The best business laptops in 2025 will help you get more done faster, whether you work from home, an office, or are often on the road. Modern business laptops can deliver powerfully productive performance in thin-and-light chassis.

I've reviewed laptops for over seven years now, so consider me and the rest of the Laptop Mag staff your outsourced team of dedicated laptop experts. We review and test over 100 laptops annually to help you find the best laptops in a wide variety of categories.

What's different about finding the best business laptops? You can't shortchange security and durability: The best business laptops typically come with fingerprint sensors, IR cameras, and security chips, and many have military-grade durability.

These are key components that differentiate business laptops from typical consumer laptops. We rigorously test the best business laptops from every major manufacturer to judge their blend of portability, performance, battery life, and more.

The Asus ExpertBook P5 (P5405) is our current pick for the best business laptop. It ticks all of the boxes above and offers a bright 144Hz display, solid performance, over 14 hours of battery life, and an excellent 3-year warranty. If you need maximum battery life, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is the answer, lasting over 21 hours in our testing. If your work supports macOS, the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 is an intriguing option with solid performance and over 15 hours of battery life in a durable build.

That's just a small sampling, here are my 6 top picks for the best business laptops in 2025.

The Quick List

The best business laptops in 2025

Best Business Laptop Overall

The Asus ExpertBook P5 (P5405) is the best business laptop we've reviewed in 2024, thanks to its unique 144Hz display, long-lasting battery life, included 3-year warranty, and affordable price. It edged just beyond 14 hours in our Laptop Mag Battery test, which should cover even your busiest day at work. This impressive resume earned its placement at the top of the business laptop charts.

Sean Riley reviewed this laptop for us, and he said, "Overall, the ExpertBook P5 is one of the most compelling thin-and-light business laptops that I've reviewed..." After writing and editing hundreds of reviews on Laptop Mag over the last 5 years, some great business laptops have crossed his desk, so that's not to be taken lightly.

With 32GB of RAM and the Intel Core Ultra 258V chipset, performance is good enough for motivated multitaskers. It scored 11,259 on the Geekbench 6 test, which comes in just behind some of its competitors, the HP EliteBook Ultra (Snapdragon X-Elite, 12,717), MacBook Air 13 M3 (Apple M3, 12,087), and HP Elite x360 1040 G11 (Intel Core Ultra 7 165H, 12,857). However, the 32GB of RAM and the outstanding SSD speed of the ExpertBook help to make up the minimal performance gap.

If you run your own business or are in a small business, you'll particularly appreciate the outstanding 3-year warranty and 1-year Accidental Damage Protection plan that comes standard with the ExpertBook P5. It's not that these options aren't available for other laptops, but they are typically upgrades from a 1-year warranty, which is all the more astounding at the sub-$1,300 price point for the ExpertBook. The combination of features and warranty could easily land you above $2,000, which is why our reviewer said, "The pricing on the ExpertBook P5 almost feels like a tax loophole..."

Lest you think Asus skimped to hit this price point, it still features enterprise-grade security from its discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and secure login via its IR camera or fingerprint reader.

A business laptop that is feature-rich and affordable is a rarity, and that's why it earns my pick as the best business laptop in 2025.

See our full Asus ExpertBook P5 (P5405) review.

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Best Budget Business Laptop

The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 delivers fantastic value for a budget-conscious business. I'll get the caveat out of the way right at the top, the battery life is its weakness at 7 hours and 48 minutes in our testing. So regular travelers will need to look elsewhere, but if you are at a desk or typically have access to an outlet this is a worthwhile tradeoff for the rest of what you get.

Our reviewer was particularly impressed by this laptop's laundry list of security features: "the ThinkPad E14 comes with features like a discrete trusted platform module (TPM) 2.0, an optional FHD hybrid IR camera required for Windows Hello, and Smart Power On." In many industries, this level of security is a must, so it's great to see it on a budget business laptop.

The ThinkPad E14 beat out the mainstream laptop average in both our Geekbench 6 testing (8,000 vs. 7,812) and our SSD transfer test (1,257MBps vs. 924.18MBps), a notable feat for a business laptop typically found for around $750. It nearly matched our previous overall pick, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11's Geekbench score, while outscoring the vastly more expensive HP Dragonfly Pro on the SSD transfer test.

As you would expect from Lenovo, the keyboard is a super responsive chiclet style that should allow you to type quickly and comfortably all day. Lenovo also boasts MIL-STD 810H certification on this affordable laptop, so don't worry that you're getting a cheap build due to the low cost.

While you can find a laptop for under $500, most business users will be better served by stretching that budget to reach the ThinkPad E14 Gen 5.

See our full Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 review.

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Best Long-Lasting Business Laptop

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is part of a second wave of Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops this year, and they continue to amaze. This laptop delivers the same incredible performance we saw in the first round of these new ARM-based Windows laptops this summer, but it sets a new high mark for battery life at 21 hours and 3 minutes in our testing.

Microsoft's Copilot+ PC messaging dominated some conversations around the Snapdragon X Elite's initial launch earlier this year, but the combination of performance and battery life remains astounding.

If you are unconvinced by AI right now, that's fine; the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is a fantastic business laptop, even if you never use a single AI feature. At the start of this year, a business laptop with 12 hours of battery life was doing quite well; now, we're regularly seeing results in the 14-18-hour range. But as our reviewer, Stevie Bonifield, said of its over 21 hours, "The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 has enough battery life to easily get you through a full day of work, maybe even two."

What's more, it doesn't cost you anything in terms of performance, with the T14s scoring 14,486 in the Geekbench 6 overall performance test. That's almost 4,000 higher than the category average of 10,785. That's enough to outpace a high-performance laptop like Apple's MacBook Pro 14 M3 (11,968). It even did a solid job in the HandBrake video conversion test at 5 minutes and 34 seconds, beating the category average by 40 seconds if you need to do occasional video work.

The ThinkPad T14s display is a slightly mixed bag. Its stellar brightness of 451.8 nits is enough to remain usable in anything but direct sunlight, while its DCI-P3 color gamut of 70.7% is a bit disappointing. If you are doing creative work, that is a dealbreaker, but for typical productivity work, it won't matter.

Lenovo's ThinkShield and hardware security, like the fingerprint reader and IR camera for facial recognition sign-on, all add to the package for the ThinkPad T14s. You also have MIL-STD-810H durability certification to give you and your company peace of mind that the laptop will hold up to commuting, traveling, or just being hauled around your home or office.

As long as you aren't using proprietary software that may not support the ARM-based Qualcomm chip inside the ThinkPad T14s and you aren't reliant on a vivid display, the ThinkPad T14s belongs on the shortlist for your next business laptop. If those are applicable to you, consider something like the HP Spectre x360 14 instead, which is a bit more expensive, but offers a more standard Intel processor and a more creator-focused feature set.

Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 review.

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Best Work-from-home Laptop

The MacBook Air M4 is a rare 5-star laptop; it's our current choice for the best laptop overall. However, when considering it for work, it takes a backseat to some of the more purpose-built business laptops. That's why it makes an excellent choice for a work-from-home laptop; as long as your business supports macOS, it's the ideal laptop for business and personal use.

In my review, I wrote, "It's an undeniable value that will give you years of excellent performance, even if you pick up the base model." I stand by that statement months later. We've seen strong competition over the last year, but the Air remains tough to beat for overall productivity performance.

The MacBook Air 13 M4 is more than a match for the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors, with only the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips outperforming it in some tasks. While Qualcomm and Intel are finally putting up a fight in the battery life department, the Air M4 delivers almost 16 hours in our testing, so it's not something that you'll have to worry about.

Taking a closer look at performance, the Air 13 M4 easily outpaced strong competitors like the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x on Geekbench 6 (14,849 vs. 13,750) for multi-core performance while simultaneously offering over 4 hours of additional battery life. If you want more battery life than the Air M4, you'll need to look at the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, which delivered over 21 hours in our testing.

One of the only knocks against the MacBook Air is that it only offers a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports along with the MagSafe charging port. If an HDMI or USB Type-A port is critical to your setup, you will need to pick up a USB-C hub or a docking station. If it's just the HMDI port or an SD card slot, you could also opt for the MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024), which adds both, along with a third Thunderbolt 4 port (sadly, still no USB-A).

See our full Apple MacBook 13-inch M4 review.

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Best for Travel

The MSI Summit 13 AI+ Evo 2-in-1 is a small and stylish laptop, perfect if you are a frequent business traveler or have a long commute with your laptop daily; its 2.9-pound weight and almost 17-hour battery life may make it sparkle like a diamond in your eyes.

Our reviewer, Madeline Ricchiuto, says, "There are plenty of reasons to recommend the Summit 13 AI+ Evo. It offers almost 17-hours of battery life, dependable performance, a bright display, a satisfying keyboard, sturdy hinges, and it comes with 2TB of storage space and a stylus for just $1,599." That's high praise for a thin-and-light business laptop. Thankfully, it also boasts MIL-STD 810H certification for durability, meaning that if it encounters bumps, drops, cold, heat, and dust as it travels with you, it will continue to power up every time you need it.

The 13.3-inch display has a 16:10 aspect ratio, giving you 120 extra vertical pixels to work with compared to a typical 16:9 display, so you'll get a few extra rows of that spreadsheet or another paragraph of that report you're working on. The display is reasonably bright at 366 nits, which should be enough for most lighting conditions.

It won't replace your gaming laptop or video editing laptop, but performance is sufficient for productivity apps, web browsing, and most typical business applications with a score of 10,895 on the Geekbench 6 overall performance test. That only beats our budget pick, the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (8,000), but isn't far behind our top choice or the M3 MacBook Air. There's a performance trade-off for portability and battery life, but it's not a massive sacrifice.

Travelers will appreciate the port offerings on the Summit 13 AI+ Evo as a thin-and-light laptop often means scant connectivity options. The TravelMate gives you a full HDMI port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB Type-A port, and a 3.5mm headphone/mic jack.

Finally, the Summit 13 features a bouncy and responsive Chiclet-style keyboard and a 4.7 x 2.3-inch trackpad. Again, this is a smaller laptop, so if you have large hands, it may feel cramped. You may at least want to consider picking up the best wireless mouse to free up a little space on the deck.

It won't be the perfect match for everyone, but if you are looking for the best business laptop for travel, the MSI Summit 13 AI+ Evo 2-in-1 is the right choice in 2025.

See our full MSI Summit 13 AI+ Evo A2VM review.

Best for graphic design

The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 isn't the most powerful workstation in the world, but that's part of what makes it the best workstation for business users. Its Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and Nvidia RTX 1000 Ada Generation GPU offer solid workstation performance while retaining a reasonably portable form factor and excellent battery life.

Madeline Ricchiuto writes in our review, "While it may not be the most powerful workstation we’ve ever seen here at Laptop Mag, the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 has enough power and performance to handle photo and video editing, 3D rendering, or heavy data analysis you’d want out of a workstation machine."

It's a workstation, so performance can't be ignored. In our lab tests, the ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 has a Geekbench 6 multicore average of 12,974, a file transfer rate of 2,071 MBps, and it compressed a 4K video to a 1080p 30fps format in just 4 minutes and 22 seconds. Those metrics won't beat workstation powerhouses like the HP ZBook Studio 16 G10 or Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro, 2024), but it is well beyond the performance of the typical business laptop.

The ThinkPad's display reproduces 78.6% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with a Delta-E color accuracy of 0.29. It would be great to see the DCI-P3 somewhat higher, but the color accuracy is excellent and the more crucial metric for design work. The average brightness of 386 nits is enough to perform well in most lighting conditions.

I mentioned the excellent battery life, but to put a number to it, the ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 lasted 17 hours and 23 minutes on the Laptop Mag web surfing battery test. That's in the conversation with the laptops with the best battery life overall, let alone a workstation.

Now, if you see the retail price of $3,369, you may get scared off, but don't worry, it's virtually always heavily discounted to below $2,000. If you are a business user with high-performance needs, this is the workstation to buy.

See our full Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 review.

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Benchmark comparisons

Recently Reviewed Laptops

Not every laptop can make the best business laptop page, we wouldn't be doing you that much good if that were the case. We review new laptops every week and over 100 laptops yearly, so here's a look at our most recently reviewed laptops that didn't make this page either due to a fault or simply because it isn't a business laptop.

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How To Choose a Business Laptop

Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing the right model of business laptop for you or your company.

• Do you need Intel vPro or AMD Pro? Many business laptops are available with CPUs that have Intel vPro technology, which lets a support person log in remotely, even if the computer can't boot. However, unless you have a large IT department and a huge fleet of laptops that you need the ability to service remotely, you probably won't use this feature.
• How fast do you need it to be? While the kind of blistering performance you need in a gaming laptop isn't necessary, business users don't want to be bogged down while multitasking. RAM is one concern here, opting for at least 16GB and 32GB isn't ridiculous if you are a power user who likes to keep numerous apps and browser tabs open. For your CPU, most will be fine with an Intel Core Ultra 5 or AMD Ryzen or higher. On the MacBook side, stick to the M3 or higher in 2025.
• Long battery life: Nobody wants to run out of juice in the middle of a long workday or a cross-country flight. Unless you're getting a giant workstation or a budget laptop, look for a laptop that gets at least 11 hours on a charge.
• The right ports: Nobody likes to carry a bag full of dongles. Consider which kinds of connections you or your employees will need the most. If you connect to a wired network a lot, make sure the laptop has an Ethernet port. If photography is a key part of the job, choose a laptop with a memory card reader. No matter what your needs are, a Thunderbolt 4 port is a huge advantage because it will allow you to connect to high-speed peripherals, universal chargers, and powerful laptop docking stations.
• A great keyboard: It almost goes without saying that every laptop should have a good keyboard. However, with business systems, a comfortable typing experience is even more important. Look for snappy feedback, deep travel and absolutely no flex.

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FAQs

• Q: What makes a good business laptop vs. a home laptop?
  A: While there is substantial overlap in the qualities that we look for in the best business laptops as opposed to simply the best laptops, security is one of the biggest features that separates them. We want a fast, reliable, and secure login method, whether it's a fingerprint reader or an IR camera, for Windows Hello support.
  
  Durability is another critical feature for a business laptop; your job may depend on your ability to bring this laptop everywhere with you, and not having it break down at an inopportune moment is mission-critical.
  
• Q: Why are business laptops so expensive?
  A: Some of this comes down to the two features referenced in the answer right above this one: security and durability. Business laptops often feature additional security features at a chip level that aren't included in consumer laptops, which drives up the costs and, in turn, the price. A more durable laptop means more robust components, and the added cost of those pricier parts is passed on to the business laptop buyer.
  
  Another factor to keep in mind is that while retail price listings for business laptops can often sound outlandish, this isn't typically the price you should expect to pay for them. Whether a business gets a discount for purchasing these laptops in bulk or you just have to wait for a discount, you should almost never be paying the original stated MSRP for a business laptop.

How We Test Business Laptops

Every business laptop that comes into our labs is put through extensive benchmark testing — both synthetic and real-world — before they are handed off to our reviewers. We evaluate each aspect of the laptop, including its performance, battery life, display, speakers, and heat management.

Those first two garner particularly high scrutiny for business laptops. Depending on your work, you may need a more vibrant or bright display, but everyone needs solid performance from their laptop to perform at their peak for work. Battery life isn't crucial to every worker, but it's vital for frequent travelers or if you have a long commute and depend on getting work done while making your way to and from the office.

For performance testing, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including GeekBench 5 and 6 and 3DMark professional graphics tests. To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop to convert a 4K video to 1080p resolution and to duplicate a 25GB multimedia file.

Our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. For MacBooks and premium Windows 11 laptops, a runtime of over 10 hours is considered a good result, but the latest generation of chips is driving that up, with the longest-lasting laptops now pushing to 16 hours and beyond.

For our display testing, we use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect the brightness and DCI-P3 color gamut of the laptop's display. Unless you work with graphic design, photos, or video or just use your work laptop to watch content in your downtime, the color gamut likely isn't a big concern for you. Brightness, however, can be crucial if you work in less-than-optimal lighting conditions to ensure you can see your screen.

If you are a regular commuter or traveler, you should also pay careful attention to our heat tests. We play a 15-minute full-screen video and measure temperatures in different areas of the laptop. If you ever truly use your laptop in your lap, you don't want to see it get above our 95-degree comfort threshold in this test.

Following these tests, the laptop is given to our expert reviewers for extensive hands-on testing. Our reviewers will spend days using the laptop as part of their typical workflow to get a sense of the real-world performance and live with the laptop to come away with a thorough understanding of the hardware and software experience. This blended lab testing and hands-on approach allows us to offer you a clear and comprehensive view of every laptop that comes through Laptop Mag.

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Why Trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over a 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% 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 we continue 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.

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

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The best external DVD/Blu-ray drives thumb their noses at streaming platforms, granting you an internet-free gateway to some of your favorite games and movies and all of that digital rights nonsense that claims you don't get to own the things you buy through online services.

Whether you're disappointed by the increasing "streaming purges" on Disney Plus, Max, and other subscription services, or you're tired of paying for numerous streaming services monthly, a DVD drive is becoming a must-have piece of tech once again.

Sadly, not all physical media is made available digitally, and there's plenty of personal footage and data out there that you might only be able to watch via DVD.

My favorite example is 2010’s Transformers: War for Cybertron, an outstanding game practically scrubbed from existence on digital storefronts. You'll have to cough up an arm, a leg, and half an ear to get a legitimate game key from a gray market site, but if you already have the physical game, an optical drive can save you hundreds of dollars to play this hard-to-get gem.

Speaking of hard-to-get, one of the more obvious choices would be to invest in a laptop with a CD-DVD drive, but given the lack of any modern options, you'd be putting yourself at a great disadvantage in doing so.

If you’re looking to invest in an external DVD drive but don’t know where to start, you've come to the right place. We’ve scoured the market and compiled our shortlist of the best external DVD and Blu-ray drives. Let's dive in.

Best external DVD drives in 2025: The list in brief

The best external DVD drives in 2025

Best overall

The ASUS ZenDrive U9M is a solid choice for anybody looking to add an optical drive to their setup. Not only is its stylish, Zen garden-esque hairline finish striking, but the ZenDrive U9M also boasts decent performance with read and write speeds of up to 8x for DVDs and 24x for CDs.

Desktop compatibility is one of ZenDrive’s biggest strengths. The optical drive supports most major operating systems, such as macOS (10.6 and above), Windows (8 / 8.1 and above), and Linux.

The ZenDrive also comes with two cable options, allowing either a USB 2.0 Type-A or Type-C connection, depending on your available ports. It also completely supports the entire range of CD and DVD disc types for playback and writing and M-Disc support for unparalleled archiving of all your digital data.

The ASUS ZenDrive U9M is available for just $34.99, which is a fair price for what's on offer. Better still, the ZenDrive comes bundled with handy software like CyberLink’s Power2Go and PowerBackup.

Also included is Nero BackItUp and a 12-month subscription to the ASUS Webstorage Cloud Service. ASUS’s external DVD drive is a fantastic all-rounder that doesn’t just grant access to physical media but makes for an impressive tool for backing up and archiving your most important data.

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Best premium

Verbatim's UHD 4K Blu-ray writer does it all, allowing you to play and digitize CD, DVD, and Blu-ray content on Windows and Mac devices with ease (at least with the former).

While the external drive will work with Mac, you'll need to make use of third-party software to do much of the heavy lifting, as the bundled Nero Brun and Archive software isn't compatible with macOS.

Blu-ray playback is also something that requires third-party software for both Windows and Mac, which is standard for all Blu-ray drives.

Verbatim's drive particularly stands out due to its UHD 4K support, which is rarer to find in external drives of this kind, and reflected in its slightly higher $100+ price tag.

The 43888 Blu-Ray Writer is great for digital archiving, capable of storing up to 100GB of data on BDXL discs at speeds of around 27MB/s.

If you're looking for a one-stop solution to your physical media needs, then Verbatim's Blu-ray drive checks all of the boxes: wide compatibility, decent performance, and impressively portable.

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Best Budget

Looking for a reliable disc drive that won't break the bank? The LG GP65 Slim is the way to go. This no-frills portable disc drive gives you all the basics you need for less than $30. It's even available in four different colors: black, silver, gold, and white.

The LG GP65 Slim is a great option for anyone who just needs a basic drive for things like watching movies, where ultra-fast read/write speed isn't a huge concern.

Maybe you're getting back into physical media or found some old movies you want to revisit but don't have a DVD player around anymore. This portable drive is a good alternative that costs less than most DVD players.

The LG GP65 Slim is also a good pick for those who need to bring a disc drive back and forth to work. It's the most lightweight drive on this list and the low price means it won't be a big deal to replace it if you accidentally lose or damage this drive during your commute.

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Frequently asked questions

• Do I need an external CD/DVD/Blu-Ray optical drive?
  This one is entirely a question of preference. You'll notice that most modern laptops have completely omitted the optical drive for several years now, with media, games, and more now primarily available in digital or streaming formats. However, if you have a catalog of physical media you'd like to enjoy, then an external optical drive is a great way to make use of them on newer hardware.
  
• Do I need a special external drive for Mac?
  Possibly. If you're looking to use Blu-Ray disk for data storage, then as long as the drive you have in mind is compatible with macOS, you should be good to go. Blu-Ray media playback is not natively supported on Mac, so you'll need to make use of third-party software if you want to watch movies or TV shows from the disc.
  
• Can I burn CDs/DVDs/Blu-Rays with an external drive?
  Yes, as long as the drive is a "writer" that supports RE, RW, or R format. Just make sure the disks you're using are burnable and use your preferred format.
  
• Can I watch 4K UHD Blu-Rays using an external drive?
  Yes, but only through 4K UHD-compatible external drives. These are typically more expensive and harder to come by, and you'll need to use officially licensed software for playback.
  
• Can I use external optical drives to digitize my DVDs/Blu-Rays?
  Yes, but you'll need to make use of third-party "ripping" software to do so. Depending on where you live, making a digital archive of your physical media may fall into legally gray realms.

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How to choose an external DVD drive

Drive speed
The speed of the drive you pick determines how fast you’ll be able to read and write data within the drive. Speeds range from 1x (slowest) to 24x (quickest), with 1x speeds equating to a data rate of 1.385 MB/s. At this speed, it will take roughly an hour to write a single-layer DVD to capacity and 103 minutes for dual-layer DVDs.

Higher drive speeds indicate how much faster your drive will perform. This means if a drive states its speed as x20, it is twenty times as fast as the base x1 speed (1.385 MB/s * 20 = 27.7 MB/s). The most common read/write speed for an external DVD drive is x8, which results in a data rate of around 11.08 MB/s. The time it takes to write a single-layer DVD to capacity at this rate is just seven minutes, with a dual-layer DVD taking only thirteen minutes.

Connectivity
An important factor to consider when selecting an external DVD drive is the type of connection it uses. As laptops continue to follow the thin-and-light trend, legacy ports like USB Type-A are being phased out in favor of the smaller and faster USB Type-C port.

However, most external DVD drives continue to use Type-A connections because the data rate of even the fastest DVD drives (24x) is only 33.2 MB/s or 266 Mbps, which is well within the 60 MB/s or 480 Mbps bandwidth of a typical USB 2.0 Type-A connection.

While some modern external DVD drives do offer Type-C connections, most remain unchanged. If there are no legacy ports available, you may need a USB-A to USB-C adapter to connect the drive to your chosen device (especially a tablet or smartphone).

