MacRumors

Starting today, the seven new Apple products that were announced last week are available at Apple Stores and beginning to arrive to customers.

The colorful MacBook Neo and all of the other new products are on display at most Apple Store locations around the world starting today. Apple Stores have inventory of the new products for both walk-in customers and Apple Store pickup, but availability varies, so make sure to see if your local store has stock via Apple's online store.

• From the MacRumors Forums: MacBook Neo Pre-Order and Delivery Thread

The other six products include an iPhone 17e, iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a new Studio Display, and a higher-end Studio Display XDR.

iPhone 17e features the same overall design as the iPhone 16e, but it gains Apple's A19 chip, MagSafe for magnetic wireless charging and magnetic accessories, Apple's second-generation C1X modem for faster 5G, and a doubled 256GB of base storage. In the U.S., the iPhone 17e starts at $599, just like the iPhone 16e did.

The new iPad Air's key upgrades include Apple's M4 chip, an increased 12GB of RAM, Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, and the C1X modem in cellular models.

The MacBook Air received a faster M5 chip, and a doubled 512GB of base storage, but the starting price increased from $999 to $1,099 as a result of a 256GB configuration being dropped. With the N1 chip, the MacBook Air now has Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and it now comes with Apple's 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max.

The higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models finally received M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, plus up to twice as fast SSD speeds and a doubled 1TB of base storage. Battery life has increased slightly across all of the models, and the N1 chip extends to the MacBook Pro line now for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support.

The regular Studio Display gained Thunderbolt 5 support and improved speakers, and the camera now supports Desk View. There is also an all-new, higher-end Studio Display XDR that gained all of those benefits, plus bigger improvements such as a 120Hz refresh rate, mini-LED backlighting, increased brightness, and more.

The colorful new MacBook Neo starts at just $599 in the United States, and at an even lower $499 for college students. Available in Blush, Citrus, Indigo, and Silver, the MacBook Neo is powered by the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone, and it is equipped with a 13-inch display, up to 512GB of storage, and a non-configurable 8GB of RAM.

To learn about these new products, read our coverage of Apple's announcements:

• Apple Announces iPhone 17e With A19 Chip, MagSafe, and More
• Apple Unveils iPad Air With M4 Chip, Increased RAM, Wi-Fi 7, and More
• Apple Announces MacBook Air With M5 Chip and 512GB Base Storage
• Apple Unveils MacBook Pro Featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips
• Apple Updates Studio Display With Thunderbolt 5 and More
• Apple Introduces All-New Studio Display XDR: 120Hz, Mini-LED, and More
• Apple Announces $599 'MacBook Neo' With A18 Pro Chip

Last week, Apple also released new color options for a variety of accessories, including iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands, and the Crossbody Strap.

Today is the launch day for all of Apple's newest products, including the M4 iPad Air, MacBook Neo, M5 MacBook Air, M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro, and iPhone 17e. Below, we've collected all of the offers and discounts you can get on these products at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and more.

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.

M4 iPad Air

On Amazon you can get multiple cash discounts on the new M4 iPad Air, with up to $80 off the 11-inch M4 iPad Air and up to $100 off the 13-inch M4 iPad Air. All of these discounts have been automatically applied and do not require a coupon code or a Prime membership. Most models have an estimated delivery date of March 16.

The new iPad Air features the M4 chip, C1X modem, and N1 networking chip, which brings support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. In terms of design, the 2026 models are identical to the 2025 iPad Air tablets, with an edge-to-edge display, slim bezels, and aluminum chassis.

11-inch M4 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $559.00 ($40 off)
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $649.00 ($50 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $839.00 ($60 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,019.00 ($80 off)

13-inch M4 iPad Air

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $749.00 ($50 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,019.00 ($80 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,199.00 ($100 off)

MacBook Neo

If you order the new low-cost MacBook Neo at Best Buy, you'll get a free $25 Best Buy gift card after purchase. In order to get the deal, you need a My Best Buy Plus/Total membership, and then order any MacBook Neo model at Best Buy with a valid e-mail address. The e-gift card will be sent out after you receive the MacBook Neo, or after you pick it up in a Best Buy store.

Apple announced the MacBook Neo last week, and it's now the cheapest MacBook in the lineup starting at $599 and powered by the A18 Pro chip. Apple says it is up to 50% faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5, up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads, and up to 2x faster for tasks like photo editing.

