Apple News
Apple’s acclaimed titles land nominations for the 86th Annual Peabody Awards
On Thursday, Apple TV was recognized with five nominations for the 86th Annual Peabody Awards, with category nods for “Pluribus,” “Come See Me in the Good Light,” “Mr. Scorsese,” “Vietnam: The War That Changed America” and “Shape Island.” The Peabody Awards honor excellence in storytelling that reflects the social issues and the emerging voices of our day, and this year’s winners will be announced on April 23, and celebrated on Sunday, May 31, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.
Golden Globe Award winner “Pluribus” earns a nomination for Entertainment, while Academy Award nominee “Come See Me in the Good Light,” Critics Choice Award and DGA Award winner “Mr. Scorsese,” and BAFTA Award nominee “Vietnam: The War That Changed America” land nods for Documentary, alongside a Children’s/Youth nomination for Children’s and Family Emmy Award winner “Shape Island.”
These nominations mark the latest recognition from the Peabody Awards for Apple, following a win in 2025 for “Bread & Roses”; three wins in 2023 for “Bad Sisters,” “Severance” and “El Deafo”; and two wins in 2021 for “Ted Lasso” and “Stillwater.”
To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 794 wins and 3,428 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award winner “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
Apple landed five nominations for the 86th Annual Peabody Awards, including:
“Pluribus”
Entertainment
“Come See Me in the Good Light”
Documentary
“Mr. Scorsese”
Documentary
“Vietnam: The War That Changed America”
Documentary
“Shape Island”
Children’s/Youth
All titles are now streaming globally on Apple TV.
“Pluribus”
“Pluribus” is a genre-bending original in which the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.
“Come See Me in the Good Light”
“Come See Me in the Good Light” is a poignant and unexpectedly funny love story about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley facing an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit and an unshakable partnership. Through laughter and unwavering love, they transform pain into purpose, and mortality into a moving celebration of resilience.
“Mr. Scorsese”
“Mr. Scorsese” is a film portrait of a man through the lens of his work, exploring the many facets of a visionary who redefined filmmaking, including his extraordinary career and unique personal history. With exclusive, unrestricted access to Martin Scorsese’s private archives, the documentary series is anchored by extensive conversations with the filmmaker himself and never-before-seen interviews with friends, family and creative collaborators including Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Robbie Robertson, Thelma Schoonmaker, Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Paul Schrader, Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett, Jay Cocks and Rodrigo Prieto, along with his children, wife Helen Morris and close childhood friends. From acclaimed director Rebecca Miller, “Mr. Scorsese” examines how his own colorful life experiences informed his artistic vision as each film he made stunned the world with originality. Starting with his New York University student films and continuing to the present day, this documentary explores the themes that have fascinated Scorsese and informed his work, including the place of good and evil in the fundamental nature of humankind.
“Vietnam: The War That Changed America”
Ethan Hawke narrates this deeply profound look at what it was like to live through one of history’s longest wars, as told through first-person accounts and rarely seen footage.
“Shape Island”
Three best friends seek adventure and connection while learning how to navigate each other’s differences. Based on the books by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen.
Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut.
MacDailyNews Take: Congrats to all of the nominated Apple TV casts and crews!
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
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Apple to permanently close three U.S. retail stores in June amid declining mall conditions
Apple has announced it will permanently shutter three of its U.S. retail locations this June, citing deteriorating conditions at the malls in which they are situated. The affected stores are Apple Trumbull in Trumbull, Connecticut; Apple North County in Escondido, California; and Apple Towson Town Center in Towson, Maryland.
All three stores are currently listed as temporarily closed today on Apple’s website and are scheduled to reopen on Friday before closing for good in June. Permanent closures of Apple Stores remain relatively rare, as the company has increasingly favored standalone locations or those in healthier, outdoor shopping centers in recent years.
In a statement provided to media outlets, an Apple spokesperson explained the decision:
At Apple, we are constantly striving to deliver exceptional service and great experiences for our customers. As we continue investing to expand and enhance our retail stores and offerings worldwide, we remain deliberate about evaluating our existing locations to ensure that we can meet our customers’ needs in the best way. Following the departure of several retailers and declining conditions at Trumbull Mall, the Shops at North County, and Towson Town Center, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our stores at these locations.
Our team members at Trumbull and North County will continue their roles at nearby Apple Retail stores. Towson employees will be eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement. We look forward to continuing to serve customers at nearby stores and on Apple.com, the Apple Store app, and at Apple Authorized Resellers and Service Providers throughout the states.
The closures come as the three malls have each lost dozens of major retailers in recent years, contributing to broader challenges faced by traditional enclosed shopping centers.
Notably, the Apple Towson Town Center location was the first Apple Store in the United States to unionize in 2022, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM CORE). The union has expressed strong opposition to the closure, describing it as a potential attempt to undermine organized labor and vowing to explore legal options.
For customers in the affected areas, Apple emphasized that service and support will remain available through nearby stores, the Apple Store app, Apple.com, and authorized resellers.
MacDailyNews Take: This move reflects Apple’s ongoing strategy of optimizing its retail footprint to prioritize high-performing locations while adapting to shifts in consumer shopping habits and mall viability.
Regarding the stupidly unionized store, as we wrote back in May 2022:
If talking sense doesn’t work, Apple should consider more drastic measures.
An employer is free to simply close its operations at any time, even when facing unionization efforts. Apple could then develop and open new retail stores in the same cities with new staff.
The company closed every store in an entire country (Russia) and still posted all-time quarterly results; it could easily absorb this handful of store closures with subsequent relocations/restaffing…
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More major vehicle brands deliver Car Keys in Apple Wallet
Last June, Apple announced that 13 vehicle brands had committed to supporting Car Keys in the Wallet app.