Compatibility
Commonly, most external DVD drives will work well with Windows and macOS right out of the box (as long as the Mac in question is a post-2008 model with no internal drive originally fitted). However, other operating systems like Linux, Android and Fire OS aren’t offered the same level of support.

If you are wanting to combine an external DVD player with a Linux or Android based device, make sure the manufacturer lists it as a compatible operating system before you make a purchase.

M-Disc support
Regular recordable DVDs are great for storing data as you move it from one device to the next, but if you want to store information long-term, you should use M-Disc DVDs.

All regular recordable DVDs have their data burnt into an organic dye layer that begins to degrade from the moment it is written to. This gives most standard recordable DVDs a limited lifespan that some estimate to be between two and five years. While it’s not too much hassle to make a new copy of your data within that window, the process can be time-consuming and tedious.

Enter the M-Disc DVD, a write-once optical disc that doesn’t use organic dyes to store data but instead uses a more powerful laser found in M-Disc compatible DVD drives to engrave data onto its glassy carbon surface.

Unlike the short lifespan of regular recordable DVDs, the material used in M-Disc DVDs offers a theoretical lifespan of 1,000 years. This makes drives with M-Disc support fantastic options for those seeking to create long-term backups of sensitive information or sentimental media without worrying about their data becoming lost or corrupted.

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Why trust Laptop Mag?

Laptop 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 peripherals and titles in gaming.

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

Our experienced writers and editors scour 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.

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You've decided you want a MacBook, but the question of "MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro?" remains. I'm not a certified Apple Genius, but I've spent hundreds of hours using and reviewing every current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro for Laptop Mag, so I'm ready to help you find the best MacBook for your needs.

Let's start with the basics: In 2025, the MacBook Air and Pro lineups consist of four options: 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch MacBook Airs and 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch MacBook Pros.

The MacBook Air models are limited to Apple's M4 chip, while the MacBook Pro features the M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max. Only the Pro models offer the more powerful "Pro" or "Max" chipsets, one of the most apparent differences between the Air and Pro MacBooks. The base MacBook Pro 14-inch blurs these lines with its standard M4 chip.

People often ask me, "Is the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro better?" There is no universal answer to that question; there is only which is better for you. So, let's find out.

I will compare price, features, performance, battery life, and more to determine whether you should invest in the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro in 2025.

And once we've determined whether the MacBook Air or Pro is better for you, our best MacBook deals can help you secure the best price.

MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro: Specs compared

The Quick List

MacBook Air (13-inch, M4): Best for most people

Pros: While the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 looks no different from its predecessor outwardly, multiple changes make it the best MacBook for most people right now. The $100 price cut helps, returning the base MacBook Air to a $999 starting price.

Combined with the bump to 16GB of RAM on the base model, formerly a $200 upgrade, our recommended configuration for the 13-inch MacBook Air is $300 cheaper than last year's, even without scouting for one of the best MacBook deals.

The MacBook Air's 13.6-inch display is one of the brightest laptops around, and True Tone also ensures excellent color accuracy, but the vibrancy falls short of some of the OLED competition. Rumors of Apple moving to OLED in the future abound, but not yet.

Like its predecessors, the MacBook Air M4 is one of the thinnest laptops at only 0.4 inches. However, unlike many ultraportable laptops, it can keep up with an impressive workload, thanks to the M4 chip. Whether it was our benchmarks or real-world usage, the Air M4 was up for any task.

Looking at the benchmarks, the MacBook Air M4 scored 14,489 on Geekbench 6, easily surpassing the competition. Our Handbrake video transcoding test took 5 minutes and 40 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. This blows past the mainstream average, but still can't hold up to the MacBook Pro models in similar tests. SSD speeds are among the best we've seen, with 3,456.2 MBps and 3,018.4 MBps in BlackMagic Write and Read tests, respectively.

All that performance prowess doesn't hurt its battery life, either. If finding an outlet can be a challenge during your day, never fear: The Air M4 powered through almost 16 hours of battery life testing in our lab.

Rounding out the additions and upgrades from this year, the new Apple Center webcam is one of the best I've ever tested, the 12MP camera makes you look your best in any lighting.

Cons: So what are the downsides? If you have a lot of peripherals, the pair of Thunderbolt/USB-C ports may be challenging, but at least you have MagSafe 3 to keep both ports free while charging.

While the base $999 price for the MacBook Air 13-inch M4 is reasonable given what you are getting, if you need to upgrade RAM or storage, each jump is another $200, but neither is user-upgradeable, so don't leave yourself short.

Need more screen real estate? Look no further than the 15-inch MacBook Air M4. It mirrors all of the strengths of its smaller sibling but with a larger 15.3-inch display.

See our full 13-inch MacBook Air M4 review.
See our full 15-inch MacBook Air M4 review.

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MacBook Air (15-inch, M4): Best affordable big screen

Pros: Getting that big 15.3-inch display on a MacBook for as low as $1,199 is hard to pass up, considering that for years, a large screen MacBook was at least $2,499. While it lacks the 120Hz refresh rate of the Pro models, Apple didn't skimp on the display, as it offers an excellent 476 nits of brightness in our testing.

At 3.3 pounds and just 0.45 inches thick, it's a strong contender for the best business laptops or best student laptops for anyone who values a larger laptop that won't weigh down their laptop bag. Thanks to 15 hours and 14 minutes of battery life in our testing, it also won't call it quits on you early.

It features the same M4 chip as the 13-inch Air M4. It delivers nearly identical performance results on many tasks, although sustained tasks like video editing tip in favor of the 15-inch model, presumably due to improved thermal performance.

Cons: Not many. I find the port situation slightly more frustrating on the 15-inch Air as it features the same pair of Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports, MagSafe charger, and headphone/mic jack as the much smaller MacBook Air 13-inch. However, most of us who need more ports have long ago added a USB-C hub or laptop docking station to our assortment of gear.

See our full MacBook Air 15-inch M4 review.

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MacBook Pro (14-inch): Best for creative pros on the go

Pros: The base MacBook Pro 14 with its M4 chip is an excellent value for those looking for more power than the Air can offer without spending upwards of $2,000. It's also important to note when comparing against the Air that you start at 512GB of storage, a $200 upgrade for Air buyers. For most users, the base M4 will get the job done, but if time is money for you, then the M4 Pro and M4 Max processors Apple are among the fastest, most power-efficient chips ever built for portable computing.

The base models at both the M4 and M4 Pro levels are better than ever, with the M4 Pro outperforming the M3 Max in many metrics, so consider that before snapping up a deal on the older models. While the base model will be more than enough for most users, you can configure the M4 Max up to 128GB of RAM and an 8TB SSD. Battery life was tested at 18 hours and 32 minutes for the standard M4 configuration, and we would expect fairly similar results from the M4 Pro and M4 Max.

That redesign from 2021 still feels fresh with the 14.2-inch, 3024 x 1964-pixel Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. At 556 nits, this panel is one of the brightest laptop screens ever and both color accurate and vivid enough for creative work.

At 12.3 inches x 8.7 x 0.6 inches and 3.4 pounds, the 14-inch MacBook Pro remains portable despite the power it packs underneath the hood.

The 12MP Center Stage camera is another notable upgrade for the M4 MacBook Pros, it's the best webcam we've ever seen on a laptop with outstanding color accuracy while holding up well in differing lighting conditions. Add in Touch ID, a six-speaker setup, and a comfortable keyboard and the 14-inch MacBook Pro has a lot going for it.

Cons: So, what's wrong with the laptop? I'll be honest, not much. It would be great to get Face ID support for facial recognition login since that's been available on Windows laptops for years. While your mileage may vary, I find the vent placement makes the MacBook Pro uncomfortable to hold in certain orientations, which isn't a major issue, but it's something I haven't encountered on a MacBook previously.

See our full MacBook Pro 14 M4 review.

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MacBook Pro 16-inch: Best for peak performance

Pros: This MacBook Pro has everything we love about the 14-inch MacBook Pro but with a large 16-inch display. It has the same M4 Pro and M4 Max chip options along with up to a ludicrous 128GB of memory and up to an 8TB SSD. Battery life is even better, at 20 hours and 46 minutes in our testing, our second-longest result ever and the longest ever for a MacBook. Given the sky-high performance benchmarks, that battery life is almost unbelievable, I've speculated before that Apple has a secret pocket dimension in the MacBook Pro chassis, and I'm still not counting that out as a possibility.

If you plan to keep your laptop for 5-7 years or more and particularly are doing creative work or other work that requires data transfers between your laptop and either an SSD or other hardware, then the 16-inch MacBook Pro offers another advantage over its smaller Pro sibling, Thunderbolt 5 ports. While there is little to take full advantage of the new standard at the moment, Thunderbolt 5 docks, external SSDs, and more are starting to arrive and will pick up over the next 12 months.

Cons: You can get most of what is available in the 16-inch MacBook Pro in the 14-inch model for $500 less. If you need the larger panel or Thunderbolt 5 support, then get the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but if that's not crucial, there is little reason to pay up for the larger laptop.

Also, at 14 x 9.8 x 0.66 inches and 4.7 pounds, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is considerably larger than the 14-inch model, so if you regularly tote your laptop around, that's worth considering as well.

Like the 14-inch model, I wish Face ID was available, and I'm not a fan of the vent configuration, but these are minor concerns overall.

See our full MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Pro review.

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How We Test MacBooks

We put MacBooks through extensive benchmark testing—both synthetic and real-world—before they are handed to our reviewers. We evaluate everything from speed and battery life to display brightness, speaker volume, and system heat.

We use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect a laptop display's brightness and sRGB color gamut. For performance benchmarking, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including Geekbench 6, BlackMagic Disk Speed Test, and PugetBench for Adobe CC.

We task the laptop to convert a 4K video to 1080p resolution to determine real-world performance. Our real-world graphics tests on MacBooks include Borderlands 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm, and Total War: Warhammer III in 1080p and native resolution settings.

We also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video, and our proprietary Laptop Mag Battery Test consists of continuous web surfing over wifi at 150 nits of brightness. Anything over 10 hours is considered strong battery life, a standard every current Macbook easily surpasses.

Following these tests, the laptop is given to our expert reviewers for extensive hands-on testing. Our reviewers will spend days using the laptop as part of their typical workflow to get a sense of the real-world performance and live with the laptop to come away with a thorough understanding of the hardware and software experience. This blended lab testing and hands-on approach allows us to offer you a clear and comprehensive view of every laptop that comes through Laptop Mag.

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Why Trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over a hundred laptops yearly, 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.

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Apple may be preparing to release an all-new affordable MacBook beyond its Air and Pro models, according to information shared by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Potentially arriving by the end of the year, this new MacBook could be the most accessible of all, trading in the opportunity to sport Apple's upcoming M5 chip for a surprisingly more modest option, the A18 Pro Bionic — the very same chip used by the iPhone 16 Pro.

Sound a little far-fetched? Perhaps not. We've actually been tracking reports of low-cost MacBook across a string of rumors dating all the way back to September 2023.

What is the MacBook SE?

Tentatively labelled the MacBook SE, this modestly priced MacBook has reportedly been in the works, with Apple exploring ways to cut down on costs to deliver a product that doesn't aim to challenge its typical Windows counterparts, but this time, the Chromebook.

Early rumors suggested that Apple would cut costs by adopting less premium materials and components during construction. One option may include adopting a rigid plastic chassis, as it did with the Apple Watch SE 3.

According to an article posted by Kuo to X, Kuo shares that the new MacBook's chassis could come in four potential case colors, including silver, blue, pink, and yellow.

Kuo also shares that this long-rumored MacBook is expected to enter mass production late in the fourth quarter of 2025 or in the early first quarter of 2026, suggesting a release next year, potentially unveiling it sometime in March 2026 during its annual Spring event.

MacBook SE: What's the point?

Challenging Chromebooks seems like an odd decision at first, but having delivered serious competition in practically every market there is, Apple has one frontier it's yet to conquer: the classroom.

Ask any college goer what the best laptop for students is, and you're bound to be met by a slew of arguments that favor Apple's MacBooks, but when it comes to K-12 education, the Chromebook reigns supreme.

However, should Apple follow through on its low-cost MacBook plans, even the best Chromebooks would have reason to worry.

While Chromebooks win on price and simplicity, an Apple alternative, even one running an A-series chip, could bring a much broader toolkit with it, cutting out the reliance on web apps, granting access to Apple Intelligence, and delivering a host of macOS content through a thriving App Store.

That said, putting a powerful and less narrow computing experience in the hands of students for less wouldn't just benefit those in education, but Apple, too.

Apple's ecosystem: Get them while they're young

Another huge benefit for Apple would be having its OS in K-12 classrooms across the country, developing an instant familiarity with macOS among a younger generation, and, in turn, challenging Windows' dominance as the "standard" operating system for computing.

A move like this isn't just about expanding on a classroom's toolset; it's about quietly rewriting digital instincts among younger generations, something that Microsoft similarly managed to pull off in the 90s with Windows 95.

While Google's follow-up efforts haven't exactly turned ChromeOS into a major player among wider users, it has helped to proliferate use of Google's Workspace suite and get many to trade purchasing office software for using the company's free alternatives, regardless of which OS they eventually move on to.

A low-cost MacBook isn't just about increasing sales — though Kuo does project it accounting for 5-7 million units in 2026 — it's about Apple laying new groundwork for long-term loyalty, and redefining what is seen as the "default" for a whole new generation of tech-savvy youngsters.

More from Laptop Mag

• Dear Apple, it's 2025, where’s my MacBook SE?
• Apple doesn't want you to see its latest MacBook ad — or several others just like it
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Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in early June brought plenty of news about the company’s latest operating system updates across its devices. One device that received minimal attention, even though it's the newest product from the company, was the Apple Vision Pro.

The VR headset is just over a year old, and it has yet to catch on with the public thanks to its expensive price tag and lack of functionality. While the Apple Vision Pro inspired the company to introduce Liquid Glass across all upcoming software updates, the company had few features to reveal for the headset. It does appear, however, that Apple is coming for everyone's head, literally.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted about Apple's plans for the future, and it appears the company is going to focus on both eyewear and headsets. He says, "Apple views head-mounted devices as the next major trend in consumer electronics" and predicts the company will release multiple products for this trend starting in 2027.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

It's going to be a busy 2027 for Apple

According to Kuo, Apple will release a lighter version of its Apple Vision Pro in 2027, which he refers to as Vision Air. This new VR headset will be more than 40% lighter. This new lighter headset would also come at a much lower price.

Before the release of the Vision Air, Kuo predicts Apple will release another Vision Pro with the same design but an upgraded M5 processor replacing the current M2 chip.

Then, in 2028, Kuo says Apple will release its second generation of the Vision Pro. This new headset will have a different design, lighter weight, and a lower price than the original, with a Mac-grade processor.

For smart glasses, Kuo predicts Apple will release its smart glasses in 2027, with projected shipments to be 3 to 5 million units. Apple has "made progress" on a specialty chip designed for smart glasses, which could include versions with and without AR functionality. These glasses would compete directly with Meta, the current market leader, and its Ray-Ban and upcoming Oakley models.

The smart glasses will offer multiple frame and material options, along with voice control and gesture recognition, according to Kuo. The glasses will also have audio playback, camera, video recording, and AI environmental sensing features.

The glasses don't stop there. Kuo predicts Apple will begin production of a pair of XR glasses in 2028. These will have the same voice control and gesture recognition as the smart glasses while also having a color display. Kuo also says Apple is working on another "display accessory" that could return to development. This accessory would tether to an Apple device, such as an iPhone, and display content.

Though bugs showing up in Windows updates is no surprise anymore, a startup sound from 2007 suddenly making a return nearly two decades later is still a bit strange. But Microsoft is full of surprises, and that’s exactly what happened.

Last Monday, we reported on an odd issue in Windows 11’s latest Beta and Dev channel builds, where the iconic Windows Vista startup chime resurfaced out of nowhere. Microsoft acknowledged the bug and even leaned into the nostalgia a bit when the issue was first spotted, and promised a fix.

Credit where credit is due, Microsoft did indeed stick to its word and tried to patch things up in the latest Windows 11 Preview Builds released earlier this week. Unfortunately, the Redmond-based giant only partially succeeded.

The Vista sound is still lingering in the Dev Insider build

Microsoft rolled out the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.4452 and Build 26200.5661 for the Beta and Dev channels, respectively, earlier this week on Monday. Initially, the “Fixes for everyone in the Beta/Dev channel” section mentioned: Fixed the issue causing the Windows Vista boot sound to play instead of the Windows 11 boot sound.

Although this was great news, Microsoft updated the release notes of the Dev build the very next day on Tuesday, after realizing that the fix for the issue was “not working correctly in this build.” It further mentioned that the issue will be fixed in the next flight.

There’s been no update to the Beta release notes yet, suggesting that the fix is working as anticipated.

If you aren’t familiar with the bug we’re referring to here, a Windows Insider, @XenoPanther on X (formerly Twitter), spotted a bug that swapped the Windows 11 startup sound with Vista’s startup sound. This issue was found in the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.4441 and 26200.5651 for the Beta and Dev channels.

Like a true tech enthusiast, he went on a quest to trace down the cause of the bug and determined that the .WAV file located inside the imageres.dll.mun resource file was the culprit. It previously had the Windows 11 startup sound and had been replaced with Vista’s.

Vista nostalgia or an indirect dig at Apple?

Though most would've likely disregarded it and forgotten about it as yet another silly Microsoft bug (despite the years), what truly raised eyebrows was the timing of the bug. It was spotted around a week after WWDC 2025, where Apple announced its new operating systems alongside its "Liquid Glass" UI design.

Though the redesign was certainly refreshing for Apple users who've grown tired of staring at the same old design, it felt like a step back in time to many. This was because Microsoft first debuted similar translucent glass effects with its Windows Aero theme in Windows Vista.

Brandon LeBlanc, the Senior Product Manager for the Windows Insider Program Team, replied to @XenoPanther’s X post and mentioned that Microsoft had added the issue as a known issue.

In the replies, when asked how it happened, LeBlanc jokingly mentioned that he “went in and had some fun with the sound files in Windows and thought folks wanted a blast from the past.”

Though LeBlanc was clearly joking around, people were still unsure if it was a genuine bug or an actual blast from the past, so he clarified that it’s an actual bug.

Whether an intentional bug or not, the sudden return of Vista’s startup sound just days after Apple debuted a design that looks suspiciously similar to Aero feels a little too well-timed to be pure accident.

Given that this strangely seems to be one of those bugs Windows Insiders aren’t too mad about, it’s also one of those rare times when Microsoft not having a proper fix isn’t bothering people all that much. If you're one of those affected and waiting for a fix, the only thing you can really do for now is sit tight for the next build, and maybe enjoy the nostalgia in the meantime.

More from Laptop Mag

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Silicon wafer sizes aren't what you think, and those impossibly small "3nm" and "2nm" chips you keep hearing about? They're more marketing label than measurement.

The latest predictions by the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC), recently broken down by YouTuber TechTechPotato, presents the current timeline for TSMC's 2nm chipsets, as well as Intel Foundry's 18A and 14A process technologies, with A14 (1.4nm) chips expected in 2027 and A10 (1nm) process nodes expected in 2029. IMEC's predictions even highlight the possibility of producing 0.2mm silicon as early as 2039.

In reality, those numbers differ wildly from the physical, measurable transistors on a chip, and we may need to wait until the late 2030s before we even manage to break the 10nm barrier. Here's why.

Silicon wafers aren't as small as the 2nm size would make you think

The current 2-nanometer and 1.8nm silicon technologies in development by TSMC and Intel aren't made on wafers that are 2nm in thickness.

2nm is also not the distance between two transistors on the wafer.

Chip manufacturers tend to refer to silicon wafers based on the minimum feature size achievable on the wafer surface during fabrication. Right now, that size usually refers to the name of the process node rather than any physical feature of the chip.

In fact, since about 1997, silicon process node names have been inaccurate. Intel's 250nm process node actually had a gate length of 200nm. Intel continued this process understatement until 2011, when silicon process nodes dropped to 22nm, with an actual gate length of 26nm.

TSMC and Samsung also adopted the "perception marketing" for silicon in 2018 with the 7nm process nodes, which were similar in gate length to Intel's 10nm silicon.

And the confusion has only continued to spiral from there.

However, if you're looking for a hard physical measurement size for the current 3-nanometer chips, they have a gate length of 16-18nm and a metal pitch of about 23nm.

So, regardless of the current 2nm and 3nm talk, we likely won't see "true" 10-nanometer silicon until IMEC's predicted sub-A2 chipset generation in 2039.

Wafer size and Moore's Law go hand-in-hand

As a quick refresher, Moore's Law is an observation in microchip design, positing that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit doubles roughly every two years. As silicon wafers get smaller, so do transistors, but eventually all things must bow to the laws of physics.

Contrary to its name, Moore's Law isn't an actual Law, but rather an observation in microchip design. Eventually, semiconductors can only get so small before circuit heat becomes a real design issue.

Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, has been against the idea of continuing the Moore's Law trend largely due to the higher thermal constraints of discrete graphics cards, while CPUs like Intel's Lunar Lake chipset have more room to grow (or shrink, in this case).

But with this reminder from IMEC about the true size of silicon wafers, and the expected improvement in chip interconnect architecture and transistor technology, Moore's Law seems far from unrealistic. Whether the trend will continue past the next decade, we can't say for sure, but it looks achievable based on current projections.

That said, the potential number of transistors on those sub-A2 (10nm Lg) chipsets is staggering. The current Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has about 18 billion transistors, meaning the sub-A2 chipsets could have around 300 billion transistors in 2039.

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Apple has experienced yet another advertising fumble, but good luck finding any evidence of it.

This week, Apple posted and abruptly deleted a 7-minute ad on YouTube titled "Convince Your Parents to Get You a Mac," which showed comedian Martin Herlihy giving a room full of teenagers a presentation teaching them how to persuade their parents to cough up the cash for a MacBook.

The ad has since been seemingly wiped from the internet and is no longer available on Apple's YouTube channel.

This isn't the first time Apple has quickly backpedaled on an advertising fumble recently, and arguably isn't anywhere close to its biggest slip-up. Here's a look at what you missed in the ad and a few highs (and lows) from Apple's advertising rollercoaster.

Apple mysteriously removes controversial MacBook ad

This weekend, Apple hastily removed a 7-minute ad from its YouTube channel less than 24 hours after the video went live. Titled "Convince Your Parents to Get You a Mac," it was an uncanny cross between an awkward skit and an unironic instruction manual for teenagers to persuade their parents to buy them a MacBook.

Apple even posted the "Parent Presentation" slides for teens to duplicate and use. The actual video has been removed from nearly every corner of the internet, but the slides are still accessible at the time of writing. Be warned, the presentation is 81 slides long.

The whole thing seems like it was probably meant as a meme, but it comes across as a little too manipulative. You can catch it in full in the X post above, one of the last few places the ad has managed to stay online.

Ironically, MacBooks are already considered among the best laptops for students, and considering iPhones are overwhelmingly the most popular phones for teenagers, this wasn't really a demographic Apple needed to do much to appeal to.

This somehow isn't Apple's biggest marketing fumble in recent years, either. That honor goes to the infamous "Crush" ad.

The "Crush" controversy: Apple's best (and worst) ads over the years

When Apple launched its thinnest iPad ever last year, all anyone could talk about was the (literally) soul-crushing ad that followed.

The "Crush" ad was quickly removed shortly after Apple posted it, but it showed a giant industrial press machine physically crushing a multitude of objects used for creating art and music. When everything was destroyed, the press opened again to reveal an iPad Pro.

