MacRumors

Update: As of 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time, the "Expired Pre-Order" issue appears to have been fixed for many Apple customers.

Some Apple customers who went through the pre-approval steps to purchase a new iPhone 13 on Apple's website or Apple Store app are seeing the message "Your ‌iPhone‌ pre-order has expired" when subsequently checking their order status page.

Apple customers can use the ‌Apple Store‌ app on the ‌iPhone‌ or Apple's website to go through all of the pre-approval steps to get ready to purchase a new ‌‌iPhone‌‌, including checking upgrade eligibility if going through the ‌iPhone‌ Upgrade Program, choosing an AppleCare+ plan, browsing accessories, and confirming payment information.

The idea is that they can then pre-order their devices with the tap of a button on launch day, in the hope of guaranteeing their pre-order before the first lot of devices sell out.

For some, however, an unexpected message is appearing when customers return to their account orders page on the Apple website, or look at the For You section of the ‌Apple Store‌ app and tap the card labeled "Your ‌iPhone‌ is ready to preorder on 9.17."

In the app, the screen loads for a moment to access pre-order information before reading "Your ‌iPhone‌ Pre-order has expired. You can still order ‌iPhone‌ now. Just choose a model and select a payment option." A Buy Now link accompanies the message, encouraging users to repeat the "Save time at ‌iPhone‌ pre-order" process again.

The issue, which Apple Support is apparently aware of, appears to be down to a processing glitch. Some users who click the link in their pre-approval email are still able to see their pre-order status on Apple's online store, while others are having no such luck.

It's possible that Apple's product order systems are experiencing high traffic the day before pre-orders begin, and it looks as though Apple is still struggling to resolve the issue, but if in doubt, contact Apple Support and raise the matter to confirm that your "Get Ready" pre-order steps have been saved.

Apple has always had the pre-approval process for ‌‌iPhone‌‌ Upgrade Program customers, but the new streamlined pre-order preparation for other customers appears to be a new addition.

The ‌‌iPhone‌ 13‌ models are priced starting at $699, while the ‌‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro‌ models are priced starting at $999. Pre-orders begin on Friday, September 17 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Apple this week debuted the sixth-generation iPad mini, cellular models of which can connect to 5G for the first time. However, it's worth noting that cellular connectivity on the new ‌iPad mini‌ does not extend to support for faster mmWave 5G.

Apple doesn't maintain a cellular compatibility page for iPad models like it does for its iPhones, so the lack of mmWave 5G support on the ‌iPad mini‌ could surprise some Apple customers. Currently, Apple's mmWave 5G support is limited to the iPhone 13 lineup, ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, and the cellular variants of the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

On the plus side, like the new ‌iPhone‌ 13 models, the ‌iPad mini‌ does support more 5G bands overall than ‌iPhone‌ 12 and cellular ‌iPad Pro‌ models, according to Apple, so the ‌iPad mini‌ does have greater 5G coverage around the world than the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and ‌iPad Pro‌.

Despite rumors suggesting ‌iPhone‌ 13 models would support mmWave 5G in additional countries, support for mmWave remains limited to ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ models sold in the United States, so its absence in the new cellular ‌iPad mini‌ is only likely to concern customers who are based there.

mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it best suited for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas. All four ‌iPhone‌ 13 models support sub-6GHz outside of the United States, and sub-6GHz networks are more common in countries that have rolled out 5G.

Starting at $499 for the 64GB Wi-Fi-only model, the redesigned sixth-generation ‌iPad mini‌ is available to pre-order now on Apple's online store. Cellular models are available for $150 more over the base price of each configuration. ‌iPad mini‌ shipping begins Friday, September 24.

Following updates to its product lineups this week, Apple has quietly discontinued the 256GB capacity option for the iPhone SE.

Prior to this week, the ‌iPhone‌ SE was available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB configurations, but since Tuesday's "California streaming" event and subsequent product lineup rejig, only the first and second of those capacities are listed on Apple's online store. Pricing for the 64GB and 128GB ‌iPhone‌ SE options remains the same.

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning an update to the ‌iPhone‌ SE for the first half of 2022. The current model was launched in April 2020, so the removal of the 256GB variant could be a sign that Apple is beginning to ramp down production of this particular model.

During its virtual event, Apple announced that the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini start with 128GB of storage, which is double the base 64GB offered for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and iPhone 12 mini.

The storage capacities available for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini include 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, while the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max also have a new 1TB storage option.

