Every so often a new smartphone makes waves in the tech world because of an eye-catching design or innovative features, and this month, the Phone 1 from Nothing is starring in reviews and videos thanks to its LED-laden transparent design and affordable price point. We picked up a Nothing Phone 1 to see how it measures up to Apple's iPhones.
Since Nothing is a relatively new company, we'll give a little back story first. OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei founded Nothing in 2020, and in 2021, the company purchased Essential Products, the Andy Rubin-founded firm that manufactured the now-discontinued Android-based Essential Phone in 2017. From there, Nothing partnered with Swedish electronics company Teenage Engineering, known for its synthesizers, and the result is the Nothing Phone 1, introduced in March.
Priced starting at £399 ($475), the Nothing Phone 1 is more affordable than most of Apple's iPhones, and it is closest in price to the $429 iPhone SE and the $499 iPhone 11. Measuring in at 6.55 inches with an OLED display and a 120Hz refresh rate, the Phone 1 comes in black or white, and it has a series of LEDs at the back that form what the company says is a "glyph interface." The LED lights serve as visual notifications, letting you know who is calling or messaging.
The Nothing Phone 1 has an undeniably iPhone-like body with squared edges, camera placement, and antenna bands, but those LEDs set it apart. LEDs can be paired with different sounds for even more customization, and they're fun to play with, but there's no color, so you're limited to pattern recognition. You can set the LEDs up to display a different pattern for different apps and people, but then you need to learn each light pattern, which is easier said than done.
The LEDs also work alongside the 50-megapixel wide and ultra wide cameras that have features that include optical image stabilization, night mode, portrait mode, and macro shot support. At the front, there's a 16-megapixel selfie camera, and it has an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Inside, the Nothing Phone 1 has a Snapdragon 778G processor from Samsung, and the base model comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Other features include an IP53 water resistance rating and a 4500mAh battery. The specs are fine, but won't match the performance of higher-end smartphones from Apple and Samsung.
The Nothing Phone 1 runs Nothing OS, a version of Android that promises no "bloatware." An Android-based phone is not going to be of interest to those who are deeply entrenched in the iPhone ecosystem, but all in all, the Phone 1 is one of the best mid-tier Android phones on the market. For those who are looking for a change or those who want something affordable with a rich feature set, the Nothing Phone 1 is competitive with its unique lighting system and higher-end components.
Make sure to watch our full video up above for a look at Nothing OS and to see the LEDs in action. What do you think of the Nothing Phone 1? Let us know in the comments.
Launched in 2017, the iPhone X was a major evolution of the iPhone. The device replaced the Home button and Touch ID with swipe-based navigation and Face ID, while introducing new features like an OLED display, Animoji, wireless charging, and more.
Even five years later, the iPhone X is still a capable smartphone. If you've been holding on to your iPhone X and are considering upgrading to the iPhone 14 Pro when it launches later this year, check out our list below for a recap of the many new features and changes to expect. The list includes major new features added to the iPhone XS, 11 Pro, 12 Pro, and 13 Pro, as well as rumored features for the iPhone 14 Pro.
Over 2x as fast A16 chip: The A15 chip in the iPhone 13 Pro is already over 2x faster than the A11 chip in the iPhone X, according to Geekbench 5, and performance should improve even more with the A16 chip in the iPhone 14 Pro. Apple also uses a 16-core Neural Engine in the latest iPhones for faster machine learning compared to the three-core Neural Engine in the iPhone X.
Larger display: iPhone X is equipped with a 5.8-inch display, while the 14 Pro is expected to have a 6.1-inch display.
Much brighter display: Compared to the iPhone X, the 14 Pro's display will have at least 375 nits higher peak brightness for standard content.
No more notch: Rumors suggest Apple will replace the notch with a pill-shaped cutout and a hole for Face ID and the front camera on the iPhone 14 Pro.
