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Apple Pledged $25 Million to Trump's White House Ballroom

Juli Clover — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 20:48:39 +0000

Apple pledged $25 million for Trump's White House ballroom, according to a list of donors obtained by The Washington Post.

Chipmaker Nvidia also committed $25 million, making Apple and Nvidia two of the top donors. Other donors include Microsoft, Comcast, Amazon, Cisco, Meta, T-Mobile, HP, Google (from a lawsuit settlement), Palantir, Salesforce, and Micron. Private donations on the list totaled $333 million, with some donors paying in full and some paying in installments.

The White House has not publicly disclosed donation amounts, even though political giving typically requires public disclosure and adherence to campaign finance rules. The Trump administration is collecting ballroom donations through a nonprofit and moving the funds into a White House account controlled by Trump.

A White House spokesperson said the administration will "relentlessly pursue those responsible" for the leaked list.

The ballroom's final cost hasn't been released, but a June contractor estimate suggested it would cost around $600 million and that more than half of the money would come from taxpayer funds.

Trump says the ballroom will be around 90,000 square feet and will seat 1,000 guests. The White House's East Wing was demolished to construct the ballroom.

Tag: Donald Trump

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Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Launch on November 6

Juli Clover — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 20:23:34 +0000

Apple is planning to introduce new OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro models on October 27 or October 28, and the machines could launch on Friday, November 6, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said during his latest podcast.

Apple retail stores apparently have a "big floor reset" scheduled for the evening of Thursday, November 5, and into Friday, November 6, which Gurman says could be in preparation for the new Macs. The store reset will follow a debut in late October, with Apple planning a creator-focused gathering in Los Angeles to introduce the new products.

Along with the ‌OLED‌ touchscreen ‌MacBook Pro‌, Apple is rumored to be launching the ‌OLED‌ iPad mini, M6 iMac, and M6 entry-level 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌. Gurman did not say whether there would be a classic Apple event, but suggested Apple will "do something" and will "have those videos" at the "very least."

Gurman previously said Apple might name the new ‌OLED‌ Macs the "MacBook Ultra," but he more recently walked that back and suggested they would be part of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ line. He also said the foldable iPhone could be the iPhone Ultra and that Apple would debut AirPods Ultra, but so far Apple has not embraced the Ultra naming.

The ‌OLED‌ ‌MacBook Pro‌ models could be sold as a higher-end option alongside the current mini-LED models, but new chips are not expected. Apple is said to be using the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips that are in the existing ‌MacBook Pro‌ models.

If the ‌MacBook Pro‌ models do launch on November 6, Apple will have several weeks of product launches. The iPhone Duo is coming out on October 23, while the HomePod mini 2 launches October 30. The HomeView and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K will be released on November 13.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Caution)

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing

Joe Rossignol — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 20:18:32 +0000

Withings, the maker of smart scales for measuring body weight, has announced that customers who create an account on October 13, 2026 or later must have a Withings+ subscription for automatic syncing of data to third-party apps, including Apple's Health app. In the U.S., Withings+ costs $99.50 per year.

If you created your account on or before October 12, 2026, automatic syncing to third-party apps remains free. Since this change is tied to the account creation date, existing customers who buy a new Withings scale or other device are unaffected.

Tags: Apple Health, Withings

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Apple CEO John Ternus on Early Foldables: 'Kind of Cheap and Crappy'

Joe Rossignol — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 19:55:51 +0000

In a recent interview with TIME, Apple CEO John Ternus described some early foldable smartphones as feeling "kind of cheap and crappy." Samsung released its first foldable in 2019, but Apple opted to take its time and has now developed the iPhone Duo with a premium design and a barely-noticeable display crease.

The interview touches on how Ternus gave Apple's design team "the confidence to really push the boundaries on innovation and manufacturing" with the iPhone Duo, which is available to pre-order starting this Friday at 5 a.m. Pacific Time.

