Apple finally unveiled the long-awaited entry-level MacBook, the MacBook Neo – and it was certainly worth the wait. The shiny new machine hit the most optimistic of price estimates, with a starting price of just $599.

There’s little doubt that the Neo will cannibalize some sales of the MacBook Air. Although it certainly involves compromises, it will be the right choice for many. However, my suspicion is that it will actually end up cannibalizing even more iPad sales …

more…

Amid its introduction of 10 new devices this week, Apple discontinued over a dozen of its products dating back to 2019.


Apple this week announced the iPhone 17e, refreshed iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, two new Studio Display models, and the all-new MacBook Neo. Simultaneously, these 15 products were removed from Apple's lineup to make way for the new additions:

• iPhone 16e with A18 (2025)


• 11-inch ‌iPad Air‌ with M3 (2025)


• 13-inch ‌iPad Air‌ with M3 (2025)


• 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ with M4 (2025)


• 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ with M4 (2025)


• 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M5 and 512GB storage (2025)


• 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M4 Pro (2024)


• 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M4 Pro (2024)


• 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M4 Max (2024)


• 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M4 Max (2024)


• Mac Studio with M3 Max and 512GB memory (2025)


• ‌Studio Display‌ with A13 Bionic (2022)


• Pro Display XDR (2019)


• Pro Stand for Pro Display XDR (2019)


• Pro Display XDR VESA Mount Adapter (2019)

Many of these devices are already seeing substantial discounts with third-party retailers. All of the newly announced devices became available to pre-order on Wednesday, March 4, with the entire lineup scheduled to launch and begin arriving to customers on Wednesday, March 11.
This article, "Apple Discontinued These 15 Products This Week" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Today’s 9to5Mac Lunch Break is headlined by the first cash deal on the most affordable new M4 iPad Air (or as low as $249 with trade), as well as a chance to land the M4 MacBook Air with the same RAM/storage specs as new M5 model at $200 less. Those offers join the ongoing M5 Pro MacBook Pro and MacBook Neo pre-order deals as well as all Apple Watch Series 11 models at $100 off, the best price yet on this Blue/Bright Blue Apple Trail Loop at 35% off, and a solid deal on Apple’s latest Neon Green Ocean Band. Everything awaits below.

more…

iOS 26.4 is currently in beta testing with developers and public beta users. The update adds a range of new features to iPhone, including upgrades to Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Messages, and more.

Here are all of the new iPhone features in iOS 26.4, plus everything else you need to know.

more…

Apple launched the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max just this week. But rumors indicate an M6 MacBook Pro is coming this year too, with several innovations that are new to the Mac.

more…

It's Apple pre-order week, and we're already tracking solid discounts across every new product that was announced this week. This includes free Best Buy gift cards when ordering the new MacBook Neo, Air, and Pro, plus the first cash discounts on M4 iPad Air on Amazon.

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

Pre-Order Discounts

• What's the deal? Save on pre-orders for iPhone 17e, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook Neo, and iPad Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon, Best Buy, and more


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Pre-orders are live on all of Apple's newest products, including the MacBook Neo, M5 MacBook Air, M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro, iPhone 17e, and M4 iPad Air. You'll find free gift cards when pre-ordering select products at Best Buy, while Amazon has straight cash discounts on numerous M4 iPad Air tablets.

AirPods

• What's the deal? Take $60 off AirPods 4 with ANC


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week is back with a notable discount on the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, available for $119.00, down from $179.00.

Apple Watch Series 11

• What's the deal? Take $100 off Apple Watch Series 11


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. We first started tracking the return of these deals about a week ago, but this sale has now expanded with many more options on both 42mm and 46mm GPS models.

AirTag

• What's the deal? Take $35 off AirTag gen 1


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Apple's first-generation AirTag 4-Pack has dropped to $64.00 this week on Amazon, down from the original price of $99.00. Free shipping options have a delivery estimate around March 11, while Prime members should be able to get it delivered a few days sooner.


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.

---

This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: First Discounts Hit All of Apple's New Products, Including MacBook Neo and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

We now know how much faster the new MacBook Air with the M5 chip is compared to the previous model with an M4 chip, courtesy of a Geekbench 6 result shared by TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff. However, given the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the iPad Pro were already updated with the M5 chip last year, the result is not too surprising.