Heavier: The iPhone X weighs 0.38 pounds, while the iPhone 13 Pro weighs 0.45 pounds.
3D Touch removed: On the iPhone 11 Pro and newer, Apple removed the 3D Touch feature that allowed you to press deeply on the screen to pop open menus or other "hidden" features. 3D Touch was replaced with Haptic Touch, which is more limited and relies on a press-and-hold gesture instead of a deep press.
Faster Face ID: On the latest iPhones, Face ID is faster and supports more angles.
ProMotion: Introduced on the iPhone 13 Pro, ProMotion allows for a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz for smoother appearing content and scrolling.
Always-on display: Rumors suggest the iPhone 14 Pro will feature an always-on display mode that shows the time, date, and iOS 16's new Lock screen widgets.
Ceramic Shield: Introduced on the iPhone 12 Pro, Apple said the Ceramic Shield front cover increased drop performance by 4x compared to previous models.
Longer battery life: Already, the iPhone 13 Pro gets 22 hours of video playback vs. 13 hours for the iPhone X, and rumors suggest that iPhone 14 Pro models could feature even larger battery capacities.
Triple-lens rear camera system: While the iPhone X has a dual-lens rear camera system, the iPhone 11 Pro and newer feature a triple-lens rear camera system with an added Ultra Wide lens for zoomed-out photos.
12-megapixel front camera: The front camera on the iPhone X is a 7-megapixel lens, while the iPhone 11 Pro and newer have a 12-megapixel front camera.
Night mode: Introduced on the iPhone 11 Pro, Night mode allows for greatly improved low-light photography in the Camera app.
Increased optical zoom: On the iPhone 13 Pro, you can zoom in up to 3x on photos without any blurriness, compared to up to 2x on the iPhone X.
Numerous other camera improvements: iPhone X users upgrading to the 14 Pro will get a slew of other camera upgrades, including a rumored 48-megapixel Wide lens with support for 8K video recording, an upgraded front camera with autofocus, sensor-shift image stabilization, Smart HDR, brighter True Tone flash, Macro mode, Cinematic mode, ProRAW photos, ProRes videos, and more.
Flat edges: While the iPhone X's stainless steel frame has round edges, Apple has switched to flat edges with the 12 Pro and newer.
5G and Gigabit LTE: While the iPhone X is limited to LTE Advanced, the iPhone 14 Pro will support 5G and Gigabit LTE for faster cellular data speeds.
Dual SIM support: iPhone XS models and newer have both a physical nano-SIM card slot and a digital eSIM, allowing you to have multiple lines of service/phone numbers on a single iPhone. This feature is useful for having personal and business lines on a single iPhone, or for using pay-as-you-go data plans while traveling.
Wi-Fi 6E: iPhone 14 models are rumored to support Wi-Fi 6E, which extends Wi-Fi into the 6 GHz band, in addition to the existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
MagSafe: iPhone 12 and newer models feature MagSafe, a system that lets you magnetically attach accessories to the back of the iPhone, such as Apple's own MagSafe Charger, MagSafe Wallet, and MagSafe Battery Pack.
Up to 2x faster wireless charging: iPhones with MagSafe can wirelessly charge at up to 15W speeds with Apple's MagSafe Charger, while wireless charging on the iPhone X is limited to up to 7.5W speeds.
U1 chip: iPhone 11 Pro and newer models are equipped with Apple's U1 chip for spatial awareness functionality. For example, users can hold a U1-equipped iPhone near a HomePod mini to hand off music playback, or precisely track the location of an AirTag using the Precision Finding feature.
Increased storage: iPhone X started with 64GB of storage, but the 14 Pro should have at least 128GB of base storage.
LiDAR Scanner: Introduced on the iPhone 12 Pro, the LiDAR Scanner is situated next to the rear camera and offers faster augmented reality experiences and improves autofocus by 6x in low-light photos and videos, according to Apple.
