MacRumors

Apple is hosting a virtual event on Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with rumors widely suggesting the event will be focused on redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a faster version of the M1 chip, brighter mini-LED displays, and more.

In an investor note with Wedbush today, shared with MacRumors, analyst Dan Ives said third-generation AirPods will likely be announced at the event as well. The new AirPods are rumored to feature a similar design as the AirPods Pro, but without Active Noise Cancellation, and they could have improved sound quality and some other new features.

The third-generation AirPods have already been manufactured and are ready to launch, according to Wedbush's supply chain checks, which increases the likelihood that they will be announced during the Apple Event next week.

Earlier this week, an account on Chinese social media platform Weibo known as @PandaIsBald also claimed that third-generation AirPods will be announced at the Apple Event next week. Last month, the same account accurately revealed that Apple would announce the ninth-generation iPad at its September event.

This would be the first update to the standard AirPods since the second-generation AirPods were released in March 2019. The second-generation AirPods are priced at $159 with a wired charging case and at $199 with a wireless charging case.

An update to the AirPods Pro is not expected until next year.

Ahead of Monday's Apple event, which is expected to include the much-awaited launch of brand new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, Intel is continuing its long-running campaign to try and convince Mac users to switch to Intel-based PCs.

Last week, Intel released a video as part of its PC vs. Mac campaign that featured "Apple fans" introduced to different Intel computers and all of their features. During the four-minute video, Intel attempted to paint Apple consumers as oblivious to "innovations" made by companies besides Apple, including "touch screen" laptops.

Continuing its streak, yesterday, the official Intel account tweeted out, "Confessions of former Mac users. What made you #GoPC?" Instead of former Mac users engaging with the tweet on reasons they switched to PC, the tweet instead includes replies of current Mac users poking fun at Intel's "desperate" marketing attempts. One comment reads, "Just admit it: you're just pissed that Apple ditched you and designed a way better processor by themselves."

Other replies include Apple users trolling Intel, with one stating "You're not invited" with a picture of the upcoming "Unleashed" event invitation. One reply, in Intel's defense, says that Apple is "a low performance luxury brand with overpriced hardware and a lesser ecosystem because its closed."

Ironically, while Intel goes on the defense, Apple still sells Mac computers powered by Intel processors. After Monday's "Unleashed" event, the higher-end MacBook Pro will no longer be Intel-based and will officially switch to Apple silicon, but other Macs such as the 27-inch iMac and Mac Pro still feature Intel processors.

Apple officially embarked on its transition to Apple silicon in November of last year, and the company is expected to fully move all of its Mac computers away from Intel next year.

Parallels Desktop 17.1 for Mac has just been released, offering improved support for Windows 11 virtual machines and added stability via the default implementation of Virtual Trusted Platform Modules (vTPMs) for "all future and past Windows 11 VMs." Parallels 17.1 also fully supports macOS Monterey as a host OS and improves the user experience when running macOS Monterey in a VM on M1 Macs.

Windows 11 requires a hardware-based TPM chip to run, which limits the software's compatibility with older PC computers and prevents it from running via Boot Camp on Intel Macs. Meanwhile there is no Boot Camp feature on Macs with Apple silicon, and the ARM-based version of Windows 11 is not natively supported.

By introducing default support for vTPMs, Parallels offers automatic Windows 11 compatibility with Intel Macs and Apple Silicon Macs, with the proviso that owners of the latter are using Insider Preview builds of Windows 11 for ARM machines.

"Knowing that Parallels Desktop plays a critical role in enabling users to run the latest versions of Windows on their favorite Mac device today, we've developed a simple solution to help all users upgrade to Windows 11 with the enablement of vTPMs by default on all Mac devices," said Elena Koryakina, Vice President of Engineering at Parallels.

There has been continuing uncertainty surrounding the feasibility of running Windows 11 on ‌Apple Silicon‌ Macs via virtualization software, particularly in light of comments from Microsoft suggesting that virtualization is not a supported scenario for its latest operating system, as well as the subsequent release of Insider Builds that break virtualization. There are still specific requirements to be aware of when running Windows 11 on both Apple ‌M1‌ and Intel-based Mac computers, which Parallels has detailed in a blog post, but this latest update should assuage concerns of some Parallels users.