Pricing continues to start at $699 for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, $799 for the ‌iPhone‌ 13, $999 for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, and $1,099 for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max. Preorders for the new ‌iPhone‌ 13 models begin Friday.

Earlier today, we reported on a Geekbench Metal result for the iPhone 13 Pro showing an approximately 55% graphics performance improvement compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro.

Since that time, additional Geekbench results for both CPU and GPU performance across the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup have surfaced to provide a more complete look at the improvements.

On the graphics side, a Metal result for the iPhone 13 (designated iPhone14,5) reveals a score of 10608 for the A15 Bionic in that device, roughly 15% higher than the score for the A14 Bionic in the ‌iPhone‌ 12.

The Metal score for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 is significantly lower than the corresponding 14216 score for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro due to the fact that the Pro models (and the new A15-equipped iPad mini) feature a 5-core GPU while the regular ‌iPhone‌ 13 models include a 4-core GPU.

Turning to CPU performance, we see similar scores across regular and Pro devices in the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup because they all feature the same 6-core CPU setup. A survey of scores coming in today reveals single-core scores of around 1725 and multi-core scores generally around 4600.

These scores represent a roughly 10% increase in single-core performance and 18% increase in multi-core performance compared to the A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12 lineup.

With only a handful of results registered in the Geekbench database so far, these scores are still rough estimates, but the average scores will firm up over time as more come in.

Samsung Display today announced that it has started mass production of 14-inch and 16-inch OLED displays for laptops, and a key feature of the panels is support for up to a 90Hz refresh rate for smoother appearing content.

Samsung Display said it has been supplying the OLED panels to global manufacturers, including ASUS, Lenovo, Dell, HP, and Samsung Electronics, for use in laptops, including ASUS's recently announced Zenbook and Vivobook Pro laptops. Apple was not mentioned as being a customer, but Korean website The Elec last month reported that Samsung Display was preparing its production lines for future MacBooks with OLED displays, and DigiTimes has said Apple plans to launch a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an OLED display in 2022.

MacBook Pro models currently use LCD displays with a 60Hz refresh rate, so the potential move to OLED and 90Hz would be significant. OLED benefits include higher brightness, improved contrast, deeper blacks, and more, while a 90Hz refresh rate would result in smoother appearing content while watching videos, gaming, and scrolling text.

In the meantime, rumors suggest Apple will soon release redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with LCD displays, but with mini-LED backlighting, which offers many of the same advantages as OLED. Given that large OLED displays are expensive to manufacture, perhaps Apple will eventually offer both mini-LED and OLED versions of the MacBook Pro, with the latter technology reserved for higher-priced configurations.

Apple already uses OLED displays for the Apple Watch and several iPhone models, including the entire iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups. Samsung is reportedly the exclusive supplier of OLED displays for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Apple held its "California Streaming" event yesterday to unveil new iPads, the iPhone 13 lineup, and the Apple Watch Series 7, but we're not yet done with new products for the year.

We're expecting a second fall event to be held in either October or November, and this event will likely focus on Macs. Below, we've highlighted the products that are still rumored to be launching before the end of 2021.

14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro Models

We're overdue for a 16-inch MacBook Pro refresh, and rumors suggest that it's coming soon. Multiple rumors have pointed towards 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with slimmer bezels and a flat-edged design that's not too much of a departure from the current design.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will regain ports that have been missing since 2016, including an SD card slot and an HDMI port, which will join the headphone jack and USB-C ports.

Apple is making a return to MagSafe, and the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will use ‌MagSafe‌ ports for charging rather than a USB-C cable. Prior to 2016, ‌MacBook Pro‌ models used a quick-release ‌MagSafe‌ cable that prevented damage to the computer when the cord was yanked. ‌MagSafe‌ technology could bring faster charging speeds than are available with USB-C, but specific details aren't known yet.

In addition to reintroducing ports, the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are expected to do away with the Touch Bar that's been used since 2016. Instead, Apple plans to replace the Touch Bar with a standard row of function keys.

Mini-LED display technology is a possibility, and the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models may be the first Macs to gain mini-LED, which was introduced in the 2021 iPad Pro models. ‌Mini-LED‌ technology will allow for a thinner and lighter design, while offering many OLED-like benefits such as improved wide color gamut, high contrast and dynamic range, and truer blacks.

Rumors suggest the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will be equipped with a faster and more powerful "M1X" chip that builds on the technology introduced with the M1. The M1X could feature a 10-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores, along with 16-core or 32-core GPU options.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are expected to support up to 64GB RAM, and both may have feature parity due to Apple's plans to use the same M1X chip for the 14 and 16-inch sizes.

