The new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models feature a keyboard change that was easy to miss during Apple's announcements last week.
The new U.S. English keyboard layout
On the U.S. English version of the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro keyboards, the tab, caps lock, shift, return, and delete keycaps now have glyphs on them. On previous-generation models, these keys are labeled with text instead.
Given the U.S. English keyboard layout is the default option for MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Neo models sold in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, this change effectively extends to those countries and a few others.
If you live in Europe, this will look familiar to you. Apple has long showed glyphs on the tab, caps lock, shift, return, and delete keycaps on its keyboard layouts for British English and other European languages, so this is nothing new there.
The new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Neo models launch this Wednesday.
Apple's newly published Studio Display XDR Technology Overview white paper reveals two notable display technologies: a forthcoming Full Calibration feature and a new color measurement model called Apple CMF 2026.
According to the document, a future macOS update will introduce Full Calibration, a feature that allows users to recalibrate key display characteristics using professional measurement equipment. Apple says Full Calibration will adjust the white point, primary color coordinates, luminance, and gamma response of the display when used with a compatible spectroradiometer. The feature is not available at launch.
The functionality is aimed at professional color workflows, allowing the display to be recalibrated at the hardware level to maintain accuracy over time or match specific production environments. Apple currently ships each Studio Display XDR with factory calibration, alongside a set of reference presets designed for common color standards.
The white paper also introduces Apple CMF 2026, a new system Apple developed to improve how displays are measured and calibrated. Most display calibration today relies on the long-standing CIE 1931 color matching functions, a model created nearly a century ago to represent how humans perceive color.
Apple says Apple CMF 2026 addresses limitations in the CIE 1931 model that can cause displays to look slightly different even when they are calibrated to the same standard. According to the company, the new system improves visual consistency by more closely matching how colors actually appear to the human eye.
Each Studio Display XDR is individually calibrated using Apple CMF 2026 at the factory. However, Apple continues to support the traditional CIE 1931 system through its reference presets to maintain compatibility with existing professional workflows.
Apple says it is also working with the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) to help develop a broader industry standard based on this research, with the goal of improving color consistency across displays from different manufacturers. The Studio Display XDR is the first Apple display to support Apple CMF 2026.
Today we're tracking a collection of discounts on Amazon for a wide range of products, including monitors, iPhone and desktop accessories, and more. The majority of the deals below have been automatically applied, but some will require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the final sale price.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Highlights include Samsung's 32-inch Smart Monitor M9 for $1,299.99, which is $300 off and a match of the all-time low price on the monitor. We're also tracking discounts on unique products like the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 for $119.99 ($30 off) and Satechi FindAll Wallet Card for $29.98 ($5 off).
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and just last week, but there are still a number of new devices expected to arrive later in 2026.
Most of Apple's remaining launches for the year are likely to follow the company's typical fall schedule in September and October, but we could always see additional announcements outside of the 2026 fall season.
We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2026.
Low-Cost iPad – Apple is working on a new version of the low-cost iPad that was expected to arrive last week, but it was conspicuous in its absence from Apple's announcements. There are no design changes expected, but Apple will upgrade it with a A18 chip or A19 chip for Apple Intelligence.
New Mac Studio - An update for the Mac Studio should arrive in the middle of the year, but no external changes are expected. The refresh should see an update to the M5 Max chip and either an M4 or M5 Ultra chip.
New Mac mini – New Mac mini models are in the pipeline and are expected to arrive sometime after the Mac Studio refresh. The Mac mini will probably offer M5 and M5 Pro variants, but no design changes are expected.
New iMacs – Also likely coming after the Mac Studio debut, new iMacs could have a refreshed color palette this year and are almost certain to get the M5 chip.
Foldable iPhone – Apple's rumored new book-style foldable smartphone, featuring a display in both folded and unfolded states, is expected to arrive in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max – We get new iPhones every September, but Apple will adopt a split-launch cycle this year, and we are expecting only Pro/Max models alongside the new foldable iPhone – so no regular iPhone 18 or iPhone Air 2 this year.
Apple Watch Series 12 – We usually get new Apple Watch Series models alongside new iPhones in the fall, but we're expecting only internal changes this year, with noninvasive blood glucose monitoring thought to still be a few years away.
