The best deals on MacBooks right now

The best deals on MacBooks right now

Some of the latest M3 MacBooks are on sale, plus upgraded Mac Minis are near all-time lows. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Apple sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. The offerings start with the 13-inch MacBook Air from 2020 at $999 and go all the way up to the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro starting at $2,499. But finding a deal on a current Mac with an M1, M2, or even the new M3 chip — as well as the higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max — is actually not that difficult.

While Macs may not experience perpetual discounts, it’s not uncommon to see various current models discounted by as much as $400. Alternatively, purchasing refurbished options directly from Apple is another way to save money without as much waiting for the changing winds of deals to blow your way. Apple’s refurbished store provides a one-year warranty on all products and generally offers discounts of up to 15 to 20 percent off the price of a new unit.

But if you want to buy new and you’re looking to save whatever you can, here are the best MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini deals available right now.

The best MacBook Air deals

M1 MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop. It’s best suited for typical productivity work, with a comfortable keyboard, an excellent trackpad, and all-day battery life. The redesigned M2 version of the MacBook Air has been with us for a bit — there’s now even a 15-inch M2 Air — but the 2020 version with an M1 processor and fanless design remains in the lineup as the budget option. For many people, the M1 Air still ticks the right boxes when it comes to performance and price, even if it’s long enough in the tooth to have been fully dethroned in our guide to the best laptops.

The base MacBook Air with the M1 chip comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It typically sells for $999, but Amazon and Best Buy are currently discounting it to $749.99 ($250 off), matching its lowest price to date. The M1 Air may be a few years old now but it’s still hard to beat in terms of value — especially when it comes to everyday performance and battery life.

M2 MacBook Air

As for the newer, fancier 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip, the base model with 256GB of storage and an eight-core GPU recently received a price drop. Along with introducing a 15-inch M2 Air during WWDC last year, Apple announced that the 13-inch model now starts at $1,099 instead of $1,199.

As for deals, the 13-incher is currently selling for $949 ($150 off) at B&H Photo with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You can also get it with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage at B&H Photo for $1,099 ($200 off) or the 16GB RAM, 512GB storage model from B&H Photo for $1,299 ($200 off). Heavier users can jump up to the 10-core / 16GB / 512GB SSD configuration for $1,399 at B&H Photo ($200 off).

The M2 MacBook Air is a super slim and light laptop, one that comes with a 1080p webcam that’s actually usable and a handy magnetic charger that frees up one of its two USB-C ports. Its M2 processor didn’t kick-start a revolution like the M1 generation, but it’s a great performer for any user outside of more demanding creatives.

It does have some slight downsides, like slower storage in the base 256GB configuration and a notch cutout in its otherwise excellent screen. But even so, there hasn’t been a more travel-friendly laptop offered by Apple since the days of the polarizing 12-inch MacBook, and this one’s good enough to be the No. 1 laptop we now recommend in our buying guide.

The newer 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 is a lot like a blown-up 13-inch Air, and judging from our glowing review, there’s nothing wrong with that. Like its smaller counterpart, it has an M2 chip, two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, MagSafe charging, and its base model comes with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM. But it differs by having a larger, 15.3-inch notched screen with 2880 x 1864 resolution, six speakers instead of four, a 10-core GPU that costs extra on the 13-inch, and a higher starting price of $1,299. Bumping up to a larger, faster 512GB of storage will run you $1,499.

Surprisingly, the 15-inch M2 Air started receiving some discounts even before it shipped, which let early adopters save between $50 and $100. As of right now, Best Buy has the best deals we can find across several configurations, such as the 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD model that’s down to $999 ($300 off). Best Buy also has the 8GB / 512GB model down to $1,199 ($300 off) and 16GB of RAM with a 1TB SSD for $1,499 ($400 off).

The best MacBook Pro deals

The MacBook Pro line is once again in a transitional phase. Apple announced Macs using a new M3 processor at its “Scary Fast” event in October, including a new 14-inch MacBook Pro that replaces the 13-inch M2 model. That means Touch Bar Macs are finally dead, but some of those outgoing M2 models are still available for now. You’ll find any deals on them further down, but first, let’s focus on the new M3 generation.

M3 and M3 Pro MacBook Pro

The new entry point into the MacBook Pro world is a MagSafe-equipped MacBook Pro that uses the existing 14-inch design and slightly pares it down. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro has the same 3024 x 1964 resolution display and 120Hz refresh rate as its pricier siblings, and in addition to a MagSafe charging port, it has an SD card slot and HDMI port. However, it starts with just 8GB of RAM and lacks the third USB-C / Thunderbolt port found on the M3 Pro and M3 Max models (as well as Thunderbolt 4 speeds).

The M3 MacBook Pro may be a bit of an odd middle child in some ways, but it’s still a very good laptop — especially if you can get it on a deal that puts more price distance between it and the M3 Pro version. The base model with 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM on sale has been as much as $200 off. If you can’t wait for that deal to come back around, you can find it at Amazon and B&H Photo for only a smidge more at $1,449 ($150 off).

The 1TB configuration with 8GB of RAM is also selling for its all-time low of $1,599 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo, while the configuration with a 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM is selling for $1,599 ($200 off) at B&H Photo. That said, if you plan on going with a higher-spec configuration than that, you’ll likely want to spring for the M3 Pro model instead (see below).

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros for late 2023 are another round of spec-bump models, much like their previous 2022 incarnations. Now starting with the M3 Pro chip (or the speedier M3 Max) and 18GB of base RAM instead of 16GB, the new models remain targeted at creatives doing content work like video editing, photo processing, and other graphical work. Like their predecessors and the M1 Pro generation before that, they offer MagSafe charging, three USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI-out, and a full-size SD card slot, with prices starting at $1,999 for the 14-inch and $2,499 for the 16-inch. You can, of course, spec them up the wazoo if you’re willing to pay more, as exhibited by the review unit Apple sent us of the 16-inch model, which cost an eye-watering $7,199.

While these models are still quite new, versions that actual humans buy have begun receiving discounts. The 14-inch MacBook Pro in its base configuration with the M3 Pro (11-core CPU / 14-core GPU), 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD is currently on sale for $1,799 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo. You can also step up to the version with 1TB of storage and a 12-core / 18-core M3 Pro for $2,149 in space black at B&H Photo, or $2,199 ($200 off) in silver at Amazon and B&H Photo.