After a longer-than-expected wait, two makers on that list have now launched support:
• Toyota began offering Apple Wallet car keys in February with the 2026 RAV4.
• Rivian introduced Car Key support in late December for its second-generation R1S and R1T.
Several other major automakers now appear to be close behind.
Ryan Christoffel for 9to5Mac:
Now, several more major automakers appear to be next:
• Porsche
• General Motors, including Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC
With plenty of additional brands on Apple’s list of upcoming partners, here’s hoping we see more launches happen before hitting the 1-year mark of Apple’s announcement at WWDC this June.
MacDailyNews Take: Welcome, Toyota and Rivian!
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Apple TV debuts trailer for ‘My Brother the Minotaur,’ premiering April 24th
Apple TV on Thursday debuted the trailer for “My Brother the Minotaur,” an all-new animated kids and family adventure series set to premiere globally on Friday, April 24. From Academy Award-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon and the award-winning children’s media company Dog Ears, the series centers on universal themes of growing up, feeling different, discovering where you belong and celebrating the people who truly see you and the places that feel like home.
“My Brother the Minotaur” is a thrilling mix of folklore, mystery and adventure about a young minotaur – half boy, half bull – found and raised in the human world. With the help of his fiercely loyal human brother, he recruits a bold group of friends to uncover the mystery of his minotaur past and fulfill his destiny, all while battling dark forces determined to see him fail.
The animated series features voice performances from rising stars Ely Solan, Billy Jenkins, Luciana Akpobaro and Billie Boullet, alongside Michael Sheen, Brian Cox, Paul Kaye and T’Nia Miller.
“My Brother the Minotaur” is produced for Apple by Dog Ears and Cartoon Saloon. Gerry Shirren and Fionnuala Deane serve as executive producers on the show, with producers John McDaid, Nora Twomey, Tomm Moore, Paul Young and Nuria Blanco. “My Brother the Minotaur” was created by Donal Mangan, written by Mark Hodkinson and directed by Maurice Joyce.
The exciting slate of recent offerings for kids and families on Apple TV features the latest family musical specials “Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical”; “Lulu Is a Rhinoceros” based on the beloved children’s book of the same name by father-daughter duo Jason and Allison Flom; the music-driven animated comedy series “BE@RBRICK” from DreamWorks Animation; “Goldie,” inspired by Emily Brundige’s award-winning 2019 short film of the same name; Peanuts series “Camp Snoopy”; the second season of beloved animated series “Frog and Toad,” based on the Caldecott and Newbery Honor-winning books; “Me,” an elevated cinematic coming-of-age story from Barry L. Levy; and “Wonder Pets: In the City,” from Jennifer Oxley.
Award-winning all-ages offerings now streaming globally on Apple TV also include the BAFTA Award and Emmy Award-winning live-action animated hybrid special “The Velveteen Rabbit,” BAFTA Award and Humanitas Prize-winning “El Deafo,” BAFTA Award-winning “Lovely Little Farm,” “Duck & Goose,” “Get Rolling With Otis,” Spin Master Entertainment’s “Sago Mini Friends,” Annie Award-nominated “Not a Box,” GLAAD Media Award-nominated “Pinecone & Pony,” The Jim Henson Company’s Emmy Award-winning “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” “Harriet the Spy” and “Slumberkins,” Sesame Workshop’s “Helpsters,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD and Bento Box Entertainment’s “Wolfboy and the Everything Factory,” Jack McBrayer and Angela C. Santomero’s Emmy Award-nominated “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show,” Peanuts and WildBrain’s Emmy Award-nominated “Snoopy in Space,” “The Snoopy Show,” and Peabody and Emmy Award-winning series “Stillwater” from Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment. Live-action offerings include Bonnie Hunt’s DGA and WGA Award-nominated “Amber Brown,” DGA Award-winning “Best Foot Forward,” “Surfside Girls,” WGA Award-winning “Life By Ella,” Sesame Workshop and Sinking Ship’s Emmy Award-winning “Ghostwriter,” Emmy Award and Environmental Media Association Award-winning “Jane,” and Scholastic’s “Puppy Place.”
Also featured are “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth,” the Emmy Award-winning television event based on the New York Times bestselling book and TIME Best Book of the Year by Oliver Jeffers, and specials from Peanuts and WildBrain including Emmy Award-nominated “Snoopy Presents: It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown,” “Snoopy Presents: Lucy’s School,” Humanitas and Emmy Award-nominated “Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), With Love,” “Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie,” “Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin,” Emmy Award-winning “Snoopy Presents: Who Are You, Charlie Brown?” and “Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne.”
Watch “My Brother the Minotaur” on Apple TV.
Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 794 wins and 3,428 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award winner “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
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Apple releases macOS 26.4.1
Apple on Thursday released macOS 26.4.1 which provides bug fixes for your Mac (including a fix for an iCloud syncing issue in some apps).
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100
MacDailyNews Take: It’s snappy!
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Apple TV celebrates the premiere of ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles,’ starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nicole Kidman
On Wednesday evening in New York City, Apple TV hosted the star-studded premiere for its upcoming comedic family drama “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” at Regal Union Square theater, followed by a reception at The Bowery Hotel. The eight-episode Apple Original series will premiere globally on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 with three episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 20, 2026.
