Review: M4 and M4 Pro Mac minis are probably Apple’s best Mac minis ever
First Mac mini redesign in almost 15 years highlights how good the insides are.

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Thoughts on the M4 iMac, and making peace with the death of the 27-inch model
The 16GB RAM upgrade is one of many welcome, if incremental, improvements.

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iMac (M4) review: This might be the best iMac ever
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros 16MB RAM is now standard 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View Four Thunderbolt 4 port standard in higher-end models Nano-texture glass option Cons Stand not height adjustable 24-inch model is the only size available Our Verdict The upgrade to the M4, the new 16GB RAM standard, the implementation of Thunderbolt across the board, the improved FaceTime camera, and the Nano-texture glass option are all winning moves by Apple. The combination of features, design, and performance makes this the best iMac Apple has produced. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$1,299 | $1,499 | $1,699 | $1,899 Best Prices Today: Apple iMac (M4) Retailer Price $1299 View Deal $1299 View Deal $1299 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The 2023 M3 iMac was one helluva Mac. Its performance was stellar for the general consumer. Its design, while a couple of years old, was still relevant, attractive, and functional. And its price was pretty decent, too. Could Apple do anything to make the iMac an even better deal? Yes, it could. It didn’t reinvent the wheel, but numerous small changes make Apple’s all-in-one even better at the same price. The chip is even faster, the rear port configuration is smarter, it makes you look even better on video calls, and it supports more external displays. In all, the iMac marches on as an icon for the company, and it has the features not just to back up its lofty status but also raise it. This review is structured based on how the major updates will influence your buying decision. We first look at the M4 chip and its performance first, followed by, the screen and camera, the Thunderbolt ports, and other factors. You can use the Table of Contents links at the top of this article to skip around. First, here are the details of our review unit. M4 iMac: Our model’s specifications Apple offers three standard configurations of the iMac. We reviewed the high-end model with customizations that increase the price to $2,379/£2,379. Our review unit has the following specifications: CPU: M4 with 10 cores (4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores), 16-core Neural Engine GPU: 10 core Memory: 24GB unified memory (120GBps memory bandwidth) Storage: 1TB SSD Display: 23.5-inch Retina; 4480-by-2520 native resolution at 218 pixels per inch; 500 nits brightness, 1 billion colors; P3 color gamut; True Tone; Nano-texture glass Ports: 4 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C; 3.5mm audio; gigabit ethernet Networking: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3; gigabit ethernet Input devices: USB-C Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad; USB-C Magic Mouse; USB-C Magic Trackpad Weight: 9.79 pounds (4.44 kg) Dimensions: 18.1 x 21.5 x 5.6 inches (46.1 x 54.7 x 14.7 cm) Price (as tested): $2,379/£2,379 M4 iMac: Performance The M4 makes its way into the iMac after debuting in the iPad Pro this past spring. Apple offers two variants of the M4 in the iMac: An 8-core CPU (four performance and four efficiency cores), 8-core GPU in the low-end ($1,299/£1,299) iMac, and a 10-core CPU (four performance and six efficiency cores), 10-core GPU in the $1,499/£1,499, $1,699/£1,699, and $1,899/£1,899 models. As noted above, the M4 in this review is the 10-core CPU/10-core GPU version. The M4 iMac looks like the M3 and M1 iMacs but it has several upgrades that make it a better value.Foundry The chip upgrade comes with a major change for all Mac models: now they all come standard with 16GB of unified memory, double the previous 8GB. It’s a change that users have been demanding and a long time coming. The best thing about the upgrade (besides the better general performance) is that Apple didn’t increase the prices of its Macs. Oh yeah! The M4 offers many improvements over the M3: improved branch prediction, increased memory bandwidth, updated video processing, and more. (You can learn more about the M4 here.) While we tend to look at the generation-to-generation improvements in our Mac reviews, it’s important to keep in mind the overall picture: this is the fourth generation of the M-series chip in the Mac (though just the third for the iMac), and it has now hit a price/performance point that’s more attractive than ever. The base M4 offers impressive speed and is fast for general consumers. If you don’t have an M-series Mac and you’re wondering if you should invest in the M4 iMac from a pure performance perspective, you absolutely should. If you already have an Apple silicon iMac, you might want to. Here’s how the M4 iMac compares to the iMacs that preceded it. Geekbench 6.3 CPU benchmarks

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M4 Pro Mac mini review: Remarkably small and incredibly powerful
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Tiny and quiet Decent selection of ports for such a small PC Great performance Cons Crazy upgrade prices No USB-A ports Awkward power button placement Our Verdict Apple’s new smaller Mac mini gives up very little after being hit with a shrink ray, and the M4 processors deliver great performance at a reasonable price. But that all turns sour the moment you run into Apple’s predatory upgrade pricing. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$1,399 Best Prices Today: Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro) Retailer Price $1399 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Apple told us the new Mac mini was smaller. It shows us photos and videos. And still, when I took it out of the box, I was somewhat unprepared for just how small it actually is. In this mighty little microcomputer is Apple’s new M4 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The performance and value in this base configuration, for just $599, are quite good. This is a desktop computer that will serve the average user well for years at a very affordable price. But then you start to look at what it takes to do just a little more, and the value vanishes. Apple hasn’t changed its memory or storage pricing structure in years and it stands out even more now with a better base model. Higher RAM configurations are shockingly expensive. Additional storage costs a small fortune. You can very quickly price yourself into a system that isn’t a good deal at all. We reviewed the version of the Mac mini that comes with the M4 Pro processor, a souped-up version with more CPU cores, double the GPU power, more than twice the memory bandwidth, and more. It, too, is a decent value at its starting price but quickly escalates thanks to Apple’s terrible upgrade pricing. If you want a great Mac desktop, the new M4 Mac mini should be high on your list, but only in certain configurations. M4 Mac mini: Processor and upgrades The base model Mac mini includes an M4 (with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU), 16 GB of RAM, and 256 GB SSD, for $599. You’ll need to add a monitor, keyboard, and mouse/trackpad, but it’s a system that will serve someone well for general everyday tasks for years. At $1,399 you can step up to an M4 Pro, albeit a cut-back version of the chip with 12 CPU cores (rather than 14) and 16 GPU cores (rather than 20). It has 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Both of those entry-level configurations are a respectable value. Thanks to Apple’s recent switch to include more RAM in its base configurations, you could even call them a “good deal,” as Apple products go. But as with all modern Apple products, you cannot add RAM or storage after purchase, so you need to pay Apple’s upgrade prices when you buy it. And those prices are, frankly, highway robbery. Want to jump from the cut-back M4 Pro to the full version with 14 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores? That’ll be an extra $200. Jump from 16GB of RAM in the base model to 24GB? $200. Want 32 GB instead? That’s $400. Jumping from a 256GB SSD to 512GB is $200. To hop up to 1TB, it’s $400. Apple’s prices for RAM and flash storage are obscene, many times higher than the cost of the parts or equivalent retail products. Here’s a 2TB SSD that, at the time of this writing, sells for $150 and delivers performance comparable to Apple’s internal storage, as one example. Get this: The entry-level M4 Mac mini, with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, is $599. Boosting that to 32GB RAM and 512GB SSD is an additional $600. Apple’s upgrade pricing is so crazy that for the price of an additional 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD, you can buy a whole second Mac mini with the same amount of RAM and storage, plus the processor, ethernet, case, and the entire rest of the computer! Our review unit is a nearly top-of-the-line model. It’s a full 14/20 core M4 Pro (+$200) with 48GB of RAM (+$400) a 1TB SSD (+$200) and 10 Gigabit Ethernet (+$100). The grand total is $2,299, about $300 more than the entry-level Mac Studio that still has an M2 Max. M4 Mac mini: Small but mighty The new Mac mini is only 5 inches square and 2 inches tall. That’s less than a quarter the volume of the Mac Studio, which is not exactly a large computer. It shares more in common with the Apple TV 4K (3.66 inches squared and 1.2 inches tall). Up front, you’ll find a headphone jack and two USB-C ports. Around the back is Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, and three more Thunderbolt/USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4 is supported on M4 Thunderbolt 5 on M4 Pro). There are no USB-A ports and no SD card reader. The M4 Mac mini (middle) is closer to an Apple TV 4K (top) than the Mac Studio (bottom).Foundry Despite the tiny size, the power supply is integrated, so you don’t have to plug a big adapter into your wall or take up several plugs’ worth of space on a power strip. It’s a good selection of ports for such a small computer, though the total exclusion of USB-A is more than a little annoying. Many modern devices, from wireless dongles for mice and controllers to audio interfaces and microphones, still use USB-A. And if you’re ever handed some data on a USB thumb drive, there’s a good chance it’s USB-A. You’ll want to augment your Mac mini with an affordable USB-C hub. Would it have killed Apple to slip a USB-A port on there?Foundry The power button is on the underside of the back-left corner, raised off your desk by the fan riser. The gap isn’t big enough for most fingers, so you’ll need to lift your Mac mini just a little to press the power button. It’s not ideal, but also not a dealbreaker; we think most users allow their desktop Macs to go to sleep rather than power them down completely, so it’s not as though you’ll have to do this often. The small size doesn’t leave much room for active cooling, but Apple’s unique airflow solution works well. Air is pulled in via a vent around the raised bottom of the Mac, circulated, and then exhausted out that same little riser. During day-to-day tasks, the Mac mini is virtually silent. It’s not a dealbreaker, but that’s not where I would have put the power button.Foundry In long video encoding jobs or when playing high-end 3D games, the fan spins up and becomes quite audible. It’s not a jet engine, and I’ve certainly heard louder cooling systems, but it’s there. I should note that I ran all tests with the Mac in High Power mode (only available on the M4 Pro Mac mini) for maximum performance. This allows the fan to spin up higher, keeping the system cooler during long periods of intense work at the cost of some noise. M4 Pro Mac mini: Performance and efficiency I’ve been impressed with the performance of the M4 Pro chip. For such a tiny and power-efficient processor, the benchmark numbers are quite good. The base M4 performs extremely well for a sub-$1000 computer, and the M4 Pro holds its own against computers in the $1,500 range. The storage performance is great, too. We’ll compare against the base M4 (in an iMac though the Mac mini should perform about the same), the most recent high-end Mac mini (with an M2 Pro), and the Mac Studio with an M2 Max in the configuration with 38 GPU cores and 32GB of RAM. That’s the other Mac desktop computer priced about the same as our test system ($2,399 with 1TB SSD). Geekbench 6 Beginning with the popular standby Geekbench 6. It’s clear Apple’s CPU cores have come a long way, quickly. These are some of the best Geekbench performance scores you can find. That single-core score tops any Intel or AMD CPU on the market by a good margin. And with only 14 cores, it still delivers a multi-core score of over 22,000. That’s in the same ballpark as the M2 Ultra (24 cores) or the latest Intel Core i9 (with 24 cores).

