The first seemingly legitimate Geekbench 5 result for the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro with an 8-core M1 Pro chip has surfaced, and it reveals that the 8-core model is, as expected, ~20% slower than 10-core models in terms of multi-core performance. The 10-core model has 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores, while the 8-core model has 6 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores.
The benchmark result lists the 8-core 14-inch MacBook Pro with a multi-core score of 9,948, which is around 20% lower than the average multi-core score of around 12,700 for 14-inch MacBook Pro models configured with a 10-core M1 Pro or M1 Max chip. Keep in mind this is only a single result, so additional results are needed for certainty.
For single-core performance, the 8-core M1 Pro chip has approximately the same score as the standard M1 chip, the M1 Pro chip, and the M1 Max chip.
For multi-core performance, the 8-core M1 Pro chip is about 30% faster than the standard M1 chip, which also has 8-cores (4 performance, 4 efficiency).
Geekbench Scores
M1 (8-core) Single: 1742 Multi: 7582
M1 Pro (8-core) Single: 1767 Multi: 9948
M1 Max (10-core) Single: 1764 Multi: 12380
The base model 14-inch MacBook Pro with an 8-core M1 Pro chip is priced at $1,999 in the United States. Customers can upgrade this configuration to a 10-core M1 Pro chip with a 14-core GPU for an extra $200, raising the total price to $2,199.
The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models became available to order on Monday and have started shipping to some customers ahead of a Tuesday, October 26 launch. In addition to M1 Pro and M1 Max chip options, the notebooks feature mini-LED displays with ProMotion for up to a 120Hz refresh rate, additional ports like an HDMI port and an SD card slot, MagSafe charging, longer battery life, and a notch housing an upgraded 1080p webcam.
Ahead of a Tuesday release, the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are now starting to ship to customers who were lucky enough to get an early delivery date, as availability of the new Macs seemingly continues to be low.
The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros ushered in a complete redesign to the product, the first since its controversial revamp in 2016. With the 2021 redesign, Apple has reintroduced ports to the MacBook Pro, such as HDMI and an SD card slot, and brought back MagSafe. The new MacBook Pros are also powered by the M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, the first Apple silicon chips designed for professional machines.
While the new MacBook Pros are now starting to ship to customers ahead of a Tuesday launch, those who have yet to place their orders or perhaps did so a little after pre-orders went live should prepare to face a long wait. For current Mac users not getting a new Mac this week, there is still something to look forward to as macOS Monterey launches on Monday, October 25.
Apple opened pre-orders for the completely redesigned MacBook Pros following its "Unleashed" event last week. Within minutes of pre-orders going live, delivery dates were already slipping by weeks and in some cases by over a month.. The 14-inch model, at the time of writing, displays at least 3-4 weeks for delivery, with all 16-inch models showing 4-5 weeks. Exact delivery date estimates will vary depending on location, configuration, and more.
Weeks ahead of the holiday season, a primetime for Apple, a number of the company's products continue to face long delivery dates. Models of the latest iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, and even the Apple Watch Series 7 are showing weeks for delivery, potentially impacting customers' holiday shopping plans.
The news this week was dominated by Apple's Monday event, with the company spending most of its time talking about the new MacBook Pro models with M1 Pro and M1 Max chip options, although we did get a few other announcements at the event.
With Apple's final event of 2021 likely now out of the way, we also got straight back into the rumor cycle this week with reports about future iMac, MacBook Air, iPhone SE, and AirPods Pro updates, so read on for all of the details!
Everything Announced at the Apple Event in Just 7 Minutes
Apple Announces Redesigned Third-Generation AirPods
Apple unveiled third-generation AirPods this week with a similar design as the AirPods Pro, but no active noise cancellation or silicone ear tips.
Key features include improved sound quality with Adaptive EQ and spatial audio, longer battery life, a MagSafe charging case, IPX4-rated water and sweat resistance, and more. The third-generation AirPods are available to order now for $179 and will launch on Tuesday, October 26.
Apple also announced that, starting later this year, Siri support for multi-user voice recognition is expanding to all regions where the HomePod mini is available.
