Apple adds new emoji to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other devices regularly based on updates made to the emoji catalog by the Unicode Consortium, and the there are seven new emoji that we could see sometime in late 2024 or early 2025.
The next emoji characters being considered include face with bags under eyes, fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel, and splatter.
The Unicode Consortium today opened the beta review period for Unicode 16, which includes the new emoji characters. The beta period lasts until July 2, and after that, Unicode 16 will see a release and the new characters will be officially approved.
It often takes smartphone makers like Apple several months to create artwork for new emoji characters that are approved, so it is likely we won't see these new emoji until after iOS 18 launches. Apple will likely add the new characters sometime around March 2025, around when iOS 18.4 comes out.
Apple last introduced new emoji with the iOS 17.4 update that was released in March 2024. Characters added in iOS 17.4 include lime, an edible brown mushroom, a phoenix, a broken chain, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), and shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake).
With iOS 18 and macOS 15, the Apple Music app will gain smarter song transitions, reports AppleInsider. Apple is reportedly testing a new feature called "smart song transitions" that would be an improvement to the current crossfade option that comes into play when transitioning from one song to the next.
With smart song transitions, Apple Music users will be able to adjust the crossfade duration from 1 to 12 seconds. As it stands, crossfade bridges the gap between songs by lowering the volume of the song that's ending while increasing the volume of the new song, creating a successful transition without the music ever coming to an end.
AppleInsider says that Apple is also working on a new feature called "Passthrough" for Apple Music and QuickTime Player, but there is no information on what this feature is. The site suggests that it is related to Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.
Similarly, Apple is said to be working on a "Spatial Gaming" feature internally, but there are also no details on what this might be.
iOS 18 is set to be unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference that will kick off on Monday, June 10.
Apple is set to release a new immersive video on the Vision Pro on Friday, with "Parkour" labeled as episode two in the "Adventure" series. Episode one is the "Highlining" video that shows highliner Faith Dickey walking across a tightrope 3,000 feet above Norway's fjords.
A description of the Parkour episode invites Vision Pro wearers to join the "world's leading parkour athletes" as they go on a "gravity-defying trek across the streets and rooftops of Paris."
Apple says that its Adventure series is aimed at immersing Vision Pro users in the world of adventure "like never before." Apple works with pioneering athletes facing extraordinary challenges across the world.
Apple Immersive Video is an entertainment format that features 180-degree 3D 8K video recordings captured with spatial audio. The Vision Pro launched with several Immersive Videos, including Prehistoric Planet, Wild Life, and Alicia Keys: Rehearsal Room, and Apple has since added a video highlighting the best of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The latest "Parkour" video is set to launch on Friday, May 24.
Multiple celebrities have been spotted with a new version of the Beats Pill speaker, and today the device showed up in an FCC database, suggesting that we're getting closer to a potential launch.
FCC filings typically happen just weeks ahead of when a product launches, so we could see this new Beats Pill speaker sometime in June. Apple plans to launch Solo Buds earphones in June, so the Pill could launch around the same timeframe.
Apple has clearly provided these Beats Pill speakers to a number of sports stars and celebrities to create hype for it, and the speaker has been seen with basketball star LeBron James, F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, soccer star Lionel Messi, and Kim Kardashian.
Apple has shared no details on the speaker, but it has a pill-shaped design that's similar to the Beats Pill that was discontinued in 2022. It also includes a lanyard that was not available on prior models, and that's been heavily promoted in the celebrity leaks. Colors will include gold, red, and black, according to leaked images found when iOS 17.5 was being beta tested.
The new Beats Pill speaker will likely feature USB-C charging, improved Bluetooth, and other similar improvements.
Apple today filed a pre-motion letter seeking to dismiss the antitrust case that the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) levied against Apple back in March.