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Apple's iPhone 15 led sales globally in mid-2024 with Samsung close behind
Apple's iPhone 15 soared to the top of global smartphone sales in 2024, marking a new wave of demand for premium tech and flashy features.iPhone 15Counterpoint Research shows that Apple's iPhone 15 and Pro counterparts topped global sales in the third quarter of 2024. Samsung and Xiaomi held positions in the top ten, indicating a stable but competitive smartphone market.The iPhone 15's success comes when high-end smartphones gain broader consumer interest. Pro Series models made up half of Apple's iPhone sales for the first time in a third quarter, highlighting the growing demand for advanced features. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Intelligence servers expected to upgrade to M4 chips in 2025
Apple is set to upgrade its AI servers from M2 Ultra chips to M4 chips starting next year. This transition will enhance the performance… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Testing out Mac ultra wide display mirror on Apple Vision Pro
You can finally mirror your Mac to Apple Vision Pro with new wide and ultra wide options. We updated to the latest beta so we could test it out.You can soon mirror your Mac as an ultra wide display to Vision ProThe new mirroring options arrive as part of visionOS 2.2, which just recently launched as an early developer beta. We updated our Apple Vision Pro — and our MacBook Pro to macOS 15.2 — to try it. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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New Matter 1.4 spec supports more device types & improvements for Apple Home
The Connectivity Standards Alliance has finalized the Matter 1.4 spec, releasing it to accessory makers and platforms like Apple Home with several new device types and improvements.Matter continues to improve with its latest updateThe Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) is the governing body that develops the Matter spec. It's a member-led organization that is made up of Apple, Google, Samsung, and countless others.Matter is intended to be the unifying standard, allowing products to work seamlessly across multiple platforms such as Apple Home — formerly HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and more. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple-backed Matter adds new smart home device types, better cross-platform experience, more
The Apple-backed group that oversees the Matter smart device standard has launched its latest big update. Matter 1.4 debuts today with a variety of improvements that further advance smart home capabilities. Here’s what’s new. more…

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How to clear dirt and fluff from iPhone’s charging port: Remove debris to make cable charging possible again
Macworld Why won’t my iPhone charge anymore? Many of us have been there, frantically wiggling the charging cable to try to get the charging icon on our phone screen. If your iPhone stops charging properly when you connect a cable, the likely reason is fluff, dust or debris stuck in your phone’s charging port. This stuff stops the cable from properly connecting with your phone’s charging components. You might notice that the charging cable isn’t fitting in the port as well as it used to. Remove the junk and your phone should charge as you expect it to. Below we show you how to remove this fluff and more importantly we can also show you how to stop dirt getting in the charging port in the first place. Don’t feel dirty. Dust and debris in the phone’s charging port is almost inevitable as few of us live in a white-gloved laboratory environment. The phone is stuffed in a pocket or bag, which all of us know are absolute dust and dirt repositories. These tips should work for your iPad and even MacBook. Any device with a port is prone to attracting dirt into places you’d rather it didn’t get into. I’ve had to make three visits to an Apple Store to enquire why my iPhone isn’t charging via its cable. After the first time, I had strong suspicions that it was debris inside the port, but despite my best efforts I could not locate and remove it. The Apple Genius Support people took my phone away and inspected it under their special microscope. Spotting the fluff under many magnifications they removed it with what I presume must have been some Apple tweezers and returned the now working phone to me with a slightly censorious look as if I was too rough to keep trouser fluff from entering their lovely device. These tips should work with either a Lightning port (iPhone 5 to iPhone 14) or USB-C (iPhone 15 and later). Simon Jary / Foundry How to remove fluff from an iPhone port Giving the iPhone’s charging port a gentle clean to remove any fluff or dirt inside sounds easy, but, as my experience shows, that stuff can get tightly lodged in there and it’s mostly impossible to see without one of Apple’s microscopes. My first advice is to be careful. You do not want to damage anything inside the phone’s port for obvious reasons. But it’s likely you can sort out the problem yourself. The tools you need are basic: a wooden toothpick and something to blow floating dust out. You should have these basics to hand for all your tech cleaning. Compressed air and a light soft-bristled brush are great tools for cleaning your keyboard, for example. Step 1: First use your flashlight or torch to inspect the port. Don’t expect to see much but you might see something that you can pull out quite easily. Step 2: Blowing the fluff out should be the next action you take as that should be less risky for the phone’s inner mechanisms. Our aim here is to dislodge any dirt or dust and free looser particles that have got inside the phone port. If it doesn’t come out with the blast of air, it should be easier to remove with the toothpick. We use a hand-pumping air blower to gently blow out the dirt. The Medsuo Air Blower comes with its own soft brush for further clearing action after the blowing is done. Of course, you can just use your mouth to blow out the dust as a first attempt but try to make your mouth as dry as possible beforehand—we don’t want spittle getting involved, which might just make that fluff even more difficult to remove. You can use a more powerful blower by employing a compressed air can. Note that Apple doesn’t recommend using this level of cleaning but if you can’t shift that dirt it may be your last resort—except of course for taking your phone down to the local Apple Store. The fear is that a powerful blast of compressed air could blow that dirt further into the phone, but that area is sealed so this shouldn’t be the case. However, plenty of Internet experts suggest using compressed air so we suspect that Apple is being over cautious. Take it as advice to be cautious yourself to avoid damaging your phone. Don’t spray the air too close to the port—aim for at least an inch away from the port—and use short bursts. I don’t want to scare you off this course of action, only to be wary of too rough treatment. Step 3: Once you’ve blown as much air into the port as you dare, try the charging cable to see if you’ve done all that’s necessary. And check with your flashlight again. Simon Jary / Foundry Step 4: If it’s still not charging properly without wiggling the cable around, take the toothpick and very carefully stroke both the upper and lower walls of the port while avoiding touching the inner sides as much as possible. If your iPhone is the iPhone 15 or later, make sure to avoid the more vulnerable central part of the USB-C port. You will almost certainly start pulling out clumps of fluff and dirt that weren’t expelled by the air. Don’t use a cotton swab or bud as you can just as easily transfer. Keep going (carefully) until the fluff is gone and charging returns to normal. If you’ve done everything you can, it’s maybe time to visit the Apple Store experts. You can save yourself all this bother is no dirt gets into the phone’s charging port in the first place. Read our helpful article How to stop dirt getting into the iPhone charging port for a simple trick that will mean you should never have to blow or toothpick dirt from your phone again.