Smart Home Hub – Apple is said to have delayed the launch of its planned smart home hub until September, due to ongoing issues with the revamped version of Siri.
New Apple TV 4K – The new Apple TV 4K appears to have been held back until the updated version of Siri is ready later this year. Rumors suggest that it will get an A17 Pro chip for Apple Intelligence along with Apple's N1 networking chip, but no major design updates.
New HomePod mini – Like the Apple TV 4K, Apple is believed to have a new version of the HomePod ready to go, but it may be being held up by issues with the revamped version of Siri that Apple has promised later this year. The HomePod mini is expected to get a newer Apple Watch chip and it could also adopt the N1 and an updated UWB chip.
High-end AirPods Pro – Apple plans to unveil new AirPods Pro this year equipped with tiny infrared cameras, allowing them to be connected to Apple Intelligence, specifically Visual Intelligence. It is unclear when Apple plans to announce the new AirPods Pro, but September or October is most likely, based on historical patterns.
OLED MacBook – A new, high-end MacBook, potentially called "MacBook Ultra," is believed to be arriving around the end of the year, featuring a touch-capable OLED display.
What We Might Not See This Year
The Apple Watch Ultra was refreshed in September 2025. Another update will not arrive until September 2026 at the earliest, but Apple has not always refreshed the Ultra on a yearly basis. It's not yet clear if we're getting a refresh in 2026 or if Apple will skip this year completely while it works on incorporating noninvasive blood glucose monitoring technology.
The same goes for Apple Watch SE, in that Apple has not updated the more affordable model on an annual cycle. The latest model, Apple Watch SE 3, debuted in September 2025, so Apple might skip updates this year – although we've yet to hear either way.
Software Updates
In three months, Apple will unveil its next generation of software at its June Worldwide Developers Conference, where it typically previews the major updates coming to its platforms. The event will offer an early look at the features planned for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27.
These updates are notable because they bring new capabilities to existing devices without requiring users to purchase new hardware. Apple will introduce the software in June, but the final versions are expected to be released to the public in September.
Read More
MacRumors maintains an upcoming products guide that outlines both near-term releases and devices expected further down the road. It's updated frequently, providing you with a useful reference for keeping track of what Apple is currently developing and what may launch next.
The first reviews of the MacBook Neo were published today by selected publications and YouTube channels, ahead of the laptop launching on Wednesday.
Available in Blush, Citrus, Indigo, and Silver, the MacBook Neo is powered by a version of the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro. The laptop is equipped with a 13-inch display, up to 512GB of storage, and a non-configurable 8GB of RAM.
MacBook Neo is Apple's most affordable MacBook ever, and most of the reviews so far call it a great value. In the U.S., pricing starts at just $599, or at an even lower $499 for college students and qualifying educational staff.
The big question: is just 8GB of RAM enough? Most reviewers say yes.
The MacBook Neo zips through the light workloads it's designed for. The A18 Pro chip actually outperforms Apple's M1 MacBook Air (and most Windows laptops) in single-core processing benchmarks, the spec most vital for the everyday productivity stuff the Neo is meant to handle. That's why this $600 laptop excels at light tasks like web browsing and working on Google Docs. The Neo's 8GB of RAM and slow 256GB storage are totally adequate for living this life, but the machine does feel a little slower at the fringes if you know where to look — like how clicking the Applications folder on the dock sometimes takes a second for the icons to populate.
The relatively paltry RAM and storage prevent the Neo from performing as well in heavier creative apps as the MacBook Airs and Pros, but that's fine.
CNET's Matt Elliott ran Geekbench 6 on the MacBook Neo, and the A18 Pro chip achieved scores of 3,541 for single-core CPU performance and 8,958 for multi-core. This means the MacBook Neo's peak performance tops Macs with the M1 chip, while the single-core number is approaching the M4 chip, so the MacBook Neo should feel particularly "bursty."
