Following Apple's unveiling this week of Macs with the M1 chip, Serif has released new versions of its Affinity apps for Mac that include support for macOS Big Sur and compatibility with Apple Silicon machines.
This means that Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, and Affinity Publisher can be installed and run on Apple's latest 13-inch MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini without using Apple's Rosetta 2 translation layer.
Serif says that its suite of apps are now actively optimized for the M1 chip, "making Affinity apps the first professional creative applications to offer native M1 support."
This is great news for our users because the architecture of the M1, particularly having such a high-performance GPU with unified memory with the CPU, is perfect for professional creative applications. The advantages are particularly noticeable when working on documents with thousands of pixel layers, vector objects and text. Edits to pixel layers are best handled on the GPU, while vector and text on the CPU, so when you have unified memory, it allows much faster handling of these complex documents.
With the new M1 MacBook Air, Serif reports a three-times speed increase when using its software. Mac customers with the M1 can apparently expect a smoother, more responsive user experience when painting, pixel editing, using filter effects, document rendering, and more.
M1 also allows many more elements such as adjustment layers and live filters to be maintained before performance is constrained, allowing for a more non-destructive workflow, even in complex documents.
The 1.8.6 update for Affinity apps on macOS is now available.
HomePod mini reviews have now been shared by media outlets and YouTubers, providing us with the first impressions of the speaker's sound quality and design. We've rounded up some opinions of the speaker below. For more video reviews, see here.
HomePod mini is equipped with the same S5 chip as the Apple Watch Series 5, which Apple says allows the speaker to "analyze the unique characteristics of the music and apply complex tuning models to optimize loudness, adjust the dynamic range, and control the movement of the driver and passive radiators in real time."
I've used a lot of different smart speakers in my day, and honestly, I'm really impressed with the sound the company was able to get out of the 3.3-inch device.
It's full and clear and impressively powerful for its size.
Yet despite its much lower cost and smaller size, the HomePod Mini sounds phenomenal compared to other similarly priced speakers I've used. Even with the volume at only 40%, the HomePod Mini's sounds fill up my large living room richly and evenly.
Indeed, the sound blew me away when I first started streaming tunes. It didn't sound far off from the quality you hear from the original HomePod, yet it sounded twice as good to my ears to the similarly sized sub-$150 wireless speakers I'm used to hearing. After listening to the HomePod Mini for only a few days, when I went back to my old JBL wireless speakers—and even the speakers on my 16" MacBook Pro (which are fantastic speakers for a laptop)—both now seem tinny in comparison to the quality of the sound from the HomePod Mini.
In his YouTube review, Marques Brownlee likewise said the HomePod mini delivers "big sound":
Not everyone was equally impressed. The Verge's Dan Seifert said that while the HomePod mini sounds good, it doesn't sound as good as similarly priced competitors like the Amazon Echo and Google's Nest Audio:
So it sounds good, but I can't say the HomePod mini sounds great. And next to the larger Echo and Nest Audio, both of which cost the same, it simply can't keep up. It doesn't have the presence, volume, or sound stage of either, and it certainly can't match the Echo's bass output. As they say, there's no replacement for displacement.
Design
Forbes' David Phelan said the HomePod mini has a "cool, compact design" that is unmistakably HomePod with its mesh covering:
It's still unmistakably a HomePod though, with the familiar mesh covering that's soft to the touch, not that you'll be touching it all that much. And it comes in the same two colors as the original: a dark, smokey gray that's nearly black but softer-looking, called Space Gray, and white. The white isn't really white, because of the slightly darker color behind the mesh, making for a subtle but appealing look. Both are attractive and more or less indistinguishable from the HomePod shades.
Reviews confirm that the HomePod mini cable ends with a USB-C port for use with the included 20W power adapter in the box.
The Verge's Dan Seifert found the HomePod mini's touch control surface is harder to see from across a room than the Amazon Echo's glowing ring:
In my testing, I've found this light-up panel to be harder to see from across the room than the Echo's glowing ring. Unless you’re right next to the HomePod mini, it's hard to tell when Siri has heard your voice command and is responding.
Availability
HomePod mini is priced at $99 in the United States. Pre-orders began Friday, November 6, with the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability set to begin Monday, November 16. In addition to the United States, launch day countries include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Spain, and the UK.
