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Microsoft Raises Prices for All Surface PCs, Making Them More Expensive Than Equivalent Macs

2026-04-15 07:21:37

Microsoft increased prices for all of its Surface PCs this week, with most models priced hundreds of dollars higher than they were when launching. Windows Central highlighted the increases, which now see Microsoft's mid-range models priced above $1,000 and flagship models priced starting at $1,500.


A Microsoft spokesperson said the price increase was due to "recent increases in memory and component costs."

Microsoft's 12-inch Surface Pro, which was its cheapest modern PC at $799, is now priced starting at $1,049. The flagship 512GB 13-inch Surface Pro is $1,499, up from $1,199 when it launched in 2024 (Microsoft also discontinued a $999 256GB configuration). The 13-inch Surface Laptop went from an $899 starting price to a $1,149 starting price, while the 13.8-inch model went from $999 to $1,499 and the 15-inch model went from $1,299 to $1,599.

The 13-inch Surface Pro and the 13.8-inch and 15-inch Surface Laptop models originally launched in 2024, and Microsoft did increase prices for them in 2025, so this is the second price increase. The 13-inch Surface Laptop and the two Surface Pro models that have seen a $300 price increase launched in 2025.

Microsoft's 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 with 16GB RAM and 256GB of storage used to be $100 cheaper than the 256GB M4 MacBook Air, but now it's $400 more than the 512GB M5 ‌MacBook Air‌. Apple increased ‌MacBook Air‌ pricing from $999 to $1,099 with the M5 upgrade, but Apple's hike came with more base SSD storage. The Surface Laptop 7 is the laptop that Microsoft says is "faster than a ‌MacBook Air‌ M4."

Prices have increased for all Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models, from entry-level to high-end. Microsoft's PCs are now more expensive than their Mac equivalents, which is good news for Apple. The high-end Surface Laptop 7 with 64GB RAM and a 1TB SSD is $3,649, which is more expensive than the 16-inch $3,300 M5 Pro MacBook Pro with 64GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. Apple's M5 Pro chip also far outperforms the Snapdragon X Elite.

Windows Central says Microsoft has new Surface PCs coming later this year, which are also expected to have the same higher prices.

Microsoft's decision to increase PC prices comes as Samsung also raised prices for some of its smartphone models and all of its U.S. tablet offerings.

Both Microsoft and Samsung are responding to increased costs caused by global memory shortages. Chip makers are prioritizing memory for AI data centers, and there is little manufacturing capacity left for consumer devices.

This article, "Microsoft Raises Prices for All Surface PCs, Making Them More Expensive Than Equivalent Macs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Removes Freecash App From App Store After Months of Data Harvesting

2026-04-15 06:54:51

Apple removed scam app Freecash from the App Store this week after the app spent months harvesting data from iPhone users, reports TechCrunch.


Freecash reached the number two spot on the U.S. ‌App Store‌ charts in January after being heavily marketed on TikTok. It promised users up to $35 per hour for watching TikTok content, but it was collecting swaths of user data. Back in January, Wired covered Freecash's deceptive marketing, and MalwareBytes pointed out that the app was gathering data like race, religion, health, and biometrics, with extra data harvested through mobile games that Freecash pushed users to install.

Users tricked into downloading Freecash with the promise of free cash found that they could not earn money by using TikTok, but instead were able to earn tiny amounts of cash by playing games like Monopoly Go and Disney Solitaire. The goal was to push users to make in-app purchases or watch paid ads in the apps. Freecash advertised itself as a platform for matching game developers with users likely to spend money in their games.

After the Wired report, TikTok pulled the Freecash ads, but Apple did not take action to remove the app. Freecash stayed in the ‌App Store‌ until TechCrunch contacted Apple on Monday, which is when Apple removed the app from the ‌App Store‌. Apple said Freecash violated its guidelines prohibiting scam practices and misleading marketing.

Freecash parent company Almedia denied using deceptive marketing techniques and said it was in compliance with Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules.

Our apps are fully compliant with the Apple App Store and Google Play Store policies, as demonstrated by the fact that they are live and regularly pass platform reviews. We do not comment on internal product strategy regarding specific app listings.

Freecash was downloaded by 5.5 million people across the Apple ‌App Store‌ and Google Play in January 2026, and it has remained high on the ‌App Store‌ charts since then. In addition to using misleading TikTok ads, the app appears to have used bots and fake ratings to drive traffic. The app's developers may have also acquired an existing ‌App Store‌ app to get around Apple's app review system, as the Freecash app was banned at one point in 2024 before an existing ‌App Store‌ app was renamed Freecash and updated with the same functionality.