There's also Geekbench results for graphics that reveal the M1 Max chip's GPU is over 3x faster than the M1 chip's GPU based on Apple's Metal framework. Apple said the GPU in the M1 Max chip is actually up to 4x faster than the M1 chip's GPU, so we'll have to wait for further results to see.
Apple Rumored to Launch 27-Inch Mini-LED iMac With ProMotion in Early 2022
We've also learned some other MacBook Pro details, including that the SD card reader supports up to 250MB/s of data transfer with UHS-II SD cards, that eGPUs are still not supported on Apple silicon, and more.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
A new video posted to YouTube today offers viewers perhaps the best real-world look yet at Apple's latest 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Update: The video has been removed.
The eight-minute video, narrated in Vietnamese, shows the new MacBook Pro's display notch, thinner bezels, full-size keyboard, and additional ports in close-up, as well as the thicker design, all of which are compared side by side with a 15-inch Intel MacBook Pro. It also shows the new MacBook being weighed, coming in at the expected 2.1kg.
The new MacBook Pro models have been available to order since Monday and will begin 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's official public release of macOS Monterey arrives on Monday, October 25, and users should be aware that there are several features in macOS 12 that are only available to machines powered by Apple silicon chips. In other words, they won't work on Intel-powered Macs.
Differentiating the user experience like this isn't anything new to iOS users, since each year the latest iPhone models boast features that aren't available on iPhones that Apple released the previous year.
Mac users on the other hand aren't so used to such fast-paced changes, and the latest software-based depreciations could come as a shock to some. With the possible exception of Object Capture, the following macOS Monterey features won't be available to anyone running the new software on an Intel Mac, even if it was purchased from Apple only last year.
Portrait Mode in FaceTime
With Portrait mode in macOS Monterey, you can blur your background during a FaceTime call, so that the focus is on you rather than what's behind you. The feature is commonly used by other video conferencing apps like Zoom and Teams to obscure untidy domestic scenes and other sources of distraction or embarrassment. If you're using an Intel-powered Mac though, it won't be an option.
Maps Interactive Globe
On Macs powered by M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max chips, Apple has enhanced the Maps app to include a new globe view that allows you to spin the world around and zoom into different regions on Earth. In previous versions of macOS, zooming out maximally in Maps would present you with a flat world map, but the new globe view gives you a three-dimensional view of Earth from space that's a lot more fun to navigate.
More Detailed Cities in Maps
The globe also allows you to drill down into areas, where you'll find more detailed information on vast geological features like mountain ranges, deserts, forests, and oceans, and more comprehensive maps in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and London, which includes details for elevation, roads, trees, buildings, landmarks, and more. If you're using an Intel-based Mac, this extra detail will be lacking.
Object Capture
Object Capture allows users to create a photo-realistic, AR-optimized 3D object by stitching together a series of photographs. The technique is called photogrammetry, which previously required specialized software to work out, but with Monterey, Apple has integrated its Object Capture API into macOS, which makes the process faster and a whole lot easier when using an app that supports it.
For example, using an app like PhotoCatch allows users to import a video, or several photos of an object from several angles, and with no additional effort, turn them into a realistic 3D model of the object, which can then be easily integrated into any AR app. All Apple Silicon Macs support Object Capture, but it is only supported on Intel Macs that have at least 16GB of RAM and 4GB of VRAM.
Siri Text-to-Speech
The Text-to-speech feature in macOS allows users to select portions of text or highlight whole documents to be read out to them. Users of Apple Silicon Macs can use the text-to-speech voice feature in more languages than Intel-based Mac users, including Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish.
On-Device Keyboard Dictation
With keyboard dictation, you can dictate text anywhere you can type it, and the feature improves the more you use it, personalizing over time. On Apple Silicon Macs, keyboard dictation now protects user privacy by performing all processing on-device, meaning it's completely offline. And thanks to on-device dictation, users can also dictate text of any length without a timeout. On Intel Macs, however, there's a time limit of 60 seconds.
Apple Speeds Up Its Transition Away From Intel
This is a unique period in the Mac's history, as Apple is currently in the midst of a two-year transition from Intel processors to its custom Apple silicon chips in Macs, with the changeover slated to be completed by WWDC 2022.
The transition began last November, when Apple debuted the M1, its first custom-designed chip, in the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini, followed by the 24-inch iMac in April. Just last week at its "Unleashed" event, Apple unveiled new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by even higher performance M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.