Apple's embargo has lifted on reviews for the HomePod mini ahead of the speaker launching on Monday. In addition to our in-depth HomePod mini reviews roundup, we've gathered a collection of unboxing videos and sound quality tests below.
As its name implies, the HomePod mini is a smaller version of the standard HomePod, standing just 3.3 inches tall. However, despite its more compact, spherical design, Apple says the HomePod mini still delivers "amazing sound" using "computational audio." The speaker is equipped with the same S5 chip as the Apple Watch Series 5, allowing the speaker to optimize loudness, adjust the dynamic range, and more.
Like the standard HomePod, the HomePod mini offers HomeKit smart home capabilities, handing off of audio from an iPhone, multi-user detection, ambient sounds, and compatibility with Apple's new Intercom feature for sending voice messages — from one HomePod to another, or to an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, or vehicle with CarPlay.
Videos
HomePod mini is priced at $99 in the United States. Pre-orders began Friday, November 6, with the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability set to begin Monday, November 16. In addition to the United States, launch day countries include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Spain, and the UK.
Philips Hue, known for its line of HomeKit-connected lights, has begun rolling out a new firmware update for the Hue Bridge that brings HomeKit Adaptive Lighting support to the Hue range of Ambiance lights (via iCulture). The rollout follows a month of beta testing with select Hue users.
Adaptive Lighting is an iOS 14 feature that's designed to allow HomeKit-connected lights to adjust their color temperature throughout the day. Warm colors are used in the morning, cooler colors are used midday, and blue light is reduced at night for better sleep.
To update your Hue Bridge, launch the Hue app, tap Settings, then scroll down and select Software Update. The version you want is 1941132070. Tap Update to install it. No new update is required for the lights.
After the update, launch the Home app and you should see message appear at the top indicating that your lights support Adaptive Lighting. Tap the message and you can choose which lamps to enable it for.
Color temperature shifts throughout the day without user interaction, using subtle transitions between color options. With Philips Hue, this works with both the White & Color Ambiance and the White Ambiance lamps, in all different shapes (candle lamp, E27, GU10, and so on).
Following Apple's unveiling this week of M1-powered Macs, Microsoft has released a new version of its Mac Office 2019 for Mac that includes support for macOS Big Sur and compatibility with Apple Silicon machines.
This means the latest release of apps including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive can be installed and run on Apple's latest 13-inch MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini using Appel's Rosetta 2 translation layer.
Thanks to Apple's Rosetta 2 translation software, Apple's M1-powered Macs can run x86-64 code that's written for Intel Macs. In contrast to OG Rosetta – the version that allowed PowerPC apps to run on Intel-based Macs – code isn't interpreted in real-time. Instead, the Rosetta 2 translation process happens entirely on first launch, though there is a slight performance hit as the initial x86–64 translation of instructions takes place.
Microsoft's announcement sheds light on how the back-end work manifests to the user when its apps are initially launched:
Are there any performance considerations for running Office under Rosetta 2 translation?
The first launch of each Office app will take longer as the operating system has to generate optimized code for the Apple Silicon processor. Users will notice that the apps 'bounce' in the dock for approximately 20 seconds while this process completes. Subsequent app launches will be fast.
Microsoft advises users to install the November 2020 release (build 16.43), or later, which includes the latest optimizations for macOS 11 Big Sur. This build will eventually need to be replaced by a version that uses the new Universal 2 binary format that was introduced at 2020 WWDC in June.
Apple says Rosetta 2 is a temporary solution for developers to make their existing Intel-based programs to run on Arm-based Macs, meaning they will eventually need to create native apps for Apple Silicon machines. Notably, Apple ended support for OG Rosetta three years after its release.
Update: The original article incorrectly referred to this build of Office for Mac as a "Universal build," however that version is reportedly only currently available to users enrolled on Microsoft's "Insider Fast" Beta channel, and is yet to have been given a final release date.
Popular to-do app Things was updated to version 3.13.2 today, bringing new widgets, rich notifications, and support for macOS 11 Big Sur.
First up, the Things interface has been tweaked throughout to align with the fresh new look of Apple's latest Mac operating system, and includes a remolded app icon to fit in your Dock.
However, the two big changes in this version revolve around the new unified Notification Center in macOS 11. The new Things widgets can be configured in the Notification Center to show to-do lists and quickly glance at what you're doing Today, see what's Upcoming in your schedule, stay on top of your most urgent projects, view tag-filtered lists, and so on.
