App.
• Character Animator - Creators can use their own body movements and gestures to animate their puppets, and they can also create their own characters without having to use Photoshop or Illustrator using the Puppet Maker, a feature available in public beta.
• Adobe XD - Adobe is adding support for playable videos and Lottie animations to Adobe XD.
• Adobe Stock - Adobe Stock is gaining Stock & Marketplace, a unified hub for Adobe creative assets that include Adobe Stock, Adobe Fonts, plugins, and Substance 3D assets. There's also a new "Find Similar audio" tool.
• Adobe Fresco - Adobe Fresco, Adobe's free drawing app, is gaining support for motion, so it can now be used to create animations. The app is also getting Perspective Grids and Vector Brushes.

Adobe is making changes to many of its other apps and services, and full details on all of the updates can be found on Adobe's website.

A file within an Apple Watch retail demo unit suggests that at some point, Apple considered using "Apple Watch Pro" branding for some models of its smartwatch.

The file, shared by Apple Demo on Twitter, dated February 26, 2015, is contained within a folder of other Apple Watch logos, including a logo for the Apple Watch Edition and Apple Watch Sport. The image suggests that at some point, Apple considered using its "Pro" nomenclature for the Apple Watch, possibly for the higher-end stainless steel models, as indicated on Twitter.

Apple uses its "Pro" branding for its high-end products, specifically devices that offer more features than the standard model of that product. The iPhone 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max, for example, both feature improved cameras, displays, and a LiDAR sensor, features not offered on the baseline ‌iPhone‌ 13. Apple uses its "Pro" branding across its major product categories, including the iPad, Mac, ‌iPhone‌, and AirPods.

An “Apple Watch Pro” would presumably be a model that includes more premium features or design elements compared to the standard Apple Watch. "Apple Watch Pro" may have also been an alternative name to "Apple Watch Edition," a line of Apple Watch models that currently come in titanium cases.

Pixelmator 2.2 got its public release on Tuesday. The latest major update to the popular image editing app includes support for macOS Monterey and Shortcuts, as well as a new Split Comparison View, a new Bokeh effect, and more.

With Monterey bringing Shortcuts to the Mac for the first time, Pixelmator is adding 28 dedicated actions, including all ML-based tools (Super Resolution, Enhance, Denoise, Match Colors, and Crop) and some Shortcuts-exclusive features, like automatic background removal for photos of people. For more information, Pixelmator has provided a tutorial on using Shortcuts with the app.

This update also brings a new split-screen comparison view, allowing users to see all their edits more closely. Split comparison view can be turned on by Option-clicking the Show Original button or force clicking the canvas when using the Color Adjustments and Effects tools. Users can also press the Control + C keyboard shortcut or add the new compare button to the Pixelmator Pro toolbar by clicking View > Customize Toolbar.

In addition, there's an all-new Bokeh blur effect, while users can now open Pixelmator Photo files in Pixelmator Pro, and the maximum brush spacing has been increased from 100% to 1000%. Elsewhere, new FaceTime Portrait Masks mean whenever users insert photos of themselves with the ‌FaceTime‌ camera, they'll get an automatically created portrait mask applied to that layer. Some other more minor changes are listed in the full release notes.

Lastly, Pixelmator Pro's developers say users can expect features like ML Super Resolution to be up to 15 times faster on the latest MacBook Pro models when compared to the most recent Intel-powered Mac devices, thanks to Apple's new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

The latest Pixelmator Pro update is free for all existing users of Pixelmator Pro, which costs $39.99 in the Mac App Store.

Apple's privacy rules are "negatively affecting" Facebook, and its business, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed during its most recent earnings call.

As a quick refresher, starting with iOS 14.5 and all newer versions of iOS and iPadOS, Apple requires that apps ask for users' permission to track them across other apps and websites. Under the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, the latest change gives users a choice on whether they wish to be tracked for ads or other purposes.

In the weeks leading up to ATT's launch, Facebook was vocal about its displeasure with the change, explicitly framing it as unfavorable for small businesses who use its platform to target customers. When users opt-out of tracking, Facebook and other ad providers have less data for targeted advertisement, possibly, in one example provided by Facebook, making it harder for local businesses to target ads to potential customers nearby.