In addition to automatic vTPM support, version 17.1 allows users to install Parallels Tools in a macOS Monterey VM on Apple ‌M1‌ Mac and use the Copy and Paste integrated feature between the VM and the primary macOS. The default virtual machine disk size has also been increased from 32GB to 64GB.

This version of Parallels also improves graphics for several Windows games including, but not limited to: World of Warcraft, Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition, Tomb Raider 3, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, World of Tanks, and Raft.

Lastly, there is added support for VirGL in Virtio GPU, which enables Linux 3D acceleration out of the box on all supported Mac computers, brings visual performance improvements, as well as use of Wayland protocol in Linux VMs. VirGL 3D graphics can be used by modern Linux VMs even without Parallels Tools being installed, but Parallels recommends users install Parallels Tools anyway.

Parallels Desktop 17 has moved entirely to a subscription model, which means the standard edition costs $79.99 per year, while Pro and Business Editions are available for $99.99 per year. Users who purchased a perpetual license for an earlier version of Parallels Desktop can upgrade to Parallels Desktop 17 for $49.99. A free trial is available to download from the Parallels website.

WhatsApp end-to-end encrypted backups are now rolling out for iPhone users, Facebook has announced. Until now, WhatsApp let users back up their chat history to ‌‌iCloud‌‌, but the messages and media contained in the backups weren't protected by WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption while in ‌‌Apple's cloud servers‌.

Since Apple holds the encryption keys for ‌‌iCloud‌‌ Backup, a subpoena of Apple or an unauthorized ‌‌iCloud‌‌ hack could have potentially allowed access to WhatsApp messages backed up there. Apple was reportedly pressured to not add encryption to ‌‌iCloud‌‌ Backups after the FBI complained.

Going forward, however, users can create a password or 64-bit key to protect their backup in cloud-based storage, whether they're saved in ‌iCloud‌ or Google Drive.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement, saying that users can generate a password of their choice or a 64-digit encryption key that only they know in order to access their WhatsApp chat backups.

While end-to-end encrypted messages you send and receive are stored on your device, many people also want a way to back up their chats in case they lose their phone. Starting today, we are making available an extra, optional layer of security to protect backups stored on Google Drive or iCloud with end-to-end encryption. No other global messaging service at this scale provides this level of security for their users' messages, media, voice messages, video calls, and chat backups.

You can now secure your end-to-end encrypted backup with either a password of your choice or a 64-digit encryption key that only you know. Neither WhatsApp nor your backup service provider will be able to read your backups or access the key required to unlock it.

The encrypted chat backups feature will gradually be rolled out to more than two billion users on Android and iOS, and will be available in every market where WhatsApp is operational, which could put the company at odds with some governments.

• How to End-to-End Encrypt Your WhatsApp Chat Backups in iCloud

Notably, Apple is not making its upcoming ‌‌iCloud‌‌+ Private Relay encrypted browsing feature available to users living under certain authoritarian regimes, including China, Belarus, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and the Philippines. According to Apple, "regulatory reasons" are preventing the Private Relay feature from launching in those countries.

More than a dozen prominent cybersecurity experts hit out at Apple on Thursday for relying on "dangerous technology" in its controversial plan to detect child sexual abuse images on iPhones (via The New York Times).

The damning criticism came in a new 46-page study by researchers that looked at plans by Apple and the European Union to monitor people's phones for illicit material, and called the efforts ineffective and dangerous strategies that would embolden government surveillance.

Announced in August, the planned features include client-side (i.e. on-device) scanning of users' iCloud Photos libraries for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), Communication Safety to warn children and their parents when receiving or sending sexually explicit photos, and expanded CSAM guidance in Siri and Search.

According to the researchers, documents released by the European Union suggest that the bloc's governing body are seeking a similar program that would scan encrypted phones for both child sexual abuse as well as signs of organized crime and terrorist-related imagery.

"It should be a national-security priority to resist attempts to spy on and influence law-abiding citizens," said the researchers, who added they were publishing their findings now to inform the European Union of the dangers of its plan.

