MacRumors

Amazon is hosting another Prime Day event this year, called Prime Big Deal Days and offering shoppers the first chance to save on holiday shopping from a major retailer. Similar to last year's fall Prime Day, it will last for two days (October 7-8) and you can already find a large selection of early deals across Amazon's storefront, covering savings on tech, clothing, video games, groceries, and much, much more.

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

For our coverage, we're focusing on Apple and Apple-related discounts that can be purchased during this 48-hour event on Amazon. As of today, this includes deals on AirPods, iPad Air, iPad mini, and various accessories.

As is typical for Prime Day deals, these markdowns are very time sensitive, so sales listed below may disappear fast, and new ones may appear even faster. With this in mind, we'll keep this article updated throughout the event, and keep an eye on the MacRumors front page as we'll be posting particularly great deals in separate articles this week.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Amazon Prime Day requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Special for 2025, Amazon is also offering a free six month trial to Prime for Young Adults right now. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.

AirPods

Numerous AirPods models have been discounted this weekend, with the most notable being the AirPods 4 for $89.99, down from $129.00. You'll also find a solid discount on the AirPods Pro 2 during this event.

M3 iPad Air

Amazon has Apple's M3 iPad Air starting 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, with numerous all-time low prices.

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

iPad Mini 7

Amazon 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 early Prime Day sale.

You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $499.00 and the 512GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 7 for $699.00, both $100 discounts and available in all colors. In total, these sales are solid second-best prices on the iPad mini 7, coming in just about $20 higher when compared to all-time low prices.

Accessories

There are a few accessories on sale ahead of Prime Day, including a new all-time low price on the iPhone 17 Pro TechWoven Case, now available for $49.99, down from $59.00. You'll also find great deals on Apple Pencil Pro, MagSafe Charger, and the AirTag 4-Pack.

• MagSafe Charger (2m) - $34.90, down from $49.00
• iPhone 17 Pro Silicone Case - $43.99, down from $49.00
• iPhone 17 Pro TechWoven Case - $49.99, down from $59.00
• iPhone 17 Pro Max Silicone Case - $43.99, down from $49.00
• iPhone 17 Pro Max TechWoven Case - $52.99, down from $59.00
• AirTag 4-Pack - $74.99, down from $99.00
• Apple Pencil Pro - $99.00, down from $129.00

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

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Today marks the 14th anniversary of Steve Jobs passing away, at the age of 56. He died just one day after Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S and Siri.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has once again paid tribute to Jobs.

"Steve saw the future as a bright and boundless place, lit the path forward, and inspired us to follow," said Cook, in a post today. "We miss you, my friend."

Cook also reflected on Jobs while opening Apple's first-ever event at Steve Jobs Theater in 2017.

"There is not a day that goes by that we don't think about him," he said then.

At that event, Apple unveiled the iPhone X, which was a major update to the smartphone that Jobs had famously unveiled in 2007.

The Steve Jobs Archive website contains a collection of quotes, photos, videos, and emails from Jobs, and offers fellowships to young creators to follow in his footsteps. In addition, Apple still has a "Remembering Steve" page on its website with condolences shared by customers around the world following his death in 2011.

The next iPad Pro models are rumored to feature two key upgrades, including Apple's M5 chip, and an increased minimum of 12GB of RAM.

Last week, apparent unboxing videos for the next-generation 13-inch iPad Pro were uploaded to YouTube by Russian channels Wylsacom and Romancev768.

The same YouTube channels leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so these latest leaks are likely legitimate.

The unboxing videos showed the M5 chip, and an increased minimum of 12GB of RAM.

According to Geekbench 6 benchmark results shown in one of the videos, the M5 chip offers up to 12% faster multi-core CPU performance and up to 36% faster graphics performance compared to the M4 chip in the current iPad Pro models from May 2024.

The benchmark result also showed the iPad Pro with 256GB of storage will have 12GB of RAM, just like the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. iPad Pro models with the M4 chip have only 8GB of RAM when equipped with 256GB or 512GB of storage, but models with 1TB or 2TB of storage are equipped with 16GB of RAM.

Last year, the iPad Pro was updated with an OLED display and a thinner design. No major design changes are expected this year, but the unboxing videos did reveal that "iPad Pro" will no longer be inscribed on the back of the next models.

Beyond the M5 chip and a minimum of 12GB of RAM, a third rumor is in jeopardy.

It was previously rumored that the next iPad Pro models would have two front cameras, allowing you to easily take photos and go on video calls in both portrait and landscape orientations. However, there is no evidence of a second front camera in the unboxing videos, with only an ambient light sensor visible in the top bezel in one of the videos.

In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman commented on the rumor:

I can say with certainty that M5 iPad Pros within Apple have the second lens. There's a history of Apple testing features at an advanced stage before pulling them (such as certain storage capacities or features like a second dock connector on the original iPad), but this would be a strange, last-minute cut.

We shall see. Apple will likely unveil the next iPad Pro models this month, so an official announcement is likely just a few weeks away.

Woot this weekend is back with a massive sale on Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop bands for Apple Watch, with as much as 70 percent off these accessories.