If you need more horsepower, you’ll want to consider the 14-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro (14-core CPU / 30-core GPU) with 36GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, which is going for $2,999 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo.

As for the base 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro (12-core CPU / 18-core GPU), 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, it’s selling for $2,299 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo. If you need the 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Max (14-core CPU / 30-core GPU) in this size, the starting configuration with a 1TB SSD and 36GB of RAM has fallen to $3,299 ($200 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo.

M2 Pro MacBook Pro

As for the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros from early 2023 with M2 Pro / Max processors, they’re still more than capable — they may even be a better buy than the new models if you can find them at a steep discount. Right now, however, the only viable deal we can find on a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro in new condition is at B&H Photo, where you can grab a silver model with a 10-core M2 Pro chip with 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM for $1,799 ($200 off) or an upgraded 12-core M2 Pro chip with the same memory configuration in space gray for $1,999 ($300 off). We’d recommend the M3 Pro model, though, seeing as it’s currently on sale for less.

Sadly, the situation isn’t much better for the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro. The best (and only) deal available right now on the creator-friendly laptop in new condition is at B&H Photo, where you can grab the M2 Pro model with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD in silver for $2,849 ($200 off) or in space gray for $2,899 ($200 off). That’s not great and we’d sooner recommend a lesser model at full price if you don’t need that much memory. Hopefully, we’ll see better deals as retailers work to clear inventory on other configurations.

M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro

For now, the older 2021 MacBook Pros can occasionally be had for some steep discounts that actually make a two-generation-old laptop still worth considering. You’re unlikely to find any base models still kicking around, but if you want a souped-up configuration on the cheap, you may be in luck.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro from 2021 with an M1 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM, and an expanded 1TB of storage is available at B&H Photo for $1,849 ($850 off). You also can find a 16-inch M1 Max model (32-core GPU) with 1TB of storage and 32GB of RAM at B&H Photo for $2,499 ($1,000 off). Deals and inventory on new M1-based MacBooks are rare to come by these days, but keep checking back as we continue to monitor availability.

The best Mac Mini deals

The latest Mac Mini comes in a base configuration with Apple’s M2 processor or in a more powerful configuration with the M2 Pro. It’s an excellent upgrade to one of the most affordable yet performant desktop computers you can get (as long as gaming isn’t your priority). The M2 Mac Mini starts with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $599, while the M2 Pro model features a superior processor plus gigabit ethernet, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,299.

The latter model also features an expanded port selection, from two USB-C ports to four. It’s almost like getting an M2 Pro-powered MacBook Pro 14 but in desktop form. However, keep in mind that buying any Mac Mini means you have to provide your own mouse, keyboard, and monitor.

Right now, Amazon and B&H Photo have the base M2 Mac Mini with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $499.99 ($100 off). You can also buy an upgraded 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD model at B&H Photo for $719 ($80 off) or an 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD model at Amazon for $689 when clipping a coupon and at B&H Photo for $699 ($100 off).

The beefier base M2 Pro model with 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM, meanwhile, is currently going for $1,149.99 ($150 off) at Amazon when clipping the coupon, and $1,199 ($100 off) at B&H Photo. If you want 1TB, you can pay $1,349 ($150 off) at B&H Photo. There’s also a version with 512GB of storage and 32GB of RAM at B&H Photo for $1,599 ($100 off). The M2 Mac Mini remains a great value for a desktop computer, with the M2 Pro version functioning like a baby Mac Studio for much less.

It’s about to get even harder to buy some of Disney’s weirdest movies on Blu-ray

It’s about to get even harder to buy some of Disney’s weirdest movies on Blu-ray

The Verge

Disney is ending Disney Movie Club, the subscription service and online store where fans could buy Blu-ray or DVDs of films from the House of Mouse. The Digital Bits is reporting that the closure follows a new deal that Disney has signed with Sony, under which Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will take over all physical media production. The news of Disney Movie Club’s shuttering was delivered to the service’s 10 million US users by email, as well as the service’s website on Tuesday.

“We’ve enjoyed serving you for the last 23 years, but consumer behavior and viewing preferences continue to evolve so we have made the tough decision to close Disney Movie Club,” wrote Disney Movie Club in a statement viewed by The Wrap. Disney Movie Club users will have until May 20th to place their last orders, and Disney will officially end the service on July 20th.

First launched in 2001, the Disney Movie Club offered fans access to a vast selection of Disney’s physical media library, including titles from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and 20th Century Studios. New members who signed up for a two-year contract would receive their first four titles for $1, under the condition they purchase at least five other films for full price for the remainder of the contract, noted Disney Trippers in its review.

Although Disney Movie Club’s prices were often higher than that of physical retail stores or Amazon, the size of its library was unmatched. For fans of older or hard-to-find Disney films that aren’t available to stream, purchasing a DVD from the Disney Movie Club was sometimes the only option to view the film at home (unless they stumbled upon an old copy on eBay or elsewhere). The service also offered extra perks for members, such as special editions or exclusive prizes.

For some Mouseketeers, the writing has been on the wall. Disney shut down the service in Canada last October, citing “declining membership” as a factor. Only a couple of months prior in August, Disney halted production of DVDs and Blu-ray discs in Australia and New Zealand.

Many families and Disney Adults likely replaced Disney Movie Club with the Disney Plus streaming service, which launched in 2019. But since not all of Disney Movie Club’s selection was available on Disney Plus, some fans kept both services. Especially given that Disney and other streamers remove titles on occasion, buying a physical copy of a beloved film or show eliminates the risk it will one day disappear forever. Outside of Disney Movie Club, Disney super fans and collectors commonly turn to Amazon, eBay, or physical media resale sites for vintage or hard-to-find Disney films.

Consumption of physical media has been on a free fall for over a decade, coinciding with the widespread availability of streaming services and digital rentals and purchases. It took a particularly serious hit in 2023. Combined sales and rentals of physical media (including DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and 4K Ultra HDs) dropped by more than a quarter (25.3 percent) last year in the US, according to estimates from the Digital Entertainment Group.

Given that Sony is taking over Disney’s physical media operation, Disney fans in the US will still have some sort of option to purchase DVDs and Blu-ray discs. But it’s unclear what exactly this new offering will look like, and whether Sony will scale back Disney’s physical media offerings or continue to make the same titles available.

