Best Buy has the first discounts we've tracked on the brand new M4 iPad Pro, available exclusive to My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members. If you are a member, you'll find $50 off nearly every model of these new tablets at Best Buy.

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

With this discount, the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro is available for $949.00, down from $999.00. The 256GB Wi-Fi 13-inch iPad Pro is available for $1,249.00, down from $1,299.00. You'll also find the same $50 discounts on higher storage models with the Nano-texture glass option.




Shoppers should note that these are pre-order prices at Best Buy, and the M4 iPad Pro is set to launch next Wednesday. If you're looking for more details about the M4 iPad Pro, be sure to check out our recap article of this week's Apple event. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
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Apple finally refreshed the iPad Pro, and the new feature set was worth the wait. From new OLED display technology to the M4 chip, the 2024 iPad Pro is undeniably impressive. We've rounded up some of the most notable changes worth considering when deciding rather to upgrade.

• OLED display - Both the 11-inch and 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models have an Ultra Retina XDR display that uses tandem OLED technology, which is basically two displays stacked on top of one another. You can expect brighter highlights, deeper true blacks, and better detail in shadows and low light content, plus there's an option for matte nano-texture to cut down on glare.


• M4 chip - The M4 is built using a second-generation 3-nm process with three or four performance cores and six efficiency cores. CPU performance is up 1.5x compared to the M2, and the GPU has hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing. The M4 also has the most powerful Neural Engine ever that's capable of 38 trillion operations per second.


• Thin design - Measuring in at 5.1mm, the 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ is the thinnest device that Apple has made to date, thinner even than the iPod nano. The 11-inch model isn't much thicker at 5.3mm, and both have slim bezels for maximum screen space. The 11-inch model weighs under a pound, and the 13-inch model is just over.


• Camera - Apple moved the front camera to the landscape side of the ‌iPad Pro‌, so it's in the right position for FaceTiming and video calls when it's attached to a keyboard.


• Accessories - There's a new Magic Keyboard and an Apple Pencil Pro that go along with the ‌iPad Pro‌. The keyboard has a larger trackpad with haptic feedback, an aluminum palm rest, and a function row for brightness and volume control. The Apple Pencil Pro has a squeeze gesture for selecting tools, haptic feedback, and a gyroscope that adds support for rolling the ‌Apple Pencil‌ for more precise control.


• Removed features - Apple did drop some options from the latest ‌iPad Pro‌ models. There's no more mmWave 5G chip and it's limited to sub-6GHz, plus there's no SIM slot so it's eSIM only for cellular models. Apple also removed the Ultra Wide camera, so there's just a single-lens 12-megapixel camera and LiDAR sensor in the new models. Sticker fans are out of luck too, because Apple isn't including them in the box.

If you have an ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Pro‌, the M4 probably isn't worth the update, but for anything older, it's a major upgrade that adds a slew of new features.
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Apple today released an iTunes 12.13.2 update for Windows users, with the software introducing support for the new iPad Air and iPad Pro models.


iTunes for Windows is typically updated every few months, and this update follows a December release that added security fixes.

iTunes has been phased out on the Mac for several years now and it has been replaced with Finder and the TV app, but Apple has continued to keep the Windows version available.

iTunes for Windows can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store or from Apple's website.
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The new iPad Pro and iPad Air models unveiled this week do not include Apple stickers in the box, as a result of Apple's commitment to removing all plastic from its product packaging, according to an Apple Store memo obtained by 9to5Mac.


If you really want a sticker, the report said you can still ask an employee for one while purchasing a new iPad Pro or iPad Air at an Apple Store.

Apple also does not include stickers with the Vision Pro headset, but the new MacBook Air models released in March do come with them, so it appears that Apple is still in the process of gradually phasing out Apple stickers in the box for its latest products.

Apple previously announced that it aimed to achieve plastic-free packaging by 2025.
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Apple today seeded the a second release candidate version of an upcoming watchOS 10.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a day after Apple seeded the first RC.