Intel chips continue to be available in desktop machines that include the Mac mini, iMac, and Mac Pro, but upgrades for all of those devices are in the works and expected next year, so expect the next version of macOS to exclude Intel-based Mac users to an even greater extent than Monterey.
In what has become one of the most defining moments in Apple's history, today marks the 20th anniversary of Steve Jobs introducing the original iPod at a small press event at the Town Hall auditorium at Apple's former Infinite Loop headquarters.
Above is a snapshot of what Apple's website looked like on October 23, 2001, the day the iPod was announced, courtesy of the Wayback Machine.
Our news story covering the original iPod's announcement is still live on our website, and the comment section on the story is well known for containing several negative comments about the device. One commenter described the iPod as "far from revolutionary" and another commenter wrote "all this hype for something so ridiculous!"
Of course, the iPod turned out to be one of the most important products in Apple's history and, along with the original iMac, helped the company become successful again after it flirted with bankruptcy in the late 1990s.
Jobs famously pitched the iPod as offering "1,000 songs in your pocket," and he unveiled the device by pulling it out of his own pocket.
"With iPod, Apple has invented a whole new category of digital music player that lets you put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go," said Jobs in a press release. "With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again."
The iPod has since become a niche product for Apple, with the iPod touch being the only remaining model available for purchase today after the iPod classic was discontinued in 2014 and the iPod nano and iPod shuffle were discontinued in 2017. In fact, as of this week, the iPod touch's product page is only advertised in the footer of Apple's website.
Apple's former senior vice president of the iPod team Tony Fadell reflected on creating the iPod in an interview published yesterday.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that he doesn't expect Apple to hold another event or make any other major product announcements this year, while turning his attention to what we can expect next year.
Apple held an event in November 2020 to introduce its first Macs with its custom-designed M1 chip, but Gurman believes Apple has nothing else left of substance on its roadmap that would be ready to launch before the end of 2021.
Gurman believes that a new MacBook Air with an entirely new design and an Apple-designed M2 chip will launch in around six to eight months from now. He believes the upcoming model will represent the biggest redesign of the MacBook Air since 2010, with a rumor earlier this week claiming that the notebook will have a similar design as the 24-inch iMac, including off-white bezels around the display and a variety of color choices.
Gurman also expects a larger iMac with Apple silicon, a new Mac mini, a new iPhone SE, and a new iPad Pro to launch after the calendar turns to 2022.
Following the unveiling of redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple's next-generation M1 Pro and M1 Max chips this week, the only Intel-based Macs remaining in Apple's lineup include a low-end 21.5-inch iMac targeted at the education market, the 27-inch iMac, the high-end Mac mini, and the Mac Pro tower.
Alongside the third-generation AirPods, Apple this week also introduced a minor update for the AirPods Pro to add MagSafe support to the charging case. MagSafe makes for easier alignment of the AirPods Pro case on compatible magnetic chargers and allows it to stick on angled chargers.
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The updated AirPods Pro carry the same $249 price tag as the previous version and have no other changes beyond the case, but Amazon is already discounting the new model down to $219.99, a savings of $29. The new AirPods Pro are in stock with delivery available next week.
The discounted price still marks a $23 premium over the original version at the moment, with Amazon currently pricing the non-MagSafe version at $197.00. We even saw them go as low as $169.00 around Black Friday last year, so if MagSafe isn't a necessity for you, you may still want to shop around for a good deal on the older ones.
AirPods and AirPods Pro make for popular gifts and we commonly see discounted pricing on them, especially leading into the holiday shopping season, so we're likely to see more deals on these in the coming weeks, but it's a good sign for supplies that we're already seeing significant discounts right at launch.
We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.
Yesterday, a number of Apple Card users were seeing mentions of 6% Daily Cash showing up next to some recent Apple purchases, leading to some confusion about whether Apple was launching a special promotion to double the usual 3% cashback program.
Not all purchases were showing up with the 6% bonus, as some users were seeing only the standard 3% and Apple Card support representatives were indicating that the 6% mentions were in error.
Apple has confirmed that this was indeed an error, but the company is going to honor the offer for users who did manage to make a purchase and see the 6% listing, as the company is emailing affected customers to let them know they will be receiving the 3% standard Daily Cash for their purchases as well as a one-time credit for an additional 3% Daily Cash.
