MacRumors

The first alleged benchmark result for Apple's new M3 Ultra chip has surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database tonight, allowing for more performance comparisons. The high-end chip is available in the new Mac Studio, introduced earlier this week.

Apple said the M3 Ultra chip is the "highest-performing chip it has ever created," and the unverified benchmark result seems to confirm that. In the single result, the 32-core M3 Ultra chip achieved a multi-core CPU score of 27,749, which makes it around 8% faster than the 16-core M4 Max chip that previously held the performance record. The result also reveals that the M3 Ultra chip is up to 30% faster than the 24-core M2 Ultra chip.

As expected, the M4 Max chip tops the M3 Ultra chip in terms of single-core CPU performance by nearly 20%, according to the result. This is due in part to the M4 Max chip being manufactured with TSMC's second-generation 3nm process, whereas the M3 Ultra is likely based on TSMC's first-generation 3nm process.

We now await additional M3 Ultra benchmark results to see if these scores are accurate, as they seem to be on the lower side compared to what was expected. For example, Apple advertised the M3 Ultra chip as being up to 1.5x faster than the M2 Ultra chip, so that 30% increase mentioned above should seemingly be closer to the 50% mark. Apple never said how the M3 Ultra chip's performance compares to the M4 Max chip, though.

As always, real-world performance may vary somewhat, but synthetic benchmark tools like Geekbench 6 provide a useful baseline for comparisons.

Watch this space, as we would not be surprised if additional Geekbench 6 results for the M3 Ultra chip end up having higher performance scores.

The benchmark was spotted by @jimmyjames_tech and shared by Vadim Yuryev.

Update: Three more M3 Ultra results have surfaced in the Geekbench 6 database, and the average multi-core CPU score has increased to 28,160. This means the M3 Ultra chip is around 10% faster than the M4 Max chip, up from the original 8% figure. Overall, it looks like the M3 Ultra chip is indeed not much faster than the M4 Max.

Apple today announced that King Charles III will be releasing an Apple Music playlist next week.

Recorded at Buckingham Palace, "The King's Music Room" will spotlight some of King Charles III's favorite songs. The playlist will feature songs from artists hailing from Commonwealth countries, such as Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, and Grace Jones.

The playlist will premiere on the Apple Music 1 radio station for free at 6 a.m. UK time on Monday, March 10, which is Commonwealth Day. It will be replayed multiple times throughout Monday and Tuesday on both the Apple Music 1 and Apple Music Hits stations, and Apple Music subscribers will be able to listen to the playlist on demand at any time.

For more details, read the announcement on the Apple Newsroom website in the UK.

During the holiday season, King Charles III toured Apple's UK headquarters at Battersea Power Station, alongside Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Apple has a staggering marketing claim for the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip.

Specifically, Apple says the new MacBook Air is up to 23x faster than the last Intel-based model. However, there are some details in the fine print to be aware of.

First, Apple said it compared a new 2025 MacBook Air with a 10-core M4 chip and 32GB of RAM to a 2020 MacBook Air with a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM. Both of the MacBook Air models were configured with a 2TB SSD. These are the best specifications that are or were available for each of these MacBook Air models.

So, Apple compared the new model to the fastest-ever Intel-based MacBook Air. That's fair.

Second, Apple said its test consisted of using the Super Resolution feature on a 4.4MB image in image editing app Pixelmator Pro — which it now owns. The feature uses machine learning to increase the resolution of images, while preserving sharpness and details.

So, the up to 23x faster performance claim is tied to quite a specific task.

Here is what Apple's fine print says in full:

Testing conducted by Apple in January 2025 using preproduction 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 32GB of RAM, as well as production 1.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-based MacBook Air systems with Intel Iris Plus Graphics and 16GB of RAM, all configured with 2TB SSD. Tested using Super Resolution with Pixelmator Pro 3.6.14 and a 4.4MB image. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of MacBook Air.

What about other tasks? Apple provided some more comparisons:

- Spreadsheet calculation performance in Microsoft Excel is up to 4.7x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, and up to 1.6x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Air with M1.
- Video editing in iMovie is up to 8x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, and up to 2x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Air with M1.
- Photo editing in Adobe Photoshop is up to 3.6x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air, and up to 2x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Air with M1.
- Web browsing is up to 60 percent faster when compared to a PC laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, and more demanding tasks get up to 2x faster performance.

Those claims seem more realistic for most users.