M1X Mac Mini

Apple is working on a high-end version of the Mac mini that features a revamped design, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in August that a new mini would come in the "next several months."

Because the machine is expected to use the same M1X chip that's being introduced in the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, we may see it before the end of the year.

The high-end Mac mini is expected to replace the Intel ‌Mac mini‌ that Apple is still selling, and it will likely be offered alongside the ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ introduced last year.

AirPods 3

Rumors have suggested that AirPods 3 are ready to launch, and we were expecting to see them at Apple's September event given their link to iPhones and the Apple Watch.

That didn't happen, so if AirPods are still coming before the end of 2021, we could see them introduced at Apple's second fall event.

The AirPods 3 are expected to feature a more AirPods Pro-like design with shorter stems and a redesigned charging case, but they'll continue to be available at a more affordable price point and won't have high-end features like Active Noise Cancellation.

Mixed Reality Headset Reveal?

Back in March, Bloomberg's ‌Mark Gurman‌ said that Apple would announce a mixed-reality headset at an event "in the next several months." Gurman said that Apple did not want to announce a new product like the headset at an online event and would aim for an in-person event, but that's not going to happen in 2021.

We haven't heard anything else about a mixed-reality headset being debuted this year, so it's possible that Apple has decided to hold off on unveiling the product until it can indeed do so in person.

There have been endless rumors about the AR/VR headset that's in the works, which is distinct from the Apple Glasses that are also in development. The latest rumors indicate that it will look similar to an Oculus Quest VR headset, but with a sleeker, more lightweight design. It will feature two high-resolution displays along with several cameras for tracking hand, head, and eye movement.

The headset will focus more on virtual reality than augmented reality, and it will not work on its own - it will need to tether to an ‌iPhone‌ for processing power.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and sites like The Information have indicated that Apple is aiming for a 2022 launch date, so we may not see an unveiling this year since Apple can't hold an in-person event.

In the Works But Not Coming Yet

There are also several other devices that are in development, but for the most part, launches are rumored for 2022 rather than 2021. The products below are coming, but we're not expecting them this year.

• MacBook Air - Rumored to have a mini-LED display, a new Apple silicon chip, and multiple color options, the MacBook Air refresh is expected in 2022.
• iPad Air - The next-generation iPad Air may feature an OLED display and Pro-level features like 5G connectivity, LiDAR, and new cameras and speakers, but it's not rumored to be coming until 2022.
• AirPods Pro - Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods Pro with a stemless design and a new wireless chip, and these could come in 2022.
• iPhone SE - There's a new version of the ‌iPhone‌ SE in development, and it's rumored for the first half of 2022. It's expected to feature the same general design, but with an updated chip and 5G connectivity.
• Larger iMac - There's another iMac in the works that has a larger display and a faster Apple silicon chip, but little is known about it and it's not expected in 2021.
• Mac Pro - Apple is developing two versions of the Mac Pro, one of which will feature a redesigned chassis that's smaller in size. The new ‌Mac Pro‌ models will feature high-end Apple silicon chip options with 20 or 40 computing cores, made up of 6 high-performance or 32 high-performance cores and four or eight high-efficiency cores. We don't yet know when the new ‌Mac Pro‌ models are coming.

Event Date Speculation

Apple last year held three events, one in September, one in October, and one in November. The split last year was largely due to ‌iPhone‌ delays, which didn't happen this year, so there may only be two fall events rather than three.

If there's a second event, it could happen in October or November, but October is perhaps the more likely target to allow Apple to prepare for holiday sales. The last three October events that have happened have been held on the following dates: Thursday, October 27, 2016; Tuesday, October 30, 2018; and Tuesday, October 13, 2020.

The 2020 event date may have been an outlier due to Apple's three event plan, so based on the two prior events, we could see a late October event, perhaps right around the 26th. If Apple wants to line up with the 2020 event, though, October 12 is a strong possibility, and we can't rule out October 19th or even dates in November.

This is all just speculation, and we have no solid details yet on when the second event might happen, but there definitely appears to be one in the works. We should be hearing more in the coming weeks, allowing us to narrow down a possible event date and get more concrete information on the products that we'll see.

Just a day after the iPhone 13 models were announced by Apple, the first Geekbench score has already surfaced. Someone has benchmarked the GPU performance of the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, and there's a significant performance increase compared to the prior-generation ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro.

The ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, or iPhone14,2, earned a Metal score of 14216, a 55 percent increase compared to the 9123 Metal score earned by the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro.

Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 13 models feature an A15 chip with 6 CPU cores, including two performance cores and four efficiency cores. Both the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro devices have the same CPU, but there are differences when it comes to GPU. The ‌iPhone‌ 13 and 13 mini are equipped with a 4-core GPU, while the higher-end ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max have a 5-core GPU.

Apple has called the A15 chip with the 5-core GPU in the Pro models the "world's fastest smartphone chip," and says that it delivers "up to 50% faster graphics performance than any other smartphone chip." Given the difference demonstrated in Metal scores, that appears to be accurate, with the A15 in the Pro models outperforming the A14. The benchmark also confirms that the Pro models feature 6GB RAM as was already seen in Xcode. The ‌iPhone‌ 13 and 13 mini have 4GB RAM.

No one has benchmarked one of the standard ‌iPhone‌ 13 models so we don't know how they compare to the prior-generation A14, nor do we have a benchmark of the CPU to compare CPU performance between the A14 and A15. Apple has said little about the A15's CPU, and rather than comparing it to the A14, Apple instead pointed out that it's "up to 50% faster" than the competition.

The iPad mini has the same A15 chip with 5-core GPU that's in the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro models, so we can expect the same graphics performance from Apple's updated tablet.

With the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup set to launch next week and soon to be in the hands of reviewers, we won't have to wait too much longer to get additional benchmarks of the A15 that will give us more insight into its overall performance. The new iPhones are set to be available for pre-order on Friday, September 17 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Apple is facing a new class-action lawsuit in the United States that accuses it of false or deceptive marketing for the M1-powered MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, fraudulent business practices, misconduct in customer support, and violation of consumer law.

The lawsuit, filed this week in the Northern District of California, represents Apple customers across the United States who have faced hardware defects in their M1 ‌MacBook Pro‌ and ‌MacBook Air‌.

Over the last several months, a significant number of customers have reported that the displays on their new Apple silicon MacBooks have suddenly cracked or displayed black horizontal and vertical lines, making them unusable. As the lawsuit alleges, those customers said that the cracks and malfunctions were caused by a hardware defect rather than by the user themselves.

While addressing those complaints, the lawsuit attempts to cast a larger shadow over Apple's "deceptive marketing" and "fraudulent" business practices. The lawsuit accuses the Cupertino tech giant of falsely advertising the 13-inch displays in the ‌MacBook Pro‌ and ‌MacBook Air‌ as "premium [in] quality, reliability, and durability," despite Apple allegedly knowing the opposite.

Apple is accused in the lawsuit of purposely deceiving customers by extolling the quality of the displays in the ‌MacBook Pro‌ and ‌MacBook Air‌. According to the case, Apple engaged in fraudulent business practices since its "rigorous testing" of the displays before their release should have made the alleged defect apparent. Despite that, the company continued to release the product.

Despite this knowledge, [Apple] failed to disclose and actively concealed the Screen Defect from...the public, and continued to market and advertise the [laptops] as state-of-the-art premium and durable laptops when in fact normal operation...often results in catastrophic damage, rendering the devices unusable.

"To ensure durability, we assessed the 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ in our Reliability Testing Lab, using rigorous testing methods that simulate customers' experiences," the lawsuit quotes Apple as saying as further documentation that the company was aware of the defect. The company was "reckless" in its failure to identify the weakness, the suit notes.

While fraudulently and falsely marketing the displays as "premium, reliable, and durable," the lawsuit further accuses Apple of severe violation of consumer law, according to legislation in the state of California. Specifically, the lawsuit accuses Apple of violating consumer law by refusing to repair the displays for customers, even when they were under warranty.

The lawsuit cites one customer who was quoted $480 for replacing the display in their damaged ‌MacBook Air‌, while another customer was told it would cost $615. In numerous other cases, according to the suit, Apple refused to repair the displays under warranty since the company claimed they were caused by the user and considered accidental breakage.

In some cases, leaving debris between the MacBook and its lid may cause damage; however, the lawsuit states no customer had done so and that the widespread nature of the defect further proves it's a manufacturing defect rather than anything else.

The lawsuit highlights a valid point. For customers, regardless of whether repairs were paid for out-of-pocket or not, the replaced display unit would also, in theory, be defective. As a result, the suit accuses Apple of further business misconduct by placing users in a never-ending loop of faulty displays, leading to costly repairs and then "equally defective replacements."

