MacRumors

Multiple benchmarks have already given us a general estimate of the CPU performance of the M1 Max chip, but we've had little insight into GPU performance. The ‌M1 Max‌ is equipped with up to 32 graphics cores, marking a vast improvement over the 8-core GPU of the M1, which was Apple's first chip.

macbook pro m1 max metal
The first Metal benchmark for the ‌M1 Max‌ surfaced this afternoon, with the chip earning a score of 68870. Comparatively, the ‌M1‌ chip in the 13-inch MacBook Pro has a Metal score of 20581, and the Radeon Pro 5600M, which was the highest-end GPU option for the prior Intel-based 16-inch model, has a Metal score of 42510.

Compared to the fastest chip available in Apple's previous-generation 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, the ‌M1 Max‌ is 62 percent faster, and it's 3x faster than the ‌M1‌ chip in the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, based on the Metal score we have so far.

It's not clear if this ‌M1 Max‌ chip is the 24-core variant or the 32-core variant. This is also just one result, so we should be able to get a better picture of the graphics performance when additional benchmarks are available.

According to Apple, the 32-core GPU in the ‌M1 Max‌ is up to 4x faster than the ‌M1‌. Apple has said that the chip delivers performance "comparable to a high-end GPU in a compact pro PC laptop" while consuming up to 40 percent less power.

Since we last shared CPU benchmarks for the ‌M1 Max‌/Pro chip, several additional results have surfaced. Comparing multiple benchmarks, the ‌M1 Max‌/Pro earns an average single-core score 1742 and an average multi-core score of 12135.

The chip has the highest single-core score of any Mac to date, and it is only beaten in multi-core performance by the 16, 18, 24, and 28-core Intel Xeon chips used in the higher-end iMac Pro and Mac Pro models.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Following in the footsteps of the macOS Monterey release candidate seeded earlier this week, Apple has released a fourth beta version of Safari 15.1 for macOS Big Sur and Catalina to developers that restores the previous tab design that was in place prior to Safari 15.

safari 15 1 old tabs
Safari 15.1 now features a standard Big Sur tab design, which is enabled by default and is labeled "Separate" in Safari preferences. For those who preferred the Safari 15 design rolled out last month, there is also a "Compact" option that merges the URL bar with the tab bar.

As with Safari in the macOS Monterey release candidate, the new Safari 15.1 beta also scales back on the option to have the Safari window chrome blend in with websites, moving the option to the Accessibility section of the Advanced page in Safari preferences and limiting it to only the Compact Tab Bar design.

With the public release of Safari 15.1 in macOS Monterey, Big Sur, and Catalina, Apple is scaling back on many of the design changes made in Safari 15, which was released for those macOS versions last month alongside iOS and iPadOS 15. Many users were unhappy with those design changes, so Apple will now be offering them as an option rather than the default or only layout.

Registered developers can download the new Safari 15.1 beta by logging in to Apple's developer downloads portal and then navigating to the More Downloads section. The latest version of macOS Big Sur or macOS Catalina is required to install the beta.

Tag: Safari

AppleCare+ for the new 16-inch MacBook Pro is priced at $399, which is a $20 increase over the cost of ‌AppleCare‌ for the prior-generation 16-inch model. ‌AppleCare‌+ for the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is priced at $279, which is a $10 increase over the cost of ‌AppleCare‌+ for the prior-generation 13-inch Intel machine.

apple care plus macbook pro
Those who are picking up one of the new M1 Pro or M1 Max ‌MacBook Pro‌ models may want to consider ‌AppleCare‌+ given the high price of the machines and the fact that they are the first generation of a new design, which can sometimes lead to issues.

‌AppleCare‌+ extends repair and support coverage for a ‌MacBook Pro‌ to three years, along with protection from two incidents of accidental damage every 12 months. For accidental damage, a deductible must be paid, but for manufacturing issues, Apple will cover repairs at no cost.