Important message regarding your account.
You may have noticed that a recent Apple purchase was eligible for 6% Daily Cash instead of the standard 3% Daily Cash.
This was an error due to a system issue; however, in addition to the 3% Daily Cash that you already received for this purchase, we will be providing you with a one-time credit for an additional 3% Daily Cash back - totaling 6% Daily Cash for that purchase.
You'll see the one-time credit appear as a Balance Adjustment in the Wallet app. This will also appear on your October monthly statement.
Apple emphasizes that this is a one-time credit and any future purchases at Apple will only qualify for the standard 3% Daily Cash.
Apple has had a busy year in 2021, releasing several new products, updates to services, new software updates, and more. Most recently, Apple finally announced the long-rumored redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which was by far one of the most talked-about and anticipated product announcements this year.
With the new MacBook Pro models announced, some customers may be wondering if any other new products are coming from Apple this year. Simply put, probably not. Over the course of the year, rumors fluctuated as to what Apple would announce this year and when, with one major reason being the impact of the global health crisis on supply chains and Apple's ability to engineer products. Regardless, Apple did release a host of new products, and here's a quick refresher of all the new products announced this year.
September 2021 - iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPad mini 6, new entry-level iPad, Apple Watch Series 7
October 2021 - AirPods 3, New HomePod mini colors, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M1 Pro or M1 Max
Apple last year held three events in the fall, but that doesn't look like it's going to be the case this year. In September, Apple held its first event for the fall, announcing the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, Apple Watch Series 7, the iPad mini, and an updated entry-level iPad. Less than a month later, it announced redesigned MacBook Pro models and updated AirPods.
Between those two events, all of Apple's major product categories have seen updates, leaving very little for Apple to announce or release before the end of the year. Apple's October event was likely Apple's last event of the year, and therefore its last event before the upcoming holiday season. Apple generally prefers to have its holiday product lineup set by the end of October, with last year's three fall events extending into November being an anomaly due to production delays.
All of the company's most popular holiday gifts, such as AirPods and iPads, have already been updated, lending support to the idea that the company is not likely to announce any other new products this year. Despite the multiple product releases this year, some products were rumored to launch but didn't, and we could but are unlikely to see them before the end of 2021.
High-end Mac mini
Apple was rumored to announce a bit more than it did at its "Unleashed" event earlier this week, with an updated high-end Mac mini having been a possible wildcard announcement. Instead, the Mac portion of the event focused solely on the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips and the new MacBook Pro models.
Overall, the event lasted only 50 minutes, leaving Apple with sufficient time to have announced more if it wanted to. The extra time Apple had likely indicates that the new Mac mini is not ready yet and will debut next year. The new Mac mini is expected to be getting a new design with additional ports, which you can learn all about in our dedicated roundup.
AirPods Pro 2 and More
Going into Apple's October event, besides the MacBook Pros, Mac mini, and AirPods, some customers were holding out hope for some other surprises, such as the second-generation AirPods Pro or a larger iMac with Apple silicon.
Despite those hopes, none of those products were generally expected to be announced this year, and all credible reports suggest the new AirPods Pro, a new iMac, and a redesigned MacBook Air will launch next year. You can check out our product calendar to get an idea of how soon we may see products once 2022 rolls in.
Services and Operating System Updates
There are still two months until the end of 2021, and while we're unlikely to see any new hardware products from Apple in that timeframe beyond the new HomePod mini colors that will be shipping sometime in November, we are definitely going to be getting some new updates for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, bringing significant new features to users.
Apple next week will be releasing iOS and iPadOS 15.1, which will officially include SharePlay. SharePlay, a feature that lets users watch videos, listen to music, and more together over FaceTime, was previewed at WWDC in June and was not included in the initial launch of iOS and iPadOS 15 earlier in September. Once it launches, many third-party apps such as TikTok, Spotify, and others will also be able to incorporate support.
Apple is also promising to release Universal Control, a headlining feature of macOS Monterey, which launches on October 25, later this fall. Universal Control will let users use a single mouse and keyboard across multiple Macs and iPads, enabling a seamless workflow experience. Apple will also be expanding Fitness+, its fitness subscription service, to 15 additional countries before the end of the year.