Ultimately, while the 23x claim might be overselling things a bit, it is true that any MacBook Air with an M1 chip or newer is dramatically faster than any Intel-based model. If you have been holding off on upgrading, you are in for a treat.

You can pre-order the new MacBook Air now on Apple's online store, and it will begin arriving to customers on Wednesday, March 12.

Popular password management app 1Password today announced a new feature that allows you to view logins, passwords, alarm codes, PINs, and more based on your location.

You can now assign locations to items stored in your vault, and those items will show up in the 1Password app for iPhone when you're near those physical locations.

So, for example, if you have work-related passwords in the app, you can set it up so those passwords will be surfaced first when you're at work. Or, if you're at the Starbucks, you can have it surface your Starbucks Rewards number. Or your medical record number if you're at the doctor's office.

Locations can be assigned to a 1Password item by editing the item and choosing the new Add a Location option. 1Password says that like everything kept in the app, location information is not shared, stored, or tracked. Location information is checked locally, so current location coordinates are kept on-device at all times.

1Password is priced at $2.99 per month for an individual plan, or $4.99 per month for a family plan (price requires purchasing a 12-month subscription). There are also business plans available.

Following discounts on the M3 iPad Air, Amazon is now offering pre-order discounts on the 11th generation iPad. You can get the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad for $329.00 in Silver and Blue, down from $349.00.

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.

Although this is just a $20 discount, it is the first markdown that we've tracked on the brand new 11-inch iPad with the A16 chip. All models of this iPad can be pre-ordered now, ahead of the official March 12 launch day.

Amazon also has $20 off the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad, available for $429.00, down from $449.00. This one is available in all four colors.

Lastly, Amazon has the 512GB Wi-Fi iPad on sale for $614.00, down from $649.00. This one is available in all four colors: Pink, Silver, Yellow, and Blue.

The new 11th generation iPad features the A16 chip and more storage. Specifically, it starts with 128GB of storage, and is also available in 256GB and a new 512GB configuration. The previous model was only available in 64GB and 256GB configurations.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

We are eagerly awaiting benchmarks for Apple's fastest-ever M3 Ultra chip in the Mac Studio, but we will have to settle with the first results for the new iPad Air for now.

The first Geekbench 6 results for the new iPad Air with the M3 chip are entirely unsurprising, but sometimes no news is good news. Given there were already Macs with the M3 chip, we know that it is around 20% faster than the M2 chip in terms of multi-core CPU performance, and the new iPad Air has similar gains as expected.

There are currently three Geekbench 6 results for the new iPad Air, and the device has achieved an average multi-core CPU score of 11,605 so far. The previous-generation iPad Air with the M2 chip has an average multi-core CPU score of 9,817, so the M3 chip is around 18% faster than the M2 chip in the iPad Air based on these early results.

This is all good confirmation to have, but as mentioned, it will be more interesting to find out how much faster the M3 Ultra chip is compared to the M4 Max chip. Those benchmarks should surface in the coming days, so stay tuned for that.

Amazon is discounting the 128GB Wi-Fi 13-inch M3 iPad Air to $749.00 in three colors, down from $799.00. This matches the price that Best Buy is offering, but it doesn't require any membership to gain access to the deal.

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.

Colors available at this price include Starlight, Space Gray, and Purple. This is a pre-order deal on the new iPad Air, and it will officially launch on March 12. As of writing, this is the only M3 iPad Air with a discount on Amazon.

If you are a My Best Buy Plus/Total member, you can get $50 discounts on pre-orders of the new iPad Air and MacBook Air this week. Anyone on the hunt for more discounts should be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

In a blog post today about Apple's foldable iPhone plans, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the rumored iPhone 17 Air will have a "high-density" battery.

Specifically, he said that Apple's first foldable iPhone model "will use the same high-density battery cells as the ultra-thin iPhone 17."

Kuo did not share any precise Wh/mAh battery capacity figures.

While there have been some concerns that the iPhone 17 Air's ultra-thin design would result in limited battery life, due to size constraints, the device might end up beating expectations in this regard. There are now three rumored features for the iPhone 17 Air that should contribute to the device having longer battery life than some might have expected, including the high-density battery calls, Apple's power-efficient C1 modem, and the lack of an Ultra Wide camera providing more internal space for a larger battery.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 Air in September. Kuo previously said the device will measure just 5.5mm at its thinnest point.