While ‌AppleCare‌+ is priced at $279/$399 for the new Macs, there are also renewable annual payments available at $150 for the 16-inch machine or $100 for the 14-inch machine, which will continue to be available until canceled. Apple also allows Apple Card customers to pay ‌AppleCare‌+ fees in monthly installments.

Apple has not provided details on what it will cost to repair a 14-inch or 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ outside of the warranty period and with no ‌AppleCare‌+. ‌AppleCare‌+ can be purchased when buying a new ‌MacBook Pro‌ or within 60 days of receiving one of the new machines.

Apple corporate employees who are unvaccinated or who have not shared their vaccination status with Apple will need to undergo a COVID-19 test each time they come into the office, reports Bloomberg.

apple park drone june 2018 2
An employee going into the office on a daily basis would need to be tested each day of the week under the new rules. Apple is still stopping short of implementing a vaccine mandate that would require employees to be vaccinated to return to the office. Apple corporate employees that have been vaccinated will need to do a rapid test once per week.

As for retail staff, unvaccinated employees will need to test twice per week instead of on a daily basis, and vaccinated retail employees will need to take a rapid test once per week.

Employees submitting to testing will be able to use at-home rapid tests that can be picked up from Apple's corporate offices and retail stores. Tests take 15 minutes and require employees to self-report the results.

Many other tech companies have implemented vaccine mandates, which Apple has declined to do so far, but as Bloomberg points out, Apple may soon need to change its rules. The Biden administration is requiring all federal contractors to require their employees to be vaccinated by December 8, and Apple sells products to the government.

Apple has asked employees to provide their vaccination status by October 24, and they'll also need to provide proof in the near future. The new testing requirements go into effect on November 1.

Apple is now planning for employees to return to the office at least three days per week starting in January.

The $19 "Polishing Cloth" that Apple introduced alongside the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models has proven to be wildly popular, and it is now sold out until the end of December/early January.

2021 MBP and Cloth 1
Orders placed today have delivery estimates ranging from December 20 to January 17, so those who hoped to purchase one for use with their new ‌MacBook Pro‌ or another Apple device will need to wait for two to three months.

Made from a "soft, nonabrasive material," the cloth is suitable for Apple displays, including the nano-texture glass of the Pro Display XDR. It can also be used with the mini-LED display of the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models and all of Apple's iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

As of right now, the Polishing Cloth is available exclusively from the online store, and it is not available in Apple's retail locations or from third-party companies. Apple may potentially start selling the cloth in stores at some point, but for now, those hoping for a cloth will need to wait patiently.

Update Oct 21 7:48 a.m.: Shipping estimates have now slipped to 10–12 weeks, pushing deliveries into early January.

In late 2021, Apple announced a major update for its standard AirPods, with the new earbuds featuring spatial audio, Adaptive EQ, force sensor controls, sweat and water resistance, MagSafe charging, and more.

AirPods 3 vs Pro Buyers Guide Feature 2
Should you consider purchasing the $179 third-generation AirPods, or do you need the higher-end AirPods Pro, which sell for $249? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these sets of AirPods is best for you.

Comparing the AirPods and AirPods Pro

The AirPods and ‌AirPods Pro‌ share a large number of important features such as spatial audio, sweat and water resistance, and the H1 chip. Apple lists these identical features of the two devices:

Similarities

  • Custom high-excursion Apple driver
  • Custom high dynamic range amplifier
  • Motion-detecting accelerometers
  • Speech-detecting accelerometers
  • Dual beamforming microphones
  • Inward-facing microphones
  • Force sensors
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • H1 chip
  • Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking
  • Adaptive EQ
  • Hey Siri
  • Automatic device switching
  • Live Listen audio
  • Headphone levels
  • IPX4 sweat and water resistance
  • ‌MagSafe‌ Charging Case
  • Five minutes in the case provides around one hour of listening time or around 1 hour of talk time
  • Personalized engraving option

Apple's breakdown shows that the two sets of AirPods a share large number of key features. Even so, there are some meaningful differences between them that are worth highlighting, including design and Active Noise Cancellation.

