Apple News
Apple just made it easier for people to become customers
Apple bucked the industry trend of rising hardware prices this week by launching several affordable new products, catching Wall Street and consumers off guard.
Amid a backdrop of escalating costs across the tech sector, Apple introduced the entry-level iPhone 17e on Monday and the budget-friendly MacBook Neo on Wednesday — moves that have stunned analysts and delighted shoppers alike.
Apple has just made it easier for people to become customers.
Angela Palumbo for Barron’s:
Shareholders and consumers have wondered if Apple will raise prices further as memory costs skyrocket. Demand for memory is outpacing supply due to the need to power artificial intelligence. Tech hardware companies like HP Inc. and Dell Technologies have raised prices to offset some of these cost headwinds.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the company’s last earnings call in January that he wouldn’t want to “speculate,” on whether or not Apple would be raising prices.
It’s because of this backdrop that the launch of several new products from Apple this week has shocked Wall Street and consumers.”
“The MacBook Neo is one of the most important announcements for Apple in the Mac product line and represents a shift in the history of the Mac,” Francisco Jeronimo, VP for Data and Analytics at IDC, wrote on Wednesday. “Apple is aggressively aiming to grow market share while expanding the ecosystem.”
These device announcements also prove that Apple is in a strong position to handle a volatile cost environment, says Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani.
“We think investors are underappreciating how well AAPL is perhaps managing through the memory inflation issue and, critically, how recent product launches demonstrate its ability to offset these pressures,” Daryanani wrote on Thursday. He rates Apple as Outperform with a $330 price target.
MacDailyNews Take: Think different®. When all others are raising prices, it’s time to grow market share (and further feed services)!
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Why Apple named its new budget-friendly laptop ‘MacBook Neo’
In a new interview with TechRadar, Apple Director of Mac Product Marketing Colleen Novielli explained the unconventional “Neo” naming choice, emphasizing its playful and approachable vibe that matches the product’s fresh, budget-friendly spirit.
Lance Ulanoff for TechRadar:
“We wanted something that felt fun and friendly, and fresh, and felt like it really suited the spirit of this product,” Colleen Novielli, Director, Mac Product Marketing at Apple, told me shortly after the launch event.
The idea was to come up with a name that projected youth and energy, rather like the MacBook Neo colors, which mostly leave subtly behind.
It’s also a distinctive name that sets not just this MacBook but most of Apple’s other products apart from it, yet I couldn’t help but ponder, say, an ultra-affordable iPad Neo or a budget iPhone Neo.
When I asked Novielli about it, while prefacing it with the acknowledgement that she probably couldn’t answer, she smiled, “You were right that I can’t answer that.”
MacDailyNews Take: “Neo” whispers “new,” instantly setting it apart as the lively, accessible entry-level Mac that feels more like a fresh start than a watered-down Air. In a sea of boring budget laptops, it’s the one that actually looks excited to be here. Another Apple marketing win!
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Apple VP John Ternus on CEO succession: ‘I love the job I have’
Amid ongoing speculation that Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus is the frontrunner to succeed CEO Tim Cook when the longtime leader eventually steps aside, the executive offered a grounded response during a recent interview following the company’s MacBook Neo announcement.
Kelly McCarthy for ABC News:
John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, sat down with ABC News’ Elizabeth Schulze for an exclusive interview after the new product reveal to discuss the tech specs, including built-in AI features, as well the future of the company.
“We saw an opportunity here to really just reach a lot more people than we ever have before,” Ternus said. “[The MacBook Neo is] solid, it’s reliable, it’s durable, it’s all the things you want a Mac to be. And yeah, that’s an amazing price point.”
While some consumers have wondered what took Apple so long to bring a less expensive product to the market, Ternus said the company “didn’t want to do it until we could do it really, really well and build a Mac that we were proud of.”
“That’s why the bar is high,” he added.
Thinking ahead about his future with the company, Ternus addressed speculation about Apple CEO Tim Cook choosing him as his successor when he eventually decides to step aside.
“Well, the good news is, I love the job I have,” Ternus started. “I get to work with the most amazing people in the world, and on days like today when we’ve announced all these products, it is the best place to be.”
MacDailyNews Take: It’s a graceful non-answer, textbook corporate/executive communication: Stay positive, stay on-brand, avoid fueling speculation, but never close the door nor create expectations. Ternus’ artfully sidestep keeps the door cracked open for future possibilities while politely refusing to walk through it today.
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Apple TV announces new docuseries ‘Twisted Yoga,’ premiering March 13th
Apple TV has announced a new three-part true crime docuseries titled “Twisted Yoga,” set to premiere globally on March 13, 2026.
The series comes from acclaimed filmmakers at Lightbox Entertainment, in association with Ladywell Films. It is produced by two-time Academy Award-winning producer Simon Chinn (known for “Man on Wire” and “Searching for Sugar Man”), Emmy Award winner Jonathan Chinn (“Tina,” “LA 92”), Suzanne Lavery (“Curse of the Chippendales,” “The Diamond Heist”), and Bernadette Higgins (“The Tinder Swindler,” “American Nightmare”). Rowan Deacon (“Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story,” “How to Die: Simon’s Choice”) directs the project. Simon Chinn, Jonathan Chinn, Lavery, and Higgins serve as executive producers.
“Twisted Yoga” explores the experiences of young yoga students from around the world who were initially attracted to the ancient practice in search of inner peace and purpose. They became involved with an international network of yoga studios led by reclusive Romanian “guru” Gregorian Bivolaru, which specialized in tantric rituals.
“Twisted Yoga” follows a group of young yoga students from around the world drawn to the ancient practice in search of inner peace and purpose, only to fall under the influence of reclusive Romanian “guru” Gregorian Bivolaru, the spiritual leader of an international network of yoga studios specializing in tantric rituals. As they begin to fear they’ve joined a cult, they discover that Bivolaru, who often summoned select female students to his Paris apartment for private initiations, has a dark past. Bivolaru now faces charges in France, including human trafficking, kidnapping and rape — allegations he denies — as these women work with French authorities to convict him.
The docuseries features firsthand accounts from former members who speak out about their journeys from seeking wellness and community to fearing they had entered a cult, and their efforts to seek justice for alleged abuse and manipulation by the self-styled guru.
Apple TV simultaneously unveiled a trailer for the series ahead of its debut:
“Twisted Yoga” will be available to stream with all three episodes launching on premiere day. Apple TV continues to expand its lineup of original documentaries and true crime content, available on the Apple TV app across devices in over 100 countries.
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 TV debuts trailer for hit series ‘Your Friends & Neighbors’ season two
Apple TV has released the official trailer for the second season of its critically acclaimed drama “Your Friends & Neighbors,” starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm. The 10-episode season is set to premiere globally on Apple TV on Friday, April 3, 2026, with the first episode dropping that day, followed by one new episode weekly through Friday, June 5, 2026.
Created by bestselling author Jonathan Tropper, who serves as showrunner, director, and executive producer through Tropper Ink under his overall deal with Apple TV, the series follows Andrew “Coop” Cooper (Hamm), a disgraced hedge fund manager turned unlikely suburban thief. In season two, Coop doubles down on his secret criminal life until the arrival of a mysterious new neighbor puts his family and hidden activities at risk.
The sophomore season introduces Emmy Award nominee James Marsden as the enigmatic newcomer, joining returning cast members Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, Hoon Lee, Mark Tallman, Lena Hall, Aimee Carrero, Eunice Bae, Isabel Gravitt, and Donovan Colan.
The show has already earned an early renewal for a third season. Critics have praised “Your Friends & Neighbors” as “funny, sexy, emotional, and good to look at” and for its “great mix of crime, human complexity, and a splash of dark humor — all woven into one series.”
“Your Friends & Neighbors” is produced by Apple Studios. Executive producers include Tropper, Hamm, Connie Tavel, Craig Gillespie, Jamie Rosengard, Lori Keith Douglas, and Stephanie Laing, with Laing directing six episodes.
Apple TV continues to deliver premium original content, including drama, comedy, films, documentaries, and family programming, available worldwide across various devices. Since its 2019 launch, the service has garnered significant acclaim, with Apple Originals earning hundreds of awards and nominations.
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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Formula 1 begins this weekend, exclusively on Apple TV in America
Starting this weekend, Apple TV subscribers in America can watch all Formula 1 practice, qualifying, and Sprint sessions, along with races, as the 2026 season roars into gear.
Apple TV is the place to watch every 2026 Formula 1 Grand Prix live and on demand — including all practice, qualifying, and Sprint sessions, along with races — all season long.
The 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship begins this weekend on Apple TV with the FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026. As the new exclusive American home of Formula 1, Apple TV is the place to watch every Grand Prix live and on demand — including all practice, qualifying, and Sprint sessions, along with races — all season long.
The FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026 airs Saturday, March 7, at 8 p.m. PT on Apple TV, with all sessions available to stream live and on demand. Fans can follow Formula 1 on Apple TV and explore an extensive collection of curated programming at apple.co/f1onappletv.
“This weekend marks the start of a new era for Formula 1 fans in America,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, in a statement. “We’re excited to bring every moment of the season to Apple TV, delivering an immersive experience designed entirely around fans. Formula 1’s growth in America has been extraordinary, and we’re proud to build on that momentum — combining the power of Apple TV with the broader Apple ecosystem to create even more ways for fans to connect with the sport.”
