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According to a leak, Huawei's upcoming Kirin processor for PCs will feature next-generation Taishan V130 cores and next-generation graphics. View the full article

Of all the biggest missed opportunities in Microsoft’s rather long history of squandered chances, Windows on Arm is the one I’m saddest about – but that could soon change. When Windows 10 on Arm was first being touted (the less said about the earlier Windows RT the better), the promise of a fully-fledged version of Windows running on Arm-based hardware usually found in smartphones and tablets (rather than the more common Intel and AMD hardware) was incredibly exciting. We were told that Windows 10 on Arm would combine the power and flexibility of the best laptops with some of the best features of smartphones and tablets – particularly speedy boot times, fast resume, always-connected internet, and day-long battery life. Unfortunately, the reality was quite different from those lofty promises. While battery lives of Windows 10 on Arm devices were certainly impressive for the time, performance was poor, especially considering that Windows 10 on Arm devices were also very expensive. Worst of all, these devices could only run apps downloaded from the Windows Store (now known as the Microsoft Store), and those apps had to have Arm-compatible versions. (Image credit: Microsoft / Dell) Unfortunately, most Windows apps are designed for Intel and AMD hardware (also known as x64 architecture). This makes sense as the vast majority of Windows devices – especially during the Windows 10 years – was built on x64 hardware. So, many app developers didn’t see the point of making Arm-compatible versions, and this meant that not only were Windows 10 on Arm devices more expensive and less powerful than standard Windows 10 laptops, but they also couldn't run a lot of the most popular applications – a fatal combination. Poor sales of Windows on Arm devices inevitably followed, and that, in turn, meant app developers were less likely to port their products to Arm. (Image credit: Yaaaaayy / Shutterstock) Breaking the vicious cycle Unfortunately, the lack of both apps and customers set off a vicious cycle that impacted the success of later Windows 11 on Arm devices. However, there have been some exciting breakthroughs that could positively affect the fortunes of Windows 11 on Arm devices, and might finally allow them to reach their full potential. The most important development has been the launch of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus and Elite chips. Qualcomm is one of the biggest companies in the world, and while it might not have the kind of brand recognition that the likes of Intel and AMD have, its Arm-based chips have been powering millions of mobile devices around the world. The company has been a key partner of Microsoft’s when it comes to Windows on Arm devices and has applied its experience of making Arm chips for mobile devices to create more powerful chips for computing devices. While these haven’t always been successful, the latest generation promises some very exciting things. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite is the most powerful variant, and it’s shaping up to be an Arm chip that could finally live up to expectations. My colleague, UK Computing Editor Christian Guyton, was particularly impressed when he tested out some prototype laptops earlier this month that were powered by the X Elite. He was able to play Baldur’s Gate 3, a rather complex game, at a decent framerate and resolution. This struck me as evidence that Qualcomm might have cracked two of the biggest issues with Windows on Arm devices. First, there’s the performance. While Baldur’s Gate 3 on the Snapdragon X Elite-powered device was playable, it won’t trouble the best gaming laptops – but the fact that it even ran at all is impressive. This bodes well for the day-to-day performance of Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops. There’s also the important fact that there’s no Arm version of Baldur’s Gate 3 for Windows devices. This means that the game is using emulation to allow it to work on Arm hardware. This comes at a performance cost, which makes the playable state of the game on the Snapdragon X Elite even more impressive. It also shows that even demanding non-Arm applications can be made to work on Arm hardware without needing a native Arm version. This could pave the way for more programs coming to Windows on Arm – and it isn’t dependent on the developers making dedicated versions. This could address the issue of a lack of apps on Windows on Arm. Alongside the Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomm also has Snapdragon X Plus, a more affordable chip that lowers the CPU core count (10 cores compared to the Elite’s 12) and lower speed (3.4GHz vs 3.8GHz). If the performance remains competitive (and early benchmark leaks suggest that it does), and the price is low enough, we could see Windows on Arm devices that aren’t overpriced and offer much better value for money – addressing yet another common criticism of Windows on Arm devices. (Image credit: Apple) The Apple effect Before the launch of the Snapdragon X series, Windows on Arm was in a bad place. Things looked particularly grim as Microsoft’s old rival, Apple, was enjoying huge success and critical acclaim with its lineup of Macs powered by its M1 (and later M2 and M3) chips – which are built on Arm architecture. While Windows on Arm