2025-08-15 23:43:03
This week saw discounts remain consistent for multiple Apple products, including record low prices on the M4 MacBook Air, M4 MacBook Pro, and M3 iPad Air. We're also tracking solid deals on AirPods and the iPad mini 7 right now.
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2025-08-15 23:22:10
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through Apple's plan to focus on the smart home with a host of new devices and improvements to Siri.
2025-08-15 22:29:39
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a significantly upgraded Telephoto camera, according to a post this week from Instant Digital, an account with nearly 1.5 million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
In fact, the leaker said the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have one of the best Telephoto cameras on any smartphone, but they did not elaborate.
More recent rumors have indicated that both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature an upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto camera. Last year, however, well-connected Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo did suggest the 48-megapixel Telephoto camera might be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Whether it is on the Pro and/or Pro Max, the upgraded Telephoto camera is rumored to offer up to 8× optical zoom. Specifically, it has been rumored that the lens will be able to move, allowing for multiple focal lengths. As a result, a tipster claimed that it will be possible to switch between 5× and 8× optical zoom, without tricks like sensor cropping. A moving Telephoto lens would require more parts and internal space, which could explain why the camera bump is expected to be larger on iPhone 17 Pro models.
On the iPhone 16 Pro models, the 12-megapixel Telephoto lens has a fixed focal length of 120mm, and it offers a 5× optical zoom option. Apple says the devices also have a 2× optical zoom option, but that uses the main rear camera with sensor cropping, which in simple terms is a technique that effectively zooms in on the center of a larger photo.
Instant Digital has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the Yellow finish for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. However, the account does not have a perfect track record.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 series in less than a month from now.
2025-08-15 21:44:37
iPhone 17 Pro models may still have a SIM card tray in at least some countries, based on images shared today by a hit-or-miss leaker known as Majin Bu and on Naver.
The Information previously reported that Apple was planning to remove the physical SIM card tray from iPhones in more countries this year. The report did not mention any specific countries where it would be removed, but China might not be one of them.
In the U.S., all iPhone 14 through iPhone 16 models do not have a SIM card tray, and instead rely entirely on digital eSIM technology. Apple has yet to release any iPhone models without a SIM card tray in any other countries.
At a minimum, the all-new iPhone 17 Air is expected to lack a SIM card tray in most if not all countries, due to its ultra-thin design.
When the iPhone 14 series launched in 2022, Apple promoted eSIMs as being more secure than a physical SIM, as they cannot be removed from an iPhone that is lost or stolen. In addition, at least eight eSIMs can be managed on an iPhone at once, eliminating the need to obtain, carry, and swap physical SIM cards while traveling.
Apple has a support document with a list of carriers around that world that support eSIMs.
2025-08-15 21:11:17
Apple and NBC appear to be the "final contenders" for the rights to MLB's "Sunday Night Baseball" package, and "presumably" even Wild Card postseason games, according to a report this week from The Athletic's Andrew Marchand.
Netflix and ESPN also remain in negotiations with MLB officials, the report said.
ESPN held the rights to Sunday Night Baseball through the 2028 season, but the network and MLB mutually opted out of the $550-million-per-year contract earlier this year, so ESPN's rights now expire after the 2025 season. Apple is now looking to pick up those final three seasons, along with NBC, while ESPN might negotiate a new weekday package.
Apple TV+ already streams MLB's Friday Night Baseball games, and the service could offer Sunday Night Baseball too if Apple wins the rights.
ESPN also held the rights to the Wild Card Series for the American League and National League, so Apple might land those postseason games as well. However, the report said MLB could decide to split the Sunday Night and Wild Card rights.
Netflix is a frontrunner for MLB's annual Home Run Derby, according to the report.
Following the 2028 season, all regional and national MLB media rights will be expired, and the league is hoping to table a bigger all-in-one package of rights. Apple would likely be very interested in such a package, as it would allow the company to offer an MLB equivalent of MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app. However, MLB is much bigger than MLS, so it remains to be seen if MLB would be willing to go all-in with Apple.
Apple continues to push into sports content, with the company reportedly likely to secure the rights to Formula 1 racing. In the past, the company unsuccessfully bid on the NFL's "Sunday Ticket" package, and on the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
On a related note, Apple TV+ subscribers can watch Bayern Munich superstar Thomas Müller make his MLS debut with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC for free this Sunday, with his match against the Houston Dynamo FC kicking off at 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
2025-08-15 20:22:20
The Trump administration is in preliminary discussions to acquire an equity stake in former Apple chip supplier Intel, a move aimed at accelerating the company's delayed manufacturing expansion in Ohio (via Bloomberg).
The proposal reportedly emerged following a meeting at the White House between President Donald Trump and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. The discussions remain at an early stage, and no agreement has been finalized.
Intel's Ohio project was once touted as the world's largest chipmaking facility, but has since faced repeated delays. Production is now scheduled to begin in the next decade. The company has announced major cost reductions, including a 15% workforce cut and the cancellation of planned factories in Germany and Poland.
Intel was once the exclusive supplier of CPUs for the Mac lineup, and maintained a close relationship with Apple for over a decade. The partnership began in 2006 when Apple transitioned from IBM PowerPC processors to Intel's x86 architecture, a shift that allowed Macs to run Windows and benefit from higher performance-per-watt CPUs. The collaboration quickly phased out starting in 2020, when Apple introduced its own Apple silicon chips, beginning with the M1. By 2023, the transition was complete, and Apple no longer sold any Intel-based Macs.
The proposed government stake in Intel comes at a time when the chipmaker is struggling to regain competitiveness in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. While Apple now designs its chips in-house and manufactures them through TSMC, Intel has sought to reestablish itself as a foundry partner for external clients. Earlier this year, officials reportedly floated the idea of TSMC operating Intel's plants in a joint venture.
