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Reminder: Apple Has 8 New Products Available for Pre-Order

Joe Rossignol — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 21:51:19 +0000

Apple at 10:10 a.m. Pacific Time today started accepting pre-orders for five new products that will all be released on Friday, November 6.

Here are the pre-order pages:

iPad mini with OLED display

iMac with M6 chip

14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip

14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED display

16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED display

This is in addition to Apple still accepting pre-orders for the HomePod mini 2, which launches this Friday, October 30, and the Apple HomeView smart home hub and fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, which launch on Friday, November 13.

Here are those pre-order pages:

HomePod mini 2

Apple HomeView

Apple TV 4K (4th generation)

You can also order the fourth-generation Siri Remote separately and use it with the second-generation Apple TV 4K or newer, but the Precision Finding feature requires a paired iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, or iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Apple also released a special-edition Beats Pill × Pokémon speaker, a new iPad mini Smart Folio, an updated World Travel Adapter Kit, and more this month.

Last, but certainly not least, the iPhone Duo was released on Friday, October 23.

What a month.
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iPhone Duo: Turn the Hinge Into an App Launcher

Tim Hardwick — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:27:24 +0000

If you're eager to change your screen time habits – like staying off Instagram or reading more books – the iPhone Duo may offer a solution. It's the first iPhone with two screens, and there's a trick that you can use to make it consistently open a specific app whenever you unfold it and look at the bigger display.

In the Shortcuts app, there's a new iPhone Duo trigger called "Opened or Closed" that runs an automated action when the device is unfolded or folded. One of the best uses for it, I've found, is launching a specific app the moment you open your Duo – so that unfolding the phone takes you straight into the app experience you're expecting, and nothing else distracts.

I've always been keen to read more on my iPad, so in this example, I'll show you how to make the iPhone Duo launch the Kindle app whenever you unfold the device. It makes flipping the phone open feel like opening a book to where you left off. But you can substitute any app you like. The following steps show you how it's done.

Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone Duo.

On the "All Shortcuts" screen, tap the plus (+) button in the bottom-right corner.

On the "What do you want your shortcut to do?" screen, tap Edit in the top-right corner.
Tap the Search field at the bottom of the editor, type "Automation," then under the "Display" section, tap Opened or Closed ("When my iPhone is opened").

Select Opened as the trigger in the editor screen, then search for the Open App action.
Tap the App placeholder in the "Open App" action, then choose the app you want to launch. In this example, we'll choose Kindle.
Now leave the Shortcuts app – the automation saves automatically and is active right away. You can rename the shortcut if you like, but it's not required.

That's all there is to it. Now when you open your iPhone Duo, your chosen app will launch automatically.

If you'd rather run an action when you close your Duo, simply choose Closed as the trigger instead, or select Opened or Closed to run it both ways. The Shortcuts app also allows you to add conditions to an automation, like a time or a focus mode, ensuring that it only triggers when your chosen conditions are met.

This new automation opens up many possibilities. Let us know what you come up with in the comments below.

Related Roundup: iPhone Duo

Buyer's Guide: iPhone Duo (Buy Now)

Related Forum: iPhone

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OLED MacBook Pro vs. Mini-LED MacBook Pro: Size and Weight Compared

Juli Clover — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:11:01 +0000

The OLED MacBook Pro models look a lot like the prior mini-LED MacBook Pros, but Apple did make some design updates. The new machines are slightly thinner and lighter, and the 16-inch model has a larger display thanks to slimmer bezels.

The 16-inch ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ lists a 16.3-inch display, up from 16.2 inches. The 14-inch ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ still has the same 14.2-inch display.