To install the ‌watchOS 10.5 update, developers need to open the Apple Watch app, go to the Software Update section under "General" in Settings, and toggle on the watchOS 10 Developer Beta. An Apple ID linked to a developer account is required.

Once beta updates have been activated, watchOS 10.5 can be downloaded under the same Software Update section. To install software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life and it must be placed on an Apple Watch charger.

According to Apple's release notes, the update includes support for the new Pride watch face.

watchOS 10.5 includes new features, improvements and bug fixes, including a new Pride Radiance watch face to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture.

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

The final version of watchOS 10.5 is likely to see a release next week.
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In addition to new features like a squeeze gesture, gyroscope, and Find My support, it turns out that the Apple Pencil Pro has a fun packaging twist.


As noted by Arun Maini and Nikias Molina, Apple has created five different box designs for the Apple Pencil Pro, each with the word "Pro" in a unique style. When you buy an Apple Pencil Pro, you will receive one of the five boxes at random.


Key new features of the Apple Pencil Pro include the ability to squeeze the accessory to bring up a tool palette, a gyroscope that allows users to roll the Apple Pencil Pro for precise control of shaped pen and brush tools, haptic feedback for certain actions, and the ability to find the Apple Pencil in the Find My app if it is misplaced.

Priced at $129, the Apple Pencil Pro is only compatible with the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models announced this week. The first-generation Apple Pencil, second-generation Apple Pencil, and lower-cost Apple Pencil with a USB-C port all remain available, making the Apple Pencil lineup more complex than ever for the time being.

You can order the Apple Pencil Pro now, and it launches May 15.
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An hour-long interactive and immersive Disney+ story is coming to the Apple Vision Pro in the near future, according to an announcement from Marvel Studios. The Disney+ original is connected to the "What If…? animated series and it will be released as a new app for the Vision Pro.


What If…? reimagines events from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in unexpected ways, and with the Vision Pro experience, fans are able to step into the leading of an immersive story that transforms the space around them as they journey across realities.

There are multiversal variants of key Marvel characters, chances to learn mystic arts, and an opportunity to harness the power of the Infinity Stones. Marvel says that users will “cross between augmented and virtual reality” while going through the narrative adventure, interacting with the world using their hands and eyes.

The experience includes “breathtaking environments” of new and iconic MCU locations, with stunning visuals and support for spatial audio. There is no specific release date for “What If…? An Immersive Story,” but Marvel says that more information will be coming soon.
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TikTok parent company ByteDance today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government in an effort to put a stop to the bill requiring TikTok to be sold off to a non-Chinese company in a matter of months, or face a U.S. ban.


The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act that passed in April requires ByteDance to divest its TikTok ownership within nine months, with the possibility of a three-month extension if a deal is in progress. If TikTok is not sold off, the bill will prevent app stores and companies in the U.S. from providing the TikTok app to users. As of now, TikTok will be forced to shut down on January 19, 2025.

ByteDance calls the act "obviously unconstitutional," and says that there is no path for TikTok to continue operating in the United States. The 270-day timeline is "not possible," and even if it were, the company claims that the act is still an "extraordinary and unconstitutional assertion of power."

If upheld, it would allow the government to decide that a company may no longer own and publish the innovative and unique speech platform it created. If Congress can do this, it can circumvent the First Amendment by invoking national security and ordering the publisher of any individual newspaper or website to sell to avoid being shut down. And for TikTok, any such divestiture would disconnect Americans from the rest of the global community on a platform devoted to shared content -- an outcome fundamentally at odds with the Constitution's commitment to both free speech and individual liberty.

The lawsuit argues that the act violates the First Amendment, and it claims that "speculative and analytically flawed" concern over security and content manipulation is an insufficient reason for limiting the free speech of TikTok's 170 million U.S. users.

ByteDance says that a U.S. TikTok platform would not be commercially viable because it would limit the pool of content, undermining "the value and viability of the U.S. TikTok business." ByteDance also claims that it would be technologically impossible to give the TikTok source code to a new owner because it would take years for new engineers to become familiar enough with the code to perform routine maintenance, plus the code would need to be rearchitected not to use ByteDance's software tools, which cannot be done in 270 days.

