MacRumors

2025 is rapidly drawing to a close, but this week still saw some interesting news in the world of Apple, led by a report claiming that Tim Cook's retirement as Apple CEO might not be too far away.

This week also saw word that the future of the Mac Pro appears to be in question, while Apple continues to work on the upcoming iOS 26.2 update and related releases. Black Friday is also right around the corner now with lots of deals already available, so read on below for details on these stories and more!

Top Stories

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said, with Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus, viewed as Cook's most likely successor.

Cook will likely transition to a chairman role with Apple, but his level of influence in a post-CEO role remains to be seen. Arthur Levinson, the current chairman of Apple's board of directors, is 75 years old and prohibited from being re-elected under Apple's corporate governance policy unless an exception is made.

Word of Cook's impending retirement comes as former Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams officially retired last week after spending the past few months winding down his responsibilities and handing them off other executives.

Mac Pro Reportedly on 'Back Burner' and 'Largely Written Off' at Apple

Apple's high-end Mac Pro desktop computer is currently "on the back burner," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In his Power On newsletter this week, Gurman said he heard that Apple has "largely written off" the Mac Pro, with the sentiment inside the company being that the Mac Studio represents the present and future of Apple's pro desktop computing.

Apple is working on a high-end M5 Ultra chip, but Gurman said the company is currently "only" focused on a new Mac Studio with that chip, which leads him to believe that the Mac Pro "won't be updated in 2026 in a significant way."

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Holiday shopping deals continue to ramp up ahead of Black Friday, with great prices available now on AirPods, AirTag, Apple Watch, Macs, iPads, and more.

Apple has announced details on its own Black Friday event with bonus gift cards available with the purchase of many Apple products, but better straight-cash discounts are typically available from other retailers.

In addition to Apple's own products, we're seeing great early Black Friday deals from Samsung, Sony, Walmart, Adobe, Nomad, Sonos, and more.

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Apple is continuing to work on iOS 26.2 and related updates, with public releases likely coming in mid-December.

With the third developer beta of iOS 26.2 seeded this week, we saw a number of changes and improvements, including new AirDrop functionality, a new API to allow third-party apps to tap into Hypertension Notifications, and the ability for users in Japan to set an alternative voice assistant app to be activated using the iPhone's side button traditionally used for Siri.

Apple is also continuing to work on iPad multitasking, with a new tweak to add drag-and-drop functionality to the revived Slide Over feature.

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Rapidly Selling Out

Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone.

The accessory became available to order on Apple's online store last week Friday in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, but it sold out within hours in the United States, and supplies quickly began running short in other countries as well.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner

A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip.

The study by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app, found the N1 chip to be a "substantial upgrade," with up to 40% faster average download and upload speeds compared to Broadcom's Wi-Fi chip in the iPhone 16 series.

Ookla found that the N1 chip "lifts the floor" for Wi-Fi performance, more than "raising the ceiling." Based on the results, Ookla said the N1 chip often delivers more consistent performance in challenging Wi-Fi conditions.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Apple is testing iOS 26.2, a new version of iOS 26 that’s going to come out right around mid-December. iOS 26.2 is going to bring big changes to iPhone users in Japan, but there are also quite a few feature tweaks available for everyone. We’ve rounded up all of the new features your ‌iPhone‌ will get in iOS 26.2.

Reminders

In the Reminders app, there’s a new option to have an alarm go off when a reminder is due. Setting up an alarm can be done by toggling on the “Urgent” option when creating a reminder.

When a Reminder alarm activates, it displays a snooze option or a slide to stop option. If you snooze it, it will show a countdown on the Lock Screen that includes an option to complete the reminder or reschedule it. Apple distinguishes Reminders alarms from standard alarms with a new blue color.

Apple provides a splash screen letting users know about the feature, plus a small banner that shows up when you go to add a new entry in the Reminders app after updating to iOS 26.2.

Lock Screen

There is a Liquid Glass slider on the Lock Screen that lets you customize the appearance of the clock. When using the “Glass” option, you can use the slider to make the time look almost entirely clear, or give it a more frosted look.

There continues to be a separate Solid toggle that turns off the Liquid Glass appearance for the clock entirely if you want to opt for a much more opaque design, and you can also still use the color options for the clock.

Liquid Glass Settings

When using the new Liquid Glass “Tinted” option that reduces transparency, there’s a warning that the Tinted option cannot be used in tandem with the Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast Accessibility settings.

Turning on Tinted mode is able to turn off Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast automatically. In the prior betas, there was no option to turn on Tinted mode without turning off these features manually.

AirDrop

Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts.

iOS 26.2 includes an option to generate a one-time AirDrop code, which can then be shared with someone who is not in your contacts list. The code allows file exchanges over AirDrop for a 30-day period.