Apple today announced it has updated its App Store Review Guidelines with three key changes related to outside-of-app communications, collecting contact information within an app, and in-app events featured in the App Store.
In late August, Apple announced it had reached a $100 million settlement that, pending court approval, would resolve a class action lawsuit from U.S. developers who alleged that Apple has a monopoly on the distribution of iOS apps and in-app purchases.
As part of the settlement, Apple said it would clarify that developers can use communications, such as email, to share information about payment methods outside of their iOS app, and this is now reflected in the updated App Store Review Guidelines.
Specifically, Apple removed the following sentence from section 3.1.3 of the guidelines:
Developers cannot use information obtained within the app to target individual users outside of the app to use purchasing methods other than in-app purchase (such as sending an individual user an email about other purchasing methods after that individual signs up for an account within the app).
Second, a new guideline under section 5.1.1 (x) indicates that apps may request basic contact information, such as a name and email address, so long as the request is optional for the user, features and services are not conditional on providing the information, and it complies with all other provisions of the guidelines.
Third, Apple has added guideline 2.3.13 to provide clarifications around the requirements for developers to feature in-app events in the App Store. In-app events can highlight in-game competitions, movie premieres, livestream experiences, fitness challenges, and more, and they will start appearing in the App Store on devices running iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 on October 27. The full text of the guideline is below.
In-app events are timely events that happen within your app. To feature your event on the App Store, it must fall within an event type provided in App Store Connect. All event metadata must be accurate and pertain to the event itself, rather than the app more generally. Events must happen at the times and dates you select in App Store Connect, including across multiple storefronts. You may monetize your event so long as you follow the rules set forth in Section 3 on Business. And your event deep link must direct users to the proper destination within your app. Read In-App Events for detailed guidance on acceptable event metadata and event deep links.
Apple unveiled new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models earlier this week, and the first real-world photos of the notebooks have surfaced.
YouTube creator Luke Miani tweeted the above photo of the 14-inch MacBook Pro next to the previous-generation 13-inch MacBook Pro, providing a real-world look at the notch at the top of the display, all-black keyboard design, and more. As noted by Miani, the photo was shared by a Reddit user in the MacBook Pro subreddit.
A video of the 14-inch MacBook Pro was also shared on Reddit. The video was later deleted, but it has been re-uploaded to YouTube.
In addition, there is a press photo of Apple CEO Tim Cook next to what appears to be the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, revealing its slightly thicker chassis.
The new MacBook Pro models have been available to order since Monday and will begin 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.
CaseBorne, rebranded this year from ArmadilloTek, offers a range of different case options that are designed to keep Apple's iPhones safe from bumps, drops, and scratches. CaseBorne is having a 40 percent off sale on Amazon, so its case options are super affordable right now. Discounts are applied at checkout when using the links in our article.
The R Series cases, priced at $20 with the discount, are made from a clear polycarbonate material that leaves the body of the iPhone visible so you're not hiding the smartphone's design.
The cases feature soft rubber inside to absorb shock should the iPhone be dropped, and the case is enclosed in a protective aluminum frame available in iridescent, black, pink, and red. A raised lip protects the front of the display, and all buttons are protected but usable. It offers 12-foot drop protection without adding a significant amount of bulk.
CaseBorne also makes the R Series cases with a Kevlar/Aramid Fiber frame as an alternative to the clear polycarbonate, with this version available in black or red and priced at $24 with the discount.
For those who need maximum protection, CaseBorne offers the Vanguard Series cases, which are thicker and more rugged. Priced at $14 with the discount, the V Series cases offer three layers of protection and can keep the iPhone safe from drops as high as 21 feet.
There's a shock absorbent TPU material that combines with a hard plastic shell for total device protection, and the honeycomb design and reinforced corners provide additional protection for the iPhone's weak spots. There's a protective screen and the sides protect the buttons, plus plug-ins keep ports safe from dust.
The V Series cases come in black, orange, purple, and red, and there's a built-in kickstand at the back that can be pulled out when using the iPhone to watch videos.
We have one 128GB iPhone 13 to give away, and the winner will be able to pick the color of their choice. CaseBorne is also including a selection of its cases to fit the iPhone 13.