The red carpet event was attended by series stars and executive producers Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman, along with stars Nick Offerman and Thaddea Graham, showrunner, writer and executive producer David E. Kelley, writer and executive producer Eva Anderson, and director and executive producer Dearbhla Walsh. Additional cast in attendance included Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano, Rico Nasty, Sasha Diamond, Marisela Zumbado and Annalise Basso, and executive producers Matthew Tinker, Per Saari, Boo Killebrew and more.
Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning attend the global premiere of the upcoming Apple TV series “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” at the Regal Union Square. The series debuts globally on Apple TV on Wednesday April 15, 2026.
Hailing from A24 and multi-Emmy Award winner David E. Kelley, and based on Rufi Thorpe’s bestselling novel of the same name, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” stars and is executive produced by Academy Award, Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominee Elle Fanning; Golden Globe Award winner and Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Michelle Pfeiffer; and Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Nicole Kidman.
“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” is a bold, heartwarming and comedic family drama following recent college dropout and aspiring writer, Margo (Fanning), the daughter of an ex-Hooters waitress (Pfeiffer) and ex-pro wrestler (Offerman), as she’s forced to make her way with a new baby, a mounting pile of bills and a dwindling amount of ways to pay them. The ensemble cast is also led by Emmy Award winner Nick Offerman and Thaddea Graham, and stars Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden, Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano, Rico Nasty and Lindsey Normington.
“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” is produced for Apple TV by A24. Kelley serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer alongside Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning and Brittany Kahan Ward for Lewellen Pictures; Kidman and Per Saari of Blossom Films; and Matthew Tinker for David E. Kelley Productions. Pfeiffer, author Thorpe, Eva Anderson and Boo Killebrew also executive produce. BAFTA Award and Emmy Award winner Dearbhla Walsh directs the pilot and serves as an executive producer. Additional directors include Kate Herron and Alice Seabright.
The series marks the most recent collaboration between Kelley and Apple TV, following the Emmy Award-nominated global hit drama, “Presumed Innocent,” which is now in production on its second season.
Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 794 wins and 3,428 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award nominee “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
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Europe’s largest Apple museum opens in Utrecht, showcasing 50 years of innovation
Europe’s biggest Apple museum has officially opened its doors in Utrecht, Netherlands, just in time for Apple’s 50th anniversary. Spanning over 21,000 square feet, the new museum features thousands of rare artifacts, a recreated Steve Jobs garage, a “Think Different” corridor, and exhibits covering the NeXT era. Curated by founder Ed Bindels and a team of over 50 volunteers, it offers fans a deep dive into Apple’s history with timed entry slots available.
Home to one of the largest Apple collections in the world, the museum features several themed spaces across more than 21,000 square feet, including a reproduction of the famous garage at the home of Steve Jobs’ parents.
The Apple Museum is the result of a collaboration between entrepreneur and Apple Museum Foundation founder and chairman Ed Bindels, and a group of more than 50 volunteers, including technicians, collectors, and historians, who helped assemble and curate the collection.
For those planning to visit, the Apple Museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. most days except Mondays and Tuesdays, with timed entry slots every 15 minutes and last entry at 4:00 p.m. It’s located at Proostwetering 5d, 3543 AB, Utrecht, the Netherlands, with parking available at the P1 lot.
MacDailyNews Take: Find out more via the museum’s official website here.
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Apple subpoenas Samsung in South Korea in U.S. DOJ antitrust action
Apple has asked a U.S. court to formally request internal Samsung documents from South Korea as part of the discovery process in the DOJ’s ongoing antitrust lawsuit against the company.
The U.S. DOJ filed the suit against Apple in March 2024, together with several other governments. It alleges that Apple used App Store rules, developer restrictions, and its control over key iPhone features to stifle competition. After Apple’s attempt to have the case dismissed was rejected, the litigation has now moved into the discovery phase.
Hartley Charlton for MacRumors:
Samsung is central to the case. All four complaints identify Samsung as Apple’s “closest smartphone competitor,” and plaintiffs allege that Apple’s conduct caused Samsung to stop making smartwatches that connect to iPhone in 2021. Apple subpoenaed Samsung’s U.S. subsidiary, Samsung Electronics America, for documents, but the subsidiary declined to produce any records, arguing the materials are held solely by its South Korean parent. Apple says Samsung America lodged that objection 65 times across its responses.
In a memorandum filed on April 7, Apple asked the court to issue a formal letter of request under the Hague Evidence Convention, an international mechanism that allows civil proceedings to seek documents from foreign entities. The request targets market research, sales data, financial statements, and consumer switching analyses from Samsung’s smartphone and wearables divisions, as well as Galaxy Store developer agreements and documents relating to Samsung Pay, messaging apps, and super apps.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple is now turning the tables in the DOJ’s flimsy antitrust lawsuit by asking a U.S. court to formally request a trove of internal Samsung documents from South Korea via the Hague Evidence Convention.
After Samsung Electronics America stonewalled a prior subpoena (objecting a whopping 65 times and claiming the real records sit with its Korean parent) Apple wants market research, sales data, financials, consumer switching analyses, Galaxy Store agreements, details on Samsung Pay, messaging apps, super apps, and even its Smart Switch tool. All of this to demonstrate how Apple’s “anticompetitive” practices supposedly forced Samsung to abandon iPhone-compatible smartwatches years ago.
The irony is thick: the DOJ’s case leans heavily on claims about Apple crushing competition, yet here we are, with Apple forced to dig through its fiercest smartphone rival’s files just to defend basic business decisions that have delivered the world’s most successful and secure smartphone platform.
This discovery phase is shaping up to be a long, expensive slog — one that highlights just how weak the DOJ’s allegations appear when subjected to actual evidence rather than regulatory grandstanding. Apple is playing the long game, as usual, and we expect the facts to continue undermining the government’s narrative.
