Best Prices Today: Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (2022, M2)

The M2 MacBook Air went on sale in July 2022. Compared to the M1 MacBook Air that launched in November 2020, it was completely revised, not just on the inside, but for the first time in years, also on the outside. The 2022 MacBook Air has a better chip, a bigger display (13.6-inch, up from 13.3-inch), and a brand-new design. But if you look in the Apple Store you will notice you can still buy its predecessor (at least for now). Is it worth spending more to get the new model?

In this article, we look at how the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2 compares to the 13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1 from 2020, examining how much more powerful the new model is, and whether that extra oomph is worth the higher price. For even more information, check out our full reviews of the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Air. We also evaluate which Mac laptop is best in our separate buying guide.

Since we first wrote this article in July 2022, a couple of things have changed: in June 2023 Apple introduced a larger version of the M2 MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen. At the same time, the company dropped the price of the M2 MacBook Air with 13.6-inch screen by $100/£100. The new price for the entry-level M2 MacBook Air is now $1,099/£1,149, which is just $100/£150 more than the price of the older M1 MacBook Air that remains on sale.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Design

The 2022 MacBook Air is certainly an eye-catcher and stands out clearly from its predecessor. This MacBook Air gained a brand new design that includes a bigger screen as well as new color finishes. But it still has a similar footprint to the M1 model:

13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, dimensions

• 0.44in x 11.97in x 8.46in
• 1.13cm x 30.41cm x 21.5cm
• 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)

13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1, dimensions

• 0.16–0.63in x 11.97in x 8.36in
• 0.41–1.61cm x 30.41cm x 21.24cm
• 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg)

The 2023 15-inch MacBook Air is larger and heavier, as you would expect.

The width of the two laptops is the same, which makes sense because it allows for a full-size keyboard. The M2 model is a few millimeters deeper to allow for a larger screen and on average, this model is narrower than before – although it’s not tapered so the smallest edge isn’t as slim as it was.

While the tapered design allowed Apple to make a light laptop, it was also a disadvantage, as it meant less space for ports on the outside and limited space on the inside for heat dispersion. Despite the difference in design, however, both models are fanless, which could be a disadvantage to power users.

Rumors that the 2022 MacBook Air was losing its tapered design proved correct, but any hopes that this would mean more ports have been scuppered. The M2 MacBook Air has the same two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports as its predecessor and doesn’t have an HDMI port like the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro. The new model adds MagSafe for charging to free up a Thunderbolt port, but otherwise, both models are the same: Touch ID, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, 802.11ax, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0.

Another big difference is the color options. The M2 models have a choice of Midnight (bluish-black) and Starlight (pale gold), as well as space gray and silver (which looks slightly paler than the previous shade). The 2020 MacBook Air comes in space gray, silver, and gold.

The other eye-catching difference between the M1 and M2 models is the addition of a notch for the camera. Like the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, the M2 MacBook Air has very slim bezels that can’t quite fit the camera. When the notch arrived on the larger MacBook Pro models in 2021 there was some criticism, but if you consider that Apple has added screen space on either side of the notch and made the display taller, you’re not actually losing any space.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Display

The display size is the other key difference between the new M1 and M2 MacBook Air. The 2022 model has a 13.6-inch display, compared to the 13.3-inch display on the M1 model. The new model is also brighter:

• MacBook Air M2: 13.6 inches, 2560 x 1664, 500 nits brightness
• MacBook Air M1: 13.3 inches, 2560 x 1600, 400 nits brightness

The brighter screen brings it into line with the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but places it far below that of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with 1,000 nits of max brightness. It also lacks the ProMotion technology of those models.

The M2 MacBook Air has a Liquid Retina display, rather than the Retina display of the M1 model (and the M2 MacBook Pro). The main difference is that the Liquid Retina display has better contrast ratios, support for more colors (a billion, rather than millions), and more pixels per inch. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro go a step further with the superior Liquid Retina XDR display.

Thanks to these changes the display of the M2 MacBook Air isn’t only better than its predecessor—it’s also better than the 13-inch MacBook Pro. In everyday life, however, these differences will rarely be noticeable, although the increased brightness is a plus. The better color representation, on the other hand, will be a benefit for professional design work.