In addition, Things notifications have been improved, and now include variable snooze durations (10 min, 30 min, 1 hour). There's also now an option to complete your to-do directly from the notification, which wasn't possible before.
According to the developers, this update has also been thoroughly tested for compatibility with the new Apple M1 chip that powers the latest 13-inch MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, all of which were announced earlier this week.
Version 3.13.2 is rolling out now to all Things users. Things 3 can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $49.99 and from the iOS App Store. The iPad version is priced at $19.99 [Direct Link] while the iPhone version (which includes Apple Watch support) is priced at $9.99. [Direct Link]
The Apple TV app lives within the PS5's dedicated media space, and offers users access to the $4.99-per-month Apple TV+ subscription service, which offers original TV shows, movies, documentaries, and premium Apple TV Channels.
The TV app also features access to Apple's library of iTunes Store content, as well as content from third-party providers like Showtime and Starz.
The launch of the Apple TV app coincides with Thursday's launch of the PlayStation 5 in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea, with availability extending to more countries on November 19.
PlayStation 4 owners globally can download the Apple TV+ app from the PlayStation Network.
Earlier this week, the Apple TV app also came to Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. The Apple TV app is also available on select Samsung, Sony, LG, and Vizio TVs, as well as Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices.
Developers are busy putting the finishing touches on their apps to take advantage of new features in macOS Big Sur, support the new Macs with Apple's own M1 chip coming next week, and complement the refreshed macOS design, and many users will be looking to update their Macs as soon as Big Sur is available.
Although Apple has not shared an exact time for the release of macOS Big Sur, we can make some educated guesses based on Apple's localized sites for various countries and past releases.
While Apple lists the release date as November 12 in much of the world, localized sites for some countries in the Eastern Hemisphere list the launch date as November 13, as the launch time will come after midnight in those countries.
Notably, Apple lists a release date of November 12 on its Indian site, while its Thai site lists a November 13 release date.
Given that those two countries are 90 minutes apart by time zones, that pins things down relatively closely, suggesting a window between 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time. The most likely release time in that window would be 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, which is a common release time for Apple. A release at that time would correspond to 11:30 p.m. on November 12 in India and 1:00 a.m. on November 13 in Thailand. This same method also accurately pinpointed when iOS 14 was released.
It's worth noting, however, that major macOS releases over the past several years have typically come closer to 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time, so it's certainly possible it could be a bit later than our prediction of 10:00 a.m.
There are no guarantees Apple will stick to its usual release timing, but given our best of guess of 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time release, here's a breakdown of what that corresponds to in other time zones in the United States and around the world:
Honolulu, Hawaii -- 8:00 a.m. HST
Anchorage, Alaska -- 9:00 a.m. AKST
Cupertino, California -- 10:00 a.m. PST
Vancouver, Canada -- 10:00 a.m. PST
Phoenix, Arizona -- 11:00 a.m. MST
Denver, Colorado -- 11:00 a.m. MST
Chicago, Illinois -- 12:00 noon. CST
New York, New York -- 1:00 p.m. EST
Toronto, Canada -- 1:00 p.m. EST
Halifax, Canada -- 2:00 p.m. AST
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- 3:00 p.m. BRT
London, United Kingdom -- 6:00 p.m. GMT
Berlin, Germany -- 7:00 p.m. CET
Paris, France -- 7:00 p.m. CET
Cape Town, South Africa -- 8:00 p.m. SAST
Helsinki, Finland -- 8:00 p.m. EET
Moscow, Russia -- 9:00 p.m. MSK
Istanbul, Turkey -- 9:00 p.m. TRT
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- 10:00 p.m. GST
Delhi, India -- 11:30 p.m. IST
Jakarta, Indonesia -- 1:00 a.m. WIB next day
Shanghai, China -- 2:00 a.m. CST next day
Singapore -- 2:00 a.m. SGT next day
Perth, Australia -- 2:00 a.m. AWST next day
Hong Kong -- 2:00 a.m. HKT next day
Seoul, South Korea -- 3:00 a.m. KST next day
Tokyo, Japan -- 3:00 a.m. JST next day
Brisbane, Australia - 4:00 a.m. AEST next day
Adelaide, Australia -- 4:30 a.m. ACDT next day
Sydney, Australia -- 5:00 a.m. AEDT next day
Auckland, New Zealand -- 7:00 a.m. NZDT next day
macOS Big Sur is compatible with most 2013 and later machines, outlined below:
The operating system update does not support the following Macs that were capable of running macOS Catalina:
2012 and Early 2013 MacBook Pro
2012 MacBook Air
2012 and 2013 iMac
2012 Mac mini
For all of the details on what's new in macOS Big Sur, make sure to check out our roundup which offers a thorough look at the refreshed design, updates to key apps, and other new features.