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Apple’s MacBook Neo is the best laptop you can get for $599 – New York Magazine
Apple’s MacBook Neo is an all-new laptop that delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price, making it even more accessible to millions of people around the world. MacBook Neo starts with a beautiful Apple design, featuring a durable aluminum enclosure in an array of gorgeous colors — blush, indigo, silver, and a fresh new citrus. Its stunning 13-inch Liquid Retina display brings websites, photos, videos, and apps to life with high resolution and brightness, and support for 1 billion colors. Powered by A18 Pro, MacBook Neo can fly through everyday tasks, from browsing the web and streaming content, to editing photos, exploring creative hobbies, or using AI capabilities across apps. In fact, it’s up to 50 percent faster for everyday tasks like web browsing, and up to 3x faster when running on-device AI workloads like applying advanced effects to photos,2 compared to the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5.
Providing up to 16 hours of battery life, MacBook Neo allows users to go all day on a single charge. A 1080p FaceTime HD camera and dual mics make it easy to look and sound great, and the dual side-firing speakers with Spatial Audio deliver crisp, immersive sound. MacBook Neo also features Apple’s renowned Magic Keyboard for comfortable and precise typing, and a large Multi-Touch trackpad with support for intuitive gestures, enabling smooth and precise control. Completing the MacBook Neo experience is macOS Tahoe, with powerful built-in apps like Messages, Pages, Calendar, and Safari; seamless integration with iPhone; Apple Intelligence; as well as broad compatibility with third-party apps. And starting at just $599 and $499 for education, MacBook Neo is Apple’s most affordable laptop ever, providing an unprecedented combination of quality and value.
Jordan McMahon for New York Magazine:
For the last five years, Apple’s M-Series MacBook Air has been my default recommendation for anyone who needs a new laptop. No other computer has a better balance of portability and computing power at a digestible price (the entry-level Air starts at $1,099). It features a top-notch display, all-day battery life, and specs that effortlessly handle everything in a typical workflow, from browsers with dozens of tabs to batch photo editing.
That’s changed now that there’s the MacBook Neo, the cheapest laptop Apple has released to date. It starts at $599 for the 256 GB model and has enough power to handle day-to-day tasks with ease. It’s more expensive than many budget Windows laptops but feels and performs far better than its price tag suggests. Hitting that price point requires a few compromises, but for most people, they’re well worth it for the best budget-friendly laptop you can get…
More impressive than the Neo’s reasonable price is the fact that it runs on the same chip as the iPhone 16 Pro’s, the nearly two-year-old A18 Pro. Between that and its relatively low amount of RAM — 8 GB, which is the bare minimum I’d recommend anyone get — the specs don’t appear to facilitate a serious workload.
It didn’t take long for the Neo to prove me wrong. During a typical workday, I’m usually running Slack, my note-taking app, a dozen tabs in the Brave browser, an RSS reader, Qobuz for music, and maybe a YouTube video or two. Even at my busiest, the Neo didn’t slow down until I pushed it to some absurd limits by opening a large batch of photos in the app Darkroom while running Slack, playing a few YouTube videos in the background, and opening over 25 tabs in my browser. That’s more than most people will be doing at any given time, but it does mean that you’re more limited than you would be on an Air…
You won’t find a better laptop for this price
Despite its shortcomings, the MacBook Neo is the best laptop you can get for $600. It’s as well designed and crafted as its far more expensive siblings and more than capable of handling a typical workload of web browsing, Slack, media playback, and document editing. For many people, that will be more than enough to make up for a slightly less feature-packed and powerful laptop. After all, it still feels like a Mac in all the ways that matter.
MacDailyNews Take: Hopefully, Apple can figure out how to make enough Neos to satisfy demand!
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Apple TV celebrates ‘Shrinking’ season three at PaleyFest LA with Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Michael J. Fox, and many more
On Tuesday, April 7th, PaleyFest LA hosted a screening and conversation for the season three finale of Apple’s hit comedy “Shrinking” at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Emmy Award-nominated star, co-creator and executive producer Jason Segel was joined by stars including Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Emmy Award nominee Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Emmy Award nominee Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell and Ted McGinley for a post-screening conversation, which featured a special surprise appearance by multi-award-winning season three guest star and activist Michael J. Fox. The discussion was moderated by “Shrinking” showrunner, co-creator and executive producer Bill Lawrence.
Bill Lawrence (co-creator/showrunner/executive producer), Jason Segel (co-creator/executive producer), Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell and Ted McGinley attend Apple TV’s “Shrinking” season three finale screening at PaleyFest LA at the Dolby Theatre on April 07, 2026 in Hollywood, California.
Already renewed for a fourth season, “Shrinking” has been widely praised as “one of TV’s best-written comedies,” earning multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Critics Choice Award win for Michael Urie for his performance in the show’s second season.
The season three finale of “Shrinking” debuts Wednesday, April 8 on Apple TV+, with the complete first and second seasons now streaming globally on the service.
“Shrinking” follows a grieving therapist (Segel) who begins breaking the rules by telling his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he ends up making huge, often tumultuous changes to his patients’ lives — and his own.
In addition to the main ensemble, “Shrinking” season three welcomes back guest stars Brett Goldstein, Damon Wayans Jr., Wendie Malick and Cobie Smulders, along with new additions Jeff Daniels, Michael J. Fox, Candice Bergen, Sherry Cola and Isabella Gomez.