Tag: John Ternus

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iPad Mini 8: Apple Has Tested Both 60Hz and 120Hz ProMotion Displays

Joe Rossignol — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:33:20 +0000

On the latest episode of his Power On podcast, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he heard that Apple has tested both 60Hz and 120Hz ProMotion displays for the next iPad mini. However, he has not yet learned which option Apple has chosen.

Apple is expected to announce the new iPad mini on October 27 or October 28, with rumored features including an OLED display, A20 Pro chip, landscape front camera, redesigned speaker system, and water-resistant design.

Related Roundup: iPad mini

Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Don't Buy)

Related Forum: iPad

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Meta and Apple Bring Muse Spark Open AI Model to Mac Studio

Juli Clover — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 17:47:29 +0000

Meta today announced the release of Muse Spark Open, which it says is the "most capable U.S. open-weight model to date."

‌Meta‌ worked with Apple to bring Muse Spark Open to the Mac, and the model can run on a desktop setup with two 512GB Apple M5 Ultra Mac Studios running the latest MLX framework. ‌Meta‌ CEO Mark Zuckerberg thanked Apple CEO John Ternus for working with Meta.

@finkd Congrats to the team! Amazing to run a model of Muse Spark Open's caliber and scale this efficiently, right from your desk. Mac Studio keeps pushing the boundaries of on-device AI!
— John Ternus (@johnternus) October 15, 2026

Muse Spark Open has 816 billion total parameters with 42 billion active parameters and a 1 million-token context window. It is meant for coding and agentic work, and ‌Meta‌ says it excels at extended tasks, multi-step reasoning, and software engineering.

The new Muse model was tuned to run on Mac Studio, and ‌Meta‌ says the ‌Mac Studio‌ paired with Muse Spark Open is the "best way to run a powerful model on your own desktop." From ‌Meta‌:

Apple's unified memory architecture lets the M5 Ultra's integrated GPU use up to 512 GB per Mac Studio, so two machines can hold an entire model. And the chip's 1.2 TB/s of memory bandwidth is fast enough to read the small slice each token needs. The result is two Mac Studios behave like one supercomputer with a terabyte of unified memory.

Apple hasn't released the 512GB ‌Mac Studio‌ as of yet, but it's supposed to be coming later this month. It won't be cheap, because the 256GB ‌Mac Studio‌ is already priced over $10,000.

The model is available through API platforms at Baseten, Fireworks AI, Groq, Modal, Nebius, OpenRouter, and Together AI, with model weights downloadable from Amazon SageMaker AI, Google Cloud Model Garden, Hugging Face, and Microsoft Foundry Models. Muse Spark Open is free to download and has a license allowing limited commercial use.

Apple and ‌Meta‌ often argue more than they work together, so it is something of a surprise to see the two companies partnering for Muse Spark Open. "We're excited for mommy and daddy to be playing nice again," ‌Meta‌'s AI chief Alexandr Wang told Axios.

Related Roundup: Mac Studio

Tag: Meta

Buyer's Guide: Mac Studio (Buy Now)

Related Forum: Mac Studio

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Apple TV 4K 2022 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared

Hartley Charlton — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:07:52 +0000

Apple announced the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K earlier this week, introducing the A19 chip, built-in microphones for hands-free Siri, four-speaker HomePod surround sound, and an updated ‌Siri‌ Remote. It replaces the third-generation model introduced in 2022, bringing a number of internal changes while retaining the same basic design and most of the same entertainment features.

The new model costs $299 and comes with 128GB of storage. ‌Siri‌ AI is also coming to the third-generation model, and the new remote can be purchased separately for existing devices. Apple says the assistant will be available in beta with tvOS 27.2 on second-generation and later ‌Apple TV‌ 4K models, including conversational entertainment searches, follow-up questions, and personal context through a compatible paired device.

The new model's distinctive hardware benefit is direct voice input through the box's microphones; access to the voice assistant itself is shared. Whether you should upgrade therefore comes down to which hardware changes you will actually use.