Differences


AirPods

  • Semi in-ear design
  • Skin-detect sensor
  • IPX4 sweat and water resistance earbuds and charging case
  • Up to six hours of listening time with a single charge (up to five hours with spatial audio enabled)
  • Up to four hours of talk time with a single charge
  • Up to 30 hours of listening time using the charging case
  • Up to 20 hours of talk time using the charging case


AirPods Pro

  • In-ear design with silicone ear tips (three sizes)
  • Vent system for pressure equalization
  • Dual optical sensors
  • Active Noise Cancellation
  • Transparency mode
  • Conversation Boost
  • IPX4 sweat and water resistance earbuds
  • Up to 4.5 hours of listening time with a single charge (up to five hours with Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency off)
  • Up to 3.5 hours of talk time with a single charge
  • More than 24 hours of listening time using the charging case
  • More than 18 hours of talk time using the charging case

➜ Click here to read more...

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Pro
Related Forum: AirPods

Apple's product design has improved since former design chief Jony Ive left the company in 2019, according to an opinion column by Bloomberg reporter Alex Webb.

jony ive tim cook steve jobs theater
Webb believes that Apple has reemphasized function over form since Ive's departure. For example, while the design of the previous Siri Remote for the Apple TV made it easy to pick up the remote upside down by accident, a new Siri Remote was released in May with an improved design and added power and mute buttons for a TV.

There's also the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models this week, which feature the return of several ports that Apple had removed in 2016, including an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and MagSafe. Function over form certainly applies here, as the new MacBook Pro models are slightly thicker and heavier than the previous-generation models, but gain back expanded connectivity that many professional users appreciate having.

Webb argued that the flat edges on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models also prioritizes function over form, arguing that the curved edges on previous iPhones made the display prone to cracking if the devices were dropped on their sides.

"There is merit in sometimes listening to your customers, particularly when the pendulum has swung too far away from function and towards form," wrote Webb. "After all, you're liable to lose professional customers – architects, musicians, film-makers – if they can't plug their laptops into external monitors. And professional users can afford to pay for the top-of-the-range devices that are more profitable to Apple."

Webb acknowledges that perhaps at least some of these design changes would have happened under Ive, but he ultimately feels there has been a change of philosophy.

We also think it's worth noting that Ive might have had a hand in designing some of the aforementioned products before his departure, and possibly even after given that Apple announced it would remain a primary client of Ive's independent design firm LoveFrom. Apple said that Ive was involved with the design of the colorful 24-inch iMac released last April, well over a year after he departed the company.

Of course, as Webb notes, Apple would not be the same today without Ive, a highly-respected creative who helped design some of the company's most iconic products, ranging from the iMac and iPod to the iPhone and iPad.

The Box desktop experience for Mac users has been improved with the adoption of Apple's File Provider Extension APIs, which will offer a more secure and simple setup system for Mac users.

box mac update
Box Drive users who have Macs can expect full support for Apple silicon, a more seamless experience thanks to Finder integration, and compatibility with the upcoming macOS Monterey release.

The update also brings a streamlined install experience for Box Drive on Macs, and broader application compatibility.

Box says that the updated architecture will allow it to build new Box Drive capabilities on macOS more quickly going forward. The updated Box Drive experience for Macs is available today for all users on macOS Big Sur 11.5 and later and macOS Monterey.

Tag: Box

Known for its range of battery pack options and other Apple accessories, Hyper just recently launched its newest products, the HyperJuice 245W USB-C Battery Pack and 245W GaN charger.

hyper 245w battery pack
Hyper says that the 245W GaN Charger and Battery Pack are more powerful than four 61W chargers because at 245W, it's capable of charging up to four laptops at the same time.

The Battery Pack features four 100W USB-C ports and it can provide a maximum of 245W for various devices. So you can charge four 61W MacBook Pro models all at the same time, or do a 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, an iPad, an iPhone, and another accessory all at full charging speeds.