The M1 chip, which belongs to a MacBook Air with 8GB RAM, features a single-core score of 1687 and a multi-core score of 7433. According to the benchmark, the M1 has a 3.2GHz base frequency.
When compared to existing devices, the M1 chip in the MacBook Air outperforms all iOS devices. For comparison's sake, the iPhone 12 Pro earned a single-core score of 1584 and a multi-core score of 3898, while the highest ranked iOS device on Geekbench's charts, the A14 iPad Air, earned a single-core score of 1585 and a multi-core score of 4647.
Single Core benchmarks
In comparison to Macs, the single-core performance is better than any other available Mac, and the multi-core performance beats out all of the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro models, including the 10th-generation high-end 2.4GHz Intel Core i9 model. That high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro earned a single-core score of 1096 and a multi-core score of 6870.
Though the M1 chip is outperforming the 16-inch MacBook Pro models when it comes to raw CPU benchmarks, the 16-inch MacBook Pro likely offers better performance in other areas such as the GPU as those models have high-power discrete GPUs.
Multi Core benchmarks
It's worth noting that there are likely to be some performance differences between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air even though they're using the same M1 chip because the MacBook Air has a fanless design and the MacBook Pro has an new Apple-designed cooling system. There's also a benchmark for the Mac mini, though, and it has about the same scores.
The Mac mini with M1 chip that was benchmarked earned a single-core score of 1682 and a multi-core score of 7067.
Update: There's also a benchmark for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 chip and 16GB RAM that has a single-core score of 1714 and a multi-core score of 6802. Like the MacBook Air, it has a 3.2GHz base frequency. A few other MacBook Air benchmarks have surfaced too with similar scores, and the full list is available on Geekbench.
Apple today announced that Oprah Winfrey will be interviewing President Barack Obama on Apple TV+ series "The Oprah Conversation," with the episode set to air on Tuesday, November 17 at 6:00 a.m. Pacific/9:00 a.m. Eastern.
The interview will cover Obama's memoir "The Promised Land" along with discussions about his legacy, democracy, race, and the American Dream. He will discuss the years leading up to his presidency and reflect on the "aspirations, perseverance and accomplishments that brought him to the White House."
"This book was worth the wait," said Oprah Winfrey. "Everybody who reads it is going to be on this journey from the grueling and monotonous grind of the campaign, to taking us inside the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room and the Situation Room and sometimes, even the bedroom. This book has both the intimacy and the grandeur coming through in this memoir, and I have so been looking forward to speaking with him about all of it."
Apple is making the episode free for everyone to watch through the Apple TV app, and it will remain free to watch through Tuesday, December 1.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
App developer Guilherme Rambo last year released AirBuddy, an app that's designed to bring iOS-like AirPods integration to the Mac, and today, Rambo is releasing an updated version of the app, AirBuddy 2.
Compared to the original version of AirBuddy, the updated app features a redesigned user interface, reliability improvements, and several new features like historical usage data and custom connection modes.
AirBuddy 2 is meant to make connecting AirPods and Beats headphones to a Mac as seamless as connecting to an iOS device. When AirPods are near a Mac with AirBuddy 2 installed, a window pops up that lets you click to connect. Battery life is displayed in the menu bar or in the Today center, and a swipe lets you change to a new listening mode.
You can connect iPhones, iPads, and other Macs running AirBuddy 2 to your main Mac to monitor battery life, and in addition to making it easy to swap devices with headphones, it's also designed to make it simple to transfer a Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, or Magic Keyboard between Macs with a click.
Custom connection modes are available to set listening mode, volume, and microphone access when AirPods connect to a Mac, and the app offers up historical data about headphone usage such as listening time, call time, and battery life for 12 hours, 24 hours, or the prior day.