People you have shared a one-time code with can be managed by opening up the Settings app, selecting the General section, choosing AirDrop, and tapping on “Manage Known AirDrop Contacts.”

Apple Music

Apple Music now supports offline lyrics, so you can see a song’s lyrics when not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.

Sleep Score

With iOS 26.2 and watchOS 26.2, Apple has adjusted the ranges for the Sleep Score feature that it introduced earlier this year. The new Sleep Score numbers better match how people might be feeling after a night of sleep.

These are the new scores:

• Very Low - 0–40 (previously 0–29)
• Low - 41–60 (previously 30–49)
• OK - 61–80 (previously 50–69)
• High - 81–95 (previously 70–89)
• Very High - 96–100 (previously 90–100)

The “Very High” rank used to be “Excellent,” but Apple changed the name to be more in line with the other labels.

Sleep Scores are available on all Apple Watch models compatible with watchOS 26.2 and can be found in the Health app on the ‌iPhone‌. Apple designed Sleep Score to provide an overall sense of sleep patterns, so users can identify habits that might impact their sleep.

Sleep Score takes into account sleep duration, bedtime, and interruptions to assign a nightly score that represents sleep quality. Duration is worth 50 points, bedtime is worth 30, and interruptions (times woken up in the night) are worth 20, for a total of 100 possible points each night.

Podcasts

The Podcasts app adds support for three new features, including automatically created chapters, options to see mentions of other podcasts from the transcript and the player, and access to links mentioned in a podcast on the episode page.

Passwords

In the Settings section of the Passwords app, there’s an option to manage websites where passwords are not saved when signing in.

AirPods Live Translation for EU

iOS 26.2 expands AirPods Live Translation to the European Union. Apple had to delay the feature in the EU to complete the engineering work needed to comply with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act.

AirPods Live Translation works with the AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is available in English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional Mandarin), Japanese, and Korean at the current time.

Freeform

The Freeform app now supports Tables.

Weather

There is code suggesting that the Weather app now supports relative time for alerts like “next Friday,” or “next Tuesday” in reference to upcoming rain or weather conditions.

Apple News

Apple updated the design of Apple News, adding quick access top buttons for categories like sports, puzzles, politics, business, and food.

There’s also a dedicated tab for Following, which has been decoupled from the search interface.

Flash for Alerts

The Flash for Alerts option in the Accessibility section of the Settings app now allows users to have the screen flash. Previously, this setting was limited to the LED on the back of the ‌iPhone‌.

Users can swap to the screen flash or have both flash at the same time when notifications come in.

Enhanced Safety Alerts

In the Notifications section of the Settings app, there’s an Enhanced Safety Alerts section for managing earthquake alerts, imminent threat alerts, and activating improved alert delivery, a feature that uses location to improve the reliability of alerts.

Measure App

Apple’s Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles.

Games App

There’s now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent.

The Games app also supports navigation with a controller and real-time updates to challenge scores during gameplay.

CarPlay

The CarPlay now app supports disabling pinned messages in the Messages app for drivers who prefer the classic Messages view that was available before iOS 26.2.

Menu Animations

For pop-out menus that expand from a corner button, there’s a quicker, bouncier animation that looks like the animation that Apple showed off at WWDC.

Privacy

When you access your Apple Account for the first time after installing iOS 26.2, you’ll see an alert letting you know that Apple’s privacy information for Apple Accounts has been updated to better explain how personal information is collected and used by Apple.

iPhone Changes in Japan

Siri Replacement

Apple is laying the groundwork for a new option that will let ‌iPhone‌ users in Japan choose a different default voice assistant. A press and hold gesture on the Side Button only activates ‌Siri‌ in the current version of ‌iOS 26‌, but there are multiple references to new Side Button behavior in the beta.

‌iPhone‌ users in Japan will be able to select a new voice-based conversation app to activate with the Side Button, allowing alternative assistants like Gemini or Alexa to be used on the ‌iPhone‌. Developer documentation confirms that it will only be available for Japanese Apple Accounts owned by people living in Japan.

Search Engine Choice

After installing iOS 26.2, ‌iPhone‌ users in Japan will be prompted to select a preferred search engine. Options include Bing, Google, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo Japan, or Ecosia, the same options available globally in the Safari settings. In most other countries, Google is the default search engine and there is no prompt to choose a different option when the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ first starts up.

While ‌‌iPhone‌‌ users outside of Japan can choose one of the other options, doing so requires going into the Safari section of the Settings app to make a change.

Third Party App Stores

iOS 26.2 will allow ‌iPhone‌ users in Japan to install alternative app marketplaces, similar to the European Union.