TechCrunch's full report has more information on Freecash and the scammy tactics the company behind the app used to lure in users.
This article, "Apple Removes Freecash App From App Store After Months of Data Harvesting" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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SwitchBot S20 Review: A Budget-Friendly Robot Vacuum and Mop With Matter Support

2026-04-15 06:27:53

SwitchBot makes some of the most affordable HomeKit-compatible robot vacuums on the market. I've been testing the SwitchBot S20 and the K11+ for the last several months to see how they measure up to some of the more expensive models that I've reviewed.

SwitchBot S20

The MSRP for the S20 is $799, but SwitchBot runs sales often that drop the price to under $500, so it's competitive with some of the more affordable robot vacuums that don't have Matter integration.

I've noticed some clear differences between the SwitchBot vacuums and higher-end vacuums I've tested, but the S20 has impressed me with its cleaning ability. It is a vacuum and a mop, so it can vacuum up crumbs and mop the floors at the same time.


For vacuuming, it has a 10,000Pa suction, but I've never been able to tell a real difference in suction power between the vacuums I've tested. They're all able to do a good job with dust, fur, dirt, and other debris on the floor. There is an anti-tangle system, and I've never seen the SwitchBot S20 have a problem with hair or fur, and there are rubber ridges on the vacuum brush that seem to help it pick up lightweight messes. A brush on the side sweeps along baseboards, and while I don't think it's as good at getting into small crevices as the Roborock vacuum I have, it does a passable job. You might have to do a perimeter sweep with a regular vacuum every once in a while.

The S20 has a roller mop, and that's my favorite robot vacuum mopping design. A lot of companies use rotating mopping pads, but the roller gets washed continually as the robot cleans, so it's not spreading a mess around. It also just feels more hygienic to me because it's scrubbing grime off of the mop as it goes. No robot vacuum is able to get crusty, dried-on stains off in one pass, but the S20 did a good job on dried ketchup with two passes. Robot vacuums aren't ideal for deep cleaning, but with multiple cleans per week or even every day, my floor is cleaner than when I do it manually.


I have wood flooring and tile, but no carpet, so I can't test carpet extensively. I have a few larger-sized rugs that it has done fine vacuuming, and it's done no damage to my wood floors.

All robot vacuums have a base station, and the S20 is no exception. In fact, it has the option for a base station that hooks up to your plumbing so it can automatically empty waste water and refill with clean water. For a review, I didn't want to hook it up to my house permanently so I opted for tanks that I refill and empty manually, but it's nice to have the option. The SwitchBot S20 base station has a simple, unobtrusive design, and it's not overly large.


There's a 2.7L clean water tank and a 2.5L dirty water tank, which I have to refill/empty around once a week depending on how often the robot runs. The base station also has a spot for adding floor cleaner, and there are cleaners that are for robot vacuums. The tanks are easy to access, simple to open, and quick to refill or empty.

Dust and dirt are collected in a bag that needs to be replaced every three months, so that is an ongoing expense. You'll also need to do some light cleaning and maintenance of the robot vacuum every so often because the mop and other components don't last forever, but that usually only needs to be done once a year or so. The base station uses hot air (50°C) to dry the mop after cleaning, and that keeps it from growing mold or smelling mildewy.

Those are all the good things about the SwitchBot, and now I'll go over the not-so-good and the bad. The base station has a thin plastic mat to protect the floor from the wheels, which SwitchBot wants you to attach to the floor with adhesive. I am not going to attach plastic to my floor, and I was disappointed there wasn't a snap-in floor protector like most robot vacuums have for the base station. Without the adhesive, the plastic moves around and is useless, so I just deal with some drips and dirt on my kitchen floor.


Compared to Ecovacs and Roborock vacuums I've tested, the S20 is loud. I would not be able to sleep or work through its vacuuming noise, though it does have a mode to reduce suction and make it quieter. It's still not quiet enough. It sounds like a vacuum when the vacuum is running, but it's not the worst tradeoff for a lower price.

The S20 has modes for vacuuming, vacuuming and then mopping, or vacuuming and mopping at the same time, but if you just want it to mop, SwitchBot doesn't have an option for that.


As far as the AI goes, it's not as good as some of the other vacuums I've used, and in some ways that's a good thing. It doesn't get stuck on my kitchen rugs because it just flat out ignores them. If one is stuck on the wheel, it drags the rug along until it gets unstuck. I don't necessarily mind, because I don't have to get up and save it. It's able to operate independently for the most part, and I don't have to intervene often.