AirBuddy 2 can be purchased from the AirBuddy website for $9.99. AirBuddy users who purchased the AirBuddy app in 2019 can upgrade for $4.99 in the app, and AirBuddy users who purchased the original app in 2020 will get a free upgrade to AirBuddy 2.
Apple today updated the TestFlight app for iOS devices to version 3.0.0, introducing a new automatic update feature that's designed to update apps that are being tested through the app automatically when a developer pushes a new release.
Prior to the update, or with the feature disabled, TestFlight software had to be installed manually with each new release, so for those who test quite a few apps, this will be a welcome change that will make it easier to keep apps updated to the latest build.
Apple says that today's update also includes unspecified stability improvements and bug fixes, with the new software coming three months after Apple last updated TestFlight with a new app icon.
For those unfamiliar with TestFlight, it is Apple's app that developers use to provide beta versions of apps to media, testers, and others ahead of an app's release.
In November 2020, Apple updated its popular 13-inch MacBook lineup with the first Apple Silicon chip for the Mac, the M1 chip. Both the 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro received updates with the M1 chip.
The M1 MacBook Air and M1 MacBook Pro appear to be very similar owing to their shared processor, form factor, and keyboard, so should you consider purchasing the lower-cost MacBook Air, which starts at $999, to save money, or do you need the higher-end MacBook Pro, which costs at least $300 more? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two Apple Silicon MacBooks is best for you.
Comparing the M1 MacBook Pro and the M1 MacBook Air
The Macbook Air and MacBook Pro share a large number of important features such as processor, display size, and ports. Apple lists these same features of the two devices:
Similarities
13.3-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology
Wide Color (P3) and True Tone technology
Eight-core M1 chip with up to eight-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine
Up to 16GB of unified memory
Up to 2TB of storage
Wide stereo sound and support for Dolby Atmos playback
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Magic Keyboard
Touch ID
Two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports
Available in Silver and Space Gray
Apple's breakdown shows that the two MacBooks share a large number of key features. Even so, there are some meaningful differences between the M1 MacBook Air and M1 MacBook Pro that are worth highlighting, including design, battery life, and display brightness.
Differences
M1 MacBook Air
Slim, wedge-style design
Configurable with up to eight-core GPU
Passive cooling (fanless)
400 nits brightness
Up to 18 hours of battery life
Stereo speakers
Three-mic array with directional beamforming
Weighs 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg)
Available in Silver, Space Gray, and Gold
M1 MacBook Pro
Thicker, slab-like design
Eight-core GPU as standard
Active cooling
500 nits brightness
Up to 20 hours of battery life
Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
Studio-quality three-mic array with directional beamforming
Weighs 3.0 pounds (1.4 kg)
Available in Silver and Space Gray
Touch Bar
Read on for a closer look at each of these aspects, and see exactly what Apple's first MacBooks with Apple Silicon processors have to offer.
Design
Both the M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro share the same designs as their Intel-based predecessors. This means that the MacBook Air retains its iconic wedge-shaped design, while the MacBook Pro still has its more uniform, slab-style design. Although the MacBook Air is actually thicker than the MacBook Pro at its thickest point, the wedge shape of the MacBook Air makes it look much thinner overall. The MacBook Air is also 0.2 pounds lighter than the MacBook Pro and is available in Gold.
If you will be traveling with your MacBook frequently and portability is a priority, then the MacBook Air is the more appropriate device. However, it is worth noting that the MacBook Pro is only slightly heavier than the MacBook Air, so both models will be very similar in terms of portability.
Performance
The two machines share the same Apple Silicon M1 processor, but with a key difference in cooling systems. Since Apple didn't provide any specific benchmark comparisons between the two models, it is difficult to speculate exactly how well the two machines will perform until benchmarks can be compared. However, there are a number of assumptions that can be made.
The MacBook Air certainly has more thermal constraints than the MacBook Pro since it is passively cooled and thus has no fans or active ventilation. Unlike the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro has ventilation and fans. The MacBook Pro can therefore run faster, pushing the M1 harder for longer and achieving better performance from the same chip. This is because the MacBook Pro runs the M1 at higher temperatures since it can cool it more effectively using its active cooling system than the MacBook Air.
The cooling systems of both machines strongly indicate that the MacBook Pro performs better than the MacBook Air, but the margin of difference is not major. The MacBook Pro will still be better for users who need the best performance. However, since the two devices share the same M1 processor, the MacBook Air could perform similarly enough for some tasks or tasks that don't require sustained processing power.