The Chinese government has said that it will "firmly oppose" any effort to sell TikTok to a U.S. company, and China would need to approve a sale. China has no intention of allowing the TikTok recommendation engine to be divested. ByteDance has already moved U.S. data to servers owned by Oracle, but U.S. lawmakers do not feel that is enough to protect users.

There are few U.S. companies that could afford to purchase TikTok, and the tech giants that could buy it would likely be restricted from doing so due to antitrust concerns.

ByteDance is asking the court to issue a declaratory judgment that the act violates the U.S. Constitution, preventing the U.S. Attorney General from enforcing it.
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The new iPad Pro has dethroned the iPod nano as Apple's thinnest device ever, and the company has promoted this feat in a nostalgic ad.


In a video shared on TikTok and other social media platforms, Apple highlights the new 13-inch iPad Pro measuring only 5.1mm thick, compared to 5.4mm for the iPod nano. The model shown is a seventh-generation iPod nano, which was released in 2012.


Apple discontinued the iPod nano in 2017, and this is the first time we have seen the device appear in an ad in quite some time.

Even the 11-inch iPad Pro is now thinner than the iPod nano, as Apple explains:

The new iPad Pro — the thinnest Apple product ever — features a stunningly thin and light design, taking portability to a whole new level. The 11-inch model is just 5.3 mm thin, and the 13-inch model is even thinner at a striking 5.1 mm, while both models are just as strong as the previous design. The 11-inch model weighs less than a pound, and the 13-inch model is nearly a quarter pound lighter than its predecessor — allowing pro users to extend their workflows in new ways and in more places.

The new iPad Pro models are available to order now and launch May 15.
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Earlier this year, Apple retested the batteries of its iPhone 15 models and updated its battery life claims for the entire series, suggesting that they offer better longevity than previously thought. Curious about the battery health of your iPhone 15? Here's how to check it.


Apple in February 2024 updated the technical specifications for the batteries in the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. According to its latest tests, Apple says that the devices' batteries are designed to retain 80% of their original capacity at 1,000 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions.

It's a significant improvement over the 500 charge cycles that the company advertises for all older iPhone models over the same cycle count.

iPhone 15 models also include a Battery Charging Optimization feature, so if you regularly charge your ‌iPhone‌ up at night while you're asleep, the device can limit its charging to 80%, and then wait for an hour or so before you wake up to charge the remaining 20%. This keeps the ‌iPhone‌ at an optimal capacity for battery health by reducing the amount of time that it's sat on your charger at 100% charged, which can reduce its life over time.

If you have an iPhone 15 with iOS 17.4 or later installed, you can get more specific information on the battery health of your device in the following way:

1. Open the Settings app.


2. Scroll down and tap Battery.


3. Check the readout next to "Battery Health." For more details including your device's battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use date, simply tap the readout. (In earlier versions of iOS 17, this information was hidden in the General ➝ About section of the Settings app).

Apple says that the battery lifespan of any iPhone model ultimately depends on how the device is regularly used and charged. While the "Maximum Capacity" readout will give you a good indication of your iPhone's battery health, it's worth tapping on the blue text that says "About Battery & Warranty," which will give you more information on the likely battery lifespan of your device based on how it's used.

Battery life depends on a number of variables, but if you think you have an issue, it's worth remembering that the standard one-year AppleCare+ warranty on an iPhone includes service for defective batteries. Depending on where you are, local consumer laws might even give you cover beyond the standard 12 months, so don't be shy to ask at an Apple Store if you think there's a problem.
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Samsung has a new monitor sale this week, which includes discounts on 4K and 5K Samsung monitors. The popular ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor and Smart Monitor M8 are both discounted during this sale, but you'll also find sales on storage, audio, TVs, smartphones, and home appliances.

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.