Continuing on its anti-Apple's privacy rules campaign, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was quick to blame Apple for his company's lower than expected growth in the third quarter of the year. Kicking off the earnings call, Zuckerberg said Apple is "negatively affecting" Facebook but that he believes the company will be able to "navigate" the challenges Apple is presenting thanks to its long-term investments.

As expected, we did experience revenue headwinds this quarter, including from Apple's changes that are not only negatively affecting our business, but millions of small businesses in what is already a difficult time for them in the economy. Sheryl and Dave will talk about this more later, but the bottom line is we expect we'll be able to navigate these headwinds over time with investments that we're already making today.

While Zuckerberg and the Facebook executive team hold Apple's changes accountable for this quarter's performance, it may also be an asset. Zuckerberg has in the past stated that ATT could ultimately help Facebook, and it's a sentiment he again repeated during the earning's call.

Apple's changes, according to Zuckerberg, are making "e-commerce and customer acquisition less effective on the web." Still, Facebook could benefit from the lessened effectiveness as "solutions that allow businesses to set up shop right inside our apps will become increasingly attractive," Zuckerberg added.

Facebook's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, also criticized Apple and its privacy rules, going as far as to claim that the new rules are negatively impacting Facebook while benefiting Apple's own advertising business.

We've been open about the fact that there were headwinds coming – and we've experienced that in Q3. The biggest is the impact of Apple's iOS14 changes, which have created headwinds for others in the industry as well, major challenges for small businesses, and advantaged Apple's own advertising business.

Despite Facebook facing an avalanche of pressure amid leaked internal documents and scrutiny, Sandberg pointed the finger at Apple for Facebook's lackluster performance this quarter. "Overall, if it wasn't for Apple's iOS 14 changes, we would have seen positive quarter-over-quarter revenue growth," Sandberg said.

One document as part of a trove of internal documentation leaked to the press this week indicates that Facebook is increasingly concerned about the youth demographic on its platform. Specifically, Facebook wants to take additional steps to make its platform more attractive to younger users, a portion of the online audience that is increasingly shying away from Facebook, according to leaked company documents.

One area in which Facebook hopes to achieve a more appealing look to younger users is by steering them away from Apple's iMessage platform. Zuckerberg said during the earnings call that iMessage is "growing in popularity," potentially posing a risk to some of Facebook's messaging platforms, such as Messenger.

Apple has time and time again defended App Tracking Transparency, claiming it simply wants to give users a choice on whether to be tracked or not. In a video posted to its YouTube channel following ATT's launch, Apple said that "some apps have trackers embedded in them that are taking more data than they need. Sharing it with third parties, like advertisers and data brokers... This has been happening without your knowledge or permission. Your information is for sale. You have become the product."

Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, has also been vocal about Facebook in the past. At a speech at a privacy conference earlier in the year, Cook implied that platforms such as Facebook lead to polarization and violence. "If a business is built on misleading users, on data exploitation, on choices that are no choices at all, then it does not deserve our praise. It deserves reform," Cook said.

Serif today announced updates for its popular suite of Affinity creative apps that bring official support for macOS Monterey and optimizations for the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips powering Apple's latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.

According to Ashley Hewson, managing director of Affinity developer Serif, buyers of the latest MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips will enjoy "stunning speed improvements" when using all three apps:

"The new GPU represents an industry reflection point—we now have compute performance surpassing nearly all discrete GPU hardware, but retain the key benefits of unified memory. This required us to step back and think again about where performance bottlenecks might be, as it's clear the 'old rules' no longer apply.

"The results of this work yield a benchmark score of around 30,000 for the M1 Max 32core GPU, absolutely obliterating any other single GPU score we have ever measured. Our changes have also improved performance on the previous M1 chip, which is now roughly 10% faster in our benchmark in version 1.10.3."

The new MacBook Pro also features a Liquid Retina XDR display, which completely changes the way photographers can edit images in Affinity Photo, according to Hewson.

"The new XDR display is also a game-changer for photographers. We spent most of our time trying to work around the fact that our cameras shoot a few stops more light than can be displayed properly on a standard screen. Displays like the new Liquid Retina XDR can easily display the entire dynamic range captured by dSLRs, so the way you develop RAW changes completely, not just for bracketed merge shots, but for single images. Gone are the days of compressing highlights to recover detail—fundamentally changing the way we use computers to process photographs."

Lastly, the Affinity apps have also been optimized to deliver smooth rendering at 120fps on the new MacBook Pros, similar to the equivalent Affinity apps on iPad.