Apple has begun rolling out AI-generated summaries of App Store reviews in the latest iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 beta releases. The feature uses large language models to analyze user reviews and condense common themes into a short paragraph.

First spotted by Macworld, the AI summaries appear just above the user reviews section on app listings. As part of a phased rollout, Apple says the summaries are only available for English-language reviews "for a limited number of apps and games" in the US.

Apple plans to expand support to additional languages and regions "over the course of the year," according to information on Apple's developer website. Not all apps will receive review summaries at launch. Apple requires apps to have a sufficient number of user reviews to generate a meaningful summary, though the company hasn't specified the exact threshold.

To help keep the feature accurate, both developers and users can report problematic summaries. Developers can submit reports through App Store Connect, while users can tap and hold on a summary to flag issues. Apple notes that summaries will be refreshed at least once a week to incorporate recent feedback.

The processing appears to be cloud-based rather than on-device, as identical summaries display across different Apple devices. Apple hasn't confirmed that devices supporting Apple Intelligence will be a requirement.

The move follows similar AI summary features already available on other platforms. Amazon introduced AI-powered product review summaries in 2023, while Google added review summaries to Maps last year. The likelihood of AI summaries coming to app reviews in the App Store was first reported in October.

iOS 18.4 beta 2 also introduces several other features, including Priority Notifications, Visual Intelligence for iPhone 15 Pro, new Shortcuts actions, and a standalone Apple Vision Pro app. The update is expected to roll out to all users in April. An outline of all of the new features in iOS 18.4 can be found in our iOS 18.4 features guide.

Apple introduced new MacBook Air and Mac Studio models this week, adding faster and more efficient M4 and M3 Ultra chips, along with some other updates like Thunderbolt 5 ports for the Mac Studio. One upgrade we have not seen though is support for the latest Wi-Fi specification, Wi-Fi 7.

Both the new M4 MacBook Air and Mac Studio models continue to offer Wi-Fi 6E. While it does offer access to the 6GHz band on supported Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers, it's not the latest or fastest technology.

Wi-Fi 7, also known as IEEE 802.11be, promises theoretical speeds up to four times faster than its predecessor, as well as reduced latency and improved handling of multiple device connections. Its standout feature is Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which can combine several frequencies across different bands into a single connection for potentially better performance and stability.

Apple's decision not to equip the new Macs with Wi-Fi 7 isn't completely unexpected, given that the MacBook Pro models with M4 chips launched last year also do not feature Wi-Fi 7 support. Still, it's an odd decision when you consider that all iPhone 16 models released in September include Wi-Fi 7 chips from Broadcom.

That said, the current reality of Wi-Fi 7 adoption makes its absence in Apple's new Macs less significant. Yes, the iPhone 16 series includes Wi-Fi 7 support, but Apple has limited its implementation to the 160MHz bandwidth instead of the full 320MHz that the standard allows. In other words, iPhone 16 models aren't taking full advantage of Wi-Fi 7's potential speed improvements.

The existing Wi-Fi 6E support in M4 Macs already provides access to the less congested 6GHz band, offering solid performance for current networking needs. Granted, Wi-Fi 7 could have provided some future-proofing for Mac buyers, but its practical benefits won't be widely accessible for some time.

In sum, for most Mac users, the absence of Wi-Fi 7 shouldn't be a deciding factor when considering an M4 Mac purchase. The technology remains in its early stages, and Wi-Fi 6E continues to offer robust performance for typical computing tasks, including video conferencing, cloud gaming, and high-resolution streaming.

Apple's newly announced M4 MacBook Air brings several notable upgrades while maintaining the sleek design that's made the Air lineup so popular. Here are six important things you should know about the latest iteration of Apple's ultra-portable laptop.

Note that the new 13-inch and 14-inch MacBook Air with M4 chip is available to pre-order now, and it launches Wednesday, March 12.

Support for Two External Displays

In a notable improvement over previous models, the new M4 MacBook Air can natively support two external displays while keeping the laptop's lid open. This means users can work with up to three screens simultaneously (the MacBook's built-in display plus two external monitors).

Apple's technical specifications confirm the new MacBook Air "simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz." Support also includes Thunderbolt 4 digital video output and native DisplayPort 1.4 output over USB-C.

The enhancement eliminates the limitation found in previous M1 and M2 models, which officially supported only one external display. It also improves upon the M3 which could drive two external displays but required the laptop's lid to be closed.