Texas App Store Changes

With iOS 26.2, Apple is adding tools for developers that will help them comply with the App Store Accountability Act that goes into effect in Texas in 2026. Apple users in Texas will need to confirm whether they are 18 years or older when creating an Apple Account, and parents will need to provide consent for their children’s ‌App Store‌ downloads and in-app transactions.

Apple will share user age range information with developers, and developers will need to implement systems for notifying parents about significant app changes and allowing parents to revoke a child’s access to an app at any time.

Bonus: iPadOS 26.2 Multitasking

In the iPadOS 26.2, Apple is expanding on the updated multitasking that it introduced in iPadOS 26.1. There’s now a option to drag and drop apps from the App Library, Dock, and Spotlight into Slide Over and tiled views, restoring some functionality that was removed in the iPadOS 18 to iPadOS 26 transition.

Compatibility

iOS 26.2 is available on all iPhones that support ‌iOS 26‌.

Release Date

We’re expecting Apple to release iOS 26.2 in December, sometime between December 9 and December 16.

Just ahead of Black Friday, Apple is offering an Apple TV promotion for new and returning subscribers. Eligible customers can get six months of Apple TV for just $5.99 per month.

After the six-month period, the subscription price will increase to $12.99, which is the regular price for the Apple TV service.

At $5.99 per month, Apple is discounting Apple TV by over 50 percent. The deal will be available from November 21 to December 21 on the Apple TV website.

Existing subscribers are not eligible for the discount, nor are customers who have subscriptions billed through a third-party service.

Several iPads are slated to get updates in 2026, including the iPad Air, low-cost iPad, and iPad mini. The ‌iPad Air‌ could be updated early in the year, sometime around the March or April timeframe.

We've heard a limited amount about the new tablet, but it sounds like there won't be a major overhaul, with Apple primarily focusing on internals.

Design and Display

No design changes are rumored for the ‌iPad Air‌, so we can expect the same 11-inch and 13-inch size options.

The ‌iPad Air‌ is thicker and heavier than the iPad Pro, and it uses a standard LED display instead of OLED technology. The ‌iPad Air‌ will eventually be upgraded to OLED, but for now, the higher-end display technology will remain limited to the ‌iPad Pro‌. The ‌iPad Air‌ also doesn't support ProMotion, and there's no sign that Apple is planning to update its middle-tier tablet with the functionality.

The ‌iPad Air‌ will continue to feature USB-C, a Touch ID top button, and the same front and rear camera options.

It's possible there will be a new color option, but it's not guaranteed with a minor refresh. No new accessories are rumored, and it will continue to work with the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil Pro.

M4 Chip

Apple has been updating the ‌iPad Air‌ with an M-series chip that's a generation behind the chip in the ‌iPad Pro‌. Since the ‌iPad Pro‌ was updated in October 2025 with the M5, the ‌iPad Air‌ is set to get the M4 chip.

The M3 in the current ‌iPad Air‌ and the M4 chip are both built on a 3-nanometer process, but the M4 has an updated process that brings speed and efficiency improvements.

There are up to 10 CPU cores instead of 8, the Neural Engine is faster, and there's more memory bandwidth. The GPU is also more power efficient for potential battery gains. The M4 CPU is up to 30 percent faster than the M3 CPU, while the GPU is up to 21 percent faster.

In actual use, you may not see much of a difference between the M3 and M4 on the ‌iPad Air‌, though you might experience modest improvements with system intensive games and tasks like video editing.

The ‌iPad Air‌ already supports Apple Intelligence, and the next-generation model will continue to do so. Apple upped the RAM in some ‌iPad Pro‌ models, but there's no word on whether that same change will come to the ‌iPad Air‌. Current models feature 8GB RAM, the minimum for ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

Charging

The ‌iPad Pro‌ was upgraded with fast charge functionality with the update to the M5 chip, and that's something that could trickle down to the ‌iPad Air‌.

N1 Networking Chip

The ‌iPad Air‌ and other tablets released in 2026 will probably adopt the N1 networking chip that Apple first introduced in the iPhone 17 models.

The N1 chip is an Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that offers connectivity and efficiency improvements compared to the third-party chips that Apple has used in previous devices. The N1 supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 technology.

The current ‌iPad Air‌ offers Wi-Fi 6E support, so the next-generation model could see faster Wi-Fi speeds on compatible networks with Wi-Fi 7.

Apple Modem

Apple used the C1X in the M5 ‌iPad Pro‌, and it's likely the cellular versions of the ‌iPad Air‌ will get that same modem chip. The C1X is an upgraded variant of the C1, Apple's first in-house modem chip.

It offers performance on par with Qualcomm chips, though 5G connectivity is limited to sub-6GHz with no support for mmWave 5G. That's not an issue on the ‌iPad‌, because the current version of the ‌iPad Air‌ doesn't support mmWave.