As a result of Apple's misconduct, [customers] were harmed and suffered actual damages, including that the Class Laptops contain defective screens, have manifested and continue to manifest the Screen Defect, and that Apple has not provided a remedy for the Screen Defect. [Customers] have also incurred, and will continue to incur, out-of-pocket unreimbursed costs and expenses related to the Screen Defect.

In its current form, the suit is not requesting damages or monetary compensation from Apple. Instead, it's asking that Apple reverse its "false marketing" of the quality and reliability of its MacBook displays, as outlined above, and that it "correct, repair, replace or otherwise rectify [its] unlawful, unfair, false and/or deceptive practices."

The suit provides Apple 30 days, as of August 30, to address the customers and the alleged screen defect. Once the 30 days have elapsed, with no action from Apple, the suit, representing Apple customers and others involved, will move forward to seek damages from the company.

The specific amount of damages the suit is seeking will be identified later during the requested jury trial. Though, the collective monetary damages from Apple customers who experienced the aforementioned screen defect is more than $5 million, excluding ill-gotten earnings and punitive damages caused by Apple's "deceptive practices."

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment when contacted for a response to the lawsuit.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2021 according to TIME's newly published rankings. TIME shares an annual list highlighting world leaders, celebrities, tech company executives, authors, musicians, athletes, and more, and this is not the first time Cook has been celebrated.

This year's list is broken up into categories that include Icons, Pioneers, Titans, Artists, Leaders, and Innovators. Cook is listed in the "Titans" category alongside Shonda Rhimes, Tom Brady, Timbaland and Swizz Beats, Simone Biles, and others.

Cook's profile was written by Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who reflected on his relationship with Cook and his talks with Cook as a Nike board member. According to Knight, Cook is a man of "wisdom" and "excellent judgment."

One of his most difficult challenges was the change of leadership at Apple after Steve Jobs passed away, the Steve Jobs who was beloved and recognized around the world as a genius.

This almost impossible transition was handled with amazing dignity and grace, and announced to the world in his own quiet way: "I am not the second Steve Jobs. I am the first Tim Cook."

And by the way, in the 10 years since... Apple stock has gone up 1,000%, making it the most valuable company in the world.

Other notable names who made this year's list include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Naomi Osaka, Billie Eilish, "Ted Lasso" star Jason Sudeikis, Joe Biden, and Elon Musk.

Earlier this year, Apple was listed as one of TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2021 thanks to its record breaking holiday quarter and ever increasing product lineup.

Apple this week continued distributing new firmware for the AirTags that first rolled out in August. There have been several minor releases with different build numbers, and behind the scenes, those tweaks were to meter the number of people who were seeing the AirTag update at one time.

The last version, for example, with a build number of 1A291e changed nothing other than the rate limit on the percentage of AirTags users getting the update. That update set the limit to 25 percent, and another build released yesterday (1A291f) removes the deployment limit entirely, so all users should now be able to get the firmware update.

A portion of people will have already received the new firmware, but anyone who had not should see their AirTags updating over the next few days. There's still no word on what's included in the AirTags firmware, and no new features have been found so it likely focuses on bug fixes and other under-the-hood improvements.

It is not clear why Apple has metered the release of the AirTags firmware update, but it may have to do with the over-the-air distribution method.

Apple does not provide an option to force an ‌AirTag‌ update, as it's something that's done over-the-air through a connected iPhone. To make sure the update happens, you can put your ‌AirTag‌ in range of your ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌, but you have to wait for the firmware to roll out to your device.

You can check your current ‌AirTag‌ firmware version using the Find My app, with instructions available in our how to.

Apple this week introduced a redesigned sixth-generation iPad mini that looks much closer to the current iPad Air, with slimmer bezels, a Touch ID power button, a USB-C port, compatibility with the second-generation Apple Pencil, and more.

The new iPad mini is equipped with the same A15 Bionic chip as iPhone 13 models, and while Apple doesn’t advertise the amount of RAM in the device, MacRumors can confirm that the new iPad mini has 4GB of RAM, an increase from 3GB of in the previous iPad mini. We can also confirm the ninth-generation iPad has the same 3GB of RAM as the eighth-generation model. These amounts were revealed in strings contained within the Xcode 13 beta.

For comparison, the iPad Pro is available with up to 16GB of RAM depending on storage capacity, while the latest iPad Air has 4GB of RAM.

The same type of Xcode strings accurately revealed the amount of RAM in iPhone 12 models last year and in several previous iPhone generations. Teardowns and regulatory filings should provide further confirmation in the coming days.

The new iPad mini and iPad models are available to order now on Apple's website and launch on Friday, September 24.