In the pre-motion letter, Apple says that the government's lawsuit is flawed in multiple ways, and has not successfully alleged that Apple is a monopoly power in the relevant market, proven anticompetitive conduct, or demonstrated consumer harm. From Apple's filing:
This case lies well beyond the outer limits of antitrust law. A Section 2 Sherman Act claim can move past the pleadings only if the complaint alleges (1) monopoly power in a relevant market; (2) anticompetitive conduct; and (3) anticompetitive effects. [...]
This complaint fails on all three fronts. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the type of conduct at the core of this case--namely, Apple's decisions about how and whether to grant third parties access to its platform--does not give rise to Section 2 liability as a matter of law.
The complaint also nowhere connects the restrictions it challenges to any anticompetitive effects in the smartphone market. And regardless, far from being a monopolist, Apple faces fierce competition from well-established rivals, and the complaint fails to allege that Apple has the ability to charge supra-competitive prices or restrict output in the alleged smartphone markets, let alone that it has the market share necessary to establish or infer market power.
The DoJ's lawsuit attempts to establish a narrow market category by arguing that Apple dominates in the U.S. smartphone market and the U.S. "performance smartphone" market, but it's going to be tough to win even with that definition. Apple has 65 percent market share in the U.S. smartphone market and 70 percent in the "performance" category, but a designation of monopoly power typically requires a company to have a higher share of the market. Apple has argued that it should be judged based on its global market share, which is at 20 percent.
Apple points out that Supreme Court precedent favors allowing businesses to set the terms and prices of agreements that are entered into with third parties, and these agreements are what the DoJ has targeted in its complaint. The DoJ argues that Apple has restricted messaging apps, digital wallet development, and smart watch integration with the iPhone, among other things, and Apple says that historically, courts have rejected antitrust claims involving third party platform access.
Further, Apple suggests that the DoJ has not demonstrated that Apple's conduct has had "anticompetitive effects" on the smartphone market. While the lawsuit claims that Apple design decisions lock consumers into the Apple ecosystem, Apple says that it does not have allegations establishing "a factual link between those decisions and consumers' smartphone purchasing behavior."
Judge Neals, who is overseeing the case, required Apple to file its pre-motion letter to dismiss by today, and the DoJ's response is due on May 30. From there, the two parties will have a conference with Neals. After that, the full motion to dismiss will be filed, but this is not expected until mid-June at the earliest.
The government will need to respond 35 days after Apple files a motion to dismiss, and Apple will need to submit a reply brief 21 days after that. At that point, there may be a hearing, which is not expected to take place until September or later, and a ruling on the motion to dismiss will come late in 2024 or early 2025.
The lawsuit on the whole is going to be a multi-year process with Apple's answer to the initial complaint, discovery, trial, and additional appeals coming if the judge does not grant Apple's motion to dismiss the case at this point. It is unclear how the antitrust case will play out, because the DoJ's aim is to secure a ruling that does not fit with antitrust precedent in order to push antitrust law into new areas.
Apple today released tvOS 17.5, a minor update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 17.5.1 comes a week after the release of tvOS 17.5.
tvOS 17.5.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to tvOS 17.5.1 automatically.
Compared to other operating system updates, tvOS updates are often minor in scale, focusing on bug fixes and other small improvements. According to Apple's release notes, the update addresses a bug with the Photos app that could cause deleted images to reappear.
This update addresses a rare issue where photos that experienced database corruption could reappear in the Photos library even if they were deleted.
With the same design, display size, camera systems, and more, the entry-level iPad is now a formidable rival to the iPad Air at a markedly lower $349 price point. With $250 between these two iPad lines, how different are they and which should you buy?
Upon the discontinuation of the ninth-generation iPad, Apple dropped the price of the 10th-generation iPad from $449 to $349. This means that the 10th-generation iPad is now $250 less than the $599 starting price of the iPad Air that Apple just released.
The 10th-generation model completes the transformation of the iPad product lineup toward a flat look with squared-off edges, no home button, and an all-screen design with curved corners. With the exact same display size and identical features like a Touch ID top button, USB-C port, and 5G connectivity, many prospective customers may now be considering a purchase of the standard iPad instead of the iPad Air – but there are more differences between the devices than immediately meets the eye.