“As we begin this exciting chapter for our sport with new teams, cars, engines, and drivers, it is the perfect time to welcome Apple as our broadcaster in the United States,” said Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1’s president and CEO, in a statement. “We have an important journey ahead of us, one we’ll share in a country where the passion for F1 continues to grow with extraordinary energy. We are two global brands with the same ambition: to always strive for excellence, to boldly innovate, and to deliver thrilling experiences. I am sure our American fans will appreciate not only the intensity and spectacle of our races, but also the quality and coverage they’ll have available. Throughout the season, they’ll be able to experience every moment on Apple TV, feeling even closer to the action, the teams, and the protagonists of this unique sport.”
The Best Way to Watch Formula 1 in AmericaViewers tuning in to F1 will enjoy a true front-row experience, with comprehensive coverage and analysis, expansive programming, and every Grand Prix with 5.1 surround sound — and, for the first time ever for F1 viewers, in stunning 4K with Dolby Vision.
Viewers tuning in to F1 will enjoy a true front-row experience, with comprehensive coverage and analysis, expansive programming, and every Grand Prix with 5.1 surround sound — and, for the first time ever for F1 viewers, in stunning 4K with Dolby Vision.
Coverage of every Grand Prix will feature English and Spanish commentary, along with access to up to 30 additional live feeds across all sessions. These include Driver Tracker for a bird’s-eye view of the race; real-time telemetry and timing; a mixed onboard feed that automatically switches between onboard cameras as the race unfolds; and Podium feeds that dynamically follow the drivers running in P1, P2, and P3 throughout.
Viewers can follow every moment of the race with a Multiview experience, watching up to four live feeds at once.
Viewers can follow every moment of the race with a Multiview experience.
Viewers will also have access to Sky Sports broadcasts, providing another way to enjoy every race weekend.
Apple TV subscribers can explore curated collections of programming covering everything they need to know heading into the 2026 season, including rule changes, new cars, team updates, the full race calendar, and the most exciting moments from last season. If they miss a session, they can catch up anytime with full replays, highlights, and Race in 30 — all spoiler-free.
F1 TV Premium — Formula 1’s premier direct-to-consumer offering — remains available exclusively in America through Apple TV and is included at no additional cost for subscribers. On Apple TV, iPad, and iPhone, subscribers can also access Formula 2, Formula 3, F1 ACADEMY, and Porsche Supercup events through the F1 TV app using their Apple TV subscription.
Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive Comes to Apple TV in America
For the first time, Formula 1: Drive to Survive will be available to stream on both Netflix and Apple TV, as Season 8 takes viewers through the thrills, shake-ups, and triumphs of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship.
Whether the viewer is a casual fan who fell in love with Formula 1 through Drive to Survive or a die-hard enthusiast tuning in to each race weekend throughout the year, they’ll find even more ways to engage with the sport through this collaboration between Apple TV and Netflix. Released just last week ahead of the 2026 F1 season, this latest chapter gives fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the 2025 campaign — a year that saw plenty of action unfold both on and off the track.
Drive to Survive will be available for American fans to enjoy with an Apple TV subscription throughout the entire season. Additionally, the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2026, beginning May 22, will stream on Apple TV and Netflix in America.
More Ways to Celebrate Formula 1
• Fans can follow their favorite teams and drivers all season long with the free Apple Sports app for iPhone. Designed for speed and simplicity, the app puts favorite leagues and teams front and center, with real-time leaderboards, driver and constructor standings, and live updates for every practice, qualifying, and Sprint session, along with races — all with quick access to watch live on Apple TV. With Live Activities, Apple Sports delivers real-time updates to the iPhone Lock Screen and Apple Watch, and upcoming races can be scheduled in advance so fans never miss a moment. Game Card Sharing lets fans share their excitement for any Grand Prix. Fans can also follow Formula 1 across Apple TV, Apple Sports, and Apple News with My Sports, delivering a seamless experience across supported apps.
For select races, including the upcoming FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026, Maps is adding detailed circuit maps with turn numbers, grandstands, and custom-designed 3D landmarks like the F1 pit building.
• Apple Maps users and F1 fans can explore custom Grand Prix details coming to select races around the globe this year, including the upcoming FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026. Maps is adding detailed circuit maps with turn numbers, grandstands, and custom-designed 3D landmarks like the F1 pit building. For fans attending in person, Maps makes it easy to get around, with useful information like event entry gates, road closures, updated transit schedules, pedestrian walkways, and more. F1 fans can learn about all 24 Grand Prix circuits with the 2026 Formula 1 Tracks Around the World Guide directly in Maps, and users attending the Australian Grand Prix can also discover some of Melbourne’s best cafés, museums, and nightlife through a custom Hyperlocal guide in Maps.
For select races, including the upcoming FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026, Maps is adding detailed circuit maps with turn numbers, grandstands, and custom-designed 3D landmarks like the F1 pit building.
• Starting with the Australian Grand Prix, Apple Music will feature free live audio broadcasts of the races, offering a great way for American fans to catch the broadcast commentary live while on the go. It will also highlight The Sounds of Formula 1, a destination where fans can find music to soundtrack the season, as well as Formula 1: Sounds of the Circuit, a playlist that spotlights the deep connection between music and the circuit. Apple Music subscribers can additionally explore driver-curated playlists — including playlists by Red Bull Racing driver Isack Hadjar and by Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman — along with exclusive DJ mixes by top DJs like Anna Lunoe dropping throughout the season. Additional content will roll out in the F1 dedicated space. Fans can also enjoy an exclusive conversation with four-time, consecutive Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion Max Verstappen and Apple Music Radio host Ebro Darden. The interview explores the global superstar’s past, present, and future, as well as what fans can expect heading into the 2026 season. Watch the interview on Apple TV’s YouTube channel and on Apple TV.
• When fans follow Formula 1 on Apple News, their interests also sync seamlessly across Apple TV and Apple Sports. In Apple News, fans will get access to personalized Formula 1 coverage from leading publishers, including The Athletic, ESPN, and Motor Sport, as well as highlights from F1 and live blogs for each race from The Athletic. Fans can also opt in to timely notifications so they never miss major headlines, breaking news, or race results throughout the season. And coming later this season, Apple News will give fans a real-time glimpse of the action happening on the track with Live Look In. With Live Look In, fans catching up on the latest headlines and coverage will be able to simply tap to jump straight into F1 on the Apple TV app.
• Apple Podcasts is bringing Formula 1 fans closer to the action with enhanced curation and a new dedicated Formula 1 collection. The experience puts fans at the center of the sport, featuring top Formula 1 official podcasts like F1 Nation, the popular show with race reactions and expert commentary; and F1 Beyond The Grid, which delivers weekly deep-dive interviews with drivers and team principals. This curated destination makes it easier than ever for racing enthusiasts to stay connected to the world of Formula 1, all in one place.
MacDailyNews Note: F1 on Apple TV is available in America on the Apple TV app on 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, eligible customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free. Visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.
More Ways to Watch
Apple TV is working to bring more ways to watch F1 to even more fans and screens in the U.S.
• For the first time ever, Apple is working with the popular free streaming service Tubi to offer its audience exclusive live F1 altcasts for multiple races during the 2026 Formula 1 season — available for free and across every device in the U.S. The altcasts will feature top creators who are experts on the sport to provide sharp race insight paired with entertaining commentary. Tubi is the second-largest free AVOD service in reaching users age 18+, and this programming is designed to expand F1’s appeal and broaden access for new, younger, and more digitally native audiences. The supported races with live F1 altcasts will be announced at a later date.
• Apple will expand access to live Formula 1 coverage through a new streaming collaboration with Yahoo Sports. Live practice sessions and qualifying sessions will stream in the U.S. across the Yahoo Sports platform. Coverage of practice sessions will feature Apple TV’s main broadcast feed coverage, and qualifying sessions will offer a mixed onboard feed that switches between driver cameras throughout the race to provide a dynamic, multi-angle view of the action. With more than 100 million monthly active users in the U.S., Yahoo Sports offers significant reach to connect even more fans to the sport.
• Through a new collaboration, Apple and TelevisaUnivision are expanding the Spanish-language reach of Formula 1 in the U.S. Univision, the leading television network for Hispanic audiences, will simulcast one race (to be announced), with dedicated pre- and post-race programming. In addition, TelevisaUnivision will promote Apple TV’s F1 coverage throughout the season across its multiplatform ecosystem, including highlights on studio programs La Jugada and Contacto Deportivo.
• IMAX is working with Apple TV to bring the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship live to select IMAX theaters across the U.S., amplifying the inaugural season of Apple TV as the official U.S. broadcaster for F1. Five of the most iconic Grands Prix in F1 — Miami, Monaco, Silverstone, Monza, and Austin — will be available across at least 50 IMAX theaters nationwide.
• DIRECTV customers now have access to Apple TV’s live sports programming — including F1 in the U.S., MLS matches, and “Friday Night Baseball” — all available directly inside their homes, on the go, or at any of the 300,000-plus sports bars, restaurants, hotels, and other commercial venues served by DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS. Anyone who subscribes to Apple TV through DIRECTV can discover and watch Apple TV’s live sports directly within their DIRECTV experience.
• EverPass is offering commercial establishments access to stream Apple TV’s complete live sports portfolio — including F1 in the U.S., MLS, and “Friday Night Baseball” — available to new and existing EverPass customers through the EverPass Core package.