It's a 100Wh battery so though it provides up to 245W, it can still be brought on an airplane. The Battery Pack has enough juice to charge a ‌MacBook Pro‌ or MacBook Air up to two times with 27,000mAh capacity.

hyper battery pack four macbooks
A built-in OLED display lets you know your battery status, providing real-time battery information like charging status, capacity, time to recharge, and the power being drawn from each port.

With the 245W GaN charger or any 100W USB-C PD charger, the battery pack can be charged up in as little as an hour.

Hyper is offering the new products on Indiegogo, and pricing for the battery pack starts at $149, while pricing on the 245W GaN charger starts at $99. A combo deal is available with Hyper offering both the battery pack and charger for $239.

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

Apple today informed developers about a Tech Talks 2021 venture, which will allow developers to connect with Apple experts in more than 100 live online sessions and 1,500 available office hour appointments.

apple tech talks
Apple says that developers can use the sessions to dive into technical content, get answers to questions, and seek one-on-one meetings for guidance. Sessions will be held online from Apple locations around the world in multiple time zones, including Bengaluru, India; Cupertino, California; London; Mexico City; São Paulo; Seoul, South Korea; Shanghai; Singapore; Sydney; Tel Aviv, Israel; and Tokyo.

"Every single day, developers around the world are creating incredible apps and games for our platforms, and it's our goal to provide them with every resource we can to help make the hard work they put in that much easier and more impactful," said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. "Our team is looking forward to connecting with even more developers around the world so we can better support the important work of this incredibly valued community, and listen to and learn from them."

Live sessions will provide developers with details on how to integrate the latest technologies into their apps, while 30 minute office hour sessions can be used to make app improvements, design revisions, and bug fixes.

Tech Talks will take place from October 25 to December 17, and developers can register for sessions and submit office hour requests starting today. The first Tech Talks will start on October 25 and new sessions and office hours will be posted every two weeks.

Bonhams today announced that it will be auctioning several rare prototype Apple devices on November 3, including an unreleased VideoPad.

apple videopad 2 prototype open
The VideoPad was intended to be a personal digital assistant (PDA) device similar to Apple's Newton MessagePad series, with Apple testing three versions of the device between 1993 and 1995, including the VideoPad 1, VideoPad 2, and VideoPad 3, according to Bonhams. The auction company says the VideoPad 2 headed to auction is the only surviving concept prototype, and it is estimated to fetch up to $12,000.

The three VideoPad prototypes were based on a conceptual design sketch drawn by Apple's former CEO John Sculley, but the devices were ultimately scrapped by Steve Jobs upon his return to Apple in the late 1990s, according to Bonhams.

apple videopad 2 prototype closed
The prototype VideoPad 2 features a hinged flip-top design with two screens, although the top screen appears to be missing. The device was apparently going to have a built-in camera for video conferencing, two speakers, a memory card slot, a power socket, and a phone line input, but it was ultimately never released to the public.

The prototype was purchased from an Apple engineer in Palo Alto in 1999, and it comes in its original black leather carrying case with the Newton logo, according to Bonhams. More details are available on the auction website.

Also headed to auction is an early prototype of the original Macintosh, an early prototype of the original iPad, and a handwritten letter from Steve Jobs.

Twelve South today launched the PowerPic Mod Wireless Charger ($59.99), which is a Qi-enabled charging stand that doubles as a picture frame. Unlike the previous model, the new device is made of a magnetic lucite frame, which detaches to fit any 4x6 photo.

powerpic mod
The frame can be positioned vertically or horizontally, and it will require a 20W USB-C power adapter, which is not included. The accessory can charge any smartphone that supports Qi charging, as well as devices like the AirPods Pro.

Similar to the previous model, the idea behind the PowerPic Mod is to hide a wireless charger within an unassuming piece of home decor. Twelve South says that the device works well on desks, bedside tables, and in kitchens.

The PowerPic Mod will charge at 7.5W max speed for Apple devices. You can get the PowerPic Mod in White or Black today on Twelve South's website for $59.99.

