The MacBook Pro refresh we’ve been eagerly anticipating for months is finally here, and it’s everything we dreamt it would be.
Apple’s new high-end notebooks deliver a sleeker design, Intel’s latest Skylake processors, and that magic Touch Bar with Touch ID that we’ve been hearing so much about. The only real problem is the price.
Are you ready to finally get some new Macs? It seems like forever since Apple busted out big updates for the iMac and MacBook, but today the wait for something new is over.
Apple’s “Hello Again” event is expected to feature tons of new Mac hardware. The keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific today, and will livestream from the company’s HQ in Cupertino, California. We’ve already seen tons of pictures of the new MacBook Pro and heard of a new app for Apple TV that’s coming, too. But today’s event could feature some game-changing hardware no one was expecting.
Cult of Mac is here to to liveblog all the action once the festivities start, with all the brilliant analysis, dull wit and pithy snark we can come up with. Join us for the wild ride.
Apple's keynote invite makes an awesome wallpaper. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The new MacBook Pro is nearly here!
Months of rumors and leaked images finally culminate today with Apple’s second keynote in two months. Live from Apple’s campus, Tim Cook and Co. are expected to unveil the all-new Mac lineup.
Apple’s “Hello Again” keynote starts today at 10 a.m. Pacific and you don’t need a press badge to watch. All the festivities will be livestreamed from Apple’s HQ in Cupertino, California, so you can follow along on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV.
Microsoft's Surface Studio is a tablet and a PC. Photo: Microsoft.
On the eve before Apple is expected to unveil the future of the Mac, Microsoft fired its biggest shot at taking down the Mac with its first ever all-in-one PC.
It’s beautiful. It’s powerful. And it could give the iMac some serious competition.
The Magic Toolbar will change depending on the app being used. Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple faces a serious challenge when it rolls out the rumored OLED “Magic Toolbar” on new MacBook Pros tomorrow: It must convince the world that the new adaptive touchpad is more than a gimmick.
Offering customizable function keys that work in different ways depending on which apps are running, the Magic Toolbar could make the new MacBook Pro one of Apple’s most exciting laptops in years.
But to be more than a gimmick, the Magic Toolbar needs to improve the way we interact with our Macs, not simply add another confusing control element to the laptops. The Magic Toolbar needs to make it easier to perform tasks that we now do using keyboard shortcuts or on-screen toolbars. If it can’t do that, the Magic Toolbar will go down in the history books as a failure.
Luckily, there’s one simple step Apple can take to ensure that the Magic Toolbar becomes a success.
Revenues are expected to be down year-over-year. Photo: Ste Smith
Apple is set to report its Q4 2016 earnings today, only instead of it being a time for celebration, the company is expected to announce its first annual revenue decline in 15 years.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri warned Wall Street that this quarter wouldn’t smash any records, but with the iPhone 7 doing better than expected, could relief be on the way?
Investors and analysts will grill Apple about how well the company expects to perform next quarter during today’s earnings call. And Cult of Mac will be right here, liveblogging the whole shebang when it starts at 2 p.m. Pacific.
Yep, Apple made a bunch of money, again. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple today revealed its results for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2016. While the company made as much revenue as expected, it still posted its first annual revenue decline since 2001.
The good news for investors is that Apple is projecting a lot of iPhone growth next quarter. In Q4 2016, Apple earned $46.9 billion in revenue and $9 billion in profit, but in Q1 2017 Apple predicts it will rake in $76 billion to $78 billion.
The Magic Toolbar looks like one long key. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Need more proof that Apple is going to launch a new MacBook Pro on Thursday?
Apple accidentally leaked images of the OLED touchbar on the upcoming MacBook Pro in its latest update for macOS Sierra. Not only do the images confirm what we’ve known for months, but they also give us a glimpse at how the Magic Toolbar will work.
Apple will reveal Q4 2016 earnings on October 25. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
During tomorrow’s Apple earnings call, Tim Cook is likely to unload some bad news. Wall Street expects Apple to report its first annual revenue decline since 2001, snapping one of the most impressive streaks ever witnessed.
Slumping iPhone sales mean Apple’s annual revenue could drop to $215.67 billion for 2016. That would be a significant decline from the $233.72 billion in revenue Apple posted in 2015 — but there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
The public release of macOS Sierra 10.12.1 has finally arrived for Macs everywhere, bringing a bunch of bug fixes and tweaks.
Apple Watch owners will definitely want to grab the new update ASAP because it makes unlocking your Mac with your watch a lot more reliable. There are also some new additions for iPhone 7 Plus owners.