"The expansion of the surveillance powers of the state really is passing a red line," said Ross Anderson, a professor of security engineering at the University of Cambridge and a member of the group.

Aside from surveillance concerns, the researchers said, their findings indicated that the technology was not effective at identifying images of child sexual abuse. Within days of Apple's announcement, they said, people had pointed out ways to avoid detection by editing the images slightly.

"It's allowing scanning of a personal private device without any probable cause for anything illegitimate being done," added another member of the group, Susan Landau, a professor of cybersecurity and policy at Tufts University. "It's extraordinarily dangerous. It's dangerous for business, national security, for public safety and for privacy."

The cybersecurity researchers said they had begun their study before Apple's announcement, and were publishing their findings now to inform the European Union of the dangers of its own similar plans.

Apple has faced significant criticism from privacy advocates, security researchers, cryptography experts, academics, politicians, and even employees within the company for its decision to deploy the technology in a future update to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.

Apple initially endeavored to dispel misunderstandings and reassure users by releasing detailed information, sharing FAQs, various new documents, interviews with company executives, and more in order to allay concerns.

However, when it became clear that this wasn't having the intended effect, Apple subsequently acknowledged the negative feedback and announced in September a delay to the rollout of the features to give the company time to make "improvements" to the CSAM system, although it's not clear what they would involve and how they would address concerns.

Apple has also said it would refuse demands by authoritarian governments to expand the image-detection system beyond pictures of children flagged by recognized databases of child sex abuse material, although it has not said that it would pull out of a market rather than obeying a court order.

The Apple Watch Series 7 includes a new charging architecture that allows it to refuel up to 33% faster than the Series 6, charging from 0 to 80% in 45 minutes.

The fast-charging capability requires a new USB-C charging cable that Apple includes in the box with the watch and also sells separately, but until now Apple hasn't provided details on what wattage of power adapter is required for fast charging. Apple no longer includes a power adapter in the box with the Apple Watch, so users will need to provide their own.

In a new support document published today just as the first Apple Watch Series 7 orders have started arriving, Apple reveals that any of its USB-C power adapters rated at 18 watts or higher will support fast charging on the new watch. In addition, third-party USB-C adapters rated at 5 watts or higher will allow for fast charging as long as they support the USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) protocol.

Fast charging requires an Apple USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable. This cable has aluminum around the magnetic charger and a USB-C connector.

You also need one of these power adapters:

• Apple 18W, 20W, 29W, 30W, 61W, 87W, or 96W USB-C Power Adapter
• A comparable third-party USB-C power adapter that supports USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) of 5W or greater

Apple says that fast charging is not available in Argentina, India, or Vietnam, but the company has not offered a reason for this limitation.

Apple's second fall event is coming up and is set to take place on Monday, October 18 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. As with Apple's last several events, "Unleashed" will be digital only and streamed online. It is expected to focus on the MacBook Pro models, which many Apple fans are eagerly awaiting.

This how to offers details on how you can watch the event and when it will take place in your time zone so you make sure not to miss a thing.

When to Watch the Apple Event

• Honolulu, Hawaii -- 7:00 a.m. HAST
• Anchorage, Alaska -- 9:00 a.m. AKDT
• Cupertino, California -- 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Phoenix, Arizona -- 10:00 a.m. MST
• Vancouver, Canada -- 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Denver, Colorado -- 11:00 a.m. MDT
• Dallas, Texas -- 12:00 noon CDT
• New York, New York -- 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Toronto, Canada -- 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Halifax, Canada -- 2:00 p.m. ADT
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- 2:00 p.m. BRT
• London, United Kingdom -- 6:00 p.m. BST
• Berlin, Germany -- 7:00 p.m. CEST
• Paris, France -- 7:00 p.m. CEST
• Cape Town, South Africa -- 7:00 p.m. SAST
• Moscow, Russia -- 8:00 p.m. MSK
• Helsinki, Finland -- 8:00 p.m. EEST
• Istanbul, Turkey -- 8:00 p.m. TRT
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- 9:00 p.m. GST
• Delhi, India -- 10:30 p.m. IST
• Jakarta, Indonesia -- 12:00 a.m. WIB next day
• Shanghai, China -- 1:00 a.m. CST next day
• Singapore -- 1:00 a.m. SGT next day
• Perth, Australia -- 1:00 a.m. AWST next day
• Hong Kong -- 1:00 a.m. HKT next day
• Seoul, South Korea -- 2:00 a.m. KST next day
• Tokyo, Japan -- 2:00 a.m. JST next day
• Adelaide, Australia -- 3:30 a.m. ACDT next day
• Sydney, Australia -- 4:00 a.m. AEDT next day
• Auckland, New Zealand -- 6:00 a.m. NZDT next day