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

You can get a $50 Best Buy gift card when ordering the M5 MacBook Air and a $100 gift card when ordering the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro. These offers require a My Best Buy Plus/Total membership.

In order to get these deals, you need to order one of the newest MacBooks at Best Buy with a valid e-mail address. The e-gift card will be sent out after you receive the eligible MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, or after you pick it up in a Best Buy store.

In regards to the upgrades, the MacBook Air features performance improvements thanks to the newest M5 chip, as well as Apple's custom N1 wireless chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity.

The new MacBook Pro includes M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which are up to 30 percent faster when compared to the M4 generation, and up to 2.5x faster than M1 Pro and M1 Max. In terms of design, both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro keep the same overall designs as previous generations.

M5 MacBook Air

• 13-inch M5 MacBook Air (512GB) - $1,099.00 + $50 gift card
• 13-inch M5 MacBook Air (16GB/1TB) - $1,299.00 + $50 gift card
• 15-inch M5 MacBook Air (512GB) - $1,299.00 + $50 gift card
• 15-inch M5 MacBook Air (24GB/1TB) - $1,699.00 + $50 gift card

M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro

• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro/1TB) - $2,199.00 + $100 gift card
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro/2TB) - $2,799.00 + $100 gift card
• 16-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro/1TB) - $2,699.00 + $100 gift card
• 16-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Max/2TB) - $3,899.00 + $100 gift card

iPhone 17e

Apple's latest iPhone, the iPhone 17e, is now available to purchase, and as always you can find numerous offers on the newest Apple smartphone from cellular carriers. This includes savings from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

AT&T
At AT&T, you can get the iPhone 17e (256GB) for $5.99/month when you activate a new line or upgrade an existing line on one of AT&T's unlimited voice and data plan.

Specifically, you'll get up to $384.36 in bill credits on the 256GB iPhone 17e, or up to $404.36 in bill credits on the 512GB iPhone 17e. No trade-in is required for this deal.

Verizon
Verizon's deal has the iPhone 17e at no cost when you purchase the device on an Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plan. You'll also need to add a new line on one of these plans, and this is for the 256GB iPhone 17e.

Once you qualify, you'll see the promo credit applied to your account over 36 months.

T-Mobile
At T-Mobile, you can also get the iPhone 17e at no cost, but you'll need to trade in an eligible device on the Experience More plan. Otherwise, you can get the same offer when trading in an eligible device and add a line on most other plans.

If you're purchasing for a family, you can get four iPhone 17e models at no cost and four new voice lines for $25/line per month. You'll need to trade in four eligible devices on the Essentials plan in order to get this deal.

If you're switching to T-Mobile, you'll get the iPhone 17e at no cost and you won't need to trade in any device for this one.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

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Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models may not have a smaller Dynamic Island after all, despite rumors suggesting that it would see a reduction in size this year, according to a known leaker.

Citing recent supply chain information, the leaker known as "Digital Chat Station" claims that the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models may reuse some of their predecessor's molds and chassis designs. Face ID and the ‌Dynamic Island‌ will remain "largely unchanged," with plans to implement under-display ‌Face ID‌ and shrink the size of the ‌Dynamic Island‌ apparently now delayed to the following generation. Instead, the main upgrades will be the 2nm A20 Pro, a 5,000mAh+ battery, and improved large-aperture camera hardware.

There has been considerable disagreement between reliable sources on the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌'s ‌Dynamic Island‌. Over the past year, there have been mixed rumors about whether the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models will continue to feature a ‌Dynamic Island‌ or have a hole punch camera with under screen Face ID and no ‌Dynamic Island‌.

In January, things seemed to become clearer when Weibo leaker "Instant Digital," "ShrimpApplePro," and DSCC's Ross Young supported the rumor of a narrower ‌Dynamic Island‌. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman then independently reported that the device would have a smaller Dynamic Island.

Thus the latest rumor from "Digital Chat Station" seems to go against the grain, but it is not out of the question. We heard the same rumors about a smaller iPhone 17 Pro ‌Dynamic Island‌ last year, but the ‌Dynamic Island‌ ultimately ended up being the same size.

In the long term, Apple apparently wants to create an iPhone that's a slab of glass with no cutouts, and we may see that with the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to launch in the fall of 2026.

TikTok and Apple today announced that Apple Music subscribers will be able to listen to full-length songs on Apple Music without leaving the TikTok app.