Contrary to some recent media reporting, MacRumors can confirm that the new Apple Watch Series 7 is powered by a new S7 chip, although the S7 is based around the same CPU found in the S6 chip from the Series 6.

Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 7 during its event yesterday, but the watch will not be available until "later this fall." As a result, Apple has so far offered relatively little detail about the new watch, not even publishing a specifications page on its website detailing the specific features of the Series 7.

Nonetheless, MacRumors can confirm several details about the Series 7 not currently shared by Apple. First, the Apple Watch Series 7 is indeed powered with an S7 branded chip, which Apple indicates will offer the same 20% advantage in performance compared to the S5 chip found in the Apple Watch SE and Series 5 as the Apple Watch Series 6 did.

As noted by Steve Troughton-Smith, the CPU in the S7 chip carries the same t8301 identifier as the CPU in the previous S6 chip, which explains why Apple's performance claims are unchanged relative to the S6.

There is more to an Apple Watch chip than just the CPU, however, and that's where there have apparently been a few changes that have led Apple to brand it with a new name despite offering the same performance. With the larger display on the Series 7, the S7 chip is likely to have been tweaked to continue providing customers with all-day battery life while still powering the larger, more advanced display.

This isn't the first time Apple has done something like this. For example, with the Apple Watch Series 5, Apple included the S5 chip that carried the same CPU as its predecessor but with the addition of a gyroscope.

As far as internal storage, the Apple Watch Series 7 includes 32GB, the same as on the Series 6 and SE models.

We can also share a number of details about the weight of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7 compared to the Series 6:

• Apple Watch Series 7 41mm in Aluminum: 4.9% heavier than 40mm Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7 41mm in Stainless Steel: 6.5% heavier than 40mm Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7 41mm in Titanium: 6.9% heavier than 40mm Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7 45mm in Aluminum: 6.6% heavier than 44mm Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7 45mm in Stainless Steel: 9.3% heavier than 44mm Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7 45mm in Titanium: 9.2% heavier than 44mm Series 6

With the Apple Watch Series 7, Apple includes faster charging, claiming that it can charge to 80% in just 45 minutes and that 8 minutes of fast charging will provide sufficient battery life for 8 hours of sleep tracking. To support the new fast charging, Apple will be offering a new 1-meter USB-C magnetic fast charging cable.

We can confirm that Apple will be including the new fast charging cable in the box with the Apple Watch Series 7. Using the older USB-A cable with the Series 7 will still charge the device at normal, non-fast charging speeds.

On the connectivity front, the Series 7 includes the same Bluetooth 5.0 protocol as the Series 6, but, unlike the Series 6, the new Apple Watch Series 7 also has built-in support for Beidou, China's satellite navigation system. The Series 7 also includes the U1 chip, with no apparent improvements compared to the ultra wideband chip found in the Series 6 or last year's iPhone 12.

Apple never advertises the amount of RAM in iPhones, but based on strings contained within the Xcode 13 beta, MacRumors can confirm that iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models are equipped with 6GB of RAM, while the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini have 4GB of RAM. These amounts are unchanged from the iPhone 12 lineup.

The same Xcode strings accurately revealed the amount of RAM in iPhone 12 models last year and in several previous iPhone generations.

iPhone 13 models feature a more power efficient A15 Bionic chip based on TSMC's advanced 5nm+ process, but Apple has not indicated how much faster the chip is compared to the A14 chip. The A15 chip also has a new 5-core GPU in iPhone 13 Pro models — up from 4 cores — that Apple says delivers the "fastest graphics performance in any smartphone."

All four iPhone 13 models will be available to pre-order starting Friday, September 17 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time in the U.S. and over 30 other countries and regions. The devices are set to launch one week later on Friday, September 24.

While third-generation AirPods were not announced at the Apple Event this week, suppliers have already kicked off shipments of the long-awaited headphones, according to industry sources cited by Taiwanese website DigiTimes.

In a paywalled preview of its report, DigiTimes said the shipments have been "slow," but production being underway is a good sign that the third-generation AirPods will likely be released before the end of the year. There will likely be another Mac-focused Apple Event this year, and the new AirPods could be unveiled then, or they could be announced with a press release through the Apple Newsroom at any point this fall.

The third-generation ‌AirPods‌ are expected to feature a design language similar to the ‌AirPods Pro‌, but without active noise cancellation. However, rumors have conflicted as to whether the new design will include silicone ear tips.

The second-generation AirPods were released in March 2019, priced at $159 with a wired charging case or $199 with a wireless charging case.