struggled, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) and co were proving that Arm-powered laptops weren’t just viable, they could be the future of computing. Offering the long battery lives and quick startups we’d been promised, Apple’s first generation of Mac and MacBooks that ran on the company’s Arm-based chips, rather than the Intel hardware of older models, were a hit. And, while the MacBook Air’s launch price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,599 wasn’t exactly cheap, it was a competitive price point. And with the M1 providing an excellent level of performance, the high price tag is far more justified. The best thing about the M1 Apple Macs was a tool by Apple called Rosetta 2. This was an emulation layer that allowed almost all existing Mac apps to run on the new M1 hardware. This meant Mac users switching to an M1 device would be able to use pretty much all of their important apps and programs, even if M1 native apps were thin on the ground. This was a canny move by Apple, as it meant that M1 products were a big success, and because of that, app developers started making versions of their products that could run on M1 hardware without the need for emulation – and could take full advantage of Apple’s chip. When the M2 series of Macs and MacBooks came out, Rosetta 2 was still in use – but the number of times I’ve had to use it when using an M2 MacBook dropped significantly, as there was a growing library of M2 apps. By the time the M3 chips rolled around late last year, the number of times I (and other users) had to rely on Rosetta 2 was even rarer. Very few bits of software can be considered a success if fewer people need to use it, but that’s exactly what happened here. Rosetta 2 allowed Mac owners to switch to Arm-based Macs with ease, while also giving app developers the time to develop native apps. And the more people that switched to Arm Macs, the more attractive it became for app developers to port their apps to the platform. (Image credit: Accogliente Design / Shutterstock) It’s now up to Microsoft So, Apple proved that Arm-based laptops can be successful, and Qualcomm looks like it could have addressed many of the hardware issues. Does this mean the next generation of Windows on Arm devices will be a slam dunk? Sadly, that’s not a guarantee just yet as there’s one company that needs to pull its weight to give Windows on Arm devices their best chance of success: Microsoft. While it’s obvious that Microsoft would want Windows on Arm to succeed, the way it’s handled previous generations has been frustrating. The fact that there’s never been a tool similar to Rosetta 2 that would make running non-Arm apps run easily is particularly annoying. Now, I’m sure this is due to it being a very complex job. After all, Windows devices are made by various manufacturers that use components from different companies, which leads to a potentially limitless range of Windows PC configurations. Macs, on the other hand, have much more limited configurations, with the hardware mainly being built by Apple. However, the lack of apps is perhaps the biggest hurdle still standing for Windows on Arm, especially when there are Macs out there that can run a much wider range of apps. And, this is a problem that should be in Microsoft’s powers to do something about. Microsoft does have tools for getting non-Arm software running on Arm hardware using emulation, but it hasn’t taken off in the same way, mainly because it’s not as easy to use and doesn’t work quite as well, with some apps still refusing to run. If Microsoft can’t come up with a Rosetta 2-beating solution, then it needs to do more work convincing app developers to port their software to Arm. This might be a difficult feat, especially when the user base is so low, but Microsoft is a very successful company with plenty of resources. It could provide financial incentives, or offer developers and tools to help port the biggest apps. Microsoft is also a hardware company, and its past attempts to create Windows on Arm devices suffered from the problems that have become all too familiar. The Surface Pro X, for example, came with Microsoft’s SQ1 Arm-based chip, made in conjunction with Qualcomm. It was also overpriced and didn’t perform well. However, rumors are swirling that Microsoft could be releasing Surface Pro and Surface Laptop devices soon that will feature Snapdragon X chips. If Microsoft can nail both the software and hardware sides, we could see a new era of Windows on Arm devices that are actually worth buying. And Microsoft could give Apple’s rumored M4-powered Macs a run for their money. However, if these devices come out with unappealing price tags, poor performance, and a continued lack of app support, then it could be the end of the Windows on Arm dream. After all, if Microsoft itself can’t make a success of it, what hope do other companies have? You might also like Forget Apple’s M4 MacBooks – Lenovo’s Snapdragon X Elite laptops have been spottedSnapdragon X Elite hype builds as Qualcomm shows off Apple M3-beating CPU that can handle laptop gaming nicelyApple just saved Arm-based Windows laptops, and it’s a wakeup call Intel needs View the full article