• Comcast is offering Xfinity customers an integrated viewing experience for Apple TV’s live sports. Customers who subscribe to Apple TV through Xfinity will have seamless access to F1 in the U.S., “Friday Night Baseball” games, and all MLS matches in English and Spanish. Apple TV’s coverage will be directly integrated into the Xfinity X1 and the Xfinity Stream app channel guide so customers can easily find and watch Apple TV coverage alongside their other live sports. Additionally, the integration means Xfinity customers can now enjoy Apple TV’s live coverage through X1’s popular viewing features like Xfinity Multiview, making it easy to follow the action of F1, MLB, and MLS while watching other live sports at the same time.
• Roku customers in the U.S. can now subscribe to Apple TV through Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel to access all F1 races and all of Apple TV’s titles in one seamless experience.
• Prime Video customers in the U.S. can access F1 races by subscribing to Apple TV, which includes Apple TV original programming and live sports.
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Trendforce projects MacBook Neo sales of 4–5 million units in 2026
Following the unveiling of the all-new MacBook Neo, TrendForce forecasts Apple’s notebook shipments will grow 7.7% YoY in 2026, pushing macOS market share to 13.2%, fueled by the company’s downward extension of price tiers, proactive pricing strategy, and strong supply chain control when compared to peers. Shipments of the MacBook Neo alone could reach 4–5 million units this year, TrendForce forecasts.
TrendForce:
TrendForce’s latest projections estimate that global notebook shipments will decline 9.2% YoY in 2026, with the possibility of deeper contraction should demand remain weak. Amid simultaneous shortages and price increases in memory and CPUs—factors prompting most notebook brands to streamline product lines and adopt cautious inventory strategies—Apple has taken the opposite approach by introducing an entry-level notebook, the MacBook Neo, at a starting price of US$599.
The new model targets the $500–800 mainstream segment, which is commonly associated with education and general productivity notebooks. This highlights Apple’s clear ambition to broaden its product lineup and expand its ecosystem reach
If the MacBook Neo successfully penetrates the entry-level segment, it could not only offset the broader industry downturn but also reshape the pricing structure and competitive landscape of the global notebook market.
TrendForce notes that Apple’s ability to launch a lower-priced device despite rising component costs largely stems from its strong supply chain control. First, its in-house Apple Silicon processors reduce reliance on external CPU suppliers, giving Apple greater flexibility in capacity allocation and cost negotiations. Second, Apple’s highly standardized product specifications, streamlined development pipeline, and concentrated memory configurations enable larger purchasing volumes and stronger long-term contract bargaining power.
In contrast, Windows ecosystem brands typically maintain more fragmented product portfolios with diverse memory and processor configurations, making it more difficult to manage inventory and cost risks during periods of component price volatility.
MacDailyNews Take: Yup. As we wrote nearly two decades ago (gack!):
Apple’s control of the whole widget (hardware+operating system] guarantees as seamless an experience as possible for Mac users. Those using Windows have no such guarantee. Over time, no matter how little you value your time, the Apple Mac is less expensive than Windows, even if it did cost a little more upfront. The more you value your time, the quicker the Mac saves you money versus Windows. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is perhaps the most overlooked idea by the vast majority of PC buyers. It’s as close to all-important an idea as you can get when it comes to purchasing decisions, yet it somehow goes completely ignored by most people! Control of the whole widget always was, and still is, one of Apple’s main advantages. – MacDailyNews, April 30, 2006
Historically, Apple has focused on the mid-to-high-end notebook segment, with most MacBook models priced above $999. The introduction of the MacBook Neo marks Apple’s official move to expand its product pyramid downward. By entering the entry-level segment, Apple can not only fill a key pricing gap but also establish brand loyalty among students and early-career professionals at an earlier stage.
Beyond boosting hardware sales, the new model is expected to expand the macOS user base, which in turn supports long-term growth in services such as the App Store, iCloud, and Apple Music, reinforcing Apple’s broader monetization strategy through its ecosystem.
The MacBook Neo’s starting price is significantly lower than previous MacBook models and directly targets mainstream Windows notebooks. As competitors are forced to raise prices due to rising component costs, Apple is opting to sacrifice some margin in exchange for greater market share and user growth. The competitively priced device could attract more price-sensitive consumers and potentially give Apple an advantage in education procurement tenders.
MacDailyNews Take: Sales of 4–5 million MacBook Neo units in 2026 is way too low. Apple will sell at least 7 million MacBook Neo units in 2026 and it could easily climb to 10 million (or more) more depending on the efficacy of its education sales team.
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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
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Apple’s MacBook Neo offers premium build quality at a remarkably lower price
Apple has previously offered more affordable products, such as the $329 and $349 iPad models as well as the former $429 iPhone SE. However, this marks the first time Apple has applied a similar budget-conscious approach to a portable Mac; one that retains Apple’s famous build quality.
The new MacBook Neo starts at $599 for the base configuration with 256GB of storage (lacking a Touch ID sensor), while the upgraded version with Touch ID and 512GB of storage is priced at $699. Both options are available to education customers at a $100 discount.
Andrew Cunningham for Ars Technica:
We had a chance to poke at a MacBook Neo for a while at Apple’s “special experience” event in New York this morning, and what I can tell you is that this does feel like an Apple laptop despite the lower starting price. It definitely has some spec sheet shortcomings, even compared to older M3 or M4 MacBook Airs that you still might be able to get at a discount from third-party retailers or Apple’s refurbished site… But it’s priced low enough to (1) appeal to people who might not have considered a Mac before, and (2) to make some of its borderline specs feel reasonable, and that’s enough to keep it interesting.
The Neo is a flat rectangular slab of aluminum with softly rounded edges, more like the current Airs and Pros than the wedge-shaped design of the old M1 Air (also like modern Airs, the words “MacBook Neo” appear nowhere on the exterior of the computer—the name only exists in stores and in software)… [H]olding and interacting with the Neo feels substantially the same as interacting with an Air. It is, however, slightly thicker—an even 0.5 inches, up from 0.44 inches for the M4 Air… [T]he typing feel is similar to the Air, and we’re told the scissor switches have the same amount of key travel as the switches in the Air keyboards.
The multi-touch trackpad is a little weirder. It looks a lot like Apple’s other trackpads, but it actually has a physical clicking mechanism rather than the haptic feedback Apple has used in its laptop trackpads and Magic Trackpads for years. That means there’s no Force Click functionality and no controls for adjusting the firmness or noisiness of the clicking sensation… but, aside from the missing haptics, it seems to work just as well as Apple’s other trackpads…
MacDailyNews Take: As Steve Jobs said back in August 200, “We can’t ship junk. There are thresholds we can’t cross because of who we are. The difference is, we don’t offer stripped-down, lousy products.”
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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
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‘Physical’ and ‘Imperfect Women’ creator Annie Weisman inks first-look deal with Apple TV
Annie Weisman, creator of “Physical” and “Imperfect Women,” has signed a new multi-year first-look deal with Apple TV.
The agreement gives the streamer first priority on any new series projects Weisman develops. It represents a continued partnership with Apple TV, where she previously held an overall deal several years ago.
Rick Porter for The Hollywood Reporter:
The deal comes a couple weeks before Imperfect Women, starring Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, and Kate Mara, premieres on Apple TV. The series, based on a novel by Araminta Hall, delves into a crime that shatters a long-standing friendship among the three lead characters. Weisman adapted Hall’s novel and serves as showrunner; it’s set to premiere March 18.
Weisman also created Physical for Apple TV. The critically acclaimed series stars Rose Byrne as a woman who finds her calling in the 1980s aerobics boom. It ran for three seasons and earned two Emmy nominations.
MacDailyNews Take: Congratulations to Weisman!
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Apple’s MacBook Neo will supercharge MacBook Air sales
Apple’s MacBook Neo, priced at $599 (or an irresistible $499 for education buyers), isn’t a threat to the MacBook Air, it’s the perfect on-ramp that will drive more Air sales over time. Far from cannibalizing higher-margin models, the Neo expands Apple’s total Mac user base and sets up natural upgrades to the Air through deliberate, smart segmentation.
Apple’s all-new MacBook NeoThe Neo is engineered as a high-volume device aimed squarely at the sub-$600 market: students, families, first-time Mac buyers, and switchers from Chromebooks or cheapo Windows PC laptops. It delivers premium touches—aluminum build, Liquid Retina display, fanless A18 Pro chip, 16-hour battery life, full macOS Tahoe, and Apple Intelligence at a price no competitor can match with comparable quality. This pulls millions into the Apple ecosystem who might never have considered a Mac otherwise.
But Apple didn’t make the Neo a watered-down Air, the company created key compromises keep it distinct and create clear upgrade paths:
• 8GB unified memory (fixed, no upgrade option) vs. 16GB standard on the Air M5
• A18 Pro (mobile-derived, excellent for everyday tasks) vs. full desktop-class M5 with more cores and better sustained performance
Base 256GB storage, no Touch ID on the lowest-priced config, limited ports (MacBook Neo features two USB-C ports: USB 3 (left) and USB 2 (right). External display connectivity supported on left USB 3 port only), and fewer premium perks (no MagSafe, no keyboard backlighting)
• The Air retains brighter/wider-gamut display, Thunderbolt support, consistent premium build, and connecting up to two external displays, including Studio Display
These differences shine for light-to-moderate use such as browsing, streaming, docs, basic AI, but become obvious limitations as workloads grow: college projects ramp up, creative apps enter the picture, or users want future-proofing. That’s when the MacBook Air (starting at $1,099 with 16GB/512GB base after recent updates) becomes the natural, irresistible next step.