Height

14-inch ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 0.59 inches

14-inch mini-LED ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 0.61 inches

16-inch ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 0.63 inches

16-inch mini-LED ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 0.66 inches

Weight

14-inch ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 3 pounds for Pro, 3.1 pounds for Max

14-inch mini-LED ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 3.5 pounds for Pro, 3.6 pounds for Max

16-inch ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 4 pounds for Pro, 4.1 pounds for Max

16-inch mini-LED ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 4.6 pounds for Pro, 4.7 pounds for Max

Dimensions

14-inch ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 12.24 inches wide, 8.52 inches deep

14-inch mini-LED ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 12.31 inches wide, 8.71 inches deep

16-inch ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 14 inches wide, 9.62 inches deep

16-inch mini-LED ‌MacBook Pro‌ - 14.01 inches wide, 9.77 inches deep

Compared to the mini-LED models, the ‌OLED‌ models are about half a pound lighter and at least 0.02 inches thinner (about half a millimeter). ‌OLED‌ displays don't need a backlight, which saves weight. The touch sensor is built into the display panel and not layered on top, so it doesn't add bulk.

Apple priced the ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ models at $400 more than comparable mini-LED models, so the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $2,899 and the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $3,399.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Tags: Mini-LED, OLED

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)

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Best Buy Offering Up to $100 Gift Cards With iPad Mini 8 and M6 MacBook Pro Pre-Orders

Mitchel Broussard — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:05:50 +0000

Best Buy has the first pre-order offers on Apple's new iPad mini 8 and M6 MacBook Pro, with up to $100 in Best Buy gift card credit when purchasing these devices. You don't need to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership to see these deals.

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.

Starting with the iPad mini 8, you can get a $50 Best Buy gift card when pre-ordering this tablet. The iPad mini 8 starts at $699.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model, or $399.00 on Best Buy with a qualifying trade-in.

$50 GIFT CARD

iPad mini 8 at Best Buy

Moving to the 14-inch M6 MacBook Pro, you can get a $100 Best Buy gift card when pre-ordering the new computer. The M6 MacBook Pro starts at $1,999.00 for the 16GB/1TB model, or $639.00 on Best Buy with a qualifying trade-in.

$100 GIFT CARD

M6 MacBook Pro at Best Buy

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.

Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? You can sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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Apple Releases Redesigned Mac Chargers and 'World Travel Adapter Kit'

Joe Rossignol — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:30:02 +0000

Apple today began selling updated versions of its 70W Power Adapter, 140W Power Adapter, and Power Adapter Extension Cable, all with a new "AC Connector 2."

The updated power adapters and extension cable are available on Apple's online store in the U.S. and many other countries around the world.

Apple also released an updated version of its World Travel Adapter Kit that had disappeared from its online store in 2025, with U.S. pricing set at $39. Each of the international AC plugs included in the box now have the AC Connector 2 too.

Apple's power adapters have a removable plug, and the World Travel Adapter Kit contains various plug types for international travel:

The kit includes five interchangeable AC plugs:
Type A: North America, Japan
Type C: Continental Europe, Brazil
Type D: India
Type G: United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore
Type I: Australia, New Zealand

In a new support document, Apple said its updated power adapters, extension cable, and plugs use the AC Connector 2 with a pill-shaped design to comply with "updated regulations." Apple's previous "AC Connector 1" has a notched design.

Apple began rolling out the AC Connector 2 in a few countries earlier this year, leading to some customers complaining about compatibility issues with Apple's older extension cables and World Travel Adapter Kit. Apple has now solved that problem by releasing these updated versions of the accessories with the AC Connector 2.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Tag: World Travel Adapter Kit

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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Adding Touch Didn't Cost the MacBook Pro Any Battery Life

Juli Clover — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:55:00 +0000

The PROLED MacBook Pro models continue to offer up to 24 hours of battery life despite the switch to a new OLED display and touch capabilities.

Both the PROLED and the mini-LED 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models offer the same maximum battery life estimates.

16-inch, M5 Max - Up to 22 hours streaming video, up to 16 hours web

16-inch, M5 Pro - Up to 24 hours streaming video, up to 17 hours web

14-inch, M5 Max - Up to 20 hours streaming video, up to 13 hours web

14-inch, M5 Pro - Up to 22 hours streaming video, up to 14 hours web

The mini-LED and PROLED models have the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips inside, so the display is the main difference between them. The ‌OLED‌ display's efficiency likely offsets the power used by the touch integration. The 14-inch PROLED and mini-LED models have a 72.4-watt-hour battery, while the 16-inch models have a 100-watt-hour battery.