Apple's 13-inch M3 MacBook Air, M1 iPad Air, and M3 iMac are the highlights of this week's best deals, and they include multiple record low prices across each product lineup. 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. MacBook Air What's the deal? Get up to $110 off 13-inch M3 MacBook Air Where can I get it? Amazon and Best Buy Where can I find the original deal? Right here $110 OFF13-inch M3 MacBook Air (256GB) for $989.00 $100 OFF13-inch M3 MacBook Air (8GB RAM/512GB SSD) for $1,199.00 $100 OFF13-inch M3 MacBook Air (16GB RAM/512GB SSD) for $1,399.00 Early in the week, we began tracking a few deals on the new 13-inch M3 MacBook Air at Best Buy, and this sale has now expanded to include Amazon. In fact, at Amazon you can now get the 256GB notebook for the new all-time low price of $989.00, $10 below Best Buy's sale. iPad Air What's the deal? Get $100 off M1 iPad Air Where can I get it? Best Buy Where can I find the original deal? Right here $100 OFF64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air for $499.99 $100 OFF256GB Wi-Fi iPad Air for $649.99 $100 OFF64GB Cellular iPad Air for $649.99 $100 OFF256GB Cellular iPad Air for $799.99 Best Buy has the 2022 iPad Air for $100 off every configuration this weekend. These are solid second-best prices across the board, starting at $499.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi tablet. iMac What's the deal? Get up to $105 off M3 iMac Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $100 OFFM3 iMac (8-core/256GB) for $1,199.00 $105 OFFM3 iMac (10-core/512GB) for $1,594.00 Amazon this week introduced solid discounts on a few M3 iMac models, starting at $1,199.00 for the 256GB model and increasing to $1,594.00 for the 512GB computer. The latter deal is a match of the all-time low price on this version of the 2023 iMac. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: Shop Low Prices on M3 MacBook Air, M3 iMac, and M1 iPad Air" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple is likely to skip an M3 version of the Mac mini in favor of a bigger update with M4 chips toward the end of the year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that he does not expect Apple to refresh the ‌Mac mini‌ with M3 chips. Apple last updated the ‌Mac mini‌ with the M2 and ‌M2‌ Pro chips in January 2023. Other new features included two extra Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI 2.1 port for ‌M2‌ Pro configurations, Wi-Fi 6E support with a compatible router, and Bluetooth 5.3. Gurman previously said that Apple is planning to release new ‌Mac mini‌ models with M4 and M4 Pro chips "between the end of 2024 and early 2025." Now, he has clarified that with new Mac minis arriving as soon as the end of the year, there is not sufficient "room for M3 models to come out before then, so it's probably safe to say that those Mac desktops will skip the M3 generation." Such a move would not be unprecedented since the iMac skipped the ‌M2‌ chip entirely, holding off until a bigger performance bump with the M3 chip late last year. With the M4 chip series, the ‌Mac mini‌ should get a significant CPU performance improvement compared to the existing models with the ‌M2‌ series. The M4 chips are also rumored to have a faster Neural Engine for artificial intelligence tasks.Related Roundup: Mac miniTags: Bloomberg, Mark Gurman, M4 MacsBuyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Neutral)Related Forum: Mac mini This article, "Apple Likely Planning to Skip M3 Mac Mini for M4 Refresh in Late 2024" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Microsoft will advertise that its upcoming Windows laptops with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processor are faster than the MacBook Air with Apple's latest M3 chip, according to internal documents obtained by The Verge. "Microsoft is so confident in these new Qualcomm chips that it's planning a number of demos that will show how these processors will be faster than an M3 MacBook Air for CPU tasks, AI acceleration, and even app emulation," the report says. Microsoft believes its laptops will offer "faster app emulation" than Apple's Rosetta 2. Introduced in October, the Snapdragon X Elite has Arm-based architecture like Apple silicon. Qualcomm last year claimed that the processor achieved 21% faster multi-core CPU performance than the M3 chip, based on the Geekbench 6 benchmark tool. There are a few caveats here, including that Microsoft and Qualcomm are comparing to Apple's lower-end M3 chip instead of its higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. MacBooks with Apple silicon also offer industry-leading performance-per-watt, while the Snapdragon X Elite will likely run hotter and require laptops with fans. Since being updated with the M1 chip in 2020, the MacBook Air has featured a fanless design. Apple can also optimize the performance of MacBooks since it controls both the hardware and macOS software. Nevertheless, it is clear that Apple's competitors are making progress with Arm-based laptops. Microsoft plans to announce laptops powered by the Snapdragon X Elite later this year, including the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 on May 20.Tags: Microsoft, Qualcomm This article, "Microsoft Says Windows Laptops With Snapdragon X Elite Will Be Faster Than M3 MacBook Air" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

