Samsung today updated its SmartThings app for the iPhone, adding several new features for those who own Samsung products or devices connected to the SmartThings ecosystem. Samsung says that the changes are helpful for households with both Galaxy and Apple devices.
Device groups created in the SmartThings app are available, and those groups can be viewed and controlled with the accompanying SmartThings Apple Watch app. Apple Watch users can view their full SmartThings device list, send commands, and trigger routines from the wrist.
SmartThings is also gaining support for Siri Shortcut controls of SmartThings Routines. With this capability, SmartThings automations can be launched with Siri voice commands. The automations work similarly to HomeKit automations, so users can do things like create a "Good Morning" routine that turns on the lights, opens the blinds, and starts the coffee machine, or a "Leaving Home" routine that locks the doors, turns off the lights, and activates a home alarm.
The app already supported Live Activities, but it is expanding to support up to five recently used devices at a glance, including air conditioners, robot vacuums, air purifiers, dehumidifiers, and more.
The SmartThings app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reportsThe Information.
Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen.
Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts. Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has reportedly dismantled all but one and a half of its production lines for the iPhone Air, and all production is expected to be stopped at the end of the month. Luxshare, another supplier, stopped production at the end of October.
Apple was counting on the novel look of the device to spark interest, because it features the first substantial design update that we've seen to the iPhone lineup since the iPhone X added Face ID and an all-display design in 2017. Creating a super thin 5.6mm iPhone required compromises, so the iPhone Air has a smaller battery and a single-lens rear camera, but it still has a high price tag. Apple priced it starting at $999, and that appears to be more than customers are willing to pay for style without substance. The iPhone Air is only $100 cheaper than the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro, which has a triple-lens rear camera and much better battery life.
Apple has not been able to land on a fourth iPhone that will sell well alongside the standard iPhone and Pro iPhone models. Apple experimented with a smaller 5.4-inch iPhone mini that suffered from disappointing sales, then moved on to the larger "Plus" iPhone that served as a more affordable version of the Pro Max. Plus models also failed, leading to the iPhone Air.
Apple has already been planning for a split launch for the iPhone starting with the iPhone 18 models. The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone are planned for fall 2026, while the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will be held until early 2027. It's possible that the next-generation iPhone Air will come out alongside the iPhone 18 in the spring.
Apple has been working on a second-generation version of the iPhone Air with a lighter weight, vapor chamber cooling, and a larger battery capacity, but Apple could rethink the design.
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.
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.
If you're looking for something other than iPhones, be sure to visit our Black Friday Roundup for all of the best deals and discounts happening this season. For more Apple-specific devices currently on sale, our main post on the best current Apple Black Friday deals is the best place to look.
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
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.
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 offers unlimited talk, text, and data for $19/month on the Visible plan or $29/month on the Visible+ plan (prices include $6 discount with current promo code SWITCH26). The Visible+ plan includes everything in the base plan plus smartwatch service, plus a few upgrades to mobile hotspot and international roaming features.
For Apple specific offers, if you purchase any iPhone this holiday season, you can get the 40mm Apple Watch 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.
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.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Samsung recently came out with the Galaxy XR, its first mixed reality headset. The Galaxy XR competes with the Apple Vision Pro, so we thought we'd pick one up to see how it compares to Apple's headset.
In person, it's hard to mistake how much it looks like the Apple Vision Pro, but there are minimal design options for an XR headset that straps to your face.
The Galaxy XR is a whole lot cheaper than the Vision Pro at $1,799. It's not as premium as the Vision Pro because it's using more affordable materials like plastic, but that also means it's a lot lighter. The lighter weight makes it more comfortable to wear, and it also feels more balanced on the head. Having anything attached to your face can be unpleasant, but the Galaxy XR is an improvement over the Vision Pro. There's a single strap, but it cradles the back of the head and has a dial at the back to tighten it.
Unlike the Vision Pro, the seal on the Galaxy XR doesn't block out all light, so you're not entirely cut off from your surroundings. The headset has two micro-OLED displays that look good, but text isn't as sharp as it is on the Vision Pro.
Samsung partnered with Google for the Android XR operating system, and the Galaxy XR features deep Google Gemini integration. Gemini can use the cameras in the headset to see what the wearer is looking at, answering questions about what's in view. Circle to Search is available for real-life items, which can be useful.