Mac Model
Multi-Core CPU Score
MacBook Pro (M5 Max)
29,233
Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)
27,726
MacBook Pro (M4 Max)
25,702
MacBook Pro (M4 Pro)
22,490
Mac Studio (M2 Ultra)
21,410
MacBook Pro (M3 Max)
20,960
Mac Studio (M1 Ultra)
18,434
MacBook Air (M5)
17,073
MacBook Pro (M3 Pro)
15,260
MacBook Pro (M2 Max)
14,740
MacBook Air (M4)
14,731
MacBook Pro (M2 Pro)
14,451
MacBook Pro (M1 Max)
12,345
MacBook Pro (M1 Pro)
12,345
MacBook Air (M3)
12,020
MacBook Air (M2)
9,709
MacBook Neo (A18 Pro)
8,958
MacBook Air (M1)
8,342
Bloomberg's Chris Welch praised the MacBook Neo's aluminum design, display quality, and the dual speakers on the left and right edges of the laptop:
Even for consumers who stick to more casual computing, the Neo's aluminum build, crisp screen and well-balanced speakers are going to make this a no-brainer purchase for millions. In your hands, the device looks, feels and sounds every bit like a Mac.
Tom's Guide ran its usual battery test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits of display brightness, and the MacBook Neo lasted for 13 hours and 28 minutes. The publication said this is "fantastic endurance for a laptop in this price range," topping the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3's 8 hours and 39 minutes. However, it falls short of the latest MacBook Air, which lasted for 15 hours and 28 minutes in the test.
While the MacBook Neo has only 8GB of RAM, no Touch ID button on the base configuration, no MagSafe, slower USB-C ports instead of Thunderbolt ports, and no backlit keys, most reviews conclude that the laptop is still a great deal.
Overall, though, the MacBook Neo is one of Apple's best recent products, even though its innovation is all about thoughtful cost control, not new features. Along with being a compelling option for anyone shopping for a laptop in its price range, it's the perfect Mac for kids and other loved ones who might otherwise have inherited a dented, poky hand-me-down. I would not be startled to see it fly off shelves.
Apple CEO Tim Cook today shared a short promotional video on social media highlighting Apple's new role as the U.S. home of Formula One.
The clip takes place around Apple Park and shows Cook driving a small campus buggy along the ring road before pulling up beside Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen. The scene plays out like a Formula 1 pit stop, with the buggy stopping at a makeshift pit area labeled "Tim Box Box," a reference to the radio phrase used by F1 teams to call drivers into the pits.
During the stop, a rapid tire-change sequence unfolds, parodying the high-speed choreography of real Formula 1 pit crews. After the brief stop, Cook accelerates away from the pit box.
The light-hearted video is part of Apple's wider promotional push around its new Formula 1 broadcasting partnership. Beginning with the 2026 season, Apple has become the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of Formula 1 races through the Apple TV app, which now carries every practice session, qualifying session, Sprint race, and Grand Prix live and on demand.
Apple has been heavily promoting the partnership across its ecosystem, including features in the Apple Sports app, race coverage integrations in Apple News, circuit maps in Apple Maps, and audio race broadcasts on Apple Music.
The promotional clip also comes shortly after the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season, which opened with the Australian Grand Prix. Apple says Apple TV subscribers in the United States can watch the entire season with 4K video, Dolby Vision, and multiple onboard camera feeds.
The first MacBook Neo unboxing videos were shared today by selected YouTube channels, ahead of the laptop launching on Wednesday.
Regardless of whether you choose Blush, Citrus, Indigo, or Silver, the MacBook Neo comes with a white USB-C charging cable in the box. In all regions except the UK and the EU, Apple's 20W USB-C Power Adapter is also included in the box. As has been the case for a few years now, however, Apple stickers are no longer provided.
We have rounded up some of the unboxing videos below.
Verizon today has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.00, down from $249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, which has been hard to come by on Amazon in recent weeks.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This model of the AirPods Pro launched in September 2025 and has 2x better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, better audio quality, a revised fit that's meant to improve comfort and stability, Live Translation for in-person conversations, and heart rate sensing for workouts.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
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Tech columnist David Pogue's new book Apple: The First 50 Years is available in hardcover and digital formats starting today.
In time for Apple's 50th anniversary on April 1, the 608-page book explores the first five decades of the company's history. Pogue interviewed 150 key people who shaped Apple into what it is today, including the company's co-founder Steve Wozniak, former CEO John Sculley, former design chief Jony Ive, and others.