If a big screen is what you are after you might be interested to learn about the 15-inch MacBook Air which launched in July 2023.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Processor, RAM, and battery

Apple currently sells five MacBook Air models: one M1 13-inch model and two M2 13-inch models and two 15-inch MacBook Air. There are also a number of build-to-order options. All the M2 MacBook Air models have identical specs, so we won’t list the 15-inch specs separately.

• MacBook Air M1 with 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage: $999/£999

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 512GB storage ($200), 1TB storage ($400), 2TB storage ($800). The 8-core GPU option is no longer available for this model.

• MacBook Air M2 with 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB memory, 256GB storage: $1,099/£1,149

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 24GB ($400) 512GB storage ($200), 1TB storage ($400), 2TB storage ($800).

• MacBook Air M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB memory, 512GB storage: $1,399/£1,449

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 24GB ($400), 1TB storage ($200), 2TB storage ($600).

We’ll look into those components in more detail below:

CPU

Like the M1, the M2 has four performance cores and four efficiency cores, for a total of 8 CPU cores, but the efficiency cores have been enhanced and there is a larger cache (16MB rather than 12MB). As a result clock speeds can be faster and you can expect improved multithreaded performance compared to the M1. In our testing, the M2 has an 18 percent faster CPU than the M1.

The new chip doesn’t just mean that the new Macs can accomplish more though, they use less power doing so: Apple promises an increased CPU performance of 18 percent with the same energy consumption thanks to various optimizations.

We originally ran Geekbench 5 to see how the new CPU performed. Since then Geekbench 6.1 has arrived so we have run benchmarks again, which can be seen below.

Our original Geekbench 5 scores showed that the M2 MacBook Air delivered peak performance in line with the M2 MacBook Pro, and was a bit better than the M1. It’s not going to beat the higher-end M2 Pro and Max processors in the MacBook Pro though.

We also ran the Cinebench R23 benchmark, here it was more obvious that the active cooling of the MacBook Pro makes a difference despite the same M2 chip being used. But the 2022 MacBook Air was 15 percent faster than the M1 model.

GPU

The higher-end M2 with 10 GPU cores offers a 35 percent more powerful GPU than the M1, based on benchmarks. However, the base model of the M2 Air has a slightly lesser GPU with only 8 GPU cores, so we expect the gains to be less with the $1,099 model.

Another factor aiding the M2’s graphics prowess is the addition of engines specifically for video editing in the M2. Plus Apple claims that the Neural Engine is 40 percent faster than in the M1.

We ran the Geekbench 5 Compute test on the 10-core GPU MacBook Air. This model was almost 60 percent faster than the old 7-core M1 MacBook Air (which is no real surprise), but they were also about 40 percent faster than the 8 GPU cores in the M1 MacBook Pro and on par with the same M2 chip in the MacBook Pro.

In our tests the M2 MacBook Air, with a full 10-core GPU, was also roughly 40% faster than the M1 Air with 7 GPU cores in Rise of the Tomb Raider, and between 20-50 percent faster in Civilization VI, depending on the settings.

Memory and Storage

While the standard memory offered by both the M1 and M2 MacBook Pro is the same: 8GB Unified Memory, the performance is not the same. According to Apple, the M2 delivers 50 percent more memory bandwidth compared to M1 (100GB/s memory bandwidth) so there should be some noticeable improvements.

But the biggest difference is the amount of memory. Where the M1 MacBook Air tops off at 16GB memory, the M2 MacBook Air can take as much as 24GB. That’s still less than the 32GB of the M1 Pro models, but it’s an improvement and will no doubt please those who were concerned that 16GB wasn’t enough.

As for storage, both the M1 and M2 MacBook Air ship with 256GB as standard and max out at 2TB for up to $800 more.

Webcam and Speakers

The webcam in the M2 supports a resolution of 1080p, which is significantly better than the low-grade 720p FaceTime HD camera in the M1 MacBook Air. That leaves the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro as the only laptops with the old camera.

The speakers have also been updated in the M2 MacBook Air. Instead of relying on a stereo system, the 2022 MacBook Air features four speakers with support for 3D audio, aka Spatial Audio. In addition, the 3.5mm headphone jack offers advanced support for high-impedance headphone.

Power and battery

With a new 67W power supply (sold separately for $20 with the 8-core GPU model, or a free option with the 10-core GPU model) you can quickly charge the M2 MacBook Air to 50 percent charge in 30 minutes. The M2 MacBook Air charges via the magnetically attached MagSafe port, so you no longer have to worry about pulling your MacBook off a desk when you stumble over the cable. There’s a 30W USB-C Power Adapter (included with the 8-core GPU M2 and the choice of a more compact 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter (with the 10-core GPU M2).