The cheapest $999 MacBook Air configuration also has a seven-core GPU. The $1,249 higher-tier configuration of the MacBook Air, however, comes with an eight-core GPU. The MacBook Pro comes with the eight-core GPU as standard. The difference between 7 and 8 cores isn't expected to be dramatic, but users who will be setting about a lot of graphics-based work should opt for the MacBook Pro, as it is only $50 more than the eight-core GPU MacBook Air.
Display
The MacBook Pro and MacBook Air share the same 13.3-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology, True Tone, and P3 Wide Color. Content and colors will look exactly the same on both devices.
However, the MacBook Pro's display can reach 500 nits of brightness compared to the MacBook Air's 400 nits. This means that it can get up to 20 percent brighter. You may prefer the MacBook Pro's brighter display, particularly if you often use your machine outdoors, but the brightness of the MacBook Air's display will likely not disappoint most users.
Battery Life
The M1 MacBook Pro has a battery life two hours better than the MacBook Air, according to Apple's estimates. This is likely due to smaller batteries in the MacBook Air due to its slimmer, wedge-shaped profile.
Both machines have excellent battery life at up to 20 hours on the MacBook Pro and 18 hours on the MacBook Air, thanks to the power-efficient M1 chip. While the battery life of both machines is outstanding, if you need to prioritize battery life for long periods of time away from a power source, the MacBook Pro is clearly the better option.
Microphones and Speakers
The MacBook Air has stereo speakers and a three-mic array with directional beamforming. The MacBook Pro pushes these features into the "pro" market with stereo speakers that support high dynamic range, as well as a "studio-quality" three-mic array with directional beamforming.
If you consume a lot of video content or music using the built-in speakers, or frequently use the built-in microphones for video calls or podcasting, for example, the MacBook Pro is the better device.
Touch Bar
While both machines come with Touch ID, only the MacBook Pro gets Apple's Touch Bar. The Touch Bar replaces the traditional row of function keys with a "Retina-quality" Multi-Touch display.
Controls on the Touch Bar change when using different apps. For example, the Touch Bar can show Tabs and Favorites in Safari, enable easy access to emoji in Messages, and provide a simple way to edit images or scrub through videos.
If you are particularly keen on having the Touch Bar, you will have to get the MacBook Pro, but not all users will appreciate the feature, and it does not directly add any new functionality that is not possible on the MacBook Air.
Other Mac Options
In addition to the 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the 24-inch iMac and Mac mini also contain the M1 chip, but these are desktop machines. Apple also offers considerably more powerful 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, but these start at $1,999.
Final Thoughts
The Apple Silicon M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are very similar in terms of specifications. Both devices sport the same M1 processor, 13.3-inch display, Touch ID, and ports, as well as most other hardware features.
The main differences are the display brightness, Touch Bar, microphone and speaker quality, two extra hours of battery life, and active cooling system that set the machines apart in favor of the MacBook Pro. For casual users, this means that the additional $300 to upgrade to a MacBook Pro may be difficult to justify, especially without knowing the exact performance benefits at this time.
If you do want the best performance, battery life, display brightness, and speaker and microphone quality, the MacBook Pro is the better option. The MacBook Pro is therefore the best current option for those who want the most out of their M1-based laptop.
Likewise, users who intend to perform a lot of graphics-based tasks should skip the MacBook Air entirely and buy the MacBook Pro because the eight-core GPU MacBook Air configuration is only $50 less than the MacBook Pro. However, this is only the case if you don't need more than 256GB of storage, because a storage upgrade would further push up the MacBook Pro's price.
While there is a small performance difference between the devices, the MacBook Air appears to be the best option for most users. The MacBook Air offers a compelling feature set at a more affordable $999 price. The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are available to order now.
Today we're tracking a few deals across the iPad lineup, including lowest ever prices on the iPad Pro, iPad mini, iPad, and iPad Air. Most of these deals can be found at Amazon, and sale prices start at $299 for the 10.2-inch iPad, $512.28 for the iPad mini 5, $749.00 for the 11-inch iPad Pro, and $699 for the 2020 iPad Air.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
As a note, the prices listed below reflect discounts from various sellers on Amazon, and they change rapidly. Be sure to double check before buying to make sure you're getting the best price.