“Shrinking” is produced for Apple TV+ by Warner Bros. Television (where Lawrence and Goldstein are under overall deals) in association with Lawrence’s Doozer Productions. Lawrence, Segel, Goldstein, Neil Goldman, James Ponsoldt, Jeff Ingold, Liza Katzer, Randall Winston, Rachna Fruchbom, Brian Gallivan, Ashley Nicole Black and Bill Posley serve as executive producers.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
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Apple shares rise on strong Mac demand, bullish Wedbush commentary
Apple shares climbed more than 2% on Wednesday, boosted by a U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement and optimistic commentary from Wedbush Securities regarding strong Mac demand.
GuruFocus:
Wedbush analyst Matt Bryson said extended lead times for the Mac mini and Mac Studio reflect strong demand. Lead times for the Mac mini have stretched to at least four weeks, with some configurations requiring two to three months. The more expensive Mac Studio shows wait times of two to three weeks, and in some cases more than a month, the note showed.
The strength is notable as overall PC shipments appear to be slumping due to higher memory costs.
Bryson also believes Apple may gain share in its core handset market, as the company does not appear to be reducing builds unlike many peers. Some analysts attribute Mac mini demand to OpenClaw, a popular open-source project for running agentic AI tasks locally on a machine.
MacDailyNews Take: Wedbush Securities (led by analyst Dan Ives) currently maintains an Outperform or “Buy” rating on Apple with a $350 price target.
Apple should sell a plug-and-play AI agent based on its Mac mini… Imagine a product Apple is uniquely positioned to create: a dedicated agentic AI device — let’s call it the Apple Agent for now — that normal humans can plug in, set up in under five minutes with their iPhone, and immediately start using as a true personal assistant that does things on their behalf…
The company that made technology invisible and delightful for billions could do the same for agentic AI. A true personal agent that works for everyone, not just the people who know how to install OpenClaw on a Mac mini. – SteveJack, MacDailyNews, February 24, 2026
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Morgan Stanley, Evercore: Apple’s foldable iPhone on track for September launch
Apple’s foldable iPhone remains on track for a fall launch, according to Wall Street analysts, including those at Morgan Stanley, who pushed back against a media report suggesting possible delays. Apple shares rose on Wednesday.
The stock had fallen 2.1% on Tuesday after Nikkei Asia reported that Apple had run into engineering challenges with its folding-screen iPhone. Analysts subsequently disputed the claims in the article.
Patrick Seitz for Investor’s Business Daily:
Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring said his supply chain checks indicate that the foldable iPhone is still on track for a September launch. In a client note late Tuesday, Woodring said it is not unusual for Apple to run into issues during its testing phase for new products, but they are typically worked out.
“To date, we have not picked up on any delay in the foldable iPhone launch timing, with an iPhone component supplier telling us earlier today that they had not seen any order adjustment for the foldable iPhone,” Woodring said.
Woodring rates Apple stock as overweight, or buy, with a price target of $315.
Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani said a delay in the launch of the folding iPhone is “unlikely.” It is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 handset lineup in September, he said.
“We would also note that today’s Nikkei article is consistent with its annual cadence of publishing iPhone production reports, which have historically not always proven accurate,” Daryanani said in a report late Tuesday.
MacDailyNews Take: Nikkei Asia is a rag, but it’s a very profitable rag for Apple investors!
See also: Apple’s first foldable iPhone still on track for September launch – Gurman – April 8, 2026
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Apple approves third-party drivers for AMD and Nvidia eGPUs on Apple Silicon Macs
Apple has reportedly signed drivers for both AMD and Nvidia eGPUs, finally enabling them to work on Apple Silicon Macs.
Tiny Corp announced in an X post that Apple has approved the software, allowing users to pair Nvidia external GPUs with their Macs for AI and LLM processing. The company noted that installing the drivers is now so simple that “a Qwen could do it.”
If you have a Thunderbolt or USB4 eGPU and a Mac, today is the day you've been waiting for! Apple finally approved our driver for both AMD and NVIDIA. It's so easy to install now a Qwen could do it, then it can run that Qwen… pic.twitter.com/daUsyBHh1W
— the tiny corp (@__tinygrad__) April 1, 2026
Tiny Corp first successfully tested an eGPU on Apple Silicon back in May 2025. With Apple’s official support, users no longer need workarounds such as disabling System Integrity Protection (SIP) to make the hardware function.
Jowi Morales for Tom’s Hardware:
Tiny Corp is the company behind the tinybox, an AI accelerator built around four high-end GPUs… At the moment, the company is selling the red v2, which is powered by four AMD 9070XTs and costs $12,000, and the green v2 Blackwell, which costs $65,000 and has four RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell GPUs. It’s also planning to launch the exabox in 2027, which will come with 720 RDNA5 AT0 XL GPUs to deliver around 1 exaflop of computing power for around $10 million.
High-end Apple computers recently became popular with the rise of AI agents like OpenClaw…
This custom driver seemingly did not come from the GPU maker, though, with Tiny Corp seemingly working on it on its own. Subsequently, this means that the driver is designed for running AI LLMs and not for gaming, surely disappointing people who don’t want to own two different PCs for work and entertainment. Nevertheless, this is still a game-changer for people working with artificial intelligence, as they could now potentially do training or inference (with some limitations) without needing a dedicated AI supercomputer like Tiny Box.
MacDailyNews Take:
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Apple TV unveils trailer for the second season of ‘Criminal Record’
Apple TV on Wednesday debuted the pulse-pounding trailer for the upcoming second season of the gripping crime thriller “Criminal Record.” Starring Academy Award and BAFTA Award winner Peter Capaldi, and Laurence Olivier Award and Critics Choice Award nominee Cush Jumbo, the eight-episode second season will premiere globally on Wednesday, April 22 on Apple TV with the first episode, followed by one episode weekly through Wednesday, June 10.