Power Reserve for Wallet app: On the iPhone XS and newer, a Power Reserve feature lets you use transit cards, state ID cards, student ID cards, home keys, car keys, and other items stored in the Wallet app with Express Mode turned on for a short period after an iPhone has run out of battery life.
Improved water resistance: Apple says the iPhone X has IP67-rated water resistance up to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes, while the 12 Pro and newer have IP68-rated water resistance up to a depth of six meters for up to 30 minutes.
Apple will pay $50 million to settle a 2018 class-action lawsuit over the faulty butterfly keyboards that were used in MacBook machines between 2015 and 2019, reports Reuters. Customers in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Washington claimed that Apple knew about the faulty butterfly mechanism and concealed it while continuing to sell computers with the keyboard.
MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook models adopted the butterfly keyboard across 2015 and 2016, with Apple touting the thinness of the keyboard and the superior key feel and stability. Not too long after the keyboards started launching, customers learned that they were prone to failure.
Thousands of customers ran into issues with keys repeating, sticking, and otherwise failing when dust and other particulates got into the butterfly mechanism, resulting in a huge controversy over the butterfly technology.
Apple ultimately launched a keyboard repair program in June 2018, but it only covered MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air models for four years, and Apple would only replace butterfly keyboards with another butterfly keyboard, so some customers have run into repeat failures that are no longer covered. The lawsuit alleged that Apple's repair program was not sufficient.
Apple tried to iterate on the butterfly mechanism to make it more durable and there were three generations of the butterfly keyboard, but all of them experienced issues. Apple ultimately started replacing butterfly keyboards with scissor switch keyboards, and phased out the last butterfly keyboard in 2020, and now all Mac models that are available use the more reliable scissor switch mechanism that predates the butterfly keys.
The lawsuit covers only customers in the above-mentioned states, and lawyers are expecting maximum payouts of $395 to customers who replaced multiple keyboards, $125 to people who replaced one keyboard, and $50 to people who replaced key caps. The settlement is preliminary and will need to be approved by the judge overseeing the case.
In response to the Digital Markets Act receiving final approval from the Council of the European Union this week, Google today announced that it now allows developers of non-gaming apps to offer alternative billing systems to users in the European Economic Area (EEA), including countries in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
Google will reduce its commission by 3% for in-app purchases made through an alternative billing system in the EEA. Google says this policy means 99% of developers will be charged a fee of 12% when a customer completes a transaction through a third-party payment processor, compared to 15% through Google Play's billing system. Google said this reduced fee supports the company's investments in Google Play and Android.
Google said it expects to expand its alternative billing system program to developers of gaming apps for users in the EEA in advance of the Digital Markets Act's effective date, which is at least six months away, according to the European Council.
Google Play's billing system will continue to be required for all apps distributed through the store in all other countries, including the United States.
Developers must complete a declaration form to offer alternative billing systems in the EEA. Starting August 1, 2022, developers will be required to report to Google Play the amount of all paid transactions from the alternative billing system.
Developers interested in learning more about the program and signing up can visit this support document on Google's website. Google said additional program requirements and safety measures will be shared in the coming weeks.
Apple has yet to announce any plans to allow App Store apps to offer alternative billing systems to users throughout the EEA. To comply with regulations in the Netherlands, Apple allows dating apps to offer alternative billing systems in that country, with Apple reducing its commission by 3% for transactions. Last month, Apple also started allowing developers in South Korea to offer alternative billing systems to users in that country.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.
Today we're tracking a deal on Apple's AirPods 3, available at both Amazon and B&H Photo. At these retailers, the headphones have dropped to $159.99, down from $179.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
On Amazon, shipping is delayed by about two weeks, and stock on the AirPods 3 has been fairly low ever since Prime Day. If you need the headphones faster, B&H Photo is offering free expedited shipping with delivery available for this week for most locations in the United States.