Configurations, Connectivity, and Price

The differences in configurations, connectivity, and pricing between the third- and fourth-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K are as follows:

‌Apple TV‌ 4K (3rd Generation)	‌Apple TV‌ 4K (4th Generation)
64GB model: Wi-Fi only 128GB model: Wi-Fi and Ethernet	Single 128GB configuration with Wi-Fi and Ethernet
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 6
Gigabit Ethernet on the 128GB model only	Gigabit Ethernet as standard
Thread networking on the 128GB model only	Thread networking as standard
Original U.S. launch prices: $129 for 64GB; $149 for 128GB	U.S. launch price: $299 for 128GB
Final prices before replacement: $199 for 64GB; $249 for 128GB	$299 for 128GB
Now discontinued	Available to pre-order
Released November 4, 2022	Available November 13, 2026

Apple raised the older model's prices in June 2026, so comparing the new model exclusively with its predecessor's original launch pricing misses an intervening increase. Against the final price of the equivalent 128GB model, the new ‌Apple TV‌ costs $50 more. Against the previous entry-level configuration, it costs $100 more and includes twice the storage, Ethernet, and Thread connectivity.

A15 Bionic vs. A19

The A19 chip brings a substantially newer chip architecture to the ‌Apple TV‌. Apple says the fourth-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K delivers the following improvements over the third-generation model:

Up to 50% faster CPU performance.

Up to twice the GPU performance.

The table below lists capabilities of two chip architectures.

A15 Bionic Chip	A19 Chip
Made with TSMC's 5nm (N5P) process	Made with TSMC's third-generation 3nm (N3P) process
	Dynamic Caching
Software-based ray tracing	Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
Mesh shading without the newer dedicated hardware acceleration	Hardware-accelerated mesh shading
	Dedicated Neural Accelerators in each GPU core
16-core Neural Engine	Updated 16-core Neural Engine architecture
Display engine and image signal processor	Updated display engine and image signal processor
	Dedicated AV1 hardware decoder
Up to 4x multisample anti-aliasing	Up to 8x multisample anti-aliasing
Maximum 1D, 2D, and cube-map texture dimensions of 16,384 pixels	Maximum 1D, 2D, and cube-map texture dimensions of 32,768 pixels
	Universal texture compression
	MetalFX denoised upscaling capability
	Depth bounds testing

The A19 chip has a substantially better GPU than the A15 Bionic. Dynamic Caching manages fast on-chip GPU memory according to the workload. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading provide more advanced graphics-processing capabilities, while GPU Neural Accelerators supply dedicated hardware for machine learning calculations.

While GPU improvements will be particularly useful for gaming, it is unclear just how much the full breadth of the chip architecture improvements will make a meaningful difference to the ‌Apple TV‌.

Hands-Free Siri and HomePod Audio

The new microphones and expanded ‌HomePod‌ support provide some of the clearest functional differences between the two devices:

‌Apple TV‌ 4K (3rd Generation)	‌Apple TV‌ 4K (4th Generation)
No built-in microphone array in the box; microphone only in the ‌Siri‌ Remote	Three built-in far-field microphones with voice isolation, alongside the microphone in the ‌Siri‌ Remote
‌Siri‌ voice input through the remote or another compatible device	Direct hands-free activation using "‌Siri‌" or "Hey ‌Siri‌," with echo cancellation while audio is playing
‌HomePod‌ TV audio through a single speaker or stereo pair	Four-speaker ‌HomePod‌ surround sound using matching front and rear pairs
	Automatic positioning, timing, and level calibration for the four-speaker setup
	Whole Room Audio mode distributes sound across four ‌HomePod‌ speakers

The four-speaker configuration requires HomePod mini 2 or second-generation full-sized ‌HomePod‌ speakers. You can use four matching speakers or combine two matching front speakers with a different matching rear pair. For example, two full-sized HomePods can serve as the front speakers and two ‌HomePod mini 2‌ units as the rear speakers.

First-generation full-sized HomePods and original ‌HomePod‌ mini speakers are excluded from this new four-speaker configuration. Existing owners should account for any speaker replacements or additions when considering the cost of upgrading.

Whole Room Audio serves a different purpose from directional home theater sound, distributing audio more evenly around the room for music, sports, and more.