Pricing on the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $2,899, while the 16-inch model starts at $3,399. Pre-orders are available now.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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Apple Executives Explain Why the MacBook Pro Finally Has a Touch Screen

Juli Clover — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:25:22 +0000

Apple CEO John Ternus explained Apple's thinking on the MacBook Pro's new touch capabilities in an interview with Wired. Despite the addition of a touch display, Apple still sees the ‌MacBook Pro‌ as an indirect input device.

From Ternus:

The Mac is first and foremost an indirect input device, built around the trackpad and keyboard. But I think there's times when it's comfortable and handy to have touch.

We needed to get to a point where adding touch didn't make the product lesser in any way. It didn't make it heavier. It didn't make it thicker. That came together with the OLED screen, the best display we've ever put into a Mac. All of these things, and, oh yeah, it has touch as well.

Apple has in the past said it would not converge its iPad and Mac lines because they served two different functions. Hardware chief Johny Srouji and marketing chief Greg Joswiak were also interviewed. Srouji told Wired that display technology, Apple silicon chips, and software have evolved enough to meet Apple's "bar" for touch integration.

Joswiak said pro users were waiting for touch, and that a generation of "young creators" expect touch capabilities. Apple's version of a touchscreen laptop has a redesigned thermal architecture to keep the display from feeling hot, an anti-reflective display coating that's Apple says won't need more cleaning than a standard display, and a reinforced hinge that keeps the screen stable when touch pressure is applied.

The new OLED ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are available for pre-order today and will launch on November 6. Pricing starts at $2,899.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Tag: John Ternus

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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New MacBook Pro Features Deeper Bass and Improved Closed-Lid Audio

Hartley Charlton — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:03:42 +0000

Apple's new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models feature an upgraded six-speaker sound system, with redesigned woofers and tweeters, along with dedicated audio tuning for use with the lid closed.

Apple says the new woofer design delivers 50% deeper bass, while redesigned tweeters improve clarity by shaping how sound disperses. The system continues to support Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.

For the first time, Apple has also added dedicated audio tuning for closed-lid use. The company says this improves sound quality when the MacBook Pro is connected to an external display, allowing users to continue using its built-in speakers in a desktop setup.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are available to pre-order now and launch on November 6. Pricing starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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New MacBook Pro Offers Up to 16TB of Storage, Double Previous Limit

Hartley Charlton — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:52:44 +0000

Apple's new touchscreen MacBook Pro models offer up to 16TB of internal storage, doubling the previous generation's 8TB maximum. The extra capacity comes at a substantial cost. Upgrading the highest-end M5 Max configuration from its standard 2TB SSD to 16TB costs $7,000, making it $4,000 more expensive than the $3,000 upgrade to 8TB.

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Apple's New Touchscreen MacBook Pro Costs Up to $14,549

Hartley Charlton — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:46:38 +0000

Apple's new touchscreen MacBook Pro models start at $2,899 for the 14-inch version and $3,399 for the 16-inch version, but configuring the machines with every hardware upgrade pushes their prices well above $14,000.

The starting configurations and U.S. prices are as follows:

14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro: $2,899 with a 15-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB of unified memory, and 1TB SSD, up from $2,499.

16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro: $3,399 with an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 24GB of unified memory, and 1TB SSD, up from $2,999.

14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max: $4,499 with an 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB of unified memory, and 2TB SSD, up from $4,099.

16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max: $4,799 with an 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB of unified memory, and 2TB SSD, up from $4,399.

The $400 premium represents an increase of approximately 16% for the entry-level 14-inch M5 Pro configuration and 13% for its 16-inch counterpart. The M5 Max models see increases of approximately 10% and 9%, respectively. This is compared to the previous, non-touchscreen models' prices immediately before today's announcement, rather than their lower prices at launch before Apple's hikes.

At the other end of the range, Apple's configurator allows the 14-inch touchscreen MacBook Pro to reach $14,249 and the 16-inch model to reach $14,549. Both configurations include the highest-end M5 Max chip with an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, 128GB of unified memory, a 16TB SSD, and nano-texture glass.