Ulanoff ran Geekbench on a MacBook Air with an M5 chip, which has a 10-core CPU. The laptop achieved a score of 17,073 for multi-core CPU performance, whereas the MacBook Air with an M4 chip has an average multi-core score of 14,731, so the new model is up to 15% faster than the previous generation. This is in line with what Apple advertised when it announced the M5 chip back in October, so it was entirely expected.

With the M5 chip, the Geekbench database shows that the MacBook Air is up to 16% faster than the MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro chip from a few years ago, but it is still slower than MacBook Pro models with the M4 Pro chip and newer.

The new MacBook Air is available to pre-order now and launches on Wednesday, March 11.

For additional benchmarks, see our coverage of Geekbench results for the MacBook Pro with the M5 Max chip and the MacBook Neo with the A18 Pro chip.
This article, "Here's How Much Faster MacBook Air Gets With M5 Chip vs. M4 Chip" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

MacBook Neo is an all-new kind of laptop for the $599 price, making it worthy of being Apple’s first-ever “Neo” product. The new computer is also Apple’s first product to use three distinct technologies.

more…

Ted Lasso season 4 is coming this August, and Apple TV just shared a brief clip that teases the plot of the new season.

more…

Apple announced the iPhone 17e this week, and it corrects one of the biggest problems with its predecessor by adding support for MagSafe.

There’s a robust ecosystem of MagSafe accessories for iPhone on the market, and these are some of my favorites.

more…

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by BenQ: Check out BenQ’s smarter displays made for how Mac users actually work. Sign up for the giveaway here. 

more…

One of my most anticipated Apple products is ‘HomePad,’ a new HomePod-type device with a display. But per leaker Kosutami, the wait may be longer than expected.

more…

Amazon today is joining in on the pre-order discounts for the M4 iPad Air, introducing up to $100 off these brand new models. These exceed the discounts we tracked at Best Buy earlier in the week, with discounts available on every model of the M4 iPad Air at Amazon without the need of a membership.

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.

Specifically, Amazon has up to $80 off the 11-inch M4 iPad Air and up to $100 off the 13-inch M4 iPad Air. All of these discounts have been automatically applied and do not require a coupon code or a Prime membership. The M4 iPad Air will officially launch on March 11.




The new iPad Air features the M4 chip, C1X modem, and N1 networking chip, which brings support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. In terms of design, the 2026 models are identical to the 2025 iPad Air tablets, with an edge-to-edge display, slim bezels, and aluminum chassis.

11-inch M4 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $559.00 ($40 off)


• 256GB Wi-Fi - $649.00 ($50 off)


• 512GB Wi-Fi - $839.00 ($60 off)


• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,019.00 ($80 off)

13-inch M4 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $749.00 ($50 off)


• 256GB Wi-Fi - $839.00 ($60 off)


• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,019.00 ($80 off)


• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,199.00 ($100 off)

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.

---

This article, "Get Up to $100 Off the New M4 iPad Air When Pre-Ordering on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

If you want a MacBook Neo delivered on launch day next week, you might want to act fast, as the laptop is beginning to sell out for March 11 delivery.


A spot check of Apple's online store in the U.S. reveals that some MacBook Neo configurations are now estimated to be delivered between March 16 and March 30.

Here are the estimated delivery dates for each configuration as of 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time:

• 256GB/Blush: March 16 — March 23


• 256GB/Citrus: March 11


• 256GB/Indigo: March 11


• 256GB/Silver: March 11


• 512GB/Blush: March 23 — March 30


• 512GB/Citrus: March 23 — March 30


• 512GB/Indigo: March 16 — March 23


• 512GB/Silver: March 11

MacBook Neo pre-orders began March 4.

Without knowing how much supply there is for each configuration, it is hard to draw any conclusions from the delivery dates listed above. If we assume that supply is equal across all configurations, then Blush and 512GB configurations appear to be the most popular options in the U.S. so far during the pre-order window.

With a starting price of $599 in the U.S., or just $499 for college students, the MacBook Neo is likely to be a hit with both students and average customers who need a Mac for everyday tasks such as web browsing and document editing.