The M2 chip and double the amount of memory make the iPad Air much more powerful than the 10th-generation iPad. Combined with a more advanced display in two size options, support for Apple Pencil hover and the Apple Pencil Pro, a thinner and lighter design, and even a different selection of color options, many users still have good reasons to preference the iPad Air.
So should you consider buying the 10th-generation iPad to save money, or do you need the iPad Air instead? This breakdown serves as a clear way to see all the differences between the two devices.
iPad (10th Generation, 2022)
iPad Air (Sixth Generation, 2024)
10.9-inch display
11- or 13-inch display
sRGB color
P3 wide color
Fully laminated display
Anti-reflective coating
A14 Bionic chip
M2 chip
6-core CPU
8-core CPU
4-core GPU
10-core GPU
Media Engine Hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC Video decode engine Video encode engine
4GB memory
8GB memory
Smart HDR 3 for photos
Smart HDR 4 for photos
Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity
Wi‑Fi 6E connectivity
Apple Pencil hover
Supports Apple Pencil (USB‑C) and Apple Pencil (first generation)
Supports Apple Pencil (USB‑C) and Apple Pencil Pro
Supports Magic Keyboard Folio
Supports Magic Keyboard
7mm depth
6.1mm depth
Starts at $349
Starts at $599
477 gram weight
462 gram or 617 gram weight
Available in Silver, Pink, Blue, and Yellow
Available in Space Gray, Starlight, Blue, and Purple
Starts at $349
Starts at $599
A key difference between the devices is their chips and amount of memory, so if you plan on using your iPad for more demanding tasks like 3D graphic design, advanced photo editing, and gaming, the iPad Air will be the better choice by far. The M2 chip's dedicated media engine is also be particularly helpful when video editing, and supports Stage Manager, Apple's multitasking system for the iPad.
The 10th-generation iPad's display lacks P3 wide color, full lamination, and an anti-reflective coating. While these aspects are unlikely to be major reasons to preference the iPad Air, they are worth bearing in mind when trying to justify the $250 leap to the more expensive device. The iPad Air is also available in an all-new 13-inch size option, which is more suitable for multitasking and using the device as a laptop-replacement, but this pushes the price difference up to $450 – more than the cost of the 10th-generation iPad itself.
The iPad Air is marginally thinner and lighter, with differences that are so minor as to be unimportant to most customers, but the more muted tones of its color options may make it more or less appealing based on your personal preferences.
Apple Pencil support is also a key consideration. While the 10th-generation iPad supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, the Apple Pencil with USB-C is a better choice due to easier charging. However, this lacks advanced features like pressure sensitivity, haptic feedback, and barrel roll that you get with the iPad Air's Apple Pencil Pro support. People who plan to use the Apple Pencil heavily for tasks like note-taking and illustration will undoubtedly have a significantly better experience with the iPad Air, which supports both the Apple Pencil with USB-C and the Apple Pencil Pro.
While both devices support external keyboards, they have different strengths. The 10th-generation iPad's Magic Keyboard Folio will be better for table-typers, those who prefer function keys, and those who want to easily detatch the keyboard but keep the iPad propped up on a surface, while the iPad Air's Magic Keyboard is better for lap-typers and those who want backlighting.
In theory, the iPad Air is a more compelling overall package with the M2 chip, 4GB of additional memory, a dedicated media engine, Stage Manager for multitasking, a better display, and a much better Apple Pencil experience, but in practice, users with basic requirements are unlikely to notice a massive amount of difference between the devices. Unless you have specific need for the iPad Air's added features or its larger display size option, it may be worth saving the $250 and buying the 10th-generation iPad.
Apple has announced that the Navigo transit card can be added to the Wallet app starting today, allowing iPhone and Apple Watch users to simply tap their devices to pay for rides on the metro, trains, buses, and more in the Paris, France area.