The M2 MacBook Air has a larger battery than its predecessor: a 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery rather than the 49.9-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery of the previous generation. Coupled with Apple’s claims that the M2 means the 2022 MacBook Air is more power efficient might lead you to suppose that the new MacBook Air would have better battery life, but Apple states that battery life is the same 18 hours.

In our own battery tests the battery lasted 17.5 hours, which was very close enough to Apple’s 18-hour claim. In our tests the M2 MacBook Air battery beat the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro by almost an hour and a half.

We also ran our Movie playback battery life test on the two sizes of M2 MacBook Air and the M1 MacBook Air, and found that the difference between the two M2 models isn’t as big as you might think, given the larger battery in the larger MacBook. Bith are better than the M1 MacBook AIr, and on a par with the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Read our roundup of the best chargers for MacBook Air.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Price

If you are considering buying a MacBook Air right now there are three models to choose from: the original 2020 M1 MacBook Air with a 7-core GPU for $999/£999, a 2022 M2 MacBook Air with an 8-core GPU for $1,099/£1,149 (reduced from $1,199/£1,239, and a top-of-the-range M2 MacBook Air with 10-core GPU for $1,399/£1,449 (reduced from $1,499/£1,549). Read about why if you can afford it then you should buy the $1,399/£1,449 MacBook Air in the $1,099 M2 MacBook Air isn’t as good as it looks.

The new model offers an M2 processor with more GPU cores, a bigger screen, and a brand-new design for just $100/£150 more than the M1 model.

The decision is pretty simple really. The newer MacBook Air only costs a small amount more than the older model and for that $100/£150 extra you get a lot more.

There is only one reason to consider the M1 MacBook Air–it may not be on sale for much longer. If you want the older style MacBook AIr then time may be running out to buy one.

M1 vs M2 MacBook Air: Our recommendation

The MacBook Air with M2 is in many respects a significant improvement over its predecessor. It offers better performance, a more modern design, an improved display, and some smaller but notable improvements.

If you are one of those users who use the MacBook primarily for everyday tasks, such as surfing the web, reading emails or watching videos, you may be attracted to the cheaper $999/£999 M1 MacBook Air. A M1 Macbook Air will be able to handle all these tasks without any problems.

However, if you want to save money, rather than buy an M1 MacBook Air we recommend looking for a deal on the M2 MacBook Air. If you look around you may be able to get an M2 MacBook Air for as much as, or less than, the M1 model. See our round-up of MacBook Air deals.

If you do more with your MacBook or use it for professional applications such as video editing or photo editing, the M2 MacBook Air is definitely worth the extra money compared to its predecessor. In fact, if your budget allows, we recommend jumping to the higher-end model with a 10-core GPU, extra storage and better graphics. And as always, you should buy as much memory as you can afford.

The M1 MacBook Air is still a good machine, even as it heads for its third anniversary, but you’ll be much happier with the newer MacBook Air in a year or two.

The best prices for the MacBook Air M1, usually $999/£999 are below.

MacBook

Best Prices Today: Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (2022, M2)

The M2 MacBook Air went on sale in July 2022. Compared to the M1 MacBook Air that launched in November 2020, it was completely revised, not just on the inside, but for the first time in years, also on the outside. The 2022 MacBook Air has a better chip, a bigger display (13.6-inch, up from 13.3-inch), and a brand-new design. But if you look in the Apple Store you will notice you can still buy its predecessor (at least for now). Is it worth spending more to get the new model?

In this article, we look at how the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2 compares to the 13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1 from 2020, examining how much more powerful the new model is, and whether that extra oomph is worth the higher price. For even more information, check out our full reviews of the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Air. We also evaluate which Mac laptop is best in our separate buying guide.