Apple does not release Mac sales figures on a model-by-model basis, but the company's next quarterly earnings report might provide some broader insight.
This article, "MacBook Neo: Here's Which Models Are Selling Out" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple's long-rumored smart home hub device will launch in the fall of 2026, according to the leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami."


In a new post on X, Kosutami said that the device, colloquially dubbed the "HomePad," is now set to arrive in the fall of 2026. The fall runs from September to December, and usually coincides with Apple's busiest release period of the year.

Apple has reportedly been working on the device for several years, with the aim for it to serve as a centralized location for controlling smart home products, listening to music and podcasts, making video calls, and getting glanceable information like the weather and calendar events.

The device is expected to have a 7-inch square display and a front-facing camera. There may be two versions, with one designed to be mounted on a wall and the other featuring a speaker base that apparently looks similar to a HomePod mini and can be placed on a desktop or countertop.

Built-in sensors will be able to determine when someone is near the home hub, and the displayed content will change based on who is present. It will be heavily reliant on Siri voice commands, and ‌Siri‌ could even have a new personified look on the hub, with one design described as a version of the Mac Finder icon.

Apple could price the home hub somewhere around $350. The device was originally rumored to launch in early 2025, but due to delays with Apple Intelligence, its apparent release date moved to early 2026, and now to the fall. The rumored release timing means the HomePad could arrive alongside products like the iPhone 18 Pro in September or redesigned MacBook Pro models in October.
This article, "Apple's 'HomePad' Now Rumored to Launch Even Later Than Expected" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Both Apple Pencil and iPad are essential tools for illustrators, a reality that will be on full display later this month in Sydney, Australia.

more…

Chance and Zac break down Apple’s Mac announcements of the week. There’s the M5 MacBook Air and more powerful MacBook Pro models with an intriguing new chip architecture and naming scheme. Plus, the new Studio Display “family” is here with good and bad news. Finally, Chance recounts his trip to NYC where he saw the launch of the all-new MacBook Neo. 

And in Happy Hour Plus, Zac gives us a rundown of his current Apple gear. And a small philosophy lesson. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. 

• Sponsored by BenQ: Check out BenQ’s smarter displays made for how Mac users actually work and sign up for the giveaway here.
• Sponsored by Quince: Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Visit quince.com/happyhour for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
• Sponsored by Framer: The only free design tool that brings your ideas to the web. Visit framer.com/HAPPYHOUR for 30% off a Framer Pro annual plan.
• Sponsored by 1Password: Take the first step to better security by securing your team’s credentials. Find out more at 1password.com/happyhour and start securing every login.

more…

Apple and the Sydney Opera House today announced a yearlong collaboration to help inspire the next generation of creatives in Australia. The effort will expand access to initiatives that support art, design, and culture in the country.


Through this collaboration, Apple and the Opera House will focus on interactive programming and experiences for young people in Australia. Apple said it will be the founding partner of a new international children's festival being presented later this year. Apple will also support the Opera House's Centre for Creativity and explore new ways to enhance Opera House programming and experiences through technology.

From March 25 to March 27, the Opera House's eastern sails will be illuminated with artwork created in the Procreate app on the iPad by a group of 10 emerging Australian artists. Through free Today at Apple sessions, the public will have the opportunity to create and submit artwork for potential illumination as well.

"For 50 years, Apple has been at the forefront of empowering creativity, providing tools that allow people to imagine, design, and share their unique visions with the world," said Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak. "The yearlong collaboration with the Sydney Opera House and Illuminating Creativity is a celebration of this legacy, bringing together the incredible talent of Australian artists and the transformative power of iPad and Procreate."

More details are available on the Apple Newsroom website in Australia.
This article, "Apple Announces New Collaboration With Sydney Opera House" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The 2026 Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend, with the Australian Grand Prix as the first race of the season. If you are in the United States, the sport has a new broadcast home: all races are streaming with an Apple TV subscription, live and on demand.

You can watch in the Apple TV app across iPhone, Android, Mac, Apple TV 4K set-top box, Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Fire Stick, Roku and more platforms. You can also watch online at tv.apple.com.

more…

While the new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros won’t be available until March 11, the first M5 Max benchmark has already appeared on Geekbench. Here are the results.

more…

Benchmarks for the new MacBook Neo surfaced today, and unsurprisingly, CPU performance is almost identical to the iPhone 16 Pro. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ uses the same 6-core A18 Pro chip that was first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro, but it has one fewer GPU core.