The ad lives on in a response ad Samsung made with the tagline "Creativity cannot be crushed."

That ad is arguably Apple's most tone-deaf ad to date in light of artists' widespread fears of AI threatening their jobs. While the "Crush" ad didn't mention AI specifically, it seemed to imply that one device (or technology broadly) can replace a wealth of creative tools used for self-expression, from guitars to paint to cameras, and by extension, maybe even artists themselves.

Ironically, people do use iPads for creating art. Like the "Convince Your Parents to Buy a Mac" situation, Apple somehow managed to drop the ball while communicating with an audience it had already widely won over.

Both fumbles are perplexing considering Apple's marketing history. This is the same brand that produced some of the most iconic ads ever, like the long-running "I'm a Mac" series starring Justin Long.

Going back even further, one of the most famous ads ever was Apple's 1983 Super Bowl ad for the Macintosh 128K. Released in 1984, Apple introduced it in a surprisingly cinematic ad based on George Orwell's book 1984. This ad was meant as a subtle jab at Apple's then-rival IBM, but there's a lot of symbolism to unpack in it. The actual Macintosh 128K isn't even shown.

Of course, an advertising stumble doesn't mean MacBooks aren't good laptops for students. They're just not the only good laptops for students. If you're looking for the right laptop for college, you should probably be basing your decision on reviews and lab testing rather than a 7-minute Apple ad anyway.

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Not too long ago, legendary ex-Apple designer Jony Ive and OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman broke the internet by announcing their mysterious new collaboration. Well, try searching for it now, and you’ll mostly hit a dead end.

Interestingly, this isn’t because the deal fell apart, or that either one of them woke up and decided to bail. Instead, it’s because a federal judge told them to pull the plug… for now, at least.

The “io” reveal is gone from OpenAI, but not from X

As reported by The Verge, OpenAI quietly scrubbed all mentions of Jony Ive’s startup, the AI giant it recently acquired for $6.5 billion, called io.

Any official mention of the project, including the announcement blog post and the nine-minute video where Jony Ive and Sam Altman confirmed they’re developing a new AI device, is no longer available.

When you search “OpenAI io,” one of the top results is still “Watch the film | Sam and Jony introduce io,” but clicking on it no longer displays the content that was once there.

Instead, it now reads: “This page is temporarily down due to a court order following a trademark complaint from iyO about our use of the name ‘io.’ We don’t agree with the complaint and are reviewing our options.”

Interestingly, Sam Altman’s original post on X (formerly Twitter) announcing the project is still up, along with the nine-minute video. At the time of writing, it currently has over 5.5 million views.

Could Altman have simply forgotten to take it down, or was the post left up intentionally?

OpenAI’s spokesperson, Kayla Wood, shared the exact same notice as above with The Verge when asked for comment. OpenAI also confirmed to The Verge that the deal is still happening.

“This is an utterly baseless complaint and we’ll fight it vigorously,” said a spokesperson for Jony Ive in a statement to Bloomberg.

The project is still on, but the name is in legal trouble

Essentially, what’s happening right now is that a U.S. federal judge has issued a temporary injunction preventing OpenAI, Jony Ive, and Sam Altman from using the name “io” or anything similar.

This is due to a trademark lawsuit initiated by iyO, a startup that develops AI-powered earbuds.

What’s ironic here is that iyO also works on AI-related tech and is, in some ways, chasing the same mission as OpenAI. Though iyO is now a standalone startup, it emerged from Google’s secretive X lab, which is also known as the Moonshot Factory.

Though many were quick to believe that the project had been quietly shelved or that something had gone terribly wrong behind the scenes, the court order only affects the use of the name “io.”

Best case scenario? They win the trademark dispute and keep the “io” name as planned initially. Worst-case scenario? If the court rules against Altman and Ive, they’ll be forced to ditch the “io” branding completely and rebrand the device ahead of its official launch.

So all this really is right now is a branding roadblock — not a development halt. Altman previously hinted that the device might even ship within a year, so it seems like it’s a race of lawyers and engineers now, while the rest of us quietly spectate.

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Apple's M4 iPad Pro is one of the best tablets for power users and a solid laptop replacement. Thankfully, 4th of July sales start now, and it's a great time to buy this pro tablet for less.

Currently, the 512GB model 13-inch iPad Pro M4 is on sale for $1,295 at PC Richard & Son. It normally costs $1,499, so that's $204 in savings and the lowest price I've seen for this Apple tablet.

By comparison, it's $74 cheaper than Amazon's current price for this same iPad.

Browse: PC Richard's entire sale

If you'd rather not wait weeks for Amazon's next Prime Day sale, this is one of the best iPad deals you can get now. I doubt it'll be any cheaper than this during Prime Day.

The iPad Pro M4 is powerful enough to replace your laptop. Although we didn't test it ourselves, the iPad Pro M4 earned a 4.5 out of 5-star rating and Editor's Choice Award from Tom's Guide.

Powered by Apple's blazing M4 9-core chip, the 2024 iPad Pro is 50% faster than the 2022 M2 iPad Pro. In terms of GPU performance, it's four times faster, so expect graphics-intensive tasks to run smoothly.

Now $204 off, the iPad Pro M4 is at an all-time low price ahead of Prime Day. It's a wise investment if you're shopping around for a travel-friendly laptop replacement.

Today's best 13-inch iPad Pro M4 deal

Apple's record with AI hasn't been that great. What started off strong with a partnership with OpenAI has yet to really produce much for the iPhone maker.

The company introduced Apple Intelligence last year and said it was going to overhaul its digital assistant Siri by making it smarter and able to understand more tasks. Instead, the feature continues to be delayed, and AI was less of a focus for Apple at its big Worldwide Developers Conference, in contrast to Google’s annual I/O show, where it was all about AI.

It appears, however, Apple might do a workaround by buying one of the up-and-comers in AI, Perplexity AI.

Bloomberg reports on internal talks among Apple executives to potentially bid on Perplexity AI. Adrian Perica, Apple's VP of corporate development, reportedly discussed the idea with Eddy Cue, SVP of Services at the company, as well as other AI decision makers. The report claims that these are early talks, and no offer has been made to Perplexity.

"We have no knowledge of any current or future M&A discussions involving Perplexity,” a company spokesperson said via email.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple's AI troubles

Buying Perplexity and incorporating the company's AI search into Safari and other services would be a real boon for Apple. Last year, a Google antitrust lawsuit found that the company pays Apple approximately $20 billion to be the default search engine for Safari.

Google Search, however, has been trending downward thanks to the rise of AI models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's own Gemini, and Perplexity. Data suggests users are moving away from searching for answers on Google and instead using AI to save time and get answers efficiently, rather than having to review multiple pages to find them.

While iPhone users can find a workaround to have their own AI chatbot in the upcoming iOS 26, Apple still hasn't cracked the AI nut with Siri.

Apple reportedly continued to hit one snag after another when developing the smarter Siri. The pitch was for the digital assistant to have a better understanding of natural language and do more complex tasks by making use of data on the phone, such as making a calendar appointment based on a text rather than having to be told to create that appointment.

Apple's initial plan was to release the upgraded Siri in March, but that didn't happen. Instead, there was a leadership reshuffle within the company. Mike Rockwell, the creator of the Vision Pro for the company, ended up replacing John Giannandrea, who was in charge of the team handling the Siri upgrade.

The upcoming release of iOS 26 will incorporate some AI features in the Phone app, such as AI-powered call screening to automatically silence scam calls and voicemail summaries.

These AI features, however, are still far behind what Google is doing. During last month's I/O event, it laid out how Gemini will be integrated into its services, such as Gmail, Google Meet, and even be a key part of its future Android XR smart glasses.

In multiple interviews following the WWDC 2025 on June 9, Apple executives made it clear that the company has no intention of creating an Apple Intelligence-powered chatbot at this time to compete with ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI, and other similar platforms.

Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, and Greg Joswiak, senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, reiterated this message in interviews with Tom's Guide, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets.

While they readily admitted to the popularity and utility of these chatbots and left open the possibility of it happening someday, it's not the AI experience that Apple is currently looking to deliver to its customers.

That's fine for Apple, but an upgrade to Shortcuts in the developer beta for iOS 26 lets you ignore how Apple feels about making its own chatbot, and in seconds, you can have an Apple Intelligence chatbot up and running on your devices.

Here's a quick look at how to do it if you're running the iOS 26 developer beta. If you aren't eligible to install the developer beta, bookmark this page for when the first public beta arrives in July.

How to use Apple Intelligence as a chatbot

1. Open Shortcuts.
2. Tap the plus button in the upper-right corner.
3. Search for "Use Model" in the "Search Actions" bar
4. Select "On This iPhone" or "Private Cloud Compute" from the listed Models.
5. Add a Text element where you can ask your question or request something from the chatbot.
6. Toggle the Follow Up option if you want to be able to ask additional questions.
7. Select whether you want the Output from the chatbot to come as a notification or text saved to Notes, or to the clipboard.

That's all there is to it. Now, obviously, this isn't as smooth an experience as the standalone chatbot apps available, but it's interesting to experiment with how Apple Intelligence performs at this task.

Late but great?

Apple’s decision to skip the chatbot hype cycle may feel like a miss in the short term, especially as competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic flood the market with conversational AI personalities. But that’s not unfamiliar territory for Apple.

Historically, the company has let others go first — and often falter — while it refines its own vision for how a new technology should work.

Remember when Apple launched the iPad without a stylus, dismissing it altogether? Steve Jobs famously said, "If you see a stylus, they blew it." Years later, the Apple Pencil arrived, not as a tool critical to basic use of the iPad, but as an accessory that could augment specific use cases.

The same could be said of tablets. While Microsoft and others had early tablet PCs on the market for years, it wasn’t until Apple introduced the iPad that the category truly took off.

Even the Apple Watch came long after smartwatches from Microsoft, Pebble, Sony, Motorola, Samsung, and more. However, within a couple of years, it became the world's best-selling wearable device.

A similar pattern could be unfolding with generative AI. While competitors race to win the chatbot popularity contest, Apple is taking a quieter approach, threading AI into the fabric of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

From semantic photo search and inline writing tools to real-time translation, Apple Intelligence isn’t a destination — it’s a layer. There’s no standalone Apple chatbot because the company doesn’t want users to stop what they’re doing to engage with AI. Apple wants AI to support what its users are already doing.

Of course, the danger in this approach is that Apple risks letting others define the conversation about AI. That can shape public perception in a way that’s hard to unwind. Apple doesn’t want to be seen as behind, even if history shows that being second (or third, or fifth) can work out just fine.

This concern isn't helped by Apple's recent demonstration of how this can go wrong with the Apple Vision Pro. While there's plenty of time for Apple to crack AR and spatial computing, it's undeniable that the current Apple Vision Pro will not be that product.

So will Apple eventually release its own systemwide chatbot? Probably. But when it does, it will likely be less about keeping up with ChatGPT and more about delivering something that makes sense within Apple’s ecosystem of privacy, design, and usability.

For now, Apple is playing its usual long game. It will deflect complaints about being slow or late and focus on being the best. Eventually.

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• 7 best early Amazon Prime Day iPad deals you don't have to wait to get

Amazon Prime Day 2025 is just over two weeks from today, and the early Prime Day iPad deals are kicking off the summer with solid discounts. Technically, the next Prime Day sale is scheduled to run from July 8-11; however, Prime Day-like deals on iPads are starting to pop up now at Amazon and its competitors.

I scrolled through today's best Apple deals on Amazon and found nine shockingly good Prime Day-worthy deals you don't have to wait to get.

Right now, you can nab the Editor's Choice A16-powered Apple iPad 11 for just $299 ($50 off) at Amazon. This is the lowest price ever on Amazon and one of the best iPad deals I've seen all season.

The latest iPad runs on Apple's A16 chip, so it's noticeably faster than the iPad 10 and every release prior. It may lack Apple Intelligence, but it does support optional accessories like the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio and Apple Pencil USB-C to help you work smarter.

Overall, the 11th-generation A16 iPad is the Editor's Choice best tablet for most people.

That's just one example of the best Prime Day-like iPad deals available today. Read on to see more discounts I recommend and save up to $200.

Best early Prime Day iPad deals — Quick links

• Browse: Early Amazon Prime Day deals
• Apple Pencil USB-C: was $79 now $69 at Amazon
• Apple Pencil Pro: was $129, now $115 at Amazon
• Apple iPad 11: was $349 now $299 at Amazon
• Apple M3 iPad Air : was $599 now $499 at PC Richard
• Apple M3 iPad Air 13: was $799 now $699 at Amazon
• Apple M4 iPad Pro: was $999 now $899 at PC Richard
• Apple M4 iPad Pro 13: was $1,499 now $1,295 at PC Richard

Best early Prime Day iPad deals — Quick links

iPad fans, we need to talk. Apple revealed iPadOS 26 during its WWDC 2025 keynote on June 9, and as you would expect, it is the best version of Apple’s tablet operating system to date.

Visually, you have the big Liquid Glass update that will permeate every Apple OS later this year, but the most significant updates are the ones that turn your iPad into a MacBook replacement. These updates include numerous multitasking enhancements, a revamped external monitor experience, improved mouse and trackpad support, and more robust background app performance.

We've been burned many times by trying to use an iPad Pro as a laptop replacement. With that said, Apple has solved a lot of those problems -- but two remaining concerns may still deter most people from ditching one of the best MacBooks and adopting the iPad-only lifestyle.

iPad's laptop replacement credentials in 2025

iPadOS 26 continues Apple’s long, slow march toward making the iPad a true productivity machine. Stage Manager is no longer a janky compromise for windowing, but a genuinely useful tool for managing multiple app windows. This is further bolstered by external display support, which now feels native rather than bolted on.

Professionals forever frustrated by the rudimentary Files app on iPadOS now have robust options with an improved List view, custom folders, Dock integration, and blessedly drag-and-drop support. The improved background tasks allow for large file exports that can be tracked via Live Activities, giving you a real-time view of what's happening with your files.

Speaking of drag-and-drop, the menubar is essentially dragged and dropped directly from macOS into iPadOS. Options will be found in menus rather than buried in a Byzantine mess that requires half a dozen taps and swipes.

I'll grant you that it isn't an endless list of features, but these are so fundamental to using a laptop that any one of them was a dealbreaker when trying to use the iPad as a laptop previously.

Currently, the iPadOS 26 beta is still developer-only, but I'll be digging in to test it out early and often as we wait for the full release this fall. While I'm eager to try the iPad as a laptop experiment again, I'm still not sold that it will be the right option for most people.

iPad can't match MacBook battery life

While iPad performance has made huge strides over the years, along with feature updates, one aspect that has failed to advance is battery life, which is consistently one of the most important features to laptop buyers.

When Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPad at a special event on January 27, 2010, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, he emphasized that it could last an impressive 10 hours on a single charge. Apple could reuse that same slide for most of the iPad lineup in 2025.

In 2010, that outlasted the MacBook Air 13-inch (2010) by 3 hours and the MacBook Air 11-inch (2010) by 5 hours. In 2025, 10 hours doesn't hold a candle to the battery life of the current MacBook lineup.

Perennial powerhouses among the laptops with the best battery life, the MacBook Air 13-inch M4 boasts 15 hours and 30 minutes in our testing, while the MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Pro hits an improbable 20 hours and 46 minutes.

Both outlast the iPad Air 11-inch M3, which lasted only 9 hours and 12 minutes. If you upgrade to the iPad Pro 12.9-inch M4, it comes much closer at 14 hours and 50 minutes. However, that upgrade will cost you, which takes me to another problem with the iPad as a MacBook replacement.

Priced to lose

Even if we stick to the iPad Air as our MacBook alternative, pricing isn't great. This is partially due to the MacBook Air 13-inch M4 returning to a starting price of $999 this year.

If you pair the 11-inch iPad Air M3 ($599) with the Magic Keyboard ($269), you already reach $868. Move up to the comparably sized 13-inch iPad Air M3 ($799); you're already over $ 1,000. That's also assuming you stick to the 128GB base models. Add another $100 to either model to match the 256GB of storage found in the base MacBook Air.

The aforementioned jump to the iPad Pro M4 12.9-inch M4 ($1,199) combined with the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro ($279) rockets you to a total of $1,478. You can find the MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 for less than that any day among our best MacBook deals.

Obviously, the best iPad deals will similarly slash the pricing on Apple's tablets, but you will still typically pay more for a comparable iPad plus accessories versus a MacBook Air.

If you are using the unique features of the iPad, whether that's the Apple Pencil Pro or just using the iPad without a keyboard as a touchscreen device, it's harder to quantify what that's worth to you. But if you are buying an iPad as a laptop replacement, it's certainly worth considering.

What's next for the iPad as a laptop replacement?

Apple is clearly hedging. It wants to maintain a world where the best option is to own both a MacBook and an iPad and benefit from their unique features. We make just enough progress each year to keep the dream alive, but there's always enough missing to stop most people from taking that leap.

So yes, the iPad with iPadOS 26 is better than ever. It may even be enough for students, casual users, or creators who travel light. But, even for people in those categories, the best laptop (or best MacBook to stay in the Apple ecosystem) may remain the better option. And if you’re a power user with demanding workflows or just someone who values flexibility over form factor, there is no question that a laptop remains the superior choice.

And at this point, I’m not sure Apple ever intends to change that.

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Apple fans, listen up! I just found the lowest price M3 Pro MacBook Pro deal ahead of Prime Day. For a limited time, you can get the 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro for $1,399 at B&H.

Previously priced at $1,999, that's a whopping $600 off and its lowest price ever. I track deals for a living, and I rarely see this MacBook Pro priced so cheap. The last time it hit this record low price was in March of this year on Amazon.

Browse: B&H's entire sale

As far as Prime Day-worthy MacBook deals, this is one of the best in town. It's also $380 cheaper than B&H's current price for the latest M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM.

Launched in late 2023, the M3 MacBook Pro series was replaced by Apple's latest M4 Pro-powered MacBooks seven months ago. Though it's technically been dethroned, the M3 Pro-powered MacBook Pro is still one of the best laptops worth buying in 2025. Especially now.

Over its predecessor, the M3 Pro-charged MacBook Pro delivers stronger performance and supports more unified memory. It's beneficial to power users and creators who work with advanced Adobe Photoshop functions like panoramic images.

At $600 off, the MacBook Pro with M3 Pro with 18GB of RAM is the cheaper alternative to the M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM.

This deal ends June 18 at 11:59 pm ET, so don't dilly-dally too long!

Today's best M3 Pro MacBook Pro deal

On Monday, the Trump Organization announced its plans to release a new smartphone, the T1 Phone, which will be supported on its new network, Trump Mobile.

The Trump Mobile network

Trump Mobile will offer 5G service through what the Trump Organization is calling “The 47 Plan” for a flat $47.45 per month, in reference to the U.S. president’s first and second terms.

Compatible with all three major U.S cell carriers, including T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon, Trump Mobile will whitelist its services in much the same way as competitors like the Ryan Reynolds-backed Mint Mobile.

How the tech of Trump Mobile works

Both Mint Mobile and Trump Mobile operate on what are known as “mobile virtual network operators”, or MVNOs. These operators purchase network capacity from the major providers and are generally targeted at niche customer bases.

In an interview held in the same spot where Trump first rode down a golden escalator to announce his candidacy for president at Trump Tower — ten years ago today, by the way — his son Eric Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo that Trump Mobile would offer “international calling in hundreds of countries for free” on a phone that will be made “one-hundred percent in America.”

Will the Trump Phone be made in the USA? The details are fuzzy right now.

"We are going to be introducing an entire package of products where people can come and they can get telemedicine on their phones for one flat monthly fee, roadside assistance on their cars, unlimited texting to 100 countries around the world," said the president's son.

However, details on exactly how Trump’s Organization plans to manufacture these phones within the domestic U.S. remained scant.

Can we even make a smartphone in the United States?

As the tariff trade wars escalated last month and the President specifically called out smartphone manufacturers like Apple for manufacturing their products in China, much of the tech news media wondered whether it would even be possible to make a smartphone within U.S. borders.

A modern smartphone often contains hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of individual components sourced from an interconnected global supply chain: tin from Africa, chips from Taiwan, displays from South Korea, and so on.

The idea that all of these parts could somehow be repatriated before the phone’s supposed release date in September of this year is, put frankly, ridiculous, and may seal its fate as a product with a doomed launch.

For now, when Laptop Mag contacted Trump’s hotline for the phone at 888-TRUMP45 and emailed the company at care@trumpmobile.com, we were only told that the phone would be “made in America.”

This almost certainly means the company plans to assemble the phones domestically, but will still use the same global parts as every other smartphone provider. Until we know more, the only information we have on the underlying tech of the Trump T1 phone is a small collection of specs, seen below:

When can you buy the Trump T1 Phone?

Preorders for the T1 started Monday on the company's website, priced at $499 with a $100 down payment to secure your own model.

However, reports are already coming in that this process is anything but smooth. When Joseph Cox of 404 Media tried to order his own, the site automatically charged his card for the wrong amount ($64.70 instead of $100), and he was never even given an opportunity to provide Trump Mobile with a shipping address.

The phone is said to start shipping in early September of 2025, and a representative vaguely told us that some of the phones will be new, and “some will be refurbished.”

Given the mystery surrounding the Trump T1 phone’s actual components, construction, and distribution, we’ll update this story as additional information becomes available. Stay tuned for more!

This is not the first phone linked to Trump

In 2021, the Freedom Phone debuted, also costing $499. It is still for sale and is marketed as "a free speech and privacy first focused mobile device built on an open-source Android OS." As PC Mag reported, it gained popularity among supporters of Donald Trump, and not long after, The Daily Beast reported that the phone bore an uncanny resemblance to one made by a Chinese firm that was selling on AliExpress for $119.

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It's not the Xbox 360's "red ring of death" or the PS5 System update bricking bonanza, but critical hardware failures are back in the spotlight this week, this time with Apple in the hot seat.

Not all Apple devices are impacted, just specific Mac Mini models. So, if you have a MacBook or an iPhone, you're safe.

According to a report from Mac Rumors, Mac Mini models with the M2 chipset have been randomly bricking.

Thankfully, there's already a fix in the works.

Here's what you need to know.

The problem?

Some Apple Mac Mini models with the Apple Silicon M2 series chipset have failed to power on due to a critical power issue.

This issue doesn't impact all Mac Mini M2 units, either. Apple launched the Mac Mini with the M2 chipset in January 2023; however, the impacted models were manufactured between June 16, 2024, and November 23, 2024.

If your Mac Mini consistently fails to power on, or if you think it might be part of the scuffed Mac Mini batch, don't despair.

There is a fix, and it is free.

The Fix

Apple has launched a worldwide repair program for impacted Mac Mini devices. If your Mac Mini is one of the affected units, you can drop it off at an Apple Authorized Service Provider or an Apple Store location for repair.

You can find out if your Mac Mini M2 is eligible for the repair program by entering its serial number into the search bar on the dedicated Apple Support page.

Since Apple provides this repair service for free, it's one of the few cases where bricked hardware won't cost you anything. So you don't need to turn your dead Mac Mini M2 into some modern art statement piece.

Unless you want to, that is. We won't stop you.

Even if your Mac Mini M2 is still powering on, it may still need to be repaired due to the critical hardware issue impacting this specific batch of Mac Minis. So, if you think your Mac might be one of the affected units, you should still get it fixed.

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Those who sign up for the Windows Insider program know what to expect: you get first dibs on the platform's new and interesting features, and in return, you enlist in the volunteer ranks of Microsoft's bug reporting beta army.