12MP Center Stage Camera

The M4 MacBook Air comes equipped with a major camera upgrade, replacing the previous 1080p FaceTime HD camera with a 12-megapixel camera. This new camera not only provides higher resolution but also supports Center Stage, which automatically keeps you centered in the frame during video calls as you move around.

The camera also supports Desk View, a feature that provides an overhead perspective of your desk during video calls. MacBook webcam quality has been a long-standing complaint, so this change should address the issue, especially for users who regularly rely on video conferencing.

Easier Setup

Apple has simplified the setup process for new Mac owners. Starting next month with the release of macOS Sequoia 15.4, users will be able to set up their new MacBook Air by simply bringing their iPhone or iPad close to the Mac.

This proximity-based setup allows you to quickly sign in to your Apple Account and automatically transfer your files, photos, messages, passwords, and other personal data to your new MacBook Air. The iPhone or iPad will need to be running iOS 18.4 or iPadOS 18.4 or newer for this feature to work. Those updates will also be released in April.

New Color (and MagSafe Charger)

The M4 MacBook Air introduces a new "sky blue" color option, replacing the previous space gray variant. To complement this new finish, Apple has also released a matching sky blue USB-C to MagSafe 3 charging cable.

Like other MacBook Air models, the new M4 version comes with a color-matched MagSafe cable in the box. The magnetic connection provides the safety advantage of detaching if someone trips over the cord, preventing potential damage to the laptop. For those wanting an additional cable or a different color, Apple sells the MagSafe 3 charging cable separately for $49.

Battery Life

Despite the performance improvements offered by the new M4 chip, battery life ratings remain unchanged from the previous M2 and M3 models. This consistency suggests that the power efficiency gains from the new chip are being directed toward performance rather than extended battery life.

In addition, the new MacBook Air features a slightly larger 53.8-watt-hour battery compared to the 52.6-watt-hour battery in previous models, which likely helps maintain battery life despite the more powerful processor.

$100 Price Cut

Apple has reduced the starting price of the MacBook Air, offering the 13-inch M4 model at $999 – that's $100 less than the previous-generation M3 MacBook Air's starting price of $1,099. You also get 16GB of RAM as a minimum, which wasn't the case when the M3 MacBook Air first launched.

The base 13-inch configuration includes a 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB of SSD storage. The 15-inch model starts at $1,199, maintaining the same price point as its M3 predecessor.

Apple is developing a "refreshed" version of its C1 modem for mass production next year that will improve power consumption and transmission speed, as well as bring support for mmWave, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a post on X (Twitter), Kuo said that while supporting the mmWave baseband isn't particularly challenging, achieving stable performance with low power consumption remains a "key hurdle" for Apple.

The C1 modem that debuted in the iPhone 16e lacks support for ultra-fast mmWave 5G technology. This means users don't have access to the exceptionally fast speeds that mmWave technology can provide in specific locations such as stadiums, airports, and dense urban areas. However, Apple says the C1 is just the "start" and that it is going to keep improving the technology with each new generation. Kuo has previously said the iPhone 17 Air, expected later this year, will also be equipped with the C1 modem.

It's not immediately clear which device will be first to use the so-called "refreshed" C1 modem, but a rumored iPhone 17e could be one possibility. Apple could also use the chip in an iPad and/or the standard model in Apple's iPhone 18 lineup. The Information's Wayne Ma has also predicted that Apple in 2026 will debut a new custom modem with support for mmWave 5G. The modem with mmWave support will be used in iPhones and "at least one iPad," according to Ma.

Another possibility is that Kuo's information actually relates to what Apple will call a "C2" modem. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's next-generation C2 modem is expected to arrive in 2026, and will debut in Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models.

In his social media post, Kuo also divulged some more technical node details about Apple's C1 modem process technology:

• Baseband: 4/5nm (both technologies are similar)
• Low-frequency/Sub-6 TRx (Transceivers): 7nm
• Intermediate Frequency (IF) TRx: 7nm
• PMIC: 55nm

Kuo says that unlike processors, baseband chips do not necessarily benefit from using the latest advanced node (3nm, for example), as it does not significantly improve baseband transmission speed. As a result, "it's unlikely that Apple's baseband will shift to a 3nm process next year," said Kuo.

Apple claims the C1 modem is the most power-efficient modem it has used in an iPhone, contributing to the iPhone 16e having the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone ever.