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

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros include entirely new designs and a new chassis, and one improvement of the newer chassis compared to its predecessor is improved thermals.

macbook pro thermal system
Apple says that the new thermal system in its latest high-end MacBooks is capable of moving 50% more air at lower fan speeds. While the new thermal design is greatly improved, the efficiency of the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips mean that for most customers, the "fans never turn on" for tasks done daily, according to Apple.

Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus, touted during this week Apple's event that the new chassis was designed with an "intense focus on performance and utility." The new MacBook Pros are "precisely machined around an advanced thermal system," he added. All in all, the new thermal architecture allows the new MacBook Pros to maintain high performance over more extended periods, without overheating or requiring the fans to turn on at higher speeds.

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, both configurable with the ‌M1 Pro‌ or ‌M1 Max‌ chips, are currently available for pre-order and will begin shipping to customers next week. Catch up on everything you need to know about these new MacBook Pros using our roundup.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Following the highly accurate leaks about the new MacBook Pros that were first reported by MacRumors, we now have clearer details and more certain expectations about the next-generation MacBook Air that Apple is working on. Here's everything we've learned in the past few months.

notch macbook air rounded mock

Here Comes the Notch (Again)

The next-generation ‌MacBook Air‌ will feature a notch in the display housing. This is according to Ty98, the same leaker who was first to mention the notch on the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. This detail was mentioned in the same highly accurate forum post from August 19 discussing the new MacBook Pro models.

macbook pro 2021 notch feature
The likelihood is that, similar to the ‌MacBook Pro‌, there will be no Face ID in the next ‌MacBook Air‌, as the notch will house only the camera and ambient light sensor plus an indicator light.

Goodbye Tapered Wedge Design

Ty98 also said that the next ‌MacBook Air‌ will "look much better" because Apple will eliminate the current wedge design that has been synonymous with the company's thinnest notebook since October 2010, when the tapered unibody chassis was introduced. The tapered design transitions from thicker at the back to thinner at the front, whereas the new, more uniform design will be not only "light" but "very round," according to the Chinese leaker.

macbook air m1

Wedged tapered design of current ‌MacBook Air‌

Other ‌‌MacBook Air‌‌ rumors have also suggested that Apple is designing a thinner and lighter version of the machine with thinner bezels than the current model. For example, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in January reported that Apple is working on a "thinner and lighter" version of the ‌MacBook Air‌, which is likely to achieve a smaller profile by shrinking the border around the 13-inch screen. On a related note, Apple considered building a larger version of the ‌MacBook Air‌ with a 15-inch screen, but Apple isn't moving forward with this for the next generation, according to Gurman.

Given that Apple has adopted a black well for the keyboard and full-size function keys on the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, as was predicted, it would seem logical for Apple to bring this look to the ‌MacBook Air‌ as well. Such a change would also necessitate a smaller trackpad.

Hello MagSafe (Also Again)

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to report that the MagSafe charging connector would return to Apple's MacBooks in future designs. That has already been realized in the just-announced ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, but Gurman has since claimed ‌MagSafe‌ is also coming to the MacBook Air.

macbook pro magsafe 3 charging
In Gurman's report, he clams that ‌MagSafe‌ will feature in the new 13-inch ‌‌MacBook Air‌‌ model in addition to a pair of Thunderbolt/USB4 ports for connecting external devices.

Enter Apple's 'M2' Chip

Apple this week unveiled the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, which are specially designed for the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ machines. These chips share high-performance architectures aimed at sating the needs of resource-hungry creative professional workflows, therefore are unlikely to feature in Apple's entry-level MacBook offering.

m2 feature
Instead, Apple is expected to debut a high-end "direct successor" to the M1 processor found in the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, Mac mini, and current ‌MacBook Air‌. The new chip, codenamed Staten, will include the same number of performance and efficiency cores as the ‌M1‌ but will run faster, according to Gurman. It will also see the number of graphics cores increase, from seven or eight, to nine or 10. In addition, Gurman says Apple plans an update to the low-end 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ using the same chip.

