Tag Archives: iMac

Technology

Forget The New MacBook Pro, Apple Has Something Better

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Updated Jan 8th: article originally posted Jan 7th:

With Apple deciding to break a streak of two decades of launches by not announcing a new Mac in the last quarter of the year, what’s next for the MacBook family? I’m sure the faithful will always wait for the latest releases, but everyone else looking for a new MacBook right now may be considering Apple’s current offering in general, and the newest MacBook Pro in particular.

Yet every other option available both right now and in the near future is a far better choice than Apple’s latest laptop.

Update: Thursday January 7th: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman adds to the many voices of an update to the MacBook Air during 2023, reporting that a 15-inch display is the most likely candidate to be launched this year. But this comes with a disappointing note on another MacBook Air that many were hoping for.

Apple is no longer looking to release a 12-inch MacBook “in the near term”. This smaller model, reminiscent of the 12-inch MacBook that was available between 2015 and 2019, would have been a highly portable laptop paired up with the Apple Silicon technology to offer longer battery life with more power than the previous Intel-based 12-inch models offered.

Apple will no doubt steer those looking a smaller ‘laptop-like’ experience towards the existing 11-inch and 12-inch iPad Pro hardware.

Let’s remember that the current new MacBook Pro (released at WWDC in June 2022) is Apple’s awkward combination of an M2-powered MacBook Air with a MacGyvered fan for some extra cooling. That lets the processor run a little faster than the Air, but you are paying a lot for this slight increase over the Air. If you are in the MacBook game for power, you need a ‘professional’ MacBook Pro; those looking for Apple’s definition of value for money should stay with the MacBook Air.

What about those looking for raw power? The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets are more powerful but built on the previous generation of Apple Silicon. The eagerly awaited upgrade to the presumptively named M2 Pro and M2 Max that many expected to arrive in Q4 2022… did not appear. They’re on the cards for the first half of 2023.

Those looking for a larger laptop have lots of choices in the Windows market, but Apple has kept the larger-screened MacBook choices under the Pro designation. With Apple Silicon lifting the baseline of performance to levels more than suitable for most consumers (even if Tim Cook and his team missed their deadline), a larger screen on the MacBook Air would be one of the most anticipated upgrades. The supply chain suggests that Apple is preparing a 15-inch display for its consumer laptop – an option that would be a welcome diversion from Apple’s traditional portfolio.

It’s also worth asking if you actually need a laptop. Do you leave your desk and work on the move enough to justify the portability, or would a smartphone or tablet paired with an iMac or Mac Studio be a better choice?

You can look elsewhere in the current range, save up for a true powerhouse laptop, or wait for a larger display. Apple has many options now and in the near future… and they’re all better than the new MacBook Pro.

Now read the latest Mac, iPhone, and iPad headlines in Forbes’ weekly Apple Loop column…

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Technology

Gurman: New MacBook Pro Models to Launch in Early 2023, iMac With M3 Chip Possible Later in Year

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Apple plans to release new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chip options “early next year,” according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. The laptops were originally expected to launch this year, but reportedly faced delays internally.

No major changes are expected for the next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models beyond the upgraded chip options and possibly faster RAM.

The current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips were released in October 2021 and featured an all-new design with a notch in the display and the return of an HDMI port, MagSafe, and an SD card reader. Macs often go several years between redesigns, so a mere spec bump in 2023 makes sense.

Gurman also said a new iMac with an M3 chip will “probably launch at the end of 2023 at the earliest,” without sharing any further details. The current iMac launched in April 2021 with the M1 chip and a slim, colorful design, and Gurman previously said Apple planned to skip releasing an iMac with the M2 chip. He added that Apple remains interested in a new iMac Pro with Apple silicon, but that it has faced delays internally.

Apple also continues to test new Mac mini models with M2 and M2 Pro chip options, according to Gurman, but he did not share a launch timeframe.

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Technology

Belkin launches first Apple-approved 15W MagSafe car charger

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Belkin’s new MagSafe car charger

More than two years after the launch of MagSafe, the first Apple-Authorized car charger is here. Belkin’s new Boost Charger Pro Wireless Car Charger with MagSafe is available from Apple starting today.

To date, all wireless car chargers that magnetically connect to iPhone 12, iPhone 13, or iPhone 14 have been Qi chargers with a ring of magnets. This means they could only deliver 7.5W of power to iPhones.

Belkin, who also introduced the first official MagSafe car mount in 2020, is now releasing an MFi-certified MagSafe car charger. It will safely charge an iPhone with up to 15W of power, and is the first — and so far only — official MagSafe charger for cars.

The Belkin BoostCharge Pro Wireless Car Charger with MagSafe has a silver, oval-shaped body that is able to connect to your vehicle’s vents. It has an articulating clip to allow you to adjust to the best possible angle.