As with previous sales, the highlight of the new event is the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $999.99, down from $1,599.99. At $600 off this is a solid second-best price on the 2023 display, which has a matte display, modular 4K SlimFit camera, and support for Thunderbolt 4.



Samsung's 27-inch Smart Monitor M8 is also being discounted during this sale, available for $399.99 in Warm White, down from $699.99. This is a 4K smart monitor with a design that looks similar to the iMac line, and this is a solid second-best price.



Additionally, Samsung has quite a few more monitor and TV deals, which we've rounded up below.

Monitors

• 27-inch Odyssey Curved Gaming Monitor - $249.99, down from $299.99


• 34-inch ViewFinity HDR10 Curved Monitor - $549.99, down from $699.99


• 49-inch Odyssey G9 Curved Gaming Monitor - $799.99, down from $1,299.99


• 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 Curved Gaming Monitor - $1,199.99, down from $1,799.99

TVs

• 70-inch QLED 4K QE1C TV - $879.99, down from $1,799.99


• 55-inch Neo QLED 4K Smart TV - $1,099.99, down from $1,499.99


• 55-inch Samsung Neo QLED 4K TV - $1,299.99, down from $1,999.99


• 65-inch OLED S90C TV - $1,599.99, down from $2,599.99


• 85-inch Samsung Neo QLED 4K Smart TV - $2,399.99, down from $4,799.99

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
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The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) today announced the debut of a new Matter 1.3 specification that's available for device makers and platforms. Matter is a smart home protocol that allows smart devices to work across multiple platforms, including HomeKit.


Matter 1.3 adds support for a range of new device types and features, including water management devices, electric vehicle chargers, kitchen and laundry appliances, and TVs.

For smart plugs and other devices, the update includes energy management reporting, allowing users to see actual and estimated measurements of power, voltage, and current, both in-real time and over time. EV Charging manufacturers are able to include Matter-based features such as manually starting and stopping charging, adjusting charging rate, and optimizing charging times.

Water management devices like leak and freeze detectors, rain sensors, and controllable water valves are supported in Matter 1.3, as are several new appliance types including microwave ovens, ovens, cooktops, extractor hoods, and dryers.

For TVs, Matter 1.3 improves casting initialization and search, plus it adds support for push messages and dialog for ambient experiences, expanded interactivity for TV apps, and better interaction with other home devices.

Scenes are supported with the new specification, allowing product makers and platforms to set, read, and activate scenes on devices. Scenes for Matter work like ‌HomeKit‌ scenes, letting users set a desired state for rooms and devices with one command. Matter controllers are also now able to batch multiple commands into a single message when communicating with Matter devices for less delay between command execution.

Matter 1.3 devices and improvements will likely be available on the market later this year, with more information available on the CSA website.
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Apple today held the first event of 2024, debuting new iPad Air and iPad Pro models and accompanying accessories. While the event was faster than normal and took 40 minutes, we've condensed it down even further for those who want a quick overview of everything that was announced.


We've also got a full recap of all of the coverage that we did today for those who want a deeper dive into what's new.

iPad Pro

• Apple Announces New iPad Pro With M4 Chip, OLED Display, and More


• Apple Debuts Next-Generation M4 Chip


• iPad Pro's $100 Nano-Texture Glass Option Only Available With 1TB and 2TB Models


• iPad Pro With 1TB+ Storage Has 16GB RAM, Other Models Have 8GB


• New iPad Pro With All Options Costs Over $3,000


• Apple's New iPad Pro Models Weigh Less Than iPad Air Models


• New iPad Pro Lacks mmWave 5G and Ultra-Wide Camera


• Hands-On With iPad Pro in Space Black: Apple's Thinnest Product Ever


• New iPad Pro Supports Lower Refresh Rate, But Still Lacks Always-On Display


• iPad Pro 2022 vs. iPad Pro 2024 Buyer's Guide: 25 Differences Compared

iPad Air

• Apple Announces New M2 iPad Air Models in 11-Inch and 13-Inch Sizes From $599


• New 2024 iPads Still Have 10 Hours of Battery Life


• iPad Air 2022 vs. iPad Air 2024 Buyer's Guide: 19 Differences Compared

Magic Keyboard

• Apple Announces Redesigned Magic Keyboard for New iPad Pro Starting at $299

Apple Pencil

• Apple Pencil Pro Unveiled With New Squeeze Gesture, Haptic Feedback, Find My, and More


