Apple today introduced its widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro with a larger display and slimmer bezels, a new Magic Keyboard with a scissor mechanism and physical Esc key, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 8TB of SSD storage, AMD Radeon Pro 5000M graphics options, upgraded speakers and microphones, and more.


The new 16-inch MacBook Pro replaces the 15-inch MacBook Pro, which has been discontinued. It is possible the 15-inch model will appear in Apple's clearance store at some point, but it is not available at this time.

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,399 in the United States, consistent with the former 15-inch MacBook Pro. A maxed-out 16-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.4GHz 8‑core Core i9 processor, 64GB of RAM, 8TB of SSD storage, and AMD Radeon Pro 5500M graphics runs $6,099 on Apple's online store.

Read more about the 16-inch MacBook Pro here.

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is available to order today through Apple.com and the Apple Store app in many countries. It will be available in Apple Stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers in the United States later this week and is "coming soon" to stores around the world, according to Apple.

Apple today announced and launched the long-awaited 16-inch MacBook Pro, which has now replaced the previous 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models in the line of Apple notebooks. Alongside the announcement, a handful of YouTubers and tech bloggers have begun sharing their first impressions of the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, after having used it for a few hours.


The two big updates to the new notebook include its bigger 16-inch Retina display, and the updated scissor switch keyboard that ditches the butterfly keyboard of the previous 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌. Essentially every first impression applauded Apple for the new keyboard, particularly in regards to the new physical Escape key (instead of a virtual one on the Touch Bar).

Below we've rounded up a few first impressions videos for the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌.

Marques Brownlee:

iJustine:

The Verge:

UrAvgConsumer:

Engadget:

Rene Ritchie:

CNET:

The 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ also features AMD Radeon Pro 5000M graphics options, GDDR6 video memory, a larger 100Wh battery for about an hour more battery than the previous generation, a redesigned six-speaker sound system, and upgraded microphones.

The new model starts at $2,399 in the United States and includes another $2,799 option, both of which can be individually configured with various internal upgrade options. For more information on the new 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, be sure to read our announcement post for the notebook.

Apple has officially announced that its long-awaited Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR will be available starting in December.


Apple also announced that the new ‌Mac Pro‌ will be available with up to 8TB of SSD storage, after originally promising up to 4TB.

The base model ‌Mac Pro‌ starts at $5,999 and features an 8-core 3.5GHz Intel Xeon processor, a Radeon Pro 580X GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. Additional technical specifications and configure-to-order options are available on Apple's website.

The high-throughput machine was originally announced in June, when Apple promised a "fall" release. Apple confirmed December today:

Today, Apple also announced that the all-new ‌Mac Pro‌, the world's best pro desktop, and Apple Pro Display XDR, the world's best pro display, will be available in December. Designed for maximum performance, expansion and configurability, ‌Mac Pro‌ features workstation-class Xeon processors up to 28 cores, a high-performance memory system with a massive 1.5TB capacity, eight PCIe expansion slots and a graphics architecture featuring the world's most powerful graphics card. Pro Display XDR features a 32-inch Retina 6K display with P3 wide and 10-bit color, 1,600 nits of peak brightness, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a superwide viewing angle, all at a breakthrough price point.

Apple is also releasing the Pro Display XDR alongside the ‌Mac Pro‌ next month. The high-end monitor costs $4,999, or $5,999 for a version with a "nano-texture" matte coating. The stand costs $999 and a VESA mount costs $199.

Today's announcement was brief, and Apple stopped short of providing specific dates for ‌Mac Pro‌ and Pro Display XDR preorders and availability.

Apple today announced its much-rumored high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro, which is the largest MacBook Pro that's been offered for sale since the discontinuation of the 17-inch MacBook Pro back in 2012.


The updated 16-inch MacBook Pro features a larger display with slimmer bezels than the 15-inch MacBook Pro, which it has replaced in Apple's notebook lineup. The display has a resolution of 3072x1920 pixels with up to 500 nits of brightness.

The notebook features an updated "Magic Keyboard" that does away with the unpopular butterfly mechanism, returning instead to a more reliable scissor mechanism with 1mm key travel, along with Intel's latest 9th-generation processors with up to 8 cores. It also has up to 64GB of RAM and up to 8TB of SSD storage.

Above the keyboard, the Touch Bar lives on, but the 16-inch MacBook Pro marks the return of a physical Esc key. In line with the latest MacBook Air, the Touch ID sensor has also been separated from the Touch Bar.

Other features include AMD Radeon Pro 5000M graphics options paired with GDDR6 video memory and an 8GB VRAM option, a larger 100Wh battery for longer battery life, a redesigned six-speaker sound system, and upgraded microphones.

Starting at $2,399 in the United States, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is available today through Apple.com and the Apple Store app. It will be in Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers in the United States later this week and is "coming soon" to stores around the world, according to Apple.

Following yesterday's report on Apple's new 16-inch MacBook Pro which could be announced as soon as Wednesday, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman this morning shared some additional details about the upcoming machine via Twitter.


According to Gurman, the display on the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ is less than four percent larger than the current 15.4-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, suggesting to him that "it's really going to be about the higher resolution" rather than a significant material increase in screen real estate.