It is able to avoid cords almost entirely, and I haven't had it suck up anything that it shouldn't except for a cat toy and a sock. The Ecovacs robot I tested would sometimes err too far on the side of caution, misidentifying objects and staying away from them for a less thorough clean. The S20 cares less, and that could be an issue if you have a lot of items on the floor.

The AI mapping isn't as capable as some more expensive robots, but the S20 was able to identify every room in my house and it navigates them well for the most part. It is not great at thresholds, especially taller thresholds. It gets stuck in my bathroom, and instead of realizing it's stuck and alerting me, it will keep trying to get out until its battery is exhausted.


I can edit maps to create no-go areas, label rooms and objects, and make other edits to make sure that it's only cleaning where I want it to clean, and the edits are a must with the SwitchBot vacuums.

The S20 can go for around 100 minutes before it needs to charge (in vacuum and mopping mode), and can clean approximately 1,000 square feet in my house before that point. It isn't able to do my entire house on a single charge, but in-app scheduling lets me have it clean a room or an area a day on a cycle. The battery lasts closer to three hours in vacuum-only mode.

SwitchBot K11+

The SwitchBot K11+ is a much smaller, vacuum-only robot. It's best for small spaces and it's a robot I'd consider in an apartment. With three attempts, I wasn't able to get it to accurately map my entire house, and the AI seems to be limited.


I can isolate it in a room and get an accurate map, so it's okay in a smaller area, but it's still not particularly intelligent. Like the S20, if it can't get to an area, it doesn't give up and move on. It continues to try to get there until it dies and I have to go hunt it down, and that's inconvenient when I'm not home.


The suction is decent at 6,000Pa per SwitchBot, but it doesn't pick up as much as quickly as the S20. What I like best about the K11+ is the small size. It's able to get in smaller nooks and crannies than bigger robot vacuums, which makes it ideal for small spaces.


There is technically a feature where you can attach a Swiffer-style mop to the K11+ for a mopping feature, but that just seems like much more of a hassle than quickly mopping the floor myself.

Matter Integration

With an Apple Matter hub (Apple TV or HomePod), SwitchBot vacuums connect to the Home app. Basic functions can be controlled through the Home app or through Siri, and I've come around to ‌Siri‌ integration as a useful feature.


I wasn't impressed with the limited robot vacuum controls in the Home app to begin with, but I can say things like "‌Siri‌, vacuum the kitchen" or "‌Siri‌, mop the dining room" to get a targeted clean when needed, and that's come in handy.

That's primarily what I use Matter for, but the Home app also supports automations and integration with other Apple products. You can have a setup where the robot vacuums when you leave home, so you never have to deal with the sound.

There is no situation where ‌Siri‌ or the Home app can be used to control a robot vacuum entirely without the need to access the dedicated SwitchBot app. Features like editing a map, updating firmware, viewing cleaning progress, troubleshooting, or checking estimates for replacement parts require the SwitchBot app, and that's true of any robot vacuum.

HomeKit integration is nice to have, but it is limited, and it's not a feature that I would choose one robot vacuum over another for.

Bottom Line

If you're looking for a robot vacuum and mop that does a good job cleaning and mopping and you don't want to spend a ton, the SwitchBot S20 is worth checking out. You'll need to deal with some frustrations, like loud noise, map editing, and rescuing it from being stuck, but it cleans well.

I would not recommend the smaller K11+ unless you have a small space. It's not meant for larger homes, but it is a good apartment vacuum if you won't miss mopping functionality.

How to Buy

The SwitchBot S20 is available from the SwitchBot website for $520 after a 35 percent discount (I've seen the price lower, so it's worth waiting for a bigger sale), while the SwitchBot K11+ is available for $220 after a 45 percent discount.

Note: SwitchBot provided MacRumors with an S20 and a K11+ for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
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Samsung's U.S. Price Increases Add to Concerns About Rising Apple Device Costs

2026-04-15 05:47:16

Samsung raised the prices of several of its smartphones and tablets in the United States overnight, likely due to increasing costs caused by ongoing memory shortages.


As shared by PhoneArena, the 512GB Galaxy Z Flip increased by $80 from $1,219.99 to $1,299.99, while the S25 Edge and S25 FE went up $80 and $40, respectively. Samsung did not increase the cost of its current-generation S26 smartphones because those were priced higher than the prior-generation models from launch, but the company did also increase the cost of the 512GB and 1TB Galaxy Z Fold 7 earlier this month.

Samsung's tablet prices increased for the full U.S. lineup, including the latest Galaxy Tab S11 and the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra models. The base models are $100 more expensive at $900 for the S11 and $1,299 for the S11 Ultra, while higher-end models went up even more. The 1TB S11 Ultra is now $1,899.99, which is a $280 increase.