When a TikTok user comes across a song they love while browsing their "For You" page, they will be able to tap a "Play Full Song" button to open up an Apple Music player in the app and listen to the song in its entirety. From there, Apple Music subscribers can continue listening to a personalized stream of recommended songs.

The feature is built with Apple's MusicKit, and music artists will be paid for streams as usual.

TikTok and Apple are also introducing "Listening Party," a new feature that is "designed to bring artists and fans together around music."

"Listening Party creates a shared environment where fans can listen to songs from their favorite artists in real time, interact with each other, and engage directly with the artist during the session," says TikTok. "It offers a new, more social way to experience music while deepening the connection between artists and their communities."

"Play Full Song" and "Listening Party" are rolling out worldwide over the coming weeks, so make sure to keep the TikTok app updated on your iPhone.

Apple's pricing for the iPhone 17e and MacBook Neo strongly suggests that Apple plans to keep iPhone 18 Pro prices unchanged when the new models launch later this year, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Sharing his latest thoughts on Apple's increasingly diversifying product roadmap, Kuo said on X that Apple's strategy is to use turmoil in the global memory chip market to its advantage, by securing supply, absorbing higher component costs, and gaining market share while competitors are forced to raise prices or cut specs.

Kuo first made the claim in January, when he said Apple's plan for the iPhone 18 Pro models was to "avoid raising prices as much as possible" despite having to pay more for components. The $599 MacBook Neo and $599 iPhone 17e, both of which launched today, appear to bear that out.

In a separate report last month, analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities corroborated Kuo's pricing outlook, saying his research of Apple's supply chain points to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max maintaining starting prices of $1,099 and $1,199, respectively.

DRAM and NAND prices have surged in recent months, driven by soaring demand from companies building AI server infrastructure. According to Kuo, Apple negotiates memory prices with suppliers on a quarterly basis rather than every six months, which gives it more flexibility but also more exposure to such price swings.

One possible sign of that risk management came last week when 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.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro models in September.

Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than its predecessor, measuring in at 8.8mm, up from 8.75mm on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The information comes from oft-accurate Weibo-based leaker Ice Universe.

The claim chimes with a report last year that alleged hardware changes in the iPhone 18 Pro Max will make it the heaviest iPhone yet.

Last November, fellow Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital said the body of the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, tipping its weight over 240 grams and making it the heaviest iPhone since the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

That could be good news for those who crave longer-lasting battery life. Digital Chat Station – yet another Weibo-based leaker – has claimed the iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery, with a capacity in the range of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh (up from 5,088 mAh in the eSim version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max).

Apple isn't expected to change the screen size of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and it will feature the same 6.9-inch display as the current model.

The ‌‌iPhone 18‌‌ Pro and ‌‌iPhone 18‌‌ Pro Max are expected to launch later this year, featuring a possibly smaller Dynamic Island, the C2 modem, a simplified Camera Control, and an upgraded main camera with a variable aperture.

Apple's second-generation MacBook Neo may not feature a touch-capable display after all, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a report dated September 2025, Kuo‌ accurately predicted that the ‌MacBook Neo‌ would enter mass production in the fourth quarter of 2025, noting that it would not feature a touchscreen. In the same report, however, the analyst said he believed Apple could add a touchscreen for the second-generation model, expected in 2027.

Kuo's latest thoughts now appear to push back against the possibility. From the report shared this morning:

Neo 2 was originally expected to feature a touch panel to compete with Chromebooks (50%+ of which support touch), but my latest industry checks suggest Neo 2 may not adopt it.

Kuo says Apple's first touchscreen Mac is still expected to launch later this year in the form of a new, high-end MacBook Pro with an OLED display and a new design. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested the machine may be positioned above Apple's existing MacBook Pro Models, and could adopt the moniker "MacBook Ultra."

The all-new MacBook Neo launches today, with prices starting at $599. Kuo says shipments of the Neo are slightly lower than his prior estimates, totaling around 4.5–5 million units (with about 2–2.5 million in the first half of 2026). For a single laptop model though, that's still a very impressive number.

Apple has updated its battery cycle count support document to include the new MacBook Neo, revealing that the entry-level laptop has a maximum cycle count of 1,000.

A battery cycle is completed when you've discharged an amount equal to 100% of the battery's total capacity, but not necessarily in one go. For example, if you use 60% one day and 40% the next, it still counts as one cycle, even though you recharged in between.