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Fujifilm announces the X100VI, its follow-up to a TikTok sensation

Fujifilm announces the X100VI, its follow-up to a TikTok sensation

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

Fujifilm’s X100V became so wildly popular that it felt like the camera was endlessly backordered at every camera retailer around. On the secondary market, prices for the rangefinder-style mirrorless camera shot up into truly silly territory after it had a big viral moment on TikTok. The X100V was so in demand that Fujifilm could’ve taken the easy route for a successor and still been guaranteed to have a hit on its hands.

The new model, being announced today, looks practically the same on the outside, but the X100VI includes meaningful improvements that will make it a more capable camera — in far more shooting environments — than any previous entrant in the X100 series. The flip side to those upgrades is that the price has climbed by $200 to a new MSRP of $1,599. That’s not far off from the X-T5, but the two cameras serve very different purposes: the X-T5 is an interchangeable lens system, whereas here, you’re getting a 23mm f/2 fixed lens.

Image: Fujifilm

The X100VI offers twice the resolution of the X100V and adds in-body image stabilization.

Like the X-T5 and X-H2 before it, the X100VI has jumped up to a 40-megapixel sensor, which provides greater cropping leeway and editing flexibility. Having more resolution to work with is great and all, but a more impressive upgrade is that Fujifilm has built in-body image stabilization (IBIS) into this camera. You get up to six stops of stabilization help for those scenarios where you want to keep the shutter speed as slow as possible while preserving image sharpness.

But Fujifilm hasn’t upgraded everything. The X100VI sticks with a UHS-1 SD card slot — pretty slow for a camera this expensive — and it uses the same battery as the X100V rather than the bulkier (and much longer-lasting) battery that’s present in the company’s other models. The latter choice was made to preserve the X100VI’s overall size (it’s just a bit thicker), but it means you’ll want to have a spare battery on hand whenever you’ll be out shooting for a full day. The electronic viewfinder and rear LCD also have the same resolutions as last time, at 3.69 million and 1.62 million dots, respectively. You still have the freedom to choose either the optical viewfinder, EVF, or a hybrid of the two when shooting, and the X100VI continues to offer an internal four-stop neutral density filter when needed.

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

The camera’s top dials and rear controls are largely unchanged.

Fujifilm has equipped the X100VI with its latest X-Processor 5, which makes the new camera “almost” twice as fast as the X100V. Along with the speed boost, you’re getting much-improved autofocus that uses the company’s latest algorithms for subject detection. And the X100VI will come loaded with 20 Fujifilm film simulations, including the Reala Ace sim that was previously exclusive to one of the company’s pricey medium format cameras. Ask any Fujifilm shooter, and they’ll tell you one of the company’s core strengths is JPEG processing: there are entire websites devoted to tweaking these film sims and getting the best possible straight-out-of-camera results.

As for its construction, not much has changed: the X100VI has an aluminum body designed to withstand some bumps and go everywhere with you. But as before, you’ll need to outfit the lens with Fujifilm’s sold-separately adapter ring and protective filter to achieve true weather resistance. In a departure from its made-in-Japan predecessor, the X100VI will follow other recent Fujifilm cameras in making the switch to China-based manufacturing. Some might view this camera as having less photography “mystique” as a result — there’s a ton of history and heritage to cameras being produced in Japan — but shifting the process to China should allow the company to get many, many more X100VIs off the assembly line and into camera shops.

The X100VI will be available in silver or black and is expected to start shipping in early March. Alongside the standard model, Fujifilm will release an extremely limited-edition version of the camera that’s “engraved with the corporate brand logo from Fujifilm’s founding in 1934.” Priced at $1,999, “each unit bears a unique serial number,” and the company says “these numbered X100VI units are packaged in a special, soft-release box that includes a special strap and Fujifilm history cards.” You’ll only be able to order the LE directly from Fujifilm.

If the X100V is any indication, there’s going to be a ton of interest in this camera. For anyone willing to learn how to use them, the X100VI’s dials and manual controls offer a glorious reprieve from auto-everything smartphone shooting and the growing prevalence of computational photography. And those Fujifilm JPEG colors are just as good as people say. Stay tuned for more impressions from both Becca Farsace and myself in the weeks ahead.

Porsche adds two new hybrids to its lineup of plug-in Panameras

Porsche adds two new hybrids to its lineup of plug-in Panameras

Image: Porsche

Porsche announced two new plug-in hybrid Panameras, as the German automakers looks to hedge its bets by offering a broader set of electrified options.

Late last year, Porsche unveiled the third generation Panamera, which included the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid as the first of four Panamera E-Hybrid models that will eventually be offered. Today, the automaker is adding two more: the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid and the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid. The fourth model will be announced at a later date.

Porsche says it is responding to “significant demand for efficient and dynamic E-Hybrid powertrains” with the release of these two new variants. Indeed, hybrids are increasingly in demand in a variety of markets, even as sales growth of pure battery-electric vehicles slows down.

But its Porsche, so it won’t come cheaply. The 4 E-Hybrid will start at $117,495, while the 4S E-Hybrid kicks off at $128,795 (both include destination fees). Pre-orders can be placed starting at the end of March and are expected to start deliveries by the fall.

The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid will offer better acceleration and improved torque by combining a new hybrid system with a “significantly revamped” 2.9-liter V6-twin-turbo engine with an output of 224 kW or 300 horsepower. The combined system clocks in at 346 kW or 463 hp, with a maximum torque of 479 lb.-ft., a 0-to-60 mph acceleration in 3.9 seconds, and a top track speed of 174 mph.

Meanwhile, the 4S E-Hybrid will also feature a 2.9-liter, six-cylinder engine with a slightly higher performance output of 260 kW or 348 hp. The total system will get 400 kW or 536 hp, and a maximum torque of 553 lb.-ft. This enables the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and a top track speed of 180 mph.

There’s more to like from these two new models, including a higher charging speed and better throttle response. The new battery is also bigger, with a gross capacity of 25.9 kWh, placing among the top tiers of plug-in hybrids. Porsche says it represents about 45 percent more capacity than its predecessors.

An 11-kW onboard AC charger can charge up the battery in as little as two hours in the right conditions. And a completely new electric motor, which supplements the gas engine, will by itself put out 140 kW, or 187 hp, as well as 331 lb.-ft. of torque, making it more powerful than the one used in the previous generation.

The 4 and 4S will both start out in fully electric E-Power mode when turned on. Once the state of charge of the battery is under a certain minimum value, Porsche says the system will automatically switch over to the Hybrid Auto mode, which manages the powertrain based on the current driving situation. And a smart navigation system sends information about the route to the vehicle, which is processed by Hybrid Auto mode to “optimize the drivetrain strategy.” For example, the drive mode can be optimized to use less energy when driving in a city, with lots of stops and starts.