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How to set up a VPN on your router for whole-home protection
You can protect more than just one Mac or iPhone with a VPN. Here's how to protect all of your Internet-connected devices at once by setting up a VPN on your router.A router's portsA VPN typically works on a per-device level. You usually have to set it up on every device to use the service, generally by installing an app.This works fairly well if you have a relatively small number of devices. The problem starts when you have to install the VPN app on lots of devices, as that can take a lot of time and effort. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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MacBook Air with OLED reportedly delayed until 2028
A new supply chain report claims that Apple has pushed back adding an OLED screen to the MacBook Air, previously rumored to arrive in 2027.Apple's current MacBook AirIt's been expected that Apple would bring an OLED screen to the MacBook Air for some time, and at times 2027 has been predicted. However, The Elec says that this has now changed and there won't be an OLED MacBook Air before 2028 at the earliest.Citing unspecified sources within the components industry, the report says that suppliers believe the OLED MacBook Air has been postponed — for two reasons. One that is to be expected is the cost of OLED screens, and how that necessarily adds to the price of devices. Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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iPhone 15 is the world’s best-selling smartphone
The iPhone 15 lineup saw strong demand in Q3 2024, emerging as the world's top three highest selling smartphones in Q3 2024. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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The best iPhone deals this month
Macworld You don’t have to pay full price to buy an iPhone; if you shop around you can find a bargain. Every month the Macworld team hunts down the best prices on iPhones at all major retailers and cellphone operators, saving you the hassle of finding the best iPhone deals. In this article, we reveal the best iPhone deals, contracts, and bundles available right now. We’ll help you find a discounted iPhone suitable for any budget, and cover all the currently available models, including the brand-new iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, as well as 2023’s iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. We also have the best prices for older iPhones, including models that Apple has removed from sale, but which you can still buy elsewhere. The iPhone 16 is the latest iPhone to arrive, debuting in September 2024. It will be followed in 2025 by the iPhone 17 and (probably) iPhone SE 4. You might also like to read our detailed iPhone buying guide, and our comparison of every iPhone available to buy today. Best iPhone deals right now U.S. In the U.S., the only big iPhone deals you can find come from carriers, and have a lot of strings attached. Typically, you have to buy a phone on a multi-year installment plan and get your discount in the form of monthly bill credits. AT&T: Get up to $1,000 in bill credits when you buy a new iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max and trade in your old phone, with a qualifying unlimited plan. Up to $700 towards an iPhone 15 or 15 Plus. T-Mobile: Get up to $830 in bill credits toward the purchase of any iPhone 15 model when you trade in your old phone and join the Go5G plan. Verizon: Get up to $839 in bill credits toward any iPhone 15 model with trade-in and the activation of a new line. U.K. In the U.K., Apple-certified resellers discount unlocked iPhones frequently. Look for money off at Amazon, John Lewis, Currys, and Very. There aren’t yet any discounts on the new 16-series iPhones, but in the U.K. it’s possible to find discounts on older iPhones, including the now-discontinued iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro. John Lewis, iPhone 15 (128GB): £681 (£18 off, RRP £699) plus two-year guarantee John Lewis, iPhone 15 Plus (128GB): £793.61 (£5.39 off, RRP £799) Argos, iPhone 15 Pro (128GB): £899 (RRP was £999, DISCONTINUED) Amazon, iPhone 15 Pro Max (256GB): £1,099 (RRP was £1,199, DISCONTINUED) Amazon, iPhone 14: £499 (£100 off, RRP £599) KRCS, iPhone SE (64GB): £375.21 (£53.79 off, RRP £429) KRCS, iPhone SE (128GB): £424.71 (£54.29 off, RRP £479) Amazon, iPhone 13 (128GB): £449 (RRP was £499, DISCONTINUED) Argos, iPhone 13 mini (128GB): £499 (£150 off, RRP was £649, DISCONTINUED) For models that Apple no longer sells, bear in mind that we can only compare current prices against RRPs from before their discontinuation. It’s reasonable to assume that the price of the iPhone 15 Pro, for example, would have dropped in September 2024 if Apple hadn’t stopped selling it. There’s more information in the individual sections below. Where to buy an iPhone Apple is the obvious place to look for a new iPhone. You can purchase directly from Apple’s online store (there’s a separate U.K. store), which won’t give you savings, but does at least allow you to take advantage of trading in your old iPhone (see: How to sell or trade-in your old iPhone). We also have a complete guide to every iPhone Apple sells. Alternatively, Amazon U.K. regularly discounts iPhone models, so it’s well worth keeping an eye out there. If you think you’ll be doing lots of Amazon shopping, we’d recommend signing up to the 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime for free next-day delivery and access to deals 30 minutes early. You can sign up here. Amazon U.S. offers fewer savings on SIM-free iPhones, but we do see them from time to time. It’s always worth checking the price of the iPhones in the following U.S. stores, which occasionally provide solid savings: Amazon Walmart Best Buy And U.K. readers should try these shops: Amazon U.K. John Lewis Carphone Warehouse KRCS In addition, we recommend you check out our automatically updated price tables, embedded