• Here's the Apple Pencil Lineup With New Pro Model

Other Announcements

• Apple Event Live Blog: New iPad Pro, iPad Air, and More


• Here's Apple's Full iPad Lineup With New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models


• Apple's New Cellular iPad Air and iPad Pro Models Are eSIM Only


• iPad 9 Discontinued, iPad 10 Now Starts at $349


• Apple Introduces Logic Pro 2 With New AI Features


• Apple Debuts New Final Cut Pro for iPad and Final Cut Camera App


• Apple Launches New Smart Folio Cases for M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air

The ‌iPad Air‌ and ‌iPad Pro‌ models are can be ordered as of today, with deliveries set to begin on Wednesday, May 15. Pricing on the ‌iPad Air‌ starts at $599 and pricing on the ‌iPad Pro‌ starts at $999.
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The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are equipped with OLED displays that support a refresh rate as low as 10Hz, but the devices still lack an always-on display option like the iPhone and Apple Watch have, according to Apple's tech specs.


While the iPad Pro has supported ProMotion since 2017, the device only supported refresh rates between 24Hz and 120Hz until now. The new iPad Pro models use low-power LTPO technology, according to display industry expert Ross Young, allowing the display to ramp down to 10Hz for static content. This change will contribute to lower power consumption, but advertised battery life is unchanged overall compared to the previous iPad Pro generation.

The same situation happened a few years ago with the iPhone 13 Pro models, which also support ProMotion down to 10Hz, but lack an always-on display option. The feature finally arrived on the iPhone with the iPhone 14 Pro models, which can ramp down to 1Hz, and Apple Watch models with an always-on display also reach 1Hz.

All in all, the iPad Pro is unlikely to get an always-on display option until if and when it too supports a 1Hz refresh rate.

Apple says the iPad Pro now features "state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology that uses two OLED panels and combines the light from both to provide phenomenal full-screen brightness." The new iPad Pro models can achieve up to 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness for SDR content, compared to 600 nits for the previous-generation models.

The new iPad Pro models are available to order starting today and launch on Wednesday, May 15.
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Apple now offers four different Apple Pencil models at $79, $99, and $129 price points, each with different feature sets and compatibility. Our guide helps you decide which ‌Apple Pencil‌ is best for you.


Which ‌Apple Pencil‌ you should buy is firstly determined by which iPad model you have. Some ‌iPad‌ models are only compatible with one kind of ‌Apple Pencil‌, while others are compatible with two. If your ‌iPad‌ model only supports one kind of ‌Apple Pencil‌, your buying decision is straightforward. Use the table below to find out which ‌Apple Pencil‌ models your ‌iPad‌ supports:

‌Apple Pencil‌ (first-generation, 2015)	‌Apple Pencil‌ (second-generation, 2018)	‌Apple Pencil‌ (USB-C, 2023)	‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro (2024)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (first- and second-generation)	‌iPad Pro‌ 12.9-inch (third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation)	‌iPad Pro‌ 12.9-inch (third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth-, and seventh- generation)	‌iPad Pro‌ 13-inch (seventh-generation)
‌iPad Pro‌ 9.7-inch and 10.5-inch	‌iPad Pro‌ 11-inch (first-, second-, third-, and fourth-generation)	‌iPad Pro‌ 11-inch (first-, second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation)	‌iPad Pro‌ 11-inch (fifth-generation)
iPad Air (third-generation)	‌iPad Air‌ (fourth- and fifth-generation)	‌iPad Air‌ (fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation)	‌iPad Air‌ (sixth-generation)
iPad mini (fifth-generation)	‌iPad mini‌ (sixth-generation)	‌iPad mini‌ (sixth-generation)
‌iPad‌ (sixth-, seventh-, eighth-, ninth-, and tenth-generation)		‌iPad‌ (tenth-generation)