Two additional drive modes, E-Hold and E-Charge, also provide unique benefits. In E-Hold mode, the current state of charge of the battery is preserved. In E-Charge mode, the battery is charged to 80 percent by the combustion engine at speeds above 34 mph.

In Sport and Sport Plus mode, the targeted state of charge of the battery is reduced to 20 and 30 percent, respectively (previously 30 percent and 80 percent). This is geared toward hopefully better battery life without sacrificing performance.

Porsche has been on a bit of a tear lately, announcing an all-electric Macan and a refreshed Taycan with ultra-fast charging capabilities. But as the rate of EV sales comes back down to earth, the automaker is hedging its bets by broadening the number of hybrid models it has on hand.

Porsche has been in the hybrid game for over 10 years, offering plug-in hybrid versions of the Cayenne and Panamera, as well as non plug-in hybrid models of the Panamera and Cayenne.

U.S. Awards $1.5 Billion to Chipmaker GlobalFoundries

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Rice is not included in Apple’s official guidance for a wet phone

Rice is not included in Apple’s official guidance for a wet phone

Getting water on phones happens to the best of us. Lucky for us, there’s one household staple the internet consistently suggests will draw that liquid out and save phones: uncooked rice. But contrary to popular advice, Apple, like most people in tech support, explicitly advises against putting your wet phone in a bag of rice.

“Don’t put your iPhone in a bag of rice. Doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone,” Apple support documents said.

The support documents first spotted by Macworld are technically addressing what to do when you get the liquid detection alert on your iPhone. They’re not just out to put a long lingering internet myth to bed.

To that end they also suggested avoiding using an external heat source, like hair dryers, or compressed air to blow off liquid. Also, don’t insert cotton swabs or paper towels into charging ports either.

Instead, Apple suggests tapping your phone against your hand with the connector pointing down. Think of it like getting water out of your ear after swimming. Then, just leave it in an area with good airflow to dry and wait 30 minutes before charging it. If the alert still pops up, leave the phone and just wait. It can take up to 24 hours to really get dry. Unplug the charging cable and reconnect if the phone is dry but still isn’t charging.

For years, rice was supposed to be the thing that would dry out waterlogged electronics faster. It’s a desiccant that people assumed would draw additional liquid out. I did it after stubbornly refusing to turn my iPhone off during a rain-soaked Taylor Swift concert. But it was probably the time spent powered down and out of my hands that helped my phone—not a dunk in rice.

The Verge wrote way back in 2015 that uncooked rice wasn’t very absorbent, so it’s mostly the time spent drying out that worked. And leaving it in a bag of rice often keeps phones out of sight, out of mind, so people don’t get tempted to power it on.

Constellation adds a dark and creepy tone to Apple’s growing sci-fi lineup

Constellation adds a dark and creepy tone to Apple’s growing sci-fi lineup

Image: Apple

Slowly but surely, Apple TV Plus has morphed itself into arguably the premier destination for streaming science fiction. (Or at least streaming sci-fi not named Star Wars or Star Trek.) There are adaptations like Silo and Foundation; original stories like Invasion, For All Mankind, and Severance; and even a franchise spinoff with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. There’s a nice range to the service’s offerings — and now it’s adding another flavor with the premiere of Constellation. In its first few episodes the show is dark, creepy, and will mess with your mind in a way that makes it just the thing for those already missing True Detective: Night Country.

The first three episodes of Constellation premiere on February 21st, and they follow an astronaut named Jo (Noomi Rapace), who is part of a small crew working on the International Space Station. Also on board is a mysterious and experimental device from NASA — and the second it’s switched on for tests, all hell breaks loose. Something smashes into the ISS, and when Jo heads outside to do repairs, she swears she sees the body of an old cosmonaut. Eventually, the rest of the crew aboard the ISS are forced to evacuate due to the damage, while Jo stays behind to repair an escape pod and hopefully get back to Earth, too.

Jo does eventually make it back safely, which, yes, is a small spoiler, but also key to the structure of the show, as the story jumps around between her time on the ISS and her life after she returns to Earth. (And even though you know she survives, those moments are still incredibly stressful.) It’s a story jam-packed with mysteries, the core of which is just what the heck that NASA gadget even is. The project is led by a legendary American astronaut named Henry (Jonathan Banks), who won a Nobel prize decades ago, but now does guest appearances at sci-fi cons and is desperate to return to the forefront of scientific discovery. Early on, all we really know about his research is that it involves finding another state of matter, one that is apparently only possible in a zero-gravity environment, and Henry is so determined to unravel this mystery that he cares more about the results of the test than any of the human lives it ends up costing.

Whatever it is, the experiment has some very noticeable side effects, particularly on Jo. Initially everything seems fine after her improbable return to Earth; she immediately reunites with her husband and daughter and tries to get back to something resembling a normal life. But it eventually becomes clear that things aren’t normal.

First, it’s small details; Jo forgets what color the family car is and mixes up a friend’s name. It gets weirder — and darker — from there. When Jo is giving a statement on what happened during the ISS disaster, her memory differs from the rest of the crew. Jo’s visions hint at a strange disconnect between her current self and who she was before, and Rapace’s performance almost makes it feel like you’re watching two different characters at times. At certain points, Constellation approaches psychological horror, with unsettling voices, blood and severed body parts floating around in zero-G, and constant time jumps that make it hard to tell what’s real and what is one of Jo’s hallucinations (if they are in fact hallucinations). Which, of course, is exactly how she feels.

I brought up Night Country earlier because the shows share a similar vibe (and not just because they both feature important scenes where someone goes searching in a snowstorm in the dark). They’re slow burns, taking time to share important clues and information, and occasionally obscuring them under bits of weirdness or horror. Of course, it’s impossible to tell yet if Constellation actually makes good on all of its creepy promises, and there are plenty of examples of shows that get, let’s say, lost, during that process. But it’s off to a good start — and gives another reason for sci-fi fans to check out Apple’s streaming service.

Constellation premieres on Apple TV Plus on February 21st, with new episodes out on Wednesdays.

Plans to Expand U.S. Chip Manufacturing Are Running Into Obstacles

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Apple to be fined over $500 million under EU antitrust law

Apple to be fined over $500 million under EU antitrust law

Image: The Verge

Apple will reportedly have to pay around €500 million (about $539 million USD) in the EU for stifling competition against Apple Music on the iPhone. Financial Times reported this morning that the fine comes after regulators in Brussels, Belgium investigated a Spotify complaint that Apple prevented apps from telling users about cheaper alternatives to Apple’s music service.