With the Navigo card in the Wallet app, a rider no longer needs to visit a ticket vending machine, or reload the card at retailers. Instead, passes can be purchased directly in the Wallet app on the iPhone, or in the Île-de-France Mobilités app.
Apple also announced that real-time transit information for the Paris area will be available in Apple Maps starting this week. This feature will allow riders to view detailed schedules, live departure and arrival times, delays, outages, and any connections required to complete a trip across multiple transit systems.
In related news, it was recently announced that the PRESTO transit card in the Toronto, Canada area will soon support the Wallet app too.
In both cities, the transit cards will support Express Mode, meaning that riders can simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment reader to pay for their ride, without needing to unlock or wake the device. Express Mode continues to work for up to five hours after an iPhone has run out of battery power.
Amazon today has a collection of iPad deals, including all-time low prices on the brand new M4 iPad Pro and the 10th generation iPad.
M4 11-Inch iPad Pro
Starting with the M4 iPad Pro, Amazon is back with a solid $49 markdown on one model of the 11-inch iPad Pro. You can get the 256GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro for $949.99, down from $999.00.
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.
This is a match of the record low price for this brand new iPad Pro, and as such it's been fairly popular and has resulted in some shipping delays. As of writing, you can still lock in this deal today and get the iPad Pro delivered by late May.
10th Gen iPad
Moving to the 10th generation iPad from 2022, Amazon has a few of these tablets at record low prices this week. Prices start at $329.00 for the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad, which is down from the new regular price of $349.00.
Apple cut the prices of this lineup earlier in the month, and each model is now $100 cheaper. You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad on sale for $474.00, down from $499.00, another all-time low price.
Likewise, both cellular models are available for new record low prices on Amazon. The 64GB cellular iPad is on sale for $474.00, down from $499.00, and the 256GB cellular iPad is on sale for $609.00, down from $649.00.
Given Apple's rumored plan to add an all-new high-end tier to its iPhone 17 series in 2025, this could be the year for Apple to bring its boldest "Pro Max" model to the table — the kind of iPhone 16 upgrade that stands tall above its siblings, both figuratively and literally.
If you have been holding out for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, here are five of the biggest changes rumored to be coming to Apple's largest smartphone. The iPhone 16 series is expected to be released in the fall around mid-September. For all the details, see our dedicated roundup.
1. Bigger Size
6.9 Inches
According to multiple sources, the iPhone 16 Pro Max will increase in size, potentially making it Apple's biggest iPhone ever. The device will measure in at 6.9 inches (up from 6.7), and is expected to be taller and wider than last year's iPhone 15 Pro Max. While thickness will remain the same, the weight will increase slightly due to the larger size. If accurate, it would be the first iPhone size increase since the iPhone 12 series, but it would also be another blow to those users who prefer a smaller handset.
2. Bigger Screen
Thinner Borders
It's logical to assume that a bigger device will have a bigger display, but Apple isn't just relying on larger physical dimensions to make the viewing experience more immersive. For its iPhone 16 Pro models, Apple is said to be using Border Reduction Structure (BRS) technology, which allows for a more compact and efficient layout of the circuitry under the display, resulting in even slimmer bezels. Last year, Apple reduced the bezels on iPhone 15 Pro models using low-injection pressure over-molding, or LIPO, to shrink the display border size to 1.5 millimeters (versus around 2.2 millimeters on iPhone 14 models).
3. Bigger Camera
Two 48MP Lenses
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to feature a more advanced main camera that is 12% bigger, featuring a customized 48-megapixel Sony IMX903 sensor with a stacked design for better performance, a 14-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for high-quality image data conversion, and Digital Gain Control (DCG) for better dynamic range and noise control. It is also said to include a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, up from the 12-megapixel lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
4. Bigger Battery Capacity
Longer Life
Apple will use battery cells with increased energy density, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which should offer longer battery life, perhaps even using the same battery size as that found in existing models. Early rumors have also suggested that both iPhone 16 Pro models will use stacked battery technology, which can result in higher capacity and a longer lifespan. According to another rumor, this year's iPhone 16 Pro Max will boast an even bigger 30-hour-plus battery life (compared to 29 hours for the iPhone 15 Pro Max).