There aren't many apps available for the Galaxy XR because it's new, and so is the Android XR operating system. YouTube, Google Maps, Photos, Netflix, and more come pre-installed, and Android apps can be downloaded from the Play Store, but they're not optimized for AI. The Vision Pro offers more apps, but it's been out for a longer period of time.
Hand and eye tracking is not as intuitive as it is on the Vision Pro, so that's something Apple does better. Samsung sells optional controllers, which do help with control issues.
The Vision Pro connects to a Mac to serve as a virtual display, and the Galaxy XR can connect to a PC in the same way. It's not as smooth of an experience as connecting to a Mac, and multiple apps are required to get it up and running.
Make sure to watch our video to see all of the Galaxy XR features, and let us know if it's something you'd buy.
The Galaxy XR is available for $1,799.99 and Samsung has a 24-month financing option. Early adopters receive the Explorer Pack at no additional cost, which Samsung says has a value of at least $1,140. It includes 12 months of access to Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass, Adobe Project Pulsar, and Calm Premium, plus an NBA League Pass subscription and more. Samsung is also selling a Galaxy XR Travel Case and Galaxy XR Controller for $250 each.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple recently updated the iPad Pro, widening the gap with the iPad Air, but how different are the two product lines and which should you buy?
Earlier this year, Apple refreshed the iPad Air with the M3 chip—a minor update over the previous model from 2024 which added the M2 chip and Apple Pencil hover. The latest iPad Pro models introduced the M5 chip alongside a small number of changes after last year's major redesign, which saw the debut of a thinner design with OLED displays.
Should you consider purchasing the iPad Air to save money, or do you need the high-end features of the iPad Pro? Our guide answers the question of how to decide which of these two iPads is best for you.
iPad Air (M3, 2025)
iPad Pro (M5, 2025)
Liquid Retina display (LED backlit display with IPS technology)
Ultra Retina XDR display (Tandem OLED)
ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz
11-inch model SDR brightness: 500 nits max 13-inch model SDR brightness: 600 nits max
SDR brightness: 1,000 nits max XDR brightness: 1,000 nits max full screen, 1,600 nits peak (HDR content only)
Nano-texture display glass option on 1TB and 2TB models
Drive external displays at 60Hz
Drive external displays at up to 120Hz
Adaptive Sync support
M3 chip
M5 chip
Made using TSMC's first-generation 3nm technology (N3)
Made using TSMC's third-generation 3nm process (N3P)
Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono)
Animoji and Memoji
LiDAR scanner
Adaptive True Tone flash
Rear ambient light sensor
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 256GB capacity)
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording
Two microphones
Four studio-quality microphones
Audio zoom
Stereo recording
Landscape stereo speakers
Four speaker audio
Weight: 462 grams or 617 grams
Weight 444 grams or 579 grams
Depth: 6.1 mm
Depth: 5.3 mm or 5.1 mm
Fast-charge capable (Up to 50% charge using a 60W adapter or higher in 30 minutes with the 11-inch model or 35 minutes with the 13-inch model)
USB‑C connector
USB‑C connector with support for Thunderbolt/USB 4
Supports Magic Keyboard for iPad Air
Supports Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage
Up to 2× faster SSD read and write speeds
Available in Space Gray, Starlight, Purple, and Blue
Available in Space Black and Silver
Price starting at $599
Price starting at $999
Overall, the iPad Air is the better option for the majority of users, simply on the basis of value for money. For most people, the additional $400+ needed to buy the iPad Pro is not justified to get the likes of Face ID, a thinner design, four-speaker audio, and a ProMotion OLED display with refresh rates up to 120Hz.
Some iPad Pro features, such as LiDAR, up to 16GB of memory, and Thunderbolt connectivity are only practically useful to a small niche of users and most will never use some of these high-end capabilities. Many features, such as Adaptive Sync and Audio zoom, will not be meaningfully utilized by many users.
Professionals who have a clear use case for needing larger amounts of RAM and storage, a matte display, Thunderbolt connectivity, and OLED for HDR content will clearly benefit from buying the iPad Pro. That being said, "prosumer"-style customers who simply want the best iPad will enjoy features such as 120Hz ProMotion for smoother scrolling and gaming, a thinner design, deeper blacks and more vivid colors with the OLED display, and the Adaptive True Tone flash for document scanning, even if they are not necessary.