Simply put, if your ‌iPad‌ features a Lightning connector, it is only compatible with the first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌, providing it has ‌Apple Pencil‌ support at all. It will not work with the second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ or the ‌Apple Pencil‌ with USB-C. If your ‌iPad‌ features a USB-C port, it is compatible with the second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ and the ‌Apple Pencil‌ with USB-C, except the tenth-generation ‌iPad‌, which supports the first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ and ‌Apple Pencil‌ with USB-C, and the M2 ‌iPad Air‌ and M4 ‌iPad Pro‌, which support the ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro and ‌Apple Pencil‌ with USB-C.

It is worth noting that the first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ is only compatible with the tenth-generation ‌iPad‌ using a USB-C cable and USB-C to ‌Apple Pencil‌ Adapter. It is not possible to use the first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ this way with any other ‌iPad‌ model that has a USB-C port.

All four ‌Apple Pencil‌ models feature "pixel-perfect" precision, low latency, and tilt sensitivity, but feature different designs, pairing and charging methods, pressure sensitivity capabilities, and more. The below table lists all hardware and feature differences between the different ‌Apple Pencil‌ models.

‌Apple Pencil‌ (first-generation, 2015)	‌Apple Pencil‌ (second-generation, 2018)	‌Apple Pencil‌ (USB-C, 2023)	‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro (2024)
Glossy finish	Matte finish	Matte finish	Matte finish
Weighted to prevent rolling	Flat edge to prevent rolling and snap to the side of an ‌iPad‌	Flat edge to prevent rolling and snap to the side of an ‌iPad‌	Flat edge to prevent rolling and snap to the side of an ‌iPad‌
	Attaches magnetically for storage, pairing, and charging	Attaches magnetically for storage	Attaches magnetically for storage, pairing, and charging
6.92-inch length	6.53-inch length	6.1-inch length	[Currently unknown]
Removable cap		Non-removable sliding cap
Lightning connector		USB-C port
Pair and charge via Lightning port or USB-C cable and USB-C to ‌Apple Pencil‌ Adapter	Pair and charge wirelessly	Pair and charge via USB-C cable	Pair and charge wirelessly
Pressure sensitivity	Pressure sensitivity		Pressure sensitivity
			Barrel roll
	Supports ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover	Supports ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover	Supports ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover
	Double-tap to change tools		Double-tap to change tools
			Squeeze control
			Haptic feedback
			Find My support
	Free engraving option		Free engraving option
$99	$129	$79	$129

First-Generation Apple Pencil vs. Apple Pencil With USB-C

Most users should choose the ‌Apple Pencil‌ with USB-C. For a price of just $79, the ‌Apple Pencil‌ with USB-C provides a good balance of features with a more modern design. It also has the added advantage of being compatible with a wide range of models and will likely work with all new ‌iPad‌ models for many years to come.

It is only worth opting for the first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ if you specifically want pressure-sensitivity for activities like illustration, since the ‌Apple Pencil‌ with USB-C does not have this feature. Buyers should be aware that this model comes at a $20 premium, requires a USB-C to ‌Apple Pencil‌ Adapter with the tenth-generation ‌iPad‌, and will not be compatible with any future ‌iPad‌ models. It also cannot be magnetically attached to an ‌iPad‌ for storage, features a larger and older design, and has a removable cap over the Lightning connector that's easy to lose.

Second-Generation Apple Pencil or Apple Pencil Pro vs. Apple Pencil With USB-C

If choosing between the second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ or ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro and the ‌Apple Pencil‌ with USB-C, the second-generation and Pro models are a better choice on account of their superior feature set, but this requires spending an additional $50. Double-tap to change tools and pressure-sensitivity may be particularly useful additions for illustrators, while the easy pairing and charging on the side of an ‌iPad‌ provides a much better experience than a wired connection with a USB-C cable.