However, few would anticipate the kind of bug found in the latest Preview Build 26200.5651 of the Windows 11 Beta and Dev channels .

It's not disruptive, it doesn't cause any frustrating software gremlins, and neither is it particularly annoying to deal with — but it does, inexplicably, drop an 18-year-old platform relic into the Windows experience, welcoming users to their desktops with the iconic, long-retired chimes of Windows Vista/7.

While this bug would typically be seen as nothing more than your average post-update blunder, given the timing, I'm convinced it has a lot more to do with Apple's recently announced operating system makeover for iOS 26 and macOS 26 than Microsoft is willing to admit.

Hasta la Vista, baby (again)

One eagle-eyed (or eared) Windows Insider brought attention to the bug in a post to X on Friday, even tracking down its cause to the imageres.dll.mun resource file, where Windows 11's typical startup sounds had been overwritten.

In its place? The ethereal startup chimes of Window Vista (which you can preview below) — a certified classic for those with fond memories of running Windows circa 2007, and a surprising shot of nostalgia that harkens back to an era of computing that didn't require a Copilot, when the Start Menu knew its place, and a world in which Microsoft had yet to dream up the Lovecraftian horrors of Windows 8.

Microsoft's Senior Program Manager of the Windows Insider Program Team, Brandon LeBlanc, was first to acknowledge to bug on X, highlighting it as a now known issue, while also joking that it was an intentional tweak to give folks a much-needed "blast from the past."

And while LeBlanc was quick to double down on confirming the out-of-place tones as an actual bug, many a truth is also said in jest, and the timing of this so-called bug lines up almost too well with a sudden spike in interest surrounding Windows Vista following the reveal of Apple's new Liquid Glass visual overhaul at WWDC 2025 — a design that those with working eyes say borrows heavily from Vista's Aero theme.

What's next

Could the revival of Windows Vista's iconic startup sound have originally been an off-the-cuff Easter egg for those drawing parallels to Apple's new Liquid Glass design language, intended for a short stay at startup for Windows Insiders before quietly returning to the Windows graveyard?

Absolutely. It's not like Microsoft hasn't taken a few shots at Apple already, with a recent Instagram post showcasing the brand's willingness to join in on ribbing its rival over claims of Aero inspiration.

However, if it is the truth, Windows Insider lead Brandon LeBlanc isn't fessing. Instead, the patch notes for Preview Build 26200.5651 have been updated to include the lighthearted: "This week’s flight comes with a delightful blast from the past and will play the Windows Vista boot sound instead of the Windows 11 boot sound. We’re working on a fix."

Sadly, LeBlanc and his team will be looking to get Windows 11 back to its regular and far less iconic xylophone-like introduction as soon as possible.

Boo.

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Apple is done with its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where it showed the upcoming software updates to all of its devices, which will now end with the number "26" as part of a new naming scheme.

With software out of the way, it's back to focusing on hardware. News of the next iPhone changes has been leaking for the past few months, including news of a thinner variant referred to as the iPhone 17 Air. The new MacBook Pro will make its way out soon after, but there are already rumors of what's new with next year's laptops from Apple.

A few big details of a MacBook Pro redesign set to happen in 2026 have already been leaked, according to a report by 9to5Mac. The most prominent leaks are regarding the upcoming laptop's processor, screen, and chassis.

Up first is the MacBook Pro's new chip, which will be a big jump from the current M4. This year's MacBooks will likely come with a new M5 chip, but Apple is rumored to be already developing the M6 and M7 chips at the same time. This will be the first generation of Apple Silicon to use 2nm technology from the Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). It'll be some time before testing can be done to see if this new tech will make for impressive performance gains for the MacBook Pro.

Another change for the 2026 model is its display. The Apple laptop is rumored to use the tandem OLED display currently found in the 2024 iPad Pro. The MacBook Pro 2026 will reportedly come with a two-stack OLED display, which would mean improved brightness and make it last longer. Current MacBook Pro laptops use the IPS LCD with mini-LED backlighting, so a jump to an OLED display would be significant.

It's also rumored that the 2026 MacBook Pro will slim down a bit. There are no specifics on how slim the laptop will be, but it's likely that the OLED display will reduce the size of the MacBook Pro just a bit.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the MacBook Pro 2026 redesign.

When are the new Macbooks coming out?

With WWDC over, Apple is heading into its season of prepping for its hardware releases.

September is typically the time when Apple releases its new iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. This year, it’s speculated that Apple will debut the iPhone 17, Pro, and Max versions, along with the new iPhone 17 Air.

Apple then releases its line of computers and laptops in October. Last year, the company didn't hold an event for its new hardware, but it did show off its latest iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro models.

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The new benchmark champ for Cyberpunk 2077 is not a Windows gaming PC, but a MacBook.

Last week, during WWDC, Apple and Cyberpunk developers CD Projekt Red showcased their hard work on the game's ultimate edition, with frame rates hitting 120 fps.

It's not the first time Cyberpunk 2077 has run better on macOS systems than traditional gaming hardware — we saw it in 2023. But that feat was accomplished with dev tools like macOS Sonoma's Game Porting Toolkit.

No tools were used in this achievement. So, has the MacBook become a gaming contender? That answer isn't quite clear in spite of that stunning 120 fps milestone.

CD Projekt developers said the Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition was running on a MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip at 120 fps using Ultra settings.

Cyberpunk 2077's blazing performance and a native Steam Client indicate big changes in Mac gaming

While getting 120 fps on a MacBook with Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't come close to the 200+ fps we saw with Nvidia's DLSS 4 and Frame Gen enabled, it is still difficult to run the game natively even on high-end gaming PCs.

Cyberpunk is particularly rough at high resolution, even with the latest discrete graphics cards on desktops. On gaming laptops, even the Nvidia RTX 5090 and 5080 struggle to clear 60 fps at Ultra settings and 1080p without software support.

Apple and CDProjekt have worked hard to ensure that the Ultimate Edition runs smoothly on Macs.

Between the Cyberpunk performance benchmark and the news of a native Steam client for macOS, the Mac gaming ecosystem is starting to change.

Of course, the Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition is still in development, and the Steam client is still in beta. However, these latest developments exemplify Apple's genuine progress.

What Apple still needs to do to make Mac gaming competitive

Apple could potentially use something like Valve's Proton translation layer for SteamOS to get more Windows games running on macOS, but this solution may have additional problems.

SteamOS is usually deployed on handheld gaming PCs built with x86-architecture CPUs, such as Intel's Lunar Lake chipset in the MSI Claw 8 AI+ or AMD's Ryzen Z-series in the Asus ROG Ally X. Essentially, x86 architecture is a type of complex instruction set computer (CISC) architecture.

Apple's most recent MacBooks all use Apple Silicon's M chipsets based on the Arm architecture. This means they're an advanced version of the reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architecture, and the Arm architecture cannot handle some tasks.

There's a reason why the Snapdragon gaming ecosystem is comparatively small.

Apple usually circumvents its Arm-based limitations by working with software developers to ensure that software works well in the Mac ecosystem.

Rather than deploy a compatibility layer that may not work on Apple's new hardware, the company would be better off by creating partnerships with game developers to ensure games run on macOS. But this is a long-term solution, and it's not like Apple hasn't been working toward it.

After all, the last several iterations of macOS have included a Game Porting Toolkit and expanded developer tools.

This has led Apple to add more recent games to the App Store, including Assassin's Creed: Shadows and Resident Evil 4 Remake.

However, in the short term, Mac gamers can also employ streaming services like Nvidia's GeForce Now to play additional games on their MacBooks. It's not true Mac gaming, but it works pretty darn well.

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Apple held its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this week and shared a lot of new features coming with the release of the next big updates for all of its devices.

One feature that wasn't shown off during the event was the overhauled Siri. Last year, when Apple unveiled its Apple Intelligence, the company planned to have a new, smarter version of Siri out around this time. Instead, it looks like the AI assistant needs some more time to smarten up.

Apple's overhauled Siri could come out in spring 2026, according to a report from Bloomberg. The team handling the project reportedly plans to release the smarter assistant in the iOS 26.4 update.

During WWDC, Apple said it was changing the numbering scheme for all of its device operating systems to “26” rather than using different numbers based on their release year.

The ".4" of the iOS version would also indicate a spring release. Apple typically releases these updates in March, such as with iOS 18.4, following when the new OS makes its debut, which is usually the September before that.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The company told Bloomberg it stood by its previous statements, saying the upgraded Siri will be set for the "coming year."

Apple's AI headaches

When Apple showed off its Apple Intelligence at last year's WWDC and launched it officially later in the year, it was seemingly going to put Apple into the AI race.

That, however, has not been the case. Apple reportedly continued to hit one snag after another when developing the smart Siri. The pitch was for the digital assistant to have a better understanding of natural language and do more complex tasks by making use of data on the phone, such as making a calendar appointment based on a text rather than having to be told to create that appointment.

Apple's initial plan was to release the upgraded Siri in March, but that didn't happen. Instead, there was a leadership reshuffle within the company. Mike Rockwell, the creator of the Vision Pro for the company, ended up replacing John Giannandrea, who was in charge of the team handling the Siri upgrade.

Even though Siri wasn't shown at WWDC, Apple did have a few AI features to show off. With iOS 26, the Phone app will have AI-powered call screening to automatically silence scam calls. Apple Intelligence will also provide voicemail summaries. WatchOS 26 will also have a bit of AI with a new Workout Buddy on the Workout app. The AI will keep tabs on your performance, provide some motivation during workouts, and analyze the routine to see how it compares to previous workouts.

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June is here, and so is summer, which is why it's such a great time to grab one of the best AirPods deals.

As the weather's largely getting warmer (I know, I know, that depends on where you live - but personally, I'm already overheating), it's nice to step outside and enjoy the sunshine. And what better way to do it than with some sweet tunes blasting in your ears?

So, about those discounts on AirPods ... Here's where we're at. With Memorial Day sales behind us and Prime Day still up ahead, we're kind of in between two big shopping events. Normally, that'd mean a barren wasteland in terms of discounts, so I didn't expect much - and yet, surprisingly, there are lots of AirPods deals still up for grabs.

The best deal by far is this one on the AirPods Pro 2, which are now $50 off at Amazon ($199). But if you're looking for something a little less premium, the AirPods 4 with active noise-cancellation (ANC) are also slightly discounted, down to $169 at Amazon.

Now is also a great time to stock up on some accessories for your AirPods. For instance, Apple's wireless charging case used to cost $79, but now it's $55 at Amazon.

Whether you're planning to pair your new AirPods with a tablet (in which case, check out some of the best tablet deals right now) or with a laptop (likewise, lots of laptop deals available), the bottom line is: Get them now. They're in stock, discounted, and unlikely to be cheaper for a while yet.

Below, I'll show you some of the best AirPods deals in June 2025.

Quick links

• AirPods 4: was $129, now $119 at Amazon
• AirPods 4 with ANC: was $179, now $169 at Amazon
• AirPods Pro 2: was $249, now $199 at Amazon
• AirPods Max USB-C: $529 at Amazon
• Apple EarPods USB-C: $19 at Amazon
• Apple wireless charging case for AirPods: was $79, now $55 at Amazon
• Apple MagSafe Charger: was $39, now $36 at Amazon
• Apple Cables and Chargers: from $12 at Amazon

Best AirPods deals

On Monday, day one of WWDC, Apple finally gave developers the keys to its local AI engine. Dubbed Foundation Models, this on-device framework lets third-party apps tap into Apple Intelligence’s generative muscle without cloud access, API fees, or permission slips. Just three lines of Swift code, and you’re off to the races.

On paper, it's a gift. But look closer, and it might be a white flag.

Rather than chase Google and OpenAI with its own killer apps, Apple is throwing open the App Store doors and crossing its fingers. If that sounds a little too generous from Apple, there’s a reason: This might be less about Apple flexing its AI dominance and more about admitting that it’s behind. It's also a move that would've been hard to predict just a year ago.

Letting developers build the next ChatGPT alternative or journal-coaching wizard is both strategic and convenient. And some may even consider it necessary.

A shortcut through Apple’s AI shortcomings

Rather than try to outmaneuver an increasingly smart Google Gemini or OpenAI’s GPT-5 with a headline-stealing chatbot, Apple is outsourcing the hard part.

The Foundation of Foundation Models isn’t about competing feature-for-feature but rather enabling a wave of third-party AI apps and praying the best ones rise to the top.

That means Apple can skip the messiness of building one perfect assistant (Siri) and instead position itself as the AI foundation that everyone else can build on.

It’s no secret that Siri has struggled to evolve, and Apple’s cloud-scale LLMs still lag competitors in size and polish. So instead of outbuilding them, Apple is out-delegating them.

This strategy plays to Apple’s strengths: hardware optimization, privacy-first design, and a locked-in App Store ecosystem that still shapes what “mobile software” looks like.

If someone builds the next breakout AI experience on iOS, Apple wins, whether it wrote the code or not. There’s no licensing, no throttling, and no user data leaving the device. Developers are already embracing this offer.

Journal app Day One is rolling out smart journaling suggestions, and AllTrails will soon auto-generate hiking routes. But those are just early ripples.

The real wave will be niche apps, side projects, and indie utilities that flood the store with personalized, privacy-first AI helpers. With zero cloud overhead and no per-query costs, even small indie teams can afford to get weird with it.

Apple’s Intel Inside moment?

We’ve seen this before. Apple didn’t make the most popular fitness app; it built the Apple Watch. It didn’t build the App Store’s most iconic games; it gave developers the tools to build them. The difference this time is that Apple needs developers to carry the load.

You can think of this as Apple taking the Intel Inside approach, but with AI. Much like Intel once did, Apple’s AI will quietly power thousands of experiences, even if it never becomes the household name.

By embedding itself as invisible infrastructure, Apple gains reach and resilience. Don’t have a killer AI app? No problem. Let the App Store figure it out. Eventually, someone will.

Here’s the gamble for Apple

There’s no way to sugarcoat the fact that while Apple’s AI rollout was elegant in presentation, it’s arguably light on the finished features.

Once again, Siri was sidelined at WWDC. The flashy demos — writing replies in Messages or summarizing Notes — rely on a combination of on-device and cloud processing, and many will not arrive in beta form until the fall.

So what’s Apple doing instead? It’s hedging its bets.

Apple is flooding the space by letting developers plug into Foundation Models. Don’t have a killer first-party AI experience? No problem. Let the App Store build five hundred.

With no API fees or usage caps, Apple is effectively inviting devs to throw ideas at the wall and see what sticks, hoping that at least a few do.

This approach isn’t without risk. For one, Apple can’t guarantee results. A decentralized AI push means wildly inconsistent UX. Some apps will handle context and prompts gracefully. Others might deliver clunky, confusing, or outright inaccurate outputs.

Unlike Siri, which Apple can directly improve, these experiences will be fragmented and difficult to course-correct without heavy-handed store moderation.

There’s also the discoverability problem. If Apple Intelligence–powered apps flood the store, users won’t necessarily know which ones are useful.

Without tight integration or prominent editorial guidance, Apple risks unleashing a thousand half-baked AI clones, each with a slightly different idea of what “smart” means.

And then there’s hardware load. Running a 3-billion parameter language model on an iPhone may sound cool on stage, but developers will have to wrangle with battery drain, thermal throttling, and limited RAM, especially on older devices.

Apple’s own engineers were quick to highlight quantization and token efficiency, but this still isn’t free. The user pays in performance, even if they’re not paying in dollars.

AI, the Apple way

Still, there’s brilliance in the chaos.

By sidestepping the cloud arms race, Apple is leaning into what makes its ecosystem unique: Privacy, silicon, and a developer community that (usually) figures things out. This is Apple AI as infrastructure, not as identity. That might just work.

Apple will still win if the next great AI assistant comes from a developer in Portland or Tokyo. And if not? Well, at least it didn’t spend another five years trying to make Siri cool again.

More from Laptop Mag

• WWDC 2025 LIVE: The latest updates from Apple on iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apps
• MacOS 26 Tahoe: The big reasons to update — or to not update
• Apple is finally giving iPadOS the update it desperately needs — but is it enough to compete with macOS?

A new macOS update is coming soon, but is it worth your time?

Sure, you do want to keep your system relatively up to date to maintain proper app support and get all the latest security patches. But there's a difference between jumping on a new OS update immediately and getting to it a few weeks or months later.

During Monday's Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple shared details on its upcoming plans for the iPhone, Mac, and iPad platforms and some updates to the Apple App ecosystem.

As part of the Mac announcements, Apple detailed all of the changes coming with macOS Tahoe 26, which include an expanded Apple Intelligence portfolio, expanded Continuity features, a desktop facelift, and a revamped Spotlight search.

But are these updates enough? Let's take a look.

Expanded Apple Intelligence

Apple's proprietary AI features, called Apple Intelligence, have been generally underwhelming to start. Many of the features that were announced for Apple Intelligence at WWDC last year are still not available on any Apple devices.

If you were hoping for this year's WWDC to announce any significant changes there, you will continue to be disappointed. Apple still has not confirmed when it will be rolling out the better version of the Siri personal assistant, and the other AI updates are mostly just improvements on existing AI features like updates to the existing Apple Image Playground and Genmoji systems, better shortcuts, and AI-powered Reminders.

Apple's big AI win for Tahoe is live translation across the Messages, Phone, and FaceTime apps.

This is very similar to the Live Captions feature of Microsoft's Copilot+ or Google's translation system built into the Gemini AI on ChromeOS and Android devices.

Expanded Continuity features and Spotlight Search

Apple's other major changes with the macOS 26 Tahoe update are built around offering a more seamless experience.

Not only does macOS Tahoe come with a new design, offering more customization and better ease of use for quick settings controls, but the new operating system iteration also brings over some additional Continuity features to make switching from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac even more seamless.

With the Mac iPhone app, you can make and take calls more easily from your laptop or desktop. Tahoe makes the Phone app look even more like the Phone app from your iPhone and offers the same features, like Recents, Favorites, and Voicemail. Plus, the new Phone app for Mac includes Apple's enhanced call screening and hold assist features.

Live Activities also go over from iOS to Mac with the Tahoe update, porting straight from your iPhone. So if you've got an upcoming flight or ride-share notification on your phone, the information will also appear in the menu bar of your MacBook, so you don't lose track when you swap devices.

Finally, Spotlight Search is getting a major overhaul. You can now take direct action from the search window, including sending an email or playing a podcast. Spotlight Search can now access third-party cloud storage devices in addition to your local storage and iCloud drive.

Should you upgrade to macOS 26 immediately or wait?

Ultimately, it's up to you whether you install macOS Tahoe the instant its available on your MacBook or iMac.

The Apple Intelligence offerings for macOS and iOS devices are still slim and ultimately far from compelling. There's not enough new about Apple Intelligence coming with Tahoe, just the Image Playground and Genmoji features we've already seen on iOS or live translation on video calls, which launched on Windows Copilot+ PCs a year ago. So you won't be missing much if you hold off on your upgrade.

However, there are plenty of compelling reasons to update anyway. Between keeping your apps up to date, getting the latest security features, the revamped Phone app, and enhanced Spotlight Search, there's really no reason to hold off for long.

Certainly, Tahoe has its uses, even if it doesn't quite cash in on Apple Intelligence in a satisfying way.

Apple will launch macOS Tahoe 26 this fall, likely alongside the next generation of MacBooks. However, if you'd like to take an early look at macOS Tahoe, the OS update is currently available through the Apple Developer Program, and a public beta test will be available next month.

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Age aside, the 2023 M3 Pro MacBook Pro with 18GB of RAM is still one of the best laptops worth buying in 2025. Seven months after being replaced by the M4 Pro-charged MacBook Pro, the M3 Pro MacBook Pro is now priced to move.

If you want more multitasking power, but don't want to spend $2,000 on the M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM, here's a deal for you.

B&H continues to offer the 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro with M3 Pro Chip for $1,499. That's a staggering $500 in savings and one of the lowest prices I've seen for this pro-tier Apple laptop. For context, it's $100 shy of its lowest price ever seen on Amazon back in March.

Browse: B&H's entire sale

If we're talking about Prime Day-worthy MacBook deals, this is one of the best you can get now. It's also $300 cheaper than B&H's current price for the latest M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM.

Over its predecessor, the M3 Pro-charged MacBook Pro delivers stronger performance and supports more unified memory. It's beneficial to power users and creators who work with advanced Adobe Photoshop functions like panoramic images.

At $500 off, the MacBook Pro with M3 Pro with 18GB of RAM is massively discounted for a limited time. It's a solid option if you want a less costly alternative to the M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM.

As with all Apple deals, I have a feeling this one won't last too long, so I recommend you act fast.

Today's best M3 Pro MacBook Pro deal

Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) kicked off on June 9, 2025, and featured huge updates across all its platforms.

If you missed the keynote live stream, we've got you covered with our live posts from the event, a recap summarizing all the biggest updates, and follow-up coverage delving into the details.

As we get more information from Apple leading up to the release of its latest operating systems this fall, we'll have even more information and analysis to share. So, take a look at all of the exciting news from WWDC 2025 below, and stay tuned for more on iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, iPadOS 26, and all things Apple!

See also: Best Apple deals in June 2025

Apple WWDC 2025: Highlights

New names and Liquid Glass: If there's one takeaway from WWDC 2025, it's the all-new look and naming scheme for Apple's operating systems. Starting this year, all of Apple's operating systems will be numbered by the release year, meaning the upcoming updates will be iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26.

When you download the latest OS versions, you'll also notice a fresh new look, which Apple is calling "Liquid Glass." The overall look isn't too different from the current flat design aesthetic, but it revamps it in a new "glassy" style with more transparent UI elements.

Liquid Glass will also make all of Apple's operating systems look more alike, so menus and app icons will look familiar whether you're using a MacBook or an iPhone.

iOS 26: Of course, the star of the show at WWDC 2025 was the latest version of iOS, which got a slew of updates in addition to the new Liquid Glass look. With iOS 26, you'll have more customization options for your lock screen, including larger fonts that adapt as your lock screen fills with notifications. The camera app is also getting an update, which will streamline it and make it easier to access the basic photo and video functions.

The most exciting iOS 26 features are in the Phone and Messages apps. Apple is introducing AI-powered call screening, which will automatically silence scam calls. Similarly, Apple Intelligence will now generate voicemail summaries for you. There will also be a new Hold Assist feature that will keep you on hold and notify you when the call gets picked up, so you don't have to sit by the phone while you wait.

Potentially even more exciting, iOS 26 is getting Live Translation for messages, phone calls, and FaceTime calls. This feature can automatically translate text messages and create live, translated captions during calls. Hopefully, it can translate with consistent accuracy because it looks pretty helpful.

macOS 26 Tahoe: The new Liquid Glass look is coming to macOS, too, although it still overall looks the same. macOS 26, nicknamed "Tahoe," includes new quality-of-life features. For instance, you can customize the control center to include whichever controls you want. You can also customize how macOS looks with the same dark and tinted color modes currently on iOS/iPadOS. Plus, you can customize how your folders look with different colors and emojis.

The big addition to macOS is the Phone app. You can now answer and send calls directly from your Mac and access all the same call and voicemail info you can access on your iPhone. The macOS Phone app will even include all the new AI features coming to the iOS Phone app (mentioned above).

iPadOS 26: This year's iPadOS update is one of the most significant in recent years. It will bring several key features over from macOS, making the iPad a better device for using with a Magic Keyboard like a laptop.

