Apple advertising partner Media Arts Lab has let go of approximately 50 employees, reports Bloomberg. Media Arts Lab is owned by TBWA\Chiat\Day and Apple is its only client.
Staff cuts were made in multiple divisions, but many of the employees who were let go worked in the strategy division that helped Apple create ads for its newest products.
In a statement to Bloomberg, a Media Arts Lab spokesperson said that the firm's relationship with Apple "has never been stronger."
"Yesterday was a difficult day, as we had to part with some of our talented colleagues," a Media Arts Lab spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. "Our relationship with Apple has never been stronger, but as the needs of our client continue to evolve, we must adapt and continue to evolve the composition of our teams."
Apple's VP of Marketing Communications Tor Myhren said that Apple asked Media Arts Lab to evolve its marketing approach as Apple evolves its own approach too.
Apple's confidence and trust in MAL as our singular ad agency is as strong as it's ever been. As we continue to evolve our marketing approach, we've asked MAL to do the same.
Media Arts Lab has worked with Apple for decades and has been responsible for some of Apple's most compelling ads, including the famous "1984" ad for the original Macintosh, the "Get a Mac" series with Justin Long, and the well-known silhouette ads used for the iPod and iTunes.
More recently, Media Arts Lab was responsible for the "Welcome Home" video for the HomePod starring FKA Twigs, Apple's 2019 "Shot on iPhone" tour featuring bands like Florence and the Machine, and the "Bounce" ad for the AirPods.
Apple started creating some of its ads in house approximately five years ago, but has also continued to work with outside ad agencies. Apple two years ago began focusing more heavily on digital and regional ad campaigns, which previously led to layoffs at TBWA\Media Arts Lab.
OWC's Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock is targeted at professional users and includes several features not commonly found on other docks such as an eSATA port and CFast and SD card readers. The dock also includes a 10 gigabit Ethernet port, three USB 3.1 ports, a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports to allow for daisy chaining, and a DisplayPort 1.2 port. There's also a locking power connection to help ensure the dock doesn't come unplugged if it's moved during use.
For pro users who need some of the more specialized features included in the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock, this might be a good option, as we've been impressed with the company's previous dock offerings. It does, however, only offer 60 watts of charging power, so if you've got a 15-inch MacBook Pro you likely want to use your regular power adapter and not rely on the dock to power your Mac.
The dock also includes a switch to turn off the internal fan if you need a quiet environment, although OWC warns this should only be done for short periods of time to limit the risk of overheating.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with OWC. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple introduced the first Apple silicon Macs back in 2020, marking the start of its transition away from Intel's chips. Apple's custom chips are Arm-based and are similar to the A-series chips used in iPhones and iPads, making them markedly different from the Intel chips that were used in earlier Macs. Apple finished its transition to Apple silicon after a three-year period in 2023 with the launch of an Apple silicon Mac Pro. At this point, none of Apple's Macs use Intel chips, and Intel chip technology has been entirely phased out.
This guide covers everything you need to know about Apple silicon chips.
Apple Silicon Mac Lineup
All of Apple's Macs use Apple silicon, and Apple is on its third generation M-series chips. The MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, Mac Studio, iMac, Mac Pro, and iPad Pro all use variants of the M2, M3, and M4 chips.
M-series chips feature Apple's "System on a Chip" design for the Mac, and it integrates several different components including the CPU, GPU, unified memory architecture (RAM), Neural Engine, Secure Enclave, SSD controller, image signal processor, encode/decode engines, Thunderbolt controller with USB 4 support, and more, all of which power the different features in the Mac.
Apple's current chip lineup includes the M4, M4 Pro, M4 Max, all of which are built on a 3-nanometer process and are upgrades to the M3 chips. The Ultra chip line has not yet been updated to the M4 Ultra, and some of Apple's Macs, like the Mac Pro and Mac Studio, still use the prior-generation chip variants.
M4 - Up to a 10-core CPU, up to a 10-core GPU
M4 Pro - 14-core CPU, up to a 20-core GPU
M4 Max - 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU
M2 Ultra - 24-core CPU, up to a 76-core GPU.