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Technology

First Touch Bar MacBook Pro models will become vintage on July 31

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Apple will be placing its first models of MacBook Pro equipped with the Touch Bar to its list of vintage products at the end of July.

Apple regularly designates its hardware as “vintage” or “obsolete” over time, with a small list of much-loved products consigned to the vintage collection each year. For July 2022, the additions include the first Touch Bar-equipped products.

The list of products that will be vintage includes the 2016 editions of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro, along with the 2016 12-inch MacBook, and the 2015 MacBook Air, an internal memo obtained by MacRumors states. The list also includes the 2015 21.5-inch iMac and 2015 Retina 5K 27-inch iMac.

Apple will also be deeming the 9.7-inch iPad Pro as vintage at the same time, the memo continued. All products will be designated as vintage on July 31.

A “vintage” classification is given to products five years after Apple stopped distributing it for sale. Vintage products aren’t typically serviced as easily as non-vintage items, but it is possible for parts to become available and for servicing to occur in rare circumstances.

After seven years of unavailability, a product is deemed “Obsolete,” and are not eligible for hardware servicing at Apple Stores or via authorized repair centers, with “no exceptions.”

The addition of the MacBook Pro models to the list would be fitting for the Touch Bar, as it is a feature that Apple has almost completely distanced itself from in its current roster. Out of all MacBook Pro models available for sale, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is the last to use it.

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Technology

Apple currently has no plans to release a larger-screen iMac

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With the introduction of the new Mac Studio and Studio Display, Apple quietly discontinued the 27-inch iMac – which was still sold with an Intel processor. While the company told the press that the 27-inch iMac is gone for good, rumors were suggesting that Apple has a new “iMac Pro” in the works, but this may no longer be the case.

Sources told 9to5Mac that Apple currently has no plans to release a larger-screen iMac in the near future. The information comes from the same sources that revealed to us the plans for Mac Studio and Studio Display in advance.

As we previously reported, Apple has been working on the next wave of Macs with the new M2 chip, which includes a new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. However, when it comes to the iMac, the company currently has no plans to release new high-end versions of its all-in-one desktop for now.

This not only applies to a larger screen model, but also versions with Pro, Max, or Ultra chips. Based on information seen by 9to5Mac, Apple is working on a new 24-inch iMac expected to be introduced sometime in 2023, but similar to the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro, it is unlikely to feature Apple’s high-end processors.

Of course, keep in mind that Apple’s plans may change, and this doesn’t mean that the company hasn’t considered introducing different versions of the iMac before. But right now, our sources suggest that Apple is focused on promoting Mac Studio and the upcoming Apple Silicon Mac Pro to its professional users.

Last month, a Bloomberg report revealed that Apple may introduce new Apple Silicon Macs in June at WWDC 2022, with more Macs to come by the end of the year.

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Technology

The Next MacBook Pro 13 Doesn’t Sound All That ‘Pro’

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Image: Joanna Nelius/Gizmodo

The first wave of 2022 Apple products is expected to arrive at an event “on or near” March 8 and will include a new iPhone SE, iPad Air, and possibly a more premium Mac mini. Since Apple’s laptop won’t debut until later in the year, those hungry for M2-powered MacBooks will need to snack on rumors for a bit longer—don’t worry though, there is plenty to go around.

Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who reported on the March 8 event, anticipates Apple is planning a new entry-level MacBook Pro to replace the 13-inch M1 model released alongside the MacBook Air in 2020. The updated version will take after its premium siblings by dropping the Touch Bar—a move that would finally bury the divisive feature in the same graveyard as the Butterfly keyboard.

It won’t, however, gain the more advanced features found on the new 14-inch and 16-inch models. The 13-inch laptop will still be the “entry-level” MacBook Pro and will therefore forgo various upgrades, including a 120Hz miniLED ProMotion display, faster processors, and larger storage options. Instead, it will flaunt the same LCD screen at 60Hz and rely on an M2 processor, the successor to the M1, Apple’s speedy entry-level CPU.

It sounds like the 13-inch MacBook Pro will be a straightforward refresh, gaining an obligatory processor upgrade while removing the Touch Bar, a feature that was widely derided. It’s not clear whether Apple will do anything to its aging design, like slim down the bezels and add a notch, and we can only cross our fingers for MagSafe charging, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot—a trio of features that were revived on last year’s models.

If it doesn’t receive these updates, the 13-inch MacBook Pro will continue to lag behind the other “Pro” models and continue to be closer in specs to the MacBook Air, assuming the slimmer models receives the same processor update. The MacBook Pro 13’s LCD screen is dimmer and less vivid than the miniLED panels on the more expensive models, and its base M processor can’t keep up with the more powerful M Pro and M Max chips. The 13-inch laptop should remain more affordable than the larger models, but the gap in performance and features begs the question of whether this entry-level version is really all that “Pro.”