We've seen the AirPods 3 at a lower price previously this year, most recently during a brief sale for Prime Day, but that sale disappeared quickly and stock has been low ever since. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
While some iPhone 14 components are facing supply chain issues, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the issues will have a limited impact on upcoming mass production of iPhone 14 models, which are expected to be announced in September.
In a tweet, Kuo said other suppliers can help to make up for component shortages. For example, Kuo said Samsung Display and BOE can largely fill the initial supply gap caused by LG Display's issues with the appearance of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max display panels. Kuo also said it should not take much time for LG Display to address the issue.
All in all, Kuo's commentary is good news for iPhone 14 availability later this year. The lineup is expected to include the 6.1-inch iPhone 14, 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max.
(1/3) I have learned that recently some iPhone 14 panel and memory suppliers have experienced supply issues, but it should have a limited impact on the coming mass production of the iPhone 14 because other suppliers can fill the supply gap.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) July 19, 2022
This month, Adobe is offering first-time subscribers of the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan a 25 percent discount. With this sale, you'll pay $39.99 per month for the plan, down from $54.99 per month, and this price will last through your first year.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Adobe. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can also choose to pay for the entire year upfront at the price of $479.88 per year, down from $599.88 per year. After your first year ends, your subscription will automatically renew at the standard rate unless you change or cancel the subscription. This sale ends July 24.
When signing up for Creative Cloud All Apps, you gain access to more than 20 creative apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, InDesign, and Acrobat. You also get templates, cloud storage, and thousands of Adobe Fonts.
These programs can be subscribed to individually as well for a monthly fee, but the new offer is only for Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps. Adobe is not discounting individual services. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.
Apple today shared three new ads highlighting the security benefits of Apple Pay on the iPhone compared to physical credit cards.
The short ads emphasize that physical credit cards can be stolen, used by anyone, and leave your card number exposed to other people. The message behind the ads is that all of these security risks with using credit cards can be avoided by using Apple Pay.
Apple shared the videos on its YouTube channel in the U.K. — the videos have yet to be uploaded in the U.S. or other countries.
Apple Pay is at the center of a new class action lawsuit filed against Apple in California this week. The complaint alleges that Apple violates U.S. antitrust law by blocking rivals from accessing NFC technology on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, thereby preventing availability of competing tap-to-pay payment services on its devices.
Hacker group The Odyssey Team has announced an upcoming jailbreak tool called "Cheyote" that will work with devices running iOS 15 for the first time.
Sharing the news on Reddit, one of the developers involved in the tool said the jailbreak itself is "making good progress" and should be rolled out to the jailbreaking community in the near future.
If the claims are true, that would mean some of Apple's latest devices like the iPhone 13 series and iPad mini 6 will be capable of being jailbroken for the first time, although there are still some limitations to do with OS versions.
According to the developers, the Cheyote tool will initially only work with iOS 15.0 to iOS 15.1.1, which was released in November last year. The group says they will continue to work to support versions up to iOS 15.4.1, but this is likely to take some time, since Apple has made the jailbreaking process a lot tougher in recent versions of its mobile operating system.
While jailbreaking removes restrictions and allows iOS device users to modify the software and side-load apps, it is a violation of Apple's End User License Agreement that every iOS user agrees to. While not illegal in the United States, due to an exemption in the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, jailbreaking also technically voids a device's warranty coverage.
Apple's cat-and-mouse game with the jailbreaking community has been ongoing for over a decade, with advancements in iOS security and added customization built into Apple's software having decreased interest in jailbreaking in recent years.
The Brazilian Supreme Court has issued a favorable opinion to Apple in a long-running dispute over the exclusive use of the iPhone brand in the country, local media reports.
For those unfamiliar with the case, Brazil's highest court accepted a constitutional appeal in 2020 by ISB Electronica, an electronics company that registered the iPhone trademark in Brazil in 2000.