You can get the Solo Loop for just $14.99 ($34 off) and the Braided Solo Loop for $29.99 ($69 off). All bands in this sale are in brand new condition and come with a one-year Apple limited warranty, and they will all be compatible with the new Apple Watch Series 11.

Shoppers should note that this sale is focused on colors of the Braided Solo Loop and Solo Loop that Apple has stopped selling, and it doesn't include any of the new band colors. That being said, all of the bands in this sale are in new condition.

The entire sale is focused on Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop Apple Watch bands, so you'll need to know the size that works best for you before you buy. Apple has a measurement tool on its website that you can use to determine your exact size.

Solo Loop

• Black/White Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00
• Blue Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00
• Green Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00
• Purple Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00
• Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $14.99, down from $49.00

Braided Solo Loop

• Black/White Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Blue Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Green Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Purple Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Red/Orange/Yellow Hues - $29.99, down from $99.00
• Pride - $29.99, down from $99.00

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

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The calendar has flipped over to October, but that doesn't mean Apple is done with product launches for 2025. We're still expecting updates to several product lines, and Apple has a history of making announcements in October so we'll be keeping a lookout for news.

Several of those upcoming products have already leaked thanks to Russian YouTubers and U.S. regulatory databases, although release timing remains a bit unclear. This week also saw the release of bug-fix updates for iOS and other platforms, while have had a bit more time for our thoughts on Apple's new iPhones to firm up, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Top Stories

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rear-view mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release at least a handful of additional products before the year ends.

Will there be another Apple event this October, or will we see a string of press releases to introduce the new products? Check out our look at Apple's recent October announcement history and our overview of what's rumored to be launching soon.

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Russian YouTube channel Wyslacom appears to have done it again. A year after leaking the M4 MacBook Pro with an unboxing video, they've repeated the feat with the upcoming M5 iPad Pro.

While the device looks essentially identical to the current model, it does mark the premiere of the M5 chip, and the video includes some good benchmarks of the new chip.

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

The United States Federal Communications Commission has inadvertently confirmed several upcoming releases from Apple, including a new MacBook Pro that is likely an M5-based model expected later this year or early next year.

The documents also confirm several new iPads that are likely to be the M5 iPad Pro, and a new Vision Pro that has been previously rumored to be coming with a chip bump was also revealed.

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Apple this week pushed out an iOS 26.0.1 update to address several bugs from the initial iOS 26 release and the new iPhone hardware, including Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and Camera issues on the new iPhones, cellular network issues, app icon tinting problems, and more.

Apple also released macOS Tahoe 26.0.1 to address an issue with M3 Ultra Mac Studio machines being unable to update to macOS Tahoe, as well as minor watchOS 26.0.2, visionOS 26.0.1, and tvOS 26.0.1 updates.

Review: A Week With the iPhone 17 Pro

We've now had a chance to spend some extended time with Apple's latest phones, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has put together his thoughts on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, as well as the ultra-thin iPhone Air.

The Pro models are showing impressive battery life gains and thermal improvements, while the upgraded front-facing camera delivers nice quality improvements for selfies. The upgraded Telephoto lens is also a welcome addition, and he's yet to see any durability issues despite some early concerns over scratches seen on demo units.

The iPhone Air is a dream to hold, and its titanium frame is beautiful and strong, but there's no hiding that the device comes with some compromises like shorter battery life and only a single rear camera.

LG UltraFine 6K (32U990A) TB5 Display: Pre-Orders Now Available

Back in January at CES, LG announced what it said is the first 6K display to support Thunderbolt 5, and it is now available for pre-order from retailers like B&H Photo. The display will run you $2,000, but if you think of it as an alternative to Apple's $5,000+ Pro Display XDR, that pricing starts to look a lot better.

You'll get a 6,144 x 3,456 display with daisy-chain support, 96-watt power delivery for a connected laptop, and tilt, pivot, height, and rotation adjustments, as well as DisplayPort and HDMI inputs alongside Thunderbolt 5.

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!

We're gearing up for big Prime Day deals over the next few days, and this week saw multiple early Prime Day discounts arriving for iPhone 17 cases, the second generation Apple Watch SE, and more.

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.

Early Prime Day Deals

• What's the deal? Save early on Apple accessories and more
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days doesn't officially start until Tuesday, October 7, but this week we started tracking early discounts ahead of the event. You can find all of the best early discounts on Amazon's store page, and it includes items like the Apple Pencil Pro for $99.00 and more.

Prime Big Deal Days requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Special for 2025, Amazon is also offering a free six month trial to Prime for Young Adults right now. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.

Apple Watch SE 2

• What's the deal? Take up to $110 off Apple Watch SE 2
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon is discounting the second generation 40mm GPS Apple Watch SE to $179.00 this week, down from $249.00. This is just $10 higher when compared to the all-time low price on this 2022 Apple Watch SE model, and the lowest we've tracked in a few weeks.

iPhone 17 Cases

• What's the deal? Save on Apple's new cases for iPhone 17 and iPhone Air
• Where can I get it? Amazon

Amazon recently introduced a round of discounts across Apple's Clear, Silicone, and TechWoven Cases for the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineup. This sale isn't as extensive as it was last week, but you can still find 10 percent off select Silicone and TechWoven Cases for the new iPhones.