To enter to win our giveaway, 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 MacRumorsFacebook page.
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The contest will run from today (October 22) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 29. The winner will be chosen randomly on October 29 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 is developing second-generation AirPods Pro to follow the AirPods 3, with the new earbuds set to come out in 2022. We've heard little about the next-generation AirPods Pro so far, but a rumor from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested they could be stemless.
MacRumors has now received alleged images of the second-generation AirPods Pro that contradict the stemless design rumors, but they're from a source ("Xerxes") without an established track record and we can't verify their accuracy. The person who provided the images to us said that they come from an "Apple internal source," and the person declined to provide additional information.
The AirPods Pro in the photos features the same design as the original AirPods Pro, with the exception of a missing optical sensor toward the underside of each earbud. Apple has moved from optical sensors to a skin-detect sensor in the AirPods 3, so it's possible the AirPods Pro 2 will follow suit in that regard.
Beyond the earbuds themselves, there are more obvious differences in the case. There are speaker holes at the bottom, which is an unusual choice for an AirPods casing design. The source who provided the images says that these speaker holes are being introduced because in iOS 16, Apple will be adding a new feature where "Find My will be available for the case and buds separately." The speaker holes will let the case play a sound to allow it to be located.
The case also depicts a metal loop at the side, which is meant to be for attaching a strap, but Apple has not used this design for any of its other AirPod models and it is unclear why it would be added in this instance. That said, it does not seem out of the realm of possibility that Apple would add a strap.
On the topic of a stemless design, the source says that the rumors are incorrect, and that Apple will not be eliminating the stem from the next-generation AirPods Pro.
MacRumors is a rumors site, as the name suggests, so we thought we'd share these images with our readers even though we cannot verify that these are an accurate representation of the AirPods Pro 2 at this point. Keep in mind that these features have not been confirmed by a source with a known track record for accuracy, and the information should be viewed with some skepticism at this point in time.
As mentioned above, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who often provides an accurate assessment of Apple's plans, has said that Apple is aiming to make the AirPods Pro 2 more compact by eliminating the short stem that sticks out from the bottom. Apple has tested a more rounded shape, but getting the hardware of the AirPods Pro into a chassis that's reduced in size has proven difficult, so the plan could be scrapped.
We've heard no other rumors of new features or changes to the case design of the AirPods Pro 2 at this time. It is perhaps worth noting that the first refresh to the original AirPods, the AirPods 2, also did not feature a new design, instead focusing on a wireless charging addition for the case and other internal improvements. The AirPods Pro 2 are expected to launch at some point in 2022, but there's no word on when as of yet.
Following the announcement of the Apple Music Voice Plan earlier this month, Apple is now rolling out over 250 new activity and mood-based Apple Music playlists to users.
At its "Unleashed" event earlier this month, which also saw the launch of new AirPods and MacBook Pro models, Apple announced that Apple Music was gaining hundreds of new playlists based around moods and activities to compliment an all-new low-cost Voice Plan.
The Apple Music Voice Plan costs $4.99 per month and allows subscribers to access Apple Music's expansive library of songs and playlists using Siri on any Apple device, but withholds features like spatial audio and lossless. It also features a more pared back in-app experience with suggestions based on listening habits and a queue of music that was recently played through Siri, rather than the full Apple Music app UI.
To kickstart the Voice Plan, Apple announced that over 250 new playlists based around moods and activities were being added to Apple Music. These playlists are curated by Apple Music's editorial team and are optimized for the Voice Plan, though they are available to all Apple Music users. To access the playlists, users can use Siri commands like "Play the dinner party playlist," "Play something chill," or "Play more like this."
As first spotted by MacStories, these playlists are now rolling out to users. Each playlist features custom animated cover art in a minimalist style, but Apple is not currently providing a central location to access all of the new mood and activity playlists in the Apple Music app.
MacStories has shared a comprehensive guide that lists all of the new playlists and is even offering a Shortcut to get fast access to them locally. The guide and Shortcut groups the new playlists into categories such as Happy, Feeling Bad, Angry, Chill, Confidence and Optimism, Self-Care, Inspiration and Focus, Work and Study, Get Going and Get Out, Romantic, Family and Celebrations, Workout, Sports and Games, Activities, Doing Chores, Driving and Transportation, Places, Meals, Seasons and Weather, and Zodiac.