How to Watch With the Apple Events Website

The Apple Events website can be accessed from any web browser, so it's a great option for any device. It can be used on a Mac, iPhone, iPad, PC, or Android device, and it works in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers.

To watch using the Events website, navigate to www.apple.com/apple-events/ using a web browser at the appropriate time to watch. You can visit the site now to add an event reminder to your calendar.

How to Watch on YouTube

Apple plans to stream the event live on YouTube, which is one of the simplest ways to watch because the YouTube live stream can be viewed on every platform where YouTube is available, from smartphones to consoles to smart TVs.

The placeholder for the October 18 Apple event is already up on YouTube and you can visit it now to set a reminder.

How to Watch Using the TV App

Along with the Apple Events website and YouTube, the Unleashed event can be watched directly through the Apple TV app on compatible devices.

Apple adds a very prominent Apple Event section to the ‌Apple TV‌ app on event day, and it's impossible to miss. The ‌Apple TV‌ app is available the ‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌, iPhones, iPads, Macs, Roku, and some smart TVs.

MacRumors Coverage

If you're unable to watch the Apple event live or just want to follow along with us as we watch, make sure to visit us here at MacRumors.com for our live blog or follow us on Twitter at MacRumorsLive for our live tweet coverage.

The MacRumors site, the MacRumors forums, and the MacRumorsLive Twitter account are great resources for discussing Apple's new announcements with other fans. We'll also have ongoing in-depth coverage of the new products on the MacRumors website after the event.

It's Friday, October 15 in New Zealand and Australia, which means it's Apple Watch Series 7 launch day. Customers in that part of the world are always the first to get their hands on new devices due to time zone differences.

Apple Watch Series 7 models are now beginning to arrive to customers who pre-ordered on Friday, October 8, and new Apple Watch owners are sharing photos on Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and the MacRumors forums.

Because there are no Apple Stores in New Zealand, customers in Australia will be the first to be able to pick up a new Apple Watch at an Apple retail location. In-store stock in Australia will give us an idea of what we can expect in other stores worldwide, which may be of particular interest this year because Apple Watch supplies are so constrained.

Many of the Apple Watch models began selling out shortly after pre-orders began, so customers who are hoping not to have to wait several weeks for one of the devices may be able to get one in-store on launch day.

Following New Zealand and Australia, sales and deliveries of the Apple Watch Series 7 will begin in Middle East, Europe, and then North America. Apple Stores‌ globally are opening up right around 8:00 a.m. local time to allow customers to pick up reserved devices and make walk-in purchases.

Stay tuned to MacRumors tomorrow because we'll have an Apple Watch Series 7 review and comparison, along with more coverage coming next week. If you have a new Apple Watch Series 7, make sure to share photos below and let us know what you think!

Apple has hired a new software lead for the HomePod team as part of an effort to better compete with smart home speakers from Amazon and Google, reports Bloomberg.

Afrooz Family, an audio engineer who worked at Apple from 2012 to 2016, has rejoined the company and is leading software development on the ‌HomePod‌/Apple TV team. Family co-founded speaker company Syng alongside former Apple design team member Christoper Stringer. Syng is known for the super expensive Cell Alpha, which boasts "triphonic" audio technology that's able to create an immersive, dynamic sound field.

Apple has struggled to get the ‌HomePod‌ to catch on since its launch in 2018. The initial version of the speaker was priced at $350 and boasted higher-quality audio than competitors, but it was just not as popular as much more affordable smart speaker options from Samsung and Google.

The original ‌HomePod‌ was discontinued earlier this year with Apple instead opting to focus on the $99 HomePod mini, which is smaller and much more appealing due to its lower price tag.

