CPU World reports that Intel is working on three new ULV (ultra low voltage) Sandy Bridge processors due later this year.
The three new processors increase the clock speed over their existing Sandy Bridge ULV processors from 1.4-1.6GHz to 1.7-1.8GHz while keeping the TDP (thermal design power) at 17 Watts. The TDP is one of the key factors in Apple's ability to fit these processors into their ultra-portable MacBook Air. At 17 Watts, these processors could indeed be used in Apple's MacBook Air.
We previously highlighted Intel's currently shipping ULV processors as likely candidates for the next MacBook Air. These unreleased processors are obviously even more attractive candidates with turbo boost speeds up to 2.7-2.9GHz. The new processors are listed here:
CPU World has no word on the launch date of these processors, but Apple's been known to receive Intel parts earlier than other manufacturers. The MacBook Air is rumored to be launching in the June-July timeframe. Any of the Sandy Bridge ULV processors would represent a significant boost over the existing MacBook Air processors which are still using the Core 2 Duo processors.
Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon.
Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week.
iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you.
Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports.
In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21.
There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by Juli Clover
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products.
Here's what's supposedly coming:
An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found.
Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker.
According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
Wednesday December 10, 2025 12:22 pm PST by Juli Clover
The next-generation low-cost iPad will use Apple's A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. Macworld claims to have seen an "internal Apple code document" with information about the 2026 iPad lineup.
Prior documentation discovered by MacRumors suggested that the iPad 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and...
Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities.
According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...
the hd3000 over whatever it is called is about as fast as a nvidia 8600m gt
Unfortunately, this is not true. In fact it's doubly not true. First, the rankings where people have been getting that idea actually combine scores from two versions of the 8600M GT. The version which was in the older MBPs is significantly better than its brother, so the ranking for the 8600M GT that we're all familiar with should be quite a bit higher (I fell for this myself).
Second, the HD 3000 we're familiar with is the one that's in the 2011 13" MBP. The version of the HD 3000 we can expect in the Air (such as the one in the processors described in this thread) run at a lower clock speed. So we can't expect the MBA to have the same graphics performance as the MBP. Although, these new chip's turbo speed comes quite close to the chips in the MBP.
I'll agree those are good points, but for a higher-priced machine, people perceive quality. Therefore, especially as the OS is said to be finely tuned to the hardware, the people being bummed out do have a valid point.
Oh certainly, don't get me wrong, I feel we have some right to expect that a new generation of machine shouldn't involve taking a step backwards in something so central as GPU performance. I just mean that there are some business realities involved here that are forcing a sacrifice and Apple has deemed that the sacrifice will inconvenience a small enough sector of the potential customers of this machine that they're willing to go for it. Apple has a spectacular track record for knowing exactly how to scoop the biggest chunk of potential customers. I'm certain they know the downgrade to the HD 3000 will disappoint a group of us but by making this move to Sandy Bridge they're gaining a lot more fans than they're losing. I'd love something with 320M like power but I also understand why it's unrealistic to expect it in the current processor market. I think a 1.8ghz SB MBA owner will have very very little to complain about.