From BAFTA Award nominee Paul Rutman, “Criminal Record” is a powerful, character-driven drama set in the heart of contemporary London, exploring the impossibility of policing when the truth is up for grabs. In season two, when a young man is stabbed to death at a political rally, rival police officers June Lenker and Daniel Hegarty are forced into an uneasy alliance. But what starts as a hunt for a murderer escalates into an undercover operation to foil a far-right bomb plot in the heart of London.
Season two reunites Capaldi as Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty and Jumbo as Detective Sergeant June Lenker. Dustin Demri-Burns, Luca Pasqualino, Luther Ford, Lyndsey Marshal and Peter Sullivan join the cast in addition to the returning ensemble that includes Shaun Dooley, Stephen Campbell Moore and Charlie Creed-Miles.
“Criminal Record” is produced for Apple TV by Tod Productions and STV Studios, and executive produced by BAFTA Scotland Award winner Elaine Collins, Chris Sussman, Rutman, Capaldi and Jumbo. The series is directed by Ben A. Williams and Joelle Mae David.
Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 794 wins and 3,428 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning, history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award winner “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
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M5 MacBook Air drops to record low $949 on Amazon
Apple’s sleek and powerful 2026 M5 MacBook Air has barely been out for a month, but it’s already seeing impressive discounts. Today, Amazon has slashed prices on multiple configurations of the new laptop, with the 13-inch base model hitting an all-time low of just $949 — a solid $150 off its regular $1,099 price tag.
This is one of the strongest early post-launch deals we’ve seen on a brand-new MacBook Air, making the M5-powered machine more accessible than ever for students, professionals, and anyone seeking premium performance in an ultrathin design.
What’s on Sale Right Now
Amazon is offering $150 off several popular configs across both sizes:
13-inch M5 MacBook Air:
• 512GB model: $949 (was $1,099)
• 16GB RAM / 1TB model: $1,149 (was $1,299)
• 24GB RAM / 1TB model: $1,349 (was $1,499)
15-inch M5 MacBook Air:
• 512GB model: $1,149 (was $1,299)
• 16GB RAM / 1TB model: $1,349 (was $1,499)
• 24GB RAM / 1TB model: $1,549 (was $1,699)
Multiple color options are available at these discounted prices.
These represent fresh record lows for the M5 MacBook Air lineup, which launched in March 2026 with Apple’s latest M5 chip, improved performance, Wi-Fi 7 support, and higher base storage compared to prior generations.
The 2026 MacBook Air delivers the perfect blend of portability, battery life, and speed thanks to the efficient M5 chip. Whether you’re editing photos and videos, multitasking with dozens of browser tabs and apps, or simply enjoying the stunning Liquid Retina display, this machine handles it all with fanless silence and excellent efficiency.
At $949 for the 13-inch 512GB model, you’re getting a future-proof laptop with:
• Apple’s powerful M5 chip for snappy performance
• Up to 18+ hours of battery life
• A lightweight, thin chassis that’s easy to carry anywhere
• Vibrant display and premium build quality
Early buyers switching from older Intel or M-series Macs (or even Windows laptops) are raving about the noticeable speed bump and everyday responsiveness.
Should You Buy Now?
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to grab a new MacBook Air, this could be it. These prices are the lowest seen since launch, and with Amazon’s fast shipping and easy returns, it’s a low-risk way to score Apple’s latest ultrabook.
Deals like this on brand-new hardware don’t last forever, especially as inventory fluctuates. Check current pricing and available colors directly on Amazon, as stock and discounts can change quickly.
MacDailyNews Take: Get ’em while these deals last here.
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Apple’s first foldable iPhone still on track for September launch – Gurman
Apple’s first foldable iPhone remains on track for a September launch this year, according to Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman.
Citing people familiar with the matter, Gurman reports that the device is still scheduled to debut during Apple’s usual iPhone launch window, directly pushing back against a Nikkei Asia report on Tuesday that claimed major manufacturing issues could cause significant delays.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
The company is scheduled to introduce the foldable model in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven’t been announced. Apple’s phones typically hit store shelves the week after they’re unveiled.
A report from Nikkei Asia had fueled concerns about a delay on Tuesday. Apple shares fell as much as 5.1% after the news outlet said that the company was facing challenges in the engineering test phase of the phone. That threatens to push back the production and shipment schedule, according to Nikkei Asia.
While the complexity of the new display and materials may limit initial supply for several weeks, Apple is currently operating with a plan to put the device on sale around the same time — or very soon after — the new non-foldable models, the people said.
The device is a major initiative for Apple, which is seeking to expand the iPhone line with new designs, pricier models and enhanced features…
The product’s price… is expected to cross the $2,000 threshold. Though that could deter some consumers, it should boost Apple’s average sales price and help fuel revenue growth for the company.
MacDailyNews Take: Only rubes fall for Nikkei Asia‘s blatant fomenting. The rest of us profit very nicely from it.
Nikkei Asia has a long, well-earned reputation in the Apple rumor ecosystem for dropping dramatic supply-chain stories that frequently turn out to be overstated, premature, or flat-out wrong — especially when it comes to ambitious new hardware like a first-generation foldable iPhone.
Yesterday’s report about “engineering snags” and possible months-long delays sent AAPL shares down as much as 4-5% in a knee-jerk reaction. Classic playbook.
This pattern is so consistent that seasoned Apple investors treat Nikkei “delay” scoops as buying opportunities rather than cause for panic. The rubes sell on the headline; smart investors smile and accumulate on the dip.