Apple's modem chips are much more power efficient than Qualcomm modem chips, and are able to better integrate with other ‌iPad‌ components.

Pricing

There are no rumors of a price increase, so the 11-inch model is expected to continue to start at $599, while the 13-inch model will start at $799.

Launch Date

We're expecting the ‌iPad Air‌ to come out sometime around March or April 2026. Apple could be planning to hold a spring event, since there are several products that are rumored to be launching in that timeframe.

Apple's AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation just hit a new record low price on Amazon, now available for $99.99, down from $179.00. With this steep $79 discount, Amazon's sale is now one of the all-around best Black Friday deals we've seen so far this season.

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.

You can also still get the AirPods 4 without ANC for $79.99 on Amazon, down from $129.00. Both models provide an estimated delivery date of November 26 for free shipping options, while Prime members in select locations should see same-day options.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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Apple has enlisted Google to promote new Apple TV series Pluribus, with a hidden message appearing when looking up the show's name with Google search.

At the top of the search interface after typing in "pluribus," you'll see a Pluribus-themed scrolling message: "What are you searching for, Carol?"

In the series, Carol is one of the only people on earth not infected with a mind-melding virus, and humanity as a collective is determined to make her happy. Part of that effort includes constant messaging.

The first four episodes of Pluribus are available now, with the fifth episode set to be released on Tuesday, November 25, likely due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.

Pluribus requires an ‌Apple TV‌ subscription to watch, with the service priced at $12.99 per month.

Google this week shared a new ad in its ongoing anti-Apple "BestPhonesForever" series, this time leaning into the launch of the new Wicked: For Good movie that's out in theaters.

The spot features an iPhone fawning over a Pixel smartphone before breaking into the Wicked: For Good song. Google suggests that it was first to multiple features that the ‌iPhone‌ then copied, like screening phone calls and removing unwanted images from photos.

Oh Pixel, I'm so lucky to have a friend like you. You've always inspired me!

You do things first that show me the way. Like fixing photos, screening calls, or building an AI assistant you can have real conversations with.

It's not clear how Google's ad featuring singing smartphones might attract customers to Pixel devices given that it doesn't share details on any actual features.

Google has been sharing ads that pit its Pixel smartphones against the ‌iPhone‌ since 2023, and it's become a popular ad campaign with Pixel fans with more than 30 in the series. The ads typically include feature comparisons or criticize the ‌iPhone‌ for lacking features like conversational AI.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Southern Straps to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an Apple Watch Series 11 and three nylon bands from Southern Straps to go along with it.

Southern Straps is a California-based company that has been producing high-quality bands for the Apple Watch since the watch first launched, and the company's selection of bands offer a great alternative to Apple's bands in unique styles that Apple does not offer.

Over a decade ago, Southern Straps set out to make nylon NATO-style bands for the Apple Watch, and it is still making those same handcrafted watch straps today. With multiple years of experience, Southern Straps has had time to perfect the band's look and construction.

Available for $30, each Southern Straps Apple Watch band is made from a single piece of nylon that is folded over, heat sealed, and stitched together for durability. The multi-step process makes sure that every band is going to hold up for multiple years of use, and there is a five-year warranty on the bands.

Southern Straps offers 10+ color options, ranging from solid colors in green, black, and beige, to striped options in colorful combinations like blue and green, blue and pink, khaki and red, blue and white, black and gray, and the classic red, white, and blue.

Bands can be ordered with hardware in black, silver, or gold to match the different Apple Watch models. There are two sizes: one that is compatible with 42mm to 49mm Apple Watch models, and one that is compatible with smaller 38mm to 42mm models. The bands work with every Apple Watch model from the original Apple Watch to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Series 11.

Pegged spring bars are included with each band so that you can change the hardware if you get an Apple Watch in a new size or a new color. Southern Straps bands are perfect for daily use and transition easily from work to working out.

We have an Apple Watch Series 11 for one lucky MacRumors reader, plus three Southern Straps bands. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (November 21) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on November 28. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after November 28 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro Max models.

Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors, and reports from reliable sources.

While the overall design of the ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro is expected to remain largely the same as that of the iPhone 17 Pro, it could feature translucent or color-matched rear glass, as well as a thicker design to accommodate a bigger battery. Apple is rumored to be testing at least three new color options for the ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro models, including burgundy, brown, and purple, but only one of these is expected to be carried forward to production.

The front of the device is expected to see Face ID moved under the display for the first time, resulting in a smaller Dynamic Island and potentially a left-aligned punch-hole camera. The front-facing camera is also expected to see a bump up to 24-megapixels.