While many aspects of Apple's history are well documented, the book's official description promises "new facts that correct the record":
In time for Apple's 50th anniversary, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue tells the iconic company's entire life story: how it was born, nearly died, was born again under Steve Jobs, and became, under CEO Tim Cook, the most valuable company in the world. The book features full-color photos, new facts that correct the record and illuminate its subversive culture, and fresh interviews with the legendary figures who shaped Apple into what it is today.
Pogue is a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, and he spent many years writing about Apple and technology for The New York Times and Macworld. An excerpt from his book, focused on the late Steve Jobs, is available on the CBS News website.
Pogue will also be interviewing Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller on March 18 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at SXSW 2026 in Austin, Texas.
Apple was officially founded on April 1, 1976. The company has yet to announce any plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary in a public-facing manner, but it will likely mark the occasion in some way over the coming weeks.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment.
Apple's Mac lineup will soon span a wider price range than ever, from the new $599 MacBook Neo to a rumored top-of-the-line MacBook "Ultra" expected later this year. However, new research suggests the broader laptop market could be heading for a painful price adjustment.
According to TrendForce, surging memory and CPU costs could push mainstream laptop retail prices up by nearly 40% in 2026. The firm modeled a laptop with a $900 MSRP and found that DRAM and SSD (normally around 15% of a device's bill of materials) have ballooned to over 30% following several quarters of sharp price increases. That alone could force retail prices up by more than 30% if brands want to hold their margins.
Intel has raised prices on entry-level and older-generation laptop CPUs by more than 15%, notes the report, with further hikes planned for mainstream and higher-end platforms in the second quarter. When combined, memory and CPU could end up accounting for 58% of laptop component costs, up from roughly 45%.
Apple designs its own silicon, which gives it considerable insulation from Intel-driven CPU volatility. The MacBook Neo's A18 Pro chip, for instance, is produced by TSMC under Apple's direct supply agreements. But Apple is not immune to memory market pressures – DRAM and NAND flash costs affect Macs across the line, from the Neo's fixed 8GB of RAM to the high-capacity configurations in the MacBook Pro.
Just last week, Apple removed the 512GB memory upgrade option when purchasing a Mac Studio, with the machine now maxing out at 256GB. The latter option also got a price rise – it used to cost $1,600 to go from 96GB to 256GB on the high-end M3 Ultra machine, but now it costs $2,000.
TrendForce notes that "tier-one brands" with deep supplier relationships are most well-positioned to deal with the price squeeze. That bodes well for Apple, but killing off the Mac Studio upgrade option shows it's not completely invulnerable to broader market pressures.
Apple boosted iPhone production in India by around 53 percent last year and now makes a quarter of its flagship devices there to avoid tariffs on China, reports Bloomberg ($).
Apple assembled about 55 million iPhones in the country across 2025, up from 36 million a year earlier, according to the publication's sources. The shift is part of Apple's broader effort to mitigate risk from U.S.-China trade tensions and reduce dependence on a single country for production.
Apple makes about 220 million to 230 million iPhones globally. A Canalys report last year claimed India has overtaken China as the leading manufacturer of smartphones shipped to the United States.
The California-based company has leaned heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's production-linked incentives aimed at turning India into the world's factory. The subsidies have helped offset some of the structural cost disadvantages that manufacturers face in India, including the lack of a China-like robust supply chain and logistics challenges, according to Bloomberg.
Although the cost gap has narrowed, assembling electronics and manufacturing components in India still remains more expensive than in countries such as China and Vietnam. Consequently, companies including Apple and Samsung are continuing to push for additional government support.
The companies are currently in discussions with the Indian government about a new round of incentives aimed at boosting export growth. The report notes that India's existing production-linked subsidies for smartphones are set to expire on March 31, and with the U.S. Supreme Court recently striking down some tariffs affecting China, officials in New Delhi are under pressure to act quickly to ensure the country remains cost-competitive.
Apple now assembles all models in the latest iPhone 17 lineup in India, including the higher-end Pro and Pro Max variants. Manufacturing partners in the country – including Foxconn, Tata Electronics, and Pegatron – also produce older devices such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 for both domestic sales and export markets.