Anker SOLIX

• What's the deal? Take up to 65% off SOLIX accessories
• Where can I get it? Anker

Anker's SOLIX brand has introduced some early Prime Day deals on its best portable power stations. You can use the code USAFF5 to take an additional 5 percent off your order.

Best Buy

• What's the deal? Best Buy members can save sitewide this weekend
• Where can I get it? Best Buy
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Best Buy recently kicked off a Member Deals Days sale, with exclusive discounts available only to My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members. One of the most notable offers during this event is on the AirPods Pro 3, which come with a $20 Best Buy credit with purchase. While not a straight cash discount, this is still one of the best offers we've tracked for the new AirPods Pro 3.

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

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Apple's new Liquid Glass design has received most of the attention in news about macOS Tahoe, but there are quite a few new features that make the Mac better than ever, including some that are not super obvious. We've rounded up 10 useful macOS Tahoe features that you should know about.

Customize the Menu Bar

With macOS Tahoe, you have more control over the layout of your menu bar. You can rearrange the menu bar, remove things you're not using, and add Control Center widgets for quick access to your most used settings.

To customize your menu bar, go to System Settings > Menu Bar > Menu Bar Controls, or open Control Center, click on Edit Controls, and click on the "+" in the menu bar. You can uncheck boxes to remove items, and use the Add Controls option to add new options from both first and third-party apps.

Customize Your Mac's Lock Screen Font

macOS Tahoe lets you customize the clock that appears on your Mac's Lock Screen. You can't adjust size like you can in iOS 26, but you can change the font style and thickness.

To adjust your clock, go to System Settings > Wallpaper > Clock Appearance. You can choose from six different font styles, and adjust the weight with a slider. You can opt to have the clock show on your Lock Screen or on the Lock Screen and Screen Saver.

Live Activities

If you have an iPhone and a Mac, Live Activities can now sync between your devices. When you have an active Live Activity on your ‌iPhone‌, like an in-progress flight, an upcoming Uber ride, or a live sports game, it will automatically show up in your Mac's menu bar through the ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring feature.

Live Activities sync automatically with ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring enabled, and you can turn it on with the ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring Mac. You can click on any Live Activity to open the associated ‌iPhone‌ app through ‌iPhone‌ Mirroring.

See Your Clipboard History

Spotlight now incorporates clipboard history, tracking what you copy and paste. It's erased every eight hours so nothing is saved longterm, but it's useful if you need to find something you copied earlier in the day.

To get to your clipboard, press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight, then press Command + 4 to swap over to the clipboard view. Click on any item to copy it.

Clipboard history is off by default, so you do need to turn it on in the Spotlight section of System Settings before you can use it.

Streamline Spotlight Search Results

When you're using Spotlight to search for something in an app, macOS Tahoe lets you add filters directly in the search bar. Open up Spotlight, type in a search term, and then click on a filter at the top to narrow down the results. If you want to find PDFs you've been sent in the Mail app, for example, you can type in PDF and then click on Mail.

A quicker way to search is to type in the app name, like Mail, press the tab key, and then type in your second filter term like PDF.

Search Websites Faster

You can use Spotlight to perform searches on websites without having to open up Safari and navigate to the site first. Just type a website name like Etsy or Amazon, press Tab, and type what you want to search for.

Search Your Tabs

When you search in Spotlight, the results include the Safari tabs that you have open. If you tend to have dozens of tabs open at once, it can be a good way to find the specific tab you're looking for rather than clicking through them one-by-one. Open tabs show up at the top of the list when you enter a relevant search term.

Use Quick Keys

Quick Keys are shortcuts that let you perform actions in Spotlight using just a few characters. With a Quick Key, you can type in a couple of letters to do a task that you repeat often, such as sending someone a message or opening up an app.

To use it, open up Spotlight by pressing Command + Spacebar, then press Command + 3 to get to Actions. Type in the action that you want, like Open ChatGPT, and then when it appears, click on the Add Quick Key option.

From there, you can type between 1 and 12 letters as your shortcut, such as "gpt." The next time you want to execute that action, just type the Quick Key phrase.

Create Automations

macOS Tahoe has iOS-style Shortcut automations that can run automatically based on time, system events, or other triggers, which is functionality that was not previously available.

Open the Shortcuts app, click on the Automation option in the side bar, and then click on the "+" button to create an automation. Triggers include time of day, when an app opens, when a display or accessory is connected, when a Focus mode activates, when the battery gets to a certain level, when you save a file to a specific folder, and more.

Safari Picture in Picture

Picture-in-picture has been available in Safari for several years, but macOS Tahoe brings easier activation, new controls, and customization options.

In an article where there's a video, click on the Page Menu icon in the left side of the URL bar to enter picture-in-picture mode. You can now access playback controls for skipping forward and backward, and you can skip ads directly from the picture-in-picture window.