Hands-free ‌Siri‌ support also has its own language requirements. Apple lists Mandarin Chinese, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Norwegian, and Swedish, subject to regional availability.

Siri Remote Differences

The fourth-generation ‌Siri‌ Remote retains the familiar design and controls while making a misplaced remote easier to find:

‌Siri‌ Remote (3rd Generation)	‌Siri‌ Remote (4th Generation)
Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 6
Nearby finding through iPhone, with proximity guidance	Find My with Precision Finding on a compatible iPhone
	Bluetooth Channel Sounding for precise location tracking
	Built-in speaker for playing a sound to locate the remote
66 grams	69.6 grams

The older remote already supported nearby finding with an iPhone. The new remote's additional benefits are precise location guidance and an audible alert. Precision Finding uses Bluetooth Channel Sounding, providing precise tracking without requiring a UWB chip.

Precision Finding requires an iPhone 17 or later, excluding the iPhone 17e, or an iPhone Air or iPhone Duo running the latest software. You can also ask ‌Siri‌ to find the remote through the ‌Apple TV‌'s built-in microphones and have the remote play a sound.

The new ‌Siri‌ Remote is available separately for $59 and works with the third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, every earlier ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, and even the ‌Apple TV‌ HD.

Design, Dimensions, and Weight

Both generations retain the compact black enclosure and Apple logo. The principal visible changes are the microphone hardware and the repositioned front light.

	‌Apple TV‌ 4K (3rd Generation)	‌Apple TV‌ 4K (4th Generation)
Width	93 mm	93.24 mm
Depth	93 mm	93.24 mm
Weight	Wi-Fi: 208g Wi-Fi + Ethernet: 214g	217g
Status light	Positioned toward the right	Positioned in the center
Packaging	At least 90% fiber-based packaging	100% fiber-based packaging

The new box weighs three grams more than the previous Ethernet model and nine grams more than the Wi-Fi-only model. The centered front light also indicates when the built-in microphones are listening for commands.

Should You Upgrade From the Third-Generation Apple TV 4K?

Most third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K owners should keep their existing device. For ordinary streaming through television speakers, a soundbar, or an AV receiver, the new model does not add new capabilities. The maximum viewing resolution and HDR support remains the same. ‌Siri‌ AI's availability on the older hardware further reduces the need to replace a working device.

The strongest reason to upgrade is a planned four-speaker ‌HomePod‌ system. If you already own two second-generation full-sized HomePods and want dedicated rear speakers, the new ‌Apple TV‌ enables a specific setup your existing model cannot provide. Include the cost of additional or replacement speakers when judging the upgrade.

Hands-free control is another practical reason if you regularly use ‌Siri‌ and want to speak directly to the device. It is likely to be more useful when the ‌Apple TV‌ is directly in the viewing room than when it is installed in a separate equipment cupboard or rack.

AV1 hardware decoding may justify the upgrade for a particular media library or playback workflow. Gaming enthusiasts may also value the newer GPU architecture, but the benefit depends on the games available for tvOS and how developers use the hardware.

If locating the remote is a source of frustration, buying the $59 ‌Siri‌ Remote separately costs $240 less than replacing the entire ‌Apple TV‌. That purchase supplies the new remote features while retaining your existing device.

Should You Buy the Third- or Fourth-Generation Model?

For a new purchase, the fourth-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K is the stronger choice when the price difference is modest or you intend to use its exclusive features. Compared with the older 128GB model's final $249 Apple price, the $50 premium is easier to justify than the much larger difference suggested by comparing original launch prices.

That being said, a discounted third-generation model remains a sensible purchase. The older model is particularly appealing when the saving is substantial and you are not interested in a four-speaker ‌HomePod‌ sound system.

If you need Ethernet or want the ‌Apple TV‌ itself to provide Thread networking, choose the third-generation 128GB model or the fourth-generation model. A sufficiently large saving on the older 128GB configuration can outweigh improvements with the latest model that you would rarely use.

