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Apple Store Becomes Backdrop for Honor's Brazen Hong Kong Ad Stunt

2026-04-17 23:37:48

Photos have been making the rounds on Chinese social media today showing an Honor-branded advertising truck parked directly in front of Apple Canton Road store in Hong Kong, promoting the company's new Honor 600 series smartphone.


The truck's ad features the slogan "It's our HONOR" alongside the phrase "orange to orange," which appears to be a play on the English idiom "apples to apples" – referring to a like-for-like comparison. The slogan is paired with an image of the Honor phone, in a finish that bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone 17 Pro's Cosmic Orange.

It's a brazen stunt for a brand that spun off from Huawei in 2020 before being sold off to another entity to bypass U.S. sanctions. Using Apple's retail store as a backdrop to pitch your rival device with a similar color is one thing, but when the design is arguably a shameless copy, you're definitely out of ideas.

Apple is unlikely to make a big stink about such guerrilla marketing, as it would only amplify it. And as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.


This article, "Apple Store Becomes Backdrop for Honor's Brazen Hong Kong Ad Stunt" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Leads Top Brands for China Smartphone Growth as Market Declines

2026-04-17 23:03:17

China's smartphone shipments fell 4% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from Counterpoint Research, with Apple delivering the strongest growth among the top six brands.



Counterpoint's Market Monitor Tracker attributed the decline primarily to a high base effect from last year's government subsidy program and rising component costs. Counterpoint noted that February's Lunar New Year promotions provided a slight boost, but said the "magnitude of these discounts was hampered by a sharp increase in memory costs." Rising costs are already driving up retail prices on both new and used devices, and the pressure is expected to continue through the second quarter.

Apple rose to second place in the market with shipments up 20% year over year, driven by strong iPhone 17 series demand, promotional price cuts, and government subsidies. Counterpoint says Apple is best positioned among manufacturers to navigate the ongoing global memory crunch, supported by its premium product portfolio and supply chain management. The firm expects Apple to absorb rising costs internally in the near-to-medium term and expand its market share as a result. The first quarter result extends a strong run for Apple in China; the company reclaimed the top spot in the country in the fourth quarter of 2025 with shipments up 28% year over year, and recorded a 23% sales increase in the first nine weeks of 2026.

Huawei led with a 20% market share, its highest since the fourth quarter of 2020, with shipments up 2% year over year, aided by domestic supplier relationships that cushion the impact of rising memory costs. OPPO ranked third following the reintegration of realme, with OnePlus rising 53% year over year on the Ace 6 and Turbo 6 series, though OPPO's decision to raise prices on older models in March has weighed on demand. vivo grew 2% year over year on mid-to-low-end strength, while Xiaomi was the sharpest decliner, falling 35% year over year as its core models underperformed the previous generation.

Counterpoint warned that manufacturers broadly face a "double hit" of shrinking shipments and thinning margins, and forecast that China smartphone shipments will decline 9% for the full year. Apple, by contrast, is expected to use the cost pressure to its advantage, absorbing memory price increases internally while rivals are forced to raise prices and cede ground.


This article, "Apple Leads Top Brands for China Smartphone Growth as Market Declines" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple to Upgrade These Two Devices With OLED Displays Later This Year

2026-04-17 22:45:26

Apple plans to release iPad mini and MacBook Pro models with OLED displays this year, according to industry sources who spoke to South Korea's ETNews.


The current iPad mini and MacBook Pro models have LCD displays with either LED or mini-LED backlighting. The move to OLED technology would result in improved image quality, thanks to richer colors and higher contrast ratio with true blacks.

Samsung will supply the OLED displays for both devices, the report said.

All of the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad Pro models that Apple sells today are already equipped with OLED displays, excluding refurbished models.

Other new features rumored for the next iPad mini include an A19 Pro or an A20 Pro chip, a vibration-based speaker system, and a water-resistant design. Apple will likely announce the device in September or October this year.

For the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, other new features rumored include M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, a touch screen, a Dynamic Island, and a thinner design. Apple reportedly plans to release the laptops towards the end of 2026, although there is a chance that the launch will not happen until early 2027.

The report said the iPad Air will also receive an OLED display next year.

Related Roundups: iPad mini, MacBook Pro
Tags: ETNews, OLED
Related Forums: iPad, MacBook Pro

This article, "Apple to Upgrade These Two Devices With OLED Displays Later This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Best Apple Deals of the Week: M5 MacBook Air $150 Off Deals, Plus Sales on AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2

2026-04-17 21:16:46

This week we saw some heavy-hitter Apple deals arrive for the M5 MacBook Air and AirPods Pro 3, with record low prices still available for both of these devices on Amazon. Below, you'll also find great deals on Apple Watch Series 11 and the new AirPods Max 2.

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.

M5 MacBook Air



  • What's the deal? Take $150 off M5 MacBook Air

  • Where can I get it? Amazon

  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here




Amazon has a few record low prices on the new M5 MacBook Air this week, with $150 off select models of the brand new notebook. Stock has begun dwindling on these notebooks and we're no longer tracking an all-time low price on the 512GB 13-inch M5 MacBook Air, but most other configurations have availability.

AirPods Pro 3



  • What's the deal? Take $49 off AirPods Pro 3

  • Where can I get it? Amazon

  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here



Amazon this week brought back an all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, available for $199.99, down from $249.00.