With Apple WWDC 2024 on the way in a couple of months, a lot of expectation is building that Apple will announce its last SoC for this generation, the Apple M3 Ultra, a powerhouse chip that will run high-end Mac Studio and Mac Pro workstations. Apple surprised everyone at the end of October 2023 with its Scary Fast event, where we got not just the expected Apple M3 chip, but also the Apple M3 Pro and Apple M3 Max. These chips were socketed in the new iMac 24-inch (M3), MacBook Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch models, as well as the new MacBook Air 13-inch and MacBook Air 15-inch. The last Mac products expected to launch before the whole Mac lineup gets refreshed for Apple M4 is the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, both of which are still using the Apple M2 Max and Apple M2 Ultra chips. With the strong industry and developer focus at WWDC, it would make a lot of sense for these two products to get a spec refresh with a new Apple M3 Ultra, and it's something that we're eagerly anticipating, even though Apple has been rather quiet on this front, per usual. So what do we know about this upcoming SoC? Let's dig in and find out. Apple M3 Ultra: Cut to the chase What is it? Apple's next workstation-class SoCHow much does it cost? It won't sell on its own, but a Mac Studio with M3 Ultra will likely cost about $4,000/£4,000/AU$6,000 to start, with higher level configurations costing much more.When can I get it? There is no official release date, but if Apple announces at WWDC, you will likely be able to pre-order the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra starting on June 7, 2024, with delivery later that month. Apple M3 Ultra: Latest news The M3 Ultra could debut this year – but is Apple leaving the Mac Pro out in the cold?Apple M3 Ultra CPU might blow away M3 Max – but we won’t find out for a long time yetApple’s M3 Ultra chips promise a huge performance jump - if rumors are true Apple M3 Ultra: Possible Release date There is no official release date for the Apple M3 Ultra, but it is likely to be announced as early as June 7, 2024, at WWDC 2024. If so, we can expect preorders for Mac Studio and Mac Pro units with M3 Ultra to start that day, with delivery starting a few weeks after that. Apple M3 Ultra: Specs & Performance While we don't have anything official from Apple about the Apple M3 Ultra, we do know that the Ultra series SoCs are traditionally two Max chips stitched together with high-speed interconnects, so we can speculate about the M3 Ultra based on what we know about the Apple M3 Max. In terms of performance, we absolutely expect that this will be one of the most powerful workstation chips on the market, but with the Apple ecosystem, its not apples-to-apples comparing the chip to, say, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7995WX. The software ecosystems for different workstation chips can be very different, and there may be Apple-specific or Windows/Linux-specific apps that you run, so your options for switching between the two chips will be much more limited than choosing between an Intel Xeon and AMD Threadripper. That said, we can get a sense of the performance jump for the M3 Ultra over the M1 Ultra, since the M1 Ultra effectively doubled the performance of the M1 Max. And since the M3 Max is nearly twice as powerful as the M1 Max (Apple claims up to 80% faster), we can expect the M3 Ultra to mirror that performance jump. Apple M3 Ultra: What to expect You can definitely expect a lot of performance from this chip, no question, but it won't be cheap. You also might question whether you'll truly need this level of performance. Maybe if you're a Mac Pro buyer with an industry of money supporting the purchase, but this won't be for prosumers, who might be more inclined to check out a Mac Studio. In that case, an M2 Ultra Mac Studio might be the better option, since it is still going to be a very powerful workstation and will almost certainly come down in cost. That still remains to be seen, of course, and we'll have to wait for an official announcement from Apple before we know more. Stay tuned! View the full article

Qualcomm continues to keep itself busy building up expectations for the incoming Snapdragon X Elite processor, and some freshly revealed hands-on experiences certainly add fuel to this particular fire. Our sister site Tom’s Hardware got the chance to try out a bunch of laptops that have the new ARM-based chip, while listening to claims from Qualcomm about how the Snapdragon X Elite will outgun both Intel’s Core Ultra (Meteor Lake) laptop CPUs and Apple’s M3 silicon (which is a rival ARM part). According to Qualcomm’s testing – add a little seasoning as always with internal benchmarks, not that they’d be faked, of course, but they’re inevitably cherry-picked to present hardware in the best light – the Snapdragon X Elite easily beats Apple’s M3 SoC in Geekbench 6. In multi-threaded testing, the Snapdragon was close to 30% faster than the M3, in fact – although Qualcomm did not provide a single-threaded comparison. Even more eye-opening was the race against Intel, which pretty much saw Team Blue eating Qualcomm’s dust. The Snapdragon X Elite proved 52% quicker in multi-threaded performance, and 54% faster than the Core Ultra 7 155H for single-threaded performance. That’s when both chips have the same power usage – alternatively, the Elite could match the 155H performance-wise while using 60% or 65% less power (for multi- and single-threaded respectively). Pretty impressive? Certainly, although we should bear in mind that Intel does have Lunar Lake CPUs inbound this year, which may not be too far behind Qualcomm’s chip – and those next-gen laptop processors promise to seriously drive forward with power-efficiency. Turning to integrated graphics, the Snapdragon X Elite is apparently up to 36% faster than Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H, although note the ‘up to’ and that this is a vague assertion (we’re not told what the benchmarking