Related Roundup: Apple TV

Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)

Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater

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Greg Joswiak Says Apple Isn't Focused on Making AI for 'Lunatic Fringe'

Joe Rossignol — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:13:56 +0000

In an interview with TIME's Andrew R. Chow, Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak said Apple Intelligence is meant for "everyday people" as opposed to the "lunatic fringe."

The full sentence: "In the midst of a populist AI backlash, they contend that they are building a modest but personalized and privacy-preserving form of AI that will actually help ordinary people as opposed to merely dazzling Silicon Valley's 'lunatic fringe,' as Greg Joswiak, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, puts it."

Joswiak apparently believes Apple Intelligence is not for "die-hard AI believers chasing superintelligence," as Chow described it.

"We love them, and they can use it too, but that's not our target," said Joswiak. "It's how to make it better for everyday people."

Joswiak added that "we don't feel threatened" in regards to Apple facing competition in the AI industry. "The fact that we can do the integration that we can means we can create just a better experience than anybody else," he said.

Tags: Apple Intelligence, Greg Joswiak

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Amazon Offers $120 Discount on AirPods Max 2, $50 Off AirPods Pro 3

Mitchel Broussard — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:12:42 +0000

Amazon has a few notable markdowns on AirPods models this week, including the AirPods Max 2 and AirPods Pro 3. In regards to the AirPods Max 2, Amazon's deal today is matching the Prime Day low price we saw earlier this month.

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 AirPods Max 2 on sale for $429.00, down from $549.00. This is one of the lowest prices we've ever seen on the AirPods Max 2, and the sale is available in Blue, Midnight, Orange, Purple, and Starlight colors.

$120 OFF

AirPods Max 2 for $429.00

For the AirPods Pro 3, you can get this model for $199.00, down from $249.00. This is a second-best price on the AirPods Pro 3, but if you missed the all-time low price during Prime Day and want a model now, it's still a solid $50 discount.

$50 OFF

AirPods Pro 3 for $199.00

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.

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.

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 CEO John Ternus Featured on Cover of TIME Magazine: 'New Era'

Joe Rossignol — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:37:57 +0000

Apple CEO John Ternus has been featured on the cover of TIME Magazine's "Best Inventions of 2026" edition, available October 26.

Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001 and was formerly its senior vice president of hardware engineering, succeeded Tim Cook as the company's CEO on September 1. This paved the way for Ternus to unveil the iPhone Duo just eight days later.

Ternus believes the iPhone Duo stands apart from other foldable smartphones.

"The other examples in the world felt kind of cheap and crappy," said Ternus, in an interview with TIME's Andrew R. Chow.

Ternus was eight years old when his father purchased an Apple II computer. "I started playing games on it and fell in love with Apple," he said.

Cook remains at Apple as executive chairman, with his primary focus being engaging with policymakers around the world. "He has great relationships and loves Apple," Ternus said of Cook. "So wherever he can help, he is happy to help."

In a separate interview, Cook said he is "not meddling" with Ternus.

Apple's large language models that power Siri AI are "based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," according to a joint announcement from Apple and Google earlier this year. When asked about this, Ternus said Apple does not always have to make the whole widget, with the company focused on areas it can provide "differentiation."

"There's not really a goal that we have to make every single thing in a product," he said. "We make the things where we can really bring differentiation."

Apple also tries to remain focused.

"You can't do everything," Ternus added. "So we kind of try to constrain ourselves to the stuff that matters most—and then put all of our effort into those things."

The full magazine cover is below.

Tag: John Ternus

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Apple Announces Deadline to 'Get Ready' to Pre-Order the iPhone Duo

Joe Rossignol — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:32:49 +0000

Apple today announced that customers have until 9 p.m. Pacific Time today to "get ready" for their iPhone Duo pre-order.

By completing this process via Apple's online store or the Apple Store app, Apple said customers can "check out with a single click" when iPhone Duo pre-orders go live on Friday, October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time. The device launches on Friday, October 23.

Related Roundup: iPhone Duo

Buyer's Guide: iPhone Duo (Coming Soon)

Related Forum: iPhone

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MKBHD is 'Not Convinced' About Apple's New HomeView, Here's Why

Joe Rossignol — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:03:46 +0000

Apple this week introduced an all-new HomeView smart home hub, but popular tech reviewer Marques Brownlee is "not convinced" about it.