The main rear camera could receive a new three-stack image sensor from Samsung and it is highly likely to get a variable aperture. A variable-aperture system physically adjusts the lens opening, letting more light in for low-light shots or narrowing the opening for brighter scenes and deeper depth of field. Apple is also expected to "simplify" the Camera Control by removing its capacitive functions, moving it to rely on pressure alone.

It should also sport the A20 Pro chip, which will be Apple's first based on TSMC's 2nm process for enhanced performance and efficiency. A custom "C2" chip is expected to displace Qualcomm's 5G modem, with support for mmWave 5G in the United States. In addition, Apple apparently plans to add support for 5G networks that operate via satellites rather than Earth-based towers.

The ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro Max are expected to debut in the fall of 2026 alongside the first foldable iPhone. The ‌iPhone‌ 18e, ‌iPhone 18‌, and iPhone Air 2 are likely to follow in the spring of 2027. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about Apple's new ‌iPhone‌ Pocket accessory, the future of Apple Fitness+, and the ‌iPhone Air‌ 2's delayed launch.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

We're officially just one week away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.

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.

Specifically, we're sharing all of the Apple products that currently have all-time low prices, or discounts that are at least very close to their record-low prices. Of course, these are early Black Friday deals, so even better discounts could emerge later in the month, but if you're shopping right now these are all the best prices around.

Table of Contents

You can use the links below to jump directly to the section you're shopping for today.

• AirPods
• iPhone
• Mac
• Apple Watch
• iPad
• Accessories
• More Black Friday Sales

Our Top Picks

• AirTag 4-Pack for $64.98 ($34 off)
• AirPods 4 for $79.99 ($49 off)
• Apple Watch SE 3 for $199.99 ($50 off)
• HomePod for $269.99 ($29 off)
• Apple Watch Series 11 for $349.99 ($49 off)
• 13-Inch M4 MacBook Air for $749.00 ($250 off)
• 14-Inch M5 MacBook Pro for $1,444.00 ($156 off)

AirPods

AirPods deals are in abundance this Black Friday season, with best-ever prices on AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and AirPods Pro 3. You can also find a steep $119 discount on AirPods Max right now, and all of these discounts are available on Amazon.

iPhone

Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season.

AT&T

• iPhone 17: Up to $700 off with eligible trade-in
• iPhone 17 Pro: No cost with eligible trade-in
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: Up to $1,100 off with eligible trade-in

Starting with AT&T, you can get the iPhone 17 Pro at no cost with eligible trade-in, and the iPhone Air for up to $700 off with eligible trade-in. Finally, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available at up to $1,100 off with eligible trade-in.

If you switch to AT&T from a different carrier, AT&T will pay off your phone balance at up to $800 off per line. AT&T also has the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 available with an offer. If you buy one, you can get $300 off the second.

Verizon

• iPhone 17 Pro: No cost with new line on Unlimited Ultimate
• iPhone 17: No cost with new line on MyPlan
• iPhone Accessories: Save on iPhone accessories

New and existing Verizon customers on the Unlimited Ultimate plan can get the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro at no cost this Black Friday season. For the iPhone 17, no trade-in is required but you must add a new line to Verizon's MyPlan.

In terms of watches, Verizon is offering the new Apple Watch SE 3 at no cost when you trade-in your old device on select Unlimited plans.

T-Mobile

• iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro: No cost with eligible trade-in
• iPhone Air: No cost with eligible trade-in
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: Up to $1,100 off with eligible trade-in

T-Mobile's offers are nearly identical to AT&T's. You can get the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro at no cost when you trade in an old device and purchase the new device on an eligible unlimited plan. Otherwise, you can get the iPhone 17 Pro Max for up to $1,100 off with eligible trade-in on unlimited plans.

For Apple Watches at T-Mobile, you can get the Apple Watch SE 3 for $99.00 when adding a new watch line on select Unlimited plans. If you plan on buying two models, you can get up to $300 off the second when adding a new watch line on select Unlimited plans.

Visible

Visible is offering 50 percent off its Visible+ Pro plan this season, with the code BLACKFRIDAY50 at checkout. After entering this deal, you can get the plan for $225/year, down from $450/year.

For Apple specific offers, if you purchase any iPhone this holiday season, you can get the 40mm Apple Watch SE at no cost. To get this deal, you will need to be a new Visible member joining on the Visible+ Pro annual plan and purchase any new iPhone, then enter the code APPLEWATCH at checkout.

Mac

M5 MacBook Pro

Amazon has dropped the price of the new M5 MacBook Pro to $1,442.00, down from $1,599.00. This is the 10-Core model with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD in Space Black, and it's a new all-time low price on the M5 MacBook Pro.