Under the name Gradiente, IGB Electronica produced a line of IPHONE-branded Android smartphones in Brazil in 2012, and there was a period of time where the Brazilian company was given exclusive rights to the iPhone trademark.
The appeal resulted in a trademark battle that saw both Apple and IGB Electronica given the rights to use the name in the country, but that didn't prevent back and forth judicial fighting between the two, with each company attempting to gain exclusive rights to the trademark.
A 2018 decision upheld a 2013 ruling that gave both brands permission to use the trademark, but then IGB Electronica revived the dispute in an attempt to get the 2018 decision reversed by Brazil's Supreme Federal Court.
In the latest development in the case, Brazilian Prosecutor General Augusto Aras last Friday gave his assent to Apple's position. Aras said that even though IGB Electronica applied to register the iPhone trademark several years before Apple's smartphone was launched, the "iPhone" brand has since become a globally recognized name, and therefore plays an important role in the world electronics market.
For this reason, Aras said the use of the iPhone brand should not be subject to the traditional question of who registered the name first, but instead the "supervening context and relevant factual changes" should be considered before a decision is made.
According to Tilt (via MacMagazine), the Prosecutor General's opinion has now been delivered to the Brazilian Supreme Court, which will hear the case and come to a decision, although a date for the hearing has not been scheduled.
Netflix is working to crack down on account sharing between households, and is now testing an added fee for Netflix users in Latin America who have provided their passwords to people outside of their immediate home. As reported by Bloomberg, Netflix customers who share their passwords in Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic will need to pay additional money.
Netflix had previously been testing an add-on fee for account sharing in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, but the test is now expanding to additional countries. In Argentina, customers will need to pay 219 pesos ($1.70), while the fee will be $2.99 in other countries.
Netflix's terms of service do not allow for multi-household account sharing, but Netflix has tended to look the other way as password sharing is a common practice. The company is no longer willing to allow the practice to go on because it has been losing money as of late.
In the first quarter of 2022, Netflix lost subscribers for the first time in 10 years, and the losses are expected to continue. As a result, Netflix is ending account sharing and is also working on an ad-supported streaming tier that will be more affordable.
An estimated 222 million paying households are sharing with an additional 100 million households that are not being monetized, and Netflix is planning to implement "more effective monetization of multi-household sharing" as part of a strategy to increase revenue.
Customers in countries where Netflix is testing added fees will have the option to pay the fee for access or move to a new, paid account. Netflix is allowing people to access their accounts while traveling, but if a person uses an account in a place that is not one of their paying households for over two weeks, the company will send an in-app notification requiring them to add a household for a fee or change the primary household.
Netflix has said that it is working to understand how the password-sharing crackdown will work in test countries before expanding the fee to additional countries.
Netflix continues to be the only major streaming service that charges by streaming quality. In the United States, Netflix charges $9.99 for the Basic no-HD plan that allows for streaming on a single device, $15.49 for a Standard HD plan that allows for two people to watch at the same time, and $19.99 for a Premium plan with Ultra HD streaming and support for four simultaneous viewers.
A proposed class action lawsuit filed against Apple today accuses the company of violating U.S. antitrust law by ensuring that Apple Pay is the only available mobile wallet for making tap-to-pay payments with an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.
The complaint, filed by law firms Hagens Berman and Sperling & Slater, alleges that Apple is illegally profiting at least $1 billion annually by blocking rivals from accessing NFC technology on its devices, thereby preventing competing services like Google Pay or Samsung Pay from offering tap-to-pay payment functionality on Apple devices.
For every Apple Pay transaction completed with a U.S. issuer's payment card, the issuer must pay Apple a fee of 0.15% for credit cards and half a cent for debit cards, the complaint alleges. By comparison, Google allows multiple mobile wallets on Android smartphones and does not collect a fee from U.S. card issuers for tap-to-pay payments.