5. Bigger Storage Capacity
More Terabytes
According to one rumor out of Korea, Apple's forthcoming iPhone 16 Pro models will be available with a new 2TB maximum storage, which would put them on par with the iPad Pro. The move is said to be a result of Apple's recently rumored switch to higher-density Quad-Level Cell (QLC) NAND flash for higher storage models. Apple's use of QLC NAND could allow Apple to fit more storage into a smaller space and it is less expensive than Triple-Level Cell (TLC) NAND, which current iPhones use.
Adobe today updated its Lightroom software for the iPad and Mac with Generative Remove, an AI-powered feature that can remove any element from a photo with a single click. Generative Remove eliminates unwanted objects in images non-destructively, intelligently matching the removed area with AI-generated content that matches the surrounding photo.
Generative Remove is able to fix everything from an unwanted reflection in water to wrinkles in a tablecloth in food photography. It works with complicated backgrounds, and can be used for removing distractions from images or retouching photos.
According to Adobe, users can expect to see "high-quality, realistic and stunning results." The Generate Remove feature is powered by Adobe Firefly, generative AI features that have previously been available in Photoshop. Generative Remove is available today as an early access feature for Lightroom for mobile, desktop, iPad, Web, and Classic.
Along with Generative Remove, Adobe is also adding automatic presets for Lens Blur, a feature that is able to add blur effects to any part of a photograph, plus Lens Blur includes improved subject detection. Other improvements include HDR optimization, a streamlined mobile toolbar on the iPad, and instant access to photo libraries in the iPad and Mac apps for faster editing.
The new features are free for existing Lightroom users, with Lightroom access available starting at $9.99 per month.
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Sonos today announced the launch of the Sonos Ace, the company's long-rumored over-ear headphones that are designed to compete with the AirPods Max. We were able to spend some time with the Sonos Ace last week, getting a firsthand look at the design and sound quality.
Compared to the AirPods Max, the Sonos Ace headphones are lighter weight and don't exert as much pressure on the side of the head. Sonos designed the ear cups from a soft memory foam that's wrapped in vegan leather, and the cups are designed to create a seal around the ears without catching on hair.
The cup material isn't quite as premium looking as the aluminum of the AirPods Max, and the Sonos Ace has a more traditional headband compared to Apple's version. There's a subtle logo on the right side of the Ace, and a set of buttons. The main button can be used for changing volume and controlling music playback, while the button underneath swaps between Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Aware Mode. ANC drowns out ambient sound, while Aware Mode allows sounds from the surroundings to come through.
Sonos did a solid job with the ANC, though real world testing is needed to see exactly how the Ace measures up to the AirPods Max. Sound quality was also impressive, with support for Dolby Atmos and lossless over Bluetooth or USB-C, as well as spatial audio. TrueCinema, which maps the space around the user for better surround sound, will be implemented later this year. There are two custom-designed 40mm drivers in the Ace, which Sonos says should bring "impeccable precision and clarity," along with eight beamforming microphones.
There's some unique integration with other Sonos products. When using the Ace with a TV that has an Arc soundbar, pressing on the button on the Ace will swap the TV's audio to the headphones instead of the Arc. Sonos plans to bring this to the Sonos Beam and Sonos Ray in the future.
The Ace headphones don't fold, and Sonos offers them with a travel case for protection. Sonos says that the headphones are able to provide 30 hours of listening time with ANC, which is 10 hours over the AirPods Max. A three minute charge provides three hours of battery life.
The Sonos Ace headphones are priced at $449 and are set to launch on June 5, and they come in black and soft white.