If you're shopping for any other models of the M5 MacBook Pro, you'll want to take a look at our exclusive offers at Expercom. In regards to both 1TB models, as well as a few custom higher-end models, you'll find the best prices here, and our discount has been applied automatically to every computer. Some examples of deals are listed below.

Note: We're currently seeing an issue where clicking on the Expercom links in this article may not show the discounted pricing. Opening the links in a new tab/window or manually copying and pasting them into your browser should, however, work. The issue seems to only affect Safari, with Chrome, Firefox, and several other browsers working fine in our testing.

• 10-Core M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB - $1,673.07, down from $1,799.00
• 10-Core M5, 24GB RAM, 512GB, Nano-texture - $1,812.57, down from $1,949.00
• 10-Core M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB - $1,859.07, down from $1,999.00

M4 MacBook Air

You can get the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $749.00, down from $999.00, a new all-time low price on the computer that beats the previous low by about $50. You'll also find many of the 512GB models of the 13-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week.

Mac Mini

Amazon is taking $120 off the 256GB model of the M4 Mac mini in early Black Friday deals, as well as $129 off 512GB models.

M4 iMac

Amazon has $150 off a few of Apple's M4 iMac, with prices starting at $1,149.00 for the entry-level model with 8-core, 16GB RAM, and 256GB.

Apple Watch

Series 11

Amazon has introduced the first big discounts on a few Apple Watch Series 11 models, including both GPS and cellular devices. You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $349.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $379.00, down from $429.00.

SE 2 and SE 3

The Apple Watch SE 3 received its first major discount on Amazon this week, with $49 off the 44mm GPS model.

Prices on the Apple Watch SE 2 start at just $159.99 for the 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE, then increase to $189.99 for the 44mm GPS model. Both of these are all-time low prices on each device.

iPad

M3 iPad Air

We're tracking record low prices across the entire M3 iPad Air lineup for Black Friday, with discounts available at both Amazon and Best Buy. This sale includes savings on both Wi-Fi and cellular models of the tablet, and it's been a few weeks since we last saw these all-time low prices.

Prices start at $449.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch M3 iPad Air, down from $599.00. Across the board these are all $150 discounts on the M3 iPad Air, and each one is a match for the best-ever price seen on these tablets.

Our list below focuses on Wi-Fi models, but you'll also find many cellular models on sale at $150 off right now. The 128GB cellular 11-inch iPad Air is available for $599.00 and the 128GB cellular 13-inch iPad Air is available for $799.00, both representing record low prices.

11-inch M3 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $449.00, down from $599.00
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $549.00, down from $699.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $749.00, down from $899.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $949.00, down from $1,099.00

13-inch M3 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $649.00, down from $799.00
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $749.00, down from $899.00
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $949.00, down from $1,099.00
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,149.00, down from $1,299.00

M5 iPad Pro

Amazon has the first notable discounts on Apple's brand new M5 iPad Pro, with the entry-level 11-inch model available for $899.00, down from $999.00.

For the larger models, you can save up to $170 on the 13-inch M5 iPad Pro on Amazon this week. If you're shopping for the 2TB Nano-Texture Glass Wi-Fi model, Amazon has this tablet for $2,229.00, down from $2,399.00, as well as a few other 13-inch models between $50 and $142 off.

11-Inch M5 iPad Pro

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $899.00 ($100 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00 ($100 off) [matched at Best Buy]
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,499.00 ($100 off) [matched at Best Buy]
• 1TB Nano-Texture Glass Wi-Fi - $1,584.00 ($115 off)
• 2TB Wi-Fi - $1,859.00 ($140 off)
• 2TB Nano-Texture Glass Wi-Fi - $1,999.00 ($100 off)

13-Inch M5 iPad Pro

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $1,199.00 ($100 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,399.00 ($100 off) [matched at Best Buy]
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,768.00 ($131 off)
• 1TB Nano-Texture Glass Wi-Fi - $1,861.00 ($138 off)
• 2TB Wi-Fi - $2,157.00 ($142 off)
• 2TB Nano-Texture Glass Wi-Fi - $2,229.00 ($170 off)

iPad mini 7

Amazon this week has low prices on nearly every Wi-Fi model of the iPad mini 7, starting at $399.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $499.00. You'll also find a few deals on cellular models during this sale.

11th Gen iPad

Amazon this week is taking $70 off Wi-Fi models of Apple's 11th generation iPad. Prices start at $279.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00, a second-best price on this model.

Accessories

Apple Pencil Pro

You can get the Apple Pencil Pro available for $99.00, down from $129.00.

AirTag

Amazon has Apple's AirTag 4-Pack for $64.98, down from $99.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the accessory.