Since we first wrote this article in July 2022, a couple of things have changed: in June 2023 Apple introduced a larger version of the M2 MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen. At the same time, the company dropped the price of the M2 MacBook Air with 13.6-inch screen by $100/£100. The new price for the entry-level M2 MacBook Air is now $1,099/£1,149, which is just $100/£150 more than the price of the older M1 MacBook Air that remains on sale.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Design

The 2022 MacBook Air is certainly an eye-catcher and stands out clearly from its predecessor. This MacBook Air gained a brand new design that includes a bigger screen as well as new color finishes. But it still has a similar footprint to the M1 model:

13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, dimensions

• 0.44in x 11.97in x 8.46in
• 1.13cm x 30.41cm x 21.5cm
• 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)

13.3-inch MacBook Air, M1, dimensions

• 0.16–0.63in x 11.97in x 8.36in
• 0.41–1.61cm x 30.41cm x 21.24cm
• 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg)

The 2023 15-inch MacBook Air is larger and heavier, as you would expect.

The width of the two laptops is the same, which makes sense because it allows for a full-size keyboard. The M2 model is a few millimeters deeper to allow for a larger screen and on average, this model is narrower than before – although it’s not tapered so the smallest edge isn’t as slim as it was.

While the tapered design allowed Apple to make a light laptop, it was also a disadvantage, as it meant less space for ports on the outside and limited space on the inside for heat dispersion. Despite the difference in design, however, both models are fanless, which could be a disadvantage to power users.

Rumors that the 2022 MacBook Air was losing its tapered design proved correct, but any hopes that this would mean more ports have been scuppered. The M2 MacBook Air has the same two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports as its predecessor and doesn’t have an HDMI port like the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro. The new model adds MagSafe for charging to free up a Thunderbolt port, but otherwise, both models are the same: Touch ID, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, 802.11ax, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0.

Another big difference is the color options. The M2 models have a choice of Midnight (bluish-black) and Starlight (pale gold), as well as space gray and silver (which looks slightly paler than the previous shade). The 2020 MacBook Air comes in space gray, silver, and gold.

The other eye-catching difference between the M1 and M2 models is the addition of a notch for the camera. Like the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, the M2 MacBook Air has very slim bezels that can’t quite fit the camera. When the notch arrived on the larger MacBook Pro models in 2021 there was some criticism, but if you consider that Apple has added screen space on either side of the notch and made the display taller, you’re not actually losing any space.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Display

The display size is the other key difference between the new M1 and M2 MacBook Air. The 2022 model has a 13.6-inch display, compared to the 13.3-inch display on the M1 model. The new model is also brighter:

• MacBook Air M2: 13.6 inches, 2560 x 1664, 500 nits brightness
• MacBook Air M1: 13.3 inches, 2560 x 1600, 400 nits brightness

The brighter screen brings it into line with the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but places it far below that of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with 1,000 nits of max brightness. It also lacks the ProMotion technology of those models.

The M2 MacBook Air has a Liquid Retina display, rather than the Retina display of the M1 model (and the M2 MacBook Pro). The main difference is that the Liquid Retina display has better contrast ratios, support for more colors (a billion, rather than millions), and more pixels per inch. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro go a step further with the superior Liquid Retina XDR display.

Thanks to these changes the display of the M2 MacBook Air isn’t only better than its predecessor—it’s also better than the 13-inch MacBook Pro. In everyday life, however, these differences will rarely be noticeable, although the increased brightness is a plus. The better color representation, on the other hand, will be a benefit for professional design work.

If a big screen is what you are after you might be interested to learn about the 15-inch MacBook Air which launched in July 2023.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Processor, RAM, and battery

Apple currently sells five MacBook Air models: one M1 13-inch model and two M2 13-inch models and two 15-inch MacBook Air. There are also a number of build-to-order options. All the M2 MacBook Air models have identical specs, so we won’t list the 15-inch specs separately.

• MacBook Air M1 with 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage: $999/£999

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 512GB storage ($200), 1TB storage ($400), 2TB storage ($800). The 8-core GPU option is no longer available for this model.

• MacBook Air M2 with 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB memory, 256GB storage: $1,099/£1,149

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 24GB ($400) 512GB storage ($200), 1TB storage ($400), 2TB storage ($800).

• MacBook Air M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB memory, 512GB storage: $1,399/£1,449

In terms of upgrade options, you can add 16GB RAM for $200, 24GB ($400), 1TB storage ($200), 2TB storage ($600).

We’ll look into those components in more detail below:

CPU

Like the M1, the M2 has four performance cores and four efficiency cores, for a total of 8 CPU cores, but the efficiency cores have been enhanced and there is a larger cache (16MB rather than 12MB). As a result clock speeds can be faster and you can expect improved multithreaded performance compared to the M1. In our testing, the M2 has an 18 percent faster CPU than the M1.