If you have only basic needs for activities like handwriting notes and marking up documents, the ‌Apple Pencil‌ with USB-C is still a great option at a much more affordable price point. It even supports ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover on the newer ‌iPad Air‌ and ‌iPad Pro‌ models.
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Apple today introduced a new version of the Final Cut Pro software that's designed to run on the iPad, introducing capabilities designed specifically for the M4 iPad Pro.


A new Live Multicam feature allows users to capture up to four different angles of a single scene using connected iPhones and iPads. To make this feature work, Apple has created a Final Cut Camera app that captures video from each of the devices and feeds it into Final Cut Pro.

Users can get a director's view of each camera in real time, and the settings can be adjusted from the Final Cut Pro for ‌iPad‌ 2 app. There are options for tweaking exposure, focus, white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and zoom to get the perfect shots. Preview clips are passed through to Final Cut Pro and then replaced with full-resolution files so users can quickly move from production to editing.

Final Cut Camera is available as a standalone app and in addition to feeding footage to Final Cut Pro, it can be used as a video capture app for recording video with precise manual controls.


The updated Final Cut Pro for ‌iPad‌ app supports external projects, so users can create or open projects on an external device and import media without taking up ‌iPad‌ storage space.

Apple added additional customization options to Final Cut Pro, including 12 color-grading presets, eight basic text titles, 20 soundtracks, and new dynamic backgrounds.

With the M4 chip, final rendering with Final Cut Pro is up to 2x faster, and it supports up to 4x more streams of ProRes RAW than the M1 chip. Final Cut for ‌iPad‌ works with the Apple Pencil Pro, adding support for barrel roll and squeeze, improving access to and control over tools.

Apple has also updated Final Cut Pro for the Mac, adding Enhance Light and Color, an AI feature that improves color, color balance, contrast, and brightness in one step. Smooth Slo-Mo, another new feature, blends frames of video intelligently to provide higher-quality movement.

Final Cut Pro for ‌iPad‌ 2 will be available this spring as a free update for existing users, with new users able to purchase it for $4.99 per month or $49 per year. Final Cut Camera will come later in the spring as well, and Final Cut Pro for Mac 10.8 will be available as a free update for existing users.
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The iPad Pro and iPad Air models that Apple introduced today continue to offer the same 10 hours of battery life that Apple has advertised with iPads for years now, despite the addition of new, more efficient chips.


Apple's ‌iPad Pro‌ has an M4 chip that is built on second-generation 3-nanometer technology, and it has six efficiency cores, or two more than the M2. The device is also equipped with a more efficient OLED display, but neither the chip nor the OLED display have resulted in additional battery life.

The 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ has a 31.29-watt-hour battery, up from 28.65‐watt‐hours in the prior-generation model, while the 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ has a 38.99-watt-hour battery, down from 40.88-watt-hours.

As for the ‌iPad Air‌, the 11-inch model has a 28.93‐watt‐hour, up slightly from the 28.6-watt-hour battery that was in the prior 10.9-inch version. The new 13-inch model has a 36.59‐watt‐hour battery.

Apple says that the ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌iPad Air‌ models last for up to 10 hours when surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video, but that drops to nine hours when surfing the web using a cellular data network.
This article, "New 2024 iPads Still Have 10 Hours of Battery Life" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's new iPad Airs arrive almost a year and a half after the previous models, offering almost 20 changes and upgrades.


The 2022 iPad Air was a minor upgrade that added features such as the M1 chip and a 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera with Center Stage. The 2024 refresh is more substantial, headlining with a larger size option for the first time, bringing it in line with devices like the iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, which are available in two sizes.

The ‌2022 ‌iPad Air‌ models have now been discontinued by Apple, but they may still be found refurbished and with third-party resellers for lower prices. As such, some customers may be weighing up whether to buy the 2022 ‌‌iPad Air‌ or the new 2024 models.

The ‌iPad‌ Airs from 2022 and 2024 share most of their key features, so should you consider buying or sticking with the older model to save money? This breakdown also serves as a way to clearly see all the differences that the new ‌‌iPad Air‌ brings to the table.