Samsung didn't comment on the price increase, but the quiet price hike suggests that Samsung is going to need to charge more for upcoming devices that are coming out later this year.

As a major smartphone manufacturer, Samsung has not been able to weather rising costs without raising prices, and that could be a sign that Apple's upcoming devices could also be more expensive than they would have been without hardware shortages.

The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models that came out earlier this year are more expensive than their predecessors, though Apple increased storage to justify the price hike.

Apple already removed the 512GB RAM upgrade for the Mac Studio, and started charging $400 more for the 256GB RAM upgrade. Apple also recently stopped accepting orders for some ‌Mac Studio‌ and Mac mini configurations with higher amounts of RAM. For machines still in stock, shipping times are extraordinarily high.

Hardware makers like Apple are dealing with high demand for memory and storage, which has been caused by demand from artificial intelligence data centers. Manufacturers are prioritizing AI chip production over chips designed for consumer products because large data center contracts are more profitable. Chipmakers like Samsung, TSMC, and SK Hynix are unable to keep up with demand even while operating at full capacity, and the lack of supply mixed with rising demand has led to price hikes.

During Apple's January earnings call, Tim Cook said that memory costs didn't impact the company's gross margin in the first fiscal quarter of the year, but would have a "bit more of an impact" during the second fiscal quarter. Apple is set to hold its Q2 earnings call on April 30.

Cook said that Apple is looking at a "range of options" to deal with rising prices over the long term if needed, and Apple is seeking supplier price cuts in other areas to offset the increase. Apple apparently agreed to pay Samsung twice as much for LPDDR5X memory chips for ongoing iPhone 17 production.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in January that he expects Apple to keep iPhone 18 starting prices flat despite having to pay more for components. He said Apple could absorb the costs to gain market share, and make up some of the money on its services side. Apple plans to launch a new foldable iPhone this year, and its rumored $2,000+ price tag could also pad Apple's margins.

Apple has been planning M5 updates for the ‌Mac Studio‌ and the ‌Mac mini‌, and it is unknown how the memory shortages and long shipping times for current machines will impact those plans.

This article, "Samsung's U.S. Price Increases Add to Concerns About Rising Apple Device Costs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Watch Earth Day and International Dance Day Activity Challenges Launching Later This Month

2026-04-15 03:00:57

Apple has two new Apple Watch activity challenges coming up, celebrating Earth Day and International Dance Day. The Earth Day activity challenge will launch on Wednesday, April 22, while the Dance Day challenge will take place a week later on Wednesday, April 29.


To complete the Earth Day challenge, Apple Watch owners will need to complete a workout that lasts for 30 minutes or longer.

This Earth Day, April 22, record any 30 minute workout with the Workout app or any app that records workouts to Health to earn this award. The earth will think the world of you.

The International Dance Day award can be earned by completing a Dance workout of 20 minutes or more.

Show off your dance moves for International Dance Day. Earn this award by recording a Dance workout of 20 minutes or more on April 29. Record it with the Workout app or any app that adds workouts to Health.

Apple Watch owners who earn the Earth Day award will unlock a badge in the Fitness app, along with animated stickers.








The Dance Day challenge will also unlock a special Fitness app badge and accompanying stickers.








Earth Day and International Dance Day are two events that are always part of Apple's ongoing Apple Watch activity challenge schedule. They follow the February Heart Month activity challenge and the January New Year challenge.
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Apple Removes Fake Crypto Wallet App That Stole $9.5 Million From Mac Users

2026-04-15 02:42:20

A fake Mac app designed to look like the real thing snuck past Apple's app review team, costing users $9.5 million in cryptocurrency.


According to CoinDesk, a fake macOS version of the Ledger Live crypto wallet app scammed people into handing over access to their cryptocurrency wallets. More than 50 people fell victim to the fake app between April 7 and April 13.

Ledger has an official Mac app, but it is distributed via the Ledger website and not through the Mac App Store. The real app does not ask users to enter their seed phrases like the fake app did, nor do other legitimate cryptocurrency apps. The stolen money was routed through the KuCoin crypto exchange, and hackers used a mixing service known as AudiA6, which charges high fees to launder cryptocurrency.

Three of the victims lost seven-figure sums, which is an unusually high amount of money to lose in a fake app scam. ZachXBT, who investigated the scam and shared the info on Telegram, suggested Apple could be subject to a class-action lawsuit in the future due to the amount of money lost.

Apple removed the fake Ledger Live app from the ‌Mac App Store‌, but it was live for approximately two weeks. It is not known how it passed Apple's app review process, and Apple hasn't commented.

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