The issue comes down to Apple’s efforts to keep apps and users corraled inside its App Store payments system. Spotify complained in 2019 that Apple’s policies muted competition against Apple Music, kicking off an EU investigation the next year. The EU whittled its objections down to oppose Apple’s refusal to let developers even link out to their own subscription sign-ups within their apps — a policy that Apple changed in 2022 following regulatory pressure in Japan.

$500 million may sound like a lot, but a much bigger fine of close to $40 billion (or 10 percent of Apple’s annual global turnover) was on the table when the EU updated its objections last year. Apple was charged over a billion dollars in 2020, but French authorities dropped that to about $366 million after the company appealed.

Apple representative Emma Wilson told The Verge via email that the company is “not commenting on speculation” and referred us to previous statements made by another Apple spokesperson, Hannah Smith, who said in February last year that the company hoped the Commission would stop pursuing the case, which Smith said “has no merit.” European Commission spokesperson Lea Zuber declined to comment.

Spotify did not respond by press time.

How to live your life in text files

How to live your life in text files

Illustration: William Joel / The Verge

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 26, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome. So psyched you found us, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)

This week, I’ve been playing with the redesigned You.com for AI research, trying out the Phanpy Mastodon client, getting back into Zombies, Run after reading Vee Song’s great story about Fantasy Hike, and reading the new “lost chapter” of The Martian before probably just rereading The Martian again.

I also have for you some non-earbud earbuds, a nerdy video about nerdy stuff, a new to-do list app, a new thing in ChatGPT, and much more. Let’s do it.

(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you doing, reading, watching, playing, testing, cooking, lifting, soldering, or charging right now? What cool stuff are you into that everyone else should also be into? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com or +1 203-570-8663. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here.)

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The Drop

• Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds. For some reason, over the last year or so, almost all in-ear headphones suddenly leave my ears sore and scratchy. So I’m very curious to try these — even though at $299 they’re too expensive for my tastes, the clip-on style seems like it could work.
• Bulletin. The Verge’s Parker Ortolani turned me onto this: a new (Apple-only) news- and RSS-reading app with a lot of AI features for summarization and stuff, but also just a really lovely UI for reading news feeds. You can add premade lists, dump in any site or feed, even save stuff to read later.
• The Space Race. A really cool documentary about early Black astronauts, with tons of archival footage and a really wild Cold War subplot. As with all good space docs, make sure you watch this one on the biggest screen you can find.
• Mark Zuckerberg’s Vision Pro review. The review itself is, like, fine — I think Zuck is right about a lot of the things people actually want headsets for, and about the price-to-quality balance being a tricky one. But shooting a review of a competitor’s product, with your own product, in such a casual way, is just fascinating to me.
• The ONE thing keeping this iconic vintage laptop from working… Recently, for reasons I hope to someday be able to tell you about, I’ve been deep down the rabbit hole of awesome old gadgets. And the This Does Not Compute channel has become one of my favorite new resources — the host is perpetually trying to restore or resurrect some old PC, and even this random Toshiba laptop left me desperately wanting one.
• Superlist. This week’s “to-do list app that’s so close to being everything I wanted and maybe I’ll just spend the whole weekend trying it out.” It’s a teams-first product, which, meh, but this is the best-looking productivity app I’ve seen in years.
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong. More updated spins on old-school Mario games for the Switch! How did we get so lucky! This one’s a platformer with a really fun puzzle-y twist, which is exactly the kind of game I like to spend too many hours playing on the couch.
• How AI Tech Can Give Dead People a Voice. This week’s winner of the “Is this powerful and awesome, or is this horrifying” award is The Shotline, which is using AI to recreate the voices of kids who were victims of gun violence. Joanna Stern’s video is great, and The Shotline’s voices will make you feel… a lot of things.
• DuckDuckGo. DDG just rolled out a cool new tool that lets you sync passwords and bookmarks across platforms without needing an account; you just scan a QR code to add a new device. At this point, I’m wary of saying any company is actually a good privacy option, but DuckDuckGo is certainly doing the work.

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Spotlight

A while back, I got really close to moving all my personal docs, email, calendar, and files into Skiff, which was basically a privacy-focused Google Drive competitor. Stuff got busy, and moving all that stuff is a big project, but it’s been on my list for a while. Super glad I didn’t get to it, though, because Skiff was just acquired by Notion and is now shutting down.

If I’ve learned one thing in my years of covering tech, it’s that nothing is guaranteed to stick around, no matter how much you love it or how popular it is. Things change, mistakes happen, stuff disappears. And every time it happens, I get a little more religious about something that Steph Ango, the CEO of Obsidian, likes to say: file over app.

The idea of “file over app” is to care a lot more about your data itself than the app or platform it’s in. Like, the app you’re using now? Probably not going to be around in 50 years. Text files and JPGs and PDFs? Way more likely to still be here! So invest in formats that last, not apps that don’t.

What that means for me, personally, is that I try to turn my life into text files and their equivalents as often as possible.

• I use an iOS and Mac app called NotePlan for daily notes and task management — the app is built on top of a folder of Markdown files I can easily use anywhere else. Obsidian and Logseq are both the same way and are both excellent (if very different) apps.
• I use the bookmarking service Raindrop to store all the links I care about, for Installer and everything else, and once a week I export all my links as a CSV file and again as a text file.
• Day One is where I keep my actual journal, and every month or so I export the whole thing to a PDF.
• Once a year or so, when I’m feeling both bored and ambitious, I’ll back up my entire camera roll and Google Photos library to an external hard drive. All the other stuff goes into Google Drive, and onto that same hard drive.

I try to find apps that are made with text files in mind. When I can’t, I try to find apps with good, durable export systems, and make sure I’m backing things up often. I’m done getting stuck inside an app I can’t trust to be around for long.

There’s a lot more for me to do here, and frankly still a lot of stuff in my life that will disappear if some big-name services delete my account or go offline altogether. (I’m still trying to figure out whether my email and calendar are things I should be archiving…) But I now have years of journal entries, daily tasks, project archives, and more in a format I’m confident I’ll be able to at least open and look at on my neural face-puter in 2096. And it makes me feel better, so I figured I’d share.