Apple's first foldable iPhone should arrive around the end of 2026 or early 2027 with a book-style design and a premium price tag of over $2,000, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a report today, Kuo outlines his expectations for the device, noting that it will have an approximately 7.8-inch "crease-free" inner display and a 5.5-inch outer display, matching a rumor from last month.

Kuo says that the foldable iPhone will measure between 9 and 9.5 mm when folded, and around 4.5 to 4.8 mm when unfolded. It will feature a titanium alloy casing with a hinge made of stainless steel and titanium alloy, and it will have a dual-lens rear camera with a front-facing camera for both folded and unfolded states.

Notably, Kuo says that the phone will forgo Face ID authentication, instead using a Touch ID side button as a means to save precious internal space. It will also be positioned as a "true AI-driven phone," with the larger screens allowing for a better multi-tasking AI experience.

With premium pricing above $2,000 and perhaps even above $2,500, Kuo believes the foldable iPhone will tap into Apple's loyal fanbase, some of whom will view it as a "must-have device" if its quality meets expectations.

Kuo says Apple is aiming to finalize the specs of its first foldable iPhone during the second quarter of this year and officially kick off the project in the third quarter. Mass production is reportedly planned for the fourth quarter of 2026, so we could perhaps see a launch late next year or in early 2027. A second-generation model is said to be in the pipeline for a year later.

Apple debuted its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e last month, as part of a multi-year plan to transition away from Qualcomm modems. However, the C1 modem does not extend to the new iPads unveiled earlier this week.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber today said he spoke with an Apple representative who confirmed that the new iPad Air and entry-level iPad models are not equipped with the C1 modem. In addition, FCC documents viewed by MacRumors indicate that cellular configurations of both new iPads are equipped with a Qualcomm modem.

There is still at least one other device that is expected to have an Apple-designed modem this year. According to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the rumored "iPhone 17 Air" model coming in September will also be equipped with the C1 modem.

Apple's modem supply agreement with Qualcomm runs through March 2027, so the company still has time to transition to its own custom-designed modems. Apple develops chips several years before they ship, so it should come as no surprise that the company is reportedly already working on its next-generation C2 and C3 modems.

Apple said the C1 modem is already the most power-efficient iPhone modem ever, and it held up fine in both real-world and simulated 5G speed test results.

It's been a busy week for Apple, with new products announced on Tuesday and Wednesday. We're now caught up on what's been rumored for a spring launch, so we thought we'd recap everything Apple came out with this week.

iPad Air

Apple updated the iPad Air on Tuesday, updating it with the new M3 chip. The ‌iPad Air‌ still comes in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, but there were no design changes and few other new features.

The 3nm M3 chip has an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU, an improvement over the 5nm M2 chip. It's faster and more efficient, with some modest performance gains. The chip supports hardware accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, so you'll be able to play console quality games on the ‌iPad Air‌.

Apple also debuted a new Magic Keyboard for ‌iPad Air‌ to go along with the M3 ‌iPad Air‌. It has a larger trackpad and a row of function keys, and it connects to the ‌iPad Air‌ magnetically, receiving power through the Smart Connector. The ‌iPad Air‌ works with the Apple Pencil Pro, much like the prior model.

iPad

The low-cost iPad was also updated, and it got an A16 chip instead of the A14 chip. The A16 chip decision was a bit of a surprise because some rumors said it would get an A17 Pro for Apple Intelligence support, but that didn't happen. If you get Apple's cheapest ‌iPad‌, which starts at $349, you won't get ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

The A16 in the ‌iPad‌ has a 5-core CPU and 4-core GPU, along with a 16-core Neural Engine.

Apple says the new ‌iPad‌ has an 11-inch display, while the prior model had a 10.9-inch display, but there haven't been any changes to the display size, in fact. Apple is just rounding differently.

MacBook Air

Apple updated the MacBook Air with the M4 chip and a new light blue color that replaces the space gray color, but there are no other changes.

The M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ starts with a 10-core CPU an 8-core GPU, but there is a 10-core GPU option. It supports up to 32GB RAM instead of 24GB like the prior model, and memory bandwidth is 120GB/s, up from 100GB/s.

Apple also added an updated 12-megapixel front-facing camera with Center Stage support, which will be a major improvement over the prior 1080p FaceTime camera. Like other M4 Macs, the ‌MacBook Air‌ supports two 6K external displays (so two Studio Displays), and clamshell mode isn't needed for it.