Going forward, Apple plans to create a combined ‌HomePod‌, ‌Apple TV‌, and FaceTime device that will serve as an all-in-one entertainment option. According to Bloomberg, such a device could be released as early as 2023.

Apple today seeded a new beta of Safari 15.1 for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina, allowing developers to test the new Safari update ahead of its launch. Safari 15.1 is also the version of Safari that's available in the macOS Monterey beta.

In yesterday's macOS Monterey release, Apple tweaked the design of the Favorites bar, moving it back up above the Tab bar where it was before Safari changes were implemented with the macOS Monterey update and the Safari 15 release. Safari 15.1 includes the same tweak to the Favorites bar.

Apple in macOS Monterey overhauled the look of Safari, debuting a new tab design that has proven to be unpopular with users. Apple has been refining the Safari design since then, and the changes coming in Monterey were made available to macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina users with the launch of Safari 15.

Registered developers can download the Safari 15.1 beta by logging in and then navigating to the More Downloads section. The latest versions of macOS Big Sur or macOS Catalina are required to install the beta.

Nanoleaf today announced the launch of its newest HomeKit-compatible lighting product, a set of LED light bars called "Lines." Lines are modular beams that feature backlit illumination and that can be arranged into different patterns and shapes.

According to Nanoleaf, the Lines are designed to offer a new form factor that pairs smart lighting technology with an ultramodern design. Nanoleaf Lines connect together at 60 degree angle increments and each one features dual color zones for choosing two colors at once.

Diffused backlighting allows the two colors to blend together for a unique look, with the glow from the light cast onto the wall. Lines can be mounted to the wall or the ceiling using included mounting plates. Nanoleaf is also providing Lines "Skins" to turn the Lines black or pink, and those will launch in December.

Lines can be "painted" with different lighting scenes created by Nanoleaf and users can also create their own custom scenes using millions of colors. There are 19 preset scenes in total, including seven rhythm scenes that activate in time with music that's playing.

Nanoleaf has implemented a new Rhythm Music Visualizer that syncs up with songs in real-time to create dynamic color visualizations that can be customized using 22 separate Rhythm Motions. Each Rhythm Motion is engineered for a different genre of music.

Lines work with the Nanoleaf's Screen Mirror feature to sync to on-screen colors when users are watching movies or playing games. There are four different Screen Mirror modes that vary intensity and color transition speed.

Like other recent Nanoleaf products, the Nanoleaf Lines will act as a Thread Border Router for the Nanoleaf Essentials line of bulbs and lightstrips, offering a faster, more reliable connection. Lines will also work with Matter through a software update coming next year.

Lines are available for pre-order starting today from the Nanoleaf website. A Smarter Kit with 9 Lines is priced at $200, while Expansion Packs with 3 Lines can be purchased for $80. Lines will ship out by the end of November.

Blender today announced that Apple has joined the Blender Development Fund to support continued development of the free open source 3D graphics tool.

Alongside a contribution to the Development Fund, Apple will provide engineering expertise and additional resources to Blender and its broader development community to help support Blender artists and developers, according to the announcement.

Blender CEO Ton Roosendaal said the announcement means that "macOS will be back as a complete supported Blender platform."

Blender said its Development Fund accepts donations "to support activities to provide free and open accessible services for all Blender contributors," including bug fixing, code reviews, technical documentation, and onboarding.

The fund will also provide grants and subsidies to developers on generic and widely agreed development projects, according to Blender.

Florida plans to make a digital ID app available to residents on the App Store in mid-November, and the state is working with Apple to also make the digital IDs available in the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, according to Florida Politics.

Last month, Apple revealed the first U.S. states that will be rolling out the ability for residents to add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app, including Arizona, Georgia, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah. Florida was not included in the list, but this week's report claims the state's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has now exchanged info with Apple in hopes of becoming a partner.

In the meantime, Florida will be offering a Smart ID app that residents can use to provide proof of identity or age. It will not replace a physical driver's license, which will still need to be carried when operating a vehicle, according to the state.