below, which gather the best prices from a wide range of retailers in your region. Where to buy an iPhone on contract Most of the major networks will offer the iPhone at a discount if you meet certain conditions (usually opening new lines, or buying on multi-year installment plans). Here are links to browse the latest deals: AT&T T-Mobile Verizon U.K. readers can browse contract deals using the tool embedded below. Click ‘Choose Smartphone’ to register which model you’re interested in. If you’d like to research deals for yourself, try the following U.K. providers: O2 Vodafone Three Virgin Mobile EE Sky Mobile Carphone Warehouse (use the comparison tool by clicking View Deals, and remember to tick the box labeled “Show total cost of ownership”) Note that you can save money if you’ve got another iPhone to trade in, see: How to sell or trade in your old iPhone. Best prices for Apple’s iPhones Apple currently sells eight iPhone models: the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max; the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus; the iPhone 13; and the iPhone SE. We look at the best prices for each model, plus a handful of discontinued models that are still available from other retailers, in the sections below. Best iPhone 16 deals Apple sells the iPhone 16 at the following prices: iPhone 16 (128GB): $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 iPhone 16 (256GB): $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 iPhone 16 (512GB): $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,949 Other retailers will undercut those prices, but it may take some time. Check the automated table below to see which retailers have the best deals in your region right now. iPhone 16: From $799/£799 Retailer Price $799 View Deal $829.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 16 Plus deals Apple sells the iPhone 16 Plus at the following prices: iPhone 16 Plus (128GB): $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 iPhone 16 Plus (256GB): $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 iPhone 16 Plus (512GB): $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149 For the lowest prices across a range of retailers, check the automated comparison table below. iPhone 16 Plus: From $899/£899 Retailer Price $899 View Deal $929.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 16 Pro deals Apple sells the iPhone 16 Pro at the following prices: iPhone 16 Pro (128GB): $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 iPhone 16 Pro (256GB): $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,999 iPhone 16 Pro (512GB): $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,349 iPhone 16 Pro (1TB): $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,699 Check the table below for the lowest prices across all retailers in your region. iPhone 16 Pro: From $999/£999 Retailer Price Apple $999 View Deal $999.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 16 Pro Max deals Apple sells the iPhone 16 Pro Max at the following prices: iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB): $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149 iPhone 16 Pro Max (512GB): $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,499 iPhone 16 Pro Max (1TB): $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,849 Best current deals across all retailers can be found in the table below. iPhone 16 Pro Max: From $1,199/£1,199 Retailer Price $1199 View Deal $1199.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 15 deals Apple has reduced the price of the iPhone 15 since launching the iPhone 16. Each phone is now $100/£100 less than it was. iPhone 15 (128GB): $699 / £699 / AU$1,249 iPhone 15 (256GB): $799 / £799 / AU$1,449 iPhone 15 (512GB): $999 / £999 / A$1,799 Check the table below for the best prices among other retailers. iPhone 15: Now from $699 / £699 Retailer Price $729 View Deal $729.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 15 Plus deals The official iPhone 15 Plus prices dropped by $100/£100 following the launch of the iPhone 16. iPhone 15 Plus (128GB): $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 iPhone 15 Plus (256GB): $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 iPhone 15 Plus (512GB): $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,949 But check the table below for lower prices from other retailers. iPhone 15 Plus: Now from $799 / £799 Retailer Price $829 View Deal $829.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 14 deals The iPhone 14 is still on sale from Apple. The iPhone 14 added Action Mode filming. The iPhone 14 now starts at $599/£599, following a series of price cuts. (At launch it cost $829/£849.) iPhone 14: From $599 / £599 New Refurbished Retailer Price $629 View Deal $829 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price iPhone 14 128GB – Starlight – Unlocked – Dual eSIM $409.99 View Deal iPhone 14 128GB – Midnight – Unlocked – Dual eSIM $409.99 View Deal iPhone 14 128GB – Blue – Unlocked – Dual eSIM $418.31 View Deal iPhone 14 128GB – Purple – Unlocked – Dual eSIM $421.10 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 14 Plus deals The iPhone 14 Plus was an entirely new iPhone format in 2022 and it’s still on sale from Apple. but at a lower price. The iPhone 14 Plus now starts at $699/£699. Before that it was $799/£799 and originally it started at $929/£949. iPhone 14 Plus: From $699 / £699 Best iPhone SE (2022) deals The iPhone SE 3rd generation burst on to the scene in March 2022 and is still on sale two years on. It unites a fast chipset (the same A15 Bionic you get in all of the 13-series iPhones and the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus) with an affordable price tag. It’s good value at Apple’s MSRP, but other retailers may be able to do even better. Read our roundup of the best iPhone SE deals for more in-depth buying advice. You can still buy the iPhone SE direct from Apple. The iPhone SE (3rd gen) currently starts at $429/£429. Check our automatically updated chart for the very latest