Might lead to delays, or might not. Not the lack of concreteness in the “reporting” (read: fomenting) which is laden with “mights,” “coulds,” and “maybes” to comedic proportions. This crap will now be picked up, regurgitated, and amplified by other media outlets (whether they be complicit, apathetic, or gullible), likely driving down Apple stock price (exactly as intended).
Nikkei Asia is renowned for years of bad, incomplete, leading, and just plain wrong, Apple reporting… Profit from the fomenting, AAPL investors! – MacDailyNews, April 7, 2026
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Apple TV film ‘Outcome’ captures Keanu Reeves’ character at center of image crisis
In Apple TV’s dark comedy film “Outcome,” Keanu Reeves stars as Reef Hawk, a beloved Hollywood movie star whose meticulously crafted public image starts to crumble when he is blackmailed with a mysterious video that threatens to destroy his career.
Reeves’ character turns to his inner circle for help — including his lifelong friends Kyle and Xander, played by Cameron Diaz and Matt Bomer, and his crisis lawyer Ira, portrayed by Jonah Hill. Hill also directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Ezra Woods.
Matt Silverstein and Danielle Broadway for Reuters:
As pressure mounts, Reef launches an unconventional apology tour, revisiting people he believes he may have wronged in hopes of uncovering the identity of the extorter.
Hill balances heightened comedy with moments of emotional reflection, using the premise to explore accountability and authenticity in an era defined by public scrutiny.
Reeves said working with Hill on the Apple TV movie brought a distinctive energy to the set. “Energy, vibrancy, creative yummy,” he described.
Diaz said the film probes what makes an apology meaningful. “It’s really about the person receiving it,” she said. “Whether it matters is relative to their experience.”
MacDailyNews Take: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
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Apple said to name its first foldable smartphone ‘iPhone Ultra’
Apple is widely expected to unveil its long-rumored first foldable iPhone later this year, and a fresh leak suggests the device may carry a somewhat surprising name: iPhone Ultra.
The claim comes from prominent Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station, who posted on Weibo today that “rumor has it that Apple’s wide-format foldable device will be named the ‘iPhone Ultra.’”
3D render claiming to depict Apple’s first foldable iPhone (image: Jon Prosser)
This would mark the first use of the “Ultra” branding on an iPhone, though Apple has applied the suffix to other premium products, including the rugged Apple Watch Ultra and high-end variants of its M-series chips. The moniker typically signals a clear step above the Pro lineup, emphasizing top-tier features, materials, and performance.
For months, the foldable iPhone has often been referred to in media and rumors as the “iPhone Fold.” However, no official leaks from Apple have confirmed that name, and some observers have questioned it due to potential direct comparisons with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series. Naming the device iPhone Ultra would allow Apple to position it as a premium, category-defining product focused on expanded capabilities rather than just the folding mechanism.
According to multiple reports, the device is designed as a book-style foldable that opens into a larger, iPad-like display. It is expected to feature an outer screen of approximately 5.5 inches and an inner foldable panel measuring 7.6 to 7.8 inches, with significant emphasis on minimizing or eliminating the visible crease and enhancing overall durability. iOS 27 is reportedly gaining improved multitasking support optimized for the larger unfolded screen.
The foldable is rumored to launch in the fall of 2026, potentially alongside the iPhone 18 series or in a separate event. It is expected to command a premium price tag, with estimates hovering around $2,000 or more, reflecting its positioning as Apple’s most ambitious and expensive iPhone to date.
Recent developments indicate the project is advancing rapidly, with reports that Foxconn has begun trial production. Dummy units leaked online have also provided visual comparisons to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, highlighting the distinct, more compact closed form factor of the foldable.
While the “iPhone Ultra” name aligns with Apple’s pattern of using “Ultra” for its highest-end offerings, the rumor remains unconfirmed. Apple has not commented on the device or its branding, and details could still change before any official announcement.
MacDailyNews Take: If accurate, the iPhone Ultra could represent a major evolution in Apple’s smartphone lineup, blending iPhone portability with iPad-like productivity in a single premium device. The company has been exploring foldable technology for years, and analysts widely view 2026 as the likely window for its debut.
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Apple’s MacBook Neo cannot be allowed to fail
For more than four decades the Macintosh has been Apple’s quiet cash machine, but also its most stubborn limitation. Priced as a premium product from day one, the Mac has never broken out of single-digit or low-double-digit market share in the global PC industry. Recent data still pegs it at roughly 10 percent. The reason is simple and brutal: the Mac has always been an elite tool for an elite audience. Its buyers have overwhelmingly been two overlapping tribes — professional designers and professional coders — who were willing to pay thousands of dollars for superior build quality, a Unix-based operating system, gorgeous displays, and seamless integration with the rest of the Apple ecosystem.
That formula worked brilliantly while the world still needed armies of Photoshop experts and Xcode warriors. But the ground beneath those two pillars is cracking open, and the culprit has a name: generative AI.
Designers are watching their core value proposition evaporate. Tools like Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Canva’s Magic Studio, and dozens of specialized AI design agents can now produce publication-ready visuals, logos, layouts, and 3D models in seconds from a text prompt. Clients who once paid premium rates for human pixel-pushers are discovering they can get 80 percent of the way there themselves — or hire far fewer specialists. The remaining human designers still need powerful machines, but they no longer need exclusively the most expensive ones.
Coders face an even more existential threat. GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Projects, Devin, and the coming wave of AI software engineers can already write, debug, refactor, and document code faster than most mid-level developers. Entire classes of routine programming work — CRUD apps, boilerplate infrastructure, even large parts of mobile and web development — are being automated. The surviving human coders will be the ones directing AI agents rather than typing line-by-line, and that supervisory role does not inherently require a $3,000+ MacBook Pro with maximum RAM.