Storage accounts for much of the expense when configuring. On the highest-end M5 Max configuration, upgrading the standard 2TB SSD to 4TB costs $1,000, 8TB costs $3,000, and the new 16TB option costs $7,000. Moving from 48GB to 128GB of unified memory adds another $2,000, while nano-texture glass costs $150.

The preceding 16-inch MacBook Pro topped out at $10,149 with 128GB of memory, an 8TB SSD, and nano-texture glass. The new model's $14,549 maximum is $4,400 higher, or approximately 43%, although that comparison includes twice as much storage. Configured with the same 8TB capacity, the new 16-inch model costs $10,549, an increase of $400.

The touchscreen ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are available to pre-order now, with availability beginning on Friday, November 6.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

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Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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Apple Brings Dynamic Island to Mac for the First Time

Hartley Charlton — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:28:03 +0000

Apple today introduced the Dynamic Island to the Mac for the first time with its new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, bringing Live Activities, Spotlight, and Siri AI together in an interactive area of the display.

The ‌Dynamic Island‌ first launched on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in September 2022. It replaced the notch with a smaller TrueDepth camera cutout surrounded by software that expands and changes shape to display alerts, ongoing Live Activities, and controls.

The Mac version carries over the idea of keeping ongoing activities visible and accessible while users work in other apps. Apple says users can do things like answer a phone call, control music playback, and accept an AirDrop request through the interface. The ‌Dynamic Island‌ also serves as a location for Spotlight and ‌Siri‌ AI.

With the new MacBook Pro's touchscreen, actions such as pausing a song can also simply be performed with a tap.

While the original iPhone implementation incorporated the TrueDepth camera system used for Face ID, the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ retains Touch ID for authentication and features a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera. The arrival of the ‌Dynamic Island‌ therefore does not bring ‌Face ID‌ to the Mac.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models became available to pre-order on October 28 and launch on November 6. U.S. pricing starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Tag: Dynamic Island

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Mac Studio With M5 Ultra Now Available With 512GB RAM for $22,299

Joe Rossignol — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:26:32 +0000

Starting today, the Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra chip can be configured with 512GB of RAM on Apple's online store, but it is an expensive upgrade.

You first have to configure the Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra chip with a 36-core CPU and 80-core GPU, which starts at $6,799 in the U.S., and then you have to select the 512GB of RAM option for an additional $15,500. This pushes the minimum cost for a configuration with 512GB of RAM to an eye-watering $22,299.

With both 512GB of RAM and 16TB of storage, the price rises to $29,799.

Apple promised that a 512GB RAM option for the Mac Studio would be coming in late October, and it is now available right on schedule.

For the Mac Studio with the M5 Max chip, Apple continues to offer a max of 128GB RAM.

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Illuminated Apple Logo Returns to MacBook Pro After 10 Years

Hartley Charlton — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:12:40 +0000

The iconic glowing rear Apple logo is returning to the MacBook Pro with the latest model, Apple today announced.

Apple removed the illuminated logo from the ‌MacBook Pro‌ with its 2016 redesign, replacing it with a polished, non-illuminated version. Its return restores one of the laptop's most recognizable design features after a decade.

We're glowing with excitement over the new MacBook Pro. You've gotta touch it to believe it. https://t.co/BLiGkGaefL
— John Ternus (@johnternus) October 28, 2026

The previous illuminated logo used light from the display's backlight. The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ features a "PROLED XDR Display." OLED displays illuminate individual pixels without a separate backlight, so the new model requires a different approach to lighting the logo.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model.

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Apple Announces OLED MacBook Pro With Touch Display

Juli Clover — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:11:44 +0000

Apple today announced a new high-end MacBook Pro, which is available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The new device has a PROLED XDR display that supports touch gestures, and a glowing rear Apple logo.

Pricing on the ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model.

Apple says the ‌MacBook Pro‌ has the "world's best display in a pro laptop." The PROLED display uses tandem OLED paired with advanced algorithms in the display engine and factory calibration for "exceptional brightness, striking contrast, and vivid true-to-life colors."

The display offers up to 2000 nits peak HDR and SDR brightness, along with a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio. A display engine controls the color and luminance of each pixel, compensating for content, temperature, environment, and pixel use. ProMotion technology is available with refresh rates ranging from 10Hz to 120Hz. An antireflective coating cuts down on glare in bright lighting conditions, and there is an option to order the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ with a nano-texture display.