Apple is continuing to test the iOS 26.4 beta, and the latest update is now available for developers and public beta testers. As testing goes on, there are fewer new features in each beta, but today’s release adds new emoji characters and a few other changes.
New Emoji
Apple added new emoji characters, including trombone, treasure chest, distorted face, hairy creature, fight cloud, orca, and landslide.
There are also new skin tone modifiers people wrestling and dancers with bunny ears, as well as a gender neutral option for the ballet dancer emoji.
Reduce Bright Effects
Apple renamed the prior Reduce Highlighting Effects Accessibility setting to “Reduce Bright Effects,” and explained what it does.
Apple says the feature "minimizes highlighting and flashing when interacting with onscreen elements, such as buttons or the keyboard.
RCS Encrypted Messaging
Apple has removed the RCS end-to-end encryption beta in the fourth beta of iOS 26.4 after testing it in the prior three betas. Apple already said that end-to-end encryption for RCS would not launch in the iOS 26.4 update, and would instead be introduced in the future.
Apple tested end-to-end encryption for iPhone-to-iPhone RCS conversations, and iPhone-to-Android conversations. iMessage communications are already encrypted, but in a future iOS update, full implementation of RCS encryption will mean that iPhone-to-Android text message conversations have the same level of encryption.
New Device Support
iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 beta 4 are the first betas that are able to be installed on the new iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air.
ChatGPT is now able to identify songs that are playing using Apple-owned music service Shazam. With a new Shazam integration, ChatGPT users can type in a question like "Shazam, what is this song?" to bring up a "Tap to Shazam" interface to get the title of a song.
Shazam's full music recognition technology is available in ChatGPT, so users won't need to exit out of the app to identify a song and listen to an inline preview. Using Shazam in ChatGPT works the same way as Shazam on an Apple device.
Shazam can be added to ChatGPT by opening up the ChatGPT settings, navigating to apps, and searching for Shazam. After installation, Shazam can be invoked by starting a request with "Shazam."
Using Shazam in ChatGPT does not require the Shazam app to be installed, and the song recognition functionality can be used on any platform. With the Shazam app installed, songs identified using ChatGPT are added to the Shazam app library for later access.
If you want a MacBook Neo from Apple for Wednesday, March 11 delivery, but have yet to place an order, you might be out of luck.
MacBook Neo pre-orders began March 4, and the initial delivery date was March 11. But now, Apple's online store in the U.S. shows that MacBook Neo orders placed today are estimated to be delivered between March 17 and March 31.
Here are the estimated delivery dates for each configuration as of 5:45 p.m. Eastern Time:
256GB/Blush: March 24 — March 31
256GB/Citrus: March 17 — March 24
256GB/Indigo: March 17 — March 24
256GB/Silver: March 24 — March 31
512GB/Blush: March 24 — March 31
512GB/Citrus: March 24 — March 31
512GB/Indigo: March 24 — March 31
512GB/Silver: March 17 — March 24
Fortunately, Apple Store pickup is still an option for some configurations on launch day. MacBook Neo is also sold by resellers like Amazon and Walmart.
Without knowing how much supply there is for each configuration, it is hard to draw any conclusions from the delivery dates listed above, but it is clear that it is getting harder and harder to find a MacBook Neo for launch day. Given the laptop starts at just $599, or an even lower $499 for college students, that should not come as too much of a surprise.
The first reviews of the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple's M5 Pro and M5 Max chips were published today by selected publications and YouTube channels, ahead of the laptops launching on Wednesday.
In addition to the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the new MacBook Pro models offer up to twice as fast SSD speeds compared to the previous generation, and storage now starts at 1TB. Battery life has increased slightly on all of the new models, and the N1 chip extends to the MacBook Pro now for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support.
Geekbench 6 benchmark results already surfaced for the M5 Pro and M5 Max last week. In line with Apple's advertised figures, the chips offer up to approximately 15% faster CPU performance and up to approximately 20% faster GPU performance compared to the previous-generation M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.