First spotted in the updated support document by 9to5Mac, the 1,000-cycle limit puts the MacBook Neo right in line with every MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and standard MacBook that Apple has sold since 2009. Older models from the pre-unibody era had limits as low as 300 cycles.

In real-world terms, even someone who burns through a full cycle every day would take nearly three years to hit the 1,000 count cap. More typical usage patterns could well stretch that beyond five years.

Apple says its lithium-ion batteries are designed to hold up to 80% of their original capacity at the maximum cycle count. After that, the battery is considered "consumed" and a replacement is recommended, but that doesn't mean it will simply stop working.

Launching today with a $599 starting price, the all-new MacBook Neo ships with a 36.5-watt-hour lithium-ion battery, which Apple rates for up to 16 hours of video playback and up to 11 hours of wireless web browsing.

• Check Your Mac's Battery Cycle Count

Every new Mac bought from Apple comes with a one-year warranty that includes service coverage for a defective battery. If your Mac is out of warranty and the battery hasn't aged well, Apple offers battery service for a charge. In this case, a MacBook Neo battery service costs $149.

Wednesday is the official launch day of Apple's low-cost MacBook Neo, and as customers who pre-ordered begin to receive their purchases, Apple has also started in-store sales for the new laptop, along with a host of other new products it announced last week.

Customers across Europe, Asia and other regions can now place an order on Apple's website or in the Apple Store app and arrange for in-store pickup at a local retail location.

A quick spot check on the U.K. Apple online store suggests that most stores in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have available stock for customers today, although there are bound to be exceptions, with availability also running on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Apple has yet to update its online store for customers in the United States and Canada, but that will change in the next few hours, when in-store availability across North America will become clear.

To order a product with ‌Apple Store‌ pickup, add the product to your bag on Apple.com, proceed to checkout, select the "I'll pick it up" option, enter your ZIP code, choose an available ‌Apple Store‌ location, and select a pickup date. Payment is completed online, and a valid government-issued photo ID and the order number may be required upon pickup.

The MacBook Neo starts at $599, and is powered by the A18 Pro chip first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro in 2024. It's the first Mac to use an iPhone-class chip. Apple says it delivers up to 50% faster everyday performance than the bestselling PC with Intel's latest Core Ultra 5 processor.

It features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2,408 × 1,506 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and an anti-reflective coating. The display uses uniform, iPad-style bezels instead of a notch, and the machine weighs 2.7 pounds and comes in Silver, Indigo, Blush, and Citrus, with matching keyboard accents and wallpapers.

Connectivity includes two USB-C ports – one USB-C 2 (up to 480 Mb/s) and one USB-C 3 (up to 10 Gb/s) – plus a headphone jack. Other features include 8GB of unified memory, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6, a 1080p camera, dual beamforming microphones, Spatial Audio speakers, and up to 16 hours of battery life.

The base model includes 256GB of storage and the Magic Keyboard for $599, while a $699 configuration adds 512GB of storage and Touch ID. Education pricing starts at $499.

Today also marks the launch of the iPhone 17e, MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, MacBook Air with M5 chip, iPad Air with M4 chip, new and updated Apple Studio Displays. In-store availability for these devices will vary depending on popularity, but overall we think the MacBook Neo is likely to be the star of the show today in retail stores worldwide.

On an earnings call today, an ASUS executive admitted that Apple's more affordable MacBook Neo is a "shock" to the PC industry (via PCMag). In the U.S., the MacBook Neo starts at just $599, or at an even lower $499 for college students.

"Given Apple's historically very premium pricing, launching such an affordable product is certainly a shock to the entire market," said ASUS's Chief Financial Officer Nick Wu, according to a transcript of the earnings call published by Seeking Alpha. His comment was translated to English by an interpreter who was present on the call.

Wu said the MacBook Neo has some limited specs, including only 8GB of RAM, and he believes this may impact the ability to use certain apps. However, MacBook Neo reviewer Patrick Tomasso played back 4K video in DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro, edited a photo in Adobe Lightroom, and used many tabs in Google Chrome on the laptop, all without issue. In fact, most if not all reviews praised the MacBook Neo's performance.

Wu believes that Apple seems to be positioning the MacBook Neo as a device that is more for "content consumption," like a tablet.

"Of course, it's not that it cannot do all the work, but considering user experience and those hardware limitations, the experience, I think, differs significantly from mainstream products," he said, according to the transcript.