"When you compare the functionality of Apple Pay to mobile wallets available on Android devices – Google Pay, Samsung Pay – you're essentially holding up a mirror; they are essentially identical," said Steve Berman, Hagens Berman co-founder and managing partner. "And yet, the same service on Android that card issuers pay absolutely nothing for costs them a collective $1 billion annually through Apple Pay."
Apple would not be able to sustain its "substantial fees" for Apple Pay transactions if the service faced competition on Apple devices, the complaint argues.
Filed in U.S. district court in Northern California, the complaint specifically accuses Apple of multiple violations of the federal Sherman Act by "tying" Apple Pay to its mobile devices and monopolizing the "tap and pay iOS mobile wallet market."
The complaint seeks monetary relief for all U.S. card issuers that paid Apple a fee for any Apple Pay transaction made with any of its payment cards.
Hagens Berman said this is the third time it has sued Apple for antitrust violations. In 2015, the law firm secured a combined $560 million settlement against Apple and publishing companies regarding price fixing of e-books, and earlier this year it secured a $100 million settlement from Apple on behalf of iOS developers who alleged that Apple's then-standard 30% commission on App Store purchases was excessive.
Apple Pay has faced similar scrutiny in other regions, including Australia and Europe. In May, the European Commission informed Apple of its preliminary view that it abused its dominant position in the "mobile wallets on iOS devices" market by limiting access to NFC technology on Apple devices for contactless payments in stores.
Apple recently added a "Leaving Arcade Soon" section to its Apple ArcadeApp Store service, signaling that approximately 15 games are going to be removed from Apple Arcade at some point in the near future.
Apple did not provide details on why the games are leaving or what happens to the games downloaded onto the devices of Apple Arcade customers, but MacRumors spoke to an inside source that was able to offer some insight into what's going on.
When Apple Arcade first launched, Apple signed three-year deals with a number of developers, entering into contracts that provided a fixed payment and ongoing royalties. Those contracts are now ending, and Apple is opting not to renew some of them. Many of the games that are being removed were launch titles or were added to Apple Arcade soon after it debuted.
Developers retain the rights to their games and can re-release them on the App Store and/or through other platforms, but games that are removed from Apple Arcade won't be accessible under the Apple Arcade service.
Games can be re-added to the App Store on the same day that they're removed from Apple Arcade, but the games will be uploaded with a new bundle ID. That means Apple Arcade subscribers can redownload the games, but they won't have access to the same game that was available through Apple Arcade.
It is not yet clear if saved progress will be able to transfer over from the Apple Arcade version of the game to the new version should the developers choose to reintroduce their games to the App Store, as that will depend on whether developers implement support for data transfer.
Games leaving Apple Arcade include Spelldrifter, Projection: First Light, Lifeslide, EarthNight, Cardpocalypse, Dead End Job, and more.
Update: Apple has shared a support document with more details about what happens when games are removed from Apple Arcade.
Apple plans to slow hiring and spending next year in some divisions due to potential economic downturn, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The report claims the decision is not a companywide policy and will not affect all teams within Apple.
The report claims that Apple is giving select teams a "lower-than-expected budget" for spending on research and development, resources, and hiring in 2023, and adds that some teams will not be expanding or maintaining their headcount next year.
Apple is still planning an "aggressive" schedule of product launches in 2023, including a widely rumored AR/VR headset, according to Gurman.
Apple's alleged plans to slow hiring and spending in 2023 comes amid especially uncertain times, with the COVID-19 pandemic, Russo-Ukrainian War, and high inflation driving concerns about lower consumer spending and a recession.
Apple shares were trading nearly 2% lower following the report.
A few months ago, Apple reported its best March quarter ever, with $97.3 billion in revenue and $25 billion in profit. Apple is set to report its earnings results for the June quarter on July 28 at approximately 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
Bloomberg updated its report with additional information. This story has been updated accordingly.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.
There's no word yet on what new features or changes might be included in macOS Monterey 12.5, and nothing new of significance was documented in the beta testing period. It's likely this update focuses on bug fixes and other minor improvements to the operating system.