Apple is challenging a $1.95 billion fine imposed by the European Commission for thwarting fair competition from music-streaming rivals, including Spotify (via Bloomberg).
The Commission fined Apple in March, saying that the company abused its dominant position in the market by forbidding music streaming apps to tell users about cheaper subscription prices outside the app.
The EU crackdown also mandated that Apple "remove anti-steering provisions" for music apps in the European Economic Area (EEA). Apple subsequently updated its App Store rules to let music apps in the EEA inform users of other ways to purchase digital music content or services and to add website links for purchasing digital music subscriptions.
Apple has reportedly filed a suit at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg to challenge the March decision. The Commission told reporters it is ready to defend its decision in court.
When the fine was issued, Apple said the decision was reached "despite the Commission's failure to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm." Apple also said that the ruling "ignores the realities of a market that is thriving, competitive, and growing fast."
Apple also said that three different related cases mounted against it by the Commission over the past eight years consistently found no evidence of consumer harm and no evidence of anti-competitive behavior.
The fine brought to a close a long-running investigation by the EU, triggered by a complaint from Spotify in 2015 into Apple's treatment of third-party music streaming services on the App Store.
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 iPhone 16 Pro Max will boast a bigger main camera sensor while both iPhone 16 Pro models will feature a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera for the first time, claims a rumor coming out of Asia.
According to Weibo user OvO Baby Sauce OvO, the main camera of the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be based on an advanced custom 48-megapixel Sony IMX903 sensor. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro will use the same 48-megapixel custom Sony IMX803 sensor as that found on the current iPhone 15 Pro models.
The leaker also claims that this year's iPhone 16 Pro models will feature an upgraded Ultra Wide camera with a 48-megapixel sensor, allowing it to capture more light and result in better photos when shooting in 0.5x mode, especially in low-light conditions. The Ultra Wide lens on the current iPhone 15 Pro models is 12-megapixels.
This is the second time we have heard rumors that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature a more advanced main camera sensor. The claim was first made in January by "Digital Chat Station," a Weibo user responsible for leaking several accurate details about upcoming iPhone camera technology.
The latter source said that the custom Sony IMX903 in the iPhone 16 Pro Max would include advanced features like a stacked design for better performance, a 14-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for high-quality image data conversion, and Digital Gain Control (DCG) for better dynamic range and noise control.
We have also previously heard rumors of a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera coming to both iPhone 16 Pro models. The rumor first originated last December from Weibo user "Instant Digital," suggesting that this year's Pro devices will be the first to feature two 48-megapixel sensors. If true, the upgrade should mean that both iPhone 16 Pro models will be able to shoot 48-megapixel ProRAW photos in Ultra Wide mode.
Today's claim doubles down on the rumor and further corroborates a 2023 forecast from Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu, who said that the iPhone 16 Pro will feature a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera.
In 2025, the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to complete the rear camera array's transition to 48-megapixel sensors, bringing the technology to the Telephoto lens, which is currently 12-megapixels on the iPhone 15 Pro models.
Microsoft is going all in on AI, today introducing a series of Copilot+ PCs that have AI-focused hardware. The new Surface Pro is one of the first Copilot+ PCs, equipped with Qualcomm's Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite processor.
Microsoft is already pitting the Surface Pro against Apple's M3 MacBook Air, and in marketing materials, claims that the Surface Pro has superior processing power and battery life. Compared to the 15-inch MacBook Air with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, the Surface Pro and other Copilot+ PCs with 12-core and 10-core processors offer 58 percent better sustained multithreaded performance (based on Cinebench benchmarks).
As for battery life, Copilot+ PCs support up to 15 hours of web browsing or 22 hours of local video playback. The MacBook Air models offer the same 15 hours of wireless web browsing, but only 18 hours of local video playback.
According to The Verge, Microsoft's demonstrations for media included several comparisons of the Surface Pro compared to the MacBook Air, and the Surface Pro came out on top in many of them. Windows PCs have struggled to keep up with Apple silicon in recent years, but it appears that Qualcomm's technology is catching up.