Mac Model
Multi-Core CPU Score
MacBook Pro (M5 Pro and M5 Max)
28,500 to 29,500
Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)
27,726
MacBook Pro (M4 Max)
25,702
MacBook Pro (M4 Pro)
22,490
Mac Studio (M2 Ultra)
21,410
MacBook Pro (M3 Max)
20,960
Mac Studio (M1 Ultra)
18,434
MacBook Air (M5)
17,073
MacBook Pro (M3 Pro)
15,260
MacBook Pro (M2 Max)
14,740
MacBook Air (M4)
14,731
MacBook Pro (M2 Pro)
14,451
MacBook Pro (M1 Max)
12,345
MacBook Pro (M1 Pro)
12,345
MacBook Air (M3)
12,020
MacBook Air (M2)
9,709
MacBook Neo (A18 Pro)
8,668
MacBook Air (M1)
8,342
The Verge said the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Max and a 4TB SSD sustained a 13.6 GB/s read speed and a 17.8 GB/s write speed, which is an 86% and 123% increase for read and write speeds respectively compared to the equivalent previous model. This is roughly in line with Apple advertising up to twice as fast SSD speeds.
Tom's Guide's Tony Polanco said the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro lasted an "astonishing" 21 hours and 10 minutes in a battery life test that involved "continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with the laptop's display set to 150 nits of brightness." The previous M4 Pro model lasted 20 hours and 46 minutes in the same test.
Keep in mind that the MacBook Pro is rumored to receive a major redesign in either late 2026 or 2027. Key new features expected include an OLED display, a touch screen, a Dynamic Island, M6 Pro and M6 Max chips manufactured with TSMC's advanced 2nm process, a thinner design, and potentially even built-in cellular connectivity. However, it has been rumored that this might be a new highest-end model called the "MacBook Ultra."
With the Studio Display and Studio Display XDR set to launch on Wednesday, members of the media have started publishing their reviews of the new display options.
According to The Verge, the Studio Display is the same panel as the prior model, but with an upgraded camera, speakers, and ports. The brightness is the same, and there appear to be no other changes to the display quality.
The Studio Display XDR is the much more exciting update, because it is a replacement for the $5,000 Pro Display XDR. The Verge says that the display is a "great improvement" over the prior model due to the mini-LED backlight, though at this cost, it's only ideal for pros because there are more affordable options for general use. Images and text are "crisp and clear," with minimal light bleed thanks to dimming control, though light bleed is worse than with OLED technology, and viewing angles aren't as wide.
Presets are accurate, and the Studio Display XDR was able to maintain up to 2,000 nits peak brightness. It's "very bright at a normal desk sitting distance." The built-in speakers are loud enough for listening to music, watching videos, and taking calls, and the 12-megapixel camera provides clear video.
YouTuber Marques Brownlee said the Studio Display XDR is "better in every single way" than the Pro Display XDR because it's brighter with improved contrast and less blooming, plus it has an extra Thunderbolt port.
Since the Studio Display XDR has a 120Hz refresh rate, it pairs better with the MacBook Pro that has the same refresh rate. "This is about as good as it gets" for a display to use with a MacBook Pro. Brownlee said that Apple doesn't appear to be targeting professionals with the Studio Display XDR since it's a small market, with the display serving as more of a mixed use product.
There are no displays to compare the Studio Display XDR with because no companies make 27-inch 5K mini-LED displays with a 120Hz refresh rate.
PetaPixel said the Studio Display XDR's build quality is "phenomenal," but the site wasn't a fan of the integrated power cable, the sharp edges on the stand, or the thick bezels around the display.
The Studio Display XDR was color accurate across presets at all brightness levels, but the display was only able to get gamut coverage up to 86 percent with Adobe RGB profiles. PetaPixel also saw some "slightly higher than acceptable contrast deviation" at the upper right corner of the XDR, but most human eyes won't be able to see a difference.
HDR content looked spectacular with no "stutter or judder" and limited haloing, but contrast and black levels did not measure up to OLED because mini-LED is still LED. PetaPixel pointed out that few companies are making displays that are super bright, HDR compatible, extremely color accurate, and with Thunderbolt 5 support. The closest match is the Asus ProArt OLED display.