The new chip doesn’t just mean that the new Macs can accomplish more though, they use less power doing so: Apple promises an increased CPU performance of 18 percent with the same energy consumption thanks to various optimizations.

We originally ran Geekbench 5 to see how the new CPU performed. Since then Geekbench 6.1 has arrived so we have run benchmarks again, which can be seen below.

Our original Geekbench 5 scores showed that the M2 MacBook Air delivered peak performance in line with the M2 MacBook Pro, and was a bit better than the M1. It’s not going to beat the higher-end M2 Pro and Max processors in the MacBook Pro though.

We also ran the Cinebench R23 benchmark, here it was more obvious that the active cooling of the MacBook Pro makes a difference despite the same M2 chip being used. But the 2022 MacBook Air was 15 percent faster than the M1 model.

GPU

The higher-end M2 with 10 GPU cores offers a 35 percent more powerful GPU than the M1, based on benchmarks. However, the base model of the M2 Air has a slightly lesser GPU with only 8 GPU cores, so we expect the gains to be less with the $1,099 model.

Another factor aiding the M2’s graphics prowess is the addition of engines specifically for video editing in the M2. Plus Apple claims that the Neural Engine is 40 percent faster than in the M1.

We ran the Geekbench 5 Compute test on the 10-core GPU MacBook Air. This model was almost 60 percent faster than the old 7-core M1 MacBook Air (which is no real surprise), but they were also about 40 percent faster than the 8 GPU cores in the M1 MacBook Pro and on par with the same M2 chip in the MacBook Pro.

In our tests the M2 MacBook Air, with a full 10-core GPU, was also roughly 40% faster than the M1 Air with 7 GPU cores in Rise of the Tomb Raider, and between 20-50 percent faster in Civilization VI, depending on the settings.

Memory and Storage

While the standard memory offered by both the M1 and M2 MacBook Pro is the same: 8GB Unified Memory, the performance is not the same. According to Apple, the M2 delivers 50 percent more memory bandwidth compared to M1 (100GB/s memory bandwidth) so there should be some noticeable improvements.

But the biggest difference is the amount of memory. Where the M1 MacBook Air tops off at 16GB memory, the M2 MacBook Air can take as much as 24GB. That’s still less than the 32GB of the M1 Pro models, but it’s an improvement and will no doubt please those who were concerned that 16GB wasn’t enough.

As for storage, both the M1 and M2 MacBook Air ship with 256GB as standard and max out at 2TB for up to $800 more.

Webcam and Speakers

The webcam in the M2 supports a resolution of 1080p, which is significantly better than the low-grade 720p FaceTime HD camera in the M1 MacBook Air. That leaves the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro as the only laptops with the old camera.

The speakers have also been updated in the M2 MacBook Air. Instead of relying on a stereo system, the 2022 MacBook Air features four speakers with support for 3D audio, aka Spatial Audio. In addition, the 3.5mm headphone jack offers advanced support for high-impedance headphone.

Power and battery

With a new 67W power supply (sold separately for $20 with the 8-core GPU model, or a free option with the 10-core GPU model) you can quickly charge the M2 MacBook Air to 50 percent charge in 30 minutes. The M2 MacBook Air charges via the magnetically attached MagSafe port, so you no longer have to worry about pulling your MacBook off a desk when you stumble over the cable. There’s a 30W USB-C Power Adapter (included with the 8-core GPU M2 and the choice of a more compact 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter (with the 10-core GPU M2).

The M2 MacBook Air has a larger battery than its predecessor: a 52.6-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery rather than the 49.9-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery of the previous generation. Coupled with Apple’s claims that the M2 means the 2022 MacBook Air is more power efficient might lead you to suppose that the new MacBook Air would have better battery life, but Apple states that battery life is the same 18 hours.

In our own battery tests the battery lasted 17.5 hours, which was very close enough to Apple’s 18-hour claim. In our tests the M2 MacBook Air battery beat the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Pro by almost an hour and a half.

We also ran our Movie playback battery life test on the two sizes of M2 MacBook Air and the M1 MacBook Air, and found that the difference between the two M2 models isn’t as big as you might think, given the larger battery in the larger MacBook. Bith are better than the M1 MacBook AIr, and on a par with the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Read our roundup of the best chargers for MacBook Air.