AirPods Max 2



  • What's the deal? Take $19 off AirPods Max 2

  • Where can I get it? Amazon

  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here



Apple's new AirPods Max 2 launched earlier this month, and Amazon is one of the only retailers offering a discount on the headphones. You can get the Midnight and Starlight color options for $529.99 on Amazon, down from $549.00.

Apple Watch Series 11



  • What's the deal? Take $100 off Apple Watch Series 11

  • Where can I get it? Amazon

  • Where can I find the original deal? Right here




Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes nearly every aluminum model of the Series 11 on sale at a record low price.

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 in 2026? 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

This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: M5 MacBook Air $150 Off Deals, Plus Sales on AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iPod Marketing Veteran Stan Ng Retires After 31 Years at Apple

2026-04-17 20:18:15

Stan Ng, Apple's vice president of product marketing for Apple Watch, AirPods, Health, and Home, has retired after 31 years at the company (via Bloomberg).


Ng publicly announced his departure on LinkedIn on Thursday, sharing an image of the sunrise at Apple Park. "After 31 years at Apple, today was my last day," he wrote. "It was a joy to work at Apple and I truly loved what I did." Apple's latest stock vesting date took place on Wednesday, and many employees who retire or leave tend to do so around that time.

Ng joined Apple in 1995 as a senior systems engineer, before Steve Jobs had returned to the company. He later moved into product roles for the Mac before becoming one of the key marketing executives behind the original iPod. He also appeared in product launch videos, including the iPod touch reveal in 2007, and went on to oversee marketing for the iPhone and Apple Watch before Home initiativesmarketi were added to his remit in 2021.

Within Apple's marketing organization, Ng reported to Bob Borchers, who oversees product marketing under senior vice president Greg Joswiak. Marketing leaders at Apple go beyond traditional marketing roles, playing an active role in shaping the products themselves. Erik Treski, Apple's worldwide product marketing executive for AirPods and Home, who was referenced in last month's AirPods Max update announcement, will assume part of Ng's responsibilities. It is not yet known how the rest of his responsibilities will be divided up.

Ng's exit is the latest in a wave of senior departures that has accelerated in recent months. John Giannandrea, Apple's longtime artificial intelligence chief, was also reported to be leaving this week. Former COO Jeff Williams retired last year, design chief Alan Dye departed for Meta Platforms at the end of 2025, environment and government affairs head Lisa Jackson retired earlier this year, and general counsel Katherine Adams is set to leave later in 2026.

Ng is also the third executive closely tied to Apple's health and fitness push to exit in quick succession. Williams had overseen those groups until his retirement, while Jay Blahnik, head of Fitness+, is departing following an investigation and lawsuit related to allegations about his behavior. Apple's health initiatives were recently brought under Eddy Cue as part of a broader organizational reshuffle following Williams' retirement.
This article, "iPod Marketing Veteran Stan Ng Retires After 31 Years at Apple" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iPhone 18 Pro's Four Rumored Colors Revealed, Including 'Dark Cherry'

2026-04-17 18:50:39

A source said to be familiar with Apple's supply chain today revealed the color options Apple is planning for the iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and the upcoming foldable iPhone.

Image via Macworld.

The information comes from Macworld, which says the signature new color for this year's Pro models will be Dark Cherry, a deep wine-like red. While other sources had previously reported on a "Dark Red" option, the hue is said to be considerably closer to wine than a brighter red. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and other leakers had previously suggested Apple was experimenting with a shade of red for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, but the color will apparently be much more muted than last year's Cosmic Orange on the iPhone 17 Pro.

According to Macworld's source, Apple has been working on four color options for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max, with the following Pantone codes said to be in use internally:


  • Light Blue (Pantone 2121), resembling the current iPhone 17's Mist Blue

  • Dark Cherry (Pantone 6076), the headline new color

  • Dark Gray (Pantone 426C)

  • Silver (Pantone 427C), similar to the current generation



The source cautions that all four colors are still in development, and since the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ has not yet gone into mass production, Apple still has time to make changes. Apple also does not always offer four color options for the Pro lineup, so one of these shades could be dropped before launch. Last year, both Macworld and leaker Sonny Dickson reported that Apple had considered launching the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ in black or steel gray, but neither color was released.

For the first foldable iPhone, which has been rumored to be called the "iPhone Ultra," the device will reportedly come in fewer options than the Pro models, with no bold or vibrant colors. Macworld's source says Apple has been working on a classic silver and white model, as well as an Indigo option similar to the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌'s Deep Blue.

The same source corroborates earlier leaks on the foldable's design, saying the device will feature two rear cameras, a selfie camera on the outer display, a second selfie camera in the upper-left corner of the inner display, and an iPad mini-style shape when unfolded. The foldable is reportedly just 4.7 millimeters thick when unfolded, which would make it considerably thinner than the 5.6mm iPhone Air.

On the design of the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, the CAD drawings seen by Macworld's source support existing rumors of a smaller Dynamic Island, which would free up a small amount of additional screen space when Live Activities are not in use. The schematics also show a slightly reduced gap between the glass cutout on the back and the camera bump in at least one render, though the source was unable to confirm whether this reflects a finalized design change. A Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital" previously reported that Apple would adopt a new manufacturing process to minimize the color difference between the glass and the aluminum frame, which may be connected.

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models and foldable iPhone are expected to be announced in September 2026, though some analysts suggest the foldable will launch at a later date. The iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and ‌iPhone Air‌ 2 are rumored to follow in the first half of 2027.
Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro
Tag: Macworld

This article, "iPhone 18 Pro's Four Rumored Colors Revealed, Including 'Dark Cherry'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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