Oh, and by the way, there are so many great text editors out there. Typora is probably the best writing app I’ve ever used. If you write code, you already know BBEdit and VS Code and Sublime Text. Nota, Ulysses, iA Writer, and a bunch of others all do a good job of helping you both write and organize. Living in text files doesn’t mean living in Notepad or TextEdit; you really can have the best of both worlds. Text files forever!

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Screen share

Zoë Schiffer, the managing editor at the excellent Platformer newsletter (and a Verge alum!), just published one of the best tech books I’ve read in a while. It’s called Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter, and trust me, however wild you think the last couple of years have been at X / Twitter, the actual truth is much wilder. Zoë’s been reporting on this saga throughout, and the book’s a total winner.

I asked Zoë to share her homescreen with us on the eve of her book launch, because one thing I’ve always liked about Zoë is that she is forever deeply conflicted about technology. She reports on it, understands it deeply, uses it constantly, but is also perpetually trying to get her Screen Time numbers down. Since I’m deeply embarrassed by my Screen Time report basically every week, I wanted to see how she does it.

Here’s Zoë’s homescreen, plus some info on the apps she uses and why:

The phone: This is an iPhone 14, I believe. The screen is cracked and I use it exclusively for work. I have an iPhone mini with no apps except Spotify and Google Maps that I use as my personal phone. The process of having a separate work phone (with apps) and a personal phone (with almost nothing interesting) has dropped my screentime to about 2.5 hours a day, not to brag.

The wallpaper: My wallpaper is a photo of my hot a** husband, and my two-year-old daughter.

The apps: Apple Calendar, Google Maps, Apple Notes, Signal, Apple Mail, Threads, ChatGPT, Spotify, Phone, Messages.

My main homescreen has Signal, which I use constantly to communicate with sources, and Threads, which is my primary Twitter replacement. I also have ChatGPT, which I love. I ask it about various health symptoms and also to create recipes for, like, a single chocolate chip cookie.

One screen over I have TikTok, which is my guilty pleasure, and Bluesky, which I’m trying to use more but feels a little chaotic. I also have a pregnancy tracker because (duh) I’m pregnant. Right now the baby is the size of a lime, so that’s nice.

I also asked Zoë to share a few things she’s into right now. Here’s what she said:

• Right now, I’m rereading Harry Potter and listening to a lot of Caroline Shaw.
• Oh you meant on the internet??? Huh. Huuuuuh. I like the fashion newsletter Blackbird Spyplane. I’m a big fan of the Moderated Content podcast.
• I’ve seen the comedian Jacqueline Novak twice IRL (the first time, I dragged Casey Newton along, not realizing the entire set is about blow jobs, and I seriously worried I was going to get fired), and she has a new comedy special on Netflix that really gets me.

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Crowdsourced

Here’s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you’re into right now as well! Email installer@theverge.com or message +1 203-570-8663 with your recommendations for anything and everything, and we’ll feature some of our favorites here every week.

“I’ve been playing the new Dominion card game app! Dominion is a deckbuilding game from back in the day, and it’s got several (I believe 15) expansions so far. Previous iterations of the game online and in app form never fully realized their potential. This is the best implementation of the game to date. There is offline play against AI, matchmaking, and you can also do private matches with friends via a Nintendo-esque friend code system.” — Matt

“I’ve been listening to and immensely enjoying Worlds Beyond Number, an actual play narrative podcast from the best folks to ever do it.” — Caleb

“I received my Retroid Pocket 4 Pro in the mail this week after about a month of waiting from China. It exceeded expectations, and I’m having a great time emulating N64, GameCube, and PlayStation 2 games. On Saturday I had a friend over, and we played couch co-op games just like the good old days using a USB-C hub and a couple controllers. Highly recommended for a huge nostalgia kick.” — Nicholas

“Having fun playing old Nintendo titles on the Miyoo Plus. Such a great device. Feels like a time machine.” — Jamie

“I’m playing, and overwhelmingly impressed with, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. It feels like a love letter to Castlevania and Metroid, and heavily inspired by Hollow Knight… but also innovates in some really clever ways. It also runs incredibly well on the Switch.” — Steve

“Probably one of the most used apps on my phone is Mela, by Silvio Rizzi. It’s a thoughtfully designed recipe app designed to share with your family. It has a shared family recipe library and integrations with Reminders and Calendar to ensure my fiancé and I are always on the same page. Oh, and it also has a built-in RSS reader for finding new recipes!” — Liam

“It’s called What Happened Last Week, and it’s a great way to keep up with news from countries that are not often reported on in places like Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It contains clear explanations and contexts on developments so it is easy to read even if you have never heard of the names in the story. I find it really useful and complementary to the big Western news sources.” — Richard

“Windows95Man is Finland’s entry to Eurovision this year, and it’s amazing on so many layers. Watching the video on YouTube is mandatory for full appreciation.” — Sighjinks

“The new season of Game Changer on Dropout started this week, and it’s a treat as always!” — Noah

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Signing off

The biggest, weirdest tech story of this weekend is coming from a slightly surprising place: the floor of the NBA All-Star Game. Have you seen the videos of the all-LED full-court screen? Here’s an example of what this kind of thing looks like during a game, too. It looks like a total nightmare to play on, and I’d bet $10 we’ll never see this in a real game with any stakes. But boy is it going to be something to watch. This is my kind of augmented reality.

See you next week!

Facial Recognition in Airports: Biometrics Technology Is Expanding

Facial Recognition in Airports: Biometrics Technology Is Expanding Biometric technology is expanding at airports across the United States — and the world — and transforming the way we move through them, from checking a bag to boarding the plane.

Apple Pay was down for Chase customers for quite a while

Apple Pay was down for Chase customers for quite a while

Not today.

Update, February 18th, 12:40AM ET: The issue with Apple Pay and Chase credit cards has been resolved, according to Apple spokesperson Heather Norton, who further tells us that “this was not an Apple Pay issue, and we saw no problems with our systems.” (The not-so-subtle subtext there being that this was a Chase problem, of course.) That maintenance note on the status page was unrelated to this outage, she adds. Original story follows below.

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It appears that Apple Pay is down, particularly for Chase customers — Verge staffers have had their cards declined while trying to pay with Chase cards using Apple Pay, while using the same physical card works just fine. Several people on Threads confirmed the same issue when I asked — although people with non-Chase banks like Citi appear to be using Apple Pay just fine.