In his HomeView impressions video on his YouTube channel MKBHD, Brownlee said "I cannot figure any group that this is actually ideal for."

HomeView has a lot of overlap with other Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and HomePod. Brownlee said the HomeView does not provide enough "extra value," leading him to believe that the device should be "a skip for most people."

HomeView lacks an App Store, which limits its usefulness, but it can also display CarPlay-enabled audio and video apps from a paired iPhone.

Do you think the HomeView is a useful addition to the Apple ecosystem? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Related Roundup: Apple HomeView

Tag: MKBHD

Buyer's Guide: HomeView (Buy Now)

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Apple's Wall-Mounted HomeView Ships Without a Power Adapter

Hartley Charlton — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:18:41 +0000

Apple's wall-mounted HomeView will ship without a power adapter, USB-C cable, or mount, requiring customers to purchase compatible accessories separately.

In a support document posted on October 14, Apple outlined different power requirements for the two versions of its new smart home hub. The tabletop HomeView requires a USB-C power adapter rated for at least 30W, supporting an output of 15V at 2A or higher. The wall-mounted model requires at least 20W, with support for 9V at 2.22A or higher.

The tabletop model includes a 30W power adapter and a 1.5-meter USB-C cable. The wall-mounted version's box contains only the device and documentation.

Customers choosing the wall-mounted HomeView will need a compatible third-party mount and power solution. Depending on the mount, the device can use a separate USB-C cable and power adapter or a hardwired connection to line power.

If the power requirements are not met, HomeView will display a "Power Adapter Not Supported" message, accompanied by a lightning bolt and yellow warning triangle. For a wall-mounted unit, Apple suggests testing the device outside its mount with a compatible USB-C cable and adapter. If it works when connected directly, customers should contact the mount manufacturer or their professional installer.

Apple introduced the HomeView earlier this week, featuring a 7-inch Liquid Retina display, an A18 chip, and Siri AI. Both models are available to pre-order for $299 in the United States, with availability beginning on November 13.

Related Roundup: Apple HomeView

Buyer's Guide: HomeView (Buy Now)

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Rare Apple-1 With Steve Jobs Letter Sells for $1.15 Million

Hartley Charlton — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:01:56 +0000

The "Hatfield" Apple-1 has sold for $1,148,200 including the buyer's premium, setting a world auction record for a commercially sold Apple-1, according to Bonhams.

Two bidders competed for 28 minutes before the October 14 auction closed, taking the working computer beyond its $500,000 to $800,000 estimate.

The machine takes its name from original owner Fred Hatfield, who complained to Apple about the lack of software for the Apple-1. A letter included in the sale contains Steve Jobs' 1978 reply, offering an Apple II motherboard in exchange for the Apple-1 and another $400. Hatfield kept his computer.

He eventually sold it privately for $40,000 while it needed repairs. The buyer restored it and obtained Steve Wozniak's signature on the motherboard before it set an auction record in 2013. Bonhams lists that earlier sale as approximately $686,000.

Apple-1 prototypes have fetched more in the past. The "Celebration" board, which sold for $815,000 in 2016, sold for $2.75 million in January 2026.

Tags: Apple-1, Steve Jobs

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Apple Now Inviting Media to October 28 'Launch Experience'

Hartley Charlton — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:13:33 +0000

Apple has begun inviting selected members of the media to a product launch experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In a post on X, Gurman described the gathering as an "all-day product launch experience" for touchscreen MacBooks, a new iPad mini, and Macs equipped with M6 chips.

Gurman previously reported that Apple would introduce the devices "on or around" Tuesday, October 27, with an online video presentation and a hands-on experience for the media. His latest post specifies October 28 for the media gathering, but does not say whether the product announcements will take place that day or beforehand.

The touchscreen MacBooks are expected to be redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, featuring OLED displays, a Dynamic Island, and significantly lighter designs. While earlier rumors suggested Apple could use the "MacBook Ultra" name, Gurman's report from earlier this month suggested the devices would remain in the ‌MacBook Pro‌ family.