See Your Spotlight History

You can see your past Spotlight searches and actions in macOS Tahoe, which makes it easy to get back to something that you did before.

With Spotlight open, press on the up arrow to scroll through your past queries.

Gaming Low Power Mode

macOS Tahoe updates Low Power Mode so that it's optimized for gaming, giving you a way to extend your gameplay sessions. You can set Low Power Mode to turn on automatically when your Mac is not plugged in, or let your Mac manage its power intelligently.

Whenever Low Power Mode is activated, it won't impact gameplay by lowering game performance.

Game Overlay

When you're playing a game in macOS Tahoe, you can tap Command + ESC to bring up a new Game Overlay. From the Game Overlay, you can view achievements and leaderboards, connect with friends, and adjust settings like brightness and volume.

macOS Tahoe packs these useful features alongside its eye-catching visual redesign. Whether you're customizing your workspace, streamlining your workflow with Quick Keys, or automating repetitive tasks, these features can make your Mac experience significantly more productive. Take some time to explore these capabilities--you might find your new favorite Mac feature hiding in plain sight.

Read More

For more on what's new in macOS Tahoe, check out our dedicated roundup.

Apple is working on a next-generation version of the Vision Pro with an updated chip, and it could include a new Dual Knit Band that provides a more comfortable fit.

Updated Apple backend code found by MacRumors includes a reference to a "Dual Knit Band," which is not a band that exists at the current time. The Apple Vision Pro comes with a Solo Knit Band and a Dual Loop Band, but no Dual Knit Band.

Based on the name, the new band could be a cross between Apple's two existing bands, featuring the same comfortable material as the Solo Knit Band but with a more supportive two-band fit. A text description of the Dual Knit Band suggests that there will be an upper band that spans the top of the head and another band that fits behind the head.

Some people have made custom adjustments to the Vision Pro to get it to accommodate two Solo Knit Bands for extra support at the top of the head, and those that have gone that route suggest it is much more comfortable than Apple's current Dual Loop Band.

Back in July, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the refreshed Vision Pro could include a new strap that would make it easier to wear the headset for long periods of time, and it looks like the rumor is accurate.

The Vision Pro weighs between 21.2 and 22.9 ounces, putting considerable strain on the head when it's worn for long periods of time. Some users find the weight of the device and the poor distribution of the Solo Knit Band to cause discomfort. The Dual Loop Band removes some of the weight from the face, but because it doesn't have the same knit design as the Solo Knit Band, it is less comfortable.

Apple is expected to refresh the $3,499 Vision Pro before the end of 2025. It will get a faster M5 chip, but Apple doesn't plan to make any other updates to the device.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with iMazing to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of Apple's new iPhone Air or iPhone 17 Pro models. For those unfamiliar with iMazing, it is Mac and PC software that offers a simple, fast way to manage everything on your iPhone and other Apple products. You can transfer data, make backups, manage media, save content like messages, and more.

Apple has the built-in Finder on the Mac for managing the ‌iPhone‌, and an app for PCs, but iMazing's tools give you much more control than Apple's native functionality.

Creating and managing backups is easy with iMazing's backup tools. You can set up automatic backups for hassle-free protection, and the app supports snapshots so you can browse through your backups to find something specific that you're looking for. With selective restore, you can bring back just what you need. Backups are encrypted and can be saved to any computer, a local storage setup, or an external drive, and iMazing is ideal for managing multiple Apple devices.

The Device overview provides detailed information on your ‌iPhone‌ in one spot, and it gives you a quick way to access all of iMazing's capabilities. The layout is straightforward and it's easy to find the exact tool that you're looking for. The Device overview lists information like serial number, model number, device ID, and stored data, and there's even a section for battery management that shows details on temperature, max charge, and charge cycles.

iMazing can be used to browse, export, and archive content, so you can transfer photos, music, books, movies and other media and files from your computer to your ‌iPhone‌ and vice versa. It's not limited to the ‌iPhone‌, either. You can use the data management tools with the iPad, iPod, and Vision Pro, too. iMazing's tools are useful for moving photos from one device to another, or transferring music files without the need for a streaming service. With Quick Transfer, you can even drag and drop files and folders to your ‌iPhone‌ and choose an iOS app to transfer the file to.

Apple has no way to get your messages off of your ‌iPhone‌, but iMazing can create an entire archive from the Messages app or WhatsApp, and it works for RCS/SMS/MMS messages and iMessages. You can save your messages into a PDF, an Excel document, or use other file formats.

iMazing can be used by businesses for advanced device management too, and it supports bulk provisioning, configuring, and streamlining MDM enrollment for fleets of Apple devices. iMazing was updated to version 3.4 recently, bringing full support for iOS 26, macOS 26, and the iPhone 17 models. There are also new features for both everyday users and IT professionals.

When you import notes, tables, colors, and attachments are included. There's a photo viewer for imported texts from Messages and WhatsApp, and useful filters for Contacts and Books.