In the case of the M3 Ultra, it is essentially two M3 Max chips that are linked together, which is why it has the specifications of a doubled prior-generation M2 Max chip. Apple uses the M4 in its entry-level Macs, including the iMac, Mac mini, and the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro. The M4 Pro is for the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models and higher-end Mac mini models, while the M4 Max is designed for upgraded MacBook Pro models. The M2 Ultra is used in the Mac Pro and the Mac Studio, and it will be replaced with an M4 Ultra chip later in 2025.
All of the Apple silicon chips have unified memory that's shared between all chip components to eliminate swapping and improve performance, plus a 16-core Neural Engine and other add-ons like an image signal processor, Secure Enclave for secure booting and Touch ID, and more.
Why Apple Made the Switch
Apple adopted its own Apple silicon chips to make better Macs. Apple's chips bring a whole new level of performance with more powerful Macs that are also more energy-efficient. M-series Macs are much more powerful than Intel Macs ever were, and the battery life is much improved.
Apple Silicon Advantage
Apple has years of experience with power-efficient chip design thanks to its work on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, all of which use custom-designed chips developed by Apple engineers. Apple has made huge gains in processor performance over the years, and its chips are now more than powerful enough to be used in Macs.
Apple aimed to deliver the highest possible performance with the lowest power consumption, a goal that its expertise made it well-suited to achieve. Better performance and efficiency were Apple's main goals, but there are other reasons that the company decided to transition away from Intel, and that includes all of the custom technologies that are built into Apple silicon to further boost the Mac's capabilities and make it stand out from the competition.
Deep integration between software and hardware has always made iPhones stand out from other smartphones, and the same is true for the Mac. Apple's custom chips provide best-in-class security with the Secure Enclave and high-performance graphics capabilities for pro apps and games, but the true performance gains remain to be seen.
Apple silicon chips are built with Neural Engines and Machine Learning Accelerators to make Macs ideal platforms for machine learning. Other technologies include a high-quality camera processor, performance controller, Secure Enclave and Touch ID, high-performance DRAM, unified memory, and cryptography acceleration.
Ditching Intel
Apple's pre-Apple silicon Macs used x86 chips from Intel, while its iPhones and some iPads used Arm-based chips. x86 chips and Arm chips like the M-series chips are built using different architectures, so the transition from x86 to Arm has took some effort.
Apple used Intel's chips in its Mac lineup starting in 2006 after transitioning away from PowerPC processors, which meant that Apple was subject to Intel's release timelines, chip delays, and security issues, which at times, negatively affected Apple's own device release plans.
Apple cited platform consolidation and performance advantages as reasons for ditching Intel chips. There were rumors about Apple designing its own Mac chips as far back as 2014, so the decision to stop using Intel chips was in the works for a long time.
Swapping to house-made chips allows Apple release updates on its own schedule and with more regular technology improvements, plus Apple is also able to differentiate its devices from competing products with tight integration between software and hardware, similar to its iOS platform and A-series chips.
Common iOS and Mac Architecture
With Apple designing its own chips for iOS devices and Macs, there is a common architecture across all Apple product lines, which makes it easier for developers to write and optimize software that runs on all Apple products.
In fact, apps designed for the iPhone and the iPad can run on Apple silicon natively, and compatible iOS apps can be downloaded from the Mac App Store on an M1 Mac.
Support for Intel Macs
Apple will continue to release software updates for Intel Macs for years after the transition to Apple silicon, so those who purchased Intel-based Macs will receive macOS updates throughout the life of their machines.
Running Intel Apps on Apple silicon
Most developers have created native apps, but users can run Intel apps even if those apps haven't been updated. For Intel-based apps, Apple uses Rosetta 2, a translation process that runs in the background and is invisible to the user. Rosetta 2 translates existing Intel apps so they work on Macs equipped with Apple silicon quickly, seamlessly, and without issues.
No Boot Camp
Windows does not operate in Boot Camp mode on Macs that run Apple silicon as Microsoft only licenses Windows 10 on Arm to OEMs and has no current plans make an Arm-based version of Windows freely available.
Apple has also said that it does not plan to support Boot Camp on its future Macs. "We're not direct booting an alternate operating system," Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi said. "Purely virtualization is the route." If, however, Microsoft releases an Arm-based version of Windows that consumers can purchase, things might change.