Alongside the redesigned high-end machines, Apple is expected to introduce M6 versions of the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and iMac. The new ‌iPad mini‌ is expected to gain an OLED display, a front-facing camera positioned for landscape video calls, and a redesigned speaker system.

Related Roundups: iMac, iPad mini, MacBook Pro

Tags: Bloomberg, Mark Gurman

Buyer's Guide: iMac (Don't Buy), iPad Mini (Don't Buy), MacBook Pro (Caution)

Related Forums: iMac, iPad, MacBook Pro

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iPhone Duo's A20 Pro Chip Benchmarked Ahead of Launch

Juli Clover — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:20:32 +0000

The iPhone Duo unsurprisingly offers performance similar to the iPhone 18 Pro, according to an early iPhone Duo benchmark shared on Geekbench 7. Both devices are equipped with Apple's 2nm A20 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU and a 7-core GPU.

The benchmarked ‌iPhone Duo‌ (iPhone19,4) is running iOS 27.1, as expected, and it had a single-core score of 3986 and a multi-core score of 11067. That's in line with multiple benchmarks collected from ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max models.

Scores vary from test to test, so while the result does fall short of the top ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ benchmark scores, we're only viewing a single score. The ‌iPhone Duo‌ has the same 6-core CPU with a 4.93GHz base frequency that's identified in ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ benchmarks, and it lists 11.30GB memory, which means 12GB of RAM.

While the ‌iPhone Duo‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models use the same A20 Pro chip, there could be differences in real-world performance based on thermal management, the ‌iPhone Duo‌'s two screens vs. a single screen, and other factors.

Apple says the A20 Pro offers up to 20 percent faster CPU performance than the A19 Pro and up to 40 percent faster GPU performance. GPU speeds were not tested.

Pre-orders for the ‌iPhone Duo‌ will start on October 16, and a launch will follow on October 23.

Related Roundup: iPhone Duo

Buyer's Guide: iPhone Duo (Coming Soon)

Related Forum: iPhone

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10 HomeView Features You Might Have Missed

Juli Clover — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 23:02:36 +0000

Apple plans to launch the HomeView on November 13, so we have a month to go until we can learn more about it. Right now, we're limited to the information Apple has shared and what members of the media learned during limited hands-on time.

We've rounded up some interesting HomeView tidbits you might have missed.

Recipe walkthroughs - HomeView makes Safari recipes easier to follow by pulling out the ingredients and steps. You can tap on a "Start Cooking" button to get step-by-step instructions you can use as you cook. The device also supports multiple voice-activated timers.

Siri access - You can say Siri (English only) or Hey ‌Siri‌ for hands-free access, but there are also options for activating ‌Siri‌ with a swipe down from the top of the display or using Type to ‌Siri‌.

Apple Intelligence - HomeView has some Apple Intelligence features built in. You or members of your household can use ‌Siri‌ AI for general knowledge questions if you don't have an ‌Apple Intelligence‌ iPhone or iPad, but you do need one for any requests involving personal context.

Guests - Personal data is private, but guests can control smart home accessories, check the weather, set timers, and play music. Visitors can also AirPlay audio to the HomeView using peer-to-peer discovery.

Adaptable interface - HomeView can tell when someone is approaching and parts of the interface will change based on proximity. If someone is across the room, it shows less information in a larger view. As the person approaches, the view can change to show more information.

Faces - HomeView has multiple customizable faces similar to watch faces. Apple says some faces can "wake with you in the morning, wind down with you at night." The Snoopy face, for example, has different animations based on time of day, weather, and holidays.

Third-party apps - There's no App Store, but the HomeView has CarPlay-like software capabilities. It can show CarPlay audio and video apps from a linked iPhone. There are no ‌CarPlay‌ video apps except for Apple TV, so app developers will need to add support.

Handoff - You can transfer songs, podcasts, calls, videos, and recipes from the iPhone to the HomeView.