‌iPad Air‌ (2022)	‌iPad Air‌ (2024)
10.9-inch display	11- or 13-inch display
‌M1‌ chip (5nm, N5)	M2 chip (5nm enhanced, N5P)
3.2GHz CPU clock speed	3.49GHz CPU clock speed
8-core GPU	10-core GPU
68.25GB/s memory bandwidth	100GB/s memory bandwidth
Neural Engine	40% faster Neural Engine
Media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC	Media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW
Video decode engine	Higher-bandwidth video decode engine
	ProRes encode and decode engine
Image signal processor (ISP)	"New" image signal processor (ISP)
Smart HDR 3	Smart HDR 4
12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera	Landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera
Wi-Fi 6 connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E connectivity
Physical SIM card slot	eSIM only
	Apple Pencil hover
Supports ‌Apple Pencil‌ (USB-C) and ‌Apple Pencil‌ (2nd generation)	Supports ‌Apple Pencil‌ (USB-C) and ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro
Supports Magic Keyboard for ‌iPad‌ and Smart Keyboard Folio	Supports Magic Keyboard for ‌iPad‌
64GB or 256GB storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage
Available in Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue	Available in Space Gray, Starlight, Purple, and Blue

The most important part of the new ‌iPad Air‌ is the larger display size option, which provides a way for customers who don't need features like ProMotion and a LiDAR scanner to obtain a bigger screen that's better for productivity and content consumption at a lower price point. Beyond this larger new model, the ‌M2‌ chip, ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover and ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro support, and landscape front-facing camera are valuable improvements. That being said, it is certainly not essential to upgrade from the previous model to the new ‌iPad Air‌. Unless you have an entry-level ‌iPad‌ or an ‌iPad Air‌ from before 2020, or explicitly want a 13-inch model, it is likely not worth upgrading.
This article, "iPad Air 2022 vs. iPad Air 2024 Buyer's Guide: 19 Differences Compared" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's next Apple Watch activity challenge will launch on Tuesday, May 21 to celebrate World Meditation Day. This marks the first time that Apple has hosted an activity challenge for the occasion.


To complete the challenge, Apple Watch owners will need to record five or more mindful minutes using the Mindfulness app or any app that adds mindful minutes to Health app. Apple Watch owners who earn the Meditation Day award will unlock a dedicated badge in the Fitness app, plus they will get a series of animated stickers that can be used in the Messages and FaceTime apps.








The Meditation Day challenge follows the April Earth Day and Dance Day challenges.
This article, "Apple Plans Apple Watch Activity Challenge for World Meditation Day on May 21" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Images of a new version of the Beats Pill speaker are in the iOS 17.5 beta, giving us our first clear look at the device that's been spotted with a number of sports stars.


We don't know much about the new speaker, but it has the same pill-shaped design as other Pill speakers, and it has a lanyard that we have not seen on prior models.


Beats has not yet announced the Beats Pill, and a release date remains unknown. NBA superstar LeBron James and F1 Driver Daniel Ricciardo have both been seen carrying the speaker.
This article, "New Beats Pill Spotted in iOS 17.5 Beta" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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There are two notable design changes for the new iPad Pro models introduced today: they are the thinnest Apple products ever released, and they are available in a new Space Black finish that debuted on the MacBook Pro last year.


Apple gave the media some hands-on time with the new iPad Pro models, and we have rounded up real-world photos and videos of the devices below.

The new 11-inch iPad Pro is just 5.3mm thick, and the 13-inch model is even thinner at 5.1mm.

There is also a new Magic Keyboard for the new iPad Pro models that features an aluminum palm rest and a larger trackpad. The keyboard is available in Black and White color options, which have Space Black and Silver palm rests, respectively.

Last, the new Apple Pencil Pro looks very similar to the second-generation Apple Pencil.


This article, "Hands-On With iPad Pro in Space Black: Apple's Thinnest Product Ever" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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