The Apple Music Voice Plan launches later this fall in 17 countries and regions, including Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Amazon has introduced its first ever discount on the all-new 14-inch MacBook Pro. You can get the 8-Core M1 Pro 512GB model for $1,949.99, down from $1,999.00. This $50 sale is the first time we're tracking a deal on the 14-inch MacBook Pro on Amazon, and the second overall deal following offers from Expercom.
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Apple just announced the new MacBook Pro models this week, and they come in 14-inch and 16-inch size options. As of writing, no 16-inch MacBook Pro deals are available on Amazon, but be sure to keep an eye on our Best MacBook Deals guide for when those start to appear.
Shoppers should note that the 14-inch MacBook Pro is a pre-order on Amazon right now. You can still order the notebook today at a discount, and it's estimated to begin shipping out on launch day, October 26.
The new MacBook Pro models feature a redesigned look, with a full-screen display that includes a notch with a 1080p webcam. They include M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, featuring a 10-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores. This makes the new models up to 70 percent faster than the previous generation.
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.
Update: A few hours after we posted, Amazon began discounting the 16-inch MacBook Pro as well. You can get the 10-Core M1 Pro, 1TB model for $2,649.99, down from $2,699.00.
One day ahead of the 20th anniversary of Steve Jobs unveiling the original iPod on October 23, 2001, Apple's former senior vice president of the iPod team Tony Fadell has reflected on his role in creating the device in an interview with CNET's Roger Cheng.
Fadell said that Apple was on a mission to launch the iPod before Christmas 2001. Impressively, he said that he "really got started" with developing the device in May 2001, just five months before it was introduced by Jobs. "It was nonstop, seven days a week," he said.
When Jobs unveiled the iPod at a small press event at its former Infinite Loop headquarters, the device was not fully finished, according to Fadell. Nevertheless, he said Jobs handed out this early version of the device to the media in attendance, along with a collection of 20 CDs containing the music that had been pre-loaded onto the device.
Fadell added that by 2005, Apple was starting to look into the cell phone market. As he has shared in previous interviews over the years, Fadell said his team toyed with prototypes of a full-screen iPod with a virtual click wheel, adding that the Mac team had separately designed a "massive capacitive touchscreen the size of a pingpong table." Apple ultimately launched the iPhone with a multi-touch display in 2007.
The full interview is a worthwhile read over at CNET for those interested in the days leading up to the original iPod's launch two decades ago.
Apple's negotiations with the Chinese companies CATL and BYD about supplying batteries for its rumored electric vehicle have mostly stalled, Reuters reports.
According to three individuals said to have knowledge of the discussions between Apple and the Chinese firms, the talks reached an impasse when CATL and BYD refused to set up teams dedicated to Apple and manufacturing plants in the United States. It has previously been reported that Apple is keen to bring at least some of the manufacturing related to the vehicle to the U.S., with particular focus on the batteries.
Apple allegedly wants to use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery for its electric vehicle, partly because they are cheaper to produce than more expensive lithium batteries that need cobalt and nickel. The company is understood to be looking to Chinese battery manufacturers because they can make more advanced LFP batteries than their rivals thanks to battery pack technology that bolsters performance, driving range, and energy density.
CATL is the world's leading manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles and supplies Tesla, but has been reluctant to build a factory in the U.S. due to concerns about costs and geopolitical tensions. BYD already has an iron-phosphate battery facility in Lancaster, California, but simply refused to build a new factory that would supply Apple exclusively. CATL has also found it "impossible" to set up a dedicated product development team to exclusively work with Apple due to an inability to find sufficient personnel.
CATL and BYD apparently informed Apple several months ago that they were unwilling to meet these requirements, but Apple has remained hopeful that it can reach an agreement. Apple is now being forced to consider Japanese battery suppliers, such as Panasonic, and has sent a group of staff to Japan this month to explore this possibility.
Difficulties in establishing a supply of batteries could further delay the development of the vehicle, worsening existing issues after project leader Doug Field left Apple to join Ford. Kevin Lynch, who spearheaded the development Apple Watch, is now believed to be leading the vehicle project.
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