SIM-free offers from other retailers: iPhone SE (2022) from $429/£429 New Refurbished Retailer Price $287.43 View Deal $429 View Deal $429 View Deal $449 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price iPhone SE (2022) 64GB – Midnight – Unlocked $158.40 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Deals on older/discontinued iPhones When Apple introduced the iPhone 15 range it discontinued the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. It also stopped selling the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 mini. When Apple stops selling older iPhones in its store, however, that doesn’t mean they have disappeared entirely; you may find them in Apple’s refurbished store, for example. You may also find older handsets on sale at third-party stores and Apple resellers. We have the best deals for discontinued iPhones below. Best iPhone 15 Pro deals Apple has now discontinued the iPhone 15 Pro, but you may still find a good deal. Pricing at launch was: 128GB: $999 / £999 / AU$1,849 256GB: $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,049 512GB: $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,399 1TB: $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,749 But you should be able to find a lower price if you shop around other retailers. Browse the table below for the best prices in your area. iPhone 15 Pro: Was from $999 / £999 Retailer Price $899.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 15 Pro Max deals Apple sold the iPhone 15 Pro Max at the following prices: 256GB: $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 512GB: $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,549 1TB: $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,899 Check the comparison table below for the best prices from other retailers. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Was from $1,199 / £1,199 Retailer Price $1099.99 View Deal $1199.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 13 deals Apple has discontinued the iPhone 13, 2021’s handset. Prior to being discontinued, it was $599/£599 (it was previously $699/£749, and at launch it was $799/£779). Check the automated price table below for the lowest prices currently available from other retailers: New Refurbished Retailer Price Straight Talk $399 View Deal Tracfone $489 View Deal $720.18 View Deal $779 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price iPhone 13 128GB – Midnight – Unlocked $356.99 View Deal iPhone 13 128GB – Pink – Unlocked $376.99 View Deal iPhone 13 128GB – Starlight – Unlocked $376.99 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 13 mini deals Apple’s last ‘mini’ was the iPhone 13 mini. The smallest iPhone you could buy, although the SE is also on the small side. In most respects, it was identical to the iPhone 13, simply squeezed into a smaller chassis and equipped with a smaller screen and smaller battery. That means you’re getting a great (but non-ProMotion) screen, 5G, a super-fast A15 processor and great cameras with Cinematic Mode. Read our iPhone 13 mini review for more information and expert analysis. Apple no longer sells the iPhone 13 mini, so if it’s what you want you will need to look around. Before it was discontinued in fall 2023, Apple used to sell it for $599/£649 (and before that it cost $699/£679). Check our automated table for the latest offers: New Refurbished Retailer Price $643.07 View Deal $697.67 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price iPhone 13 mini 128GB – Midnight – Unlocked $304.59 View Deal iPhone 13 mini 128GB – Starlight – Unlocked $318.64 View Deal iPhone 13 mini 128GB – Blue – Unlocked $324.96 View Deal iPhone 13 mini 128GB – Pink – Unlocked $324.96 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket Best iPhone 12 deals Having launched in 2020, the iPhone 12 remained on Apple’s store until fall 2023, when it was finally discontinued. In our iPhone 12 review we praised its all-round qualities and suitability for the average buyer who doesn’t need the power of a Pro but won’t settle for a true budget pick like the iPhone SE. Apple no longer sells the the iPhone 12, but when it did, prices started at $599/£649 (down from the $699/£679 charged between September 2021 and 2022). If stock of this older model is still available in your area, the latest SIM-free prices will appear in an automated comparison table below this paragraph. If you’re seeing nothing, that means stock has sadly run out. New Refurbished Retailer Price Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price iPhone 12 64GB – Blue – Unlocked $233.99 View Deal iPhone 12 64GB – Black – Unlocked $256.04 View Deal iPhone 12 64GB – White – Unlocked $257.68 View Deal iPhone 12 64GB – Green – Unlocked $257.86 View Deal iPhone 12 64GB – Red – Unlocked $259.94 View Deal iPhone 12 128GB – Green – Unlocked $280.54 View Deal iPhone 12 128GB – Black – Unlocked $285.27 View Deal iPhone 12 128GB – Blue – Unlocked $290.49 View Deal iPhone 12 128GB – Purple – Unlocked $299.68 View Deal iPhone 13 128GB – Blue – Unlocked $356.99 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket View more prices

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All your iPhone notes gone in Apple Notes app? Here’s the fix
Some iPhone users are reporting a scary bug with the Notes app on iPhone. After agreeing to new iCloud terms and conditions as prompted by the system, the Notes app appears to disconnect from iCloud and instead presents users with a screen of zero notes, as if all the user’s notes have been deleted. This happened to me on my phone running iOS 18.2. Based on the number of reports on social media from aggrieved users worried that all their notes are now gone forever, this is a relatively widespread bug that impacts iPhones running any iOS 18 version. Fortunately, there is a fix … more…

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I’m skipping the Apple Watch Series 10 this year, and so should you