If you're shopping for just one AirTag, Amazon has the AirTag 1-Pack for $17.97, which is another all-time low price.

iPhone 17 Cases

Amazon this week brought back big discounts across Apple's Clear, Silicone, and TechWoven Cases for the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineup. Items on sale include Clear, Silicone, and TechWoven Cases for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. We're also tracking a few discounts on other accessories like the FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe.

iPhone Air

• Clear Case - $37.00, down from $49.00

iPhone 17

• Clear Case - $27.98, down from $49.00
• Silicone Case - $31.44, down from $49.00

iPhone 17 Pro

• Clear Case - $35.00, down from $49.00
• Silicone Case - $32.28, down from $49.00
• TechWoven Case - $44.00, down from $59.00

iPhone 17 Pro Max

• Clear Case - $37.00, down from $49.00
• Silicone Case - $36.00, down from $49.00
• TechWoven Case - $44.00, down from $59.00

More Black Friday Sales

• Best Buy
• Target
• Samsung
• Sonos
• Nomad
• Sony
• Walmart
• OWC
• Satechi
• Adobe

We're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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Apple has announced it will be opening an all-new store at The Shops at Blackstone Valley, an open-air shopping center in Millbury, Massachusetts, near Worcester.

The store is set to open on Friday, December 12, at 12 p.m. local time. Apple is located next to fashion retailer Coach at the shopping center.

Apple has yet to share a photo of the store, but it will have a similar design as its Birkdale Village location in North Carolina. Apple's newer stores typically feature a dedicated counter for customers to pick up orders they placed online.

The new store is a replacement for Apple's existing location at Solomon Pond Mall, in nearby Marlborough, Massachusetts. That location will be closing permanently next month, after more than 10 years of operations. For relocations like these, Apple typically gives employees the opportunity to transfer to the new store.

Black Friday is next week, and that means deals are starting to gain momentum as we get closer to the shopping holiday. For AirPods, this includes massive discounts across nearly every model, including AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods Max.

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.

AirPods 4

Starting with the overall best early Black Friday AirPods deal: you can get the AirPods 4 for $79.99 today on Amazon, down from $129.00. This is a new all-time low price for Black Friday 2025. Similarly, the model with Active Noise Cancellation is seeing a discount to a new best-ever price of $99.99 on Amazon.

AirPods Pro 3

The AirPods Pro 3 are available for $219.99, down from $249.00, which is another new all-time low price.

AirPods Max

If you're looking for the AirPods Max, Amazon has the USB-C model for $429.99, down from $549.00, a second-best price.

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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Sonos this week kicked off its annual Black Friday sale, and this year you'll find up to 30 percent off the company's most popular devices. This includes the Sonos Ace headphones, Arc Ultra soundbar, Move 2 speaker, and more.

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

All discounts in this sale have been automatically applied, so you don't need to enter a coupon code in order to see the final sale prices. We've collected all of the deals in the list below, but you can also find a few bundle discounts on sale on the Sonos website.

• Ace Headphones - $279, down from $399
• Arc Ultra Soundbar - $879, down from $1,099
• Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar - $349, down from $499
• Ray Soundbar - $199, down from $219
• Era 100 Speaker - $169, down from $219
• Era 300 Speaker - $379, down from $479
• Roam 2 Portable Speaker - $139, down from $179
• Move 2 Portable Speaker - $399, down from $499
• Sub Mini - $399, down from $499
• Sub 4 - $719, down from $899

You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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AirPods have always worked with Android phones, but with limited functionality and a less seamless listening experience. A new app called LibrePods is changing that.

The free app unlocks features on Android that are typically reserved for Apple devices, including ear detection that pauses music when you remove an earbud, Head Gestures for answering calls, and Conversational Awareness that lowers volume while you're talking. It also enables switching between noise control modes, checking accurate battery levels, and customizing accessibility settings.

To make it all work, developer Kavish Devar reverse-engineered Apple's proprietary protocols to make AirPods identify a connected Android device as an iPhone or iPad, which tricks them into sharing device status information normally locked to Apple's ecosystem.

There are some caveats, though. LibrePods currently requires a rooted Android phone with the Xposed framework installed, thanks to what Devar calls "a bug in the Android Bluetooth stack." OnePlus and Oppo devices running ColorOS or OxygenOS 16 can use the app without rooting, however some features like Transparency mode customization still need root access.

The app supports all AirPods models, including AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Pro 3 (excluding heart rate monitoring), though not all features are unlocked on earlier AirPods. Interested Android owners can view more details about the project on its GitHub page or directly download the APK file.

(Via Android Authority.)

Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind.

Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe.

Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing angles, in both vertical and horizontal orientations.

Inspired by modern sculpture, the Hikawa's design process involved direct input from individuals with disabilities affecting muscle strength, dexterity, and hand control.

The limited edition Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand is available in two colors: a bold, high-visibility Chartreuse and recycled Crater, exclusive to Apple.

The Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand costs $69.95 and can be ordered from Apple's online store in the U.S. It's the second limited-edition iPhone accessory Apple has released this month, following the high-end designer iPhone Pocket, a cross-body pouch starting at $149.95.

Apple is planning to release new entry-level models across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories early next year, with an all-new affordable MacBook the most notable addition to the lineup.

According to a new research report by Jeff Pu of GF Securities seen by MacRumors, Apple will launch the iPhone 17e – its second iteration of the "e" line – in the spring, likely along with a 12th-generation iPad, and a new MacBook featuring an A-series chip originally made for ‌iPhones‌.

The new, previously rumored MacBook is said to use the A18 Pro from 2024's iPhone 16 Pro models. It is expected to feature a 13-inch display and come in silver, blue, pink, and yellow color options like the ‌iPad‌.

To meet the MacBook's lower price point – likely to be somewhere between $699 and $899 – Apple may make compromises such as using an older design or display components, 8GB of memory, or even just a single USB-C port.

For the iPhone 17e, Pu believes Apple will use an A19 chip, an 18-megapixel Center Stage camera, and Apple's C1 modem, with most other specifications remaining unchanged from the iPhone 16e. Other rumors suggest the iPhone 17e could transition to the Dynamic Island instead of the current notch at the top of the display.

For the 12th-generation iPad, there are no design changes expected, but Apple will upgrade it with an A18 chip, enabling the low-cost iPad to support Apple Intelligence for the first time.

Pu's equity research report broadly corroborates several other reports indicating that Apple will pursue a split-launch cycle for its iPhones going forward. The second half of next year will see the iPhone 18 Pro models launch alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone. Meanwhile, the regular iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and second-generation iPhone Air will arrive in the first half of 2027.

The iPhone Air 2 was reportedly supposed to arrive in tandem with the iPhone 18 Pro models, but poor sales on its maiden outing has caused Apple to delay the second version while it looks at a redesign, possibly featuring dual rear cameras.

Pu believes that Apple will be largely immune to recent DDR memory price rises through 2026, thanks to its strong procurement power.

Apple is continuing to promote its latest Apple TV series Pluribus in creative ways. Pluribus star Rhea Seehorn is participating in an in-character "Ask Me Anything" thread on Reddit, and she'll be answering questions as Carol Sturka starting at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time or 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time tomorrow.

Carol Sturka is the main character in Pluribus. She's the author of the Winds of Wycaro series, and is promoting her latest book, Bloodsong of Wycaro, when an extraterrestrial virus escapes the confines of a lab and infects almost everyone but her.

Apple is leaning into Bloodsong of Wycaro to spur interest in Pluribus, and has shared an excerpt from the fictional novel in the Apple Books app that fans of the show can read. Bloodsong of Wycaro follows the adventures of main character Lucasia as she sails on the Mercator, mourning her lost love Raban.

You can post questions for Carol to answer in the AMA thread available on /r/TVPlus, and she'll be online at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 21 to answer them.

The first three episodes of Pluribus are available, with the fourth set to launch on Friday. The sci-fi thriller was dreamed up by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, and it stars Seehorn, who was previously in Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul.

Pluribus can be watched on ‌Apple TV‌, Apple's streaming service. ‌Apple TV‌ pricing starts at $12.99 per month, but there is a free 7-day trial available.

OpenAI today announced the worldwide rollout of group chats in ChatGPT, allowing multiple people to collaborate with ChatGPT in a shared conversation. OpenAI started testing group chats with a small number of people last week, but the feedback was positive so it is now expanding the feature to everyone.

With group chats, ChatGPT users can create a shared conversation space and invite friends, family, or coworkers. Group chats are separate from private conversations, and OpenAI says that the group creator's personal ChatGPT memory is never shared with anyone in the chat.

According to OpenAI, group chats can be useful for planning a weekend trip with friends, designing a backyard garden, collaborating on design ideas, finding a restaurant that suits everyone's tastes, or settling debates. Group chats can also be used for research for school or work projects, incorporating shared articles, notes, and questions.

Creating a group chat can be done by tapping on the people icon in the top right corner of any new or existing chat. People can be invited by sharing a link, and anyone with the link can invite more people, with up to 20 supported. Group chats are aggregated in a clearly-labeled section of the sidebar, separate from personal chats.

OpenAI says ChatGPT was taught new social behaviors for group chats. It follows the flow of conversation and decides when to respond and when to stay quiet based on the context of the conversation. Mentioning ChatGPT in a message will prompt it to respond, and ChatGPT can react to messages with emojis.

Group chats are available to all logged-in users on free, Go, Plus, and Pro ChatGPT plans. OpenAI says that it will continue to refine the feature as more people start using it.