In other MacBook news, Gurman says Face ID, Apple’s facial recognition feature, will likely arrive on an iMac before it finds its way to laptops. The MacBook Pro 14 and 16 have notches, but Gurman says the technology doesn’t exist to fit Face ID onto a laptop bezel.

We don’t know when the new MacBook models are expected to arrive, but the second half of 2022 is the closest rumors get to a consensus. An endless stream of leaks and predictions will certainly fill the time, and we’re anticipating various new Apple products, with the first batch scheduled for early March.

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Technology

Green texts in iMessages nudges teens to use iPhones

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AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content.

Apple’s color-coding of SMS communications in green in iMessage plays a role alongside other feature in getting teenagers to switch from Android to iPhone, a report claims, with a pressure to fit in with their peers promoting moves to turn their messages blue.

The use of green and blue to show whether a message to a user is made through iMessage or via other devices has become more than a simple convenience indicator for users. It’s also a form of status indicator, showing the user not only owns an iPhone, but can also make use of features on the platform that others cannot.

In a profile of the color-indication system by the Wall Street Journal, teenagers and students explain how not having an iPhone and seeing green messages are seemingly a negative to them.

Michigan student Adele Lowitz told the report she first noticed the difference in status when she experimented with an Android device, prompting a member of her texting group to ask “Who’s green?” Lowtiz then found group chats weren’t working as seamlessly as when she used an iPhone, as well as causing problems for FaceTime calls and for apps used to find friends.

“In my circle at college, and in high school rolling over into college, most people have iPhones and utilize a lot of those kinds of iPhone-specific features,” said Lowtiz. Reckoning that Apple had effectively made a social network with its features, she felt there was “some kind of pressure to get back to that.”

Lowtiz had to use an Android device as part of a paid research study, but was quick to return to iPhone soon after. “There’s too much within the Apple network for me to switch,” she said. A friend was reportedly relieved that she was “Blue again” in her return.

University of Florida senior Miles Franklin discovered that he had missed out on rounds of a game in high school, which he determined was due to being an avid Android user. In 2020, he moved over to iPhone, in part due to preferring it to make TikTok videos.

New York masters student Jocelyn Maher said she was mocked by her friends and younger sister when dating, if the potential suitor used Android. “I was like, Oh my gosh, his texts are green,’ and my sister literally went Ew, that’s gross,'” said Maher.

Grace Fang of Wellesley College in Massachusetts also saw social dynamics at play regarding iPhones, with Android users apologizing for their device and not having iMessage.

“I don’t know if it’s Apple propaganda or just like a tribal in-group versus out-group thing going on, but people don’t seem to like green text bubbles that much and seem to have this visceral negative reaction to it,” she said.

Apple is apparently well aware that iMessage is a serious draw to its users, with it surfacing in the Epic-Apple trial as part of a series of claims it was used to lock users into its ecosystem. Epic pointed to statements by senior Apple management that the company had blocked the creation of an Android version of iMessage.

While Apple debunked rumors of iMessage heading to Android in mid-2016, the claims persisted, including one later that year asserting that mock-ups were made for a client using Google’s “Material Design.”

In 2018, former iOS development chief Scott Forstall tried to push carriers into adopting a texting standard that shared features with iMessage, a proposal that didn’t progress far.

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Technology

Gurman: Apple planning redesigned iPad Pro, high-end iMac, new Mac Pro, more for 2022

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Apple had a busy year in 2021, announcing the iPhone 13 lineup, new Apple Silicon-powered Macs, and more. Looking ahead to 2022, there’s still a lot to expect from the company. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman breaks down everything he expects Apple to unveil in the new year.

In today’s newsletter, Gurman corroborates much of what has previously been reported about what to expect from Apple in 2022. Notably, he still says that Apple is planning a new iPad Pro design with support for wireless charging, as well as updates to the lower-end iPad Air and entry-level iPad.

Gurman also says that Apple has a redesigned MacBook Air in the works for 2022, alongside a “revamped, high-end iMac with Apple Silicon.” There’s also a new entry-level MacBook Pro, a new Mac Pro, and a new Mac mini in the works for next year.

For the Apple Watch, Gurman expects three new models, including an updated Apple Watch SE, an updated standard model, and a “ruggedized version aimed at extreme sports athletes.”