Imported call history and voicemail show total duration, which is a useful feature for professionals who log billable calls. There is also support for multi-SIM organization. For businesses, iMazing 3.4 features advanced export filters, developer tools, Configurator updates, and CLI enhancements to streamline automation and fleet management.

iMazing can be downloaded from the iMazing website at prices starting at $30. There are options for personal subscriptions, family subscriptions, and enterprise subscriptions. iMazing also offers free trials, and some functions are free even without a purchase.

iMazing is offering an ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ or ‌iPhone Air‌ for one lucky MacRumors reader, with the winner to choose their preferred device. 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 (October 3) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on October 10. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after October 10 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.

The AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max are Apple's highest-end headphone options, so which should you choose?

Apple just debuted the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌, adding new features like improved active noise cancellation, the U2 chip, and heart rate monitoring. The AirPods Pro 2 were already more advanced than the ‌AirPods Max‌, which have not been meaningfully refreshed since their introduction in 2020, so the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ take an even bigger leap ahead of their over-ear siblings. Nevertheless, there is still a good case for buying the ‌AirPods Max‌ against the AirPods Pro.

Both the ‌AirPods Max‌ and the AirPods Pro feature active noise cancellation, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, volume controls, "Hey Siri" commands, and automatic switching. As the two highest-end AirPods options, should you consider purchasing the $249 ‌AirPods Pro 3‌, or do you need the ‌AirPods Max‌, which still sell for $549? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these AirPods are best for you.

‌AirPods Pro 3‌ (2025)	‌AirPods Max‌ (2020, 2024)
Plastic design	Aluminum, stainless steel, and silicone design
IP57 dust, sweat, and water resistant earbuds and charging case
Available in White only	Lightning: Available in Silver, Space Gray, Sky Blue, Pink, and Green USB-C: Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Purple, and Orange
In-ear fit	Over-ear fit
Clip-on silicone/foam ear tips (five size options)	Magnetic fabric ear cups
Skin-detect sensors	Optical IR sensors
~10mm custom high-excursion Apple drivers and high dynamic range amplifiers	40mm dynamic Apple drivers and more powerful high dynamic range amplifiers
Dual beamforming microphones and inward-facing microphones	Nine microphones (eight used for Active Noise Cancellation, three used for voice pickup)
H2 chips	H1 chips
Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.0
2.4GHz and 5GHz connectivity	2.4GHz connectivity
Lossless audio support with Apple Vision Pro	Lossless audio via USB-C
"Hey ‌Siri‌" and "‌Siri‌" voice commands	"Hey ‌Siri‌" voice commands
Force sensor for media and listening mode controls	Noise control button for listening mode controls
Touch controls for volume adjustment	Digital Crown for media controls and volume adjustment
Transparency and Adaptive Transparency	Transparency
Adaptive Audio
Loud Sound Reduction
Hearing Protection
Hearing Test
Hearing Aid
Automatic Conversation Boost
Conversation Awareness
Live Translation
Heart rate sensing during workouts
Lanyard loop
U2 chip for Precision Finding
Speaker in charging case for Find My
Up to 8 hours of listening time on a single charge	Up to 20 hours of listening time on a single charge
5 minutes in the case provides around 1 hour of listening time	5 minutes of charge time provides around 1.5 hours of listening time
Charge with Apple Watch charger, MagSafe charger, Qi wireless charging mats, and USB-C	Charge via USB-C or Lightning only (depending on model)
‌MagSafe‌ Charging Case	Smart Case to preserve battery charge in ultra-low-power state
$249	$549

While there is some overlap between the AirPods Pro and ‌AirPods Max‌ with features like Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency, the entirely different fit and form factor of the headphones should make it easier for most customers to decide which device they prefer. Some users will even buy and use both.

The ‌AirPods Max‌ offer a wide range of color options and a premium design, making them more of a fashion accessory. They also feature much longer continuous battery life from a single charge. If you dislike the in-ear design of the AirPods Pro, the ‌AirPods Max‌ may also be more comfortable, especially for longer listening sessions.

Owing to its over-ear design and significantly larger drivers, the ‌AirPods Max‌ deliver markedly better audio quality than the AirPods Pro, so if your main priority is audio quality, the ‌AirPods Max‌ will undoubtedly be the best choice. They also support Lossless Audio via USB-C.

On the other hand, the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ offer a high-level of convenience and portability due to their small size and charging case. The audio quality of the AirPods Pro cannot rival the ‌AirPods Max‌, but features like Adaptive Audio, Loud Sound Reduction, Conversation Boost are ideal for when you're on the go.

Due to their lightweight, in-ear design and sweat and water resistance, the AirPods Pro are perfect for outdoors use and fitness activities. They also now feature heart-rate monitoring during workouts.

The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ are much more versatile when it comes to charging, with four different ways to charge, compared to the ‌AirPods Max‌'s obligatory USB-C port. Due to their size, weight, less durable design, and limited portability, the ‌AirPods Max‌ are best used at home for high-fidelity, prolonged listening sessions, while the AirPods Pro offer a more balanced experience with a high level of convenience and portability.

It is also worth noting that the AirPods Pro have many more features than the ‌AirPods Max‌, such as "‌‌Siri‌‌" voice commands, Precision Finding, Bluetooth 5.3, wireless lossless audio with the Vision Pro, Live Translation, and Hearing Test.