We're glowing with excitement over the new MacBook Pro. You've gotta touch it to believe it. https://t.co/BLiGkGaefL
— John Ternus (@johnternus) October 28, 2026

A touch sensor is built directly in the display panel, so there is no added latency. Apple says touch interactions feel "incredibly responsive and refined." Users can scroll through a webpage with a swipe, pinch to zoom in on a photo, drag and drop slides from one presentation to another, and double-tap a window to have it fill the screen.

A new hinge design offers more stability when using touch, and advanced video stabilization smooths the camera feed when using touch on a video call. Apple says macOS automatically translates touch into clicks, so many existing apps will work with touch right away.

The ‌MacBook Pro‌ is up to 1mm slimmer than the existing version, and it is lighter weight at just three pounds for the 14-inch model and four pounds for the 16-inch model. There is no more notch, with Apple instead adding a small Dynamic Island that takes up less space. The ‌Dynamic Island‌ houses Spotlight, Live Activities, and Siri AI. Like on the iPhone, it offers a quick way to see and interact with important information.

Smaller bezels mean the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ display is now 16.3 inches in size, while the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is now 14.2 inches.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ uses the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models announced back in March, but there is a redesigned thermal architecture that directs warm air away from the display. There is support for up to 128GB of unified memory, and a new six-speaker sound system with 50 percent deeper bass.

There are three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, MagSafe, and a headphone jack. The new machines support up to four external displays and come with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Fast charging allows the ‌MacBook Pro‌ to be charged to 50 percent in 30 minutes, and up to 16TB storage is available.

Apple is selling the ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ models alongside the existing mini-LED models and the new M6 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌. Pre-orders are available now, with a launch coming on Friday, November 6.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Tag: OLED

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Apple Store Down Ahead of 'Pro and Tell' Launch Today

Joe Rossignol — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:46:58 +0000

Update: Apple has announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a touch-enabled PROLED XDR Display.

Apple has taken its online store down just minutes before its "Pro and Tell" experience in Los Angeles begins at 10 a.m. Pacific Time today.

Apple is expected to announce new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with touch-enabled OLED displays, a Dynamic Island instead of a notch, a revamped hinge, a lighter and slightly thinner design, M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and a redesigned cooling system. macOS Golden Gate is expected to be optimized for touch input on these laptops.

It is not entirely clear if Apple will stick with MacBook Pro branding for these models, or if it will opt for a new name like MacBook Studio or MacBook Ultra.

In the U.S., pricing will reportedly start at around $2,899 for the 14-inch model and at around $3,399 for the 16-inch model. Stay tuned for more coverage.

Tag: Apple Store

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South Korea Rules Against Apple Over App Store Payment Rules

Hartley Charlton — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:00:55 +0000

South Korea has fined Apple 20.8 billion won ($15.5 million) and ordered it to let developers link to external payment options from their apps, The Associated Press reports.

The Korea Media and Communications Commission found that Apple and Google effectively require developers to use their payment systems, violating a 2021 law intended to allow alternatives. Google was fined 42.9 billion won ($32 million).

Both companies allowed third-party payment services within apps, but charged developers a 26% commission and restricted some features. The regulator said these conditions pushed developers toward Apple and Google's payment systems, while rules against external payment links limited their other options.

The companies must also improve their app review processes. The commission found that some reviews were delayed without clear explanations or information about when they would resume. It separately found that Apple charged South Korean developers higher commissions than overseas developers between 2015 and January 2023.

Apple told The Associated Press that it disagrees with the ruling and is considering its legal options. The company says its policies comply with South Korean law and that its payment system helps protect customers against fraud.

Tags: Apple Antitrust, App Store, Google, South Korea

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Apple Raises MacBook Neo's Starting Price to $649 on Education Store

Joe Rossignol — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:42:54 +0000

Apple has raised the MacBook Neo's starting price from $599 to $649 on its online education store in the U.S., meaning it now offers college students and other eligible groups only a $50 discount on the laptop, down from $100. The change was made within the past week, with equivalent increases in local currencies in other countries.

