The slower SSD on the entry-level M2 MacBook Pro has a noticeable impact on its performance in daily use. Tests show the M1 MacBook Pro beating its successor in stress tests that rely heavily on swap memory usage.
Benchmarks first revealed that the base M2 MacBook Pro SSD is about 50% slower than the M1 model.
Apple TV+ struck a first-look deal with Maya Rudolph’s production company after last week’s premiere of her comedy series Loot.
That means Rudolph’s company, Animal Pictures, will show what it’s working on to Apple first, before shopping it around to other buyers.
After Harry Styles kicked off the return of the Apple Music Live series, Chicago rapper Lil Durk continues it. His live concert streams Wednesday.
The rapper’s show takes place in Los Angeles, but Apple’s streaming series lets you watch and listen to it anywhere.
LGBTQI Pride Month may be drawing to a close on Thursday, but you can wear your pride on your sleeve or elsewhere all year long if you want — thanks to rainbow-themed Apple accessories in the Cult of Mac Store’s Pride collection.
In addition to several colorful watch bands discussed below, you can find a rainbow lanyard with a shock-proof iPhone case and a rainbow polka-dot MacBook Pro case.
The first trailer for the psychological thriller Surface lets viewers dip their toes into the central mystery of the upcoming series: What if you woke up one day and didn’t know your own secrets?
The show premiers on Apple TV+ in late July, and stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, best known for appearing in Apple’s critically acclaimed The Morning Show.
Apple’s light but powerful M1 iPad Air is available with a sweet $40 discount on Amazon. This brings the price of the entry-level iPad Air down to just $559.
The 256GB model gets an even bigger $70 discount, so you can grab one for as low as $679.
Apple’s upcoming M2 Pro chip will be made with an improved manufacturing process that will make it even faster and more energy-efficient, according to an unconfirmed report. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s 3nm process supposedly will be used on the M2 Pro, as well as the M3.
Quite a few Macs using these chips are already in the pipeline.
After a mishap, I recently had to go on vacation without a credit card. I was ready with cash but it never mattered – to my surprise, wireless payments and Apple Pay let my iPhone make all the purchases I needed.
It’s clear we’re really not far away from physical credit cards becoming obsolete. That’ll be one less hassle in our lives.
Graphic designer and illustrator Terry Smelker’s workstation includes many interesting elements, like a specialized drawing tablet and a multimedia controller he uses along with his tricked-out MacBook Pro. But even if you’re not curious about his setup proper, get a load of that Apple gear collection! Fortunately, he provided plenty of photographs.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Apple’s design aesthetic,” he told Cult of Mac. And that started him on his collection of vintage Apple products, which complements the rest of his gear.
The Apple Watch Series 8 expected this fall won’t have better performance than its recent predecessors, according to a reliable tipster.
It will get other enhancements, though.
Apple’s new M2 MacBook Pro ships with a notably slower SSD than its predecessor. Tests show the speed difference is as big as 50% in some scenarios.
Announced at WWDC22, the M2 MacBook Pro went on sale June 24.
Apple is working on a new HomePod that could launch next year with a new S8 chip. The smart speaker reportedly will be similar in size to the original HomePod rather than the HomePod mini.
Apple is also working on a powerful new Apple TV with an A14 chip and more RAM.
Apple could launch a new MacBook Air powered by a faster M3 processor as soon as next year.
The company also has a bunch of other Macs due for launch later in 2022 or early 2023. They will run on Apple’s new M2 chip, which powers the new 13-inch MacBook Pro as well as the upcoming M2 MacBook Air set for July launch, or the M2’s more powerful Pro/Ultra/Extreme variations.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The first reviews for the new M2 MacBook Pro are … not good.
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.
CleanMyMac X, from Ukrainian developer MacPaw, is a decluttering app for Mac that can keep your computer in tip-top shape. It includes 49 tools to find and delete invisible junk clogging your hard drive. Cult of Mac publisher Leander Kahney swears by CleanMyMac X (instead of swearing at it, as he does with most apps).
Get CleanMyMac X today with 5% off at macpaw.app/cultcast. Discount valid until June 30.
Rumors of an Apple Watch Explorer Edition started last year, when Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple was working on ruggedized smartwatch designed specifically for athletes. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, from TF International Securities, added fuel to the fire last December, claiming that an “extreme sports version” could debut in 2022.
This month at WWDC, Apple’s focus on new fitness features for watchOS 9 lent further credence to these rumors. As a fitness-fanatic myself, all this hype has got me pretty excited. It inspired me to create these Photoshop mockups, exclusively for Cult of Mac, to explore exactly what the Explorer Edition might look like.
It goes without saying that AirPods Pro 2 will offer better sound. Duh. But Apple also will add some surprise features to the next generation of its earbuds, according to a new leak. That includes heart rate detection and a new hearing aid feature.
Plus, the charging case supposedly will make the switch to USB-C, to match reports that iPhone 15 will dump the Lightning port.
Apple streamlined the subscription-management interfaces on iPhone and iPad Friday.
The new look adds spacing between separate subscriptions. And it makes telling which subscriptions are active and inactive a little more clear at a glance.
It’s official: Netflix is adding a cheaper ad-supported tier to its streaming service. The change is apparently intended to reverse a recent drop in subscribers.
It’s part of a trend, as rival streaming service Disney+ announced this spring it is making the same move.
An updated MacBook Pro – the first laptop to run on the powerful new Apple M2 processor – hit store shelves Friday morning. The chip makes it the fastest 13-inch notebook in Apple’s lineup.
The company unveiled the M2 chip three weeks ago at its Worldwide Developers Conference. It also took the wraps off the first two laptops to run on it: the just-launched MacBook Pro and a redesigned MacBook Air that is coming in July.
Air Twister combines the fun of flying with the challenge of fighting off invaders. The endless shooter debuted Friday, June 24 through the Apple Arcade subscription service.
It’s from legendary game creator Yu Suzuki.
Mounts can make the most of a computer setup. They can mobilize so much of your gear — computers, displays, microphones — so you can use them when you need them and push them out of the way when you don’t, opening up desk space. And you can minutely adjust their positioning, too.
Today’s featured MacBook Pro and Mac Studio computer setup takes advantage of mounts for the computers, display, video camera and microphone.
In the market for an Apple Watch 7, or maybe the more-affordable Apple Watch SE? Amazon discounted both on Friday, so now could be the time to make that purchase.
Check out the deals below.
Chris Evans, star of Marvel Studios’ Captain America movie series, gave the internet a bit of a thrill when he finally said goodbye to his trusty iPhone 6s with a lovely little eulogy Thursday.
The iPhone 6s came out in 2015 and ceased new sales in 2018. Now it’s 2022, and it looks like Cap has, at long last, woken up to the iPhone 13.
The cost of an Apple Music subscription for students just jumped 20%. The music streaming service is still available at a substantial discount, but it’s no longer half price.
This follows a similar price increase in other parts of the world.
Apple’s yearly Back to School promotion is now live in the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world.
The company is offering a gift card of up to $150 on eligible purchases in the US. Additionally, students can score an extra 20% off on an AppleCare+ subscription.