Once users are hooked on macOS — Continuity, Handoff, iPhone Mirroring, Apple Intelligence, and seamless services — upgrading will feel like enhancement, not replacement. The Neo acts as the gateway: capture the low end to grow the ecosystem, defend against cheap rivals, then funnel growing users upward to higher-margin Air (and eventually MacBook Pro) models.
History backs this up: M1-era entry points expanded the Mac audience without shrinking premium demand. Ahead of release, analysts projected the Neo could add 5–7 million units annually to Apple’s lineup, feeding the pipeline rather than draining it.
So, the MacBook Neo isn’t competition for the Air, it’s the feeder road that leads buyers straight to it. More new Mac users today means more Air upgrades tomorrow. The Neo doesn’t steal sales, it supercharges them.
MacDailyNews Take: Imagine this scenario in an Apple Store soon: A budget-conscious shopper (perhaps a student, parent, or first-time Mac buyer) heads straight to the dedicated MacBook Neo table, drawn by the eye-catching $599 price tag and cool colors. They open the lid, marvel at the premium aluminum feel, test the Liquid Retina display for crisp browsing, and type on the Magic Keyboard, feeling the instant appeal of macOS Tahoe and Apple Intelligence features at half the cost of competitors.
But, then they wander over to the MacBook Air display nearby and start comparing side-by-side. The Air’s brighter, wider-gamut screen pops more vividly; the backlit keyboard and haptic trackpad feel noticeably more refined; the two Thunderbolt 4 ports (vs. Neo’s mixed USB 3/USB 2) promise faster transfers and better external display support; and the Apple store person casually mentions the standard 16GB unified memory (double the Neo’s fixed 8GB) for smoother multitasking as apps and AI tools demand more. Suddenly, the $500 gap feels less like an expense and more like an investment in future-proofing (especially when the shopper imagines handling college projects, light editing, or family photo libraries without hitting limits).
In minutes, what started as a “just checking out the cheap one” visit turns into an upsell: They walk out with a MacBook Air instead, hooked by the tangible premium upgrades right in front of them. Apple’s segmentation shines here as the Neo lures them in with unbeatable entry-level value, but the in-store hands-on comparison naturally nudges many toward the Air for that extra capability and polish they didn’t realize they wanted until they saw and felt it.
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Video: Going hands-on with Apple’s all-new MacBook Neo
Apple today unveiled the all-new, budget-friendly MacBook Neo. Media members got hands-on time with the new laptop and other Apple products at launch events held in New York, Shanghai, and London. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera attended the New York event, where he checked out the MacBook Neo up close along with other new hardware, including the Studio Display XDR.
The MacBook Neo looks and feels a lot like the MacBook Air, because it’s almost the same size and has an aluminum chassis. It’s thicker than the MacBook Air, but it has a 13-inch display, and it also weighs 2.7 pounds.
There is no notch, with Apple instead adopting an iPad-style design with thicker bezels that house the front-facing camera. Speakers are located on the exterior sides of the device, which is new, and Spatial Audio is supported. The MacBook Neo has a bit of a cheaper feel compared to the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro because of the thicker bezels and the changes to the trackpad, but it is still an excellent machine for the price.
MacDailyNews Take: MacBook Neo might just be the perfect road Mac.
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Apple’s MacBook Neo just made Chromebooks obsolete
By SteveJack
Apple’s MacBook Neo, isn’t just another laptop — it’s a calculated strike at the heart of the affordable computing market. Unveiled on Wednesday, this $599 powerhouse (dropping to just $499 for education buyers) packs Apple’s signature polish into a price point that’s going to hurt the cheap Chromebook market.
For years, Chromebooks have dominated schools, budget-conscious families, and small businesses with their simplicity, low cost, and cloud-centric approach. But with the MacBook Neo’s debut, Chrome OS devices might finally be facing an existential threat. Here’s why Google’s ecosystem could be in serious trouble.
First off, let’s talk performance. Chromebooks have long been the go-to for basic tasks like web browsing, streaming, and light productivity, often powered by entry-level Intel or ARM chips. The MacBook Neo, however, flips the script with its powerful A18 Pro chip, featuring a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine.
The A18 Pro is up to 50% faster for everyday tasks compared to a bestselling PC with an Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, and a whopping 3x faster for AI workloads like photo editing in Adobe Photoshop.
This isn’t just spec-sheet bravado; MacBook Neo is a fan-free machine that runs silently while handling multitasking, creative hobbies, and even demanding apps without breaking a sweat. Chromebooks, even the premium ones, often struggle with heavier loads or resort to noisy fans. In a world where users increasingly expect seamless AI features — like Apple’s on-device Writing Tools or Live Translation — the Neo’s Neural Engine ensures privacy-focused intelligence that Chrome OS simply can’t match at this level without relying on cloud processing, which raises security concerns.
Then there’s the build and battery life, where the MacBook Neo elevates the budget segment to premium heights. Weighing just 2.7 pounds and encased in durable aluminum with fun colors, it’s a far cry from the plastic-heavy designs of many Chromebooks.
MacBook Neo comes in four colors: (from top left) Blush, Citrus, Indigo, and Silver.
The 13-inch Liquid Retina display boasts 500 nits of brightness and support for a billion colors, outshining the dimmer, lower-res screens on most sub-$600 Chrome OS laptops. And with up to 16 hours of battery life on a single charge—tested on wireless web browsing or HD video streaming, the Neo promises all-day endurance that budget Chromebooks often promise but rarely deliver consistently.
But the real killer app here, beyond macOS, of course, is the ecosystem integration. If you’re already in Apple’s orbit—say, with an iPhone — the MacBook Neo becomes an irresistible upgrade. Features like iPhone Mirroring, Handoff, and Universal Clipboard make switching between devices effortless, turning your laptop into an extension of your phone.
Chromebooks shine in Google’s world with seamless Chrome sync and Android app support, but they lack this level of cross-device magic unless you’re all-in on me-too Android. For the over one billion iPhone users (especially students and families, the Neo’s prime targets), dipping into macOS Tahoe at this price means access to a full desktop OS with built-in apps like Pages and Safari, plus easy compatibility with third-party staples like Excel or Canva.
Chrome OS feels increasingly limited by comparison — it’s adequate for the web, but the Neo offers a true computing experience without the compromises.
Of course, Chromebooks aren’t going extinct overnight. Their rock-bottom prices (starting under $300) and ease of management make them staples in education and enterprise. But the MacBook Neo targets the same crowd — students, small business owners, and first-time Mac users — with a value proposition that’s impossible to ignore.
At $599, it’s Apple’s most affordable laptop ever, undercutting previous MacBooks while delivering superior hardware and software. If Apple can scale production and availability (pre-orders start today, with shipping on March 11), expect a market shift. Chromebook makers like Acer, Lenovo, and HP aren’t going to sleep well tonight.
In the end, the MacBook Neo isn’t just competing; it’s redefining what “budget” means in laptops. Chromebooks have enjoyed a free ride in this niche, but Apple just forced a reckoning. If history is any guide, when Apple disrupts a category, the competition doesn’t fare well.
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer, and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
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Apple unveils all-new MacBook Neo starting at just $599
Apple today unveiled MacBook Neo, 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.
With its beautiful and durable aluminum design, stunning Liquid Retina display, Apple silicon-powered performance, all-day battery life, and more, the all-new MacBook Neo delivers the magic of the Mac experience at a breakthrough price.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 browsing1 and up to 3x faster when running on-device AI workloads like applying advanced effects to photos, compared to the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5.
MacBook Neo
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. MacBook Neo is available to pre-order starting today, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11th.
“We’re incredibly excited to introduce MacBook Neo, which delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, in a statement. “Built from the ground up to be more affordable for even more people, MacBook Neo is a laptop only Apple could create. It features a durable aluminum design in four beautiful colors; a brilliant Liquid Retina display; Apple silicon-powered performance; all-day battery life; a high-quality camera, mics, and speakers; a Magic Keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad; and the intuitive and powerful features of macOS. There is simply no other laptop like it.”
MacBook Neo weighs just 2.7 pounds.Beautiful and Durable Aluminum Design
MacBook Neo features a beautifully crafted aluminum design that’s built to last. With its soft, rounded corners, MacBook Neo looks elegant while feeling solid and comfortable to hold. At just 2.7 pounds, it’s also easy to carry in a backpack or handbag. Bringing a fun touch of personality and style to everyday computing, MacBook Neo comes in a spectrum of four gorgeous colors: blush, indigo, silver, and citrus. These colors extend to the Magic Keyboard in lighter shades and new wallpapers, creating a cohesive design aesthetic and making MacBook Neo the most colorful MacBook yet.
The 13-inch Liquid Retina display on MacBook Neo brings to life sharp, crystal-clear text and vibrant images.
Stunning 13-Inch Liquid Retina Display
A gorgeous 13-inch Liquid Retina display features a 2408-by-1506 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and support for 1 billion colors, bringing to life sharp, crystal-clear text and vibrant images. The display is both brighter and higher in resolution than most PC laptops in this price range, putting it in a class of its own. Finally, an anti-reflective coating provides a comfortable viewing experience in a variety of lighting conditions, allowing users to watch movies, edit photos, or take video calls from anywhere.