Apple silicon Macs and Thunderbolt Support
Apple is transitioning away from Intel's chips in its Mac and is instead opting to use Apple silicon chips, but Apple is continuing to support Intel's Thunderbolt USB-C standard. Apple's Macs continue to support Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5.
Current Apple Silicon Macs
Every Mac in Apple's lineup uses Apple silicon chip technology. Most use the M4 chip series, MacBook Air, Mac Pro, and Mac Studio haven't been updated and still use prior-generation chips.
13-inch MacBook Air - M3
15-inch MacBook Air - M3
14-inch MacBook Pro (entry-level) - M4
14-inch MacBook Pro - M4 Pro and M4 Max
16-inch MacBook Pro - M4 Pro and M4 Max
24-inch iMac - M4
Mac mini - M4 and M4 Pro
Mac Studio - M2 Max and M2 Ultra
Mac Pro - M2 Ultra
iPad Pro - M4
iPad Air - M2
Future Arm-Based Macs
Apple is working on next-generation M5 chip technology, and mass production is under way. The first devices with M5 chips could be introduced as soon as late 2025.
M5 chips will feature an enhanced Arm architecture and are being manufactured on a more advanced 3-nanometer process technology. The M5 will adopt TSMC's System on Integrated Chip (SoIC) technology, which should bring notable improvements to thermal management over the M4 chip options.
The first device to get an M5 chip could be the iPad Pro, with Apple expected to introduce new iPad Pro models in late 2025 or early 2026. The MacBook Pro is also a candidate, and rumors suggest it could get an M5 update in late 2025.
M5 versions of the MacBook Air could come in early 206, and the Apple Vision Pro is expected to get an M5 chip either in late 2025 or early 2026.
Apple today released the first beta of iOS 13.3 to developers, and based on early reports from those who have downloaded the new update, it fixes the frustrating multitasking bug that is impacting many iOS 13.2 users.
Last week, we shared details on a number of complaints from iPhone and iPad users running iOS 13.2 that were seeing poor RAM management on their devices.
The issue caused apps like YouTube and Safari to reload more frequently than normal, with the software "aggressively" shutting down background apps and tasks. From MacRumors forum member Rogifan, who describes the problem:
I was watching a video in YouTube on my iPhone 11 Pro. I pause the video to respond to a text message. I was in iMessage for less than one minute. When I returned to YouTube it reloaded the app and I lost the video I was watching. I noticed this a lot on my iPad Pro too. Apps and Safari tabs reloading a lot more frequently than they did in iOS 12. Very annoying.
In the iOS 13.3 beta, this issue may be fixed. Multiple MacRumors readers in our beta bug fixes and changes thread are reporting improvements in multitasking behavior. We've also seen similar reports from Twitter users who are already seeing fewer refreshes. From MacRumors reader The Carny:
Only had it installed for a few minutes so there's plenty of time for horrors to reveal themselves, but I've had no Safari tab refreshes so far. With the amount of app switching I've just done, that simply wouldn't have been the case on 13.2.
More testing will need to be conducted to make sure the issue is fully resolved, but based on multiple similar reports, it looks promising.
iOS 13.3 Beta seems like it fixes the apps reloading / RAM management issue. I have opened 32 apps and have not had one reload yet on iPhone 11 Pro Max
— Aaron Zollo (@zollotech) November 5, 2019
The iOS 13.3 beta is limited to developers at this time, but a public beta should be coming in the near future so non-developers can install the new software.
Apple today released an iOS 13.3 beta to developers for testing purposes, and the new update introduces Communication Limits for Screen Time, a feature Apple promised was coming to iOS 13 in a future update.
With Communication Limits, parents can control who their children are able to contact. Communication Limits apply to the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps, along with iCloud contacts.
There are settings to control communication during Screen Time, with options to allow just contacts or everyone to be contacted. There's also a toggle that either allows or disallows users to be added to a group chat when a contact or family member is in the group.
There's also a separate setting for communication limits during downtime, which is also able to be set to everyone or just specific contacts.
Finally, there's a toggle for allowing or disallowing contact editing, which can change some of the contact settings.
Regardless of Communication Limits settings, calls to emergency numbers are always allowed and will turn off communication limits for 24 hours when placed.
With the Communication Limits feature, parents will be able to better control who their children are contacting during different periods of the day, cutting off access to friends during school, for example.