From the Florida Smart ID website:

After downloading and authenticating, Florida motorists will simply launch their Florida Smart ID app, select the type of verification needed, and display the QR/barcode on their smart device to be scanned for verification. The smart device does not need to leave the owner's hand when being verified by a retailer or by law enforcement, making Florida Smart ID a contact-free and convenient way to display proof of identity or age.

iOS 15 will gain support for digital IDs in the Wallet app in "late 2021," according to Apple, but the timeframe for each state adopting the feature is unclear. Last month, Apple confirmed it was in discussions with many more U.S. states as part of its plan to offer digital IDs in the Wallet app nationwide in the future, but no timeframe was provided.

Apple said select TSA security checkpoints in participating U.S. airports will be the first locations where customers can present their digital driver's license or state ID in the Wallet app. The company said participating states and the TSA will share more information at a later date in regards to when and where the feature will be supported.

Once a participating state begins offering this capability, residents will be able to tap the plus sign at the top of the Wallet app to begin adding their driver's license or ID to the app, and then simply tap their iPhone or Apple Watch on an identity reader at a TSA checkpoint, without needing to take out their physical card.

Apple said the feature is designed with privacy and security in mind. When adding a driver's license or state ID card to the Wallet app, customers will be required to take a photo of their face, which Apple said will be securely provided to the issuing state for verification. As an additional measure, Apple said users will be prompted to complete a series of facial and head movements during the setup process.

Upon tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch on an identity reader, customers will see a prompt on their device displaying the specific information being requested by the TSA. Only after authorizing with Face ID or Touch ID is the requested identity information released from their device, according to Apple. Users do not need to unlock, show, or hand over their device to a TSA security officer to present their ID, the company added.

Apple said its implementation supports the ISO 18013-5 standard, which sets clear privacy guidelines for presenting an ID through a mobile device.

AT&T this week is hosting a sale where you can get 15 percent off a wide selection of Apple's first party accessories, including iPhone 13 cases, the new MagSafe Leather Wallet, and other MagSafe charging accessories.

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.

Sale prices have been applied automatically, so you won't need a coupon code to see the discounts. Besides MagSafe deals, we're also tracking markdowns on Apple's AirTag accessories, like the AirTag Loop and AirTag Leather Keyring.

For the charging accessories, AT&T's prices on the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger are not as good as the deals currently offered by Verizon, so you'll find those sales listed below among AT&T's offers. However, the price on the 20W USB-C Power Adapter at AT&T is among the best online.

Chargers

• 20W USB-C Power Adapter - $16.15, down from $19.00
• MagSafe Charger - $29.99 at Verizon, down from $39.00
• MagSafe Duo Charger - $96.74 at Verizon, down from $129.00

Cases

• iPhone 13 Pro Clear Case - $41.65, down from $49.00
• iPhone 13 Pro Black Silicone Case - $41.65, down from $49.00
• iPhone 13 Pro Black Leather Case - $50.15, down from $59.00
• iPhone 13 Pro Max Clear Case - $41.65, down from $49.00
• iPhone 13 Pro Max Black Silicone Case - $41.65, down from $49.00
• iPhone 13 Pro Max Black Leather Case - $50.15, down from $59.00

Wallet

• MagSafe Wallet with Find My - $50.15, down from $59.00

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

With Apple's redesigned MacBook Pro believed to be just days away from being announced at Apple's "Unleashed" event, we have compiled all of the coherent rumors from our news coverage to build a full picture of the features and upgrades coming to the company's highly-anticipated new laptops.

It is worth noting that the rumors below are aggregated from our coverage from a wide range of sources, including leakers, analysts, and publications. The reliability of each source varies, so some of the rumored features may need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

That being said, this year's ‌MacBook Pro‌ rumors have been very consistent, with sources including Ming-Chi Kuo, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and "Dylandkt," as well as MacRumors' own findings, presenting a very similar picture of the new machines.