Gurman offers no clues as to the exact resolution, but reliable IHS Markit analyst Jeff Lin claimed in June that the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ would feature an LCD panel with a resolution of 3,072×1,920 pixels supplied by LG Display. For comparison, the 15-inch ‌‌MacBook Pro‌‌ has a resolution of 2,880×1,800 pixels.

In addition, Gurman says the new 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ will have "impressive speakers" and "noise cancelling microphones," which sounds like a reference to an improved ambient noise reduction feature enabling users to capture less background noise when using the built-in microphones, thereby improving dictation and FaceTime calls.

The screen on the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ is less than 4% larger than the current 15.4 inch. So it’s really going to be about the higher resolution, impressive speakers, noise cancelling microphones and of course the all new keyboard (similar to the iMac external Magic Keyboard).

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) November 13, 2019

Otherwise, Gurman reiterates Apple's focus on providing users with a more reliable keyboard that uses a new scissor switch mechanism, which is "similar to the ‌iMac‌ external Magic Keyboard."

The new 16-inch machine, which will be the largest laptop Apple has offered for sale since the 17-inch ‌‌MacBook Pro‌‌ was discontinued, will replace the current 15-inch model and "cost about the same," Gurman revealed on Tuesday. The 15-inch ‌‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $2,399.

Apple is said to have been holding private press briefings at its luxury loft mansion in New York City this week, likely providing media sites with review units for first impressions. Apple will surely announce the new 16-inch ‌‌MacBook Pro‌‌ via press release, as there are no more Apple events expected this year.

Apple's new high-end modular Mac Pro is set to be released in December, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

The launch timing of the ‌Mac Pro‌ was shared in a report on the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, which is set to come out as soon as tomorrow.


Apple unveiled the new 2019 ‌Mac Pro‌ in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference, but since then has not provided any details on its prospective release date.

A December launch would be in line with the launch of the 2013 ‌Mac Pro‌, which came out on December 18, and the 2017 iMac Pro, which came out on December 14.

The new ‌Mac Pro‌ is a designed for Apple's pro user base with a heavy focus on upgradeability and expansion. It features a traditional PC shape, but with an Apple-esque stainless steel frame with a lattice pattern that maximizes airflow.

The ‌Mac Pro‌ uses workstation-class Xeon processors with up to 28 cores, and it supports up to 1.5TB of high-performance memory. Pricing on the new ‌Mac Pro‌ will start at $6,000.

Alongside the ‌Mac Pro‌, Apple will likely launch the Pro Display XDR, which is a 32-inch 6K display with a resolution of 6016 x 3384 and more than 20 million pixels. Pricing on the Pro Display XDR will start at $5,000.

While Bloomberg has disclosed a December launch month for the ‌Mac Pro‌, there's still no word on a specific date. Given past launch timelines, it could come on either the week of the 9th or the week of the 16th.

Apple's upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro is set to replace the current 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, which is priced starting at $2,399, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

The new 16-inch machine, which will be the largest laptop Apple has offered for sale since the 17-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ was discontinued, will "cost about the same" as the current 15-inch model.


Prior reports suggested the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ would be sold alongside the 15-inch model as a higher-end, more expensive option, but it sounds like it won't be quite as pricey as first expected.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ is said to feature a revamped keyboard that's designed to be "more reliable," and previous rumors have indicated that it will abandon the butterfly switch mechanism Apple has been using for a new scissor switch mechanism.

The display of the upcoming machine will be brighter, and Bloomberg suggests it will appeal to video and photo editors, gamers, and software developers.

As for launch timing, Bloomberg believes that the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ will come out as soon as Wednesday, with the Mac Pro to then follow at some point in December.

Apple this week has been holding private press briefings at its luxury loft mansion in New York City, likely providing media sites with review units for first impressions. Apple will announce the new 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ via press release, as there are no more Apple events expected this year.

Apple in late October released a new 13.2 software update for the HomePod with a bunch of new features, but it turned out the update was bricking some HomePods.

Apple addressed the bug in an updated 13.2.1 software release a couple days later, making the new functionality available without the risk of ruining a ‌HomePod‌. In our newest YouTube video, we go over all of the new ‌HomePod‌ features for MacRumors readers who may have been put off by the bug reports.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

Multi-User Support and Voice Detection

With the new update, ‌HomePod‌ can distinguish between different users in the household, introducing multi-user support for the first time.

Siri is able to tell who is speaking, allowing each person in the home to access their own selection of music, playlists, radio stations, and preferences.


Setting up multi-user support requires a device running iOS 13.2 or later, and you need to invite your family members to be a member in the Home app. From there, open the Home app, choose Home Settings, tap on your user profile under people, and then turn on the "Recognize My Voice" option.

Apple has more info on setup in a dedicated support document.

Handoff Support

If you're listening to a song on your iPhone and want to transfer it over to your ‌HomePod‌, you can do so with iOS 13.2.1's new Handoff feature.

