Western Digital today launched a new USB 3.2 Gen 2 My Passport SSD under its WD brand, with the new device equipped with NVMe technology that supports read speeds of up to 1050MB/s and write speeds of up to 1000MB/s.
The new My Passport SSD is available in capacities up to 2TB, and like most SSDs, it's small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. It features a metal casing with rounded corners and waved ridges, and it comes in gray, blue, red, and gold.
The My Passport SSD's casing offers shock and vibration resistance, and it is drop resistant up to 6.5 feet. It ships with a USB-C cable and a USB-A adapter, and works with both Mac and PC out of the box.
According to Western Digital, the new My Passport SSD can transfer content twice as fast as the previous version of the drive, and it features password-enabled 256-bit AES hardware encryption.
The My Passport SSD can be purchased from select retailers like Amazon and Best Buy starting today. The 500GB model is priced at $120, while the 1TB model is priced at $190. Other capacities will be available later in the year.
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 ...
Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone.
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports.
iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
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...
Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs.
On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
There is uncertainty about Apple's head of hardware engineering John Ternus succeeding Tim Cook as CEO, The Information reports. Some former Apple executives apparently hope that a new "dark-horse" candidate will emerge.
Ternus is considered to be the most likely candidate to succeed Cook as CEO. The report notes that he is more likely to become CEO than software head chief Craig Federighi, ...
Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent.
Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
If I'm paying that kind of money I want thunderbolt 3 speeds. Picked up a 2TB OWC thunderbolt 3 drive for $418. I fusioned it with my internal 512gb ssd on my iMac and now I'm flying. 2700 MB/s Read, 2100 MB/s Write. Boot, account switching, apps are all much, much faster. Love me some T3!
Is WD still a good buy for storage? I remember seeing a chart a few years ago with disk failure rates and they were up there, along with seagate which had the highest rate of failure.
All of my USB-powered external drives have been WD for a few years now. I have 1TB, 2TB and one 4TB external HDD and no issues with any of them. Two are used with laptops and one is used with an Xbone.
Every single Maxtor I’ve bought has given me troubles so that’s the one brand I currently avoid like the plague.
If I'm paying that kind of money I want thunderbolt 3 speeds. Picked up a 2TB OWC thunderbolt 3 drive for $418. I fusioned it with my internal 512gb ssd on my iMac and now I'm flying. 2700 MB/s Read, 2100 MB/s Write. Boot, account switching, apps are all much, much faster. Love me some T3!
Fusion-drive'ing an external + internal sounds dangerous.
Is it OK to cover your hard drive in a brown paper bag when you're using in in public, or will it run too hot?
"We want something youthful that says this product is FAST and FUN!" said the committee of 60 year-olds. "Fine, here" said the designer and threw up in his mouth.
I mean... those are hideous beyond measure. Been using WD for 15+ years as my go-to for storage. Never considered the possibility of having to look into other brands because WD would suddenly get too ugly to look at, but the latest gen MyBook designs with the diagonal lines look like puke, and now they ruined the portables with... what are those even... wings?