The Surface Pro is a 2-in-1 laptop that runs Windows, and it has an OLED display, much like Apple's newly launched iPad Pro models. It weighs under two pounds, supports Wi-Fi 7, and has advanced AI capabilities enabled by the neural processing unit.
Pricing on the Surface Pro starts at $1,000, but the version with OLED display and Snapdragon X Elite chip, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD is priced starting at $1,500. Microsoft today also introduced the Surface Laptop with the same Snapdragon X Elite chip, with pricing that starts at $1,299.
The Surface devices will arrive to customers starting on June 18.
Microsoft today announced the launch of new Windows PCs that have integrated AI hardware, called Copilot+ PCs. According to Microsoft, the Copilot+ PCs are the fastest PCs "ever built" with all-day battery life, chips capable of 40 trillion operations per second, and "access to the most advanced AI models."
The new machines are designed with "AI at the center," introducing experiences that can be run directly on device to cut down on latency and improve privacy.
Recall - Recall gives the PC a "photographic memory" so users can access anything they've seen or done on their PC. Content can be located using timelines across any website, application, or document, with support for snapshots.
Cocreator - Text prompts can be used to generate new images using the neural processing units of the computer. Art can be created based on the text input, and there is a creativity slider to choose from a range between more literal to more expressive.
Restyle Image - Combines image generation and photo editing. Pre-set styles can be used to change the background, foreground, or full image.
Live Captions - Live Captions support live translations and can turn any audio that passes through the PC into a single, English-language caption experience in real time across all apps. Any live or pre-recorded audio in any app or video platform can be translated from 40 languages into English.
Quick Settings - In Windows Studio Effects, the Quick Settings option cleans up video with automatic image adjustments for videos calls to mitigate low-light or add filters.
All Copilot+ PCs include a "powerful AI agent" that can be accessed with a single tap on the Copilot key. There is an AI interface that will support the latest models such as OpenAI's GPT-4o.
Microsoft claims that the Copilot+ PCs outperform the 15-inch MacBook Air by up to 58 percent in sustained multithreaded performance, while also offering longer battery life. Microsoft says the battery is able to last for up to 15 hours of web browsing or 22 hours of local video playback, beating the MacBook Air.
The new Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are some of the first Copilot+ PCs, and ASUS, Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung have also introduced Copilot+ PCs. The new PCs are available today and are priced starting at $999.
Apple today released iOS 17.5.1 and iPadOS 17.5.1, minor updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating system updates that came out last September. The 17.5.1 updates come a week after the launch of iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5.
iOS 17.5.1 and iPadOS 17.5.1 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, the updates include a fix for an issue that could cause images to reappear in the Photos library even after being deleted.
This update provides important bug fixes and addresses a rare issue where photos that experienced database corruption could reappear in the Photos library even if they were deleted.
There have been several complaints from iPhone and iPad users who saw their old, deleted photos resurfacing after installing the iOS 17.5 update. Images deleted as far back as 2010 were surfacing again, leading to confusion and worry over what was going on. Apple's information today indicates that it was a database corruption issue, and iOS 17.5.1 should solve the problem.
Amazon today has every model of the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air on sale at new all-time low prices, starting at $949.99 for the 256GB model, down from $1,099.00. Every deal in this sale requires you to clip an on-page coupon and head to the checkout screen in order to see the final discounted price.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can also get both 512GB models of the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air on sale right now on Amazon. The 8GB RAM/512GB SSD is on sale for $1,149.99 and the 16GB RAM/512GB SSD is on sale for $1,349.99, both of which are $149 off and record low prices.
Note: You won't see the deal price until checkout.
These notebooks were updated in March 2024 with the new M3 chip and no external design changes compared to the previous generation. Larger 15-inch models debuted at the same time, and right now we aren't tracking any discounts as steep as those on the 13-inch MacBook Air.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
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.
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.