The 1.10.3 update is available across all Affinity apps on macOS today and is free to existing users. All Affinity apps are currently available to purchase individually for $60 each on the Affinity website, no subscriptions required.

Apple today released macOS Big Sur 11.6.1, a minor update to the macOS Big Sur operating system that first came out in November 2020. macOS Big Sur 11.6.1 comes roughly six weeks after the launch of macOS Big Sur 11.6.

The new ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌macOS Big Sur‌‌‌‌‌‌ 11.6.1 update can be downloaded to all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Preferences.

According to Apple's release notes, the update "improves the security of macOS" and is recommended for all users. It serves as a security update for those users who can not or don't want to upgrade to macOS Monterey. There is also a similar Security Update 2021-007 for macOS Catalina users.

Pre-orders for Apple's new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models opened last Monday immediately after Apple's "Unleashed" event, and soon after, shipping estimates for all configurations began slipping by weeks and in some cases by over a month.

If you weren't able to pre-order after Apple's event for whatever reason, there's still a chance to get a 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro when they launch on Tuesday.

In Australia, and in countries in Europe and East Asia that have Apple retail stores, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros in the stock configurations are already listed as available for in-store pickup (update: in-store pickup is now available in the U.S. and Canada too). In the United Kingdom, for example, Apple's online store shows the following configurations as available to pick up in-store today.

Availability wise, the only off-the-shelf model that doesn't appear to be widely available at U.K. retail stores is the top-spec 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max chip, 32-Core GPU, and 32GB of memory, which costs a combined £3,299 ($3,499). This exception is likely to be replicated in other stores and countries.

If you intend to pick up a new MacBook Pro, once you proceed to the checkout and click the blue "Checkout" button, select "I'll pick it up," then choose a store location, pickup date, and an available 15-minute check-in window from the options.

If you will be picking up the ‌MacBook Pro personally, enter your phone number. If someone else will be arranging the pickup, enter his or her contact information. The person making the pickup must be carrying a valid photo ID.

Then, proceed with the checkout process as usual. Once payment has been made, wait until you receive a pickup notification email or text message before picking up the ‌MacBook Pro. If you don't receive one, call the store. Since the ‌MacBook Pro is paid for ahead of time, the store will hold the device in its back room until you arrive. Your order will be held for 14 days.

Of course, another option is to simply walk into an Apple store on Tuesday, preferably right when they open. In some instances, you may have to wait in line, but the queues have typically been shorter in recent years and shouldn't be anything like as long as iPhone launch days. Note that temperature checks and face masks may be required. You can use the pickup tool on Apple's website to check if stores in your local area have stock, or call the store directly.

It's already Tuesday, October 26 in New Zealand, Australia, and multiple countries in Asia which means it's MacBook Pro launch day. Customers in New Zealand and Australia are always the first to get their hands on new devices due to time zone differences, and the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are no exception.

14 and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are beginning to arrive to customers who pre-ordered last Monday, and new ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners have been sharing photos on the MacRumors forums.

There are no Apple Stores in New Zealand, so customers in Australia and countries across Asia are the first to be able to pick up a ‌MacBook Pro‌ at an Apple retail location. Stock in Australia and other countries will give us an idea of what we can expect from other stores worldwide.

Apple is selling stock configurations of the new machines in its retail stores, and there are also some higher-end BTO configurations that may be available depending on the store. Most people who want a custom configured machine will need to order online and wait, however.

Supplies of stock ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are constrained and new orders won't arrive until mid-to-late November or early December in some cases, so getting a stock configuration in a store is now the only way to get one of the new machines on launch day.

Following New Zealand, Australia, and Asia, sales of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ will begin in the Middle East, Europe, and then North America. Apple Stores‌ globally are opening up right around 8:00 a.m. local time to allow customers to pick up reserved devices and make walk-in purchases.

Stay tuned to MacRumors tomorrow because we'll have a hands-on look at the ‌MacBook Pro‌ along with first impressions and plenty more coverage coming throughout the week.

Amazon has just dropped Apple's latest Magic Keyboard for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro to its all-time best price at a savings of over $100. The deal is currently available only in black, with the keyboard accessory priced at $242.99, down from $349.00.

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

The white version of the Magic Keyboard is currently not discounted, with Amazon listing it at its regular price of $349.00.

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.

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