“2021 was a modest year for Apple product updates, but I’d expect a wider-range of new products in 2022. Let’s go down the list of what I expect to come next year,” Gurman says. Here’s the full breakdown of everything to expect from Apple in 2022, according to Gurman:

  • A new iPad Pro design with wireless charging, plus updates to the iPad Air and entry-level iPad. 
  • A revamped, high-end iMac with Apple silicon to sit above the new 24-inch model.
  • An iPhone SE with 5G.
  • New AirPods Pro earbuds.
  • The biggest MacBook Air revamp in the product’s history, adding the M2 chip and a new design. 
  • New versions of the Mac mini, entry-level MacBook Pro and a revamped Mac Pro with Apple silicon.
  • Of course, the iPhone 14 lineup. 
  • Three fresh Apple Watches, including a new Apple Watch SE, an updated standard model, and a ruggedized version aimed at extreme sports athletes. 
  • And, probably most significantly, the introduction of Apple’s first mixed augmented and virtual reality headset. 

If all of this ends up panning out, it’s clear that Apple has quite a bit in the works for 2022. What are you most excited to see? Let us know down in the comments!

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Technology

Black Friday Mac Deals: Best Offers on iMac and Mac mini

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The biggest shopping time of the year is here. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are filled with sales and there are plenty of good deals to be found. But how can you make sure you find the best deals? We’re here to help. 

For your reference, here are the regular prices for the Mac mini and iMac.

Model Price Specifications
Mac mini $699 M1 with 8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU, 8GB RAM,
256GB SSD
Mac mini $899 M1 with 8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU, 8GB RAM,
512GB SSD
Mac mini $1,099 3.0GHz Intel Core i5, UHD Graphics 630,
8GB RAM, 512GB SSD
24-inch iMac $1,299 M1 with 8-Core CPU, 7-Core GPU, 8GB RAM,
256GB SSD
24-inch iMac $1,499 M1 with 8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU, 8GB RAM,
256GB SSD
24-inch iMac $1,699 M1 with 8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU, 8GB RAM,
512GB SSD
27-inch iMac $1,799 3.1GHz Intel Core i5, 4GB Radeon Pro 5300 graphics, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
27-inch iMac $1,999 3.3GHz Intel Core i5, 4GB Radeon Pro 5300 graphics, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD
27-inch iMac $2,299 3.8GHz Intel Core i7, 8GB Radeon Pro 5500 XT graphics, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD

Here’s where you can expect to find the best deal on Apple’s iMac and mac mini.

Black Friday Mac deals – our top picks

Black Friday deals from Apple

Apple doesn’t offer discounted prices for any of its products. The company does have a shopping event starting today, where it gives you Apple gift cards with certain products. In this case, you can get a $100 gift card if you buy a MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini. If you buy a 27-inch iMac, you get a $200 gift card.

If you prefer a price discount instead of a gift card and you prefer to shop at Apple, consider going to Apple’s Refurbished and Clearance store. You can save some money off the regular price, and refurbished Macs as just as good as new with no cosmetic blemishes, a full one-year warranty, and free delivery and returns.

If you are a veteran or a current member of the military, Apple has a special purchase program where you can get ten percent off all Apple products. Verification of your veteran or active military status is required using ID.me.

Black Friday 2021: Mac mini deals

Apple’s most affordable desktop Mac is often on sale. Costco is currently selling the 256GB models for $600 ($100 off). The 512GB is $149 off at Amazon as well.

Some retailers are selling Intel-based Mac minis with big markdowns. While we recommend an M1-based Mac mini for the desktop, an Intel-based Mac mini makes a great media or file server on your network. B&H is selling the 2020 Intel Mac mini for $429, a whopping $370 off the original MSRP and a downright steal for a previous-gen Mac.

$699.99

Free

$705.93

$1099.00

Free

Black Friday 2021: 24-inch iMac deals

Apple’s redesigned all-in-one was released in April but we’ve yet to see any significant discounts on it. You can usually find it for $50 off.

$1299.00

Free

B & H Photo

$1299.00

Free

$1299.99

Free

$1,499.00

Free

Adorama

Not Available

Free

Black Friday 2021: 27-inch iMac deals

We don’t recommend the 27-inch iMac because it’s going to be updated with a redesign and Apple silicon soon. But if you need a model with an Intel processor, you can save $100 at Amazon.

$1,699.00

$1799.00

Free

B & H Photo

$1799.00

Free

$1799.99

Free

Buying advice

Many retailers carry Mac configurations that are different from the standard configurations. They may have more RAM a bigger SSD, ethernet, or some other optional feature. This will affect the price. When shopping, maybe sure you read the specifications carefully so you get the Mac with the specs that you want.

Some retailers may sell older Intel-based Macs at deep discounts. Know that these Macs are older models and while they may be sold as “new,” they’re only new in the sense that they have never been opened.

If you have an Apple Card, use it with Apple Pay. You get 3 percent cash back on purchases made at the Apple Store, and 2 percent back on all other purchases made using Apple Pay. If you use the physical Apple Card, you’ll only get 1 percent back.

More Apple Black Friday Deals

Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he’s worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.

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