A18 Pro features a 5-core GPU to facilitate smooth performance for everything from FaceTime calls to casual gameplay.Apple Silicon-Powered Performance
At the heart of MacBook Neo is A18 Pro, enabling users to power through things they do every day, like browsing the web, creating documents, streaming content, editing photos, and taking advantage of AI. Users can seamlessly work between their favorite apps, like Messages, WhatsApp, Canva, Excel, Safari, and more. MacBook Neo with A18 Pro is up to 50 percent faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5.1 And for more demanding activities, it’s up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads2 and up to 2x faster for tasks like photo editing.4 The integrated 5-core GPU brings graphics to life while playing action-packed games or exploring creative hobbies. And a 16-core Neural Engine supports fast on-device Apple Intelligence features and everyday AI tasks like summarizing notes in Bear or using the Clean Up tool in the Photos app, while ensuring user data stays private and secure. MacBook Neo is also fanless, so it runs completely silent.
iPhone 17e, iPad Air, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro…
And now, say hello to the all-new MacBook Neo!
We’re so excited to bring the magic of Mac to even more people around the world. pic.twitter.com/z2w4RmShRO
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 4, 2026
All-Day Battery Life
Thanks to the incredible power efficiency of Apple silicon, MacBook Neo delivers up to 16 hours of battery life on a single charge.3 This makes it a perfect on-the-go companion for work or play, from the classroom to the coffee shop, and everywhere in between.
A color-matched Magic Keyboard provides a comfortable, precise typing experience, while a new Multi-Touch trackpad lets users click, scroll, swipe, and pinch anywhere on its surface.
Magic Keyboard and New Multi-Touch Trackpad
MacBook Neo features Apple’s much-loved Magic Keyboard, which provides a comfortable, precise typing experience, while a large Multi-Touch trackpad lets users click, scroll, swipe, and pinch anywhere on its surface. The MacBook Neo model with Touch ID enables easy, quick, and secure login authentication, and the ability to conveniently authorize purchases using Apple Pay.
The 1080p FaceTime HD camera delivers clear video calls in a variety of lighting conditions, and dual mics with directional beamforming isolate a user’s voice and reduce background noise.
1080p Camera; Dual Speakers and Mics
The 1080p FaceTime HD camera on MacBook Neo has optimized image processing to deliver vibrant video calls. Dual mics with directional beamforming are designed to reduce background noise and isolate a user’s voice, allowing it to come across loud and clear for an excellent video conferencing experience. And dual side-firing speakers with support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos produce immersive sound for watching a movie, listening to music, or using apps like GarageBand.
Two USB-C ports and a headphone jack let you connect a variety of accessories, transfer your data, and charge MacBook Neo.
Essential Connectivity
MacBook Neo features two USB-C ports for connecting accessories or an external display. Both ports can be used for charging. MacBook Neo also includes a headphone jack for wired audio. Wi-Fi 6E provides fast wireless connectivity, and Bluetooth 6 ensures reliable wireless connections for peripherals and accessories.
Powerful Productivity with macOS
macOS is Apple’s powerful and intuitive operating system for Mac.6 With incredible features and built-in apps like Safari, Photos, Messages, and FaceTime, macOS enables users to get started right out of the box. Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools, Live Translation, and more are deeply integrated across macOS, elevating the user experience by bringing intelligence to the apps users rely on every day.7 Advanced privacy and security also come standard, featuring industry‑leading encryption, robust virus protections, and automatic free security updates to help keep users protected.
Seamless Integration with iPhone
iPhone users can tap in to Continuity features built in to macOS to make working across iPhone and Mac a breeze. Handoff lets users start a task on MacBook Neo and continue it on iPhone, while Universal Clipboard allows users to copy and paste content between devices. With iPhone Mirroring, users can view and interact with their iPhone directly on MacBook Neo, and users switching to Mac for the first time can use iPhone to conveniently and securely transfer settings, files, photos, passwords, and more.
Built with the Environment in Mind
MacBook Neo was built from the ground up to be Apple’s lowest-carbon MacBook, and brings the company even closer to reaching its ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by 2030. It features 60 percent recycled content — the highest percentage of any Apple product.8 This includes 90 percent recycled aluminum overall and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. The enclosure is manufactured with a material-efficient forming process that uses 50 percent less aluminum compared to traditional machining methods. MacBook Neo is manufactured with 45 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain. It also meets Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. Additionally, the paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.9
Pricing and Availability
• Customers can pre-order the new MacBook Neo starting today at apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 30 countries and regions, including the U.S. It will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting Wednesday, March 11.
• MacBook Neo starts at $599 (U.S.) and $499 (U.S.) for education. It is available in four colors — blush, indigo, silver, and citrus. Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options, and accessories are available at apple.com/mac.
• With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth.
• AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new Mac, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple Experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
• Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk them through setup, or focus on features that help them make the most of their new device. Customers can also learn more about getting started and going further with their new device with a Today at Apple session at their nearest Apple Store.
• Customers in the U.S. who shop at Apple using Apple Card can pay monthly at 0 percent APR when they choose to check out with Apple Card Monthly Installments, and they’ll get 3 percent Daily Cash back — all up front. More information — including details on eligibility, exclusions, and Apple Card terms — is available at apple.com/apple-card/monthly-installments.
MacDailyNews Take: Starting at just $599?
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Big leap in Apple Silicon: M5 Pro, M5 Max fuse chiplets, add third core design
Apple today unveiled the M5 Pro and M5 Max, the latest additions to the M5 family. Traditionally, Pro and Max variants simply scale up the base chip’s design — adding more CPU cores, GPU cores, and memory bandwidth. This time, however, the M5 Pro and Max represent a major departure from previous generations, introducing Apple’s new Fusion Architecture (which fuses two chiplets into one SoC) and a revamped CPU with three distinct core types: super cores, all-new performance cores optimized for multithreaded efficiency, and the base efficiency cores.
Andrew Cunningham for Ars Technica:
Apple says that M5 Pro and M5 Max use an “all-new Fusion Architecture” that welds two silicon chiplets into a single processor. Apple has used this approach before, but historically only to combine two Max chips together into an Ultra.
Apple’s approach here is different—for example, the M5 Pro is not just a pair of M5 chips welded together. Rather, Apple has one chiplet handling the CPU and most of the I/O, and a second one that’s mainly for graphics, both built on the same 3nm TSMC manufacturing process.
The first silicon die is always the same, whether you get an M5 Pro or M5 Max. It includes the 18-core CPU, the 16-core Neural Engine, and controllers for the SSD and the Thunderbolt ports for driving displays.
The second die is where the two chips differ; the M5 Pro gets up to 20 GPU cores, a single media encoding/decoding engine, and a memory controller with up to 307 GB/s of bandwidth. The M5 Max gets up to 40 GPU cores, a pair of media encoding/decoding engines, and a memory controller that provides up to 614 GB/s of memory bandwidth (note that everything in the GPU die seems to be doubled, implying that Apple is, in fact, sticking two M5 Pro GPUs together to make one M5 Max GPU).
Apple is also introducing a third distinct type of CPU core beyond the typical “performance cores” and “efficiency cores” that were included in older M-series processors.
At the top, you have “super cores,” which is Apple’s new M5-era branding for what it used to call “performance cores.” … And now, in the middle, we have a new type of “performance core” used exclusively in the M5 Pro and M5 Max.
MacDailyNews Take: Tons more in the full article – recommended – here.
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Apple accidentally leaks ‘MacBook Neo’ in EU regulatory filing ahead of tomorrow’s expected launch
Apple appears to have prematurely revealed the name of its long-rumored budget-friendly MacBook through an accidental posting on its official regulatory compliance website. A European Union Declaration of Conformity document briefly listed an unreleased device as the “MacBook Neo” with model number A3404, before the reference was swiftly removed.
The slip-up, first spotted by MacRumors, occurred on Apple’s EU compliance page, where the PDF file itself described the product generically as a “Laptop Computer” running macOS without mentioning the “Neo” branding. However, the link text explicitly identified it as “MacBook Neo (Model A3404),” confirming the product’s existence and tentative name.Apple has since taken down the document, but mirrored images — including this one uploaded by MacRumors — preserve the details. The filing aligns with months of speculation about a lower-cost MacBook designed to sit below the MacBook Air in Apple’s laptop lineup, potentially targeting students, first-time Mac buyers, and users switching from Windows PCs or Chromebooks.
Rumors have consistently pointed to this device as the centerpiece of Apple’s spring refresh, especially as the only major anticipated product yet to debut amid recent announcements of M5-powered MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models. The MacBook Neo is expected to feature an iPhone-class processor — likely the A18 Pro from the iPhone 16 Pro series or a forthcoming A19 Pro — offering solid performance for everyday tasks but less power than Apple’s M-series chips in higher-end Macs.
Other rumored specifications include a smaller 12- to 12.9-inch LCD display (potentially without features like True Tone for cost savings), an aluminum chassis available in vibrant “fun” colors, two USB-C ports, MagSafe charging, Wi-Fi 7 support, and possibly 8GB of RAM with limited storage tiers starting at 256GB.