Apple’s system status page says that Apple Pay and Wallet have a maintenance in progress which started at 12PM — which is a pretty weird time to start a maintenance that disrupts payments. The page also says that “Some Maryland Users may have issues,” but we’ve had reports in both New York and LA, so it appears we’re all into crab cakes and football today.

Today we are all Maryland Users.

For what it’s worth, the Chase customer service line is currently up to 15-minute wait times, and agents are telling people that Apple Pay is “going through maintenance” to receive “an unexpected upgrade,” which is a delightful euphemism. Sadly, no one seems to know when things will be fixed. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment; we’ll update if we hear anything.

Wyze cameras reportedly let owners see into a stranger’s home — again

Wyze cameras reportedly let owners see into a stranger’s home — again

Image: Wyze

Five months ago, we wrote about how your Wyze webcam might have let strangers peek into your house. It appears to have happened again.

After an extended outage that Wyze linked to problems with AWS, ten different Redditors are reporting that their Wyze app showed them images from a security camera that wasn’t their own — giving them glimpses of a stranger’s porch or living room. Some of the videos were from entirely different timezones.

“One of my cameras notified me of an event from inside someone else home with them in it walking around,” begins one post. “I just got a motion detection notification with a picture for someone else’s house that isn’t mine!” reads another.

“Why did I get someone else’s notification which showed their living room? 2nd time in a few months. This is bad,” read a third.

A fourth wrote, in all caps:

LOOKING THROUGH MY EVENTS AND ITS NOT MY HOUSE. A LADY IS WALKING AROUND IN A LIVING ROOM. THIS IS ON MY ACCOUNT. HUGE SECURITY ISSUE. I SHOULDN’T BE SEEING INSIDE SOMEONE ELSES HOME. ANOTHER EVENT SHOWS SOMEONE ELSES PROPERTY WHICH SEEMS TO BE A BACKYARD.

“I’m able to see a random camera I do not have permission for,” reads a similar post in the Wyze forums. “Notification alert for a camera I don’t own,” a second one starts. Six users commented on other peoples’ Reddit posts to say they, too, were seeing these videos.

On Wyze’s Facebook page, there was another comment reporting the same thing. According to one woman, “Are you also aware that you probably have a major security issue during your current ones! I had an “event” where a lady was walking around her living room! And another where I could see the overview of someone’s back yard!”

Earlier today, Wyze experienced a huge outage of some sort. But even after cameras came back online, it apparently discovered a new security issue with the Events tab — the same place where most of these users say they saw a stranger’s images appear.

“We are still investigating an issue with the Events Tab and will have another update shortly with further info,” the company reported at 1:07PM ET.

At 2:27PM ET, the company turned off the Events tab entirely: “We are temporarily disabling the Event tab in the Wyze app to investigate a possible security issue and will have it back up soon,” it wrote in a service advisory. The company made no mention of what the issue might be.

We contacted Wyze two hours ago at multiple email addresses but haven’t heard back.

Two years ago, I told you how Wyze swept a security vulnerability under the rug for three years, never notifying its customers that their unpatchable v1 cameras could have theoretically let hackers access video feeds over the internet, or that patches were required for later cameras to prevent the same thing.

Last September, The New York Times publicly stopped recommending Wyze cameras following our reporting, noting that Wyze never reached out to its customers or “provided meaningful details about the incident.”

OpenAI can’t register ‘GPT’ as a trademark — yet

OpenAI can’t register ‘GPT’ as a trademark — yet

Image: OpenAI

The US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has denied OpenAI’s application to register the word GPT, which means generative pre-trained transformer, saying GPT is too general a term to register and can prevent competitors from correctly describing their products as a GPT.

OpenAI argued in its application that GPT is not a descriptive word — that GPT isn’t such a general term that consumers would “immediately understand” what it means.

The PTO wrote in its February 6th decision that it doesn’t matter if consumers don’t know what GPT means — because those who do use the technology understand GPT refers to a general type of software, not just OpenAI products.

Since the rise of generative AI, many other AI services have added GPT to product names. For example, there’s an AI detector startup named GPTZero. Other companies often refer to their foundational AI models as GPTs because they literally are.

The term GPT became closely tied to OpenAI after ChatGPT and its AI models GPT-3 (and later GPT-4) became popular. When it opened ChatGPT to outside developers, the company called its custom chatbots GPTs, too. Lately, OpenAI has been giving distinct brand names to other services, though. It recently released its text-to-video generation model named Sora.

Gizmodo notes that this isn’t the first time the US has denied OpenAI’s trademark claim for GPT; the first time was in May 2023. The company can appeal once more to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board for another shot at getting the term GPT trademarked.

OpenAI Completes Deal That Values the Company at $80 Billion

OpenAI Completes Deal That Values the Company at $80 Billion The A.I. start-up’s valuation tripled in less than 10 months.

The State of A.I., and Will Perplexity Beat Google or Destroy the Web?

The State of A.I., and Will Perplexity Beat Google or Destroy the Web? A special Valentine’s Day look back.

South Korea’s Antitrust Enforcers Aimed at Big Tech. Then Came the Backlash.

South Korea’s Antitrust Enforcers Aimed at Big Tech. Then Came the Backlash. The government pledged to protect South Korean online platforms from marketplace giants, but online business circles are crying foul play.

Here are the best iPad deals right now

Here are the best iPad deals right now

Select iPad models go on sale quite frequently, but some discounts on aging models are getting harder to find. | Image: Procreate

While the best iPad deals usually land during major sale events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon’s various Prime Days, many of the best iPad deals from the holiday season have persisted into 2024. You can still take advantage of many of those discounts today, particularly on the more affordable iPads. What’s more, prices are likely to drop even further when Apple ushers in a new slate of models, which, according to the latest rumors, could happen as soon as next month.

Forthcoming models aside, it’s difficult to know where exactly you can find the most notable iPad deals unless you’re scouring the major retailers on a daily basis. But that’s often what our deal hunters at The Verge are doing each and every day, so let us help you out. Below, we’ve listed the best deals you can get on each iPad model that is currently available, from the cheapo ninth-gen iPad of 2021 to the latest models equipped with Apple’s powerful M1 and M2 chips.

The best iPad (2021) and iPad (2022) deals

Announced alongside the iPhone 13, the 2021 iPad is Apple’s aging entry-level tablet that still makes a fine device for doing the basics today. The ninth-gen model starts at $329 with 64GB of storage, though the base configuration with Wi-Fi is available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart right now for around $249 ($80 off), which is just $20 shy of its lowest price to date.