For instance, the mouse cursor on iPadOS will now be an arrow rather than a circle, and windows will have Mac-like control buttons. More importantly, you can move around freely and resize windows on iPadOS 26 like on macOS. If you prefer tiling your windows rather than stacking them, you can also access more window tiling options.

iPadOS 26 also supports background tasks, meaning you can have something running in another app without actively keeping that app open. For example, you could let a video you're editing export while you check your email in another app.

watchOS 26: The next version of watchOS includes new customization options, more Apple Intelligence features, and some handy quality-of-life updates. For example, the Workout app will now have an AI Workout Buddy feature that can analyze your workout routine history and patterns to generate pep talks during your workouts, such as cheering you on by telling you how far you've run or recapping your progress from previous sessions.

The Notes app is also coming to watchOS, which could be helpful for quickly leaving voice reminders for yourself. The Apple Watch is also getting the call screening, hold assist, and live translation features coming to iOS, along with new watch faces similar to the updated lock screen in iOS 26.

visionOS 26: Apple's mixed reality operating system inspired the new Liquid Glass look, so it's no surprise it's getting an update, too. VisionOS 26 will not look much different from the current version, but it will include a few new features.

For starters, you will be able to create customizable widgets you can geographically place anywhere you want, like making a digital clock widget on your living room wall. The Vision Pro will also be compatible with some new accessories, including a Logitech pen and Sony's PSVR controllers, hopefully improving gaming on the Vision Pro.

Apple WWDC 2025: Follow-up coverage

• Apple is finally giving iPadOS one of the updates it desperately needs — here are the highlights from WWDC 2025
• Did WWDC 2025 just prove that Apple is kneecapping the iPad?
• MacOS 26 Tahoe: The big reasons to update — or to not update
• With on-device AI, is Apple making a move no one saw coming?

Apple WWDC 2025: Live blog recap

WWDC 2025 is now just hours away

We're now just a handful of hours away from today's keynote to kickstart WWDC 2025, and Apple CEO Tim Cook is already shining a spotlight on the next generation of "Wozniaks" by celebrating the winners of this year's Swift Student Challenge which awards 350 young developers for the creativity, innovation, and social impact of their apps.

The all-class "Liquid Glass"

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, one of the biggest reveals of today's keynote will be an all-new UI design set to feature across the board for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 ("Tahoe"), and visionOS 26, named "Liquid Glass."

The new interface is set to replace the current "Flat Design" Apple users have been familiar with since 2013, offering more contemporary design that focuses on transparency and shine effects — likely as a prelude to a new look for 2027's "Glasswing" iPhone, which is rumored to ditch the metal frame for entirely curved glass sides.

A visionOS of the future?

Apple's new "Liquid Glass" aesthetics are said to be inspired by the look of visionOS, the operating system exclusive to the Apple Vision Pro headset.

While the Vision Pro may be relinquishing its frosted glass-like visuals to other devices in the Apple ecosystem, it too is expected to receive several minor design changes in visionOS 26 — alongside several other rumored features including "eye-scrolling" and support for third-party VR controllers (finally).

Looking ahead with Liquid Glass

It's something of an open secret that Apple is hard at work developing a pair of futuristic frames following the success of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, but it's unlikely that we'll catch sight of them during this year's keynote.

However, should early reports surrounding the transparency-focused "Liquid Glass" redesign of Apple's interfaces prove accurate, a more "see through" smart glasses-friendly UI will be on-hand for Apple to make use of when it's ready to reveal its glasses — which, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, are expected to arrive by the end of 2026.

iOS 26: Charged with Intelligence

Battery life is one of the most important specs people look for when purchasing a new smartphone, and it's something that Apple has excelled at providing with its recent iPhones.

And, while Apple Intelligence is said to play a smaller role at this year's WWDC, it could power a new iOS 26 feature to make adjustments on the fly to limit power consumption and push your battery life further than ever before.

Battery Intelligence: Something borrowed, something new

Another handy iOS 26 feature tipped to be unveiled today is something new to iPhone, but borrowed from Android smartphones.

Alongside iOS 26's claimed AI power management feature, iPhone users will reportedly now receive an estimate on how long it will take for their device to reach full charge from the lock screen.

This feature was first spotted in code for the iOS 18.2 beta, where it was referred to as "BatteryIntelligence," but was suspiciously missing from the public release.

However, many signs point to the feature finally making its iPhone debut with iOS 26.

More for Mac?

The battery life-boosting features and charging transparency heading to iPhone is great, but can we expect similar features to arrive on Macs?

The Apple MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are some of the longest lasting laptops on the market already, with the recent M4 MacBook Air 13 pushing past the 15-hour mark on our Laptop Mag battery test in March.

If a little of that rumored Apple Intelligence-powered battery magic for iPhone makes it way to Macs, could Apple push the envelope even further when it comes to all-day power for the portable computer? We hope so.

Siri to join the iOS rebranding?

We're already expecting to see a bold rebrand of Apple's operating systems this year.

The new "Liquid Glass" design aside, Apple will be trading the usual version names of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and others to highlight the software's year of service — trading what would be iOS 19 for iOS 26.

However, a last-minute post by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo may suggest another major rebrand isn't far off. This time, for Siri.

In a post shared to X earlier today, Kuo shares his belief that part of Apple's AI strategy for WWDC 2025 will involve "Rebranding Apple Intelligence/Siri."

We've long heard that the LLM (Large Language Model) overhaul of Siri has run into trouble, and that it's a project labored with multiple delays.

However, if Kuo, whose insights have previously played out accurately, is right, Apple's big AI announcement could be an all-new virtual assistant — not Siri, but whatever comes next.

macOS 26 "Tahoe" is more than a feature drop

MacBook users are more than familiar with the annual update cycle, with new features dropping alongside a new OS version and several new wallpapers. But with macOS 26, or "Tahoe," things are a little bit more special.

The "Liquid Glass" design that looks set to charm iPhone users also appears set for MacBooks, Apple Watches, iPads, and more, promising this update to feel all the more special.

While it's claimed that Apple won't have much to show on the AI front in terms of ramping up its own models, Tahoe could be a fantastic opportunity for Apple to put the tech they've already developed into action, and start playing catch-up to Microsoft's lead in the race to the AI operating system.

A return to gaming?

Another key rumor heading into WWDC is that Apple is ready to unveil a Game Center replacement during today's keynote.

Compared to other game platforms, Apple's is very much a bare-bones experience. Could that be something set to change over the next few hours?

We've already seen Microsoft amend its Windows operating system to better accommodate gaming with its new "Xbox full screen experience," and Apple should be taking notes, especially for macOS.

As macOS Sonoma released in 2023, Apple's Game Porting Toolkit caused a stir as it was shown to impressively bring previously Windows and Linux only titles to the platform. With macOS Sequoia, Apple announced the Game Porting Toolkit 2, and while similarly impressive, hype around the porting of games to macOS has somewhat tamed.

Far from another Apple Arcade-like portal, I'm hoping that Apple can regain some momentum on this front, and hopefully surprise us with a new outlook on gaming, beyond a simple launcher.

Say "so long!" to the flat design aesthetic on Apple's operating systems because today Apple is expected to announce a huge visual overhaul like we haven't seen since iOS 7 back in 2013.

Rumors so far suggest Apple took inspiration from visionOS, which might seem ironic since the Vision Pro has struggled to catch on. Even if the headset itself hasn't been a hit, its unique operating system could bring a fresh look to the rest of Apple's operating systems, with more transparent UI elements and a glass-like aesthetic.

Apple's WWDC 2025 is starting now! You can tune in on YouTube to watch live or follow along here where we'll be covering everything Apple announces!

Apple is kicking things off with its usual cinematic intro video, this one featuring an F1 race car pilot by Apple's Senior VP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi.

Yes, the race car has Apple Car Play. And Tim Cook is running Federighi's pit team.

Tim Cook is passing things over to Craig Federighi to get our first round of announcements started.

Apple Intelligence is up first.

Federighi is getting the ball rolling by highlighting the handful of AI features Apple was able to roll out this year (a short list that doesn't include a new-and-improved Siri). Federighi name-dropped Siri, but it doesn't sound like we'll hear much about it today.

With that said, Apple is launching a new Foundation Models framework feature, which will allow third-party app developers to tap into Apple Intelligence's on-device AI capabilities. That means other apps can offer AI features that are processed locally, helping to keep your data private.

Confirmed! Craig Federighi is announcing the major visual redesign we were expecting for Apple's operating systems!

He referenced the overhaul from iOS 7, so hopefully this redesign is just as good.

We're getting our first look at the redesign! It will be a universal design across all of Apple's operating systems, inspired by visionOS as rumors predicted.

Alan Dye, VP of Human Interface, is here to introduce the new look, called "Liquid Glass".

We're seeing a lot of clean, transparent UI elements with a bubbly, glass-like look. It's very clean and a nice refresh without being too different from the existing aesthetic on Apple's platforms.

The glassy UI will respond to what's on screen and in your environment, so the transparency hopefully won't lead to visibility or readability issues. The whole UI looks more responsive and adaptable.

Craig Federighi is back to announce the new OS names. As expected, everything will now be numbered by year, meaning this year we're getting iOS 26, which Federighi is diving into now.

The new Liquid Glass UI will respond to the different dark and tinted modes in iOS 26, which looks better than the tints in the current UI aesthetic. You can also use different fonts on your lockscreen now, which looks pretty cool. The time font on the lockscreen will even adapt and adjust size as your lockscreen fills up with notifications.

Plus, you can have "3D" photos on your lockscreen that will shift as you turn your phone from side to side. Neat!

Next up is updates to the Camera app. It's getting streamlined to mainly display photo and video mode. You now have to swipe to switch to more advanced modes. It still looks nice, though, and will probably be easier to use for many people.

The Photos app is getting tweaked, too. Tabs are back, which were removed in last year's big iOS update.

Emily Schubert is up next to give us some updates to Apple Car Play.

Like the rest of the Apple ecosystem, Car Play is getting the Liquid Glass UI overhaul. It looks really clean. Notifications like calls and texts are minimized now so you can still see your GPS while answering a call. You can also pin live activity in Car Play, like watching a flight status off to the side of your GPS window.

Some compatible cars will also get more customization now with Car Play Ultra.

Now on to Darin Adler, VP of Internet Technologies, to cover updates to a handful of iOS apps.

First, the phone app is getting a slight redesign that will include voice mail summaries generated by Apple Intelligence. Plus, Call Screening will automatically (and silently) answer calls from unknown numbers, a feature that's designed to block spam calls more efficiently. Hopefully it works well because it looks pretty helpful.

Similarly, a new Hold Assist feature will let you automate being on hold by notifying you when you're off hold so you can do other things in the meantime.

Meanwhile, the Messages app is getting a cool new backgrounds feature like the backgrounds you can use on other messaging apps like Telegram. Group messages are also getting a Polls feature, also similar to the polls you can make in Telegram or Discord. Group chats are getting typing indicators, too. Plus, the AI call screening tool will also screen out spam text messages.

Apple is announcing Live Translation!

This is an exciting feature, assuming it can translate accurately. It will use Apple Intelligence to translate in real-time in the Messages app or even generate live translated captions in FaceTime. Live Translation can do translated voice overs in phone calls, too. It sounds like this feature will work regardless of whether the other person has an iPhone.

Translation will even work in Apple Music to translate song lyrics.

The Maps app is getting an update to "remember" your preferred routes to places you frequently visit. It will even adapt if you start using a different preferred route to get to the same place.

Plus, you can now review places you've previously visited in case you want to go back. If your iPhone remembering where you go sounds a little creepy, don't worry. Like the rest of your Apple Intelligence data, even Apple won't be able to access it.

Next up, gaming!

As rumored, Apple is launching a new gaming app called the Games app.

Here you can see updates on games you've been playing, suggestions for new games, access Apple Arcade, and view and manage your game library.

The Games app will also integrate social features allowing you to view and compares your scores to friends' and see what everyone is playing. There will be a leaderboards feature third-party developers can use, too.

Next, we're getting an update to Visual Intelligence. Now when you take a screenshot, you will also have an option to search for the content in the screenshot using Visual Intelligence.

Likewise, you can use Visual Intelligence to add an event your calendar by taking a screenshot. You can also use it to ask questions with ChatGPT.

That's all for iOS 26 for now. Next up, David Clark on watchOS 26.

For starters, watchOS is of course getting the Liquid Glass redesign. watchOS 26 will also utilize Apple Intelligence significantly more now.

For instance, the "workout buddy" feature can analyze your fitness data to track your progress and give you encouragement based on it. So, you can have an customized AI-generated voice give you a pep talk at the start of your workout and announce benchmarks and performance updates during your workout. It could be a cool feature if the AI voices don't sound too uncanny.

Smart stacks in watchOS 26 will use GPS and Apple Intelligence to predict what widgets you need based on your locations and activity. For example, when you enter a gym, your workout widget will pop up in your watch's smart stack.

The new wrist flick gesture will also make it easier to do things like silence notifications.

Plus, Live Translation is coming to watchOS, too, as are backgrounds from the Messages app. The Notes app is coming to watchOS, as well.

tvOS is up next!

Liquid Glass makes it less disruptive to access and tweak playback features while watching something, thanks to the transparent, glassy UI.

We're getting a new slew of AppleTV originals, too! This year's upcoming slate looks to include new seasons of Foundation, Slow Horses, Loot, The Morning Show, Invasion, a slew of new movies, and more.

Looks like there won't be a new season of For All Mankind just yet, though.

tvOS is getting a cute karaoke feature that allows you to use your iPhone as a mic, which will adjust the volume automatically and highlight lyrics on your TV as you go.

Craig Federighi is back to cover macOS 26!

This year's version will be called "Tahoe." The Liquid Glass UI is the highlight, as expected, with many of the same new features as iOS like backgrounds in the Messages app.

The desktop still looks familiar overall, though. The Liquid Glass aesthetic simply adds a subtle, cleaner look, but everything is effectively still laid out the same.

You can now customize the control center on macOS, which is a nice update. Plus, you can customize how your folders look with different colors and emojis. macOS has access to the same dark mode and tinted color modes you can use to customize iOS, as well.

The Phone app is coming to macOS! You can now access your contacts and call history and answer and start calls directly from your Mac. It includes all the same new features coming to the iOS Phone app, as well, which is a nice update.

The Shortcuts app is getting an update in macOS.

Now you can automate your shortcuts and use Apple Intelligence to create "intelligent actions," including a dedicated Apple Intelligence shortcut. For instance, you can create a shortcut to have Apple Intelligence summarize your notes for you.

Spotlight Search will use Apple Intelligence now, too, with help from Quick Keys, a new feature that's essentially keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can type the "sm" command to send a message. You can use these commands throughout macOS apps, too, such as in Pages. Plus, you can view and access your clipboard history from the Spotlight Search bar.

Third-party app developers can use the App Intents API to integrate those new features in their macOS apps, too.

As expected, the new Games app is coming to macOS, too. It will integrate Metal 4 rendering along with social features like calling and chatting with friends during games.

Inzoi is coming to macOS, but it doesn't sound like we're getting many gaming updates this year.

Next up is visionOS 26.

You can now create customizable widgets in visionOS 26, which you can "place" geographically, like placing a clock or photo widget on your wall. The WidgetKit API will allow third-party developers to offer widgets in visionOS, too.

Plus, Spatial Scenes is getting an update to bring more 3D photos to visionOS (and the Photos app on iOS). You can use it to transform 2D photos into 3D and streamline web pages.

Personas, the 3D digital version of you rendered when you're talking to others on FaceTime while wearing the Vision Pro, is getting an update, as well. It will make personas look a bit cleaner, sharper, and more realistic.

The Vision Pro is getting new accessories, like the Logitech Muse pen along with PSVR controllers. Both could go a long way toward expanding precision controls on Apple's mixed reality platform, especially for gaming. Will PlayStation VR controller compatibility bring more VR games to visionOS? We'll have to wait and see.

iPadOS 26 is up next!

As expected, it's getting the big Liquid Glass redesign. We're also getting improvements to Multitasking and file management.

It's finally here: an updated windowing system on iPadOS! It looks a lot more like the windowing system on macOS, which is a huge relief. App windows will still default to full screen like normal, but you can also resize them and stack them on top of each other anywhere you want on your screen. The trackpad pointer in iPadOS looks more like a Mac pointer now, too, and it can even activate Mac-like window controls.

Plus, we have more tiling options for quickly optimizing and resizing windows to fill your screen.

This new windowing system looks like it will work best on larger iPads, but it will also likely make using your iPad like a laptop much more functional and intuitive.

Apple is finally improving the iPadOS Files app.

It still looks effectively the same as before, but with the new file customization options from macOS. You can also pin files to your dock now and you'll have more options for how you open individual files.

The Preview app, previously only on macOS, is coming to iPadOS, too. You can use this to more easily edit and export files and images.

iPadOS is getting improved audio and video capabilities and background tasks. For instance, you can now do things like export a video in the background while working on something else on your iPad. There will be an API for this, as well, so third-party app developers can also use it. This should be a really helpful features for people who use their iPad for creative tasks like video or photo editing.

Plus, the Journal app is coming to iPadOS and it sounds like the iPad is getting a 3D graphing feature in Math Notes, which will be helpful for students.

Apple is announcing some developer updates now. XCode is getting some new AI features and Apple will be offering tools for developers to give their apps and app icons the Liquid Glass look.

Tim Cook is back to wrap things up for the day.

The developer betas of all the new software versions will be available today with a public beta to follow in July and a full release in the fall. If you can't wait to try out these new updates, you can sign up for the public beta through Apple's Beta Software Program (the sign up page for it is currently down for WWDC, but it should be back online soon).

That's all for the WWDC 2025 keynote, but our coverage is just getting started!

We'll be digging into all of today's major announcements shortly, covering everything you need to know and the highlights to look forward to in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and more. So, stay tuned for more info, details, and images from today's presentation.

The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is next week, Monday, June 9, and the leaks have been spilling out of Cupertino about what we can expect from Apple.

Specifically, reporters have revealed that a smaller-scale event with fewer major announcements than in recent years may be in store. A new naming system for Apple operating systems and a new iOS design are coming, and we may get a few previews of what is coming in '26 and beyond.

Wall Street is also not very optimistic about what Apple may announce next week, given hiccups in the development of Apple Intelligence and a stalled revamp of Siri.

Below is a rundown of what we expect at WWDC, plus recent nuggets of information that have come out in recent days. Watch this space for more updates leading up to WWDC.

Keep checking this page for more updates in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

See also: Best Apple deals in May 2025

MOST RECENT UPDATES

June 5: According to reports, AirPods are slated to get a number of new features at WWDC. Those features will further integrate AirPods into more of your activities, such as listening to music, making phone calls, taking photos, and even sleeping.

According to a report from 9 to 5 Mac, citing anonymous sources within Apple, the company will enable you to take pictures by pinching your AirPod stem. AirPods will also be able to detect when you fall asleep. (Though it's unclear if your AirPods or your Apple Watch will recognize the sleep detection. Read more about the reported updates here: "New Apple AirPods feature will know about your day's most private moment."

June 4: Although the mood has been gloomy around WWDC this year due to its reported lack of major news, the event could be a low-key banger for millions of iOS power users.

Here’s why: Key updates to iOS apps that many Apple users use daily appear to be coming. Messages, Notes, and CarPlay will all see updates, reports 9 to 5 Mac in an exclusive report published this week.

Messages will get live translation thanks to AI.

Messages may also get a polls feature.

Apple Music will have animated album art that will show up on the lock screen.

In Notes, you’ll be able to export your content into Markdown. Chances are, if you use Markdown code and Apple Notes, you’re crying tears of joy right now. It’ll be a cause for celebration for a dedicated bunch.

CarPlay is an essential tool for iPhone users who drive, and in iOS 26, the look of CarPlay will get a long-overdue new look.

June 3: We are a less than a week away from WWDC 2025, which runs June 9-13. The major keynotes are all of course on June 9, starting at 9 a.m. Pacific/12 p.m. Eastern. You can watch WWDC live (or later) via these methods:

• You can watch on Apple's website: https://www.apple.com/apple-events
• You can watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_DjDdfqtUE
• You can watch on Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/
• You can even watch via Apple's Developer app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-developer/id640199958

June 2: Citing sources within Apple, Bloomberg reported over the weekend that "People within the company believe [WWDC 2025] may be a letdown from an AI standpoint. Others familiar with the company’s planned announcements worry they could make Apple’s shortcomings even more obvious."

Other announcements expected at WWDC:

➡️ Apple will open up its on-device AI models to developers who want to include on-device AI in their apps. This is just on-device AI, and not cloud-based AI, so there are significant limitations compared to services like Google Gemini.

➡️ The Translate app is reportedly going to be all new and integrated with AirPods.

➡️ A variety of projects are reportedly ongoing at Apple right now, but won’t be part of this year’s WWDC. These include a revamped Shortcuts app, a chatbot to compete with ChatGPT, a redesigned Health app, and a medical services codenamed “Mulberry,” plus a Siri upgrade to reportedly make Siri more like the voice mode of ChatGPT.

Finally, in this update, Apple is expected to release a new macOS named "Tahoe" after Lake Tahoe in California. Other California-inspired macOS names have been Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia.

May 30: Many of the leaked or expected announcements from WWDC could feel incremental, and Wall Street is paying attention. "The media is having a good time previewing the June 9th WWDC (Apple developer conference) with expectations for … nothing" as Siri's AI delays remain a focus, Melius Research analyst Ben Reitzes writes in a note to clients that was sent on Tuesday, as reported by Investor's Business Daily. The publication didn't mince words with its headline: "Expectations For Apple's WWDC Couldn't Be Lower."

The markets can change quickly, depending on the reaction to Apple's event set for June 9. Just last year, Business Insider reported on enthusiasm over the 2024 WWDC with this headline: "'Best WWDC Ever': Wall Street is pumped up over Apple's AI game plan."

May 29: On Wednesday, anonymous sources within Apple told a reporter from Bloomberg that the company will eliminate version numbering for its operating systems and opt for numbering that corresponds with the year.

The year naming convention will affect iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.

For example, iOS 19 will actually be called iOS 26, for the year 2026. (The numbering is similar to other products with an annual fall release date, in that the edition that debuts is named for the following year.)

At WWDC, the iOS previewed for developers will be iOS 26, which will also be its name when it is released to the public this September.

May 28: On Tuesday, Digital Trends exclusively reported that Apple acquired RAC7, the two-person operation behind the cute and very fun Sneaky Sasquatch, which won the Apple Arcade award for Game of the Year in 2020. It is often in the top 10 of the most popular games on Apple Arcade and, as of this week, was #7.

Apple’s acquisition of Vancouver-based RAC7 might’ve been the first shoe to drop on Tuesday. The other shoe came in the form of a report from Bloomberg that Apple will debut a stand-alone app for video games (right now Apple Arcade is a tab in the App Store) that will show up in MacBooks, iPads, Apple TV, and, of course, the iPhone. Bloomberg reports that this stand-alone app will replace Game Center and promote Apple Arcade, the $6.99/month service that enables users to play games like Sneaky Sasquatch.

The environment in which these moves are being made is one of significant change. On May 1, Epic Games announced it was opening a new web store on iOS for video game developers. This was a result of its epic legal victory over Apple, which saw Apple lose its ability to charge “any commission or any fee on purchases that consumers make outside an app.” An Apple spokesperson has told the press that the company would appeal the ruling.

Will there be an announcement at WWDC 2025 about Apple's new stand-alone gaming app? You can all but bet on it.