Get ready for Apple's new MacBooks. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple has registered trademarks for three new MacBooks days ahead of its “Hello again” press event. Two of them are likely to be the new MacBook Pro in 13- and 15-inch sizes, while the other is expected to be a new 13-inch Retina MacBook.
Are you excited for the Magic of the OLED Toolbar? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
It’s been more than 500 days since the last MacBook Pro release, but Apple’s
“Hello again” Mac event will change that this week.
So what should you be expecting to see? Here’s a rundown of everything we predict Apple will reveal at the eagerly anticipated event, which takes place Thursday at Apple’s 1 Infinite Loop campus.
Apple's keynote invite makes an awesome wallpaper. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
New Macs are officially on the way.
Apple finally announced that it will be hosting a keynote on October 27th where the company is expected to unveil a new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and other new hardware.
We’re still trying to decode Apple’s invites for clues on what’s to come, but you can get your iPhone, iPad and Mac ready for the big day with this collection of wallpapers based on Apple’s invite.
If you plan on buying the new MacBook Pro, now is the time to sell your current one. Photo: Martin Hajek
Get your wallet ready: New Macs are finally coming.
Apple has long been expected to announce a new Macbook Pro in 2016, and October 27 will be the day of the laptop’s grand unveiling (alongside other Macs), according to a new report.
Adding an OLED touchpad could make the MacBook Pro even more magical. Photo: Martin Hajek
Apple is still planning to launch new MacBook Pros this month, according to the latest rumor out of Asia that claims the 11-inch MacBook Air will be killed off.
Useful upgrade or unnecessary gimmick? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple’s new MacBook Pro is right around the corner, if recent rumors are to be believed, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most significant refreshes we’ve seen in years. Spy photos all but confirm a new OLED touchbar is coming, but is this advanced hardware really necessary?
Those who are excited about it can see the how customizable function keys might improve their experience in macOS, while others believe it will be little more than a gimmick.
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss whether the MacBook Pro really needs an OLED touchbar.
With a MacBook Pro refresh coming soon, older refurb models are going for a song. Photos: Apple, Haier
Grab a refurb MacBook Pro at the best price we’ve ever seen, or an iPad Smart Cover also at an all-time low. These offers and more are in this week’s best Apple bargains.
The Maxwell Sleeve will keep your new MacBook Pro covered. Photo: WaterField Designs
There’s little exciting about a laptop sleeve. Usually made of neoprene or some other soft flexible material, it has one job and often it stays hidden if the user carries a backpack or messenger bag.
But in anticipating a refresh of the MacBook Pro, WaterField Designs did a fitting — and dare I say attractive? — refresh of the unsung laptop sleeve.
The futuristic DropTech case on a MacBook Air. Photo: Gumdrop Cases
It’s not easy to find MacBook cases that are both protective and good-looking; you usually have to choose between the two. But Gumdrop Cases has hit the nail on the head with its new DropTech case.
It promises to be one of the “world’s most durable MacBook cases,” and it looks like it came straight out of a futuristic sci-fi movie. Or maybe a retro iMac? Claim yours on Kickstarter now to take advantage of big discounts with early bird pricing.
The next Magic Keyboard may look something like this. Photo: Sonder
Apple is reportedly in talks to acquire an Australian startup called Sonder that specializes in making keyboards with individual e-ink displays on each key.
The Sonder acquisition is supposedly part of Apple’s plan to update its Magic Keyboard in 2018 with a smart keyboard module and color e-ink keys that allow programs to quickly swap characters for shortcuts or change to a different language.
One day after dropping new betas for iOS 10 and tvOS 10, Apple has seeded a new beta build of macOS Sierra 10.12.1 to registered developers this morning.
The fourth beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.1 comes a week after Apple released the last build that contained a number of bug fixes and performance improvements for the Mac.
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus is still selling well, according to wireless carriers. Photo: Ste Smith/CultofMac
The iPhone 7 won’t be enough to break Apple out of its sales slum.
In 2016, total mobile phone shipments are set to decline 1.6 percent. However, the latest forecast from Gartner reveals that 2017 could be a record-breaking year for Apple due to pent-up demand for a new form factor and better features.
Embrace "new to me" and you'll save big with refurbished and open-box Apple gear. Photos: Apple, Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Discounts on not-new laptops and tablets continue to shine this week, with Apple itself offering its legendary factory-refurbished MacBook Pros, and eBay offering an open-box 10-inch iPad Pro. You’ll find these deals and more in this week’s roundup of best Apple deals.