Beyond these individual circumstances, the iPad Air is the best value for money and will be more than ample for most users' needs. With the iPad Air, users can get a modern all-screen design, the M3 chip, practical features like USB-C and 5G connectivity, and compatibility with the core Apple accessories for a price well below that of the iPad Pro.
A new iPad Air with the M4 chip is in development and will likely launch in the first half of 2026, which may be worth bearing in mind if you aren't in a hurry to make a purchase. The new chip is expected to be the main upgrade, with few other new features or enhancements expected.
Satechi and MacRumors have partnered up this week to offer our readers an exclusive 40 percent discount on select products for a limited time. This sale is available only on Satechi's website, and it will run through this Sunday, November 16.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Satechi. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
To get the discount, add anything from the lists below to your cart and head to checkout. Once at checkout, you can enter the code MR40 to get 40 percent off your order for this week only. This discount code takes 40 percent off each item in your cart, so you can purchase multiple accessories at once.
Note: Use code MR40 at checkout to see the discount.
Products in this sale include Satechi's newest Qi2 charging stations and travel chargers, including the 3-in-1 Foldable Charging Station for $78.00, down from $129.99. You can also get both of Satechi's On The Go chargers on sale for 40 percent off with our exclusive code, priced at $48.00 for the 2-in-1 model and $60.00 for the 3-in-1 model.
The code also covers 40 percent off Satechi's range of FindAll Bluetooth trackers, including the FindAll Keychain, FindAll Card, FindAll Luggage Tag, FindAll Glasses Case, and FindAll Passport Cover. We've listed every product that works with our exclusive MR40 discount code below, so be sure to shop the sale before it ends this upcoming Sunday, November 16.
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.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple is still planning to introduce a new AI-powered "Health+" service in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman revisited the rumor about a revamped Health app in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. Apple is apparently planning to overhaul the Health app next year with a new Health+ service, featuring an AI assistant. Gurman said that it "could make Apple one of the first major tech companies to gain steam in the health AI chatbot space."
Earlier this year, Gurman said the AI-powered health coaching feature will offer personalized health recommendations accompanied by videos from health experts that inform users about various health conditions and ways to make lifestyle improvements. Nutrition tracking is also expected to be another big part of the revamped Health app.
Gurman also mentioned Apple's plans to introduce a revamped version of Siri with iOS 26.4, an AI-powered web search tool, and a redesigned version of Siri in iOS 27.
Over the weekend we began tracking a deal on the base model of Apple's AirPods 4, and today Amazon has discounted the wireless earbuds to an even lower price of $84.99, down from $129.00. With this increased discount, Amazon's price is now the lowest we've ever tracked on the AirPods 4.
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.
Free delivery options place the AirPods 4 at a November 15 delivery date, but Prime members should see same-day delivery dates in some locations. You can also get the AirPods 4 with ANC on sale for $149.99, down from $179.00, but we recommend waiting for a steeper discount on this model considering this isn't an all-time low 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.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple TV has "no plans" to launch an ad-supported streaming tier for the platform, according to Apple's head of services Eddy Cue, speaking in interview with Screen International.
Asked if there were plans for a tier with ads, Cue said: "Nothing at this time. Again, I don't want to say no forever, but there are no plans."
Cue added that if Apple TV can stay aggressive with its pricing, then it's better for consumers not to have their viewing experience interrupted by ads.
Apple TV cost just $4.99 per month in the U.S. when it launched in 2019, but the price has since increased three times. The price went up to $6.99 per month in 2022, and then to $9.99 per month in 2023, and now the service costs $12.99 per month.
Many other streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix have raised prices in recent years, but both rivals have also launched ad-supported plans as lower-priced tiers that have proven popular with customers.
Apple rolled out a rebrand of Apple TV+ earlier this month, dropping the "+" from the name to read just "Apple TV."
Apple will initially reserve its MacBook Pro OLED display upgrade to the high-end 14-inch and 16-inch models with M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, while the base 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro will continue to feature a mini-LED based screen, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said Apple is working on a "revamped M6 Pro and M6 Max MacBook Pro with an OLED display, thinner chassis and touch support," but he made no mention of the lower-priced 14-inch MacBook Pro with base M6 chip that Apple will presumably launch next year or in early 2027.