May 25: As Bloomberg reported on May 25, Apple's primary focus at WWDC 2025 will be a new software design codenamed "Solarium." The publication reports that "the new look is slicker and more modern." The new interface will reportedly affect all of Apple's operating systems.

iOS 19 will be called iOS 26

One announcement that's all but certain to appear at WWDC 2025 is the 19th version of iOS, called iOS 26. WWDC is mainly a software-focused event, and iOS is Apple's most widely used platform, so it's always part of the main keynote.

Rumors so far hint that iOS 26 could include some major changes, specifically an overhaul to iOS's visual style, which we haven't seen since iOS 7.

Some images leaked back in March claiming to show those visual changes, but Apple analyst Mark Gurman refuted them in a Threads post, specifically stating they "aren't representative of what we'll see at WWDC."

So, while it sounds like visual changes to iOS are likely, it's still up in the air how extensive those changes will be and how they'll look.

Additionally, there are rumors the long-awaited Siri update will finally arrive in iOS 26, although it's still unclear when, so don't get your hopes up just yet.

Over the past year, the new-and-improved AI Siri has been delayed several times, so it's possible the update won't be in the first release of iOS 26 but will arrive in a later OS update. Previous rumors pointed to iOS 19.4 in spring 2026 as a potential release window.

iPadOS 26

Along with iOS 26, we're also expecting to see the 19th version of iPad OS, which will be called iPad OS 26. We expect it to arrive with a slate of updates similar to the iOS system's. It could get the same visual overhaul that iOS 19 receives, but there's also a chance that this could be the year iOS and iPadOS really diverge if Apple decides to move iPadOS closer to its Mac operating system.

As someone who has used an iPad as a laptop replacement, I have to admit I'm on board with the latter. While iPadOS shouldn't be completely melted into macOS, it would be nice to have better file management and a more laptop-like interface for using iPads with a Magic Keyboard and a mouse.

Aside from visual changes, iPadOS 26 will likely get some of the same updates as iOS 26, including Apple Intelligence updates and AI-powered battery life optimization.

We could also see improvements to Stage Manager, which seems especially likely if Apple debuts a more Mac-like iPadOS.

macOS 26

Another announcement that's a lock for WWDC 2025 is the 16th edition of macOS, which will be called macOS 26,

Apple has consistently given its macOS updates California-themed names over the past several years, and there are still dozens of likely candidates they haven't used, so it's hard to predict which one macOS 26 will get. The possibilities include Redwood, Mammoth, Condor, and Shasta.

Regardless of the name, we expect macOS 26 to get a visual overhaul similar to iOS/iPadOS 26. MacOS 26 may look more like its iPhone and iPad counterparts this year, especially if Apple takes inspiration from visionOS. Changes could include circular app icons, translucent windows, and simplified navigation.

Additionally, some features from iOS 26 could carry over to macOS, like AI-powered battery optimization and any Apple Intelligence updates.

watchOS 26

While it might not be the star of the show, the Apple Watch is expected to receive an update with the 12th edition of watchOS, which will be called watchOS 26, at WWDC 2025.

Like this year's other software updates, this update will feature major visual changes. Those visual updates will probably also include more Apple Intelligence features, which the Watch hasn't seen much of yet. For instance, we might get AI-powered health and fitness tools integrated into watchOS or AI-scripted replies to texts.

Of course, the Apple Watch will also be able to take advantage of the upcoming Siri update, but as mentioned above, we might not see that until well into 2026, even if it's announced at this year's WWDC.

visionOS 26

The Apple Vision Pro has struggled to catch on since it launched in February 2024, but Apple is still diligently supporting it with software updates, which could lead to a rumored pair of smart glasses on the horizon.

So, it's no surprise that WWDC 2025 will likely include a look at the third edition of visionOS, which will be called visionOS 26.

Interestingly, it sounds like the big visual updates to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS may have taken some inspiration from visionOS, so this OS might not change as much as the others in the Apple lineup.

Even so, it will likely still get a mention in the keynote and possibly a sneak peek at any upcoming apps and movies made for Vision Pro.

Apple Intelligence updates

Apple first announced Apple Intelligence at last year's WWDC, so we expect to see Apple spotlight some updates to its struggling AI platform during this year's keynote.

Apple Intelligence got off to a rough start this year, with features slow to roll out and the critical Siri overhaul nowhere in sight.

Delays with Apple Intelligence even caused a leadership shake-up at Apple, which will hopefully lead to more features and quicker updates, including the promised LLM Siri update.

One feature we could see at WWDC 2025 is a rumored feature that uses AI to optimize battery life in iOS 26. This is a refreshingly practical feature that I can see many iPhone users appreciating (myself included). Hopefully, we'll also get a transparent timeline for when to expect the new-and-improved Siri.

Mac Pro M4 Ultra

Hardware announcements at WWDC are hit or miss. WWDC is mainly for software announcements, but Apple occasionally throws a product reveal into the mix, especially if it's a device that doesn't follow Apple's typical pattern of hardware updates.

One such device we could see this year is the Mac Pro M4 Ultra. Apple's top-of-the-line Max and Ultra versions of its M-series chip tend to run at least a year or so behind its more mainstream base and Pro versions.

We finally got the M3 Ultra in March with the new Mac Studio, but the M4 Ultra is not publicly available yet.

It's possible that could change at WWDC this year. However, an M4 Ultra Mac Pro won't come cheap, especially with Trump administration tariffs shaking up Apple's pricing across its product line-up.

Wild card: AI smart glasses

While hardware announcements are unlikely at WWDC, a surprise product reveal is possible. Wild card announcements have happened in the past, like with the Apple Vision Pro.

There's a slim chance that this year's presentation could include a sneak peek at a rumored pair of AI smart glasses Apple is developing. Google just unveiled a pair of Android-powered glasses at Google I/O, so this would be a good time for Apple to reveal its own glasses to keep up with the competition.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple aims to launch its glasses by the end of 2026, so a reveal could be a bit early. It's not impossible, though, especially right after Google I/O.

How to watch WWDC 2025

If you can't wait to see what Apple shows off at WWDC 2025, you can watch the keynote presentation live on Apple's website. The stream will also be on the official Apple Developer YouTube channel, so subscribe to get a notification when the livestream starts there.

The keynote presentation will be on June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern.

If you can't watch live, you can also follow along with us. Laptop Mag will cover everything Apple announces live and unpack all the highlights.

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Apple is planning a big gaming announcement for WWDC 2025, but it's still missing the key to taking gaming on the MacBook to the next level.

Last week, Bloomberg reported that Apple will launch a "dedicated gaming app" at WWDC 2025. The app will "serve as a launcher for titles and centralize in-game achievements, leaderboards, communications, and other activity."

That might sound familiar to anyone who remembers Apple's little-used Game Center app. A new gaming app is all well and good, but it doesn't address the core issue holding Macs back from being true gaming devices.

Luckily, Valve has the secret ingredient Apple needs to make gaming on the Mac great.

See also: Best Apple deals in June 2025

Apple's new dedicated gaming app is a step in the right direction, but not enough

According to Bloomberg, Apple's new dedicated gaming app "will feature editorial content from Apple about new titles, offer access to the App Store’s game section and promote Arcade, the company’s $6.99-a-month subscription offering."

It sounds like this app will be a gaming-focused alternative to the App Store, incorporating the achievements and social features that used to be in Game Center. It won't just be for iOS, though.

Bloomberg notes perhaps the most important detail: "Apple is also planning a Mac version of the app that can tap into games downloaded outside of the App Store."

Apple seems to be putting special attention into the macOS version of this new app, potentially even folding in games from other game stores, which may hint that Apple is trying to make another push into gaming on the Mac.

Since the launch of the M-series chips, Macs have gotten significantly better at gaming. However, they still struggle to pose any serious threat to PC gaming on Windows or even handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck. This is largely because there aren't many games that are natively compatible with macOS.

That is why a new game launcher might not be what Apple needs to succeed in gaming. What it really needs is what Valve already has.

Apple needs to take a page from Valve's book

Valve's Steam Deck played a huge role in sparking the rising popularity of handheld gaming PCs over the past several years. But on paper, it shouldn't have been a success.

After all, it runs on Linux, and most PC games are designed for Windows. Most of the games on Steam, which the Steam Deck is explicitly built for, are not natively compatible with the Linux operating system on the handheld.

You'd hardly notice that while playing on a Steam Deck, though, and that's something Apple should be paying attention to.

Valve developed a compatibility layer called Proton to launch the Steam Deck with its own custom-built, Linux-based operating system without sacrificing game compatibility.

This compatibility layer effectively acts as a translator that allows Linux to understand and run Windows games. That means that even if a game isn't natively compatible with Linux, you can (usually) still play it on the Steam Deck.

MacBooks could become far better gaming devices if Apple developed an officially supported compatibility layer like Proton for macOS. If people knew they could play all the same games, more people might consider choosing a Mac over a Windows PC, significantly increasing the player base on macOS. That, in turn, would likely attract more developers to create natively compatible games for Macs.

Apple seems to want developers to come to its platform before gamers, but that's not fair considering the amount of time and resources it takes to create and launch a game, which relies on a good return on investment.

If Apple wants more developers to make games for macOS, it must bridge the gap and make Macs more appealing to gamers. A compatibility layer could achieve precisely this. Apple's new gaming app could even be a launcher for that compatibility layer!

Valve already has the answer here. All Apple needs to do is give Proton a spin and take notes.

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AirPods are by far Apple’s most personal product. You’d share your MacBook, iPad, or even iPhone, but you’d be hard-pressed to share your AirPods with another person. They are private; they go inside your ear canal. And that is what makes Apple’s upcoming AirPod update quietly so innovative.

Ahead of WWDC, Apple’s annual developer conference, sources at the company have leaked that your very personal AirPods may be even more personal. They’re going to know about the most private moment of your day.

Sleep is arguably the most private, vulnerable moment of our days. Many people largely do it out of the sight of others — except for the occasional subway nap or park snooze. Our bedrooms and beds are private. Many of us go to sleep with our earbuds playing music, a podcast, or some other audio as we drift off to sleep.

Audiologist Dr. Valerie Pavlovich Ruff told Health Essentials, a publication of the world-famous Cleveland Clinic, that wearing your earbuds to sleep can be beneficial to stop ringing from tinnitus or other medical problems. There’s also the fact that our minds race before bed, and wearing earbuds or AirPods can help, Pavlovich Ruff says.

“Emotional stress can cause ringing in your ears, too,” Pavlovich Ruff told the publication in 2022. “This is why many people might want to fall asleep listening to something soothing or relaxing just for stress relief.”

Of course, it's critical to wear comfortable earbuds and ensure the volume is at a safe level. That’s where Apple comes in.

This week, 9 to 5 Mac reported that a “sleep auto-pause” feature may debut as soon as Monday’s WWDC 2025 keynote. The publication reports that engineers at Apple is developing technology that will sense when the AirPods wearer falls asleep and the AirPods will automatically pause.

This auto-pause has two significant benefits. Most importantly, even if you listen at a high volume, it won’t be at that high volume for the entirety of your sleep. And two, far less critical to your health, your AirPods battery will be preserved.

We know that Apple Watch’s sleep feature kicks on automatically when you fall asleep, tracking your deep, core, and REM sleep. What we don’t know is whether those AirPods will enter auto-pause mode based on data from your Apple Watch (which is connected to your iPhone) or if they will sync with your iPhone directly and bypass the Apple Watch.

If it does sync to Apple Watch, you could very well take a nap, and the auto-pause feature won’t kick on. Anybody who wears an Apple Watch and takes the occasional Saturday afternoon nap will know that naps don’t often register as sleep within the Apple Health app.

The most private moment of your day — when you doze off for a good night’s sleep — may be recognized by your Apple Watch, iPhone, and your AirPods. Just don’t forget to keep the volume down.

The 9 to 5 Mac report also included other features that may be available on AirPods as soon as Monday.

They include new head gestures for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 to control conversation awareness, a noise-control feature that you can currently control by touching the tip of your AirPods.

Apple may also announce improvements that help multiple users share an iPad, like in a classroom setting.

Perhaps great news from streamers and anyone who makes video is the ability to control your iPhone camera by pinching the tip of your AirPods.

On the audio side, AirPods will also sound differently depending on your environment by using AI. It will also enable the wearer to choose from three voice options, reports 9 to 5 Mac, “in-frame, studio, and cinematic.”

Whatever Apple announces regarding AirPods or anything else, we’ll know on Monday, June 9, when WWDC kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern.

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• Our beloved 5-star rated Apple MacBook Air M4 gets a sweet price cut in time for Father's Day

If you want to surprise dad or refresh your personal computer, the latest Apple M4 MacBook Air should be on your radar. If you act now, you can snag the best laptop of 2025 for dollars off retail in time for Father's Day, June 15.

Currently, Amazon offers the Apple MacBook Air M4 for just $837. It normally costs $999, so that's $162 in savings and one of the best MacBook deals happening this week.

It's not the lowest price I've seen for the M4 MacBook Air, but it's still a nice savings. At $837, it's $25 shy of its record-low price of $812, which it briefly sold for in a flash deal.

Browse: Amazon's entire sale

As far as mobile computers go, the Apple MacBook Air M4 is the best laptop to buy. You'll see in our M4 MacBook Air review how we praise its excellent performance, bright Liquid Retina display, and long battery life, which lasted 15 hours and 30 minutes in one test.

We loved the MacBook Air M4 so much that we gave it a perfect 5-star rating and our hard-to-get Editor's Choice Award.

Now $162 off, the M4 MacBook is a wise choice if you want to treat yourself or dad to the best laptop there is.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) takes place on Monday, June 9, and the company is set to spotlight its biggest software updates of the year — but will any of its new Apple Intelligence features win over frustrated Mac users?

Apple Intelligence may have been the star of last year's show, but the platform, pitched as "AI for the rest of us," has mostly failed to capture the awe of Mac, iPhone, or iPad users, with the one update everyone really wants to see is nowhere in sight.

There's no doubt that Apple will liberally flaunt the term AI during this year's WWDC, but a claimed lack of any killer AI features to show could highlight how far ahead Apple's competition is.

However, to some, that's a good thing. Take a look online and you'll see many Mac users souring on AI, and until Apple is ready to change their minds with something truly groundbreaking, it might be best to keep it out of the limelight a little longer.

See also: Best Apple deals in June 2025

WWDC will feature a rebranded macOS, but one key update will be missing

With WWDC 2025 now just a week away, we're getting our last, and arguably most exciting, wave of rumors about what to expect. The highlight, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, will be a major rebrand of Apple's operating systems along with the biggest visual overhaul since iOS 7.

For Mac users, that means the next OS update will be macOS 26, which will likely feature tweaked app icons and potentially changes to the overall UI, like more transparent elements. Rumors indicate that Apple is taking a lot of inspiration from visionOS for this sweeping visual overhaul across its platforms, giving a rough idea of what to expect.

What we're not expecting to see, however, is any major Apple Intelligence developments. Apple is expected to debut an AI battery optimization tool, which sounds useful, and potentially some other minor updates, but the big, large language model (LLM) Siri update we've all been waiting for is unlikely to make an appearance at WWDC.

That big Siri update is the AI feature its users really need. While it's disappointing we have to keep waiting for it, a lack of focus on AI in the meantime might actually be a good thing for Apple, judging by a cold response to AI from many Mac users.

One year later, Apple Intelligence still hasn't won over Mac users

Apple was undoubtedly late to the game in consumer AI, falling short of the innovations Google, Meta, and OpenAI have been announcing over recent years. OpenAI is even partnering with former Apple design chief Jony Ive to develop its own in-house AI device.

Considering all that, one might think Apple is in hot water, dropping the ball on AI like it has. However, that's assuming Apple users actually want a boatload of AI features on their devices, which might not be the case.

For instance, a user in one Reddit thread referred to Apple Intelligence as "5GB of pure bloatware," complaining that trying to disable or remove the feature can lead to bugs.

A user in another thread expressed frustration about not being able to completely remove Apple Intelligence, commenting, "Some of us don't like a service shoved down our throats we never asked for, and don't need. Sure, it can be turned off, but it should be optional to be installed to begin with. I’d like to use those few gigs of storage."

One user even described Apple's AI as "all hype, no value."

Comment from r/MacOS

Even users who don't outright dislike Apple Intelligence see little use in it, like one commenter who said: "I pretty much never use writing tools, even before they were integrated, so that’s been barely used. Sucks that what the majority of Apple AI is."

Another user pointed out the core of the issue: "Siri still seems dumb as a rock."

All of this effectively amounts to a lack of enthusiasm for AI in general, at least among Mac users. It makes me wonder, would Apple be better off differentiating itself by backing off on AI, at least until the new-and-improved Siri is ready?

So far, Apple Intelligence seems to be mimicking competitors' AI offerings, only with fewer features and years behind. That strategy clearly isn't winning over Mac users, though, who seem to be really looking for practical AI tools and a Siri update, not gimmicks like AI-generated emojis.

Instead of trying to convince us it's an AI brand now, maybe Apple could woo fans by showing it's focusing on launching AI tools that prioritize genuine usefulness and user privacy.

More from Laptop Mag

• WWDC 2025 preview: A gloomy prediction for Apple Intelligence, "Solarium," and macOS "Tahoe"
• iPhone 17 Air leak shows impossibly sturdy frame, but don't put your "bendgate" fears to bed just yet
• App Store rule change takes the headache out of buying books on iOS Kindle app

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is more than a week away, and as always with each event, the company has a lot to show off.

One of the big news items that could be coming during the show is the changing of the naming conventions for the Apple operating systems for its devices. These OS versions are numbered based on how many iterations have been released since the device’s launch, but instead of continuing with separate version numbers, Apple will reportedly number all OS versions by the year they come out, such as iOS 26.

This means the new version of macOS would be called macOS 26 if this rumor is true. And according to a new report, the next theme for the next macOS will be a bit of a departure for Apple.

The next macOS will be named Tahoe, as in Lake Tahoe, as reported by Bloomberg. Apple names its macOS after different locations found in California, but Lake Tahoe straddles California and Nevada, which is a little different for the Mac maker.

This new macOS will reportedly be a major redesign for the OS. Apple makes some significant changes to its OS every few years, with the last major redesign coming in 2020 with macOS Big Sur.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for confirmation.

What else is being shown at WWDC 2025?

WWDC is all about software, making it the time for Apple to show what's changing for iOS, watchOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and visionOS. Of those different operating systems, iPadOS seems to be up for some big changes. It appears Apple wants to make its tablet more like its MacBook in both look and functionality.

AI will have a presence at WWDC across the different OS, but it seems like it might not be as big of a deal at the show as it was for Google at its I/O event and Microsoft with its Build event. Apple is still working on improving its Apple Intelligence and looking to release an overhauled Siri that acts like an AI agent.

Something new for Apple at WWDC could be video games. The company recently acquired a game developer studio and may announce a new gaming app at the show.

More from Laptop Mag

• Legendary Apple designer has been tasked with the impossible — what is OpenAI and Jony Ive's next move?
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Rumored to be only 5.5mm thick, the upcoming iPhone 17 Air will be Apple's slimmest phone since the infamous iPhone 6, but can its reported titanium-aluminum frame help Apple avoid another "bendgate" disaster?

Footage shared to X last week by reputable leaker "Majin Bu" claims to show a mock-up of the iPhone 17 Air being put through an impromptu bend test and passing with flying colors.

Should it prove accurate, it's a clear indicator that Apple is taking durability seriously with its return to ultra-thin smartphones.

While the iPhone 17 Air hasn't been officially announced yet, we've seen a boatload of rumors about it, including leaked images of the design. The dummy unit shown in the video certainly matches up to what we've seen so far, but can we expect the real deal to stand up to similar levels of punishment?

Maybe we shouldn't put our "bendgate" fears to bed just yet.

See also: Best Apple deals in May 2025

iPhone 17 Air leak could be good news for Apple

On Friday, Majin Bu posted a video on X showing a bend test with a dummy version of the iPhone 17 Air.

Despite repeated attempts, the mock-up barely flinches, a polar opposite outcome to Apple's previous iPhone 6 Plus, which controversially folded with ease during Unbox Therapy's famous "bendgate" video released in 2014.

Hopefully, this is an indicator that Apple has learned from its past mistakes with "bendgate," and devised a way to make the iPhone 17 Air significantly more durable than the iPhone 6 Plus.

The iPad Pro M4 gives us reason to be optimistic, at least, since its ultra-thin chassis reportedly uses a new internal ribbing design that helps prevent bending.

However, you might not want to get your hopes up just yet. Keep in mind, the "phone" in this video is not an actual iPhone 17 Air, or even a phone at all. It's a pre-production "dummy," meaning it's a model based on the actual phone, or at least appears to be.

Since this isn't coming directly from Apple, we can't confirm how accurate the design or build quality of this mock-up is, regardless of how much it resembles previously leaked images of the iPhone 17 Air.

That said, dummy units like this are sometimes solid through-and-through, designed to give third-party companies a better idea of the size, weight, or ergonomics of a device to aid with the design of accessories, like smartphone cases, well in advance of a product's release.

This lump of metal may pass the bend test with ease, but the actual iPhone 17 Air that is expected to hit store shelves later this year? That's another story entirely.

Durability isn't the only potential problem for the iPhone 17 Air

Even if this leaked video is an accurate representation of the iPhone 17 Air's resistance to bending, durability isn't the only concern surrounding this phone.

Battery life could also take a hit due to the Air's ultra-thin chassis. There's simply less space for a large battery compared to something like the iPhone 17 Pro. That may be why Apple is rumored to be introducing an AI-powered battery optimization feature, which may be able to help compensate for a physically smaller battery in the iPhone 17 Air.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge may give us an idea of what to expect in terms of battery life. It features an ultra-thin design similar to the iPhone 17 Air, including a 3,900 mAh battery, which is notably smaller than the 4,900 mAh battery in the S25 Plus. It's possible we could see a similar reduction in battery size from the iPhone 17 or 17 Pro compared to the iPhone 17 Air.

We're keeping a close eye on all of the latest rumors and updates surrounding the iPhone 17, iOS 26 (formerly iOS 19), and WWDC 2025, so stay tuned for more info.

More from Laptop Mag

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• WWDC 2025 preview: iOS 26, Apple's video game plans, Apple Intelligence, Mac Pro M4 Ultra
• What separates a $1,000 iPhone from a $3,500 one? About 7,000 miles.

According to recent reports from an Apple Insider, Cupertino plans to consolidate its software stack under a single branding strategy, starting after WWDC later this month.

Apple joins the rest of the pack

Though the company refused to comment on rumors, Bloomberg spoke with Apple insiders who confirmed that iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS will all see their disparate version names brought under a single umbrella.

Like Microsoft, which named its Windows versions after the year they were released throughout the '90s and early '00s, Apple’s new plan is to add the upcoming year to the end of each operating system.

For example, while we currently have iOS 18 and watchOS 12 due to the respective distance in their original launch dates, they’ll now be called iOS 26 and watchOS 26, respectively.

This move also mirrors what Samsung did with its Galaxy phones starting in 2020, moving straight from the Galaxy S10 to the S20 that year. However, unlike Samsung, Apple will be naming for the year ahead.

See also: WWDC 2025 preview: iOS 26, Apple's video game plans, Apple Intelligence, Mac Pro M4 Ultra

The Bloomberberg report observes that iOS 26 will be launched in 2025, similar to how car manufacturers have operated their branding model for decades.

What else can we expect at WWDC 25?

The name changes aren’t all we should expect from Cook and Co. this year, though.

Early rumors suggest Apple also plans to renovate many aspects of iPad OS, bringing a more “Mac-like” experience that includes improvements to productivity, app window management, and multitasking.

