2026-01-15 00:33:44
While the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro was updated with an M5 chip in October, we are still waiting for higher-end MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and there are some signs that might point towards a late January launch this year.
First, Apple's new Creator Studio bundle of creative apps launches on Wednesday, January 28. Given that Creator Studio includes many professional Mac apps, such as Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro, Macworld speculated that the week of January 28 would be a fitting time for Apple to release new MacBook Pro models too.
Second, Apple's next quarterly earnings call is scheduled for Thursday, January 29, and the company has introduced new products shortly before these calls on numerous occasions over the years and touched on them in the opening remarks.
Third, there is precedent, as Apple unveiled MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips with a press release in January 2023.
Again, all of this is speculation, so do not set your expectations too high. But, sometimes where there is smoke there is fire.
Beyond the M5 chip, the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro received only one notable change last year: PCIe 5.0 storage. Apple says this results in up to 2× faster SSD read and write speeds compared to the previous-generation model.
The higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are likewise expected to have few other changes.
Bigger changes to the MacBook Pro are expected with the two-generations-away models, in either late 2026 or at some point in 2027. Rumored upgrades include an OLED display with touchscreen capabilities, a thinner design, built-in cellular connectivity, and M6 chips manufactured with TSMC's advanced 2nm process, for even greater year-over-year performance gains. For that reason, it will probably be wise to skip the MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips unless you really need to upgrade.
2026-01-15 00:07:49
Best Buy kicked off a new Winter Sale this week, with notable markdowns on Apple devices, TVs, headphones and speakers, monitors, appliances, and much more. This sale is set to last through January 19, and you don't need to be a My Best Buy Plus or Total member to see the deals.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
In terms of Apple devices, you can find solid deals on MacBook Air, AirPods Max, iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Beats accessories, and more. In most cases Best Buy is offering same day pick-up on these products, and there are several free shipping options as well.
2026-01-15 00:00:13
Apple Arcade will be adding another four games on Thursday, February 5, with complete details about each game outlined in Apple's announcement.
Retrocade will allow Apple Vision Pro users to play classic arcade games like Asteroids, PAC-MAN, Breakout, Galaga, and Space Invaders in an immersive 3D environment, complete with leaderboards, daily challenges, and more.
An arcade edition of the popular PC game Sid Meier's Civilization VII is also coming to Apple Arcade next month, across the Mac, iPad, and iPhone. The award-winning strategy game tasks players with building the greatest empire in the world.
The other two games coming to Apple Arcade next month are I Love Hue Too+, in which you arrange colorful tiles, and rhythm game Felicity's Door.
Apple Arcade is a subscription service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. All of the games are free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month, and it is also bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.
Apple Arcade can be accessed through the App Store and the Apple Games app.
2026-01-14 23:30:53
Apple is planning to use advanced liquid metal and improved titanium alloys for its first foldable iPhone, according to new supply-chain information.
According to the Korean Naver user known as "yeux1122," citing a material company source, the hinge used in Apple's first foldable iPhone will be made from liquid metal, an "amorphous" material Apple has been exploring for over 15 years. The main body of the device will apparently use a revised titanium material that improves strength while reducing overall weight when compared with existing titanium iPhone frames, despite having virtually the same surface area.
Apple's relationship with liquid metal goes back years, tracing back to a 2010 deal with Liquidmetal Technologies. Apple received a "perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive license" to commercialize Liquidmetal-related intellectual property in the field of consumer electronic products.
Around the same time, Apple started using the material in small iPhone and iPad parts such as the SIM ejector tool. In subsequent years, Apple repeatedly renewed or extended aspects of its arrangement with Liquidmetal Technologies, but the material remained difficult to scale for high-volume structural components and it has never seen significant use. Liquid metal has continued to surface in Apple patent filings and rumors over the years.
Liquid metal lacks a crystalline structure, meaning that it offers high strength, resists permanent bending, and holds up well under repeated mechanical stress. Those characteristics have led Apple to repeatedly explore liquid metal in patents covering hinges and other moving parts, especially for foldable devices where the material's fatigue resistance and spring-like behavior are essential to hinge durability.
For the body of the device, titanium provides a stronger strength-to-weight ratio than aluminum or stainless steel, but foldable designs add further constraints because of their larger size and the need to manage weight around the hinge. Changes to both the titanium alloy itself and the manufacturing process to increase strength while reducing weight for a given surface area could help remedy this. The foldable iPhone is likely to be Apple's fourth attempt at a titanium iPhone, so it has had several generations to iterate on the alloy's composition to optimize particular properties.
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to debut in the fall of this year alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. It is rumored to feature a wide, book-style folding design with a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch outer display, a crease-free display, the A20 chip and Apple's C2 modem, two rear cameras, Touch ID, and more.
2026-01-14 23:09:01
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around nine months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices.
In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Consistent with previous rumors, the leaker claimed that both of the models will have a breakthrough new feature: under-screen Face ID.
Last month, The Information also reported that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max would be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and it said the front camera would be moved to the top-left corner of the screen on the devices. As a result, the report said the devices would no longer have a pill-shaped cutout in the screen.
If under-screen Face ID does finally materialize this year, it is unclear if the iPhone 18 Pro models would have a Dynamic Island. Even if the TrueDepth sensor cutouts for Face ID are hidden under the screen, perhaps the Dynamic Island would still pop up at least briefly for things such as low battery alerts and Live Activities.
As for the standard iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2, the leaker expects those devices to have a Dynamic Island, and the same 6.3-inch and 6.5-inch display sizes as the equivalent previous-generation models, respectively.
All in all, here is what the leaker expects:
2026-01-14 23:00:15
You can get the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for $799.00 today on Amazon, down from $999.00. You'll find similar $200 discounts across nearly the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, and all of these deals are being matched at Best Buy.
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.
If you're looking for the larger model, you can get the 15-inch 256GB computer for $999.00, down from $1,199.00. You'll also find many of the 512GB models of the 13-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week.