To use Handoff, have a song playing on the iPhone and then bring it over to the top of the ‌HomePod‌. The audio playing on the iPhone will swap over to the ‌HomePod‌, pausing audio on the iPhone. You'll get a notification letting you know about the transfer of content, and while this feature is still a bit buggy, it's useful.

Handoff works with the Apple Music app, podcasts, phone calls, and more. If you don't want to use the feature, you can turn it off in the Settings app by going to General > AirPlay > Handoff and toggling off "Transfer to ‌HomePod‌."

Adding Music to HomeKit Scenes

When creating or editing a ‌HomeKit‌ scene, you can now add songs from your ‌Apple Music‌ Library. You can, for example, create a "Good Morning" or "Relax" scene that does things like change the lighting and start a song playing on ‌HomePod‌.


Just select the "‌HomePod‌" option when creating a scene under the list of accessories. From there, choose the "Play Audio" option and then select "Choose Audio" to select a song.

Ambient Sounds

The 13.2.1 update also introduces a neat new feature called Ambient Sounds, which is designed to let you ask Siri to play relaxing sounds like rain, white noise, and more.

There are seven different options that you can choose from:

• Rain
• Stream
• White Noise
• Fireplace
• Forest
• Night
• Ocean

To use Ambient Sounds, just ask ‌Siri‌. Asking ‌Siri‌ to play Ambient Sounds will select a random sound, but you can also ask for a specific sound with a command like "Hey ‌Siri‌, play rain sounds."

Setting a Sleep Timer

Ambient Sounds can be set up with a sleep timer so that the noise automatically turns off after a set period of time. When an Ambient Sound is playing, ask ‌Siri‌ to set a sleep timer for a set amount of time.

"Hey ‌Siri‌, set a sleep timer for 45 minutes," for example, will play the ambient noises for 45 minutes before the ‌HomePod‌ turns off.

If you don't want to listen to Ambient Sounds, this also works with any music that happens to be playing.

Downloading the Update

Downloading the new ‌HomePod‌ software can be done by opening up the Home app, selecting "Home Settings" after tapping the house icon in the upper left corner, and choosing the "Software Update" option. If the "Install Updates Automatically" feature is turned on, your ‌HomePod‌ has likely already updated to 13.2.1.

Walmart this week announced a new partnership with Apple, which allows the Walmart Voice Order feature to be used with Siri.

With this option, Apple users can ask ‌Siri‌ to add items to their Walmart Online Grocery Cart through a new ‌Siri‌ Shortcut. After pairing an account, customers can create a shopping cart by saying "Add to Walmart" and then naming the product they want to purchase.


Once finished shopping, customers can place the order with the Walmart app and then Walmart personal shoppers will gather the items. Customers can have their orders delivered or pick them up at a local Walmart store. Items can be added to the Walmart cart on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, HomePod, and CarPlay.

According to Walmart, the more customers use the feature, the better the experience will be. The app is designed to quickly and accurately identify desired items based on purchase history.

For example, if a customer says, "add orange juice to my cart," we'll make sure to add the specific orange juice the customer buys regularly. Instead of saying "Great Value organic orange juice with no pulp," they'll simply say: "orange juice" and we'll add the right one.

The voice ordering feature is aimed at letting customers add to a list of items over time as they realize what they need for a weekly shopping trip. Walmart customers interested in using the feature can go to the Walmart Grocery App and choose the "Voice Shopping" option on their account page.

Minecraft Earth, Microsoft's new augmented reality Minecraft game, is now available on iOS and Android devices in the United States.

Microsoft has been testing Minecraft Earth in other countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Sweden and South Korea, but now it is also available in an early access capacity in the U.S.


Minecraft Earth is designed to let users access a tabletop mode that displays Minecraft creations in the real world at life size, bringing Minecraft designs to life.

Gamers will be able to add a buildplate. creating an interactive Minecraft diorama. Tappables, which unlock in-game materials, will be able to be found in the real world, such as on a walk, and resources can be used for crafting and smelting. There are also monsters to encounter and other discoveries to make.

Multiple players can team up with one another to create structures together, and in adventure mode, there's an option to battle against hostile mobs to survive.

The app can be downloaded for free from the App Store, though it is a freemium title and "Minecoins" can be purchased in app.

Former HBO CEO and chairman Richard Plepler is in talks with Apple about an exclusive Apple TV+ production deal, reports Deadline.

Plepler is planning to launch a production company and is currently negotiating a deal that would land him with Apple, producing content for Apple's streaming television service.

Image credit: REX/Shutterstock

Plepler, known for his showmanship, creative instincts and willingness to take risks, had been a key driving force behind HBO's success over the past couple of decades. He was elevated to HBO CEO in 2012. Before that he was co-president.

Plepler left HBO in February after spending 30 years at the company and has reportedly spent the last several months exploring different opportunities. According to Deadline, Plepler was not interested in returning to TV as an executive, but was instead looking for opportunities as a producer.

The talks are being conducted by Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, two former Sony executives who have been spearheading Apple's television efforts.

Apple has already signed production deals with multiple companies, including A24, Imagine Documentaries, and Oprah Winfrey, plus it has established deals with producers and directors like Jason Katims, Alfonso Cuaron, and Justin Lin.