Macworld The Apple Watch is the most popular smartwatch on the market, offering a slew of health and fitness features in an iconic design. Since the Apple Watch’s initial debut a decade ago, the iPhone maker has been introducing fresh models annually, which feature enhanced capabilities and occasional design tweaks. On paper, the latest Apple Watch Series 10 is the sleekest, most advanced iteration yet, offering larger screens and new capabilities. However, a closer look exposes why that’s not actually the case. A downgraded design in disguise During the Glowtime keynote, a lengthy portion of the Apple Watch section revolved around the Series 10’s all-new design. With this release, Apple has made its wearable even slimmer, which, in theory, is a welcome design upgrade. Having worn both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 10 on the same wrist, however, I can assure you that the difference isn’t of significance. Sure, you can tell them apart when they’re placed side by side, but it’s far from being a revolutionary overhaul like the Mac mini. In fact, Apple has resorted to optical illusions on its website to make the Series 10 appear slimmer than it actually is. The company is taking advantage of the jet black model’s reflective exterior and placing it against white backgrounds in marketing shots, which exaggerates how thin the device is. Had the smartwatch been meaningfully thinner, Apple wouldn’t need to rely on trickery to sell it—instead, it would confidently present it as it is. The Apple Watch Series 10 looks thinner in renders than it does in real life.Apple And, despite Apple dedicating a large chunk of the presentation to boast about the improved design, it casually disregarded one major downgrade in this department. The Apple Watch Series 10, compared to the Series 7, 8, and 9, has noticeably thicker screen bezels. Given that users spend most of their time looking at the watch face (and not how slim its body is), the Series 10 arguably appears a bit more dated than its predecessors where it matters. Otherwise, Apple has discontinued the red finish, which was the most vibrant option. So, users are now limited to fewer and duller colors. And while glossy enthusiasts will appreciate the new jet black model, Apple isn’t offering a matte black variant for those who don’t want their watches to show scratches as easily. Health features that are so 2023 With every new Apple Watch launch, the firm typically reveals at least one new health-related feature—and 2024’s edition was no different. During the keynote, Apple announced that sleep apnea detection is debuting with watchOS 11. Well, except that it’s not exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 10, with support extending to last year’s Series 9 and Ultra 2. So, by buying the Apple Watch Series 10, you’re not getting any exclusive health features unavailable on previous models. The Apple Watch Series 10’s new sleep apnea detection is also coming to Series 9.Foundry Otherwise, the blood-oxygen monitor on the Series 10 continues to be inactive in the U.S. due to a patent dispute. While Apple may enable it through a future software update at any time, no relevant rumors or official announcements suggest that’s happening anytime soon. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 9 offers blood-oxygen monitoring in the U.S. if the model number doesn’t end with LW/A. So, if you come across an older, pre-ban Series 9 unit, grab it as it’ll offer you more health data than the latest Series 10. Beyond that, the Apple Watch Series 10 packs a depth gauge that can handle no more than 6 meters of water. Meanwhile, the Ultra 2 variant supports up to 40 meters. So, while the Series 10 caters to casual divers more than the Series 9, any serious watersport athlete would probably find its 6-meter limit laughable and opt for the Ultra 2 instead.  Repackaged, year-old performance In an era where smartwatches have become mini phones, the processor matters more than ever. In typical Apple fashion, though, the Series 10 doesn’t offer any performance boosts. The S10 chip that powers 2024’s model is seeingly just a repackaged S9 from last year’s release. Consequently, you get the same set of features, such as the double-tap gesture, on-device Siri with access to health data, RAM, and storage capacities, etc. While the design is slightly different, many of the specs and features of the Apple Watch Series 10 are the same as last year’s model.Foundry Similarly, the battery life—according to Apple’s own claims—remains unchanged with the Series 10. The watch, however, does charge from 0 to 80 percent in 30 minutes instead of 45 minutes—when using a 20W or higher charger (Apple doesn’t supply one). Furthermore, the speaker now supports direct music and podcast playback, which had been exclusive to the Ultra model. While the Apple Watch Series 10 undoubtedly brings some small improvements to the table, they’re unlikely to impact most users’ daily lives. I’ve yet to come across someone who’s looking to play music through their smartwatch’s speaker or cares that much about spending 15 minutes less when topping up its battery. Not the time to buy The Apple Watch Series 10 is a very good smartwatch. But so is the Series 9. Future models will likely maintain the thinner build while managing to thin down the chunky display bezels, possibly as early as next year. Until then, I personally think the overall look of the Series 9 is the epitome of Apple Watch design. If you can find an Apple Watch Series 9 on clearance, grab one.Foundry Meanwhile, both the Series 9 and Series 10 offer the same performance, battery life, and health features—including the latest sleep apnea detection. In fact, the Series 9, in some instances, exclusively offers blood-oxygen monitoring in the US, which 2024’s edition completely misses out on. Taking all of the above into consideration, you should probably skip the Series 10 this year. If you really want a new Apple Watch, consider picking up a cheaper Apple Watch Series 9 on clearance. Otherwise, you’re better off getting last year’s model or waiting for the Series 11. 