Of course, a modern tech conference wouldn't be complete without an AI update. In that arena, reports say Apple could open up its AI models to third-party developers to take advantage of Apple Intelligence on supported devices.

The company also reportedly has plans to launch a new “AI-based battery management feature” to increase battery life for iPhones, whatever that’s supposed to mean.

Stay tuned for all the latest on June 9, when Apple leaders will take the stage at its annual developer conference.

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• I found 5 iPad deals that save you up to $200 on a new Apple tablet
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It's grad season, Father's Day is weeks from now, and the unofficial start of summer is upon us. The temperature outside isn't the only thing heating up.

Retailers aren't holding back the savings and offering deals on Apple's family of tablets to the tune of $200 off. I love that for you, which is why I'm sharing my favorite iPad deals to help you save.

Browse: Amazon's entire Apple sale

One deal I recommend is the 11th-generation iPad A16 for $299 ($50 off) at Amazon. That's just $21 shy of its all-time low price and one of the best Apple deals out there. Walmart and PC Richard offer this same deal in every color.

If we're talking about the best tablets to buy right now, the iPad is at the top of the list. We reviewed the A16-powered iPad 11 and liked its solid battery life, powerful graphics, and expanded storage options over the previous generation. Despite its lack of Apple Intelligence support, the iPad 11 is the best tablet for most folks.

As an alternative, you can get the iPad Air M3 for $529 ($70 off) from Amazon. This iPad supports Apple Intelligence features, as does the iPad Pro, which starts from $899 ($100 off) right now.

You'll save the most if you get the 13-inch M4 MacBook Pro with at least 512GB of storage — now on sale for $1,297 ($203 off) at Amazon. This is the iPad Pro to buy if you want a tablet with a screen size that's closer to that of a MacBook.

So if you've been wanting to buy a tablet but spent Memorial Day relaxing instead of shopping, here are the five best iPad deals to help you save:

Top 5 iPad deals — Quick links

• Apple 11" iPad A16: was $349 now $299 at Amazon
• Apple 13" M3 iPad Air: was $799 now $699 at Amazon
• Apple 11" iPad Air M3: was $599 now $529 at Amazon
• Apple 11" iPad Pro M4: was $999 now $899 at Amazon
• Apple 13" iPad Pro M4: was $1,499 now $1,297 at Amazon

Top 5 iPad deals from $299

Look, I'm never against some good nostalgia bait. As a '90s kid, I love to see transparent tech like MSI's Cyborg lineup, and I'm in a constant state of decision paralysis on whether or not I want to go down the Oblivion: Remastered rabbit hole.

Which is to say, 1-Bit Rainbow's mini vintage Macintosh speaks to me on a visceral level. The Pico-mac-nano is a tiny, fully functional vintage Mac powered by a Pico Zero Raspberry Pi, running the MicroMac 128K emulator to mimic the Macintosh operating system.

1-Bit Rainbow is mostly known as an online storefront for parts to maintain and repair vintage Apple products, but there are a few hidden gems on the site, like the old Apple Pro wired USB mouse and the Apple External Microphone for the old-school PowerBook laptops.

Pico-mac-nano: Specs

In a blog post, 1-Bit Rainbow's Nick Gillard details the build process of the Pico-mac-nano, including the micro-mini PC's USB-C keyboard and mouse support using a special splitter cable also sold on the 1-Bit store.

1-Bit Rainbow also offers a Collector's Edition of the Pico-mac-nano that comes in a miniaturized, vintage Macintosh shipping box for the complete unboxing experience.

The Pico-mac-nano is an open-source project, so you can make your own from scratch if you'd prefer and have access to a 3D printer.

Feed your old school Mac nostalgia

The Pico-mac-nano and the Pico-mac that inspired it are more proof-of-concept than full consumer devices. The miniature Pico-mac-nano doesn't have full audio support and may not run all early Macintosh software.

Unfortunately, since the new Mac Mini and Magic Mouse still have key features in the worst places, the Pico-mac-nano is far more usable than the Mac Mini M4, though it is far less powerful than Apple's latest mini PC.

If you're an old-school Mac enthusiast, you can buy one, made to order. It's a fun, quirky addition to a vintage computing collection. But if you want the full vintage Mac experience, you're better off getting a pre-owned Macintosh from a classic tech dealer or taking your chances on eBay.

More from Laptop Mag

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Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is just a few weeks away, which means it's time to mark your calendars for some big announcements on iOS, macOS, Apple Intelligence, and more.

While Apple doesn't give away any official details about what to expect in its big keynote presentation, plenty of rumors and leaks swirl around that give us a peek at the highlights. A few significant updates, including iOS and macOS updates, are always in the spotlight at WWDC, which takes place June 9-13, 2025.

In addition to the usual slate of software updates, Apple occasionally features a surprise hardware announcement. WWDC 2025 could include two, although one is much more likely than the other.

Keep checking this page for more updates in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

See also: Best Apple deals in May 2025

MOST RECENT UPDATES

June 2: Citing sources within Apple, Bloomberg reported over the weekend that "People within the company believe [WWDC 2025] may be a letdown from an AI standpoint. Others familiar with the company’s planned announcements worry they could make Apple’s shortcomings even more obvious."

Other announcements expected at WWDC: 

➡️ Apple will open up its on-device AI models to developers who want to include on-device AI in their apps. This is just on-device AI, and not cloud-based AI, so there are significant limitations compared to services like Google Gemini.

➡️ The Translate app is reportedly going to be all new and integrated with AirPods.

➡️ A variety of projects are reportedly ongoing at Apple right now, but won’t be part of this year’s WWDC. These include a revamped Shortcuts app, a chatbot to compete with ChatGPT, a redesigned Health app, and a medical services codenamed “Mulberry,” plus a Siri upgrade to reportedly make Siri more like the voice mode of ChatGPT.

Finally, in this update, Apple is expected to release a new macOS named "Tahoe" after Lake Tahoe in California. Other California-inspired macOS names have been Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia.

May 30: Many of the leaked or expected announcements from WWDC could feel incremental, and Wall Street is paying attention. "The media is having a good time previewing the June 9th WWDC (Apple developer conference) with expectations for … nothing" as Siri's AI delays remain a focus, Melius Research analyst Ben Reitzes writes in a note to clients that was sent on Tuesday, as reported by Investor's Business Daily. The publication didn't mince words with its headline: "Expectations For Apple's WWDC Couldn't Be Lower."

The markets can change quickly, depending on the reaction to Apple's event set for June 9. Just last year, Business Insider reported on enthusiasm over the 2024 WWDC with this headline: "'Best WWDC Ever': Wall Street is pumped up over Apple's AI game plan."

May 29: On Wednesday, anonymous sources within Apple told a reporter from Bloomberg that the company will eliminate version numbering for its operating systems and opt for numbering that corresponds with the year.

The year naming convention will affect iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.

For example, iOS 19 will actually be called iOS 26, for the year 2026. (The numbering is similar to other products with an annual fall release date, in that the edition that debuts is named for the following year.)

At WWDC, the iOS previewed for developers will be iOS 26, which will also be its name when it is released to the public this September.

May 28: On Tuesday, Digital Trends exclusively reported that Apple acquired RAC7, the two-person operation behind the cute and very fun Sneaky Sasquatch, which won the Apple Arcade award for Game of the Year in 2020. It is often in the top 10 of the most popular games on Apple Arcade and, as of this week, was #7.

Apple’s acquisition of Vancouver-based RAC7 might’ve been the first shoe to drop on Tuesday. The other shoe came in the form of a report from Bloomberg that Apple will debut a stand-alone app for video games (right now Apple Arcade is a tab in the App Store) that will show up in MacBooks, iPads, Apple TV, and, of course, the iPhone. Bloomberg reports that this stand-alone app will replace Game Center and promote Apple Arcade, the $6.99/month service that enables users to play games like Sneaky Sasquatch.

The environment in which these moves are being made is one of significant change. On May 1, Epic Games announced it was opening a new web store on iOS for video game developers. This was a result of its epic legal victory over Apple, which saw Apple lose its ability to charge “any commission or any fee on purchases that consumers make outside an app.” An Apple spokesperson has told the press that the company would appeal the ruling.

Will there be an announcement at WWDC 2025 about Apple's new stand-alone gaming app? You can all but bet on it.

May 25: As Bloomberg reported on May 25, Apple's primary focus at WWDC 2025 will be a new software design codenamed "Solarium." The publication reports that "the new look is slicker and more modern." The new interface will reportedly affect all of Apple's operating systems.

iOS 19 will bge called iOS 26

One announcement that's all but certain to appear at WWDC 2025 is the 19th version of iOS, called iOS 26. WWDC is mainly a software-focused event, and iOS is Apple's most widely used platform, so it's always part of the main keynote.

Rumors so far hint that iOS 26 could include some major changes, specifically an overhaul to iOS's visual style, which we haven't seen since iOS 7.

Some images leaked back in March claiming to show those visual changes, but Apple analyst Mark Gurman refuted them in a Threads post, specifically stating they "aren't representative of what we'll see at WWDC."

So, while it sounds like visual changes to iOS are likely, it's still up in the air how extensive those changes will be and how they'll look.

Additionally, there are rumors the long-awaited Siri update will finally arrive in iOS 26, although it's still unclear when, so don't get your hopes up just yet.

Over the past year, the new-and-improved AI Siri has been delayed several times, so it's possible the update won't be in the first release of iOS 26 but will arrive in a later OS update. Previous rumors pointed to iOS 19.4 in spring 2026 as a potential release window.

iPadOS 26

Along with iOS 26, we're also expecting to see the 19th version of iPad OS, which will be called iPad OS 26. We expect it to arrive with a slate of updates similar to the iOS system's. It could get the same visual overhaul that iOS 19 receives, but there's also a chance that this could be the year iOS and iPadOS really diverge if Apple decides to move iPadOS closer to its Mac operating system.

As someone who has used an iPad as a laptop replacement, I have to admit I'm on board with the latter. While iPadOS shouldn't be completely melted into macOS, it would be nice to have better file management and a more laptop-like interface for using iPads with a Magic Keyboard and a mouse.

Aside from visual changes, iPadOS 26 will likely get some of the same updates as iOS 26, including Apple Intelligence updates and AI-powered battery life optimization.

We could also see improvements to Stage Manager, which seems especially likely if Apple debuts a more Mac-like iPadOS.

macOS 26

Another announcement that's a lock for WWDC 2025 is the 16th edition of macOS, which will be called macOS 26,

Apple has consistently given its macOS updates California-themed names over the past several years, and there are still dozens of likely candidates they haven't used, so it's hard to predict which one macOS 26 will get. The possibilities include Redwood, Mammoth, Condor, and Shasta.

Regardless of the name, we expect macOS 26 to get a visual overhaul similar to iOS/iPadOS 26. MacOS 26 may look more like its iPhone and iPad counterparts this year, especially if Apple takes inspiration from visionOS. Changes could include circular app icons, translucent windows, and simplified navigation.

Additionally, some features from iOS 26 could carry over to macOS, like AI-powered battery optimization and any Apple Intelligence updates.

watchOS 26

While it might not be the star of the show, the Apple Watch is expected to receive an update with the 12th edition of watchOS, which will be called watchOS 26, at WWDC 2025.

Like this year's other software updates, this update will feature major visual changes. Those visual updates will probably also include more Apple Intelligence features, which the Watch hasn't seen much of yet. For instance, we might get AI-powered health and fitness tools integrated into watchOS or AI-scripted replies to texts.

Of course, the Apple Watch will also be able to take advantage of the upcoming Siri update, but as mentioned above, we might not see that until well into 2026, even if it's announced at this year's WWDC.

visionOS 26

The Apple Vision Pro has struggled to catch on since it launched in February 2024, but Apple is still diligently supporting it with software updates, which could lead to a rumored pair of smart glasses on the horizon.

So, it's no surprise that WWDC 2025 will likely include a look at the third edition of visionOS, which will be called visionOS 26.

Interestingly, it sounds like the big visual updates to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS may have taken some inspiration from visionOS, so this OS might not change as much as the others in the Apple lineup.

Even so, it will likely still get a mention in the keynote and possibly a sneak peek at any upcoming apps and movies made for Vision Pro.

Apple Intelligence updates

Apple first announced Apple Intelligence at last year's WWDC, so we expect to see Apple spotlight some updates to its struggling AI platform during this year's keynote.

Apple Intelligence got off to a rough start this year, with features slow to roll out and the critical Siri overhaul nowhere in sight.

Delays with Apple Intelligence even caused a leadership shake-up at Apple, which will hopefully lead to more features and quicker updates, including the promised LLM Siri update.

One feature we could see at WWDC 2025 is a rumored feature that uses AI to optimize battery life in iOS 26. This is a refreshingly practical feature that I can see many iPhone users appreciating (myself included). Hopefully, we'll also get a transparent timeline for when to expect the new-and-improved Siri.

Mac Pro M4 Ultra

Hardware announcements at WWDC are hit or miss. WWDC is mainly for software announcements, but Apple occasionally throws a product reveal into the mix, especially if it's a device that doesn't follow Apple's typical pattern of hardware updates.

One such device we could see this year is the Mac Pro M4 Ultra. Apple's top-of-the-line Max and Ultra versions of its M-series chip tend to run at least a year or so behind its more mainstream base and Pro versions.

We finally got the M3 Ultra in March with the new Mac Studio, but the M4 Ultra is not publicly available yet.

It's possible that could change at WWDC this year. However, an M4 Ultra Mac Pro won't come cheap, especially with Trump administration tariffs shaking up Apple's pricing across its product line-up.

Wild card: AI smart glasses

While hardware announcements are unlikely at WWDC, a surprise product reveal is possible. Wild card announcements have happened in the past, like with the Apple Vision Pro.

There's a slim chance that this year's presentation could include a sneak peek at a rumored pair of AI smart glasses Apple is developing. Google just unveiled a pair of Android-powered glasses at Google I/O, so this would be a good time for Apple to reveal its own glasses to keep up with the competition.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple aims to launch its glasses by the end of 2026, so a reveal could be a bit early. It's not impossible, though, especially right after Google I/O.

How to watch WWDC 2025

If you can't wait to see what Apple shows off at WWDC 2025, you can watch the keynote presentation live on Apple's website. The stream will also be on the official Apple Developer YouTube channel, so subscribe to get a notification when the livestream starts there.

The keynote presentation will be on June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern.

If you can't watch live, you can also follow along with us. Laptop Mag will cover everything Apple announces live and unpack all the highlights.

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The Memorial Day weekend sales continue, and it's not just for laptops. Tablets are also on sale, including ones that just came out.

Apple released its newest iPad 11th Generation in March, and it is once again on sale for a great price. The 11th-generation Apple iPad with an A16 chip is on sale at Amazon for $299. This is one of the lowest prices around for the iPad 11, and it's a great buy for those who are traveling over the summer and need a tablet to entertain themselves.

Browse: Amazon's entire Memorial Day sale

See also: Best Apple deals in May2025

As is the case with Apple iPads, you can't go wrong with them. The iPad 11 is one of the best tablets for those who don't want to dole out big money for an iPad Pro.

The 11th-generation Apple iPad is a slight improvement over the iPad 10, which was powerful for its price, thanks to the A14 chip performance. It also has a great Liquid Retina screen with True Tone technology and loud speakers. Despite its subpar battery life (11 hours), we gave Apple's previous-gen iPad 4 out of 5 stars and our Editor's Choice Award co-sign.

Powering the iPad 11 is the A16 chip, and it supports Apple's Magic Keyboard Folio, Apple Pencil USB-C, and Apple Pencil 1st gen. A downside of this iPad is the 128GB storage, so keep that in mind if you're planning on buying. The iPad 11 also supports Wi-Fi 6 for faster internet while streaming as well as USB-C charging.

Amazon's Memorial Day deal for the iPad 11

The Memorial Day deals for tech are out in full force this weekend. It's a great time to save some big money, especially with Apple laptops.

Amazon has the MacBook Pro 16 with M4 Pro for $2,229, which is $270 below the normal price of $2,499. This is one of the best MacBook Pro discounts for the year so far.

Browse: Amazon's entire sale

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro received a 4.5 out of 5 in our review and was named an Editor’s Choice winner following extensive real-world and lab tests. Apple’s latest MacBook blew away our expectations. The performance is unmatched when compared to what laptops are available right now. Combine that with a stunning display, improved speakers, and a top-tier built-in webcam, and you find yourself with one of the best laptops around.

This MacBook has a lot of power. The Geekbench 6.3 test came in at a score of 22,822, which is double that of other high-end laptops on the market. Video rendering, photo editing, and other graphics-intensive tasks are easy to handle with this MacBook. The laptop also comes with Apple Intelligence, which has been improving more and more since it was revealed last year.

Also, don't get it twisted, all this power doesn't need to be permanently connected to a power outlet. The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro has impressive battery life, coming in at just under 21 hours for web browsing on Wi-Fi at 150 nits.

Memorial Day sales last only for the weekend, so if you want all this power for a discount, now is a good time to buy one.

This deal won't stick around after Memorial Day. If you’ve been waiting to buy a powerful Apple laptop, now is the time.

Memorial Day weekend M4 Pro MacBook Pro 16 deal

Cross-device functionality has not traditionally been Microsoft’s strongest suit, especially compared to Apple.

Though the Redmond-based giant has consistently worked to catch up over the years, it’s yet to match all of macOS’s features. For instance, Microsoft still doesn’t have a true AirDrop equivalent!

However, the company just took a step closer to closing the gap in cross-device functionality by previewing a feature inspired by Apple’s Handoff during this week's Microsoft Build 2025.

The funny (and slightly suspicious) part? They’re now acting like it never happened.

Windows is currently working on its own take on Apple’s Handoff

Microsoft held a “Create Seamless Cross-Device Experiences with Windows for your app” session during its Build event. In the session, Microsoft’s senior product manager, Aakash Varshney, reviewed the company’s plans to launch new features this upcoming year to make Windows more seamless across multiple devices.

He demoed a new feature currently in the works, titled “Cross-Device Resume,” which, as the name suggests, will allow users to pick up tasks or apps right where they left off on a different device.

In the demo, Aakash used Spotify as an example to show how the feature works.

He explained that when he opened the Spotify app on his mobile device, the Spotify icon on his Windows PC’s taskbar displayed a subtle badge, indicating that the app was active on another device.

Upon hovering over the app’s icon, a message, “Resume, recently opened on your mobile device,” showed that the app had been opened recently on his phone. It also allowed him to pick up on his Windows PC from where he left off.

Once he clicked the app’s icon, Spotify launched, and he was back in the same song.

He explained that this saved him the hassle of searching for the song he was just listening to. A single click was all it took to get going. If you haven’t used a Mac before, what Aakash described is essentially the same thing as Apple’s Handoff feature.

Handoff also allows you to begin something on one device and resume it on another nearby device. Apple’s native apps, such as Safari, Messages, Notes, and FaceTime, and third-party apps, like Spotify and WhatsApp, all support Handoff.

When you open an app that works with Handoff on your iPhone or iPad, the app’s Handoff icon appears on your Mac’s Dock.

It’s the regular app icon, just with a gray circle and a tiny phone/tablet hovering in the upper right. Once you click the icon, you can pick up where you left off.

Microsoft quietly removed the demo, but not without people noticing

However, as reported by Windows Central, Microsoft ended up editing the demo out of the session.

A leaker known for digging through Microsoft builds and spotting unreleased features, @phantomofearth, managed to grab a screenshot of the demo before the video was edited (in a pre-recorded Build session) and posted it on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

While Microsoft is yet to comment on why the demo was edited out, it could very well be because the tech giant isn’t quite ready to show the feature publicly.

What’s weird is that they realized this after going through the hassle of demoing it in the first place. The most recent Build 26100.4188 (KB5058499) for Windows 11 24H2 seems to suggest a somewhat similar story.

The release notes include a Cross Device Resume feature that’s being rolled out gradually, but the description focuses on making it easier to work on OneDrive files across phones and Windows 11 PCs.

With the feature, if you view or edit a OneDrive file, such as a Word document, you’ll get a notification on your Windows 11 PC asking if you’d like to pick up where you left off. It doesn’t mention third-party support like Spotify, which the demo showcased.

So, it’s likely that Microsoft plans to roll out a more limited version of the feature first or that full third-party integration is still a work in progress.

Handoff is hands-down one of the best hidden macOS features, and it coming to Windows might finally be the cue I needed to make the switch.

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• I switched to a MacBook after using Windows for over 30 years. Here’s what happened.

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social network to condemn Apple’s practices of offshoring jobs to China to manufacture the iPhone and other products in its device lineup.

After threatening an individual tariff of 25% on all Apple products, some analysts are already putting in predictions for how the President’s proposed rate could affect Cupertino’s supply chain, and ultimately what the company would need to charge for products like the iPhone, MacBooks, and more if those threats are made real.

Trump threatens a 25% hike on Apple products

For starters, here is some context on what it looks like when a country tries to apply individual tariffs to companies or sectors attempting to reshore.

What Trump is suggesting, at least broadly, wouldn’t be the first time a government has applied tariffs to a single corporation.

Throughout history, the U.S. has placed tariffs on everything from Chinese-made solar panels to Canadian lumber to protect and ensure the growth trajectory of domestic competitors.

However it is the first time a president has threatened a domestic U.S. company with tariffs for goods it produces overseas.

“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Friday morning.

“If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.”

The fact that no one has ever tried to do something like this before acknowledges just how unprecedented Trump’s threats are.

Some economists say it is damaging to the U.S. consumer and stock market.

As Apple produces nearly 90% of its entire product stack from within China’s borders, this clearly presents a problem for the company.

In February of this year, Tim Cook made loose promises that Apple plans to restore over $500 billion worth of manufacturing to the US over the next four years.

This timeline feels suspiciously convenient on its own, but Trump has decided to put even more pressure on Cupertino to bring jobs back home nonetheless.

What are analysts saying about next steps?

Ahead of Trump’s latest amendment to global trade policy, Dan Ives, global lead of technology research at financial services firm Wedbush Securities, told CNN in April that bringing iPhone manufacturing back to the U.S. wasn’t much more than “a fictional tale.”

“You build that (supply chain) in the U.S. with a fab in West Virginia and New Jersey. They’ll be $3,500 iPhones,” he said.

Ives also addressed the sheer logistical nightmare, saying it would take more than three years and $30 billion just to get 10% of the supply chain back to US shores.

Whether a tariff or the cost of reshoring is applied, the end result is a more expensive iPhone, MacBook, iMac, or Vision Pro for you or someone in your family going forward.

Would you even want a U.S.-made iPhone?

If there’s one tech story that points to the potential pitfalls of Trump’s overall strategy for the U.S. tech industry, it’s Intel.

Over the past half decade, the company has lost almost 65% of its total value, a decrease driven by AMD’s surprise chiplet attack, which threw one of America’s most stable blue chip stocks into abrupt, and up to now seemingly unending, chaos.

AMD had spent the better part of its history trailing Intel in sales, innovation, performance, and reliability. However, the company’s growing partnership with Taiwan’s chip fab specialists, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, created a new attack point.

One where the engineering, programming, and design of a chip could be handled stateside, while TSMC would shoulder the actual chip fabrication.

A split set of duties allows companies like AMD or Nvidia to offshore many of the dirtier, more heavily regulated parts of producing chips to other regions, while hiring talent willing to work in buildings not attached to silicon manufacturing floors in the United States.

Meanwhile, Intel continued to expand domestic fabrication in places like Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, and others for years before the CHIPS Act was even a thing.