Nevertheless, Wu said the PC industry is taking the MacBook Neo's introduction "very seriously."

"I believe all PC vendors, including upstream vendors like Microsoft, Intel and AMD, they're all taking this very seriously, seriously discussing how to compete with this product in the entire PC ecosystem," said Wu, per the transcript. "The entire PC system will launch corresponding products to compete with Apple."

Ultimately, he said the MacBook Neo's actual impact on the PC market remains to be seen.

"The final market competition outcome is hard to predict," he said. "We just need more time."

With the MacBook Neo launch underway, the clock is officially ticking.

Apple considered but abandoned plans for a flip-style foldable iPhone because it didn't create compelling new use cases, according to Weibo leaker Instant Digital. Apple reportedly felt that it was an "unnecessary" design because the biggest selling point would have been its smaller size when folded.

The split at the middle also caused issues with internal space, limiting battery capacity and leaving less space for camera components. Apple would have had to compromise on the rear camera system. Instant Digital suggests that if Apple wanted a smaller iPhone, the company would introduce a smaller slab-style model instead.

There have been two distinct periods when rumors suggested Apple was considering an iPhone that folds in half like a clamshell. The first rumors surfaced years ago before reports shifted toward Apple's work on the larger book-style foldable iPhone that's coming in 2026, and the second came in February 2026 when rumors indicated Apple was once again evaluating the design.

It's not clear if Instant Digital is referring to the earlier rumors or the more recent rumors from February, but the wording suggests the latter.

Samsung has long had two foldable smartphone styles, offering both the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip, but smaller-sized iPhones have not done well. Apple had a 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and an iPhone 13 mini, but the device was discontinued after two generations because it sold poorly.

Given Apple's struggle to sell more compact iPhones like the iPhone mini, it may not be surprising that a clamshell-style foldable has been shelved for now.

Apple is set to launch two new low-cost devices tomorrow, the iPhone 17e and the MacBook Neo. Both devices use A-series chips, which have historically been limited to the iPhone and iPad.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ has Apple's A18 Pro chip inside, which was first used in the iPhone 16 Pro models, while the ‌iPhone 17e‌ has a newer A19 chip. Unsurprisingly, thanks to the newer chip, Apple's $599 iPhone outperforms the CPU in its $599 Mac.

The ‌iPhone 17e‌ earned a multi-core score of 9,241 on early Geekbench benchmarks, while the ‌MacBook Neo‌ earned a multi-core score of 8,668. Single-core chip results also favored the ‌iPhone 17e‌, which earned a score of 3,607, while the Neo had a single-core score of 3,461.

Metal scores for the GPU were closer, with the ‌MacBook Neo‌ scoring between 30,000 and 31,400 the ‌iPhone 17e‌ earned scores ranging from 31,000 to 31,600.

Both the ‌iPhone 17e‌ and the ‌MacBook Neo‌ have the same 8GB RAM for Apple Intelligence support, and while that might not sound like enough for a Mac, early reviewers felt that 8GB RAM was sufficient for everyday light workloads.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is the first Mac that Apple has designed with an A-series chip instead of an M-series chip, and its benchmark results suggest that it is essentially an iPhone that runs macOS. It will be interesting to see how well the ‌MacBook Neo‌ sells given that its CPU performance trails Apple's low-cost iPhone.

It's Wednesday, March 11 in Australia and New Zealand, which means it's the official launch day for all of the products Apple introduced last week, including the new low-cost MacBook Neo, the iPhone 17e, the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, the Studio Display, the ‌Studio Display‌ XDR, the M4 iPad Air, and the M5 MacBook Air.

Apple fans who purchased one of the new devices will start receiving their orders in the next few hours, and will soon share photos and first impressions of the new ‌MacBook Neo‌, ‌iPhone 17e‌, and more on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and other social networks.

If you've ordered one of the new products and it's been delivered, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and make sure to share some photos.

Since there are no Apple retail stores in New Zealand, customers in Australia are the first to be able to pick up their new device or make a purchase in an Apple Store. In-store stock in Australia will provide insight into what we can expect from other Apple locations worldwide, but we aren't expecting major shortages.

Some ‌MacBook Neo‌ models have delivery estimates that are a little over a week out, so that may be the most popular new product from this batch.

If you missed pre-ordering a ‌MacBook Neo‌ or one of Apple's other new devices, you should be able to visit an Apple retail location to pick one up on launch day. Other retailers like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy should also have stock, and carriers will have the ‌iPhone 17e‌.