When the MacBook Neo first launched in March, it started at just $499 on Apple's education store, but that rose to $599 in June and now to $649.

Apple raised the MacBook Neo's starting price for the general public from $599 to $699 in June as well, and it has also raised prices on iPhones, other Macs and iPads, and additional products this year. The company has attributed the price increases to a memory chip shortage that has led to significantly higher costs for RAM and storage chips.

MacBook Neo: Education Pricing

March: $499

June: $599

October: $649

MacBook Neo: General Pricing

March: $599

June—Present: $699

In May, Apple expanded the UNiDAYS verification system that it already used in many European countries to the U.S. and Canada, meaning that customers who are not students, educational staff, or otherwise eligible are no longer be able to break the rules and take advantage of the lower prices available through the education store.

Apple reportedly plans to release a second-generation MacBook Neo with an A19 chip, 12GB of RAM, and new color options in the first half of 2027. The current model has an A18 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM, and it is available in Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo.

Related Roundup: MacBook Neo

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Neutral)

Related Forum: MacBook Neo

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iOS 27.2 Adds Selfie-Based Age Verification

Hartley Charlton — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:40:52 +0000

Apple has added selfie-based age verification in iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2, allowing users in supported regions to demonstrate that they are adults without submitting a credit card or government-issued ID.

The feature estimates whether someone is an adult by analyzing their face, according to a new Apple support document. The capture process involves following onscreen prompts to turn and tilt the head, providing views of the face from four directions.

Apple says the verification process combines processing on the user's device with analysis through Private Cloud Compute. The results are brought together locally, and Apple says the images remain inaccessible to the company and anyone else during processing. After successful verification, the selfie is deleted.

Users who receive an age confirmation prompt may be offered the option, although availability varies by location. Regional requirements determine when adult verification is necessary.

Possible triggers include setting up an Apple Account, installing a software update, accessing apps rated 18+, and adjusting safety controls. Once a user has successfully established their adult status, Apple says further confirmation is unnecessary.

Apple released iOS 27.2 on October 26.

Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27

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Beats 360 Get First Price Drop Alongside Return of Record Low for AirPods 4

Mitchel Broussard — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:21:45 +0000

Today we're tracking a pair of notable headphone deals, including the first ever price drop on the new Beats 360 at Amazon, plus the return of an all-time low price on AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation at Woot.

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.

You can get the Beats 360 in Black with Black Performance Knit Cushions for $329.00 this week on Amazon, down from $349.00. This is the first discount we've ever seen on the headphones, and deals on a few Cushion Kits are also still available on Amazon.

$20 OFF

Beats 360 for $329.00

For the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, you can get this model for $99.00 on Woot, down from $149.00, which is a rare return of the record low price. These are in new condition and come with a 90 day Woot limited Warranty.

$50 OFF

AirPods 4 ANC for $99.00

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.

Deals Newsletter

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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MacBook Studio?

Joe Rossignol — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:41:05 +0000

Update: Nope! Apple has announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a touch-enabled PROLED XDR Display.

A teaser video shared by Apple CEO John Ternus today hints at a potential name for the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays: MacBook Studio.

The video shows an Apple logo being projected onto a wall against a city skyline, and perhaps that wall is a movie studio. Apple is expected to show off the new MacBooks to selected tech reporters and content creators at an experience in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. Pacific Time today, and that is the home of Hollywood movie studios after all.

If this theory proves to be accurate, then Apple would offer both a Mac Studio desktop computer and a MacBook Studio laptop, plus the Studio Display. Apple would likely position the MacBook Studio as being aimed at creators, and it would surely promote its recently-updated Apple Creator Studio suite of apps alongside the announcement today.

This is obviously all just some last-minute speculation for fun — we did the same with iPhone Duo. The new models could stick with MacBook Pro branding, and the long-rumored MacBook Ultra name still remains a possibility too.

Bonus theory: What if the teaser hints at the glowing Apple logo returning to the MacBook's lid? We truly might be getting ahead of ourselves now.

Here's the teaser in case you missed it:

https://t.co/2XsfEhVRJH
— John Ternus (@johnternus) October 28, 2026

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