11-Inch iPad Pro
Wi-Fi 128GB - $749.99 at Amazon ($50 off, lowest price)
Cellular 256GB - $1,199.99 at Amazon / Best Buy ($49 off, lowest price)
Cellular 1TB - $1,599.99 at Amazon ($50 off, lowest price)
10.2-Inch iPad
Wi-Fi 32GB - $299.00 at Amazon ($30 off, lowest price)
Wi-Fi 128GB - $395.00 at Amazon ($34 off, lowest price)
iPad mini
Cellular 256GB - $512.28 at Amazon ($166 off, lowest price)
iPad Air
Wi-Fi 256GB - $699.00 at Amazon ($50 off, lowest price)
For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
Following its virtual event on Tuesday, Apple reiterated that the transition to Apple Silicon will take about two years to be completed. Apple did not reveal which Macs will be getting M-series chips next, but here's what has been rumored so far:
14-inch MacBook Pro: In July, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasted that new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple Silicon and an all-new design will launch in the late second quarter or third quarter of 2021. Kuo has previously suggested that these notebooks may feature Mini-LED displays.
16-inch MacBook Pro: Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu reported that a new 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon is in development, but the report did not provide a release timeframe. As mentioned above, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects a new 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon and an all-new design to launch in the late second quarter or third quarter of 2021.
24-inch iMac: In June, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasted that Apple would launch a 24-inch iMac with an all-new design in the late fourth quarter of 2020 or early first quarter of 2021 at the earliest.
A smaller Mac Pro: Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu reported that Apple is developing a new Mac Pro that looks like the current design at about half the size. The report said it's unclear if that Mac will replace the current Mac Pro or be released as an additional model.
With an 8-core CPU, up to an 8-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, unified memory architecture, and more, Apple says the M1 chip delivers up to 3.5x faster system performance, up to 6x faster graphics performance, and up to 15x faster machine learning, while enabling battery life up to 2x longer than previous-generation Macs.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini are available to order on Apple.com and through the Apple Store app, with the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability set to begin November 17. Pricing starts at $1,299 for the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, $999 for the new MacBook Air, and $699 for the new Mac mini.
Roku today announced that AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are now rolling out to select streaming players, including the Roku Ultra, Roku Streambar, Roku Smart Soundbar, Roku Streaming Stick+, and Roku Premiere, as part of a free Roku OS 9.4 update. The software update is also in the process of rolling out to select Roku-based 4K TVs from brands like TCL.
AirPlay 2 enables users to stream videos, music, podcasts, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to a Roku-connected TV, with no Apple TV box necessary. And with HomeKit support, users can control the TV's power and and more using the Home app and Siri on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or HomePod.
The software update began rolling out earlier this month for some users and should be available on all supported Roku devices within the coming days.
Yesterday Apple announced the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini, all of which are now available to order on Apple.com and at retailers including Amazon and Best Buy. Additionally, Expercom has introduced a slate of the first markdowns on these Mac devices.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Expercom. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You'll find discounts reaching up to $77 off the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, up to $63 off the new MacBook Air, and up to $46 off the new Mac mini. We've listed all of the base configurations below, but you can also customize each model on Expercom to add more storage, memory, or AppleCare+.
The caveat to Expercom's sale is that you'll see delayed shipping estimates for many of the Macs. As of writing, all of the MacBook Air models won't ship for another 2-3 weeks, although some MacBook Pro models do have shorter estimates, depending on how you configure each device.
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.
Apple today shared a press release highlighting its various Veterans Day initiatives, including a new Activity Challenge on the Apple Watch and an extended four-month Apple Music trial for veterans in the United States.
Today, Apple Watch users in the United States can earn a limited edition Activity award and animated iMessage stickers in honor of Veterans Day. To participate, users must record any workout of 11 minutes or more.
Veterans who sign up for Apple Music for the first time throughout the month of November will receive an extended four-month free trial in the United States. Apple Music typically offers a three-month free trial for new subscribers.
Apple is also highlighting veterans-related content in the App Store, Apple TV app, and Apple Books app, and made a donation to Team Rubicon.
We owe a debt of gratitude to our nation's heroes and their families — brave, selfless people who have sacrificed to help build a brighter future for all. This #VeteransDay, let us thank them for their service, honor their stories and cherish their lessons.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) November 11, 2020
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Expercom. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