The release candidate update should represent the final version of macOS Monterey 12.5 that is expected to be released to the public as soon as later this week.
Overall, the internal design of the new MacBook Air looks similar to the previous model, but the flatter shell allowed for Apple to fit larger battery cells inside the notebook. The new MacBook Air is equipped with a 52.6-watt‑hour battery, compared to a 49.9‑watt‑hour battery in the previous model, according to Apple's tech specs. However, Apple says both the 2020 and 2022 models of the MacBook Air achieve up to 18 hours of battery life per charge.
The teardown reveals the new MacBook Air's logic board, which includes Apple's new M2 chip. As confirmed by Apple last week, the teardown also shows that the 256GB model of the new MacBook Air is equipped with only a single NAND storage chip, resulting in up to 30% to 50% slower SSD speeds in benchmark testing compared to both higher-capacity MacBook Air models and the previous model with 256GB of storage.
M2 chip (outlined in blue) and empty NAND storage flash chip pad (outlined in red)
As usual, storage and RAM chips are soldered to the logic board in the new MacBook Air, making it very difficult/unfeasible to upgrade these components after purchase.
Repair website iFixit will likely share a more in-depth teardown of the new MacBook Air eventually.
Meross's smart essential oil diffuser seeks to allow you to add a pleasant aroma to the air using any essential oil of your choice and increase a room's humidity to counteract dry air, with HomeKit support for control and automations.
Meross offers a wide range of HomeKit-compatible smart home devices, including garage door openers, lighting, power strips, air purifiers, and more. Compared to its direct competitors, Meross's smart home products are among the most affordable HomeKit-compatible devices on the market and set themselves apart with no need for a hub or third-party app.
Setup
Meross's smart home devices differ from many other brands in the same space, such as Philips Hue smart lighting, because they do not require a hub or third-party app. In theory, you need only open the Home app on your iPhone, tap Add Accessory, and scan the code on the device to add the device, allowing you to control and automate it from the Home app thereafter. Accumulatively, this significantly eases the setup process compared to the clunky hubs and apps that many other smart home brands demand.
While this is the ideal scenario for most smart home accessories, I sometimes have problems setting up Meross's devices on my network, where they repeatedly fail to connect with the Home app. Some users may need to temporarily disable their router's firewall and the 5GHz portion of their network during pairing to get around these potential problems. This may not be necessary in your case, and Meross's setup experience is generally good, but prospective customers should be prepared to troubleshoot their network in the event of any issues. It is also worth noting that Apple does not directly support essential oil diffusers in the Home app, so the device is simply set up as a humidifier.
To add essential oil to the diffuser, lift off the top section, which reveals a large, 400ml liquid reservoir. Meross recommends using the included measuring cup to add the correct amount of water along with one or two drops of essential oil, before putting the lid back in place. All of this is explained further in an instruction booklet that came with the diffuser.
Once the oil diffuser is set up, it has good responsiveness and provides a reliable connection to the Home app, being quick to respond to commands and working well with automations. Like Meross's other devices, the diffuser works over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only. With no hub, Meross's HomeKit accessories can be slow or refuse to reconnect to the network when Wi-Fi is temporarily unavailable, but this is a random occurrence and cycling power seems to fix the problem.
Daily Use
The smart oil diffuser features a faux wood finish. I am not a fan of the look and would have preferred a more neutral and premium-looking option that could better fit in a variety of spaces, but I'm sure that it could look okay in some interiors. The diffuser is also possibly a little bit too large for my taste, and its design might make it more obtrusive than it needs to be, but Meross now offer a more compact version of the oil diffuser in a range of finishes to address these concerns.
There are buttons to control the diffuser and the LED ring, which runs around the circumference of the diffuser and adds a gentle accent light. By default, it cycles through colors. For a more subdued look, you can easily set a particular color or brightness to meet your preferences – but it is important to note that this is not a lighting product. Powered by just a few LEDs in the base, the lighting is subtle and needs to be in a dimly lit room to be clearly visible.