The new chip in the next ‌MacBook Air‌ could take the moniker "M2." This revised nomenclature is based on rumors from leakers Jon Prosser and Dylandkt, both of whom have accurately predicted some of Apple's plans in the past.

Another Mini-LED Notebook

According to Kuo, the ‌‌MacBook Air‌‌ will feature a mini-LED display, a prediction also echoed by DigiTimes. Both the new 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ feature mini-LED-based Liquid Retina XDR displays, and there is good reason to expect if not an identical specification display, then a mini-LED variation in the ‌MacBook Air‌.

Mini LED MacBook Pro Feature
Mini-LED display technology brings a significant improvement in MacBook display quality, allowing for thinner, lighter designs while offering benefits like improved wide color gamut, high contrast and dynamic range, and truer blacks. Several reports have suggested that MacBooks will be the main driver of mini-LED panel shipments going forward as Apple transitions to the technology across all of its display-based products.

Multiple Colors Could Be Coming

According to Apple leaker Jon Prosser, Apple's upcoming release of the ‌MacBook Air‌ will feature various colors, similar to the colors in the current 24-inch iMac. Prosser has shared concept renders of MacBook Airs in several colors, and his source has told him he has personally seen a prototype of a blue MacBook. Kuo has also intimated that the next ‌MacBook Air‌ will be offered in multiple colors.

Notably, a Reddit poster that recently collated the accurate ‌MacBook Pro‌ leaks also claimed that the rumor about a ‌MacBook Air‌ launching in additional colors is "true."

macbook colors 3d black bezels

MacRumors concept render

If the information is accurate, the new colorful lineup of MacBooks would be a throwback to the older iBook G3. Apple first started to offer vibrant color options for its iPad with the iPad Air, released in October 2020, and the ‌‌iMac‌‌ followed suit. Just this week we saw new color variants of the HomePod mini introduced, suggesting this could be a trend as Apple hones its ability to mass produce products in multiple colors at scale.

That said, the introduction of colored chassis could pose problems for a notch. If the ‌MacBook Air‌ goes the way of the colored ‌iMac‌, that would likely entail white display bezels – and presumably a white notch, which couldn't so easily be hidden, at least by using dark mode. In which case, Apple would have to settle on a multiple-color design that remains notch-friendly by incorporating black bezels around the screen.

When Will It Be Released?

The current ‌MacBook Air‌ was announced in November 2020, and 334 days have passed since its release as of writing. The average time between ‌MacBook Air‌ updates in the last few years is 398 days, which suggests an update could be coming soon.

Bloomberg originally reported that the new ‌MacBook Air‌ could come as soon as late 2021, but given that Apple's last event of the year has likely come and gone, a launch next year is much more probable.

Kuo also initially reported a 2021 launch, but subsequently revised his expectation and now believes Apple will release a new version of the ‌MacBook Air‌ around the middle of 2022, although it could always come sooner.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Apple's third-generation AirPods feature a new skin-detect sensor for improved in-ear detection, according to Apple's tech specs page and Taiwanese research firm TrendForce.

airpods 3 in ear
In a press release earlier this week, Apple confirmed that the third-generation AirPods feature a new skin-detect sensor that accurately discerns if the AirPods are in the ear — versus in a pocket or on a table — and pauses playback when removed. Industry insiders told TrendForce that the new skin-detect sensor may allow the third-generation AirPods to detect water content in the wearer's skin for this purpose.

Meanwhile, Apple's tech specs page indicates that the third-generation AirPods do not support Conversation Boost, a feature designed to help people with mild hearing challenges stay more connected in conversations. Conversation Boost is only available on the AirPods Pro following a firmware update earlier this month.

Conversation Boost uses the AirPods Pro's beam-forming microphones to boost the volume of a person talking in front of you, making it easier to listen to a face-to-face conversation, and there is also an option to reduce ambient noise.