Pricing has been a hot topic: Earlier leaks suggested a starting point as low as $599, positioning it as an aggressive entry-level option. However, Apple’s recent price increases on the MacBook Air (now starting at $1,099 after rising from $999) and MacBook Pro models could shift strategy. If the MacBook Neo launches at a higher-than-expected price to maintain differentiation in the lineup, it might land in the $699–$799 range, still significantly undercutting the current MacBook Air while offering a compelling value proposition.
The leak adds intrigue ahead of Apple’s ongoing product rollout, with many eyes on a potential formal announcement as soon as tomorrow during the company’s “special Apple Experience” events. While the “Neo” name is drawing mixed reactions on X and other social media platforms, it signals a fresh entry in Apple’s Mac family aimed at expanding accessibility.
Unsurprisingly, Apple has not commented on the regulatory filing or the MacBook Neo. More details are expected imminently as the company continues its spring hardware push.
MacDailyNews Take: It is “The One.”
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Roku lands Apple TV: Seamless sign-up and discovery on The Roku Channel
In a significant move to expand accessibility for streaming enthusiasts, Roku has partnered with Apple to integrate the Apple TV subscription service into its Premium Subscriptions lineup on The Roku Channel. Announced on March 3, 2026, this collaboration allows Roku users in the United States to sign up for and manage their Apple TV subscription seamlessly through their Roku account, without needing separate logins.
The Roku Channel, available on all Roku devices, already offers a mix of free ad-supported content and premium subscriptions from partners like Starz, Paramount+, Max, AMC+, BritBox, Crunchyroll, Shudder, and dozens more — over 70 services in total. Adding Apple TV enhances this ecosystem by placing Apple’s premium offerings alongside these competitors, with content recommendations integrated directly into the Roku interface.
While the dedicated Apple TV app has been available on Roku platforms since 2019, this new integration simplifies discovery and subscription. Roku users can now browse and watch Apple TV shows and movies recommended within The Roku Channel experience, making it easier to start watching popular titles without switching apps.
Apple TV remains priced at $12.99 per month or $99 per year in the U.S., with eligible new subscribers able to take advantage of a 7-day free trial. The service features Apple’s growing library of exclusive original content, including acclaimed series such as Severance, Silo, The Morning Show, Slow Horses, Shrinking, Ted Lasso, and The Studio, along with upcoming releases and live sports like Formula 1 coverage kicking off in March 2026. Blockbuster films, documentaries, and family programming round out the offerings.
Roku’s President of Subscriptions, Partnerships & Corporate Development, Gil Fuchsberg, described the partnership as “a win for all – our viewers, our platform experience, and our partners at Apple.” He emphasized that such agreements boost viewer engagement, improve content discovery, and give users more flexible ways to access high-quality streaming.
This deal mirrors Apple’s recent efforts to broaden its reach on third-party platforms, similar to its integration with Amazon Prime Video in late 2024. For Roku, which powers the interface on a significant portion of smart TVs and streaming devices in North America, featuring Apple TV in its premium promotions could drive higher subscriber numbers and revenue sharing.
Apple TV content via The Roku Channel is accessible on Roku devices, as well as compatible smart TVs, streaming players from Amazon and Google, web browsers, and even iOS and Android mobile devices.
The timing aligns with Apple TV’s strong March programming slate, positioning the service for potential subscriber growth among Roku’s vast user base. This cross-platform collaboration underscores the evolving streaming landscape, where convenience and unified billing increasingly define user preferences.
MacDailyNews Take: Welcome, Roku Channel users!
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Apple TV cancels ‘Palm Royale’ after two seasons
The Apple TV series “Palm Royale” has been canceled. The Emmy-nominated dramedy, starring Kristen Wiig and featuring an acclaimed ensemble cast including Carol Burnett, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Amber Chardae Robinson, Mindy Cohn, and Julia Duffy, has been canceled after two seasons. The show, a 1960s-set satire about ambition and high society in Palm Beach, concluded its run following the season two finale earlier this year.
The show’s first season received 11 Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy for Wiig, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Burnett. Of the 11 noms, the series took home an Emmy statuette for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. For Season 2, Wiig has been nominated for the Annual Actor Awards, as well as a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series.
MacDailyNews Take: “Palm Royale” had a lot of promise on paper. Packed full to the brim with talent, it just seemed a little off for whatever reason. TV series success is hard.
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Apple launches the insanely fast M5 MacBook Air
Apple today announced the new MacBook Air with M5, bringing exceptional performance and expanded AI capabilities to the world’s most popular laptop. M5 features a faster CPU and next-generation GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, enabling MacBook Air to power through a variety of workflows, from creative projects to complex AI tasks. MacBook Air now comes standard with double the starting storage at 512GB with faster SSD technology, and is configurable up to 4TB, so customers can keep their most important work on hand. Apple’s N1 wireless chip delivers Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 for seamless connectivity on the go. MacBook Air features a beautifully thin, light, and durable aluminum design, stunning Liquid Retina display, 12MP Center Stage camera, up to 18 hours of battery life, an immersive sound system with Spatial Audio, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports with support for up to two external displays. Combined with the power of macOS Tahoe and Apple Intelligence, MacBook Air delivers unmatched value for college students and creative professionals, and it’s the most popular laptop for business users. Available in 13- and 15-inch models in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver, the new MacBook Air with M5 is available for pre-order starting tomorrow, March 4, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.
“The new MacBook Air with M5 brings incredible performance and even more capability to the world’s most popular laptop,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, in a statement. “With M5, MacBook Air powers through a wide range of tasks, from everyday productivity to creative workloads, and is even faster for AI. Now featuring double the starting storage, as well as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, in a sleek and durable design with long battery life, MacBook Air is the perfect laptop for anyone who values the unrivaled combination of performance and portability.”
MacBook Air delivers the perfect combination of performance and portability for everyone from college students to creative professionals, as well as consumers — and it’s the most popular laptop for business users.
Incredible Performance with M5 — for AI and Beyond
M5 delivers incredible performance for everything users want to tackle, from everyday productivity to creative workflows. MacBook Air with M5 features a 10-core CPU with the world’s fastest CPU core for even more responsiveness. Combined with an up-to-10-core GPU with a powerful Neural Accelerator in each core, MacBook Air with M5 delivers up to 4x faster performance for AI tasks than MacBook Air with M4, and up to 9.5x faster than MacBook Air with M1. This makes it an incredibly capable platform for AI — whether using Apple Intelligence across apps and system experiences at home, or running LLMs on device in an enterprise.
With enhanced shader cores and a third-generation ray-tracing engine, M5 supercharges tasks like gaming and 3D rendering. M5 also features faster unified memory with 153GB/s of bandwidth — a 28 percent improvement over M4 — enabling even smoother multitasking and faster app launches. All combined, MacBook Air with M5 brings even greater performance compared to previous generations, offering:
• Up to 6.9x faster AI video enhancement performance in Topaz Video when compared to MacBook Air with M1, and up to 1.9x faster than MacBook Air with M4.
• Up to 6.5x faster 3D rendering with ray-tracing performance in Blender when compared to MacBook Air with M1, and up to 1.5x faster than MacBook Air with M4.
• Up to 2.7x faster image processing performance in Affinity when compared to MacBook Air with M1, and up to 1.5x faster than MacBook Air with M4.
• Web browsing is up to 50 percent faster when compared to a PC laptop with an Intel Core Ultra X7 processor, and more demanding tasks get up to 2x faster performance.
Double the Starting Storage and a Faster SSD
MacBook Air with M5 now comes standard with 512GB of storage — double that of the previous generation — and can be configured up to 4TB for the first time, providing ample space for large projects and games. The new SSD also delivers 2x faster read/write performance compared to the previous generation, significantly accelerating file access and speeding up workflows for users, such as creators importing large photo libraries and students running AI workloads on device.
Tremendous Value for Upgraders with the World’s Most Popular Laptop
There’s never been a better time for customers upgrading from a previous generation of MacBook Air with Apple silicon or an Intel-based Mac. In addition to the blazing performance of M5, the new MacBook Air delivers a broad range of compelling features, including:
• A stunning Liquid Retina display: A brilliant 13.6- or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness and support for 1 billion colors makes content look vivid with sharp detail, and text appears super crisp.
• Exceptional battery life: Up to 18 hours of battery life — six additional hours when compared to an Intel-based MacBook Air — with fast-charge capability means users can work, create, or play all day without plugging in.
• Beautiful design and colors: The 13-inch MacBook Air provides the ultimate in portability for users on the go, while the 15-inch model offers even more screen real estate for multitasking. Both models feature a thin, light, and completely silent fanless design that’s available in four gorgeous colors: sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.
• Advanced camera, mics, and speakers: A 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View keeps users looking great and enables more engaging video calls; a three-mic array brings enhanced voice clarity; and an immersive sound system with support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos creates an enjoyable three-dimensional soundstage for music and movies.
• Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6: N1, the new Apple-designed wireless networking chip, enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, delivering improved performance and reliability.
• Seamless connectivity: MacBook Air features two Thunderbolt 4 ports for connecting accessories with support for up to two external displays — ideal for professionals and students who need to expand their workspace. MagSafe enables dedicated charging and peace of mind when users are plugged in.
The beautifully thin, light, and durable aluminum design features a stunning Liquid Retina display, 12MP Center Stage camera, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports for connecting access. The M5 MacBook Air features a beautifully thin, light, and durable aluminum design.
The Power of macOS Tahoe
macOS completes the MacBook Air experience, with incredible features and built-in apps, such as Safari, Photos, Messages, and FaceTime, that enable users to get even more done. With macOS Tahoe, a beautiful design with Liquid Glass lets users personalize their Mac in new ways with color options for folders, app icons, and widgets. Apple Intelligence adds powerful features with groundbreaking privacy at every step — including Live Translation in Messages to communicate across languages, updates in Reminders that automatically categorize the most relevant actions, and more powerful Shortcuts actions that tap directly in to Apple Intelligence models to create automations, such as extracting information from a PDF and adding key details to a spreadsheet. Continuity features include the Phone app on Mac, which lets users relay cellular calls from their nearby iPhone, and they can stay on top of notifications with Live Activities, which open in iPhone Mirroring so users can take immediate action right from their Mac. Additionally, for video calls, a new Edge Light effect provides a pleasing fill light to evenly illuminate a user’s face in any lighting condition.
MacBook Air and the Environment
MacBook Air with M5 was built with the environment in mind, and brings Apple even closer to reaching its plan to be “carbon neutral” across its entire footprint by 2030. It is made with 55 percent recycled content, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. It is manufactured with 50 percent renewable electricity, such as wind and solar, across the supply chain. MacBook Air is designed to be durable and repairable, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safer chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Pricing and Availability
Customers can pre-order the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air with M5 beginning at 6:15 a.m. PST on Wednesday, March 4, on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 33 countries and regions, including the U.S. All models will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting Wednesday, March 11.
The 13-inch MacBook Air with M5 starts at $1,099 (U.S.), and $999 (U.S.) for education, and the 15-inch MacBook Air with M5 starts at $1,299 (U.S.) and $1,199 (U.S.) for education. Both are available in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.
Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options, and accessories are available at apple.com/mac.
With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth.
AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new Mac, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple Experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk them through setup, or focus on features that will help them make the most of their new device. Customers can also learn more about getting started and going further with their new device with a Today at Apple session at their nearest Apple Store.
Customers in the U.S. who shop at Apple using Apple Card can pay monthly at 0 percent APR when they choose to check out with Apple Card Monthly Installments, and they’ll get 3 percent Daily Cash back — all up front. More information — including details on eligibility, exclusions, and Apple Card terms — is available at apple.com/apple-card/monthly-installments.
MacDailyNews Take: Say hello to the faster-ever iteration of the world’s most popular laptop computer!
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Apple unveils blazing-fast MacBook Pro with all‑new M5 Pro and M5 Max
Apple today announced the latest 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with the all-new M5 Pro and M5 Max, bringing game-changing performance and AI capabilities to the world’s best pro laptop. With M5 Pro and M5 Max, MacBook Pro features a new CPU with the world’s fastest CPU core, a next-generation GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, and higher unified memory bandwidth, altogether delivering up to 4x AI performance compared to the previous generation, and up to 8x AI performance compared to M1 models. This allows developers, researchers, business professionals, and creatives to unlock new AI-enabled workflows right on MacBook Pro. It now comes with up to 2x faster SSD performance and starts at 1TB of storage for M5 Pro and 2TB for M5 Max. The new MacBook Pro includes N1, an Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, bringing improved performance and reliability to wireless connections. It also offers up to 24 hours of battery life; a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display with a nano-texture option; a wide array of connectivity, including Thunderbolt 5; a 12MP Center Stage camera; studio-quality mics; an immersive six-speaker sound system; Apple Intelligence features; and the power of macOS Tahoe. The new MacBook Pro comes in space black and silver, and is available to pre-order starting tomorrow, March 4, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.
MacBook Pro packs an array of ports (Thunderbolt, HDMI, SDXC, Headphone jack, MagSafe) for connecting high-speed peripherals, driving high-resolution displays, or directly offloading SDXC cards. Models with the M5 chip feature Thunderbolt 4 and support both Wi-Fi 6E51 and Bluetooth 5.3. Models with M5 Pro or M5 Max feature Thunderbolt 5, which offers transfer speeds of up to 120Gb/s. Connect up to two high-resolution external displays with M5, up to three with M5 Pro, or up to four with M5 Max.
“MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max redefines what’s possible on a pro laptop, now up to 4x faster than the previous generation,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, in a statement. “With Neural Accelerators in the GPU, the new MacBook Pro enables professionals to run advanced LLMs on device and unlock capabilities that no other laptop can do — all while maintaining exceptional battery life. Combined with even faster unified memory and storage, it empowers users to take their work even further, unleashing new possibilities and pushing the boundaries of what they can do.”
MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max provides tremendous performance boosts, featuring a new CPU with the world’s fastest CPU core, a next-generation GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, and higher unified memory bandwidth.Blazing Performance with M5 Pro and M5 Max
M5 Pro and M5 Max are built using the new Apple-designed Fusion Architecture and engineered from the ground up for AI. This innovative design combines two dies into a single system on a chip, providing tremendous performance boosts. M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a new up-to-18-core CPU with 6 super cores, the world’s fastest CPU core, and 12 all-new performance cores, optimized for power-efficient, multithreaded pro workloads — altogether delivering up to 30 percent faster performance. M5 Pro is designed for users running complex workflows, like coders optimizing algorithms and photographers processing massive image libraries, while M5 Max is for those pushing the absolute limits, such as engineers running rigorous simulations.
On the new MacBook Pro, LLMs will run even faster in popular apps like LM Studio.
Scaling up performance from M5 and offering the same breakthrough GPU architecture with a Neural Accelerator in each core, M5 Pro and M5 Max deliver up to 4x faster LLM prompt processing than M4 Pro and M4 Max, and up to 8x AI image generation than M1 Pro and M1 Max. This enables AI researchers and developers to train custom models locally, and creative professionals to leverage AI-powered tools for video editing, music production, and design work. Both chips also bring up to a 50 percent increase in graphics performance compared to M4 Pro and M4 Max, enabling motion designers to work with complex 3D scenes in real time and VFX artists to preview effects instantly. And with a faster and more power-efficient Neural Engine and higher unified memory bandwidth, the new MacBook Pro delivers incredible on-device AI capabilities. The increase in unified memory bandwidth enables complex workflows like intensive AI model training and massive video projects. M5 Pro supports up to 64GB of unified memory with up to 307GB/s of memory bandwidth, while M5 Max supports up to 128GB of unified memory with up to 614GB/s of memory bandwidth.
With the power of M5 Pro and M5 Max on MacBook Pro, AI researchers and developers can train custom models locally, and creative professionals are able to leverage AI-powered tools for video editing, music production, and design work.
14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro deliver:
• Up to 7.8x faster AI image generation performance when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, and up to 3.7x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Pro.
• Up to 6.9x faster LLM prompt processing when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, and up to 3.9x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Pro.
Up to 5.2x faster 3D rendering in Maxon Redshift when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, and up to 1.4x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Pro.
• Up to 1.6x faster gaming performance with ray tracing in games like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition when compared to MacBook Pro with M4 Pro.
14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max deliver:
• Up to 8x faster AI image generation performance when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Max, and up to 3.8x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Max.
• Up to 6.7x faster LLM prompt processing when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Max, and up to 4x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Max.
• Up to 5.4x faster video effects rendering performance in Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve Studio when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Max, and up to 3x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Max.
• Up to 3.5x faster AI video-enhancing performance in Topaz Video when compared to MacBook Pro with M4 Max.
Faster Storage Performance and Increased Starting Storage
The new MacBook Pro delivers up to 2x faster read/write performance compared to the previous generation, reaching speeds of up to 14.5GB/s and accelerating workflows for professionals working across 4K and 8K video projects, LLMs, and complex datasets. MacBook Pro with M5 Pro now comes standard with 1TB of storage, while MacBook Pro with M5 Max now comes standard with 2TB. And the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 now comes standard with 1TB of storage.
Even More Value for Upgraders
The new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max mark a major leap for pro users. There’s never been a better time for customers to upgrade from a previous generation of MacBook Pro with Apple silicon or an Intel-based Mac.
• Enhanced AI performance with Neural Accelerators in the GPU: Users upgrading from M1 models will experience up to 8x faster AI performance.
• Exceptional battery life: The new MacBook Pro gets up to 24 hours of battery life, giving Intel-based upgraders up to 13 additional hours, and users coming from M1 models will get up to three more hours, so they can get more done on a single charge. And unlike many PC laptops, MacBook Pro delivers the same incredible performance whether plugged in or on battery. Users will be able to fast-charge up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes using a 96W or higher USB-C power adapter.
• Best display in a pro laptop: Upgraders will enjoy the Liquid Retina XDR display, which features 1600 nits peak HDR brightness and up to 1000 nits for SDR content, and offers a nano-texture option.
• Comprehensive connectivity: The new MacBook Pro has a wide array of connectivity options, including three Thunderbolt 5 ports for high-speed data transfer, HDMI that supports up to 8K resolution, an SDXC card slot for quick media import, and MagSafe 3 with fast-charge capability. Upgraders can also drive up to two high-resolution external displays with M5 Pro, and up to four high-resolution displays with M5 Max, providing the flexibility to create expansive workspaces.
• Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6: With the Apple N1 chip, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 bring improved performance and reliability to wireless connections.
• Advanced camera, mics, and speakers: Featuring a 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support and studio-quality mics, the new MacBook Pro will allow users to look and sound their best while taking calls. They will also experience an immersive six-speaker sound system with support for Spatial Audio.
The new MacBook Pro can drive up to two high-resolution external displays with M5 Pro, and up to four high-resolution displays with M5 Max, providing the flexibility to create expansive workspaces.
An Unrivaled Experience with macOS Tahoe
macOS Tahoe transforms the MacBook Pro experience with powerful capabilities that turbocharge productivity. Major updates to Spotlight make it easier to find relevant apps and files and immediately take action right from the search bar. Apple Intelligence is even more capable while protecting users’ privacy at every step. Shortcuts get even more powerful with intelligent actions and the ability to tap directly in to Apple Intelligence models. Integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app, Live Translation helps users easily communicate across languages, translating text and audio. Additionally, developers can bring Apple Intelligence capabilities into their applications or tap in to the Foundation Models framework for specialized on-device intelligence tasks. Continuity features include the Phone app on Mac, which lets users relay cellular calls from their nearby iPhone, and with Live Activities from iPhone, they can stay on top of things happening in real time. macOS Tahoe also features a beautiful new design with Liquid Glass, and users can personalize their Mac in even more ways with an updated Control Center, in addition to new color options for folders, app icons, and widgets.
MacBook Pro and the Environment
MacBook Pro was built with the environment in mind, and brings Apple even closer to reaching its plan to be “carbon neutral” across its entire footprint by 2030. It is made with 45 percent recycled content,8 including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. It is manufactured with 50 percent renewable electricity, such as wind and solar, across the supply chain. The new MacBook Pro is designed to be durable and repairable, and also offers industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safer chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Pricing and Availability
• Customers can pre-order the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max starting tomorrow, March 4, on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 33 countries and regions, including the U.S. All models will begin arriving to customers, and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting Wednesday, March 11.
• The 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro starts at $2,199 (U.S.) and $2,049 (U.S.) for education; and the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro starts at $2,699 (U.S.) and $2,499 (U.S.) for education.
• The 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max starts at $3,599 (U.S.) and $3,299 (U.S.) for education; and the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max starts at $3,899 (U.S.) and $3,599 (U.S.) for education. All models are available in space black and silver.
• Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options, and accessories are available at apple.com/mac.
• The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 now comes standard with 1TB of storage, and is available in space black and silver, starting at $1,699 (U.S.) and $1,599 (U.S.) for education.
• With Apple Trade In, customers can trade in their current computer and get credit toward a new Mac. Customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in to see what their device is worth.
• AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new Mac, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple Experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
• Every customer who buys directly from Apple Retail gets access to Personal Setup. In these guided online sessions, a Specialist can walk them through setup or focus on features that will help them make the most of their new device. Customers can also learn more about getting started and going further with their new device with a Today at Apple session at their nearest Apple Store.
• Customers in the U.S. who shop at Apple using Apple Card can pay monthly at 0 percent APR when they choose to check out with Apple Card Monthly Installments, and they’ll get 3 percent Daily Cash back — all up front. More information — including details on eligibility, exclusions, and Apple Card terms — is available at apple.com/apple-card/monthly-installments.
MacDailyNews Take: Power!
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Apple debuts powerful M5 Pro and M5 Max systems on a chip
Apple today announced M5 Pro and M5 Max, the world’s most advanced chips for pro laptops, powering the new MacBook Pro. The chips are built using a new Apple-designed Fusion Architecture. This innovative design combines two dies into a single system on a chip (SoC), which includes a powerful CPU, scalable GPU, Media Engine, unified memory controller, Neural Engine, and Thunderbolt 5 capabilities. M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a new 18-core CPU architecture. It includes six of the highest-performing core design, now called super cores, that are the world’s fastest CPU core. Alongside these cores are 12 all-new performance cores, optimized for power-efficient, multithreaded workloads. Collectively, the CPU significantly boosts performance by up to 30 percent for pro workloads. The GPU scales up the next-generation architecture introduced in M5 to an up-to-40-core GPU. With a Neural Accelerator in each GPU core and higher unified memory bandwidth, M5 Pro and M5 Max are over 4x the peak GPU compute for AI compared to the previous generation. The GPU substantially increases graphics capabilities — now up to 35 percent for apps using ray tracing than M4 Pro and M4 Max — enhancing advanced visual effects and 3D rendering. With M5 Pro and M5 Max, the new MacBook Pro is the ultimate powerhouse for pros and is available for pre-order starting tomorrow, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11th.
“M5 Pro and M5 Max are a monumental leap forward for Apple silicon, leveraging our new Fusion Architecture to scale the capabilities of Apple silicon while preserving its core tenets of performance, power efficiency, and unified memory architecture,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies, in a statement. “Both chips underscore our relentless pace of innovation, integrating the world’s fastest CPU cores, a next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators, a faster Neural Engine, and high-bandwidth, high-capacity memory — resulting in an unparalleled combination of performance, efficiency, and incredible on-device AI capabilities for MacBook Pro.”
All-New Fusion Architecture
M5 Pro and M5 Max introduce the Apple-designed Fusion Architecture, a state-of-the-art design that connects two dies into a single SoC. This brings together two third-generation 3-nanometer dies with high bandwidth and low latency using advanced packaging. The two dies include a powerful new CPU, scalable GPU, Media Engine, unified memory controller, Neural Engine, and Thunderbolt 5 capabilities.
Apple’s Fastest, Most Advanced CPU Cores
M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a new 18-core CPU with 6 super cores and 12 all-new performance cores.
The industry-leading super core was first introduced as performance cores in M5, which also adopts the super core name for all M5-based products — MacBook Air, the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Apple Vision Pro. This core is the highest-performance core design with the world’s fastest single-threaded performance, driven in part by increased front-end bandwidth, a new cache hierarchy, and enhanced branch prediction.
M5 Pro and M5 Max also introduce an all-new performance core that is optimized to deliver greater power-efficient, multithreaded performance for pro workloads. Together with the super cores, the chips deliver up to 2.5x higher multithreaded performance than M1 Pro and M1 Max.2 The super cores and performance cores give MacBook Pro a huge performance boost to handle the most CPU-intensive pro workloads, like analyzing complex data or running demanding simulations with unparalleled ease.
M5 Pro: Designed to Handle Demanding Workflows
M5 Pro is designed to meet the needs of pro users — like data modelers, post-production sound designers, and STEM students — who require robust processing power and graphics, and ample amounts of unified memory to handle complex projects and workloads.
Scaling up from the M5 chip, M5 Pro pairs the up-to-18-core CPU with a next-generation up-to-20-core GPU featuring a Neural Accelerator in each core. With four additional CPU cores compared to M4 Pro, the new CPU architecture in M5 Pro significantly boosts multithreaded performance by up to 30 percent for pro workloads. M5 Pro supports up to 64GB of unified memory with higher unified memory bandwidth up to 307GB/s. With all these features, M5 Pro delivers over 4x the peak GPU compute compared to M4 Pro, and over 6x the peak GPU compute than M1 Pro for AI performance.
M5 Pro has an enhanced shader core with second-generation dynamic caching and hardware-accelerated mesh shading, delivering significantly increased graphics performance — up to 20 percent higher than M4 Pro and 2.2x higher than M1 Pro. And with Apple’s third-generation ray-tracing engine, M5 Pro provides up to a 35 percent graphics uplift in apps using this rendering technique as compared to M4 Pro.
M5 Max: Unmatched Capabilities
M5 Max is designed for pro users — such as 3D animators, app developers, and AI researchers — who run workloads that demand maximum GPU compute and the highest unified memory bandwidth.
Featuring the same breakthrough GPU architecture with double the cores as M5 Pro, M5 Max pairs the 18-core CPU with an up-to-40-core GPU.
The new CPU architecture offers up to 15 percent higher multithreaded performance when compared to M4 Max. M5 Max supports up to 128GB of unified memory with higher unified memory bandwidth up to 614GB/s. This bandwidth increase means users achieve incredible results when working with complex scenes, massive datasets, and higher token generation for LLMs. M5 Max offers over 4x the peak GPU compute compared to the previous generation, and over 6x the peak GPU compute than M1 Max for AI performance.
The graphics performance for M5 Max is up to 20 percent higher than M4 Max and 2.2x higher than M1 Max.2 For apps using ray tracing, M5 Max provides a graphics uplift of up to 30 percent more than M4 Max.
Advanced Technologies Across M5 Pro and M5 Max
M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a number of additional advanced technologies right on the chip, including:
• A faster 16-core Neural Engine with a higher bandwidth connection to memory to accelerate on-device AI features and Apple Intelligence.
• Apple’s latest Media Engine with support for hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC, AV1 decode, and ProRes encode and decode engines.
• Support for Memory Integrity Enforcement — an industry-first, always-on memory safety protection that does not compromise device performance.
• Thunderbolt 5 ports, each supported by its own custom-designed controller directly on the chip — making this the industry’s most capable implementation of Thunderbolt 5.
Apple Silicon and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s plan to be “carbon neutral” across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. The power-efficient performance of M5 Pro and M5 Max helps MacBook Pro meet Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and reduces the total amount of energy consumed over the product’s lifetime.
MacDailyNews Note: Find out more about Apple’s new M5 Pro and M5 Mac SoCs here.
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