AirPods frequently see hefty discounts on Amazon and other third-party retailers, so stepping up to the Max version may be more worth it if you can take advantage of one of those deals. Both sets of AirPods often see solid discounts, so it is always worth seeking the best price using our Deals roundup.

On this episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the latest leaks about the next-generation iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Studio Display, and Vision Pro.

Earlier this week, an apparent unboxing video of an updated ‌iPad Pro‌ with the M5 chip was shared online. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year. The new ‌iPad Pro‌ does not have any noticeable external design changes compared to the current models with the M4 chip, with the chip being the only difference.

Meanwhile, documents leaked from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reveal the next-generation ‌iPad Pro‌, ‌MacBook Pro‌, and Vision Pro are imminent. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also recently detailed Apple's plan to release two new external monitors either later this year or in early 2026.

Gurman this week revealed that Apple has stopped work on a cheaper, lighter version of the $3,499 Vision Pro. There were rumors that Apple was developing a a much lighter, more affordable "Vision Air" for launch in 2027, but Apple is now apparently transitioning engineers from that project to its smart glasses project to compete with Meta. Last year, The Information reported that suspended its work on the true second-generation Vision Pro. This means that the only new Vision product in the pipeline is the impending refresh of the existing product to upgrade to the M5 chip.

We discuss the wave of product leaks and our expectations for the new releases, as well as the implications of Apple seemingly halting work on new Vision headsets. 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 first impressions of the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro.

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.

While it is unclear if Apple will host an October event this year, or stick to press releases, rumors suggest it will announce several new products this month.

In any case, Apple will likely provide the public with advanced notice. The table below outlines when Apple teased its October launches over the past four years.

Year	Announcement/Teaser	Event/Tagline	Event/Press Releases
2021	Tuesday, October 12	"Unleashed" Event	Monday, October 18
2022	Tuesday, October 18	"Take Note" Teaser	Tuesday, October 18
2023	Tuesday, October 24	"Scary Fast" Event	Monday, October 30
2024	Thursday, October 24	"Mac Your Calendars" Teaser	Monday, October 28 to Wednesday, October 30

A handful of Apple products are expected to be updated as early as October, with the following new features and changes rumored:

• iPad Pro: M5 chip and potentially two front cameras, allowing for photos and video calls in both portrait and landscape orientations.
• Vision Pro: A faster M4 chip or M5 chip, a new head strap that improves comfort, and potentially a Space Black color option.
• Apple TV: A faster A17 Pro chip that will support next year's revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, and likely Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support. A built-in FaceTime camera has been rumored for a future Apple TV, but it is unclear if that will arrive with the next model specifically.
• HomePod mini: S9 chip or newer with support for next year's revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, likely Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, improved sound quality, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for proximity features, and potentially new color options like Red.
• AirTag: Up to 3× longer item tracking range vs. current AirTag, a more tamper-proof speaker, and "very low" battery life alerts.

What about Macs? Apple's next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips will reportedly enter mass production soon, but they apparently might not be announced until early 2026. While new Macs are often unveiled in October, there is precedent for a launch earlier in a year too, as Apple announced MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in a January 2023 press release.

Apple is reportedly also planning a lower-priced MacBook with an A18 Pro or A19 Pro chip, but the rumored launch timeframe for that is late 2025 or early 2026, so it is unclear if it would be announced this October. This model would likely be the spiritual successor to the MacBook Air with an M1 chip, which is still sold by Walmart in the U.S. for $599.

Apple recently announced its next quarterly earnings call will be held on Thursday, October 30, so any new products this month will likely be unveiled by Wednesday, October 29 at the latest, so Apple can recap the announcements on the call.

The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor.

Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap, release cycles, and past upgrades.

Release Timing and Price

Apple appears to have settled into a spring refresh cycle for the MacBook Air. After releasing the M2 model in mid-2022 with an all-new design, Apple skipped 2023 and then delivered back-to-back M3 and M4 MacBook Air updates in March 2024 and March 2025, respectively.

Indeed, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple plans to roll out M5 versions of the MacBook Air in the first quarter of 2026. This suggests a likely March 2026 window – unless Apple breaks the cycle, of course. As for pricing, we expect it to remain stable, with the base model sticking with the current entry-level $999 price.

Processor Upgrade

The M5 series is expected to feature an enhanced ARM architecture and is reportedly being manufactured using TSMC's advanced 3-nanometer process technology. Apple's decision to forgo TSMC's more advanced 2nm process for the M5 chip is believed to be due to cost considerations.

Recent leaked benchmarks – allegedly from a next-gen iPad Pro running an M5 chip – show single-core scores around 4,133 and multi-core scores around 15,437. That's roughly a 12-15% jump over the current M4 iPad Pro in both categories. As for graphics performance, the M5 chip appears to have up to a 36% faster GPU compared to the M4 chip.