Apple’s two most loyal Mac constituencies are therefore shrinking in both size and hardware appetite concurrently. The math is unforgiving. If the Mac remains a high-priced luxury item for a shrinking professional class, its market share will not magically expand. It will stagnate or decline.
That is why the MacBook Neo cannot be allowed to fail.
We now know exactly what Apple delivered: a full Mac experience starting at just $599 ($499 for education), powered by the A18 Pro chip with its 16-core Neural Engine, 8GB of unified memory, a stunning 13-inch Liquid Retina display, up to 16 hours of battery life, and native Apple Intelligence features baked into macOS Tahoe. It is available in fun new colors — blush, indigo, silver, and citrus — and brings the Magic Keyboard, large Multi-Touch trackpad, and that unmistakable Apple build quality to a price point hundreds of dollars below the current MacBook Air.
This is not an incremental update. It is Apple’s first serious attempt to break the Mac out of its historic niche and create entirely new classes of Mac users. The MacBook Neo finally delivers three things the current lineup has never prioritized at this level:
• Radical accessibility on price. At $599, the Neo undercuts not only every other Mac but also most mid-range Windows laptops and premium Chromebooks. Students, small-business owners, independent creators, families, and mainstream professionals who have never considered a Mac before can now afford one without compromise on core Mac DNA.
• AI-native performance that makes traditional skills optional. The A18 Pro’s Neural Engine delivers up to 3x faster on-device AI workloads than competing Intel chips in everyday tasks. Apple Intelligence can autonomously edit photos, generate content, summarize documents, or act as a creative partner — all without sending data to the cloud. This is the machine that lets a teenager build a game with natural language, a marketer create weekly campaign assets without an agency, or a parent turn family photos into polished videos.
• A new identity that is not “the computer for creatives and developers.” Apple is positioning the Neo as the everyday AI companion for the post-professional era, the device the vast middle of the market actually needs when they don’t aspire to be full-time designers or coders.
If the MacBook Neo succeeds — and early reviews and pre-order momentum suggest it is off to a strong start — the Macintosh finally escapes the 10 percent trap. Broader adoption funds deeper silicon investment, which enables even more powerful on-device AI, which attracts still more new users who never needed Final Cut Pro or Xcode in the first place. The Mac stops being an elite product and becomes the default personal AI companion for hundreds of millions of people.
If it somehow fails (A18 Pro chip supplies are drying up in the face of heavy demand), Apple will have squandered its best chance to redefine the Mac for the post-AI world. The company will be left watching its core design and development user base slowly migrate to cheaper, good-enough alternatives while the broader consumer market flocks to AI-first Windows machines or cloud-native devices.
The stakes are existential for Apple’s Mac. The platform has never needed new types of users more desperately than it does right now. With the MacBook Neo’s price, specs, and AI capabilities now public, Apple has taken the shot. The MacBook Neo is nothing less than Apple’s most important Mac since the first iMac.
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer, and contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section who once described the iPhone some five years before Steve Jobs revealed it to the world.
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Apple faces ‘massive dilemma’ with hot-selling hit MacBook Neo
Apple is in discussions with its suppliers over a welcome dilemma: surging demand for the MacBook Neo has far exceeded expectations, according to Tim Culpan in his latest Culpium newsletter.
The company now faces a pressing decision — whether to ramp up production of the popular laptop or allow its stock of A18 Pro chips to run out, sources familiar with the matter told Culpan.
MacBook Neo comes in four colors and two configurations, but each model runs on the same processor: the A18 Pro. That’s the chip used in the previous generation’s iPhone 16 Pro, whereas the latest device uses the A19 Pro chip.
But as Ben Thompson at Stratechery astutely observed, the MacBook Neo doesn’t use fresh batches of A18 Pro chips, they’re leftovers from the original production run.
The MacBook Neo actually only promised 5 GPUs — the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro had 6 GPUs — which is to say that Apple is binning those chips as well: some number of A18 Pros with defects on just one of the GPUs are going into the Neo — You could make the case that some number of these chips are effectively free for Apple! — Ben Thompson, Stratechery, 9 March 2026
MacBook Neo was designed around useable but leftover chips which would otherwise have been scrapped — remember, Apple are the masters at recycling! But with MacBook Neo being insanely popular, the stock of those binned chips will run out before demand gets satisfied.
Prior to the dilemma posed by this runaway success, Apple was only planning to have suppliers build a new Neo next year, powered by the current generation of binned A19 Pro chips, I am told…
Leaving all that demand on the table is a painful prospect for Apple executives, but going back for another round would risk killing the sweet profit margins it enjoyed on making a device with “effectively free” chips.
MacDailyNews Take: Take the margin hit (there’s certainly enough headroom built-in to absorb more expensive chips) and keep selling Macs like hotcakes, Apple! The company would be smart to play the long game in which more Mac users not only benefits Apple services in recurring fashion, but also creates halo sales of high-margin iPhones, iPads, AirPods, HomePods, Apple TVs, etc.
With Apple’s new run of A18 Pro chips from TSMC, they could create a “MacBook Neo Plus” in an exclusive new color (space black) for 6-GPU A18 Pros, only offer a 512GB config, and sell it at a higher price ($799) in order to help mitigate the margin hit. Use any binned 5 GPU chips produced from the new run (and disable the 6th GPU core of the others as needed) to satisfy demand for the regular MacBook Neo.
Resorting to just saying “sold out” of MacBook Neo units until the next model would be a huge mistake.
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