In Apple's three-pronged MacBook Pro lineup, the lower-priced model uses the standard M-series chip, while the other two use the Pro and Max variants. The base chip has fewer CPU/GPU cores, lower memory bandwidth, smaller maximum unified memory, and reduced external display support, whereas the Pro and Max versions scale up core counts, throughput, and RAM ceilings, making them better for resource-heavy creative workloads like video and 3D.
Apple's decision to reserve OLED for its higher-end MacBook Pro models makes sense given the hardware differentiation, but there's still a good chance that the lower-priced model will eventually get OLED at a later date, since Apple is also expected to bring the technology to the MacBook Air – but that model isn't expected to see a launch until 2028 at the earliest.
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display.
Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will reportedly debut under-screen Face ID technology on iPhone 18 Pro models.
Several Android phones already feature under-display selfie cameras, but image quality typically suffers due to the lens being behind display layers. Apple has likely resisted adoption for this reason, but the company has reportedly been working on its own solution for some time, and we could see it debut as soon as next year in Apple's first foldable iPhone.
According to an April 2024 report, LG Innotek – one of Apple's Korean suppliers – has been developing under-display cameras that leave no visible hole when inactive. These systems use a "freeform optic" multiple lens array designed to reduce image distortion and improve brightness, compensating for the light loss that typically occurs when a camera sits behind a display.
Whether technology related to LG Innotek's work will be used in the foldable iPhone is unclear. Regardless, JP Morgan recently reported that Apple's first foldable will have an industry-first 24-megapixel camera under the inner display. Under-screen cameras typically use 4 or 8 megapixels, suggesting Apple has achieved a breakthrough in greatly improving light transmittance and image quality compared to previous designs.
Apple is reportedly working on a radical redesign for the 20th anniversary iPhone that could feature a completely bezel-less display that curves around all four edges of the device. There is a strong expectation that Apple will skip "iPhone 19" nomenclature. For the 10th anniversary of the iPhone in 2017, Apple skipped the "iPhone 9" and simply launched the iPhone X (roman numeral for 10) alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
Apple's AirPods 4 have dropped to $84.99 on Amazon this week, down from $129.00. This is a match of the lowest price we've ever tracked on the AirPods 4 on Amazon, and it's for the base model without Active Noise Cancellation.
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.
Free delivery options place the AirPods 4 at a November 14 delivery date, but Prime members should see same-day delivery dates in some locations. You can also get the AirPods 4 with ANC on sale for $149.99, down from $179.00, but we recommend waiting for a steeper discount on this model considering this isn't an all-time low 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.
Update: This post has been updated to reflect a new price drop on the AirPods 4.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
We've partnered with Nomad this week to get you an extra 15 percent off in stock gear with the code MR2025 at checkout, allowing our readers a chance to save on iPhone 17 cases, Apple Watch bands, MagSafe-compatible products, and more. Additionally, Nomad is currently running an overstock sale with discounts across various accessories like AirPods cases, iPhone 16 cases, Apple Watch bands, and Lightning cables.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Nomad. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
To see the discount on your order, all you have to do is add an accessory to your cart, proceed to checkout, then enter the promo code MR2025 on the payment step and you'll get an extra 15 percent off your cart. Our code excludes items that are already on sale, recently launched products, and 3rd party gear. This sale ends later tonight, so be sure to shop soon if you're interested.
In addition to these discounts on newer products, Nomad's overstock sale has big markdowns on older gear like iPhone 16 cases, Apple Watch Bands, wireless chargers, and more. Our exclusive code does not stack with these discounts, but there are still many steep discounts in this sale that are worth taking a look at before it ends.
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.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple is working on a series of new satellite connectivity features for the iPhone, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
In this week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman revealed that the new features in development include:
Apple Maps via satellite: Navigation in Apple Maps without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.
Photos in Messages via satellite: Support for sending photos in the Messages app using satellite connectivity.
Natural Usage: Satellite connectivity from indoors environments, without the need to physically point the device toward clear sky.
Satellite over 5G: Support for 5G NTN, allowing cell towers to use satellites for increased coverage.
Satellite API framework for third-party apps: An API that will allow developers to voluntarily integrate satellite connectivity into their apps. Not all features and services will be compatible.