Mac Studio

The Mac Studio might be Apple's most exciting announcement, not because there were design changes, but because it's got the only all-new chip we haven't seen before.

Apple is offering the ‌Mac Studio‌ with the M4 Max chip, which was previously unveiled in the MacBook Pro, but there's also an M3 Ultra variant. The M3 Ultra chip is two M3 Max chips linked together for faster performance.

It has up to a 32-core CPU and an 80-core GPU, along with a 32-core Neural Engine and 819GB/s memory bandwidth. It's Apple's most advanced Mac to date. It supports up to 512GB unified memory, and 16TB of storage. If you spec it out with the maximum feature set, it's going to cost you over $14,000.

Launch Dates

You can pre-order all of Apple's new iPads and Macs this week, and a launch is set for March 12. Some custom configurations will take longer to ship.

Is Apple Done?

Unless Apple has a surprise in store that we're not anticipating, launch week has come to an end. We haven't heard rumors about any other products due for a spring refresh, but later this year, we're expecting Apple to launch a new smart home hub, a refreshed Apple TV, new Macs with M5 chips, the AirTag 2, a new HomePod mini, AirPods Pro 3, new iPhone 17 models, new Apple Watch models, and possibly even another Vision Pro.

Our next major round of announcements will come at WWDC with the unveiling of iOS 19 and macOS 16.

Following in the wake of the first pre-order discounts on the new iPad Air, Best Buy is now offering an exclusive $50 discount on the M4 MacBook Air to its members. Specifically, you'll need to be a My Best Buy Plus or Total member in order to see these savings.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

If you are a My Best Buy Plus/Total member, prices start at $949.00 for the 8-Core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD 13-inch MacBook Air, down from $999.00. Best Buy also has both 512GB 13-inch models on sale for $50 off.

Best Buy has the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale as well, starting at $1,149.00 for the 256GB model, down from $1,199.00. You can also find both 512GB models on sale for $50 off if you're a My Best Buy Plus/Total member.

The new MacBook Air features the M4 chip, plus an upgraded camera and a new Sky Blue color option. The computer will officially launch on March 12.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Apple today updated its Shazam app, improving the syncing feature for adding songs identified with Shazam to music apps like Apple Music and Spotify.

According to the release notes for the new 18.9 update, Shazam will include songs recognized with the Music Recognition feature on the iPhone and iPad to the dedicated My Shazam Tracks playlist that's available for Spotify and ‌Apple Music‌ users.

Prior to now, songs identified manually with the Shazam app were added to this list, but songs recognized using the built-in Control Center option were not included.

We've made syncing songs to Apple Music and Spotify better than ever! Shazam will now include songs found via Music Recognition in Control Centre, Siri, and Shortcuts to your "My Shazam Tracks" playlist in Apple Music or Spotify.

Simply toggle "Sync your songs" off and on in Shazam settings to re-sync all your previously discovered songs from the Shazam app. You may need to reopen Spotify to see the playlist refreshed

Don't forget to keep your Shazam History safe and in sync between your devices. To do this, turn on iCloud sync in Shazam Settings.

To update songs that are synced, Apple says that users should toggle "Sync your songs" off and on in the Shazam app settings, a move that will re-sync all previously discovered songs.

Shazam can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tapbots, known for the now-defunct Tweetbot app, is planning to release a new app for the Bluesky social network later this year.

Called Phoenix, the app will be developed for iPhone and Mac in tandem with Ivory, the app that Tapbots created for the Mastodon social network. Tapbots says that Bluesky has become so popular that its clients are now split between Mastodon and Bluesky, and it is no longer possible for the company to survive on Ivory alone.

Tapbots does not plan to stop development on Ivory, and work on the Mastodon app will continue after Phoenix is released. The two apps will share features, but will be separate. Tapbots says that it made more sense to develop two separate apps than to create a single combo app to provide a better customer experience, but cross-platform posting is a feature planned for the future.

After Twitter (now X) stopped supporting third-party platforms like Tweetbot, Tapbots pivoted to Ivory, an iPhone and Mac app designed for posting on the Mastodon social network. Both Mastodon and Bluesky are popular alternatives to Twitter/X.

Tapbots plans to release Phoenix sometime this summer, with a limited public alpha coming in the near future. More information is available on the Tapbots website.