Following Australia and New Zealand, sales and deliveries of the ‌MacBook Neo‌, new ‌Studio Display‌ models, ‌iPhone 17e‌, and other products will begin in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and finally, North America.

Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors, because we'll have hands-on and unboxing videos starting tomorrow.

While the MacBook Neo achieves a breakthrough $599 starting price, that of course comes with some compromises, and one of them is slower SSD speeds.

The Verge today showed the MacBook Neo had up to 8× slower sustained SSD read and write speeds in a benchmark test compared to the new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The site did not mention which tool it used to measure SSD speeds, but it was likely Blackmagic's Disk Speed Test or AmorphousDiskMark.

Here is a comparison of sustained SSD speeds, according to The Verge.

Mac (Chip/Capacity)	Read Speeds	Write Speeds
MacBook Neo (A18 Pro/256GB)	1,735 MB/s	1,684 MB/s
MacBook Air (M1/512GB)	3,422 MB/s	3,274 MB/s
MacBook Air (M5/1TB)	7,049 MB/s	7,480 MB/s
MacBook Pro (M5 Max/4TB)	13.6 GB/s	17.8 GB/s

The speeds for the M5 Max model came from The Verge's separate MacBook Pro review, and unfortunately storage capacities are not equal across the board.

With slower SSD speeds, transferring files to and from the MacBook Neo will take longer, but this is a non-issue for many customers. Even with a large 100 GB file, a transfer may take up to a minute with a MacBook Neo, rather than around 30 seconds with the latest MacBook Air, or 7-8 seconds with the latest MacBook Pro.

A slower SSD can also impact overall performance, since apps boot from the SSD, and because the MacBook Neo will temporarily use SSD space as virtual memory when the laptop's actual 8GB of RAM is fully used. But, the first MacBook Neo reviews have largely indicated that the laptop's performance is quite good nonetheless.

The average customer purchasing a MacBook Neo is probably not thinking about SSD speeds to begin with, and they will likely never notice any impact, but we have highlighted this information for customers who do care about this sort of thing.

MacBook Neo launches this Wednesday.

Sonos today launched two new speakers, the Sonos Play and the Sonos Era 100 SL. Sonos says that the additions to its lineup "reflect a renewed focus on strengthening the Sonos system" after a disastrous 2024 app redesign damaged customer trust.

The Sonos Play is a versatile speaker that can be used from room to room, and like most Sonos products, multiple speakers can be paired together. Sonos Play speakers connect to WiFi and can be grouped across multiple rooms or paired up for stereo sound.

There's an included charging base so the speaker can be used either at home or while on the go. The battery lasts for up to 24 hours, and it can also serve as a power bank for recharging an iPhone. The Sonos Play has IP67 waterproofing so it can be used poolside, at the beach, or in the shower.

When you're not at home, up to four Sonos Play or Move 2 speakers can be paired together over Bluetooth instead of WiFi using the Sonos Play app. Sound will be synced up, and Automatic Trueplay will adapt the audio to match the environment.

AirPlay 2 support is included, so Sonos Play speakers can be used alongside other ‌AirPlay‌ 2 speakers for multi-room or multi-device audio using Apple's technology.

The Era 100 SL is a simpler speaker that's meant to ease people into the Sonos ecosystem. It features a microphone-free design and fewer features to help keep the price lower. It can be used alone or paired with other Sonos speakers over time, and it also supports ‌AirPlay‌ 2.

The Sonos Play and Sonos Era 100 SL can be pre-ordered from the Sonos website starting today, with a launch to follow on March 31, 2026. The Sonos Play is $299, while the Sonos Era 100 SL is $189.

Customers planning to get a new MacBook Neo tomorrow will need to install a day one update. Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.3.2, which is available for the new Mac.

According to Apple's release notes for ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.3.2, it includes bug fixes and security updates. Apple will likely require the software to be installed during the ‌MacBook Neo‌ setup process.

As of yesterday, there is also a version of the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 beta that's compatible with the ‌MacBook Neo‌, and also Apple's new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is set to launch on March 11, with the first customers who pre-ordered receiving their shipments. Apple retail locations worldwide will also have stock of the new device.

The new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models feature a keyboard change that was easy to miss during Apple's announcements last week.

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.

This change was spotted by "Mr. Macintosh" last week, and it extends to the MacBook Neo.

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.