The benchmark suggests Apple has focused on modest clock speed increases and core-level efficiency improvements for the M5 chip, rather than an architecture overhaul. In other words, the M5 will be similar to the step-wise performance upgrade from M3 to M4. Expect 10-15% faster CPU speeds, a slightly more powerful GPU, and better efficiency, potentially leading to even longer battery life.

As a result, the M5 MacBook Air will likely feel more responsive in daily use, particularly in single-threaded tasks, but it won't dramatically outpace the M4 for sustained workloads like video rendering.

Display and Other Possible Changes

Apple tends to stick with the same industrial design for multiple chip generations. The current MacBook Air design (introduced with the M2 model) is only three years old and shows no signs of ageing. Expect the same 13- and 15-inch sizes, the same fanless aluminium unibody, and similar display technology – that means no OLED, which Apple appears to be saving for initial adoption in the MacBook Pro line later next year or in 2027.

If there are any physical changes, they'll likely be subtle. Think improved webcam quality, or tweaks to accommodate the next generation of wireless connectivity (such as Wi-Fi 7 or Bluetooth LE Audio). You never know – Apple could even offer the machine in a new color, just like it did this earlier year with the M4.

Looking Further Ahead

According to reports out of Korea, Apple plans to release a MacBook Air with an improved LCD display in 2027, featuring Oxide TFT technology instead of the current amorphous silicon (a-Si) panels.

The new display technology is said to be a significant upgrade over current MacBook Air screens. Oxide TFT LCD panels offer better power efficiency and improved performance compared to traditional a-Si displays, resulting in sharper images, smoother scrolling, and enhanced battery life.

The transition to Oxide TFT technology should also mean faster pixel response times and more consistent brightness across the screen. In practical terms, this should translate to reduced motion blur when watching videos or gaming, and more uniform lighting without the "clouding" effect sometimes visible on current LCD displays.

Apple is working on a set of smart glasses to rival the Meta Ray-Bans, and now that Meta has debuted glasses that include a display, Apple wants to speed up development on its first-generation model. Work has stopped on the next Vision Pro so that Apple can prioritize getting the glasses to market.

They'll Be Fashion Forward

Like the initial versions of the Apple Watch, the Apple Glasses will be a fashion accessory rather than clunky frames with limited style availability.

Apple is planning to offer multiple frame and temple material options for a personalized look. There needs to be space for a battery, a chip, and multiple cameras, so it's not clear how slim Apple can get the glasses, but different color, size, and shape options are likely.

Meta had limited color and style options for its Ray-Bans to begin with, but over the last few years, it's added more shapes and colors, and expanded to Oakley frames.

Siri Will Play a Major Role

Apple can't release smart glasses until it has a functional, next-generation version of Siri. Controls will be largely voice based, which means ‌Siri‌ needs to be intelligent enough to understand what you want and act on it.

Apple rearchitected ‌Siri‌ with large language models, and a smarter ‌Siri‌ that's more like Claude, Gemini, or ChatGPT is coming in spring 2026.

You should be able to ask ‌Siri‌ all kinds of questions, and with cameras integrated into Apple's glasses, ‌Siri‌ could be able to do things like provide feedback on what you're seeing, look things up for you, translate foreign languages, remember where you parked or put your keys, offer instructions to help you with tasks, play music, send messages, and more.

Apple will want to match many of the features of the Meta Ray-Bans, and Meta AI can do all of the above.

Rumored Apple Glasses Features

Apple's first-generation glasses won't include a display like Meta's latest Ray-Ban Display glasses, but they will have the same AI features, cameras, and audio capabilities of Meta's less expensive Ray-Bans.

We don't know everything about Apple's glasses yet, but we've heard rumors about some of the capabilities that will be included.

• Take photos
• Record video
• Play audio, including podcasts, music, and audiobooks
• Offer directions
• Answer questions
• Describe your surroundings
• Identify plants, animals, landmarks and more with Visual Intelligence
• Make phone calls
• Send messages
• Translate languages

You'll Still Need Your iPhone

The Apple glasses will have an Apple-designed chip that's based on the chip in the Apple Watch, but you're still going to need an iPhone to use them. They won't be able to operate standalone, and will need a connection to an ‌iPhone‌ for AI processing and other features.

We don't know what the battery life will be like, but handing tasks off to the ‌iPhone‌ should help extend battery life.

We Could See the Glasses as Soon as 2026

Apple is speeding up development on the smart glasses, and current rumors suggest Apple could show them off in late 2026. It sounds like Apple might announce them in 2026 and then launch them in early 2027.

There is no word yet on how much the glasses might cost, but Meta Ray-Bans start at $380 and Apple may want to price its version competitively.

Read More

We have an Apple Glasses guide that aggregates all of the rumors that we've heard so far. We update it regularly when new info comes out.

As noted by the French blog WatchGeneration, the Apple Watch and Mac mini are no longer advertised as "carbon neutral" products on Apple's website.

The term "carbon neutral" means that, on a net basis, a product does not add any carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Apple achieves this by reducing emissions and through projects that offset carbon, including working with Forestal Apepu to develop fast-growing eucalyptus forests for timber production on deforested lands in Paraguay.