involved). That’s what we mean about cherry-picking, and in the case of integrated graphics, Qualcomm didn’t draw any comparison with the Apple M3 (or faster Intel silicon such as the Core Ultra 9). (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne) Gaming goodness On the gaming front, we also have the hands-on experience of Digital Trends to draw on. The site found that on one of Qualcomm’s reference laptops, the Snapdragon X Elite was able to run Control fairly smoothly at 35 frames per second (at 1080p, with low to medium graphics settings). With the same settings, Baldur’s Gate 3 ran at 30 fps on average. Those are pretty impressive results for contemporary games running under emulation (as it’s an ARM chip, remember, not x86). One of the big hopes for Windows on ARM devices is that emulating software and games (that can’t be run natively as they’re x86) will reach a level where it’s more than palatable, and the Snapdragon X Elite seems to be a good step forward in that direction. Via VideoCardz You might also like... Windows 11 remains an unloved OS – but why won't people upgrade?You can now run Windows 11 seamlessly on Apple silicon MacsDon’t make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11 View the full article

Best Buy is discounting a large collection of M3 MacBook Pro computers today, including both the 14-inch and 16-inch versions of the laptop. Every deal in this sale requires you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, although non-members can still get solid second-best prices on these MacBook Pro models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. These deals are part of a larger sitewide sale at Best Buy, which also includes discounts on video games, TVs, tablets, headphones, and more. Another highlight of this event is the PlayStation 5 Slim Bundle with Marvel's Spider-Man for $449.99, down from $499.99. The PlayStation 5 Slim (Digital Edition) Spider-Man 2 Bundle is available for $399.99, down from $449.99. These are both solid $50 discounts on the rarely discounted console. 14-Inch MacBook Pro Starting with the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, there are three total models on sale right now at Best Buy. The cheapest model is the 512GB M3 Pro model at $1,749.00, down from $1,999.00. Note: My Best Buy Plus/Total membership required to see final deal price. $250 OFFM3 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro (512GB) for $1,749.00 $250 OFFM3 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro (1TB) for $2,149.00 $250 OFFM3 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro (1TB) for $2,949.0016-Inch MacBook Pro You'll find bigger deals on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, particularly on the M3 Max models of the computer. For the M3 Pro models, prices start at $2,249.00 for the 512GB/18GB RAM 16-inch MacBook Pro and increase to $2,649.00 for the 512GB/36GB RAM model, both of which are all-time low prices. Note: My Best Buy Plus/Total membership required to see final deal price. $250 OFFM3 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro (512GB, 18GB RAM) for $2,249.00 $250 OFFM3 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro (512GB, 36GB RAM) for $2,649.00 $255 OFFM3 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro (1TB, 36GB RAM) for $3,244.00 $295 OFFM3 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro (1TB, 48GB RAM) for $3,704.00 Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, "Best Buy Introduces All-Time Low Prices on Apple's M3 MacBook Pro for Members" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The date has finally been set for Apple’s annual announcement event WWDC, and we expect some new AI announcements alongside software refreshes like macOS Sonoma updates and a peak at iOS 18. While that’s all pretty exciting, I’m not interested in any of that! What I want to see is an M3 Mac mini - in pink. Now, I know right off the back that sound’s a little outlandish. Asking for an M3 Mac mini seems pretty reasonable to me, though - I mean, Apple launched the M2 Mac mini last year in January, so it’ll be almost a year and a half by the time WWDC kicks off on June 10, 2024. The MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac have been updated with the M3 chip, so it’s about time the Mac mini got the same treatment. The M3 chip was announced at Apple’s Scary Fast event last October and has proven to be the best processor Apple has put out so far. The system-on-a-chip (SoC) has the same 8-core CPU architecture as the M2 chip but offers better performance thanks to the increased number of transistors on the chip. Multi-core CPU tests were up 18%, which bodes well for people who need a laptop that can handle hefty video-rendering tasks without breaking a sweat. Prettier in pink I use an M1 Mac mini almost every day for work or my own writing and online shopping (lots of online shopping), and I’ve been waiting for the Mac mini to not just get an updated chip but to join the iMac in getting some more colorful designs. I adore the colors of the iMac, but I could never commit to buying one of the best all-in-one’s with the current size of my desktop setup at home. The Mac mini is the perfect size for me and honestly looks super cute - just imagine how much cuter it could be if it came in color! Mac mini’s are so versatile and used by all sorts of creative people like movie makers, musicians, artists, and more. I think adding a splash of color would lend the same uniqueness and ‘icon’ status that iMac already enjoys. Out of the two, the iMac has more of a market share than the Mac mini, and having an interesting design change could be a start for making the Mac mini more popular. Apple wouldn’t even need to start with a whole new color palette - the colors of the iMac are perfect as they are and could easily be transferred over to the mini PCs! The pink iMac is my absolute favorite, and I can’t even imagine how adorable it would be to have a pastel pink Mac mini on my desk. But setting my Barbie-themed computing dreams aside, I do really hope we see the Mac mini get an M3 refresh. You might also like... Apple Maps on iPhone could soon get a useful hiking feature from the Apple WatchiOS 18: rumored features, predicted release date, and everything we want to seeThe Magic Mouse could get a fascinating reboot, according to Apple's new ideas View the full article

The first ever discount on Apple Vision Pro headlines this week's best Apple deals, and it's still available at Woot. You'll also find great discounts on the new M3 MacBook Air models, second generation Apple Watch SE, and an all-time low price on the AirTag 4-Pack. 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. Apple Vision Pro What's the deal? Get $200 off Apple Vision Pro Where can I get it? Woot Where can I find the original deal? Right here $200 OFFApple Vision Pro for $3,299.00 The most notable deal of the week came from Woot, which still has the first discount that we've ever seen on Apple Vision Pro. Woot offers small and medium sizes for the solo knit band and dual loop band, as well as the 21W light seal. The headset is in new condition and comes with a one year Apple Manufacturer Limited Warranty. MacBook Pro What's the deal? Get $300 off 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro Where can I get it? Amazon $300 OFF14-inch M3 MacBook Pro (8GB RAM, 1TB) for $1,499.00 Amazon has a new record low discount on Apple's 14-inch 1TB M3 MacBook Pro, available for $1,499.00, down from $1,799.00. This is a massive $300 markdown on the computer, and the best price that we've ever tracked on this 8GB RAM/1TB model. MacBook Air What's the deal? Get up to $125 off 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $100 OFF13-inch M3 MacBook Air (256GB) for $999.00 $95 OFF15-inch M3 MacBook Air (256GB) for $1,204.00 $110 OFF15-inch M3 MacBook Air (8GB RAM, 512GB) for $1,389.00 $125 OFF15-inch M3 MacBook Air (16GB RAM, 512GB) for $1,574.00 We saw Apple's 13-inch and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air hit multiple new all-time low prices this week, and they're all still available on Amazon. Prices start as low as $999.00 for the 256GB 13-inch M3 MacBook Air, and for 15-inch models this sale has expanded since we originally posted, now including two 512GB models. Apple Watch SE What's the deal? Get $60 off Apple Watch SE Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $60 OFFApple Watch SE (40mm GPS) for $189.00 $60 OFFApple Watch SE (44mm GPS) for $219.00 Next, the Apple Watch SE hit second-best prices at Amazon this week, available for $60 off both the 40mm and 44mm GPS models. Compared to previous sales, these are just $10 higher than all-time low prices, so they're still great deals for anyone shopping for a cheaper Apple Watch this Spring. AirTag What's the deal? Get $24 off the AirTag 4-Pack Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $24 OFFAirTag 4-Pack for $74.99 Finally, Amazon has a record low price on the AirTag 4-Pack this week, available for $74.99, down from $99.00. This is one of the only times we've tracked the AirTag 4-Pack at this low price in 2024, so we definitely recommend purchasing if you've been waiting for a great deal. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: Apple Vision Pro Gets First Discount Alongside All-Time Lows on New M3 MacBook Air" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

It is Friday, March 8 in New Zealand and Australia, which means customers who pre-ordered one of the new machines in those two countries are receiving their MacBook Air models. Introduced on Monday of this week, the updated 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ models are equipped with the same M3 chip that was introduced in the MacBook Pro late last year. M2 vs. M3 MacBook Air Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared There are no external changes to the ‌MacBook Air‌, with Apple instead focusing on internal updates. The M3 chip is up to 30 percent faster than the M2 chip in terms of CPU performance, and there are notable GPU improvements with Apple adding support for Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, hardware-accelerated mesh shading, and support for AV1 decode. Other improvements to the ‌MacBook Air‌ include support for two external displays when the machine is used in clamshell mode, support for Wi-Fi 6E, enhanced voice clarity for audio and video calls, and a new anodization seal to reduce fingerprints on the Midnight finish. Apple retail stores in Australia are selling the new ‌MacBook Air‌ machines, and there is plenty of stock for walk-in customers. Apple does not operate stores in New Zealand, so customers in that country need to order online. Following New Zealand and Australia, sales and deliveries of the new ‌‌MacBook Air‌ models will launch in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and finally, North America. We'll be sharing a hands-on review of the new M3 ‌MacBook Air‌ in the morning after picking up one of the new