Apple unveiled the third-generation AirPods on Monday 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.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Verizon's sale from earlier this month remains ongoing as we near the end of October, and it still has the all-around best deals online across Apple's collection of MagSafe accessories. This includes discounts on products like the MagSafe Charger, MagSafe Duo Charger, MagSafe Battery Pack, and a few non-MagSafe accessories.

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

All prices in this sale have been applied automatically, so you won't need any coupon codes to gain access to the deals. For a few products, Verizon's sale is offering all-time low prices, including on the MagSafe Battery Pack ($74.24) and the MagSafe Duo Charger ($96.74).

The regular MagSafe Charger is at a solid second-best price, and Verizon also has a rare discount on the 2021 Siri Remote.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Facebook is reportedly planning to change its name to better reflect Mark Zuckerberg's goal of creating a "metaverse," reports The Verge, claiming the change could come as soon as next week.

Facebook Feature
From the report:

The coming name change, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to talk about at the company's annual Connect conference on October 28th, but could unveil sooner, is meant to signal the tech giant's ambition to be known for more than social media and all the ills that entail. The rebrand would likely position the blue Facebook app as one of many products under a parent company overseeing groups like Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, and more. A spokesperson for Facebook declined to comment for this story.

Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to shift people's mindset around Facebook, no longer limiting it to just a social media company but to "being a metaverse company." The naming change also comes amid heightened scrutiny on Facebook following a whistleblower sharing several internal documents from the social media company.

A rebrand could also serve to further separate the futuristic work Zuckerberg is focused on from the intense scrutiny Facebook is currently under for the way its social platform operates today. A former employee turned whistleblower, Frances Haugen, recently leaked a trove of damning internal documents to The Wall Street Journal and testified about them before Congress.

As for what Facebook's new name and brand could be, it's not entirely clear. The Verge says that even some of Facebook's own high-ranking leadership executives are not aware of the name, but speculates it could have something to do with "Horizon."

I'm told that the new Facebook company name is a closely-guarded secret within its walls and not known widely, even among its full senior leadership. A possible name could have something to do with Horizon, the name of the still-unreleased VR version of Facebook-meets-Roblox that the company has been developing for the past few years.

Facebook's forthcoming change draws stark similarities to 2015 when Google restructured to be under "Alphabet," its holding company that includes Google itself and its subsidiaries.

Just two days after Apple further advanced its Apple silicon portfolio with the M1 Pro and M1 Max, marking the first professional high-end chips designed for the Mac, Intel is reportedly making yet another attempt to win Apple back as a customer.

14 vs 16 inch mbp feature
A day before Apple's long-awaited "Unleashed" event, Intel's CEO, Pat Gelsinger, said despite Apple moving away from his company's processors, he still hopes that Apple will return to Intel as a customer. Apple announced in June of 2020 its two-year-long transition to Apple silicon for the Mac, and despite Intel's best hopes and dreams, Apple is continuing its momentum to break up with it.

Now, a new report from DigiTimes is further indicating Intel is still trying to win back Apple as a customer. According to the report, Intel, alongside Samsung, is "striving to win orders for Apple's in-house developed Mac processors." Such a move from Apple would mean the company no longer relies entirely on TSMC for the production of its Mac processors, a decision that sources quoted in the report say is unlikely.

Intel's actions and comments publicly and seemingly behind closed doors could not be further apart. While Intel's CEO publicly expressed his wish to have Apple back as a customer, the company continues to run anti-Mac marketing campaigns targeted towards Apple and the Mac. Oddly enough, these campaigns, which have ranged from "social experiments" to tweets that backfired, all occur as Intel and Apple still work together to an extent.

After the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple no longer has an Intel processor in its entire MacBook (Air and Pro) lineup. Apple still has the larger 27-inch iMac, the Mac Pro, and a high-end Mac mini running with Intel processors. All of which are expected to be updated next year, with the latter happening sooner rather than later.

An Intel spokesperson declined to respond to our email asking for a comment about the ‌M1 Pro‌, ‌M1 Max‌, and Apple dropping even more Intel-powered Macs from its lineup.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Tag: Intel
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro