Apple's M5 chip isn't even here yet, but we're already hearing rumors about the next generation and beyond.

In his latest report for Bloomberg, Apple expert Mark Gurman indicates the company is already working on the next several generations of Apple silicon, including the M6 and M7 chipsets.

Apple is expected to launch the first products using the M5 in the fall, with the MacBook Pro models getting the chip first this time around. The iPad Pro and MacBook Air models with the M5 are expected to hit the market in early 2026.

This means that the soonest we could see the M6 is likely Fall 2026. But what do we know about the M6 and M7 so far?

M6 and M7 are reportedly in development

What are Apple's "Komodo" chips?

Gurman's latest Apple report includes the codenames for upcoming Apple Silicon chipsets. The "Komodo" chips are expected to be the M6 generation, while the "Borneo" chips are likely the M7. Gurman also includes information on a future Apple chip codenamed "Sotra."

The upcoming M6 and M7 chips are designed to power upcoming Mac devices, including the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models. And likely an iPad or two. The Apple M6 generation is expected to be the first Apple chips manufactured on TSMC's 2nm silicon wafer process node.

While we still expect the M6 and M7 to be powerful computing chips, Apple appears to focus more on AI for future chip generations. This makes perfect sense.

As more people use artificial intelligence, we start demanding more from it, leading to more complex AI models that require more powerful hardware. Since AI uses all three hardware accelerators (CPU, GPU, and NPU), it stands to reason that the M6 and M7 will be powerful all-around chips.

But that's not Apple's development team's only AI in the works.

Apple is also working on data center chips that will be used in the Apple Intelligence servers, replacing the current high-end Mac chips that run the Apple servers. These chips are part of the "Baltra" project and are expected to be finished by 2027.

What this means for the M5 generation

Ultimately, this just means the Apple M5 will eventually be outpaced by its successor. That's not really news.

Chips should get better with each generation as chipmakers refine the technology and adapt to smaller and smaller silicon processes. No one is happy if a chipmaker puts out a new chip that underperforms compared to the last generation or doesn't increase in performance. That was Intel's main issue with the Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" launch on desktops last fall. Intel is still tweaking 200S performance even six months later.

If Apple's usual performance trend holds, the M5 generation will still improve over the M4. And the M6 will improve on the M5, while the M7 will improve on the M6.

If you just upgraded to an M3 or M4 Mac, you can wait until the M6 or later.

But if you're still using an old Intel-based Mac or the M1 generation, you may consider upgrading to the M5. After all, the average laptop upgrade cycle is around four years.

More from Laptop Mag

• Looks like Apple isn't giving up on smart glasses after all
• App Store rule change takes the headache out of buying books on iOS Kindle app
• Microsoft’s new 13-inch Surface Laptop beats Apple on affordability

Intel Foundry is making major strides in 2025, and that could help Intel close the lead on Apple Silicon.

While Intel has taken aim at Apple's M4 in both performance and power efficiency, team blue hasn't yet been able to release a chip that competes on both metrics. But that could change soon.

This fall, Intel is expected to launch its first chips using the 18A process, codenamed Panther Lake. And in 2027, Intel will unleash its 14A process, which boasts increased power and enhanced efficiency.

Intel announced performance metrics for its upcoming 14A silicon process node during the Intel Foundry Direct Connect event in San Jose on Tuesday.

But what is Intel 14A, and what does it mean?

What is Intel 14A?

Intel 14A is a silicon wafer process node that will operate at 1.4 nanometers (nm) for its smallest component (typically based on the width of a transistor).

Smaller transistors on a wafer generally means we can make faster chips out of those wafers. The current generation of computer hardware is generally constructed using 3nm to 5nm wafers.

So a chip made with a 1.4nm wafer should be significantly faster than a 3nm chip.

According to Intel's current testing and projections, the 14A process will be 25-35% better in terms of power consumption over the upcoming 18A (1.8nm) process node that will be used in Panther Lake.

Intel is also claiming that 14A chips will see a 15-20% performance per watt increase over 18A. This is due to some of the novel features Intel has packed into the 14A node, including a wider threshold voltage range and the introduction of turbo cells.

Expected to hit full production in 2027, Intel's 14A process node chips could be the game changer Intel needs to compete with Apple Silicon "without any compromises."

Intel's 18A chips are expected to compete with the M5 this fall

Apple is expected to release its latest silicon, the M5 series, this year, possibly as early as next month. Apple's M5 chips will be using a similar TSMC 3nm process node as the M3 and M4 generations.

And Intel is expected to debut its first 18A (1.8nm) chips this fall with the launch of Intel's Panther Lake mobile CPU.

Likely hitting the shelves as the Intel Core Ultra 300 series, these chips are expected to be a direct successor to Intel's Lunar Lake, at least as far as power efficiency and a powerful GPU are concerned.

According to previous announcements, Intel's 18A node is expected to deliver 25% more performance than the current Intel 3 node, at 36% lower power. Making it more powerful and more efficient than the current Intel 3 chips, used in the Intel Core Ultra 200U series processors (Arrow Lake U).

Intel's 18A is the first silicon wafer process node that supports backside power delivery, making it an industry first.

All of this should make Panther Lake a solid competitor for Apple's upcoming generation, but exactly how close Intel manages to get on the performance and efficiency metrics remains to be seen.

Is Apple vs Windows even a fair comparison?

Despite the best efforts of AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, Apple Silicon remains the benchmark to beat when it comes to laptop performance and battery life.

Intel's Lunar Lake chips could close the battery life gap and had shockingly good graphics performance, but these ultra-efficient CPUs fell short in terms of raw computing power. Intel's Arrow Lake H chips provided a direct competitor to Apple's M4 in terms of computing strength, but couldn't quite close the battery life gap.

While Intel's most powerful mobile chip this generation, the HX series processors have outperformed the Apple M4, and come close to hitting the same performance as the Apple M4 Pro, they can't compete in terms of battery life. Of course, Arrow Lake HX is pretty much always combined with a discrete GPU, which is part of the efficiency problem.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite is so far the only Windows chipset that can come close to touching Apple's proprietary silicon in terms of performance power and battery efficiency, but suffers compared to other Windows chips due to its smaller app library and lack of proper gaming support.

While most people will decide their next laptop purchase based on operating system or manufacturer, you shouldn't need to make any serious compromises by choosing a Windows system over a MacBook.

Which is why we still look at Apple as a comparison for Windows systems, and especially for x86 and Windows on Arm chipsets.

If Intel (and AMD and Qualcomm) keep pushing against Apple's lead, that can only mean better things for laptop buyers. You'll be getting more power and more efficiency regardless of what silicon you take home.

It's entirely possible Intel could overtake Apple in the future, especially with Panther Lake coming in the fall. While Apple is expected to move to TSMC's smaller 2nm process node for the M6 generation, that chip is expected in late Spring 2026 at the absolute earliest. And then there's the 14A 2027 manufacturing timeline, which could clinch the lead for Intel, depending on how well Panther Lake performs later this year.

Of course, all of this is speculation. But we are rapidly hurtling into the future where your next laptop will be more powerful than you need.

More from Laptop Mag

• Intel's new CEO Lip-Bu Tan has a retro vision for Intel's future, but is nostalgia the key to success?
• We’re just trying to make computers faster, more power efficient, and AI is the new face of that": Intel's Robert Hallock on the impact of AI and the myth of the "killer app"
• 6 months later, has Intel finally fixed desktop performance?

Your next iPhone could come with hidden costs, thanks to price hikes from silicon manufacturer TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company).

TSMC reported it's first quarter 2025 earnings today, indicating a net income of $361.56 billion.

During the earnings call with shareholders, Wendell Huang, Senior VP and Chief Financial Officer, indicated that "uncertainties and risks from the potential impact from tariff policies exist. We will continue to closely monitor the potential impact on the end market demand, and manage our business prudently."

One of TSMC's strategies to avoid fallout from the potential U.S. tariffs appears to involve moving some of the company's 3 nanometer (nm), 2nm, and 1.6nm silicon wafer manufacturing processes to the Fab 21 plant in Arizona.

While this would save TSMC's partners on tariffs, it would still come with increased costs.

Reports indicate a 30% price hike on the 4nm chips being made in Fab 21 in Arizona, and that price hike would likely also affect any future silicon wafers made in that silicon fab.

And with Apple slated to be the first company with chips made from TSMC's 2nm process node, that could have a major impact on iPhone and MacBook prices in the coming generations.

TSMC is moving its cutting-edge 2nm and 1.6nm silicon wafer production to the US

During this week's earnings call, TSMC announced plans to move production of 30% of its N2 (2nm) silicon wafers to the U.S.

TSMC will also make its Fab 21 Arizona plant an independent semiconductor manufacturing cluster, likely in a bid to keep the plant from facing U.S. tariffs should the Trump Administration go forward with import tariffs on silicon from Taiwan.

Along with the 2nm wafers, TSMC is also planning to build new fabrication modules to produce N3 (3nm) and A16 (1.6nm) wafers in Fab 21 in Arizona.

This would allow TSMC to make Apple's current silicon lineup (A18 and M4) domestically, as well as work on future chips like the Apple A20 and M6, which are expected to use the N2 process node.

Moving cutting-edge silicon manufacturing to the U.S. is a solid business move for TSMC, as Intel Foundry is currently the only domestic US silicon manufacturer with a 2nm node for the Intel A18 process, which is being used in the Panther Lake chipset.

This is especially true as TSMC has denied recent rumors of a joint business venture with Intel.

However, increased U.S. fabrication will come with increased costs due to the price of U.S. labor.

Apple's A20 is expected to use TSMC's 2nm process

Apple is one of TSMC's largest clients, manufacturing Apple's A and M series silicon. Apple is expected to move to TSMC's 2nm process node for future chipsets like the iPhone 18's A20 and the rumored M6 generation for MacBooks and iPads.

With TSMC rumored to raise prices on its U.S.-made 4nm and 2nm process nodes by 30%, the iPhone 18 would cost significantly more than the upcoming iPhone 17, which is already expected to see a major price increase over the iPhone 16 due to import tariffs.

After all, TSMC may not sell directly to customers, but the manufacturer's increased costs will have to be picked up by Apple. In order to keep making profits off iPhone sales, Apple will need to raise prices accordingly.

And that's not even including the import tariffs that could be accrued from Apple's assembly lines. Most iPhones are still assembled in China, though reports indicate Apple is diversifying its supply lines to dodge the exorbitant (up to 245%) tariffs on Chinese products.

Granted, TSMC may not raise prices by 30%, and the U.S. tariffs may not go into effect at the current rate. So all of this is subject to a lot of change before the iPhone 18 is expected to hit the market in Fall 2026.

But if you were looking to upgrade your iPhone in the near future, it may be worth opting for the current iPhone 16 or the upcoming iPhone 17 to avoid massive price hikes.

More from Laptop Mag

• Nvidia says it's going to build AI supercomputers in the U.S. as soon as this year
• Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti reviews: A solid graphics card if you can find one
• "Thunderbolt is an amazing technology": Thunderbolt 5 is set to change how you literally see your laptop display

Most of the time, when you flip your MacBook open, you want it to power on.

I say most of the time because everyone is different, and just because you popped the hood, so to speak, doesn't mean you want to fire up the engine.

If that quirk of MacBooks ever rubbed you the wrong way, I'm happy to report that Apple finally has announced a "fix."

How to open your MacBook without it powering on

Recent support documents show that Apple has quietly released a fix for this feature if you want your MacBook to stop powering on automatically when you open the lid or plug the laptop in.

A fair warning: This isn't a simple button press in settings — you will have to use your MacBook's Terminal app to punch in a few commands.

If you're okay with that — and if you're this specific about your laptop, you probably are — then here's what you need to do according to Apple.

The Terminal commands to get started

• Check that your MacBook is using macOS Sequoia or later
• Fire up the Terminal app, which is found in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder
• Enter one of these commands in Terminal, then press Return:
  • For preventing startup when opening the lid or connecting to power: sudo nvram BootPreference=%00
  • For preventing startup only when opening the lid: sudo nvram BootPreference=%01
  • For preventing startup only when connecting to power: sudo nvram BootPreference=%02
• Type your admin password when prompted (Terminal doesn’t show the password as it's typed), then press Return.
• To undo any of the previous commands and reenable automatic startup when opening the lid or connecting to power, enter sudo nvram -d BootPreference in Terminal.

That's pretty much it.

Not everyone needs or wants their MacBook to power on in these scenarios, but it might be convenient sometimes.

I foresee this being useful if you have a MacBook experiencing some technical or hardware issue, for example. Maybe you want to examine your laptop while it's still powered off.

Alternatively, maybe you want to work on your MacBook (and void that precious warranty). That might mean flipping the laptop open to do some tinkering with the keys, trackpad, or something else, but with the whole thing powered off—boom, solved.

Whatever your reason for wanting your laptop to remain powered off when open or plugged in, it's nice knowing you can do that if you wish.

Apple didn't exactly make it easy, but a viable, if-tedious solution is better than nothing, right?

More from Laptop Mag

• Best MacBook in 2025: Which Apple laptop should you buy?
• MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro: Which Mac should you buy in 2025?
• Laptops and gaming hardware may be up to 40% more expensive under Trump's new tariffs

From your smartphone to your gaming rig, silicon is the silent conductor making all of your computing possible, and the driving force behind modern technology. Laptop Mag's Silicon Survey meets with the minds behind some of tech's most powerful computer chips.

However, today's processors target more than Moore's Law. CPU, GPU, SoC, and APU designs are only half of the story following the emergence of powerful generative AI software, after all.

Join us as we take a deep dive into the latest trends shaping the next wave of computing and gain insight into how companies like Apple, AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia, ARM, and MediaTek see this space evolving over the coming years, and the architecture, engineering, and innovation needed to make it happen.

Welcome to Laptop Mag's Silicon Survey 2025.

The only constant is progress

Opening words from special issue writer, Madeline Ricchiuto

Whether or not Moore’s Law is actually dead, all of our interviewees for this special issue agreed that performance gains will continue long into the future.

But what that means, and how we get there differs by chip maker. Intel’s Robert Hallock tells Laptop Mag, when it comes to hardware performance and efficiency, “You can't go backwards.”

The only constant is progress. (Read more)

"MediaTek is the number one provider of Arm-based Chromebooks": Adam King unpacks on the Chromebook boom

With years of experience creating processors for the ChromeOS platform, MediaTek looks to maintain its grip on Chromebooks despite competition from Qualcomm

MediaTek chipsets power plenty of smartphones and tablets, but its in Chromebooks that the brand truly takes the lead. As Adam King tells Laptop Mag, "MediaTek is the number one provider of Arm-based Chromebooks."

Despite competition from Qualcomm's budget-friendly Snapdragon X chipset, MediaTek's ChomeOS head start alongside a push to make performance affordable through its Helio, Dimensity, and Kompanio families of processors could be key to its continued success.

The company looks toward a bright future, with King telling Laptop Mag: “MediaTek will keep finding new ways to add more computing power to our chipsets.” (Read more)

“The consumer wins either way”: Arm’s Chris Bergey on the rise of Arm computing and the rivalry with x86

Smartphone success stories are now shaping the computing industry

Arm’s Senior Vice President and General Manager, Client Line of Business, Chris Bergey, tells Laptop Mag about the advantages of Arm technology and how it has shaped the world of silicon — from phones to tablets and Chromebooks to home PCs.

Thanks to the success of Apple’s M-series silicon and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Series, Arm has dominated much of the computing industry in the last few years.

But Arm has done more in the last few years than just making new CPU cores. Arm PCs have become more powerful and efficient than their x86 counterparts, pushing Intel and AMD for further innovation. (Read more)

“AI is dramatically reshaping many industries, including gaming”: Nvidia’s Jesse Clayton muses on the AI-powered future of gaming

If any company can get gamers behind AI, it would be Nvidia.

How much will AI shape gaming in the years ahead? A prediction from Jesse Clayton, a 19-year veteran of Nvidia and its Director of Product Management and Product Marketing for Windows AI, has the answer:

“AI is dramatically reshaping many industries, including gaming ... These neural rendering innovations are laying the path for the future of gaming.”

Nvidia’s GTX and RTX gaming GPUs have dominated the field for years. While AMD and Intel are now both players in the discrete GPU market, most gamers will still opt for the Nvidia card. Laptop Mag hosts an exclusive interview with Clayton to find out the secret to Nvidia's success. (Read more)

Nvidia in action: Top reviewed Nvidia RTX gaming laptops

• READ MORE: Best gaming laptops in 2025: Our top picks after hundreds of hours of testing, reviewing, and gaming

MacBooks "without any compromises": Apple's Doug Brooks says performance and battery life dominance will continue as M5 rumors emerge

The Apple veteran exclusively tells Laptop Mag about the future of Apple Silicon — and how Apple arrived at this moment.

One of Apple’s biggest selling points is its quality control.

Because of Apple’s end-to-end authority over its iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks — from the silicon level up to the finished product — the build quality has been difficult to match.

Doug Brooks, who started working at Apple as a Systems Engineer in 1994 and is now Product Manager for Mac Hardware, is enthusiastic about the future, particularly in two areas: Apple’s ability to maintain its dominance in the performance and battery life arenas. And with Apple’s M5 silicon chips reportedly going into mass production, the trend of Apple excellence is looking bright. (Read more)

Apple in action: Top reviewed Apple laptops

• READ MORE: Best MacBook in 2025: Which Apple laptop should you buy?

“AI tasks will happen automatically and seamlessly”: Qualcomm’s Kedar Kondap believes AI is the future of computing

Despite legal trouble and fierce competition, the second generation of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X PCs will continue to vie for dominance in 2025

Qualcomm helped define the AI PC market in June 2024 with the release of its Snapdragon X Elite processors, and leaders at the San Diego company hope to continue surfing this wave well into 2025 and beyond.

Senior VP and GM of Compute and Gaming, Kedar Kondap is confident about the future of Qualcomm, noting the company’s early performance leads over rival chip makers like Intel and AMD, alongside the growing potential of AI. From Kondap’s point of view and from the outside, Qualcomm seems well-positioned to compete for dominance in Windows laptops for years to come. (Read more)

Qualcomm in action: Top reviewed Qualcomm laptops

• READ MORE: Best AI PCs in 2025: 6 laptops optimized for the latest AI features

“Not everybody has a killer app for AI yet”: Intel’s Robert Hallock opens the company playbook on AI, NPUs, and more

Performance, efficiency, gaming, and AI are all cornerstones of the Intel roadmap

To say 2024 was a rough year for Intel may be an understatement. But, as Intel’s Robert Hallock told Laptop Mag, “You can't go backwards. That's unacceptable.”

Even after various setbacks in the past year — from the beleaguered Arrow Lake desktop launch to speculation about the company’s direction and the resignation of CEO Pat Gelsinger — Hallock, the company’s Vice President and General Manager of Client AI and Technical Marketing, says Intel has no choice but to look forward. (Read more)

Intel in action: Top reviewed Intel laptops

• READ MORE: Best laptops in 2025: Our top 10 recommendations in January

"Boring stuff changes the world": AMD's Jason Banta on what to expect from AI and AMD in the future

Team Red had a clear lead on Intel in 2024, but can AMD maintain the momentum?

“Boring stuff changes the world,” AMD’s Jason Banta, Vice President and General Manager of the Client OEM group, tells Laptop Mag, insisting that what we’ve seen from AI and Microsoft’s Copilot+ suite is only the beginning.

While Microsoft's initial suite of AI tools and features for Windows 11 may seem boring, they're part of a growing snowball effect that could (one day soon) drastically impact the performance and potential we eke out from our hardware and, in turn, the experiences we gain from it. (Read more)

AMD in action: Top reviewed AMD laptops

• READ MORE: The best AMD Ryzen laptops in 2025: 6 top picks we've tested and reviewed

Over the last decade, the price of laptops, gaming hardware, and smartphones has only grown, but things might get exceptionally worse soon.

Throughout Donald Trump's presidential campaign, he proposed placing tariffs as high as up to 60% for goods from China, and up to 20% for everything else coming into the United States. He said this back in September, but he recently provided an update on these proposed tariffs.

Trump gave a speech on Monday during the House GOP Issues Conference where he said "In the very near future, we're going to be placing tariffs on foreign production of computer chips, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals to return production of these essential goods to the United States of America." In particular, Trump mentions Taiwan, and cites that it holds 98% of the chip business, stating "We want them to come back."

In short, our wallets could be in huge trouble very soon.

How much damage could Trump's tariffs actually do?

When Trump initially proposed these tariffs last year, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) filed a report documenting predictions for how drastically these tariffs could hike prices if they go through.

The report suggests that laptops and tablets could get 46% more expensive and video game consoles might rise by 40%. Smartphones would be the least impacted, marked up by just 26%, but it's still a drastic increase (via TechCrunch).

Senior Director of the CTA, Brian Comiskey, claimed at CES 2025 that spending for “tablets and laptops could decline as much as 68%, gaming consoles as much as 58%, and smartphones up to 37%.”

These claims get a lot scarier when you apply them to the things we actually use. AMD outsources its chip manufacturing to TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. AMD chips power the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but the Nintendo Switch 2 is rumored to use an Nvidia chip. Unfortunately, Nvidia's chips are also manufactured by TSMC. In other words, all of these are imported from Taiwan.

If the 40% price increase on game consoles is true, it would mean the Xbox Series X and PS5's launch prices of $500 could be as high as $700 for the coming generation. Rumors for the Nintendo Switch 2 suggest it could be anywhere from $400 to $450, but the proposed tariffs could bring that up to anywhere from $560 to $630.

Even when we move to laptops, and focus on something like Apple products, the majority of Apple Silicon is outsourced to manufacturers like TSMC. However, towards the end of last year, Apple began making some chips in America as reported by independent journalist Tim Culpan, still produced by TSMC. The branch is called TSMC Arizona, and while it's reportedly starting small, it's a start.

On the other hand, Intel manufactures at several different locations, with production facilities in Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Ireland, and Israel. It also has assembly and test sites in China, Costa Rica, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

On Intel's website, the company claims "approximately half of our workforce handles production," and in 2011, it claimed that "roughly three-fourths of the company's microprocessor manufacturing is done here in America." 2011 was a long time ago, so it's hard to say if that's accurate in 2025, but that's the latest statement Intel has made on how much is produced in America.

There's one more major chip maker we haven't covered: Qualcomm. A brief look at the company's website reveals that it will similarly suffer at the hands of these tariffs, where it's stated, "The majority of our manufacturing and test suppliers are located in the Asia-Pacific region."

In short, AMD, Nvidia, and Qualcomm are potentially facing trouble. Intel and Apple may be more prepared for this impending storm, but both could still be greatly impacted by these tariffs. Apple has only just begun producing in America and still has a majority of its manufacturing done elsewhere. Meanwhile, we have no clear picture of how much of Intel's manufacturing is presently done within the United States.

We have no information on exactly when these tariffs will become a reality. However, it could happen within weeks as Trump can, in most cases, impose tariffs without congressional approval according to the National Law Review.

Considering these companies are the ones manufacturing the chips that power your laptops, smartphones, and gaming consoles, our wallets could be in huge trouble in the near future.

More from Laptop Mag

• DeepSeek's success has painted a huge TikTok-shaped target on its back
• Revealed AMD Ryzen AI Max “Strix Halo” benchmarks could be bad news for Nvidia
• DeepSeek: The best ChatGPT alternative or a hotbed of dubious claims?

If you've been waiting for a great deal on an upgrade for your M1 or M2 MacBook, now is the perfect time. 

After Apple launched the M4 iPad Pro, we've been seeing some fantastic deals on M3 MacBooks. Right now, you can snag three amazing M3 MacBook models at their lowest prices ever. 

If you're looking for a lightweight, budget-friendly option, check out the 15.3-inch MacBook Air M3 on Amazon for only $1,150 (with a $49 coupon). Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air M3 is also discounted by $150 on Amazon, but there's no coupon for extra savings. 

Or, if you're after the best of the best, consider the MacBook Pro models with Apple's M3 Pro silicon. The 14.2-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro is slashed to $1,400 on Amazon (with a $49 coupon), matching its all-time lowest price. Then, Apple's 16.2-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro is $2,250 with a coupon on Amazon, but it's actually priced even lower at $2,199 on Best Buy's website right now.

Shopping for more than just a MacBook? Our deals editor compiled a roundup of her 45 favorite deals from the Best Buy weekend sale. 

Best MacBook deals — Quick links

• 15.3" MacBook Air M3: $1,299 $1,150 @ Amazon (with coupon)
• 14.2" MacBook Pro M3: $1,599 $1,400 @ Amazon (with coupon)
• 16.2" MacBook Pro M3: $2,499 $2,199 @ Best Buy 

Amazon MacBook Deals — M3 MacBook Air

Amazon MacBook Deals — M3 MacBook Pros

Other MacBook retailers

• Best Buy: MacBook deals from $699
• Walmart: MacBook deals from $699
• B&H: MacBook deals from $849

It feels like Apple's M3 MacBooks have only just rolled off the factory floor and onto shelves. However, with an ongoing push towards delivering annual refreshes across Apple's catalog, we're already counting down to the release of M4-powered MacBooks and Macs.

This year is likely to be the start of this product-wide annual refresh cycle for Apple's Macs, with the company already nearing production of its next-gen M4 chips in advance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the first M4 Macs should arrive towards the end of 2024, with a wider selection of devices, housing more powerful variants of the chipset, to follow throughout 2025.

M4 MacBooks: A timeline of when to expect Apple's next-gen laptops

Unlike previous refresh cycles, Apple is reportedly prepared to shift all of its Mac devices over to the new M4 chip across the span of a year — which will result in some devices skipping the M3 chipset entirely, but will also avoid certain Macs being left behind a generation as when the Mac Pro failed to receive an M2 refresh.

A rough timeline of when to expect these M4 refreshes is listed below. However, as with all early information, the dates here are subject to change in the future. That being said, at the time of writing, Apple's M4 Mac plans look as follows:

• Q4 2024: The tail-end of 2024 should see Apple's M4 Silicon debut with a low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro and a 24-inch iMac.
   
• Q4 2024 - Q1 2025: Apple reportedly plans to launch high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros powered by M4 Pro/Max chips, with a Mac mini to release within this window available in M4 and M4 Pro configurations.
   
• Q1 - Q2 2025: According to estimates, it'll be around spring 2025 before we see all-new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs released featuring the M4 chipset.
   
• Q2 - Q3 2025: A high-end Mac Studio is set to launch midway through 2025 that could feature M4 Pro/Max/Ultra configurations.
   
• Q3 - Q4 2025: Finally, in the second half of 2025, Apple is said to be releasing a Mac Pro housing an M4 Ultra chip.

Outlook

Apple's sweeping refresh should please many Mac users, as every model will be granted the same M4 upgrade whether you're primarily a desktop or laptop user. This push could also indicate some big news is in the pipeline for AI on Macs, as the M4 chip is said to prioritize supporting on-device artificial intelligence.

We already know that Apple is ready to pull the trigger on AI, with iOS 18 and the iPhone 16 set to be a breakthrough in putting this tech to use. With Apple's entire computing catalog being granted this AI-focused chipset, there may be a treasure trove of AI-assisted features to look forward to in the company's upcoming MacOS 15 release, also.

More from Laptop Mag

• Want to know more about Apple's latest M3 MacBooks? Check out our reviews of the MacBook Pro 14, MacBook Air 13, and MacBook Air 15.
  
• Are you excited to see what's coming to Macs in the near future? Check out our roundup of the latest macOS 15 news.
   
• Are you interested to hear more about Apple's smartphone and AI plans? Catch the latest news in our rumor mills for the iPhone 16 and iOS 18.

News around Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chipset has been slowly trickling in over the last few months based on tech demos and leaked benchmarks. Qualcomm's upcoming flagship silicon is aiming to take down Apple's M3 benchmark records, and based on the latest leaks the performance gap between the two chipsets seems to be closing.

In the leaked Geekbench 6.2 scores, spotted by Windows Latest (via TechNewsWorld), the Snapdragon X Elite had a single-core score of 2,574 and a multi-core score of 12,562. 

Our own M3 benchmarks from the Macbook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) had a single-core average of 3,163 and a multi-core score of 11,968. That was the entry-level M3 system with only 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. So, if the leaked Geekbench 6 scores for the Snapdragon X Elite are to be believed, the M3 still holds the edge on single-core performance but on multi-core tasks, the Snapdragon X Elite has the edge.

Granted, while Geekbench 6 mostly tests CPU performance, changes in onboard RAM and SSD configurations can impact those performance scores significantly. So without further information on the exact models of Snapdragon X Elite or M3 systems tested, we can only speculate. But it does seem Qualcomm's new chips are closing the performance gap with Apple's custom silicon.

What we know so far

In one tech demo via Digital Trends, the Snapdragon X Elite scored 21% higher than Apple's M3. Of course, there are two different thermal profiles of the Snapdragon X Elite, and it's unclear which version was being used during the tech demo.

Based on Qualcomm's statements about the 80W and 23W Snapdragon performance scores, it appears the tech demo pitted the 80W Snapdragon X Elite against the base M3 chip which is a 21-22W chip.

So, if the tech demo used the 80W Snapdragon X chip as we've surmised, the comparison falls apart. A better test would be the 80W Snapdragon X against the M3 Max which has a 78W power consumption rating.

Having spent years in the Laptop Mag testing lab, I tend to be wary of trusting tech demos wholesale as chipmakers always want their silicon to look better than the competitors and there are ways to cheat at Geekbench.

So even if the Digital Trends tech demo was a showdown between the 23W Snapdragon X and the M3, I plan to reserve my judgment until we get the Snapdragon chips into our labs and can run them through Geekbench in a controlled setting.

I'm more inclined to trust the leaked Geekbench scores, but even then, unless you know the exact configuration tested and can confirm it was a clean system, there is plenty that can impact a Geekbench 6 score outside of pure CPU silicon.

As for when we can hope to see those clean Snapdragon scores, Qualcomm's new flagship chipset is expected to launch in "mid-2024." So that could mean we get Windows 12 Snapdragon X Elite systems (if the rumored Windows upgrade actually hits this year). 

The Snapdragon X Elite will launch with onboard AI capabilities with Windows 11 (or 12). According to the latest benchmarks spotted by Tom's Hardware, the Snapdragon X Elite's NPU outperforms the Intel Ultra chips by a significant margin.

More from Laptop Mag

• Qualcomm Snapdragon X: Is 2024 finally the year for Arm-powered PCs?
• The significance of the AI PC — how far we've come, and still much further to go
• iPhone vs Android battery life: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is crushing Apple in 2024

Update Nov. 3 at 4:45 p.m. ET: The MacBook Air M2 is on sale for $899 ($200 off) at B&H in a limited time flash deal. 

Black Friday arrives early with this hefty discount on our recommended best overall laptop to buy. For a limited time, our beloved MacBook Air M2 is on sale for $899 at B&H. Typically $1,099, that's $200 in savings and the lowest outright discount we've seen for this Apple laptop. Earlier this year, it briefly fell to $849 at Best Buy for My Best Buy Plus and Total members only.

This is one of the best early Black Friday MacBook deals we've seen so far. 

Today's best 13-inch MacBook M2 deal

The 13-inch laptop is a wonder of modern design.

It's often so light you'll barely notice it in your bag while still delivering plenty of performance. Students breeze through campus with these lightweight wonders, while pros tuck them into briefcases for on-the-go productivity (or just conquering emails from the couch). You'll love the convenience and portability they bring, making them the perfect companion for busy, on-the-move individuals.

But just because they're small doesn't mean you should underestimate their bite. These aren't the underpowered thin and light laptops of yesteryear; 13-inch laptops are available to handle almost any workload. They make for the best travel-friendly laptops available, with a sturdy chassis, enchanting display, and long battery life. So ditch the bulk and embrace the possibilities — 13-inch laptops are where extreme portability meets powerhouse.

If you want the thinnest and lightest laptop possible while still offering enough power to handle most tasks easily, a 13-inch laptop is the answer.

If you need a laptop today, these are the best 13-inch laptops based on our extensive testing and reviews.

The Quick List

Best 13-inch laptops in 2024

Best 13-inch overall laptop

Apple's MacBook Air M3 is staggering, asserting itself as one of the best overall laptops. If you need a 13-inch, most people would not go wrong with it, as its excellent performance and miraculously long battery life are impossible to deny.

The MacBook Air M3 towers above the premium laptop's average performance with its Geekbench 6 overall multi-core score of 12,087. Its SSD speeds are also hyper-fast, hitting an average of 3,031 megabytes per second in our file transfer test. Plain and simple, there are very few scenarios in which you can go wrong with the MacBook Air M3.

On the Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over wifi at 150 nits, The MacBook Air M3 lasted 15 hours and 13 minutes. No, you didn't misread that. Its battery life goes above and beyond reason, and it is one of the longest-lasting laptops you can buy today.

It's also impressive that this is a whole hour longer in longevity when compared to the M2 MacBook, meaning there's no better time to invest in the latest model. MacBooks are also famous for their great-feeling keyboards, and if you want a springy and quiet one to keep your fingers happy while typing the day away, look no further.

Otherwise, its 13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display is crisp enough to perform in-depth work. Its 77.8 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut is solid, but what sets it apart is an average brightness of 476 nits. The brightness is enough to handle even the sunniest days, as there's nothing worse than intense glare, making it impossible to see what's happening on-screen.

See our full MacBook Air M3 review.

Back to the top ⤴

Best 13-inch business laptop

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 is the perfect business laptop for those who need a quality ultraportable. Its total weight of 2.2 pounds is as light as a feather, and if you need something truly capable with solid performance and a bright display, look no further.

Our configuration costs $1,599, and Lenovo built it with an Intel Core i7-1360P processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage space, and a 13.3-inch 2K IPS touchscreen. While it's important to remember that it's using a last-generation processor, its Geekbench 5.5 multi-core performance of 9,268 is good enough to handle a heavy workload.

We were pretty disappointed by its longevity, though. In the Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over wifi at 150 nits, its subpar 8 hours and 28 minutes of battery life is enough to sustain an entire workday. Still, depending on how demanding your workflow is, you might need an outlet nearby. This is also worse than the original's 12 hours of battery life and is significantly below the 9-hour and 45-minute ultraportable average.

The laptop can also get bright enough to survive blinding sunlight, with an average brightness of 483 nits. That's even higher than the MacBook Air M3, which hits 476 nits. However, its color depth leaves much to be desired, coming in at a 70.9 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

We also wish it had more ports, but considering it's a thin and lightweight laptop, it's typical for these products to have a small selection. At the very least, its two Thunderbolt 4 ports will allow for the best laptop docking stations to be attached. You also get an audio jack, so there's that.

See our full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 review

Back to the top ⤴

Best 13-inch 2-in-1 Laptop

Counting the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i as a 13-inch laptop might be cheating, as it features two 13.3-inch 2,800 x 1,800-pixel displays, but this adds to the diversity of its use cases. How does it work, you ask? Pop the lid open and use it as a standard laptop, but detach its Bluetooth keyboard and get to work when you want to use two screens at once. You can even use an included external mouse and Lenovo Digital Pen.

It is absolutely worth considering its price, though, as you'll be paying $1,999 for this beast. Beyond just its incredible foundation, its 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1355U is solid, with a Geekbench 5.5 score of 7,765. While this is slightly below our 7,767 premium laptop average, it's not drastic enough of a drop for us to avoid recommending the product.

The dual OLED displays are also a glorious sight, covering 136.5 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut on the top display and 136.7 percent on the bottom display. This isn't a surprise, as they're identical panels, and it pulls ahead of competitors like the MacBook Air M3 (77.8 percent) without issue.

It also sports battery life within our recommended range, lasting 9 hours and 18 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over wifi at 150 nits. While that's not quite as impressive as the MacBook Air M3's 15 hours, it's still great for a 2-in-1 laptop.

The brightness could be better, though. It is 335 nits on the top display and 344 nits on the bottom display, which is lower than the 392 nits average for this category.

See our full Lenovo Yoga Book 9i review.

Back to the top ⤴

How to choose the best 13-inch laptop

Do your intensive daily workloads require more RAM than the average Joe? Are you a video editor who needs extra storage? Are you a gamer who wants a powerful GPU? Sorting through the best laptops to fit your lifestyle is a tricky business.

Budget: What you get for your money

You can find decent Windows laptops and high-quality Chromebooks for under $500. However, better mainstream laptops usually cost more than $700 and premium Ultrabooks can run over $1,000. The best gaming laptops can cost $2.000 and up, but you can play the latest titles at decent frame rates on gaming laptops under $1,000.

Design: 2-in-1 or clamshell?

More and more of today's laptops are 2-in-1s with screens that either bend back 360 degrees or detach so you can use them as tablets. If you like the idea of using your laptop in slate mode for drawing, media consumption, or just standing up, a 2-in-1 could be for you. However, you can often get better features or a lower price by going with a traditional clamshell-style laptop.

Battery Life: 9+ hours for portability

Battery life matters unless you plan to use your laptop only on your desk. Even in the home or office, having plenty of juice enables you to work on the couch or at the conference table without being chained to the nearest outlet. We recommend getting a laptop that lasted over 9 hours on the Laptop Mag Battery Test for the best portability. The longest-lasting laptops endure anywhere between 10 and 15 hours.

Back to the top ⤴

How we test the best 13-inch laptops

Over the course of a year, we review over 150 laptops covering every price point and use case. Whether you’re looking for a productivity workhorse, a badass gaming system, or a multimedia machine to kick back and watch a movie or two, we can help you find your ideal match.

In order to make our list, the system needs to score at least 4 out of 5 stars on our reviews and deliver on the things shoppers care about most. In our evaluations, we focus on design and comfort, display quality, the keyboard and touchpad, performance, battery life, and especially value.

Our expert reviewers also use each product to see how it looks, feels, and performs in everyday situations. Because we see so many different notebooks, we can compare each to its direct competitors and give you an idea of how it stacks up to the average laptop in its price band.

When we bring a laptop into our laboratory, our goal is to see how it would work if you brought it into your home or office. While we use a number of industry standard benchmarks such as Geekbench and 3DMark, we focus heavily on real-world tests that we have developed in-house.

To test endurance, the Laptop Mag Battery test surfs the web at 150 nits of brightness until the system runs out of juice. To judge pure processing power, we use a giant spreadsheet macro that matches 65,000 names with their addresses, a video transcoder that converts a 4K video to 1080p, and the Geekbench 5 synthetic test. We measure graphics prowess with both 3DMark Ice Storm / Fire Strike and a series of games including Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Metro: Exodus, Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption just to name a few.

We use a colorimeter to measure screen brightness and color gamut while other instruments help us determine a laptop's key travel and ambient heat. See this page on how we test laptops for more details on our benchmarking procedures.

Back to the top ⤴

Why Trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over one hundred different laptops every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming.

We are 100 percent independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades and continues to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.

One of the world's largest technology publishers, Future Publishing, enforces our editorial trustworthiness. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.

Back to the top ⤴

Apple has yet another batch of reveals in store for us this month. Reportedly, the brand is set to break the embargo surrounding its “Scary Fast” M3 Apple Silicon chipset along with the iMac and MacBook models lucky enough to house them.

We’ve barely gotten past the Wonderlust inspired by Apple’s September event. There we were treated to a detailed look at the new iPhone 15, 15 Pro models — not to mention the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

However, Apple’s prolific push of hardware and software updates isn’t slowing down. Not yet at least, with the Scary Fast showcase arriving in just a few days time to dazzle us with Apple Park’s latest innovations. Here’s how you can watch along from home.

How to watch the Apple October event 2023: Scary Fast

Apple’s pre-recorded keynote will be streamed live through supported devices through the Apple TV app or online via YouTube or the Apple Events webpage on Monday Oct. 30, 2023.

Apple’s surprise showcase will take place later than usual, with proceedings kicking off at 5 p.m. PT (or 8 p.m. ET).

This is a pretty atypical time-slot for Apple to make its announcements, with the brand usually preferring to position its events much earlier in the day at around 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.

However, it would appear the Cupertino crew are hoping to cash in on the Halloween holiday, and let an early autumn sunset make these “Scary Fast” announcements seem all the more spooktacular.

Watching from outside the US? Check out when the event kicks off in other time zones below:

• US & Canada: Monday, Oct. 30 @ 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET
• United Kingdom: Tuesday, Oct. 31 @ Midnight GMT
• Europe: Tuesday, Oct. 31 @ 1 a.m. CET
• India: Tuesday, Oct. 31 @ 5:30 a.m. IST
• Australia and New Zealand: Tuesday, Oct. 31 @ 11 a.m. AEDT / 1 p.m. NZDT

Apple October event 2023: What to expect

Word about what’s in store is slim, but from the clues left by Apple in the event’s promotional materials, we can expect a strong focus on MacBook and iMac devices. Not only that, but the “Scary Fast” moniker leads us to believe that Apple could be intending to introduce its all-new M3 Apple Silicon chipset to customers as well as see them feature in new MacBook Pro and iMac refreshes.

A long-standing rumor surrounding iPad refreshes arriving this year has caused the head of speculatists and analysts to spin for months. While it’s an outside chance, we may also see a surprise reveal of the iPad mini 7 and iPad Air 6.

Anything beyond this would be wild speculation for now, though we’ll be keeping you abreast of the latest news surrounding Apple’s event as it arrives.

Microsoft just announced the Surface Laptop Studio 2, and the company made it clear there is one competitor in its sights: the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

With its choice of 13th Gen Intel Core i7 CPUs (paired with a VPU for AI acceleration), and a choice of integrated or dedicated graphics, this versatile touchscreen machine has more versatility for creators than Apple’s powerhouse.

But is that enough in the face of the fearsome Apple Silicon, its tight macOS integration, a suite of creative apps, and impressive stamina? Let’s find out.

Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: Specs

Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: Price

The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 and can go all the way up to a whopping $6,299. 

• Surface Laptop Studio 2 (base model): $1,999
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro base model): $1,999
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Max base model): $3,099

Given the starting price disparity with that M2 Max model, we’ll focus on that $2,000 machine in our comparison.

Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: Design

• Both laptop designs remain identical to their previous generations
• MacBook Pro sports a flat, utilitarian aesthetic with no touch screen/hinge-based construction
• Surface Laptop Studio 2 brings more versatility with its display that can be laid practically flat like a portable easel

As much as we want Apple to push the boat out and be a little more ambitious with redesigns (or at least a new color), Apple’s streamlined minimalism is drop-dead gorgeous. It is a flat, utilitarian design that is built to give you confidence in its aluminum unibody.

Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 also doesn’t change a thing about the design compared to the previous model, and that’s a good thing. The Dynamic Woven Hinge lets you pull the bottom of that display towards you, which unlocks three modes: Laptop, Stage, and Studio.

It’s a premium construction with far more versatility in use cases than you find on the MacBook Pro, but I was hoping that the awkward slab stuck under the bottom for cooling would be gone.

In fact, it’s not even the additional mechanism of the Surface Laptop Studio 2’s display that adds the extra heft, though. Instead, it’s that vented underside. We weren’t expecting dramatic changes across both these machines in terms of the design or the display (more on that in a second), but the choice here comes down to what’s important for you.

If your workload is dependent on versatility of working styles, then you already know the answer is Surface Laptop Studio 2. However, the MacBook Pro is a true workhorse in its hardware look and feel too.

Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: Display

• Surface Laptop Studio 2: 14.4-inch, 2400x1600-pixel resolution HDR Touchscreen PixelSense Flow Display with 120Hz refresh rate
• 14-inch MacBook Pro: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, 3024x1964-pixel resolution with 120Hz refresh rate

Apple is cocky about its MacBook Pro display, but the company absolutely earns it with its gorgeous miniLED display — super sharp with a buttery smooth refresh rate, and stellar color reproduction. Plus, it gets real bright too with a 1,000 nits sustained brightness with XDR content. For SDR, you're looking at 500 nits.

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 matches this brightness with its 14.4-inch PixelSense Flow panel, which also supports Dolby Vision IQ visuals and DisplayHDR 400. It also sports 10-point capacitive touch and Surface Pen support for a far wider array of use cases beyond anything you could possibly do with the MacBook Pro.

Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: Ports

• The Surface Laptop Studio 2 may benefit from the versatility of a USB-A port…
• …but it seems weird to say the MacBook Pro has a wider array for your creative needs!

Why is it weird? Well, it comes down to the typical assumption that Apple limits the amount of connectivity to its laptops. But the MacBook Pro is the exception to the rule with HDMI 2.1, an SD card slot, and three Thunderbolt 4 sockets.

As for the Surface Laptop Studio 2, there is no HDMI port, and in its place, you get USB-A. Elsewhere on the machine, there are two Thunderbolt 4 connectors, a microSD card reader, and that proprietary Surface Connector.

Surface Laptop Studio 2 vs 14-inch MacBook Pro: CPU and GPU

• The base model Surface Laptop Studio 2 gets a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU with integrated Iris Xe graphics
• Pay more and you can get a dedicated Nvidia GPU
• As for the MacBook Pro, you get a choice of M2 Pro or M2 max

Apple’s custom silicon is capable of some great things in the M2 Pro and M2 Max – providing impressive performance under intense pressure, and power efficiency unlike any laptop in its class.

In fact, these laptops continue to rank highly in terms of Geekbench scores and video transcoding, which guarantees peak power when it comes to video rendering and complicated edits of high-capacity files.

On the other side of the ring, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 comes packed with either an Intel Core i7-13700H or 13800H CPU, alongside Intel’s new Gen 3 Movidius 3700VC VPU AI Accelerator to turbo boost Windows’ new Copilot-oriented OS. However, one downside is that the base model Studio 2 comes simply with Iris Xe integrated graphics.

There was a specific test on stage at the Surface event, where the Laptop Studio 2 rendered a large file faster than the MacBook Pro. But at the base model price, I’d be skeptical of seeing this as a possibility on Iris Xe integrated graphics. But that remains to be seen in our own testing of course.

Outlook

It was odd to see the Surface Laptop Studio 2 treated almost like an afterthought to Microsoft’s AI efforts because this is shaping up to be a pretty good laptop! But is it enough to compete with the MacBook Pro? That’s for us to find out when we get one in for review.

If Microsoft is coming for the king of prosumer laptops, it best not miss. It has the improved versatility of that gorgeous touchscreen on a hinge to enable far more forms of artistic expression.

But will its combination of 13th Gen Intel, RTX 40-series power, and an AI VPU match up to the pure horsepower of Apple’s pro laptop? I’m not so sure, but we’ll see.

Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air M2 is the best overall laptop to buy for good reason. It's ultra-portable, crazy fast, and lasts long between charges. Right now, the MacBook Air M2 is on sale for $899 at Best Buy. No membership required. It normally costs $1,099, so that's $200 and its lowest price ever. 

This is one of the best MacBook deals we've seen outside of Black Friday. 

Today's best 13-inch MacBook M2 deal

Apple's 2023 MacBook Air M2 has an upgraded look and enhanced performance over the M1 MacBook Air. If power, portability and endurance are important to you, the MacBook Air M2 ticks all the right boxes. The MacBook in this deal features a 13.6-inch (2560 x 1664) Liquid Retina display, Apple M2 8-core processor, 8-Core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD.

In our MacBook Air M2 review, we gave it a high rating of 4.5 out of 5-stars and backed it with our Editor's Choice Award. In real-world tests, we were floored by the MacBook Air M2's elegant redesign, fantastic performance and bright, colorful screen. As for battery-life, it endured 14 hours in our Laptop Mag Battery test which is pretty impressive. 

With a weight of 2.7 pounds and 0.4 inches thin, the MacBook Air M2 slips easily into a laptop backpack, messenger bag or medium sized purse. It’s lighter and thinner than the Dell XPS 13 (2.8 pounds, 0.6 inches) and HP Spectre x360 13 (2.8 pounds, 0.7 inches). It's slightly heavier yet thinner than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Carbon (2.4 pounds, 0.6 inches).

Port-wise, the M2 MacBook Air supplies you with a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, headset jack and a MagSafe charging port. For more connectivity options, consider a USB-C hub like the 5-in-1 Anker 332.

Now $200 off, the MacBook M2 is a solid investment if you want the best everyday laptop for school, work and everything else. 

It’s the day of Apple’s Wonderlust event and the latest iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to dominate the headlines with reveals of pricing, specifications, and release dates. However, this year could be the last time Apple’s top-tier device, the iPhone Pro Max, is part of that deluge of news — at least in name. 

Will Apple retire the Pro Max name?

Apple has a bit of a messy naming structure at the minute with its indecision to pick and stick with either the Pro Max or Ultra nomenclature on its high-end devices and components.

Want the top-tier Apple Watch device? Then you want the Apple Watch Ultra. Want the primo iPhone experience? Then you want the iPhone 15 Pro Max. And, if that wasn’t confusing enough, along comes Apple Silicon with both Max AND Ultra variants of its M1 and M2 processors.

It’s time to clean house on these messy tech tiers, and the iPhone Pro Max name could be first on the chopping block when the iPhone 16 releases in 2024. Bloomberg’s scribe of all things Apple, Mark Gurman, has previously reported that Apple has considered bringing the Ultra branding to its flagship smartphone — especially as the feature set between the Pro and Pro Max models begins to expand.

However, Gurman has seemingly confirmed that Apple intends to stick with the Pro Max title for this year after a recent spate of rumors pointing to a last-minute adoption of the Ultra moniker. As such, it’s business as usual from the Cupertino crew today, though next year's lineup could look a little different with a potential 16th-gen showcase featuring the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and newly branded iPhone 16 Ultra.

Outlook

This year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max could be the last of its namesake, but it’s retiring with a bang and not a whimper.

Not only will the device make the switch to a titanium frame, it will likely be outfitted by Apple’s 3nm A17 Bionic processor, feature an upgraded telephoto (Periscope) lens and LiDAR sensor, a new U2 ultra-wideband (UWB) chip, USB-C connectivity is 35W of charging and Thunderbolt data transfer speeds, an all-new Action Button in lieu of the tradition mute switch, and LIPO manufactured ultra-slim bezels.

Talk about leaving on a high note! Take a bow Pro Max, your watch is over. 

For breaking news and updates on all things Apple and iPhone as it arrives, follow along with our Apple September event live blog or catch Laptop Mag on Twitter, Facebook, and Flipboard for the latest word as it arrives.  

UPDATE: Since the publishing of this article, more details have come to light about iPad Air 5 and iPad mini 7 availability. For the latest details, catch our coverage of how new iPads aren't expected until 2024. Boo! Hiss!

With all the talk of the iPhone 15, it’s easy to forget that Apple has a lot of cards left to play before the end of the year. While there’s an outside chance that we will see an upgraded iPad Mini 7 at the Apple September event (dubbed ‘Wonderlust’), it’s now looking increasingly likely that we can expect a new iPad Air release in 2023. 

iPad Air 6 release date could be right around the corner

The last iPad Air release was in March 2022, seeing the device pack the M1 Apple Silicon processor, an improved USB-C port, 5G support, and a 12MP front camera featuring Center Stage — allowing it to track and frame users during video calls.

The new iPad Air refresh could arrive as soon as October 2023 if Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is to be believed. Speaking on a recent episode of The MacRumors Show podcast, Gurman revealed that a new generation of iPad Air is in the works and could be “coming soonish.” He would later speculate on the iPad refresh’s likely date being October — though not to expect a large-scale announcement.

Gurman continued, “I’m not sure they have enough to drag people down to Cupertino to watch the video like they do for this launch,” when speaking of the upcoming iPhone 15 reveal. Instead, it looks like the sixth generation of iPad Air could be unveiled with a quick press release and video — similar to Apple’s announcement of the MacBook Pros featuring M2 and M2 Max processors.

Outlook

While we don’t know what the iPad Air 6’s refresh entails, there’s a chance we could see an M2 chip outfitting alongside Thunderbolt support for even faster USB-C data transfer rates and improved charging much similar to what we expect of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models.

Apple launching the iPad Air 6 would make it the only iPad set for a release in 2023, with the rumored iPad Mini 7 reportedly being pushed into early 2024. However, never count out a surprise or two as Apple still has a busy few months to go with iPhone and MacBook reveals.

We love the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro for their peak performance, impressive battery life, and the return of several useful ports. But it appears that Apple is ready to swap them out a bit earlier than previously expected with its "Scary Fast" event today.

We aren't expecting any wild updates to the design, but the new M3 Pro and M3 Max chips inside could make a bigger impact than you think — thanks to that new 3-nanometer process. We’ve been closely following all the breadcrumbs about these upcoming, superpowered MacBooks, so we can provide some clarity on these machines with just hours to go before the launch.

M3 Pro MacBook Pro release date and pricing

The anticipated contents of Apple's "Scary fast" event unfolded quickly after months of hearing that the M3 MacBooks were pushed into 2024, but all major sources are now indicating that we are getting an M3 iMac alongside the M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros. 

With the online-only event tonight (Oct. 30) starting at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT), we know that everything announced should be arriving soon. According to a leak to MacRumors, the M3 MacBook Pros should be available on November 8. That follows the typical timeline for Apple launches with hardware arriving the next Friday after the event.

So hopefully you've been saving up as we expect pre-orders to open up later this week and regrettably, there are no rumors about a big price drop for the new MacBook Pros, so expect them to start at the typical $2,000 and up.

M3 Pro MacBook Pro design

There hasn’t been much said about the design of the new MacBook Pro. In fact, I would be surprised if you see the aesthetic change at all. And why should they? This streamlined utilitarian frame is gorgeous — an all aluminum beauty that catches the eye from every angle. Plus, we’re in the third generation. It normally takes a couple more years than that to see any overt changes to the design.

The only real difference that could come is what Apple plans to do with that notch atop the display. No, it’s not going to turn into a Dynamic Island. Instead, given the patent application was approved a few months ago, we could finally see Face ID come to the MacBook Pro.

It’s frustrating that it’s taken this long, since Windows Hello has been present for years. But better late than never, I guess.

M3 Pro MacBook Pro performance

Let’s get into the real meat of this upgrade — that M3 Pro or M3 Max chipset. We already know that this new generation of silicon is moving to a 3nm process, which means smaller transistors. Translation: you can stuff more performance and efficiency cores on one of the chips.

That is an enormous increase in core count, which will contribute to significantly improved performance across both chips. Just think about what that 40-core GPU is going to do to tear through your Final Cut Pro exports.

We can expect a new RAM configuration too: 48GB. On the current M2 Max options, you can choose from 32GB, 64GB, and 96GB. We’re not entirely sure whether this will be the new base option for M3 Max, or an interesting middle ground spec, but it’s certainly exciting for those who rely on heavy multitasking.

Outlook

Safe to say you should hold off on any MacBook Pro purchases until these new laptops are in the wild. Even if you decide this is your chance to pick up the M2 Pro or M2 Max, we're already seeing strong Black Friday Apple deals, and this is sure to drop those prices even further.

Follow along with our coverage of the launch tonight and full reviews of whatever is announced in the coming days and weeks. While the current MacBook Pros are going to remain excellent options for many, it's hard not to be tempted by the latest and greatest, so we'll endeavor to let you know if they are worth the upgrade. 

iPhone 15 is steadily approaching with Apple's September event set for the 12th. We've predicted an exact release date on September 22, although the iPhone 15 Pro Max delay rumors could take it beyond September. And even with Apple's next flagship phone not even in our hands yet, iPhone 16 rumors are already overwhelming the internet.

However, now we're getting a glimpse even further into the future with iPhone 17 rumors, even though the phone is more than two years away from release. This latest rumor comes from industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will implement "its own modem chip starting in 2025" (via Android Authority). If true, this should apply to the iPhone 17.

Apple branded modem chip inside an iPhone 17?

Qualcomm is the current primary supplier for Apple's 5G modem chips, but Apple's rumored shift to its own line would further prove that the company is doing this on a large scale across multiple products. 

It has only been a few years since laptops powered by Apple Silicon through the original M1 chip were released after the company made a shift over from Intel processors.

But Kuo's information doesn't completely confirm which iPhone model will be launched with the modem first. iPhone 15 is certainly launching this year, while 2024 will be reserved for iPhone 16. 

Considering Kuo claims 2025 will be when Apple is "expected to use" its own chips, we will likely see it on the iPhone 17. The only other alternative for a late 2025 launch would be a cellular iPad model, but Apple is no stranger to delays so we could see it pushed back to iPhone 18 in 2026.

We expect to get a full collection of iPhone 17 rumors at the start of next year, as we received plenty of iPhone 16 leaks early in 2023. 

Extended Apple Labor Day sales continue to slash prices on the brand's popular gadgets. We're days from Apple's September event and we're seeing the lowest prices of the year on select MacBooks, iPads, iPhones. 

For example, you can still get the MacBook Air M1 for $749 at Amazon and several other retailers. If you want to spend the least amount possible on a new MacBook, this is the one to buy. Despite being replaced by the MacBook Air with M2 Chip — also on sale for $929 ($170 off) at B&H, the M1-charged MacBook Air is still one of the best laptops to buy. If you prefer a larger display to work on, you can get the latest 15-inch MacBook Air M2 for an all-time low price of $1,099 at Amazon. 

Adding fuel to ongoing iPad mini 7 rumors, the iPad mini 6 is heavily discounted. For a limited time, you can get yourself an iPad mini 6 for $399 ($100 off) at Amazon. In our iPad mini 6 review, we gave it a solid 4 out of 5-stars and our Editor's Choice award. The tablet's compact size, speedy performance, bright display, and battery life were some of the things we love about it. If you were hoping for a price break on the iPad mini 6 or want a tablet you can take everywhere, the iPad mini 6 is a wise choice. 

These are just a few examples of the best Apple Labor Day sales you can still snag this week. From MacBooks to charging accessories, see the best Apple Labor Day deals still available. 

Apple Labor Day deals still available

Quick links

• Amazon: see today's best post-Labor Day Apple deals
• Best Buy: see today's best post-Labor Day Apple deals
• B&H: see today's best post-Labor Day Apple deals
• Target: see today's best post-Labor Day Apple deals 
• Walmart: see today's best post-Labor Day Apple deals 

MacBook

iPad

Mac mini & iMac

AirPods

Apple Watch

iPhone

Apple accessories

The iPhone 15 is just around the corner, and it’s bringing the biggest change to any Apple smartphone in years — the USB-C port (partially coerced by its beef with the EU). But recent rumors suggest that this is not the only device to shift away from Lightning.

According to Mark Gurman, Apple’s September event won’t just bring the iPhone 15 with USB-C and an iPad Mini. It looks as if AirPods will be making the port transition too.

A big chance that you can USB-See

This claim relates to the standard AirPods, and it is unclear whether AirPods Pro will be making the switch over (unless the company quietly changes it on the website after the event). 

However, Gurman has previously reported on Apple possibly releasing a USB-C AirPods Pro case alongside the iPhone 15. Elsewhere, expectations are being set for a hearing test-esque feature in the software, which will “play different tones and sounds” to help determine how well a person can hear. 

This would correlate with the rumors back in March of the company working on hearing enhancing technology, and the power of the Live Listen feature too. It’s worth saying that none of this tech (even in the likes of the Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus) has not received regulatory approval yet as a hearing aid replacement, though.

In terms of future rumored upgrades, such as body temperature sensors and a heart rate monitor, don’t expect them to make an appearance. Gurman is only expecting this long overdue change to USB-C and not much more.

Outlook

It’s only logical that Apple starts rolling out all of its key devices with the same USB-C standard, so as to not make the transition an awkward one. Having different standards out there is just a minefield for consumers to workaround, so being able to charge your new iPhone and AirPods with the same cable is warmly welcomed.

Whether there will be anymore new features or upgrades is currently up in the air. The last time we saw new AirPods was the third-generation back in October 2021, so you can only hope there will be some more internal improvements. Maybe a switch to touch controls, a bump up to the H2 chip, and a MagSafe charging case with speaker (with U1 chip for improved Find My performance).

The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a Windows alternative to the wildly popular 15-inch MacBook Air, especially if you don't have an allegiance to particular OS. It's got a gorgeous, 3.2K OLED display, a lightweight from factor that surprises you every time you pick it up, and impressive scores on most benchmarks.

But when we stack it up against the 15-inch MacBook Air, do these incredible qualities still hold water? The answer is a resounding yes. Still, while the Swift Edge 16 slaps the M2-based 15-inch MacBook Air silly on several tests, it fails in several other aspects, too.

The question is, which laptop has a set of pros that are more appealing to you?

Which laptops are we comparing?

Check the chart below to see which laptops we're comparing in this head-to-head competition.

The Acer laptop gives you more storage for less. However, for some, the extra $400 for the MacBook Air 15 may be worth it. I'll let you decide which laptop is best for you with a slew of facts and figures.

Where to buy the Acer Swift Edge 16? At Best Buy for $1,300

Where to buy the MacBook Air 15? At Apple for $1,700

3 ways the Acer Swift Edge 16 is better than the MacBook Air 15

Yes, the 15-inch MacBook Air launched this year, but it's rocking a passé chip (i.e., M2) that was hip when it debuted with the 2022 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Rumor has it that the 15-inch MacBook Air was supposed to feature the next-generation M3 chip, but due to "yield issues," TSMC (Apple's supplier) couldn't supply the Cupertino-based tech giant with enough processors to meet their demand.

So it's no surprise that the Acer Swift Edge 16 had no issues crushing a 2022-born processor. 

1. The Acer Swift Edge 16 has better performance

On the Geekbench 6 overall performance benchmark, which tests for how well a laptop can handle tasks such as file compression, rendering PDFs, processing text, machine learning, editing images, and 3D geometry, the Swift delivered a multi-core score of 10,168.

The M2 chip inside the MacBook Air 15, on the other hand, trailed behind with a score of 9,993.

We also tested casual gaming on both laptops (i.e., Sid Meier's Civilization VI on 1080p). The Swift Edge 16 (AMD Radeon graphics), staying true to its name, edged out the MacBook Air 15 (M2 10-core GPU) by a hair with an average of 44 frames per second while its Apple rival notched 43 fps.

2. The Acer Swift Edge 16 can transcode videos faster

If you're a casual content creator, transcoding video from one resolution to another may be a part of your workflow. If this is the case, you may want to lean toward the Swift Edge 16.

According to our Handbrake benchmark, which tasked the Swift Edge 16 with transcoding a 4K video to 1080p, the Acer laptop took 6 minutes and 4 seconds to complete the test. Meanwhile, it took the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air 7 minutes and 46 seconds to do the same.

3. The Acer Swift Edge 16's display is more colorful and has a better webcam

The Acer Swift Edge 16 sports a striking, 16-inch, 3,200 x 2,000 OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The MacBook Air 15, on the other hand, has a smaller 15.3-inch display with a lesser resolution of 2,800 x 1,864 pixels.

According to our colorimeter, the Swift Edge 16's display covers 139% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. The MacBook Air 15 only covers 111%.

Speaking of the display, the Swift Edge 16 sports a QHD 1440p webcam on the top bezel that is quite refreshing from the sea of 720p and 1080p shooters on most laptops at the moment. I found that the webcam rendered colors quite accurately, and while there was some negligible noise, the picture was clear and sharp. The M2 MacBook Air's webcam is decent; it has a 1080p webcam. But thankfully, thanks to the Continuity Camera feature Apple introduced last year, you can always attach an iPhone to your MacBook with a Belkin mount, allowing you to use your iPhone as a webcam.

3 ways the Acer Swift Edge 16 is NOT better than the MacBook Air 15

While the Acer Swift Edge 16 has its pros, it has its cons, too. Its most glaring flaw is that it's an energy-guzzling laptop. The MacBook Air 15, on the other hand, is a power-efficient queen. In other words, the battery life on the Acer laptop sucks.

1. MacBook Air 15 has better battery life

We tested the runtimes of both laptops by surfing the web over WiFi at 150 nits of brightness until they tapped out. The Swift Edge 16 powered down after just 7 hours and 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, the MacBook Air lasted a whopping 14 hours and 59 minutes. I don't know about you, but that 15-hour runtime is awfully difficult to pass up. You're gaining an extra 8 hours of battery life!

2. MacBook Air 15 has better speakers

I am not a fan of the Acer Swift Edge 16's dual, bottom-firing speakers. If you're not one to wear headphones or earbuds for whatever reason (perhaps you like to cuddle up and watch shows with a loved one), you'll be disappointed with the quiet sound system on the Acer Swift Edge 16. Even at max volume, the laptop's speakers failed to climb to a proper amplification level. This means you may find yourself straining to hear shows, films, and YouTube videos, particularly if you're in a noisy environment.

The MacBook Air 15, on the other hand, features an upgrade over its predecessor: a sweet six-speaker setup, including a pair of force-cancelling woofers. It supports spatial audio, too. Plus, its sound will fill the entirety of your room (unlike the Acer Swift Edge 16).

3. The MacBook Air 15 has a brighter screen

If you sit next to bright window or you like to sit outside during sunny days, you'll find that the Swift Edge 16's display may be too dim for your tastes. According to our display testing, the Swift Edge 16 has a brightness score of 387 nits.

The MacBook Air 15 is much brighter with a luminosity of 473 nits. (If brightness is important to you, check out my recommendations for the brightest laptops.)

Bottom line

Another interesting differentiator to point out between these two laptops is weight and thickness. Although the Acer Swift Edge 16 is thicker (0.57 inches) than the MacBook Air 15 (0.5 inches), it somehow manages to be lighter. It weighs 2.7 pounds while the MacBook Air 15 weighs 3.3 pounds.

Like I said at the outset, the Swift Edge 16's heft (or lack thereof) will surprise you. You'll pick it up expecting it to be heavy, but you'll be pleasantly surprised by its lightweight chassis.

Overall, determining which laptop is best depends on your needs. If you are seduced by the Swift Edge 16's bang-for-your-buck value (more storage for less), M2 chip-beating performance, and its colorful display, you should snag the Acer laptop. However, if that 15-hour battery life is too alluring, you should definitely opt for the MacBook Air 15.

Apple launched the Mac Studio with the powerful M2 Max and M2 Ultra in June. Although its $1,999 starting price discouraged some consumers, professionals who perform demanding edits and production work were elated by the launch. And with the M2 Ultra model starting as high as $3,999, it's clear that Apple has built this product for a specific audience.

But if you haven't yet invested in a Mac Studio, you may want to defer your purchase to a later date. A recent leak from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests that Apple is already hard at work on the M3 Max and Ultra, which will come to Mac Studio. However, they likely won't arrive until the end of 2024.

Apple's M3 Max and Ultra in Mac Studio

Gurman's report illustrates some specifics about the power expectations for both the M3 Max and Ultra. The former's base configuration will have 16 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores, while its top configuration upgrades to 40 GPU cores. The latter's base configuration has 32 CPU cores and 64 GPU cores, while the top configuration bumps that up to 80 GPU cores.

He's more confident in M3 Max's launch in 2024, but somewhat uncertain about M3 Ultra. He claims the end of 2024 is its earliest possible launch, but if it is bumped to 2025, we don't expect the Mac Studio to launch until that year. This is because the Mac Studio launched with both the M2 Max and M2 Ultra, and the latter was revealed five-or-so months after the former.

Gurman added that there's a chance M3 Ultra also comes to Mac Pro, but he's uncertain whether Apple will continue making them. The M3 Max could come to 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, too. Regardless, we're not expecting these new models to launch for quite some time.

If you've been eyeing the new Mac Studio and considered snagging one, consider whether you can wait until next year. If it is pertinent to your work, and you need one as soon as possible, you can ignore this recommendation. But if you can wait, why not get your hands on an M3 Ultra Mac Studio instead?

Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air M2 just hit a new all-time low price after a recent discount. Right now, you can get the15-inch MacBook Air M2 for $1,099 from Amazon. Normally $1,299, that's $200 in savings and this model MacBook's lowest price ever. 

This is the best MacBook deal you can get if you're ineligible for the Apple Education Store discount. For a limited time, students and teachers can get the MacBook Air M2 for $1,199 ($100 off) and get a free $150 Apple gift card. 

Apple's latest 15-inch MacBook Air adds a larger display option to Apple's family of Ultrabooks. It's basically the MacBook Air 13 in a bigger shell. It's larger than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air M2 and previous-gen 13.3-inch MacBook Air M1. Its display is bigger than the pro-grade 14.2-inch MacBook Pro, yet smaller than the 16.2-inch MacBook Pro Max. 

The base model MacBook Air 15 packs a 15.3-inch (2880 x 1864) Liquid Retina display, M2 8-core processor, 10-Core GPU, 16-core neural engine and 8GB of RAM. Rounding out its specs is a speedy 256GB SSD, 1080p FaceTime HD camera, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Force Touch trackpad. 

In our MacBook Air 15 review, we gave it a solid rating of 4.5 out of 5-stars praising its ultra-slim chassis, beautiful Liquid Retina display and solid performance. The 15-inch MacBook Air's battery life endured nearly 15 hours of continuous web surfing over WiFi at 150-nits of brightness. This puts in the category of laptops with the longest lasting battery life.

In one test, we opened 80 Google Chrome running a mix of productivity apps, social media and videos. Apple's new 15-inch laptop had no issue juggling multiple tasks at once with no performance lag. In our lab, it scored 9,993 on Geekbench 6.1 overall performance test, which beats the 8,389 category average.

With a weight of 3.3 pounds and measuring 13.4 x 0.5 x 9.4-inches, the MacBook Air 15 is fairly portable. Now just under $1,200, the MacBook Air 15 is worth considering if you're buying a new laptop.

macOS Sonoma was just announced last month at WWDC and there are some enticing macOS 14 features that may convince you to update, but not everyone has that option. MacBooks made before 2018 didn't make the cut for support this year and it's possible the last of the Intel-based MacBooks will join them next year with the release of macOS 15.

That speculation stems from extensive research done by ArsTechnica surrounding macOS support going all the way back to 1998, which lays out the case for Apple potentially hitting the kill switch early on Intel Macs due in large part to the Apple Silicon transition that kicked off in 2020.

Which MacBooks would this effect?

• 2018 MacBook Air
• 2018 MacBook Pro
• 2019 MacBook Air
• 2019 MacBook Pro
• 2020 MacBook Air (Intel)
• 2020 MacBook Pro (Intel)

Keep in mind again that this is speculation, Apple won't announce the official list of devices supported by macOS 15 until WWDC 2024. Most would agree that the 2018 MacBook models are likely to be dropped, but the real question lies with those last Intel-based 2019-2020 models. 

Ars looked to the PowerPC transition back in 2006, when Apple originally moved to Intel, for some instruction on how aggressive the company could be in dropping support for the previous generation laptops. The very last of the PowerPC laptops (the plastic white 2008 MacBook) "received only 2.7 years of new macOS updates and 3.3 years of security updates from the time it was introduced." 

So while cutting off laptops released in 2020 might feel aggressive, it would not be completely unprecedented for Apple. One possible differentiating factor this time around is that MacBooks were wildly more popular in 2020 than they were back in 2008, so Apple has far more customers to worry about upsetting. 

Apple was also selling some Intel-based desktops into 2023: the 2018 Mac Mini and 2019 Mac Pro. While it would be hard to argue anyone bought those computers not knowing that Apple Silicon was the way of the future, they also likely didn't expect to only see one major OS update for their computers. So that may be a second reason for Apple to stay the execution on the last of the Intel-based MacBooks until macOS 16 in 2025.

Now we are talking about the end of new OS updates, not security updates, which as highlighted above will typically extend for at least another 3 years beyond the end of major OS updates.

So if you are reading this from an Intel-based MacBook, don't panic, regardless of whether Apple drops support with macOS 15 or macOS 16, your laptop isn't going to suddenly stop working. Apple will certainly continue to offer security updates that will have your laptop running safely, you just won't be getting whatever the latest and greatest new macOS features might be.

One of the key takeaways from this is for those that are looking at purchasing a used MacBook. Steer clear of Intel-based MacBooks, while there was some trepidation early on, Apple Silicon is thoroughly proven and even the original M1 MacBook Air remains one of the best Apple laptops, so if you are looking for the most affordable MacBook that is where you should draw the line.

As for the actual fate of Intel-based MacBook support, we'll have to wait until WWDC 2024 for the answer.

A new MacBook Pro with the upgraded M3 chip is set to launch in the third quarter of 2023, according to DigiTimes.

This new chip is manufactured with TSMC’s advanced 3nm process, which reduces the size of transistors — leading to big improvements to performance and power efficiency when compared to the 5nm-based M2 chips.

Not much else is known, but this report does correlate with what we’re hearing about new Macs coming in October. So, let’s ask a question: if Apple is launching a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, what do we want to see the company change about this machine?

1. Get rid of the Touch Bar

The Touch Bar is a painful reminder of Apple’s past attempt to replace the faithful function keys. When I used to have the M1 MacBook Pro as my daily driver, I ended up replacing these reactive touch screen controls with the standard function keys, and I know many others did the same.

I have set up a prayer circle to eliminate the Touch Bar, and give us a full size set of function keys like that of the M2 MacBook Air.

2. Add more ports

No, I don’t just mean adding a MagSafe port to free up the Thunderbolts. This is a MacBook Pro. To be a pro, you need more.

What I would like to see personally was the default standard on my older 13-inch MacBook Pro — an SD card slot, and a HDMI port. I know we are past expecting USB-A, and I’ve already made the full transition to Type-C.

To get stuff done, the dongle life is not sufficient. Bring this smaller MacBook Pro more in line with what we see on the 14 and 16-inch pro laptops.

3. Refresh the seven-year-old design

This aesthetic has not changed for nearly a decade. Given the full facelift the larger MacBook Pros and the MacBook Air has received, moving to a flatter, more utilitarian persona with the smaller display bezels, you can only hope that the 13-inch MacBook Pro gets the same treatment.

None of this has been confirmed, but pray to your highest deities for some fundamental changes.

Even though we’ve just seen the last of the M2 chips, M3 is coming sooner than you think. In fact, you may want to hold off on buying a MacBook because of it.

According to a recent report, Apple may be launching the M3 MacBook Air, a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, and even an upgraded iMac with this new M3 chip.

(M)3 is a magic number

In his latest newsletter for Bloomberg, Gurman reports that Apple is set to launch the first wave of M3 Apple Silicon Macs this October. This would follow the inevitable September iPhone 15 event, plus the launch of the Apple Watch Series 9, and the new Apple Watch Ultra.

Much like the A17 Bionic you’ll see in the iPhone 15 Pro, the M3 is manufactured on a 3nm process. But while the core count will reportedly stay similar to what, the manufacturer TSMC’s enhanced process means we can expect to see impressive upgrades in performance and power efficiency — more than what we saw between M1 and M2.

Now, there is one big question. Why is M3 coming so soon after the M2 lineup has seemingly wrapped up with the most recent Mac Studio and Mac Pro models at WWDC? It all seems awfully fast. 

Well, as we’ve seen, supply chain issues have held back the likes of the M2 Ultra, which doesn’t seem to have affected the M3, given Apple bought up 100% of TSMC’s stock of 3nm chips. So the crossover between these two generations has been a lot more apparent this time around than usual.

Outlook

The likes of the new 15-inch MacBook Air sounds great on paper, but with M3 laptops coming in just three months time, I’d probably hold off on that purchase. Not just to see what the performance gains would look like, but for the discounts that come for older models.

Gurman does not specifically confirm that an October keynote will happen. There is a chance these new models are announced via press release (just like the M2 Pro/M2 Max MacBook Pros). But for something as significant as a brand new generation of Apple silicon, I’d put money on seeing a full announcement event.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to setup a prayer circle for a 13-inch MacBook Pro redesign that finally ditches the touchbar.

Amazon Prime Day is over, and we've seen a lot of good MacBook deals. One we didn't anticipate to still be available is the $100 saving on a brand spanking new 15-inch MacBook Air — down to just $1,399!

Apple NEVER usually discounts its latest and greatest so soon, which made this offer completely blindside us. In fact, it was already on for this price at Amazon for a few days! But if you missed it when it went out of stock, fear not, B&H has your back.

Apple's 2023 15-inch MacBook Air pretty much the MacBook Air 13 with more screen real estate. It's larger than the 2022 13.6-inch MacBook Air M2, 2020 13.3-inch MacBook Air M1.

The base model MacBook Air 15 features a 15.3-inch (2880 x 1864) Liquid Retina display, M2 8-core CPU, 10-Core GPU, 16-core neural engine and 8GB of RAM. Rounding out its specs is a speedy 512GB SSD, 1080p FaceTime HD camera, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Force Touch trackpad. 

In our MacBook Air 15 review, we gave it a solid rating of 4.5 out of 5-stars praising its ultra-slim chassis, beautiful Liquid Retina display and solid performance. The 15-inch MacBook Air's battery life endured nearly 15 hours of continuous web surfing over WiFi at 150-nits of brightness. This puts in the category of laptops with the longest lasting battery life. 

Just about the only bone we have to pick with Apple about the MacBook Air 15 is the lack of ports. 

In one test, we opened 80 Google Chrome running a mix of productivity apps, social media and videos. Apple's new 15-inch laptop had no issue juggling multiple tasks at once with no performance lag. In our lab, it scored 9,993 on Geekbench 6.1 overall performance test, which beats the 8,389 category average.

With a weight of 3.3 pounds and measuring 13.4 x 0.5 x 9.4-inches, the MacBook Air 15 is fairly portable. Now just under $1,400, the more spacious MacBook Air 15 is worth considering if you're in the market for a new laptop. 

Prime Day continues to offer the AirPods 2 earbuds for an incredibly low price. So if you want to gear up for the summer here's your chance to nab them for less. 

For a limited time, you can get the AirPods 2nd Gen for just $89 at Amazon. ormally, they cost $159, so that's $70 in savings and just $10 shy of their lowest price ever. This is one of the best Prime Day headphone deals you can still get. 

While we typically don't recommend products over 2-years old, the AirPods 2 are among the best wireless earbuds around. The AirPods 2 buds are comfortable to wear, sound good, and offer twice the talk time of the original AirPods. They're powered by Apple's H1 chip, the same one found in the AirPods Pro. This makes for fast and convenient Bluetooth pairing, especially to iPhones. 

While we didn't test these previous-gen buds, in our AirPods 3 review, we loved their extremely comfortable design and great sound. We also loved its excellent battery life and gave the AirPods 3 and our Editor's Choice Award. We expect the AirPods 2 to be on par as customer reviews at Verizon average 4.3 out of 5-stars.

So if you want to gear up with some new headphones, the AirPods 2 are a wise choice. This AirPods deal is only as good as stock permits, so be sure to scoop them up while you still can.

For the past week, Laptop Mag has been running our inaugural week-long event, Laptop Live. And while there were many aspects of laptops that we could celebrate, for our first time out, we wanted to do a deep dive on the thing that makes our laptops tick, the chips. So we’ve dedicated each day to an individual chip maker and how they’ve influenced the industry in the past and their current standings. We’ve also done a little bit of prognostication and speculated where each company can win a few years down the line.

But so far, it’s only been Laptop Mag staffers that have been having all the fun, and that’s really not fair. So we reached out to some trusted experts on our sister sites to ask them their opinions on the current state of the industry in innovation, value, market share and more and boy, did they have plenty to say –– all of which can be seen in the embedded video. 

But if you want a TL;DR version of the discussion, read below to see what Laptop Mag's Editor in Chief, Sherri L. Smith in conversation with TechRadar's Computing Editor, John Loeffler; Editor in Chief of Tom's Hardware, Avram Piltch; and Jeremy Kaplan, Content Director at Future had to say about some of the biggest chip makers in the industry.

When we asked who’s currently winning in the space, AMD and Intel were immediately brought into the conversation by Loeffler who called out the former’s new 7000 series chips and the latter’s recently launched Raptor Lake chips, specifically calling out the Intel 13600K. Piltch agreed, speculating that we’ll likely see better gaming performance from Intel as the chips will probably have higher clock speeds. 

He went on to say that, “They can reserve more power because they have a combination of performance cores and efficiency cores so they can spend more of the thermal budget on performance when it's time to game. But if you want to do productivity work or you want to do something that's multi-threaded, you'll probably get better performance out of AMD because you'll get more threads and all of the cores are equivalent to each other. So when you say you've got, you know, 10 cores, you've really got 10 cores, not, you know, four cores, and then six efficiency cores.”

Ultimately, Piltch felt that Intel would have a slight lead in terms of gaming. Meanwhile, Smith noted AMD’s improvement in the mobile space over the years in terms of CPU. But when it came to graphics, Piltch noted that while Nvidia continues to enjoy a huge market share, that AMD could end up being the better value, citing the Nvidia’s new Lovelace cards that are priced at $1,499 for the RTX 4090, $1,199 for the RTX 4080 with 16GB of VRAM and $899 for the 4080 with 12GB of VRAM. 

Smith went on to ask which company has been the most innovative this year and Loeffler cited AMD with its new 3D V-cache, a packaging technology that stacks additional layers of cache on top of a CPU. Essentially, that means that instead of placing the cache next to the processor, it’s placed on top, allowing the company to squeeze out more performance without having to build a huge chip. AMD is claiming up to 15% better performance. Conversely, Piltch pointed out the 4090’s ability to play 4K games on ultra settings. However, he felt that there’s been a backslide on innovation in the mobile space from both companies. 

Smith disagreed, pointing out that both companies rolled out software to help gamers stream and conduct video chats better. She also mentioned that Qualcomm is making strides by powering the Meta Quest 2 and upcoming Meta Quest Pro.

Later on, the conversation turned to ARM and how they and Apple threw the industry for a loop with their M-series chips. Kaplan begrudgingly gave Apple and ARM their props.

“I'm the first to poo poo Apple. I don't think they do a lot of innovative stuff. And I'll say it on camera…That seems like if we're talking innovation, I give the crown over to Apple. And like maybe it's because the platform is smaller and there's less need for supporting a wide array of chips and whatnot, but they really tailored it and they did it right. Like they made incredibly fast chips.”

Loeffler reflected on an op-ed piece he wrote on TechRadar, stating that Apple is the future of PC gaming, much to the chagrin of the rest of the panel. But he went on to explain that the idea of a system on a chip works for most game developers because they know what they’re developing for unlike PCs that can have a range of CPU and GPUs to consider when it comes to performance. He essentially likened Macs to consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

It was definitely a compelling argument. But Piltch, defending many PC gamers' love of DIY stated, “...[T]he birth of ARM is the death of fun.”

For more deep insights and spicy takes, be sure to watch Laptop Mag’s Editor’s Panel for our first ever Laptop Live. 

New MacBook Pro models have been eagerly anticipated after rumors of a redesigned 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro hinted at a more powerful Apple Silicon processor inside. 

A report from DigiTimes claims that both laptops have already entered production and will look to peak by the end of November, confirming that the laptops will ship before the end of the year (via MacRumors).

• Best MacBook in 2021: Which Apple laptop is best?
• Apple AirPods Pro 2: Price, release date, features, and more
• Best back to school sales 2021: Apple gear, laptops, tablets, backpacks and more

As this leak is based on production, it does not add clarity on when the official announcement event will happen, but we can make some educated guesses. 

With the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch 7 event a virtual lock for mid-September, it's hard to imagine Apple shoehorning in what appears to be the first major redesign for the MacBook Pros in several years. Coupled with the announcement of a new Apple Silicon chip (the Apple M1X or Apple M2), the new MacBook Pro models warrant their own event.

Apple unveiled the MacBook Air with M1 and 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 at an event on November 10 last year, but that may be attributable to Apple's delayed iPhone 12 release in October. With that in mind, a more typical late-October announcement for the new MacBook Pros in order to ship in November in time for the holiday buying season seems right.

If you have been holding out for either the 14-inch MacBook Pro 2021 or the 16-inch MacBook Pro 2021 then the wait may almost be over. Take a look at our rumor hubs on those devices for all of the latest, but they certainly sound like they will be worth the wait with the new processors, updated displays and the possible return of HDMI, SD card slots and more.

The rumoured iPad Pro 2021 may see more than just a mini-LED display upgrade, as the next version in Apple's line of A chips is expected to be shipped with the upcoming tablet — and we know this thanks to a leak in iOS 14.5.

Apple's iOS 14.5 beta update makes reference to the new A14x Bionic chip, a powerful processor that is likely to be used in the upcoming iPad Pro 2021. With the iPad Pro rumoured to be coming out as soon as April, everything seems to be neatly falling into place. 

• iPad vs. iPad Air vs. iPad Pro vs. iPad mini: iPad Buying Guide
• The best cheap iPad deals for March 2021
• Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2020) review

Spotted by 9to5Mac, the fifth beta version of iOS 14.5 released to developers mentions a GPU from a new chip named "13G." The iPhone 12, iPad Air 2020, or other iOS device make reference to this chip. All fingers are pointing to Apple's new A14 variant: the A14x Bionic chip.

This isn't the first we've heard of the new iPad Pro getting a supercharged chip, as previous reports have claimed the A14X is set for the next iPad Pro 2021. And, according to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, it's set to be "on par" with the M1 chip found in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. 

The article also points out the A14X is based on the T8103, which is the same codename used for the Apple M1 chip used in the most recent Macs. It will be on par, alright.

The new A14x Bionic chip for the updated iPad Pro has been rumoured ever since March 2020. Based on our benchmark tests of Apple's latest silicon in the M1 MacBook Pro, the A14 chip variant looks set to give many Windows 10 PCs a run for their money. This might be why Intel has been firing shots at Apple with its new "I'm a Mac guy" ads.

Either way, if you're looking for a taste of just how good Apple's A14 Bionic chips are, you'll first want to know which laptop is right for you in our MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro face-off. 

Apple M1 MacBooks are blowing the doors off the competition in many regards earning them spots among our best laptops page despite being essentially first-generation products, but of course, some bugs are to be expected.

One such bug is proving quite a bit more concerning than previous examples, MacRumors has noted in its forums and on Twitter that a number of Apple M1 users are reporting excessive drive writes on their SSDs that could dramatically shorten the life of those drives.

• HP Envy 14 (2021) review
• Apple's Final Cut Pro may introduce subscription plans — what that means for you
• Best cheap laptop deals for February 2021

While SSDs offer considerable advantages over hard drives, they aren't perfect. There is a limit to how many times that they can be written to before they become unstable. The software is meant to reduce this wear as much as possible, but over time all SSDs will reach their write limit and the likelihood of failure increases considerably.

These Apple M1 MacBooks are dramatically accelerating the rate at which the SSDs will become unstable with some users reporting up to 10% of the SSDs lifespan having been used in just two months. The expected lifespan for an SSD can vary, but somewhere between 10 and 12 years is the general estimate, so this would be coming in at less than 20% of that.

What you need to know

It's unclear how widespread of an issue this is at present. While there are numerous reports online without Apple weighing in there are no hard figures to indicate what percentage of users are experiencing difficulties. It's also unclear if the SSDs are actually wearing down at this rate or if the software itself is registering the use improperly. More isolated reports of recent SSD issues on Intel-based Macs have come in as well, which is muddying the waters a bit on identifying the source of the issue. 

Unfortunately, there is no way for you to address this issue yourself. If the problem is software-based, which is certainly the expectation, then Apple will hopefully address it with an update to macOS Big Sur in short order. 

The latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini are the first computers to come equipped with Apple’s in-house M1 chip instead of Intel CPUs. There are a few things to consider when purchasing these new systems, but that doesn’t mean you have to face a steep learning curve when you boot up your new computer. 

We’ve compiled the following tips to help you make the most out of your new M1 Mac. Use these tips and you’ll be browsing the web, editing spreadsheets and multitasking between several apps -- or performing any other activity -- as you would normally on your old Intel-powered Mac (but with even better performance!).

1. Check which apps support Apple silicon

M1-powered Macs work best with apps that are optimized for Apple Silicon. However, since this technology is still in its first generation, you’ll often come across apps that haven’t been yet updated for Apple’s M1 platform. While you can run software made for Intel chips on your M1 Mac, it won’t be as efficient as an Apple Silicon client and can take a toll on your battery life.

To check whether the app you’re about to install supports Apple's custom ARM-based chips, you can head over to this handy web tool and look for it. The website lists M1 compatibility for the majority of leading Mac apps and also says when it was last updated. On top of that, you’ll find details on how well that app’s Intel counterpart performs on an M1 Mac. 

Similarly, there is a range of online resources where you can learn which games have been optimized for Apple Silicon, such as this exhaustive, real-time spreadsheet. 

2. What’s Rosetta and why do you need it

When you install an app written for an Intel processor on your M1 Mac for the first time, you’ll be prompted to set up something called Rosetta. 

Rosetta is what makes it possible for you to effortlessly run apps that are not compatible with Apple Silicon. You can think of it as a transition layer between the new M1 chip and Intel software. It automatically reengineers that app so that it can work on your M1 MacBook. That means you don’t have to sit around waiting for the original developer to roll out an update. 

Configuring Rosetta takes mere seconds and all you have to do is click the “Install” button in the confirmation box that will appear when you try to install the first Intel software on your M1 Mac.

3. Force run universal apps in Rosetta

Even if an app has been rewritten for Apple Silicon, there’s a chance it may not function as intended on your Mac. That’s because every app is housed with many different modules, and in case the developer misses any one of these in their M1 revamp, the app can malfunction. 

By default, your M1 Mac will launch such apps in the Apple Silicon environment. But if you face troubles or glitches with an app, you can easily switch back to Rosetta and render it as Intel software. 

To do that, visit the “Applications” tab in the Finder, and right-click the app. Select “Get Info”  and check the “Open using Rosetta” box if you’d like to run it with Rosetta.

4. Choose between Apple silicon and Intel versions of an app

Since the M1 chip is in its early days, most developers offer the option to pick between the Apple Silicon and Intel versions of their apps. This lets you compare both iterations’ performances and keep the one that’s currently better suited to your workflow. 

For instance, at the time of writing, Google Chrome’s Apple Silicon client had web image rendering issues. So instead, I downloaded its Intel counterpart. 

You should be able to access the option to download either of these versions on the developer’s website if they have made it available.

5. Install iPhone and iPad apps on your Mac

One of the highlights of Apple’s new M1 processor is the ability to natively run iPhone and iPad apps on your MacBook laptop. This means you can install the apps and games you use on your smartphone on your computer and operate them with a mouse and keyboard instead of a touchscreen. 

Most of the time, you will have a better experience with the service’s Mac-based app. However, there are plenty of instances where a mobile app is better suited for the job, like watching Netflix without an internet connection and accessing a larger games library. 

To install an iOS app on your Mac, you will have to search for it in macOS’ App Store and switch to the “iPhone & iPad Apps” tab in the results. 

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, most iOS apps and games are not officially available for the Mac or are not optimized for a desktop OS.  If you’re not concerned about bugs or abrupt crashes and you own an iPad or an iPhone, you can take advantage of workarounds like iMazing. 

With iMazing, you can grab the IPA files of an iOS app from your iPhone or iPad and simply double-click it to install it on your Mac.

6. Find the keyboard alternatives to touch gestures

iPhone apps are designed to be used with a finger and rely on touch gestures like swipes and taps for performing various actions -- none of which you can do on your touchscreen-less Mac. To compensate for the lack of a touchscreen, Apple bundled a set of “Touch alternatives,” which let you execute these gestures with a mouse and a keyboard. 

To check these out, launch an iOS app or game on your Mac. Click the app’s name at the top left corner and, in the dropdown, select “Touch Alternatives.”

The third Apple event of the season is set for Tuesday, November 10, where the company is expected to reveal new MacBooks with custom ARM-based processors. This "One More Thing" showcase will mark a fundamental transition for Apple laptops and desktops as they go from using Intel processors to Apple Silicon. 

What does this mean for you? Promising gains in performance and efficiency, Apple Silicon is poised to bring faster speeds and longer battery to your next MacBook. Even more interesting is the addition of iOS app support on MacBooks, which will bring your favorite games and tools from your phone to your notebook.

• MacBook Pro 2020 (13-inch) review
• Best MacBook in 2020: Apple laptops to buy this holiday season
• MacBook with Apple Silicon: Release date, rumors and specs

New MacBooks will be the highlight of the event, but laptops aren't the only products that could debut on Tuesday. We've put together a guide on everything Apple could possibly reveal at the "One More Thing" showcase for those who don't like surprises.

MacBooks with Apple Silicon

Apple announced in June at WWDC its plans to create custom chips for Macs, shifting its computers away from Intel for the first time in 15 years. We even got a timeline for the transition with Apple teasing the release of the first wave of Apple Silicon-powered Macs by the end of this year before completing the 2-year process by 2023. 

We expected Apple to release one laptop this year, but the latest reports suggest multiple MacBooks could be refreshed with Apple Silicon. Those would be a new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch. According to a Bloomberg report, the two smaller products (MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro) are on schedule and at least these two laptops will debut at the event. It is possible the 16-inch model doesn't get updated until 2021.

If you were hoping for a new aesthetic to go along with the Apple-powered engine, I'm afraid you'll need to wait. Bloomberg says "beyond the processor switch, the devices won't have significant design changes." 

As for what sort of performance and battery life to expect, we look to the A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12 and iPad Air. While not a massive leap from the previous chip, the A14 in the iPhone is the most powerful smartphone processor around, and the variant in the iPad Air outpaces some premium Windows 10 laptops. Both exceed the category averages for battery life but fall short of being exemplary. 

Apple says it will provide a common chip architecture across its devices, meaning the iPhone, iPad and MacBook will also use a variant of the A-series processors. As a result, Apple devices will work seamlessly together, with the most immediate outcome being native iOS app support on Macs.

But getting Macs with Apple Silicon to run every program supported by older models isn't as easy as swapping out the chips. Because the new chips use ARM, Apple needs developers to port program from Intel's x86 architecture to ARM. The good news is that all Apple apps are already running natively on Apple Silicon, and the heavy-hitters (Adobe, Microsoft, etc) are in the process of moving their programs over. 

Related to the release of new ARM-based MacBooks, Big Sur, the latest macOS version, is expected to get a release date at the event.

AirPods Studio 

Apple is rumored to launch its first wireless noise-cancelling headphones called AirPods Studio. We've seen enough leaks and rumors about these cans to have a good idea of what to expect. In short, these will be direct competitors to the Bose 700 and other premium noise-cancelling headphones. 

Those who have seen prototype designs of the headphones describe them as "retro" and say they come with swiveling oval earcups with thin metal arms connecting to the top of the cups. Rumors suggest there will be two designs, one with a more swanky look similar to that found on the Bose 700 or Sony WH-1000XM4 and a second lightweight pair for fitness and athletics. 

The headphones are said to be modular, allowing users to remove and replace the earcups and the headband in case they get dirty or sweaty. Onboard controls will be built into the earpads so you don't need to reach for your iPhone to skip tracks, change volume or summon Siri. 

The AirPods Studio will come with sensors that detect whether the headphones are on your head or neck. Your song will pause when the cans are off your ears and start playing again when you put them on. This is the same idea as to when you take AirPods out of your ears.

AirTags 

Apple's long-rumored Tile competitors could finally see the light of day at the November 10 event. Named AirTags, these small trackers would use Bluetooth to help you find lost devices. Similar to how you can use the Find My app to pinpoint your iPhone or AirPods, AirTags will let you search for lost keys or wallets with unrivaled accuracy by harnessing the chip found in Apple's devices.

There are many different forms AirTags could take on. They are expected to be physical discs that can be clipped onto your personal items so you can accurately track their location. It's possible your iPhone or Mac will beep or alert you when those devices leave a designated area or are far away from your phone. 

There are also rumors of a community feature where other iPhones not in your network could help you find items. This would be similar to the community features already deployed by Tile, which will be the most direct competitor to AirTags. When an iPhone finds your AirTags, Apple could harness its AR technology to show you a direct route to where the lost item is hiding.

With the upcoming "One More Thing" event just a few days away, excitement is building for the possible unveiling of Apple's new in-house ARM-based MacBooks.

According to Notebookcheck, Apple is preparing for there to be sales of 2.5 million new devices featuring Apple's homegrown Apple Silicon ARM-based CPUs. These are huge numbers when you consider they equate to 20% of MacBook sales for all of 2019.

• New MacBooks could demolish Windows laptops
• New MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will launch next week
• Best cheap MacBook deals of November 2020

Further feeding the excitement is a report from Nikkei Asia in which sources are quoted saying Apple is "asking suppliers to produce 2.5 million MacBook laptops powered by its in-house designed CPU by early 2021" as they look to rapidly cut reliance on Intel chips.

Just after the recent Apple announcement of the One More Thing event, the often reliable leaker @L0vetodream tweeted the vague message “13 inch X 2.” Paired with previous rumors, this seems to suggest that we should expect two of the first Apple Silicon Macs to be 13-inch MacBooks.

It seems like Apple is fast-tracking the move away from Intel CPUs and fully embracing the in-house ARM-based Silicon it has been developing.

We know Apple almost certainly has one more event in store for us this year with the rumored November launch of the MacBook with Apple Silicon. Announced back at WWDC, this will be Apple's first step on the road to processor independence.

We've known that there would be a hierarchy of chips available for the various laptops and desktops in Apple's lineup, but a new China Times report offers a potential glimpse at what exactly that breakdown looks like. It includes the chip for the forthcoming MacBooks and iPad Pros along with more powerful chips that will follow next year (via BGR).

• Best MacBook in 2020: Apple laptops to buy this holiday season
• Can't wait for the new MacBooks? Here are the best laptops in 2020
• Black Friday MacBook deals 2020: Sale prices to expect

First up on the list is the standard A14 Bionic, which we've now seen in the iPad Air (2020) and all four iPhone 12 models. It's destroying the smartphone competition, but obviously, Apple is going to want more for future iPad Pros and MacBooks.  

That is where we come to the A14x Bionic. This certainly isn't the first time we've heard that identification along with the "Tonga" codename; it has been circulating as the assumed processor for the iPad Pro refresh since around March. According to this report, it will be in both the new iPad Pros as well as the first MacBook with Apple Silicon. 

Rumors suggest there could be eight and 12-core variants with the latter featuring eight high-performance cores, so double that of the standard A14. The former would match the configuration of the current iPad Pro and the A12z variant used in the Apple Silicon developer kits that have been crushing benchmarks, but based on the more powerful A14 Bionic.

Now we venture into unknown territory with an A14t that China Times reports goes by the internal codename "Mt. Jade." This would be used for the Apple Silicon-based iMac that some have suggested we could see next year. According to this report, the iMac will go into production in the first half of 2021. Tenuous rumors of 16-core A14 variants have also done the rounds, so it's possible that's what we have here.

The final item on the chart is the Apple GPU, codenamed "Lifuka," which is also believed to debut next year. No further details regarding exact specs are offered, but they do specify that it should debut in the iMac.

Given the performance we've seen from the standard A14 Bionic, we can't wait to see how it translates over to a laptop and, of course, how it holds up against Intel's Tiger Lake and AMD's Ryzen 4000-series.