As for the 256GB model that normally retails for $479, Amazon and Walmart are both selling it for $379 ($100 off), which is another second-best price. If you prefer your iPad to include cellular connectivity, the LTE model is also on sale in the 64GB configuration at Amazon and Best Buy for $379.99 ($80 off) instead of $459; you can also grab it in the larger 256GB configuration at Amazon and Best Buy for around $529 ($80 off).

A last-gen model is still worth considering

The last-gen iPad uses an A13 Bionic processor and a 12MP wide-angle camera with Center Stage, a feature designed to keep you framed up and centered while on video calls. The tablet also carries over a number of features from its predecessor, such as the 10.2-inch display, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the home button, and a Smart Connector for connecting a Smart Keyboard.

Although the newer 10th-gen iPad came out in late 2022, the last-gen model is still an excellent tablet — one we consider to be a better value in most instances. The latest iPad modernizes the design with a switch to USB-C, uniform bezels with no home button, a side power button with a fingerprint sensor, and a larger display, but it excises the headphone jack and retails for a much steeper $449. That’s not much of an entry-level price, so hopefully the ninth-gen model sticks around and continues to see moderate discounts.

However, if you do prefer the latest model, the 10th-gen iPad is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target right now in the 64GB base configuration for around $349 ($100 off). As for the 256GB / Wi-Fi version that normally costs $599, Amazon, Best Buy, and Target are currently offering it starting at $499 ($100 off). These are actually worthwhile deals for the 10th-gen model, which makes it worth considering over the cheaper ninth-gen model if you prefer a more modern design and support for USB-C charging.

The best iPad Mini (2021) deals

The sixth-gen iPad Mini has a larger screen than its predecessor, along with a top-of-the-line processor, support for USB-C, and options for 5G. It has forfeited its 3.5mm headphone jack and dedicated home button in the process, but overall, it’s a solid device that brings a fully refreshed design to Apple’s small tablet form factor.

The changes and refinements to the new iPad Mini come at a heftier price, however, and the new 64GB Wi-Fi model now starts at $499. Electing 256GB of storage brings the price up to $649, while the 5G cellular models are $649 for 64GB and $799 for 256GB. These are some big numbers for a small iPad, and the larger iPad Air might be worth considering if you prefer your dollar to go further with more screen real estate. But if you want the latest and greatest from Apple in a smaller format, this is where the action is.

As of right now, Amazon and B&H Photo are selling the 64GB base model of the iPad Mini for $469 ($30 off). If you need additional storage, Amazon and B&H Photo also have the 256GB / Wi-Fi model for $617 ($32 off). As for the cellular version, you can often find the 64GB model with 5G on sale for $549.99 ($100 off), but no retailers are offering discounts on it as of writing. If you want the step-up 256GB version with LTE, however, it’s on sale at Amazon in pink for $629 (about $170 off).

The best iPad Air (2022) deals

The latest iPad Air usually costs $599, but right now, it’s on sale for around $449 ($150 off) at Best Buy and Walmart, matching its all-time low. The Air is our top iPad recommendation for most people thanks to its speedy M1 processor, modern design, and midrange price. For those who crave more storage, the 256GB variant is also available for $599.99 ($150 off) at Best Buy.

The 2022 iteration of Apple’s lightweight tablet is similar in terms of its capabilities when measured against the previous-gen model but still offers a handful of iterative upgrades. The most pronounced improvement is the M1 processor, which offers better performance, and the front-facing 12MP camera comes equipped with Apple’s Center Stage feature that helps to keep a moving subject centered when recording video or during video calls.

The best iPad Pro (2022) deals

The latest generation of iPad Pros looks a whole lot like the prior model from 2021, as the changes are primarily on the inside. The new Pros still come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, with the better-looking Mini LED panel once again reserved for the larger model, though both now pack Apple’s newer M2 CPU for even better processing power.

The striking resemblance to the prior generation aside, there are a few reasons to opt for a Pro over something like an Air, such as Face ID unlocking and additional base storage. If display quality is the most important factor in your purchasing decision, the 12.9-inch version is the way to go, as its Mini LED display achieves deeper blacks and better contrast, much like an OLED panel.

Aside from that, as well as a nifty new hover feature that shows where your second-gen Apple Pencil’s tip will land before you touch the screen, they’re very similar to the older models from 2021. The 128GB base models even start at the same price — the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models retail for $799 and $1,099, respectively, and go up from there. As for 5G cellular versions, the 11-inch model starts at $999 and the 12.9-inch model at $1,299.

Sadly, there currently isn’t much in the way of deals on the 11-inch M2 iPad Pro. The best deal you can get is on a Wi-Fi model with 128GB of storage, which is selling for $749 ($50 off) in space gray at B&H Photo. You’ll have to keep checking back if you’re seeking a deal on the larger 12.9-inch model, however, as there are currently no deals available on the larger configuration.

Apple is reportedly working on AI updates to Spotlight and Xcode

Apple is reportedly working on AI updates to Spotlight and Xcode

Illustration: The Verge

A report from Bloomberg says Apple has expanded internal testing of new generative AI features for its Xcode programming software and plans to release them to third-party developers this year. Apple also reportedly looked at potential uses for generative AI in consumer-facing products, like automatic playlist creation in Apple Music, slideshows in Keynote, or AI chatbot-like search features for Spotlight search.

The search upgrade could let iOS and macOS users make natural language requests, like with ChatGPT, to get weather reports or operate features deep within apps.

While other tech giants have been more prominent in releasing AI research and products, in the past few months, Apple released an open-source machine learning framework called MLX that makes it easier to train AI models on Apple silicon chips, a text-to-image editing AI model MGIE, and an AI animator called Keyframer.

Similar to Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot and Amazon’s CodeWhisperer, the programming tool Apple is working on applies a large language model to predict and complete strings of code and potentially write code to test apps.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told analysts that GitHub Copilot had 1 million paying users as of November 2023. Since its launch, GitHub has added more capabilities to Copilot, including a chat feature that guides coders in real time and points out potential code breaks. Microsoft said it will have more news about Copilots and AI for developers at its Build 2024 event in May, and Apple may announce more about its AI plans during the annual WWDC event for developers later this year.

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s statements about generative AI have been conservative compared to his counterparts at Google and Microsoft, but he confirmed in an investor call this month that more generative AI features will be coming this year. Sources told Bloomberg that executives demonstrated many of the AI features for Xcode to Apple’s board late last year.