Live Activities - HomeView supports Live Activities, so if you have a timer running or get an incoming Intercom message, content will be visible while you use other apps.

Sensors and HomeKit - The HomeView has temperature and humidity sensors that can be used in Home app scenes and automations. It also serves as a home hub for controlling HomeKit and Matter devices when you're away from home.

HomeView is available for pre-order now, and it will launch on November 13. It is priced at $299 and comes in either a tabletop version with a speaker base or a wall-mounted version.

Related Roundup: Apple HomeView

Buyer's Guide: HomeView (Buy Now)

This article, "10 HomeView Features You Might Have Missed" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Becomes Second Company to Close Above $5 Trillion

Juli Clover — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 22:37:41 +0000

Apple today closed with a market capitalization above $5 trillion, making it the second company to do so after Nvidia.

As noted by The Wall Street Journal, Apple's market cap has exceeded $5 trillion six times before today during intraday trading, but this is the first time the company stayed above the mark at closing.

Apple closed at $342.96, for a market cap of $5.005 trillion. The new valuation comes just over a month after John Ternus took over for Tim Cook as Apple CEO, and two days ahead of iPhone Duo pre-orders.

While Apple surpassed Nvidia to briefly become the most valuable company in the world in July, Nvidia has since retaken the title and continues to hold the top spot with a market cap of $5.33 trillion.

Tag: AAPL

This article, "Apple Becomes Second Company to Close Above $5 Trillion" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Which Apple Home Devices Get Siri AI, and When

Juli Clover — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:23:57 +0000

There's been some confusion about which of Apple's new and existing home devices will support Siri AI and when, because ‌Siri‌ AI isn't going to be available at launch on some products.

Devices With Siri AI

HomeView - Available at launch (November 13)

Apple TV 4K (4th generation) - Available at launch (November 13)

Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) - Available in tvOS 27.2

Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) - Available in tvOS 27.2

HomePod mini 2 - Ships October 30, ‌Siri‌ AI coming in a future software update

Despite a report from CNET suggesting the first HomePod mini would support Siri AI, Apple has since confirmed that's not the case.

No Siri AI Support

Original HomePod mini

Original HomePod

Original Apple TV 4K (no tvOS 27)

Apple TV HD (no tvOS 27)

Unconfirmed

HomePod 2 - Possibly coming, with mentions in website metadata

Siri AI Requirements

On the ‌HomePod‌ and Apple TV 4K models that support ‌Siri‌ AI, the home owner in the Home app must have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad on the latest version of the software. ‌Siri‌ AI has to be turned on, and it has to be set to a supported language. Other members of the household don't need an Apple Intelligence-enabled device once ‌Siri‌ AI is turned on, except for personal requests.

HomeView does not require an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or ‌iPad‌ for ‌Siri‌ AI, except for requests that use personal context.

‌Siri‌ AI for HomeView, ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, and HomePod mini 2 is English only and is limited to the United States, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the UK at launch.

EU Restrictions

‌Siri‌ AI is not available in the EU on the iPhone and ‌iPad‌, so ‌Siri‌ AI won't be available for home devices that support it. HomeView isn't even launching in the EU.

Siri AI Beta

Apple is still calling ‌Siri‌ AI a beta, and it will be in beta when it's available on HomeView, ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, and ‌HomePod mini 2‌.

Tags: Apple Home, Siri

This article, "Which Apple Home Devices Get Siri AI, and When" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's Long-Delayed HomeView Was Already Being Tested in 2024

Joe Rossignol — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 20:59:47 +0000

Apple's new HomeView underwent regulatory testing in October 2024, and it was running what would now be known as HomeView software version 18, according to an FCC document uncovered by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

The document provides the clearest evidence yet that the HomeView was held up due to Siri AI's delayed launch. Apple initially previewed the more intelligent version of Siri at WWDC 2024, but in March 2025 the company announced that it needed more time to get it ready. Siri AI finally launched this September.

Related Roundup: Apple HomeView

Buyer's Guide: HomeView (Buy Now)

This article, "Apple's Long-Delayed HomeView Was Already Being Tested in 2024" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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