There are other smaller tweaks in iOS 13.3, including an option to disable Memoji and Animoji stickers from showing up on the emoji keyboard and a change to the Apple Watch app that shifts the Digital Crown on the icon from black to gray.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 6.1.1 update to developers, one week after releasing the watchOS 6.1 update with support for AirPods Pro and the Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watch models.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
We don't yet know what features are included in the watchOS 6.1.1 beta, but once we install the update and figure out what's new, we'll update this article.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 13.3 update to developers, one week after releasing the tvOS 13.2 update.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 13.3developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
tvOS updates (aside from major releases) have historically been minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. Apple provides little to no information on what's included in tvOS beta updates, so we may not discover anything new after installing the software.
In tvOS 13.2, for example, Apple's only available information was that it included general performance and stability updates.
While we don't often know what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.
If we find anything new in the tvOS 13.3 beta, we'll update this article.
\Apple today seeded the first betas of an upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.3 update to developers, just a week after the release of iOS 13.2 with new emoji, Siri privacy controls, Deep Fusion, and more.
iOS and iPadOS 13.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed.
We don't yet know what's new in the iOS 13.3 update, but it likely includes bug fixes for issues not able to be addressed in the prior update. As a 13.x update, it also likely features some feature changes and updates.
What's new in iOS 13.3 beta 1:
- Communication Limits - There are now Communication Limits in the Screen Time section of Settings for limiting who children are speaking with via the Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps.
- Multitasking Bug Fix - The beta appears to fix the iOS 13.2 issue that was causing apps to refresh more frequently than normal.
- Memoji/Animoji Stickers - In the Keyboards section of the Settings app, there's a new option to prevent Animoji and Memoji Stickers from being displayed on the Emoji keyboard.
- Apple Watch app - The Apple Watch app icon's Digital Crown is now gray instead of black.
Apple is rumored to be working on an updated lower-cost "iPhone SE 2," which is set to be released in 2020. In a new research note to investors highlighting supplier expectations for the new device that was seen by MacRumors, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared some sales predictions.
Kuo believes Apple will ship at least 20 million iPhone SE 2 units in 2020, following the device's launch in the first half of the year. An optimistic situation, says Kuo, is 30 million units.
iPhone SE and iPhone 8
According to Kuo, the iPhone SE 2 will use a 10-layer Substrate-like PCB (SLP) for its motherboard, which will benefit some iPhone suppliers like Pending Holdings, Xinxing, and AT&S despite the fact that it's expected to be a less expensive component than the SLP used in the iPhone 11 series.
In prior research notes, Kuo has shared quite a lot of detail on the "iPhone SE 2," which, despite the somewhat misleading name, is actually closer in design and specification to an iPhone 8.
The device will feature a 4.7-inch display, a single-lens rear camera, and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It will ship with the same A13 chip that's in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, and it will have 3GB RAM.
The only thing that's "iPhone SE 2" about the upcoming iPhone is its price, which is expected to be $399. At that price point, it will replace the iPhone 8, which Apple currently sells for $449.
Apple's upcoming low-cost iPhone is expected to be a very popular upgrade option for iPhone users who are still holding on to an older model like an iPhone 6 or 6s and are looking for an affordable upgrade option that offers the same speeds and many of the same features as Apple's flagship devices.
It's also expected to be popular in countries where lower-cost devices sell well, such as India and China.
The new iPhone is expected to come out in the spring of 2020, which would see Apple launching it months ahead of when the new 2020 flagship iPhones come out in September.
Apple today shared the official trailer for "Hala," an upcoming movie that is set to debut on Apple TV+ on December 6.
"Hala" is a coming of age story of 17-year-old Hala, who is played by Geraldine Viswanathan. Anna Chlumsky, Jack Kilmer, Gabriel Luna, Azad Khan, and Purbi Joshi also star in the movie.
Seventeen-year-old Pakistani American teenager Hala (Geraldine Viswanathan) struggles to balance desire with her familial, cultural and religious obligations. As she comes into her own, she grapples with a secret that threatens to unravel her family.
Written and directed by Minhal Baig and executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith, "Hala" was an official selection of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.
"Hala" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and it will see a theatrical run before it hits Apple TV+. "Hala" will be in theaters starting on November 22, coming to Apple TV+ two weeks later.