There apparently no plans to enable phone calls, video calls, or web browsing via satellite at present.
Today, Apple's satellite connectivity features are available for free. For more advanced capabilities in the future, Apple reportedly plans to let customers pay satellite carriers for features directly.
Apple could also create a paid option for extended connectivity with a company like SpaceX. Gurman added that there have been discussions in the company about offering its own satellite service, but concerns that Apple shouldn't act like a carrier have stifled that possibility.
Many of the new satellite features in development will apparently require upgrades to Globalstar's infrastructure, which Apple helped to finance. Gurman said that if SpaceX acquires Globalstar, the necessary enhancements could roll out faster.
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue.
Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that makes it difficult for Apple to shut it down "without a backlash." The service is sufficiently inexpensive to operate that negative headlines would not be worth the saving.
Nevertheless, Gurman says the "future of Fitness+ is under review." He revealed that the service is to receive new management, with Apple health vice president Sumbul Desai taking control of the service. The health division, now including Apple Fitness+, will report directly to services chief Eddy Cue. The reorganization is likely to lead to added pressure to improve results.
Apple Fitness+ launched in 2020 as an ad-free video on demand guided workout streaming service. It costs $9.99 per month and is available as part of the Apple One Premier bundle.
We're officially in the month of 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.
Note:We're currently seeing an issue where clicking on the 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.
MacRumors readers can save on Apple's brand new 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro at Expercom right now. Discounts reach up to $234 off original prices, and across the board these are the lowest prices we've tracked to date on the M5 MacBook Pro.
These discounts have been automatically applied on Expercom's website when visited through the links below. Discounts include the 512GB 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro for $1,487.07, down from $1,599.00, plus a few models with increased RAM.
Our exclusive discount is available in both Space Black and Silver color options for each computer. We've listed a few of the base models of the M5 MacBook Pro below, but Expercom is offering a wide range of custom configurations on sale as well. This includes models with as much as 32GB RAM, up to 4TB of storage, and Nano-Texture display options as well.
The best early Black Friday AirPods discount is on the AirPods 4, available for $84.99 right now on Amazon, down from $129.00. This is a match of the best price we've ever seen on this model on Amazon.
Prices 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 $89 discounts on the wearables, and all-time low prices on each device. You can find Midnight, Silver, and Starlight case color options at these prices for both sizes.
Amazon also has a few discounts on the Apple Watch Series 10, with $119 off these models. You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 10 for $279.99, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $309.99, down from $429.00. The 42mm GPS model is only available in Jet Black Aluminum, but the 46mm GPS model has Jet Black, Rose Gold, and Silver Aluminum options available at this low price.
Amazon this week is taking $50 off Wi-Fi models of Apple's 11th generation iPad. Prices start at $299.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00, a second-best price on this model.
In terms of the 11-inch M5 iPad Pro, this is still one of the only steeper discounts, with others sitting around $25 off. If you're shopping for the 13-inch M5 iPad Pro, you'll find the 256GB Wi-Fi model for $1,246.00 ($54 off), the 512GB Wi-Fi model for $1,440.00 ($50 off), and the 2TB Wi-Fi Nano-Texture Glass model for $2,298.00 ($101 off).
M4 MacBook Air
You can get the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $749.99, 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.
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.
AirTag
Amazon has Apple's AirTag 4-Pack for $64.99, 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 $24.00, which doesn't match the all-time low of $19.99 that we've seen recently, so you might want to hold off for now or consider stepping up to the 4-Pack deal.
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.
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Things were busy in Apple software land this week, with the public release of iOS 26.1 and updates for Apple's other platforms being quickly followed by the round of 26.2 betas with plenty more changes in store.
On the hardware side, we're still wondering whether we'll see anything more released before the end of the year, but either way, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for Apple with updates across almost the entire lineup and likely some new entrants as well.
iOS 26.1 adds a new toggle to adjust the transparency of Liquid Glass, an option to turn off the Lock Screen swipe gesture to access the Camera, a new "slide to stop" button on the Lock Screen for alarms and timers to reduce accidental dismissals, new Apple Intelligence language support, and more.
Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 1
As is frequently the case, the public release of iOS 26.1 was almost immediately followed by the first developer beta of iOS 26.2 as Apple begins testing the next update ahead of an expected December release.
Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in a new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker.