• 14-inch and 16-inch models with the same performance across both machines.
• Slimmer bezels and no MacBook Pro logo below the display.
• Mini-LED displays with ProMotion and resolutions of 3024 x 1964 and 3456 x 2234, resulting in higher contrast and brightness, as well as smoother on-screen motion. A camera and sensor notch at the top edge of the display is also a possibility.
• 1080p webcam for improved video calls, up from 720p on the current models.
• Flatter design, more akin to the design of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13.
• Six ports, including two Thunderbolt ports and a MagSafe charging port on the left side of the machine, and an HDMI port, a Thunderbolt port, and SD-card reader on the right side of the machine. This means that there are three Thunderbolt ports expected, one less than on current high-end MacBook Pros.
• No OLED Touch Bar, with full-size physical function keys instead.
• "M1X" chip with a 10-core CPU that features eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores, along with 16-core and 32-core GPU options, and support for up to 64GB of RAM.
• Improved thermal design for the 14-inch model, mirroring the improvements that came to the 16-inch model in 2019, including a larger heat pipe and heat sink, as well as added thermal pads.
• High-Power Mode to optionally boost performance when not connected to power.
• 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage as standard with the base configurations.
• Larger battery for the 14-inch model and a slightly smaller battery for the 16-inch model, relative to the current models.
• MagSafe charging like older MacBook Pro models, now featuring faster charging speeds and a redesigned power brick.

The overall view of the redesigned ‌MacBook Pro‌ rumors gives a good idea of many of the upcoming upgrades and what users can largely expect from the new machines when they are officially revealed. Apple's "Unleashed" special event takes place on Monday, October 18, where the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are widely expected to be announced. For more detailed information about the redesigned ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, see our comprehensive "Everything We Know" guide.

Update October 15: Updated to include mention of a last-minute rumor of a display notch.

Walmart today has a rare deal on Apple's HomePod mini, priced at $74.17, down from $99.00. This sale is only available in the White color.

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.

The HomePod mini is shipped and sold directly by Walmart, and it's in stock and ready to ship today. This sale is now the lowest we've ever seen the HomePod mini go, surpassing a previous discount to around $90 earlier this year.

We track the best deals on HomePod every week, so be sure to bookmark our guide if you're on the hunt for solid HomePod discounts.

Update: The HomePod mini is now out of stock.

Since its launch in 2007, the price of the iPhone has gone up more than 80% around the world, according to a new study that looked at iPhone prices all over the world and their increase and decrease over the years.

According to the study conducted by Self, since its launch in 2007 and subsequent annual upgrades, the price of iPhones has increased more than 80%, now costing over $400 more on average to buy in countries around the world compared to the original iPhone.

Since its US launch in 2007 and subsequent years in other countries, iPhone prices have increased by 81% across the globe. This means that in 2021, the latest flagship iPhone model costs $437 more to buy in each of the 38 countries it's available in than it used to.

While the price increase comes alongside more advanced technology and increases in production costs, the increase also comes as a result of inflation and Apple having to sometimes increase prices to counter economic growth.

However, many countries have experienced inflation and growth in purchasing power in the years between, and our research shows that Apple have risen iPhone prices 26% higher than local inflation rates. This means that local affordability for a flagship iPhone costs people around the world $154 more in real terms than the first models they could purchase.

As part of its research, Self has created an interactive map that highlights the changes in iPhone prices in real-world terms as a percentage of GDP over the last 14 years in more than 30 countries around the world. According to that map, the United Arab Emirates has witnessed the largest increase in the price of the iPhone, with the latest model costing more than double what it did when it originally launched.

The Apple Watch Series 7 officially hits the shelves and starts arriving with customers worldwide tomorrow. While we have seen media reviews of the new watch, we've yet to see a clear real-world comparison to last year's Apple Watch Series 6 until now.

Apple says the new Apple Watch Series 7 features a 20% larger screen than the Series 6, primarily thanks to reduced bezels that allow the screen to slightly curve at the edges. Apple has a side-by-side comparison of the Series 7 to the Series 6 on its website, but for an apparent, real-world look, an image has now been shared on Twitter.

The image clearly shows the Apple Watch Series 7 featuring a noticeably larger display than the Series 6, despite the case size only increasingly slightly. To take advantage of the larger display, Apple has updated watchOS's user interface to include larger buttons, as well as a full on-screen QWERTY keyboard.

Alongside its larger display, the ‌Apple Watch Series 7‌ also features faster charging and improved durability. Learn everything you need to know about the Series 7 using our guide.