Even then, colors are not always accurately reproduced from the Home app on the diffuser, so it can take a while to find your preferred hue. This is fairly normal for low-cost LED smart lighting, particularly for shades such as green and purple. I also find the lighting to be fairly slow to respond once a change as been initiated in the Home app, but these minor issues did not bother me since the lights are only an accent and clearly not the accessory's main purpose.
When activated, the diffuser quickly blows water vapor out of the top. It is quiet when running and only emits a soft trickling noise. Water in the reservoir should last for a considerable amount of time, with seven and a half hours of heavy spray or ten hours of light spray. Choosing between these modes also allows you to select how strong you want the scent to be in a room.
The diffuser is surprisingly dynamic when it comes to HomeKit, offering multiple controls for both the spray and the LED light. There is plenty of potential for automation, such as setting the target humidity of another sensor accessory and automating the diffuser to come on to reach that threshold, or having the diffuser activate for a brief period when arriving home. Apple would need to add proper diffuser support for more granular controls.
That being said, I feel that the diffuser has some problems. The top does not lock onto the base, which poses a high risk of spillage if you happen to knock the diffuser. Water is blown up inside the lid, so taking it off during operation is likely to result in splashes.
Meross recommends cleaning out the reservoir every few days. Since the water tray does not lift out, you need to disconnect the power cable to clean the accessory. If the diffuser still has any water left in it, this can be difficult and feels needlessly dangerous. The power cable is recessed and pushed in deeply on the underside of the device. This means you have to lift up the water-filled container sufficiently to gently pull out the power cable, which itself is stiff, requiring force that risks further spillage, and frequently causes sparks.
Users may be better off keeping the diffuser on until the water reservoir is empty if possible, but even then care will need to be taken to not get the power connector wet, and I strongly encourage anyone buying this device to disconnect the power adapter from the wall before trying to remove the power cable.
Since the water tray is fixed to the base that contains all of the electronic components, cleaning is also somewhat inconvenient and I was cautious to not get water in the power socket or in the vents. A connection for the power cable on the back of the device would have made this entire process feel much less perilous, but a removable water reservoir that you could lift out of the device would clearly be a much better solution.
The Bottom Line
Meross's smart essential oil diffuser is a good addition to any smart home setup, enabling a surprisingly wide range of automations. The accessory works well, bringing a straightforward way to emit a scent via the Home app, and the accent lighting is a nice bonus touch to work into scenes.
I would have preferred a more minimal design, but the company now offers a more compact version of the diffuser with multiple finish option that some users may prefer. The biggest problem for me is cleaning the diffuser and disconnecting it from power, which seems borderline dangerous, especially when the reservoir has any liquid left in it, but other than that my experience with the device has been good.
MacRumors readers can get seven percent off all Meross devices from the official online store with the code MacRumors at checkout. The Smart Wi-Fi Essential Oil Diffuser is also available for a total of $22 off on Amazon thanks to a $10 reduction and a $12 on-page coupon on.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner of Meross. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Meross provided MacRumors with a Smart Wi-Fi Essential Oil Diffuser for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
Amazon today has a rare deal on a cellular model of Apple's iPad mini 6, knocking the price of the 64GB Cellular tablet to $549.99, down from $649.00. In addition, one color of the 256GB Cellular iPad mini 6 has been discounted to $699.99, down from $799.00.
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.
For the 64GB Cellular iPad mini 6, all four colors are on sale at this price, which is an all-time low sale on this tablet. All models are in stock and ready to ship from Amazon today, with delivery as soon as July 21 for a few colors.
The price on the 256GB Cellular iPad mini 6 is a second-best price, but it's only about $10 higher than the previous all-time low price. Only Pink is available for this deal on Amazon.
Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Adobe. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
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.