The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" has claimed that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in one of the following color options: coffee, purple, or burgundy. Despite some initial media confusion thinking Apple might release all three of the rumored colors, the leaker later clarified that Apple is currently still in the decision phase will only move forward with production on one of them.
New Version of Siri to 'Lean' on Google Gemini
The new, more powerful version of Siri reportedly coming around March or April of next year will apparently leverage a custom version of Google Gemini as Apple continues to try to catch up to the competition with its own AI capabilities.
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.
Apple is going to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, with the device set to be more affordable than the $999 MacBook Air. With the affordable notebook, Apple is aiming to better compete with cheap Chromebooks and Windows PCs.
If you're thinking about picking up a computer for lightweight tasks like document editing, web browsing, watching videos, and doing homework, you might want to wait to see what Apple has in store before making a purchase. Below, we highlight what we know about the new Mac so far.
Size
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 inches in size. The MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch display, so the more affordable MacBook could be slightly smaller. It's sounding like it won't be too far off from the 13-inch MacBook Air, though.
There are no details on how thick it might be, but Apple probably won't prioritize a thin design for a machine optimized for a low price. Since the MacBook Air can run fine with an M-series chip and no fan in an enclosure that's 0.44 inches thick, there's no reason for the MacBook to be any thicker than that.
Design and Display
The low-cost MacBook will have a standard LCD display with no mini-LED technology or ProMotion refresh rate. It could come in bright colors like the iMac, with Kuo suggesting Apple will offer it in silver, blue, pink, and yellow.
A-Series Chip
Apple is planning to use its A18 Pro chip in the MacBook. We first saw the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro models. The chip is built on Apple's second-generation 3-nanometer process, featuring 8GB RAM and support for Apple Intelligence.
It's fast and efficient, and more than capable of handling day-to-day tasks. In Geekbench 6 benchmarks, the A18 Pro offers single-core CPU performance scores at the level of the M3 Ultra, and multi-core performance scores higher than the M1 chip that Apple used in the first Apple silicon MacBook Air. Metal scores that measure GPU performance are also similar to the M1 chip Metal scores.
The A18 Pro will be equivalent to the M1 for some tasks, and faster for other tasks. Apple no longer sells the M1 MacBook Air from its own store, but it has offered the machine through Walmart at a $599 price point.
Capabilities
With the A18 Pro chip, the low-cost MacBook would be able to do anything that can be done on an iPhone 16 Pro. It would be a suitable replacement for the low-cost iPad paired with a keyboard, and it would also support Apple Intelligence features.
Right now, an iPad is essentially the only option for a low-cost portable device that can serve as a computer, but the low-cost MacBook will add a solution that runs macOS instead of iPadOS.
Tasks like browsing the web, watching videos, creating documents, editing photos, and even light video editing would be no problem. A low-cost MacBook with A18 Pro chip could play all of Apple's iPad and iPhone games, including Apple Arcade titles, but it would not work well with high-end system intensive games.
It would also run apps like Final Cut Pro, but speeds for things like exporting video would not be as quick as with a more powerful Mac.
Apple probably won't go all out on ports, and the MacBook is likely to get just a single USB-C port, though two like the MacBook Air is also possible.
The A18 Pro chip is efficient, and there's a lot of space inside a 13-inch enclosure for a battery, so we could be looking at MacBook Air-level battery life or better. The MacBook Air's battery lasts for up to 18 hours when watching videos, or 15 hours when browsing the web.
Price
There are no specific details on price as of yet, but Bloomberg claims it will cost "well under $1,000." The MacBook Air is priced starting at $999, so it would need to come in under that.
Apple has a 13-inch iPad Air that has a display in the same range rumored for the low-cost MacBook, and it's priced at $799. The iPad Air has a higher-end M-series processor though, so the low-cost MacBook could be less than the iPad Air.
The closest iPad approximation for the chip is the iPad mini, which has an A17 Pro. The iPad mini is priced starting at $499. A price somewhere between $499 and $799 could make sense looking at Apple's existing product lineup. The older M1 MacBook that sells for $599 at Walmart also gives us a hint at what Apple might charge.
Launch Timing
Apple could launch the low-cost MacBook in the first half of 2026. Updates are planned for the MacBook Air in early 2026, so the low-cost model could launch sometime in that same timeframe.
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