Other reviews are below:
The Studio Display and Studio Display XDR launch on Wednesday. Pricing on the Studio Display starts at $1,599, while pricing on the Studio Display XDR starts at $3,299.
Apple has a new version of the HomePod and a new Apple TV 4K ready to go, but the devices may be tied to the Siri update that's been continually postponed, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In a report on a planned September launch for new Siri capabilities and the home hub that's reliant on the revamped version of Siri, Gurman says the updated Apple TV and HomePod are both linked to "new artificial intelligence features."
We've been hearing rumors about a new HomePod mini and a refreshed Apple TV 4K since 2024. Gurman said several times in 2025 that Apple was aiming for a launch before the end of the year, but no new Apple TV or HomePod materialized. We also didn't hear a word about the devices at Apple's early 2026 launch event last week, which saw the introduction of the iPhone 17e, MacBook Neo, and more.
At this point, it seems like Apple may not introduce the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod until the new version of Siri is ready. Apple was planning to debut the Apple Intelligence version of Siri in iOS 26.4, but the revamp has been pushed back because Siri still isn't working reliably. Apple is now aiming to launch all of the new Siri features in iOS 27 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, though it's possible we could see some of the capabilities before September as part of an iOS 26.5 update.
Gurman's wording today mentions a "HomePod" rather than a HomePod mini specifically, but in past reports, he has claimed that Apple has a new version of the HomePod mini ready to go. It's not clear if the larger HomePod is also getting refreshed, or if Apple is only planning to update its smaller speaker.
The Apple TV 4K hasn't been refreshed since 2022. Rumors suggest that it will get an A17 Pro chip and Apple's N1 networking chip, but no major design updates. The A17 Pro chip is capable of supporting Apple Intelligence features, and it was previously used in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPad mini.
The HomePod mini is expected to get a newer Apple Watch chip and it could also adopt the N1 and an updated UWB chip.
Apple is postponing the launch of its planned smart home hub until September 2026, reports Bloomberg. Apple has pushed back the debut of the home hub multiple times due to ongoing issues with the revamped version of Siri. The hub has a heavy AI focus and it is tied to the more intelligent Siri that Apple has in the works.
Prior to realizing the Apple Intelligence version of Siri would not be ready until 2026, Apple planned to launch the home hub in spring 2025. After it became clear Siri would need to be delayed, Apple then aimed for a spring 2026 launch for the home hub because it planned to release Siri in iOS 26.4.
Siri is not present in the iOS 26.4 beta because the new version is still not ready, so Apple is now going to hold the home hub until September. Apple is reportedly experiencing issues with Siri accuracy and it hasn't managed to get all of the promised Siri features working reliably.
A September launch timeline suggests we are not going to see new Siri capabilities until iOS 27, as September is when iOS 27 will come out. Apple has promised that the new version of Siri will launch in 2026, and as long as it debuts before December, Apple won't miss the timeline that it gave to the public.
The smart home hub has apparently been finished and ready to launch for several months, but it can't be released without the Siri update. The device is similar in design to an iPad, but with a 7-inch square display. It can be attached to a wall or used with a speaker base, and there is a camera for facial recognition. The hub can tell when people are in the room and when someone walks up to it, and it will offer content specific to each person in the home.
Apple designed it to be an AI hub for controlling smart home products, making calls, viewing apps like Calendar and Reminders, and much more. It is meant to be similar to the Amazon Echo Show, which is an Alexa-enabled speaker with a display.
Apple's home hub does not include its own App Store, but it does run Apple apps. It will feature round app icons that are arranged similarly to apps on the Apple Watch, and it will run a version of tvOS 27.
Apple first showed off the new version of Siri in June 2024, and planned to launch the features in iOS 18.4. Siri capabilities include personalization, onscreen awareness, and the ability for Siri to do more in and between apps, as well as image generation using Image Playground and a web search feature that summarizes information from web results.
The Apple Intelligence Siri updates were meant to be followed by an iOS 27 update that turns Siri into a ChatGPT-style chatbot, but now it seems like all of the new features could come at once in iOS 27. Apple is planning to revamp Siri to make it look and feel more like a chatbot.
The new U.S. English keyboard layout
The previous U.S. English keyboard layout
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