Apple TV+ is available starting now, with TV shows that include "Dickinson," "See," "The Morning Show" and "For All Mankind." Right now, the only movie available is "The Elephant Queen," but additional movies are coming to the service in the future.
Mophie has begun a major new sale on Juice Pack Air cases for older models of the iPhone. This includes the iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. There are multiple colors discounted for each case, but stock is limited considering how deep the discounts are during the sale.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Mophie. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
All of these Juice Pack Air Cases can be purchased for $29.95 for a limited time, down from $99.95. For an even deeper discount, you can use the MacRumors exclusive promo codeRUMORS20 to take an additional 20 percent off, and get each case for just $23.96, the lowest we've ever tracked for a new model of Mophie's Juice Pack Air line ($75.99 off).
New data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners indicates that 35 percent of iPhone buyers in the United States have a smartwatch, compared to just 16 percent of Android buyers. This suggests that iPhone users are more than twice as likely as Android users to purchase a smartwatch.
Within this percentage of iPhone owners in the U.S., 19 percent own the Apple Watch and 10 percent own a Fitbit. Android owners are more likely to own a Fitbit (5 percent) than a Samsung smartwatch (4 percent).
“Among the relatively small share of all smartphone buyers that have any kind of smartwatch, iPhone buyers are twice as likely to own one than Android buyers,” said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder.
“Not surprisingly, Apple Watch is the leading smartwatch for iPhone buyers, while about half as many own a Fitbit. Until now, Fitbit was a neutral brand, but now becomes part of the Google-Android-Pixel-Nest universe. This creates an interesting new Android entry point into the Apple ecosystem, with a decent percentage of iPhone owners now using a wearable that becomes a more Android-friendly device. Also, among the small percentage of Android owners that have a smartwatch, Samsung and Fitbit have roughly equal shares.”
Google just announced its plan to acquire Fitbit for $2.1 billion, planning to release a new "Made by Google" wearables category that includes Fitbit devices.
For Apple, CEO Tim Cook recently stated that Apple set new fourth quarter revenue records for its wearables in every market, based on strong sales for Apple Watch and other devices like AirPods and Beats headphones.
CIRP based its findings on a survey of 500 mobile phone buyers in the United States, surveyed from September 29 through October 10, 2019. Those surveyed activated a mobile phone in the U.S. in the July to September 2019 period.
Apex Clean Energy today announced that Apple is leading a group of companies that has committed to purchase approximately 75 megawatts of energy from an upcoming wind farm in Texas. Sprint, eBay, and Samsung have all partnered with Apple on the agreement, and the full 500-megawatt White Mesa Wind project is scheduled to come online in early 2021.
Shared energy purchases like this allow companies to pool their energy demands and collectively support the addition of large-scale renewable energy projects to the grid. Apple brought together other technology leaders dedicated to responsible business practices – eBay, Samsung and Sprint – in the aggregation agreement, which will enable all participants to access cost-effective low-carbon renewable energy from the new project. [...]
“We’re proud to be powering all of Apple’s operations around the world with 100 percent renewable energy and driving the private sector to support the clean energy transition,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “Businesses of all sizes and of varying energy needs can help bring new, renewable energy online. This collaborative agreement in Texas is a model we hope others will replicate.”
Apple has been aggressively pushing forward on its renewable energy efforts, not only moving its own operations to 100 percent renewable but pushing its suppliers to do the same. Just a few weeks ago, Apple announced that it has partnered with ten of its suppliers to invest in three wind farms in China.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Amazon's latest Gold Box deal today is offering up to 48 percent off of select Anker accessories, including portable batteries, wireless earphones, Bluetooth speakers, and more. We've rounded up the sale below, so be sure to check it out soon if you're interested because it will only last until later tonight.
As is usual with Amazon's Gold Box sales, all of the discounts have been automatically applied and you will not need any separate discount codes for these Anker deals. In addition to the items listed below, you can also save on a Nebula Capsule II Mini Projector and a carrying case for the projector.
Amazon this week kicked off a big sale on iPhone 11 cases, including Clear Cases, Leather Cases, and Silicone Cases for the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max. These are some of the lowest prices we've seen yet on the new 2019 official Apple iPhone accessories, with prices as low as $30 for Leather Cases and $23.99 for Silicone Cases.