When paired with select bands, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models were Apple's first carbon-neutral products, and the Apple Watch Series 10 and the latest Mac mini with M4 chips were also advertised as being carbon neutral.

In 2023, Apple said each carbon neutral Apple Watch model met the following strict criteria: 100% clean electricity used for manufacturing and product use, at least 30% recycled or renewable material by weight, and at least 50% of shipments occurring without air transportation. Apple said these combined efforts resulted in at least a 75% reduction in product emissions for the new Apple Watch models, and it said it would use "high-quality carbon credits" to address the "small amount of remaining emissions."

However, starting with the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple no longer includes a "carbon neutral" label on its product pages or packaging worldwide. Apple also removed the label from its Mac mini product pages. This change took effect worldwide following Apple's iPhone event in September.

There are a few reasons why.

In August, Apple's vice president of environment Sarah Chandler told Fast Company that this change was not the result of a change in the company's environmental efforts. Instead, a new law in the EU taking effect in September 2026 will ban companies from using claims like "carbon neutral" or similar across packaging, ads, and product pages.

Second, a German court ruled the Apple Watch could no longer be advertised as "carbon neutral," after a local environmental group accused Apple of "greenwashing" with misleading carbon neutrality claims. According to Reuters, some ecologists said carbon offsetting plantations can actually harm biodiversity and require high water usage.

Apple likely still considers the Series 11 and Ultra 3 to be carbon neutral internally, but it is getting ahead of laws and rulings that prevent it from advertising it. Apple removed the label worldwide to avoid potentially confusing customers.

Given the Mac mini received no changes last month, it likely remains carbon neutral too.

Apple is still aiming for carbon neutrality across its global footprint by 2030.

"We're proud of our carbon neutral products and on track to achieve carbon neutrality throughout our entire supply chain by 2030," said Apple, in a statement shared with Fast Company. "Every Apple product is designed with the environment in mind, and that commitment will continue, regardless of new EU rules restricting how we can talk about it."

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple's Beats brand has a new set of fitness-focused earbuds available, the Powerbeats Fit. We picked up a set of the Powerbeats Fit to see how they compare to the prior-generation Beats Fit Pro and Apple's AirPods Pro 3.

The Powerbeats Fit are designed for working out, playing sports, and other activities where in-ear security is important. The earbuds have silicone tips and a soft silicone wingtip that tucks up against the concha of the ear, holding them in place even during vigorous movement.

At $200, the Powerbeats Fit are $50 cheaper than the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ and the same price as the prior-generation Beats Fit Pro, but they are targeted at a different market. The AirPods Pro can be used for working out, but aren't necessarily designed specifically for that purpose.

Apple made the wingtip of the Powerbeats Fit more flexible than the wingtip of the Beats Fit Pro, for a more secure fit in a wider range of ear sizes. There are ear tip sizes from extra small to large to fit different sized ear canals. There's an IPX4 water resistance rating, so they're sweat resistant.

The Powerbeats Fit include Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and an Apple-designed acoustic platform with proprietary drivers. The sound is similar to the sound you get with the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌, and it feels more bass heavy than before. ANC is about on par with the AirPods Pro 2, and it does a good job blocking out low frequency sounds.

You won't get the newer H2 chip, though, as the Powerbeats Fit are still using the H1. The H1 allows for quick pairing, automatic switching between devices, Audio Sharing, Hey Siri integration, and Find My support. There are on-device controls to swap songs, change listening modes, and adjust volume.

The USB-C charging case is smaller than the Beats Fit Pro case, so it's easier to carry in a pocket. You'll get around seven hours of playback per charge from the earbuds, and then another 30 hours from the case. Beats earbuds support a 5-minute Fast Fuel charge that gets you an hour of listening time.

What the Powerbeats Fit offer that the AirPods don't is better cross-platform compatibility. The Powerbeats Fit work just as well on Android devices, with customizable features enabled through a dedicated Beats app.

The Powerbeats Fit are $200 and come in four colors, including a bright orange that matches Apple's latest iPhone 17 Pro models. They're available for purchase starting today.

Apple this week provided troubleshooting steps for iPhone owners who are unable to activate iMessage with a phone number in iOS 26.

According to Apple, some customers might not be able to activate iMessage with a phone number if there is an inactive SIM or eSIM with the same phone number as an active SIM on the ‌iPhone‌.

Customers who are experiencing this problem will see a "Not Delivered" alert for sent iMessages, and iMessages won't be able to be received. Messages will be sent and received via RCS or SMS, and will have green bubbles instead of blue bubbles. Alternatively, iMessages might be sent using an email address instead of a phone number.

To get iMessage to work in that situation, users should remove the inactive SIM and attempt to reactivate iMessage. Deleting a SIM that's not in use can be done by going to the Cellular section of the Settings app, and deleting the inactive SIM if there are two displayed with the same phone number.

If the inactive SIM is a physical SIM, it should be removed from the ‌iPhone‌. If the inactive SIM is an eSIM, it can be deleted from the Cellular interface. After the inactive SIM has been removed, iMessage can be activated by going to Messages, tapping on Send and Receive, and tapping on the displayed phone number.