Famously, the company stumbled significantly from the 10nm to 7nm production process (to the tune of billions of dollars). AMD eventually seized its opportunity to close the gap between the two chipmakers.

Everyone else is doing it, so why can’t Apple?

AMD’s model isn’t unique, of course. Nvidia, Apple, and even a modernized Intel all have to rely heavily, if not entirely, on Taiwan and TSMC to manufacture a significant portion of the chips backed by their engineering and design efforts.

Designing a product in the U.S. and manufacturing it abroad has become a core component of the NAFTA-driven economic model since Clinton first passed the bill in the 90s. As such, it’s almost strange for Apple to be singled out the way it has been, considering how many of its direct competitors do the exact same thing.

In all likelihood, Trump, who famously said “everything’s computer," is no expert on technology trade. This lack of awareness likely allows underdogs like AMD, and even more confusing tech prospects like Nvidia, to fly under the 78-year-old’s radar in what’s become the status quo for any Silicon Valley company that wants to keep the lights on these days.

Currently, the only company seemingly capable of usurping Apple’s claim to the number one most valuable company is Nvidia, another tech giant that’s doing the exact same thing Trump claims to be against.

However, one thing Apple doesn’t have that Nvidia does is the backing of everyone around them. What’s suitable for Nvidia is good for the world (or the U.S.). So even rivals like Meta, Tesla, and Amazon still line up next to one another to sing the hardware maker’s praises.

At the same time, they also commit to a competing AI arms race of biblical proportions against each other.

Whether Apple’s 25% tariff is real, enforceable, or something Trump will even care about next week is likely a whim left to the courts and whatever Fox News complained about last night.

But if the company does get stuck with a new sticker price, it could face even fiercer competition from rivals like Samsung and lose shares to domestic winners like AMD, Intel, and Nvidia, which are just as complicit in offshoring US manufacturing as Apple but still somehow manage to escape Trump’s ire.

More from Laptop Mag

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• Lenovo's CEO has spoken: Tariffs aren't a challenge. It's something else.

Legendary ex-Apple designer Jony Ive is teaming up with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, but what exactly they're working on remains a mystery.

Almost a year ago, Ive, the former VP of Hardware Engineering at Apple, announced he was working on a new AI project and collaborating with OpenAI. Now it looks like that collaboration is set in stone — OpenAI has acquire "io", Ive's AI startup.

The acquisition hints at long-term plans for some sort of AI hardware, although Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman kept things pretty quiet about the exact nature of the hardware in a video released on Wednesday.

A couple of rumors hint that Ive and OpenAI may be planning to take on one of the most ill-fated categories in tech in recent years: AI gadgets.

See also: Best phone deals in May 2025

OpenAI and former Apple designer Jony Ive team up for mysterious AI project

Ive and Altman's joint announcement reveals that OpenAI's acquisition is the latest update in their collaboration over the past year.

Together, they've been developing some type of new AI device, although details are sparse on what exactly that is.

The pair chatted about the project in a video included in the announcement, waxing poetic about their AI dreams.

"I have a growing sense that everything I have learned over the last 30 years has led me to this moment," Ive said in the video, set in a San Francisco cafe. "The values and vision of Sam and the teams at OpenAI and io are a rare inspiration."

Altman seems just as eager to work with the legendary Apple alum, stating, "I hope we can bring some of the delight, wonder, and creative spirit that I first felt using an Apple Computer 30 years ago."

Ive and Altman shared little to nothing about the specifics of their AI project, but some rumors already hint at what to expect.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported on X on Thursday that the AI device Ive and Altman are developing has "a form factor as compact and elegant as an iPod Shuffle."

It will be designed to be worn like a necklace and include cameras and microphones, but it will not include a display. Instead, it will rely on a connected smartphone or PC for computing and display capabilities.

While Altman and Ive have not officially confirmed that description, it paints a vivid image.

It's clearly some type of AI device, which doesn't come as much of a surprise. However, what will be surprising is if Ive and Altman can deliver an AI gadget that succeeds where a few others have already flopped.

Are AI gadgets destined to flop? Don't ask the Rabbit R1 or Humane AI pin

In 2024, we saw two purpose-made AI devices rise to stardom only to flop shortly after due to a mix of defects, poor functionality, and even melting chargers (yes, really).

Of course, we're referring to the ill-fated Rabbit R1 and the Humane AI pin. Both were among the first physical devices explicitly built for AI, but neither was able to catch on.

The Humane AI pin was awkward to use and too expensive for most people. The Rabbit R1 didn't offer enough unique features, and its AI often struggled to answer questions accurately or perform basic tasks.

On a bigger-picture level, neither of these AI gadgets could find a foothold because our phones are already so good at doing the same things.

AI apps can do everything these AI gadgets can, so why bother paying hundreds of dollars for a second device that does less?

This question will be crucial for Ive and Altman to answer effectively if they want to change the narrative around AI gadgets. Ive may have found success at Apple for designing some of the brand's most iconic devices, but he also designed the Magic Mouse, which infamously has its charging port awkwardly placed on the bottom.

So, as brilliant as Ive may be, this new AI device isn't a guaranteed win. With that said, if anyone can design an AI gadget you actually want to use, it's probably him.

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When Apple opened its first retail stores in Tysons, Virginia, and Glendale, California, back in 2001, the goal was to let people touch the tech and connect with it in a way that glossy print ads never could.

While your local Apple Store may still be a bustling place on the regular, the retail world has changed a lot over the past twenty-four years.

Online shopping dominates, and most of us have giddily traded the instant gratification of immediately leaving a store with product in hand for the one-click convenience of cashing out your virtual shopping cart in your PJs, only for your shiny new iPhone or AirPods to show up on your doorstep a few days later.

But what if there was a third option? One with the benefits of both?

What if you could buy an iPhone, AirPods, or a new set of Apple AirTags in your PJs, step outside, and have them rain down from the sky into your eager arms within the hour?

You could call it the most literal version of AirDrop to date.

And, in parts of the U.S., you can now call it a reality — thanks to Amazon.

See more: Apple Memorial Day deals 2025

Your new iPhone has been cleared for landing

If you've ever ordered an Apple product online, you're probably well aware of the usual routine: confirmation email, obsessive tracking, and the anxiety loop of peering out of the window every five minutes while your parcel is "out for delivery" — lest you be plundered by porch pirates.

However, in a handful of U.S. cities, some Apple products are skipping the store, skipping the delivery truck, and skipping the porch entirely.

Instead, they're arriving by air.

Skipping the Apple Store for Amazon is already something of a surreal experience. It's a bit like finding your new-age vegan nutritionist slipping Big Macs into bags behind the counter at McDonald's.

However, that experience is set to get all the more unique following the FAA's approval for Amazon to deliver several new categories of products by drone, including iPhones, AirPods, and AirTags — joining more than 60,000 other eligible products ready to arrive by air.

According to Amazon, the entire delivery process takes just 60 minutes or less, with customers able to select the drone delivery option through the Amazon Shopping app.

At which point, one of Amazon's MK30 drones will secure your package, take flight, and head towards your preferred delivery spot, which could be your driveway or yard. Once at the location, Amazon's drone drops to a height of 13 feet, scanning for any obstacles (including cars or pets), before safely dropping your (cushioned) parcel for collection.

What's next

At present, Amazon's drone delivery service is only available for a select catalog of items and in the following areas:

• College Station, Texas
• West Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona

However, Amazon is testing the program in other areas and looks to scale its drone delivery service to more states and cities across the U.S. over the coming months and years.

Given the MK30 drone's 5 lbs weight limit, we may not be too far off from a day when your next MacBook Air doesn't only earn its moniker from its lightweight build, but also its method of delivery.

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After years of legal battles, Fortnite is finally back on iOS and iPadOS, and it has already become the number one free game on the App Store!

That shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering Fortnite is one of the most popular games in the world, across PC, console, and now mobile.

This huge win for Fortnite fans is the result of a lawsuit Epic Games has been waging against Apple since 2020, following the game's ejection from the App Store after developer Epic Games subverted Apple's payment system for in-app purchases.

However, earlier this month, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple must allow app developers the opportunity to use third-party payment systems — even if that means Apple misses out on a share of the profits.

As a result, Fortnite has finally returned to iPhones and iPads (despite several hiccups along the way).

But before you jump into a match, you might want to check out one game-changing gadget that's so good it feels like a cheat code, taking my mobile gaming experience to the next level.

See also: Best Apple deals in May 2025

Fortnite returns to iOS — and this mobile controller is the best way to play it

Mobile gaming isn't always the best experience, especially if you're used to PC or console.

Touch screen controls lack the precision of a controller or keyboard and mouse. Luckily, I've been using a fantastic accessory that has transformed my mobile gaming experience, and might just be the key to getting more wins in Fortnite on your iPhone.

That accessory would be the Razer Kishi Ultra. I initially picked up this controller to see how the iPad Mini 7 fared with mobile games, but I've been using it on a near-daily basis for weeks now with my phone, too.

In fact, I just finished a complete playthrough of Death's Door on Android with the Kishi Ultra, and it was hands-down the best mobile gaming experience I've ever had.

With Fortnite back on iOS, it's the perfect time to try out the Kishi Ultra for yourself. You could connect any old Xbox or PlayStation controller to your phone and get vastly better precision and gameplay than using the touch controls. But if you want the best experience, the Kishi Ultra simply can't be beat.

For years, I used an Xbox controller with my phone and iPad. It worked, but the ergonomics leave a lot to be desired, and lugging around a separate controller is not exactly ideal for gaming on the go.

Thankfully, the Razer Kishi Ultra clips securely around your phone, plugging into the USB Type-C charging port, for a form factor that's a lot like a handheld gaming PC. It's much easier to hold and travel with compared to the Frankenstein setup of a regular controller with a phone stand.

You may be thinking, why shell out $149 for the Kishi Ultra over a less expensive Backbone controller with a similar design? A few reasons.

First, the Kishi Ultra is a physically larger controller than the Backbone, with sculpted grips that feel very similar to a traditional controller, making it a much better fit for folks with larger hands (or anyone who values quality ergonomics).

The Kishi Ultra also has much better quality buttons and sticks than most mobile controllers, as Razer uses the same hardware found in its premium PC and console controllers.

Plus, the Razer Nexus app allows you to connect to cloud gaming services so you aren't forced to go through a browser (you can also use Nexus to view all your mobile games and customize the Kishi's RGB).

All of that to say, the best Fortnite experience comes via a controller-like experience, and the best one you can buy right now is the Razer Kishi Ultra.

Could Fortnite's return be the start of a mobile gaming renaissance?

If you haven't been following mobile gaming in the past several years since Fortnite's exile began, you may be wondering if it's even worth playing on mobile anymore. After all, aren't most mobile games little more than shovelware bloated with micro-transactions?

Not anymore.

Fortnite's return is incredibly well-timed and lands squarely amid a rising tide of great games arriving on mobile from other platforms.

Netflix Gaming has ported over dozens of fantastic games, like Death's Door and Hades, that you can play on your phone for no extra charge if you're a Netflix subscriber. There's also Apple Arcade, which is introducing mobile versions of games like Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Plenty of great indie games are also available on mobile, like Dredge, Stardew Valley, Wildfrost, Dead Cells, and even Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

We're even starting to see AAA games make their way to mobile, like Assassin's Creed Mirage.

There's truly never been a better time to get into mobile gaming. Sure, there are still countless low-quality games filled with ads (and little else) flooding the mobile gaming space. But more and more diamonds are appearing in the rough.

With certain App Store restrictions gone, there's a strong chance we'll see even more great games arrive on mobile in the months and years ahead.

Whether you're new to gaming, looking for an affordable way to game, or just want some fun titles to play on the go, now is the time to see what mobile gaming has to offer.

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Memorial Day is just days away and Amazon like just about every other retailer in the U.S. is having a preliminary celebratory sale. Beyond mattresses, patio furniture, and outdoor grills for this weekend's Memorial Day cookouts, Amazon is slashing prices on our Apple's premium MacBooks.

In an apparent Memorial Day deals preview, Amazon slashes one of the most coveted Apple M4 MacBook Air configurations to an all-time low price.

Browse: Amazon's entire sale

Right now, you can get the M4 MacBook Air with 24GB of RAM and 512GB SSD for $1,229 at Amazon. That's $170 off its normal price of $1,399 and the lowest ever price for this caliber MacBook. By comparison, it undercuts Best Buy's current price for this same MacBook by $70.

This is one of the best Memorial Day MacBook deals up for grabs today.

If we're talking personal computers, the M4 MacBook Air is the best overall laptop to buy in 2025, period.

In our M4 MacBook Air review, we liked its excellent performance, bright Liquid Retina display, and long battery life, which lasted 15 hours and 30 minutes in one test. We also praised its superior webcam and new lower price point, rating it a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

It's the Editor's Choice laptop for students, remote workers, and traveling professionals.

As a cheaper alternative, you can get the base model M4 MacBook Air for $848 ($151 off) from PC Richard & Son.

If you find yourself having a lot of tabs open at once and have a tendency to max out your storage, the M4 MacBook Air with 24GB of RAM and 512GB might be right for you. Especially now at this tempting deal price.

Today's best M4 MacBook Air deal

Despite Apple hyping up its next-gen AI assistant for nearly a year, the revamped Siri won’t take the stage at WWDC 2025. While fans were expecting the digital sidekick to finally get large language model smarts, insiders say the reboot is months behind schedule, and maybe even years behind the competition.

Instead, Apple will release a modest update to Apple Intelligence, its suite of AI features sprinkled across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Siri? It's still stuck in the past.

Where's Siri?

When Apple introduced Apple Intelligence last June, the company pitched it as “AI for the rest of us.” At the center of it all was a smarter Siri: One that could read emails, navigate your schedule, and understand natural language in a way the current assistant can’t.

But what Apple didn’t say during that slick WWDC presentation was that the Siri demo was just a concept video. The real-world version? Buggy, unreliable, and nowhere near ready for primetime. By the time Apple’s senior execs ran internal tests on iOS 18.4 this spring, key features like voice-based ID retrieval weren’t even functioning.

With ongoing struggles that show no sign of letting up, Siri’s AI revamp is now delayed indefinitely. Apple has since pulled several TV ads showing off capabilities that still don’t exist. It’s an embarrassing miss — one that has sparked internal frustration and even a class-action lawsuit over false advertising.

A culture clash with AI

So what went wrong? In short, Apple’s traditional development culture collided head-on with the chaotic speed of modern AI.

Apple likes to ship finished, polished products, not beta experiences. It updates software once a year and obsesses over control and curation. But AI doesn’t work that way. LLMs are iterative, messy, and require huge datasets and rapid deployment cycles to improve. It’s a world built on risk and scale, and these are two things Apple has historically avoided.

Compounding the problem is the company’s strict privacy stance. While rivals like OpenAI and Meta train their models on oceans of user data, Apple’s hands are tied. That means it must rely on synthetic or licensed data, limiting how fast and how well it can train AI.

Looking behind the curtain

Internally, Siri’s team has struggled to get the assistant’s two brains — the old codebase and the new AI-powered features — to play nicely together. Apple sources describe it as a “whack-a-mole” situation: squash one bug, three more pop up. Integration issues have brought development to a crawl.

Apple’s head of AI, John Giannandrea, has taken much of the heat. Brought in from Google in 2018 to turbocharge Apple’s machine learning, he has since been sidelined from Siri’s development. The new face of Siri development is Mike Rockwell, the executive behind the Vision Pro headset. Whether he can steer the project back on track remains to be seen.

One thing’s for sure: The missed deadline is more than a technical hiccup; it’s a reputational risk. Eddy Cue, Apple’s head of services, reportedly warned that AI could do to the iPhone what the iPhone did to Nokia.

What's next?

At WWDC (June 9-13,2025), don’t expect Siri to headline. Instead, Apple will showcase new Apple Intelligence features, like an AI-enhanced battery mode and a virtual health coach, while continuing to push iOS 19 toward a fall release.

As for Siri, Apple is now working on a fully LLM-powered version, internally dubbed “LLM Siri,” that may eventually rival ChatGPT in conversational ability. But that won’t be ready for months — and let's face it, probably longer.

In the meantime, Apple is preparing to decouple Siri from its Apple Intelligence branding. A tacit admission, perhaps, that the name Siri no longer inspires much confidence.

More from Laptop Mag

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Apple might be focusing its efforts on the iPhone thanks to the current tariff situation, but it does have other popular devices that it's working to improve upon with newer versions.

One of its most popular lines of devices is the AirPods. Last year, Apple sold more than $18 billion in AirPods, and it appears a new version could be coming next year.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted on Sunday about the next iteration of the AirPods. He predicts a new version won't be coming until sometime next year.

"AirPods may not see significant updates until 2026 (aligning with my earlier prediction that IR camera-equipped AirPods would enter mass production in 2026)," Kuo wrote.

The addition of cameras to the earbuds would be used for gathering data for AI. Visual info picked up by the cameras would give an AI more details about the environment, which could be used for some features although no details have surfaced about what those features could be.

Earlier in the week, a string of code was discovered in an Apple update that is being viewed as a leak of the release of the AirPods Pro 3, as reported by 9to5Mac. The snippet of code referencing a task changed from saying "This task requires Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation" to "This task requires Apple AirPods Pro 2 or later." This change doesn't mean a new version of the earbuds is right around the corner, but it does hint that they're being worked on.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about new versions of the AirPods.

The AirPods already have some interesting changes coming thanks to AI. Apple plans on using the earbuds to incorporate new health features such as checking a user's temperature, heart-rate monitoring, and other biometric data. The company also wants to bring live translation to the AirPods later this year. And just last year, Apple added a hearing aid feature to the earbuds as well.

What's next for AirPods Max?

The AirPods weren't the only device Kuo mentioned in his tweet. He also said a new version of the AirPods Max would also be coming.

"A lighter version of the AirPods Max is expected to enter mass production in 2027," he wrote.

The current iteration of the AirPods Max came out in 2020 with only a few changes made since then such as going from Lightning to USB-C, slight changes to the build, and more colors.

Back in 2023, Kuo predicted that the AirPods Max 2 would come out in 2025. That ended up not being the case, although it's unclear what might have caused this two-year delay by Apple.

Apple has been scrambling to deal with the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump in early April. The company has taken steps ranging from cargo flights full of phones to ramping up production in countries without high tariffs.

iPhone production in India is on the rise to meet the large number of phones needed when the next iPhone comes out in the fall, but it appears that Trump isn't a fan of the move. Trump was speaking at a business roundtable in Doha, Qatar, when the subject of Apple and its shifting production of the iPhone came up.

“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump said on May 15, according to CNBC. “I said to him, ‘My friend, I treated you very good. You’re coming here with $500 billion, but now I hear you’re building all over India.’ I don’t want you building in India.”

The $500 billion Trump is referring to is the investment in the U.S. that Apple committed to back in February.

“I said to Tim, I said, ‘Tim look, we treated you really good, we put up with all the plants that you build in China for years, now you got build us. We’re not interested in you building in India, India can take care of themselves ... we want you to build here,'" the president said.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for a statement on Trump's comment.

Apple's tariff problem

It comes as no surprise that the tariffs could have a big impact on the price of an iPhone. An iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1 TB of storage could easily cost more than $2,000, while manufacturing an iPhone in the U.S. could push the price of the phone to more than $3,000.

While moving production of the iPhone to the U.S. is unlikely, Apple's partner for its chips, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), has already begun chip production in Arizona as a way to avoid dealing with potential tariffs. However, that move may still lead to a price increase due to the higher costs of manufacturing in the U.S.

Even with the current freeze on tariffs across the board that included smartphones, and a reduction of tariffs on China that was announced earlier in the week, Apple is reportedly evaluating whether to raise the price of iPhones, according to the Wall Street Journal. The report cites sources who say that the company is looking to increase the price tag due to the new features and design of the next iPhone.

Memorial Day isn't until May 26, and like many retailers, Amazon Memorial Day deals are starting early. If you were hoping to snag a price break on a new tablet this season, it's not too soon to save.

For instance, you can get the latest Apple iPad mini 7 for just $399 on Amazon right now. It usually costs $499, so that's $100 off and the iPad mini 7's lowest price ever on Amazon to date.

It's also one of the best iPad deals I've seen over the past five months.

Browse: Amazon's entire sale

See also: Apple Memorial Day sales 2025

Whether you want to complement your iPhone or gift a grad, the iPad mini 7 is one of the best tablets to buy.

While we didn't get our hands on one to test, iPad mini 7 reviews are overall positive. Critics and owners alike praise its fast performance, quality build, and solid 10-hour battery life. Featuring Apple Intelligence support, the iPad mini 7 has the edge over the 11th-generation iPad, which lacks it.

Now $100 off, the iPad mini 7 is a wise choice if you want a compact, powerful, premium, AI tablet for everyday carry.

Here's an overview of the iPad mini 7:

Today's best iPad mini 7 deal

Fortnite, one of the most popular video games of all time, is available on practically every platform you can think of. Every platform, except Apple's.

If your birth year starts with the digits '197' or lower, or gaming is one of the many dark arts of computing you've never had much time for, then you're probably sat there thinking "Why did you misspell fortnight?" In which case, here's why this matters.

Fortnite is a free-to-play "battle royale" video game developed by Epic Games that sees 100 players duke it out until only one remains. It's a cultural phenomenon, and has been since its original release in September 2017.

It's launched the career of streamers who play it, crossed over with just about every IP you can imagine, hosted virtual concerts, and, more importantly, generates billions of dollars in revenue for Epic Games each year.

It's a game that practically prints money, and for the longest time, Epic Games and Apple were happy to mutually benefit from it.

Right up until Epic Games tried to sidestep Apple's 30% App Store tax, anyway.

Since then, Apple has been providing Epic Games with the cold shoulder, blocking Fortnite from its App Store entirely. And just as things were seeming to thaw, with Fortnite on the precipice of returning to iOS and iPadOS devices, Apple has pulled the plug once again.

And this time, Fortnite is down worldwide on iOS, not just in the states.

Apple vs. Epic: The battle royale, behind the battle royale

This company cat fight all began in 2020, when Epic Games attempted to subvert Apple's cut of the profits by implementing its own payment option — cutting out the middleman to directly profit from the sale of battle passes, skins, and emotes from Fortnite's in-game store.

None-too-pleased, Apple prompty gave Fortnite the boot, cutting iPhone and iPad users out of the action.

A long-running legal battle ensued, with Epic Games desperate to find a return to Apple's App Store, and reconnecting with rich vein of capital in the process.

During that time, it would seem that Fortnite was named after the total amount of time that could pass before the two began butting heads all over again.

However, an April ruling prohibited Apple from restricting Epic's use of external payment systems, blowing the doors wide open for Fortnite's return to the App Store — with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney proclaiming on X: "We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week."

Unfortunately, after resubmitting the game to the US App Store, Epic Games has announced in a post on X that "Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union," adding: "Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."

What's next

At the time of writing, Fortnite remains completely absent from iOS and iPadOS App Stores, and the Epic Game Store in the EU, where the game made its return last year thanks to EU regulations that forced Apple's hand on allowing third-party app stores.

In the meantime, those looking for their Fortnite fix on mobile can do so through cloud gaming platforms like Nvidia GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

However, while Apple will likely have to eventually relent on Fortnite access for EU gamers once again, the game's availability in the U.S. is once again up in the air. For those stateside, the only thing we can say for certain is this: Apple really doesn't want you playing Fortnite on iPhone — and its legal squabbles with Epic Games may be far from over.

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