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Apple Pay expands to Paraguay, launches under Mastercard and local banks
The Apple Pay International Expansion Tour continues with the contactless payment method becoming viable for your upcoming trip to Paraguay. Per a recent blog post via Mastercard, Mastercard announced that cards issued by Banco Continental, Itau, and Ueno Bank can all be added to Apple Wallet and used with Apple Pay. While Apple Pay is […] Source

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Valve brings Steam Game Recording feature to Steam client
If you’re interested in game streaming and production, you might like this. Valve has officially released its Steam Game recording client, which functions as a built-in unit that allows players to capture and share gameplay footage across PC, Mac, and Steam Deck devices. The feature recently exited beta testing and is now available through the […] Source

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Macworld Podcast: The living legacy of the MacinTech Mac User Group
Macworld This week’s episode of the Macworld Podcast features a discussion with the MacinTech MUG—MUG stands for Mac Users Group, and this one is located in the Denver area of Colorado in the United States. They’ve been together for decades and we take this opportunity to talk about MUGs, how they got started, what MUGs meant to the early days of the Mac, and what has happened to MUGs. MacinTech meets monthly and I joined them during their September meeting, which occurred the day after the Apple Glowtime event.   Brad Tombaugh, a founder of MacinTech, speaks about the history of MUGs. Several other members, including David Bourne, Chris Domino, and Robert Zimmerman, share their MUG stories. I failed to identify who was who during our chat, so I apologize for that. I’d like to thank Andy Suhaka of MacinTech for setting this all up.  I encourage you to listen if you have never heard of a Mac User Group. They’ve got great stories and plenty of interesting history. This is episode 908 with the MacinTech Mac Users Group and Roman Loyola.  Watch episode 908 on YouTube Listen to episode 908 on Apple Podcasts

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How to easily redact text in a PDF on your Mac
Macworld Widely used PDF files capture text and images nearly exactly as they display in the application that created them. The format is designed to store text and both bitmapped and vector images, with the text available for searching, copying, and even editing in the proper app. That “copying” part can lead to oceans of trouble when people try to remove details from a PDF before distribution—redacting details from a court case, government documents, or even inter-company communications—by drawing black boxes over the words and paragraphs they want to protect. In most cases, however, drawing boxes over text in a PDF just adds the boxes—it doesn’t delete the text underneath them. Someone who would like to extract the text beneath the obfuscation can just drag over the area with a selection tool or select Select All on the page. The copied text can then be pasted into a word processor or text editor. Proper redaction can prevent embarrassing, proprietary, or secret information from leaking out, as in a court case involving an associate of Rudolph Giuliani. While the text appears removed in places, a reader can select the range, copy it, and paste it into another document to read it in full. These black-box overlays have led to embarrassing and legally disastrous situations stretching back a couple of decades. Three notable incidents: the accidental release of information in a filing in 2011 in long-running litigation between Apple and Samsung, the disclosure of key allegations in the Paul Manafort prosecution in 2019 alleging his connection to a purported Russian-connected associate—and on May 25, 2021, when information was revealed when CNN performed a copy and paste in filings by attorneys for a defendant in a case that involves former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani. If you need to remove text from a document from a PDF before sending it—and you can’t simply eliminate information in the source document used to create the PDF and make a fresh one—you can turn to several apps to snip secret, legally prohibited, embarrassing, or proprietary text out of a PDF before sending it on its way. How to redact in macOS Preview Preview warns if you try to draw over text, since that doesn’t actually remove it from a PDF (top). Instead, use the Redact tool, which also explains itself. Apple added a redaction tool and redaction-related warnings in Preview for macOS Big Sur in 2020. You’ll notice this whenever you select certain tools in Preview’s Markup toolbar. Display that editing toolbar by choosing View > Show Markup Toolbar or clicking the Markup icon at the right-hand side of the standard toolbar, just to the left of the Search field. Click any item in the Shapes menu, including a line of the thickness in the sixth or seventh heaviest options, and Preview prompts you with a warning: “The content behind this annotation will not be deleted.” It advises you to use the new Redact selection tool. Most of the tools in Shapes (outlined in a red rectangle) will provoke a redaction warning, as they don’t remove text; select the Redact tool (marked with a red arrow) instead. Select that tool and you receive a different alert: “Redacted content is permanently removed.” Apple further explains: “Any content marked for redaction will be permanently deleted when the document is closed.” (With both those warnings, you can check a box so you never see them again, too.) Drag with the Redact selection tool across the text, and a black bar with an X’d pattern appears. Save, and that text can’t be recovered from that version of the file, although you can use File > Revert To to select a previous version before redaction or pull a copy out of a Time Machine backup. Apple added more powerful PDF tools with macOS Sonoma, including intelligent form detection and enhanced AutoFill, so Preview may be all you need for PDF editing. Redaction in Preview uses a distinctive pattern. It’s permanent when you save the file. How to redact in Adobe Acrobat Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (part of a Creative Cloud subscription) also offers a redaction tool, available via Edit > Redact Text & Images. Adobe warns you about how the feature works when you first select it. Acrobat lets you know that text will be permanently removed, and offers a sanitization option, too. With the tool selected, you can drag over both text and images, which Acrobat marks up with a red outline to indicate it will be completely removed when the file is saved. Acrobat provides a new file name with the word “Redacted” inserted when you next manually save the file to prevent overwriting your original. Acrobat also includes a “sanitize” feature, which removes a variety of hidden metadata, such as the document’s author, which is often pre-filled with the name of the person using the computer or app; invisible but searchable text layers that are created when a document is imported as a set of images, and the text is algorithmically identified; and any text that runs off a page or is entirely off in the margins and can’t be selected. Top: Acrobat shows the text selection for redaction before the file is saved. Bottom: The saved file now shows blacks bars (with no hidden text). Sanitization is automatically selected when you apply redaction, though you can flip a switch to disable it. You separately sanitize without redacting any visible text by clicking Sanitize Document. Redact with PDFPen and PDFPen Pro Smile’s PDFPen and PDFPen Pro feature redaction, too. You can either select text via Tools > Select Text or a region via Tools > Select Rectangle Tool and then apply Format > Redact Text – Block. The resulting image has been scrubbed. PDFPen has you select the text or a region using a standard tool first, and then apply redaction through a menu option. Both versions also offer Format > Redact Text – Erase, which removes the text leaving areas of white behind instead of black. This may be preferable in documents with a white background. Also see Best free PDF editors for Mac, Best PDF Editor for Mac and How to scan to a PDF on iPhone Ask Mac 911 We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com including screen captures as appropriate, and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

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