The ‌MacBook Neo‌ earned a single-core score of 3461 and a multi-core score of 8668, along with a Metal score of 31286.

Here's how the Neo's scores compare to ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro and other devices that make apt comparisons:

• iPhone 16 Pro - 3445 single-core, 8624 multi-core, 32575 Metal


• M1 MacBook Air - 2346 single-core, 8342 multi-core, 33148 Metal


• M4 MacBook Air - 3696 single-core, 14730 multi-core, 54630 Metal


• M3 iPad Air - 3048 single-core, 11678 multi-core, 44395 Metal


• iPad 11 - 2587 single-core, 6036 multi-core, 19395 Metal

Since the ‌MacBook Neo‌ has one fewer GPU core than the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro, it makes sense to see a slightly lower Metal score.

When comparing the ‌MacBook Neo‌'s performance to existing Macs, the A18 Pro's multi-core performance is on par with the M1 chip in the MacBook Air, but single-core performance is much higher than it was with the ‌M1‌. It's closer to the M3 or M4 chip.

High single-core performance is a good fit for the ‌MacBook Neo‌ audience, because single-core speeds are important for activities like web browsing, using document apps, and streaming video. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ isn't really built for video editing, music creation, 3D modeling, and similar tasks where multi-core performance makes more of a difference.

Apple does not compare ‌MacBook Neo‌ performance to other Macs, iPads, or iPhones. The company's low-cost MacBook focuses on competing with similar-priced Windows PCs and Chromebooks. In its marketing materials, Apple says the A18 Pro is up to 50 percent faster for "everyday tasks" than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5. It's also up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads and up to 2x faster for photo editing.

We're only seeing one benchmark result so far, so averages could be slightly different when more Neo machines are benchmarked, but the scores are right in line with what's expected.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is priced starting at $599, and it is available for preorder now. It is set to launch on March 11.
This article, "First MacBook Neo Benchmarks Are In: Here's How It Compares to the M1 MacBook Air" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The first Geekbench 6 result for a 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Max chip surfaced today, and Apple has achieved record-breaking performance.


In this unconfirmed result, the M5 Max with an 18-core CPU achieved a score of 29,233 for multi-core CPU performance, which tops the 27,726 score achieved by the Mac Studio's M3 Ultra chip with a 32-core CPU. M5 Max is now the fastest Apple silicon chip ever, and it even topped every other consumer PC processor in the Geekbench database.

In terms of multi-core CPU performance, the M5 Max is up to 5% faster than the M3 Ultra, and up to 14% to 15% faster than the M4 Max chip with a 16-core CPU.

Here is a comparison of the multi-core CPU results:

• 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max (18-core CPU): 29,233 (one result)


• Mac Studio with M3 Ultra (32-core CPU): 27,726 (average of all results)


• Mac Studio with M4 Max (16-core CPU): 26,166 (average of all results)


• 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max (16-core CPU): 25,702 (average of all results)

As for single-core CPU performance, the M5 Max with an 18-core CPU achieved a score of 4,268 in this single Geekbench result, which is line with the regular M5 chip in the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro released back in October. This is the highest single-core score of any consumer PC processor ever, topping the AMD Ryzen 9 series.

As for graphics, the M5 Max with a 40-core GPU achieved impressive Metal scores of 218,772 in one result and 232,718 in another. These scores are anywhere from 5% to 10% lower than the highest-end M3 Ultra's average Metal score of 245,053, and a little more than 20% higher than the highest-end M4 Max's average Metal score of 191,600.

All in all, the M5 Max offers up to 15% faster CPU performance and up to 20% faster GPU performance compared to the M4 Max, in line with Apple's advertised figures.

MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max are available to pre-order now, and they will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on March 11.
This article, "Apple's M5 Max Chip Achieves a New Record in First Benchmark Result" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple unveiled the all-new MacBook Neo on Wednesday, and several configurations have already sold out for day one deliveries.

more…

iOS 26 is a big update for many system apps, such as Wallet, Messages, and Music. One popular app—Apple Calendar—is mostly light on changes, but it did gain one unique new advantage: event creation via screenshots.

more…