Nearly every color option is available at a discount today, with the main exceptions being the Pine Green Silicone Case colors for iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Head to our full Deals Roundup for more of the latest Apple-related discounts.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Almost a quarter of Apple customers in the U.S. own an Apple TV, according to new data shared by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). As reported by Cult of Mac, the survey asked U.S. Apple customers which devices they own, and Apple TV came out top in the "Other Products" category, suggesting the set-top box is more widely used than AirPods and Apple Watch.
"Apple TV is the most popular of the gadgets among the Other Products, with about one-quarter of current customers owning one," said Mike Levin, CIRP partner and co-founder. "Apple TV has been around for many years, so we're not surprised that it has achieved this penetration."
Apple Watch came in second in the Other Products category, with around 20 percent of Apple customers owning the iPhone accessory, while less than 10 percent of customers own a pair or AirPods.
It's important to note that the survey doesn't tally new sales, but devices that are in use as of September 2019, regardless of when they were purchased. Even so, the results show a several percentage point rise in Apple TV penetration over the last year.
That bodes well for Apple TV+, the company's streaming service which launched on November 1 featuring $2 billion worth of original programming. For $4.99 per month, Apple TV+ subscribers can watch Apple Originals on their television via Apple's set-top box. The service is also available on iOS devices and Mac via the TV app, as well as select Samsung smart TVs and Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices.
As for HomePod, Apple's $299 smart speaker "trails both Amazon Echo and Google Home, even among Apple customers," noted Levin. Apple cut the price of HomePod by $50 in April, down from $349. Apple does not disclose exact HomePod sales figures.
Rumors have suggested that Apple is considering a more affordable version of the HomePod that could be priced as low as $150, but it's not clear if and when Apple might release such a speaker.
CIRP bases its findings on a survey of 500 U.S. Apple customers, surveyed from September 29 to October 10, 2019 that purchased an Apple device in the U.S. in July-September 2019 period.
Back in January 2017, MacPaw's subscription app service Setapp launched as an alternative to the Mac App Store, offering unlimited access to more than 60 Mac apps across a wide range of categories for a flat $9.99 monthly fee.
Since then, Setapp has grown its curated software collection to over 160 apps and gained 1 million users, and this week the service announced the public beta launch of Setapp for Teams, which offers the same raft of apps at a slightly reduced per-user pricing and single-point billing for a company or organization.
The pricing is pretty simple: For a team of four users, Setapp costs $8.99 per user per month. Each person can use Setapp on one device, and each additional device is $7.99 per month.
MacPaw says Setapp for Teams will remain in beta while it works to add features like single sign-on for admin management of app access, and user groups. Otherwise, the same apps that are available to Setapp's individual subscribers are accessible to teams.
Setapp's extensive catalog includes many popular apps in categories including productivity, design, writing, social media, and maintenance tools, all from approved vendors, and all apps on Setapp are available without ads or in-app purchases. Interested workgroups can try Setapp for Teams by following this link.
Microsoft has revealed its plans to bring a new design to its Outlook for Mac app along with several performance improvements (via The Verge).
Account syncing optimizations are promised as Outlook will adopt the same cloud sync technology that's used in Outlook for iOS and Android, which should mean Office 365, Outlook.com, and Google accounts sync faster.
Design-wise, users can expect a bundle of new features they may already be familiar with from using the web and mobile versions of Outlook. They include single line email views, a new mail compose interface, the ability to ignore emails, and collapsible panels in the main view.
Regular users will also notice that the ribbon has gone from Outlook for Mac. Microsoft explained its removal to The Verge in the following terms:
"Following the same design principles as the Office 365 user experience updates announced last year, the ribbon was updated in the new Outlook for Mac to be fully customizable. In Mac environment, we refer to it as a toolbar – at this time, there are no plans to announce updates to the ribbon elsewhere on Office for Mac."
Meanwhile, Microsoft is integrating Microsoft Search into the Outlook search bar, which will now live at the top of the Outlook window and hopefully provide quicker and more relevant results. There's also a new My Day view being added to the calendar in the main mail screen.
The new-look Outlook for Mac is available this week to beta testers in signed up to the Insider Fast builds. Simply toggle the "New Outlook" in the top right-hand corner of the app window. Microsoft says it has more updates in the works that should arrive over the coming months.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Mophie. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