devices.Related Roundup: MacBook AirBuyer's Guide: 15" MacBook Air (Buy Now), 13" MacBook Air (Buy Now)Related Forum: MacBook Air This article, "M3 MacBook Air Models Now Arriving to Customers in New Zealand and Australia" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The new MacBook Air models that are set to be released tomorrow will have a day-one update, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. Both the 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ models that are set to launch tomorrow are running a special build of macOS Sonoma 14.3, with a version number of 23D2057. Users will be prompted to update to ‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.4 tomorrow, as the software saw a public release today. Given the timing of the software's launch and the debut of the new ‌MacBook Air‌ models, Apple was not able to get the ‌macOS Sonoma‌ 14.4 update installed on them. Apple's M3 ‌MacBook Air‌ models are priced starting at $1099 for the 13-inch version and $1299 for the 15-inch version. Customers who pre-ordered will receive their machines on March 8, which is also when the new ‌MacBook Air‌ models will be available in Apple retail locations.Related Roundups: MacBook Air, macOS SonomaBuyer's Guide: 15" MacBook Air (Buy Now), 13" MacBook Air (Buy Now)Related Forums: MacBook Air, macOS Sonoma This article, "New M3 MacBook Air Models to Have Day-One macOS Update" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M3 chip launch this Friday. Ahead of time, the first reviews and unboxing videos for the laptops have been shared by some media outlets and YouTube channels. Key new features added to both MacBook Air models include Apple's M3 chip for faster performance, Wi-Fi 6E support, expanded external display support, an anodization seal that reduces fingerprints on the Midnight finish, and microphone improvements. Reviews M3 Chip Both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air are now available with the M3 chip for faster performance and improved power efficiency. As expected, an early benchmark result revealed that the M3 chip is up to 20% faster than the M2 chip in the previous MacBook Air models in terms of CPU performance. These results are consistent with the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip. Jason Snell shared benchmark results in his review on Six Colors: With the M3 chip, the MacBook Air has also gained hardware-accelerated ray tracing for improved graphics rendering in games, along with AV1 video decoding. Two External Displays While previous MacBook Air models with Apple silicon officially support only one external display, the new models support two external displays. However, a second display can only be used when the MacBook Air's lid is closed. When the lid is open, the new models support one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz. When the lid is closed, a second display with up to 5K resolution at 60Hz can be connected, according to Apple's tech specs. Image Credit: CNET CNET's Joshua Goldman: With the M3 MacBook Airs, you can connect two external displays directly to the Thunderbolt USB-C ports, which will also power the MacBook. However, doing this comes at the cost of the MacBook Air's display; the lid must be closed in order to drive both external monitors. On the surface, this doesn't seem like much of an issue, unless you typically use your laptop's keyboard and trackpad while working on an external display. For me, the bigger hiccup is the loss of Touch ID on the Air's keyboard. You can just open and close the lid to use Touch ID, but I use mine so much during the day that that would get old really fast. The better option is to get Apple's Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and while you're at it, pick up a Magic Trackpad or Mouse to complete the package. Even more displays can be connected to the MacBook Air with the use of DisplayLink adapters. Fingerprint Seal for Midnight Color Just like the Space Black MacBook Pro, the Midnight MacBook Air now features an "anodization seal to reduce fingerprints," according to Apple. TheStreet's Jacob Krol: Thus far, it's clear that the anodization blocks most fingerprint smudges, and the M3 looks better than an M2 in the Midnight color. However, Midnight is a harder color to block all of them, as I am still seeing some, specifically on the top and bottom cases of the 15-inch. That being said, on the inside around the keyboard and on or off the trackpad, it does a really good job of stopping them. Wi-Fi 6E The new MacBook Airs support Wi-Fi 6E for "up to twice as fast" wireless download speeds compared to the previous models with Wi-Fi 6, according to Apple. Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference with a compatible device and router. The entire current-generation Mac lineup now supports Wi-Fi 6E. Microphone Upgrades Apple says the microphones in the new MacBook Air models offer "enhanced voice clarity in audio and video calls" compared to the previous models. The microphones also gained support for "Voice Isolation" and "Wide Spectrum" modes. Videos Related Roundup: MacBook Air Buyer's Guide: 15" MacBook Air (Buy Now), 13" MacBook Air (Buy Now) Related Forum: MacBook Air This article, "MacBook Air With M3 Chip: Reviews and Unboxing Videos" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Lost amid today's hoopla over a pair of brand-new M3 MacBook Air laptops was a none-too-subtle shift in product messaging that may mark Apple's official entry into the race to build an AI PC. In the press release on the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air ultraportables featuring the newest Apple silicon were two paragraphs devoted to claiming the MacBook Air is the "World’s Best Consumer Laptop for AI". Now, if you weren't tracking the computer industry as I do, you might've just chalked that up to some oddly specific boasting or hyperbole on Apple's part. I see it a little differently though. First, a little history. Up until 2020, virtually all new Apple Macs, including MacBook Airs ran Intel CPUs. That year, Apple announced its intention to build its own chips and ultimately replace all Intel CPUs with its bespoke system on a chip (SoC) that came to be known as Apple Silicon. The first such chip – the M1 – arrived on the much-loved MacBook Air M1 (now discontinued). The march of silicon The new Apple MacBook Air M3 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Apple eventually made good on its promise and through multiple iterations and upgrades, it finally replaced all Intel silicon with its own. Intel still owns most of the world of Windows PCs, but in some ways, Apple is seen as the system innovator, creating SoCs that run faster and more efficiently than anything Intel can produce. Intel's big plan for countering that perception, and exciting people who are looking for other ARM-based solutions that can run Windows as fast and efficiently as something like Apple silicon could, is to revise its whole chip lineup with Intel Core Ultra processors and, more importantly, the "AI PC." The AI part comes from the Neural Processing Unit or NPU that will pair with Intel Core Ultras as a sort of AI coprocessor. Intel has the support of virtually all major Windows PC manufacturers and, perhaps more importantly, Microsoft. The Redmond software giant is in the midst of a Copilot full-court press. The generative AI, formerly Bing AI chat, that it built with intelligence from OpenAI, is seemingly everywhere, and on AI PCs it'll appear as a Copilot keyboard button. What exactly any of us will do with an "AI PC" is unclear but we will be talking about these systems all summer and into the back-to-school buying season in the Northern Hemisphere. Apple, by some measures, owns just 17% of the PC market. Even if people do believe Apple silicon is better and macOS is a better platform than Windows, they can't afford to sit back and let Intel and Microsoft innovate and market themselves to even greater PC market heights. We know AI Apple MacBook Air M3 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) This brings us back to the "World's Best Laptop for Consumer AI." Apple has a point, though. It's been doing AI for ages, going back to adding its first Neural Engine in the iPhone 8 courtesy of the A11 Bionic CPU. You can draw a direct line from this early onboard machine learning system to the 16-core Neural engine on the M3. Apple has made no secret of its silicon's onboard AI capabilities, but it never positioned them front and center. That's all changing now. The company has no choice. Part of Apple's problem is that, unlike Microsoft, OpenAI (ChatGPT), and Google (Gemini), Apple has no generative AI product to speak of. Siri is not generative, it can't generate poetry, presentations or artwork. That's hamstrung Apple's efforts to appear ahead of the curve. In the release though, Apple specifically mentions Large Language Models (LLMs): "Combined with the unified memory architecture of Apple silicon, MacBook Air can also run optimized AI models, including large language models (LLMs) and diffusion models for image generation locally with great performance." The shape of things to come Apple MacBook Air M3 keyboard (no AI key on there yet). (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Running locally, without the need for potentially less secure or slower cloud support has always been Apple's secret AI sauce. However, Apple is fully aware that it can't win this game if it doesn't allow for cloud-based generative AI. In demonstrations shown to me, I saw the MacBook Air M3 able to run both cloud-based Microsoft CopIlot prompts, and local generative tasks with apps like Luminar Neo, which can take a blurry nighttime photo and add generative info to make the image usable. In both instances, their performance appeared almost instantaneous and easily as good as what you'd get from a Cloud-based generative AI. The point of showing off these apps and making these pronouncements though is not just about telling the world Apple does Gen AI, too. I think it's preparing us for what's to come. It's not just new products and press releases. Apple CEO Tim Cook now takes almost every opportunity to promise big things in Generative AI (remember when he used to talk up "AR"? What a difference a letter makes). Cook knows that Apple silicon is more than ready for Large Language Models and Generative AI for images and text, and we're going to see Apple take advantage of all that power starting with WWDC 2024 in June. That's the message from Apple when it comes to AI: You ain't seen nothing yet. You might also like iOS 18: rumored features, predicted release date, and everything we want to seeThe best MacBook and MacsApple MacBook Air (M2,) : A stunning redesign that comes at a ...Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3: everything we know so far ...I've been using a MacBook Air for a month and, no, I don't miss ... View the full article

Configs of Apple’s new Macs seemingly leak ahead of launch. View the full article