M2 MacBook Air vs M1: Price

If you are considering buying a MacBook Air right now there are three models to choose from: the original 2020 M1 MacBook Air with a 7-core GPU for $999/£999, a 2022 M2 MacBook Air with an 8-core GPU for $1,099/£1,149 (reduced from $1,199/£1,239, and a top-of-the-range M2 MacBook Air with 10-core GPU for $1,399/£1,449 (reduced from $1,499/£1,549). Read about why if you can afford it then you should buy the $1,399/£1,449 MacBook Air in the $1,099 M2 MacBook Air isn’t as good as it looks.

The new model offers an M2 processor with more GPU cores, a bigger screen, and a brand-new design for just $100/£150 more than the M1 model.

The decision is pretty simple really. The newer MacBook Air only costs a small amount more than the older model and for that $100/£150 extra you get a lot more.

There is only one reason to consider the M1 MacBook Air–it may not be on sale for much longer. If you want the older style MacBook AIr then time may be running out to buy one.

M1 vs M2 MacBook Air: Our recommendation

The MacBook Air with M2 is in many respects a significant improvement over its predecessor. It offers better performance, a more modern design, an improved display, and some smaller but notable improvements.

If you are one of those users who use the MacBook primarily for everyday tasks, such as surfing the web, reading emails or watching videos, you may be attracted to the cheaper $999/£999 M1 MacBook Air. A M1 Macbook Air will be able to handle all these tasks without any problems.

However, if you want to save money, rather than buy an M1 MacBook Air we recommend looking for a deal on the M2 MacBook Air. If you look around you may be able to get an M2 MacBook Air for as much as, or less than, the M1 model. See our round-up of MacBook Air deals.

If you do more with your MacBook or use it for professional applications such as video editing or photo editing, the M2 MacBook Air is definitely worth the extra money compared to its predecessor. In fact, if your budget allows, we recommend jumping to the higher-end model with a 10-core GPU, extra storage and better graphics. And as always, you should buy as much memory as you can afford.

The M1 MacBook Air is still a good machine, even as it heads for its third anniversary, but you’ll be much happier with the newer MacBook Air in a year or two.

The best prices for the MacBook Air M1, usually $999/£999 are below.

MacBook

Lifetime access to Microsoft Office Apps for only $29.99

Whether creating workplace projects, organizing personal finances, crafting school assignments, or publishing your next blog post, Microsoft Office provides a breadth of tools to accomplish your goals. And for only $29.99, you get lifetime* access, meaning productivity has never been more affordable.

Read more…

]]> https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/27/pick-up-a-standalone-microsoft-office-license-for-mac-or-pc-for-only-29-99-2/ Tue, 27 Jun 2023 15:36:35 +0000 https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/06/27/pick-up-a-standalone-microsoft-office-license-for-mac-or-pc-for-only-2999?utm_medium=rss For a limited time, you can unlock lifetime access to a fleet of Microsoft Office applications for only $29.99, an incredible 86% off the usual retail price of $219.99. Whether you use a PC or Mac, the software can provide powerful productive ways to tackle any task.

Lifetime access to Microsoft Office Apps for only $29.99

Whether creating workplace projects, organizing personal finances, crafting school assignments, or publishing your next blog post, Microsoft Office provides a breadth of tools to accomplish your goals. And for only $29.99, you get lifetime* access, meaning productivity has never been more affordable.

Read more…

]]> https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/21/easily-replaceable-phone-batteries-might-be-back-and-im-here-for-it/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 17:40:37 +0000 https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/21/23767057/replaceable-batteries-phones-eu

The other day, I was going through a bag full of old tech — I mean, really old tech — trying to convince myself to finally get rid of phones that I hadn’t used for 10 years or so when I came across a battery. One of the batteries that I used to carry around in case my phone ran out of juice.

You see, once upon a time, smartphones had replaceable batteries. Instead of having to carry around a portable charger or search desperately for a wall socket so you could charge up your failing phone (assuming you had a power cord with you), you could pull off the back of your phone, replace the out-of-power battery with a fully charged one, and proceed happily on your way.

However, at some point, manufacturers (and, perhaps, most consumers) decided that they wanted their smartphones as light and slim as possible — so slim that there was no room for a battery that wasn’t glued into place. They also wanted to add water and dust resistance, and that’s a lot harder to accomplish with a device that easily opens. So slowly but surely, the replaceable battery disappeared, and we all learned to carry around chargers or cords for just-in-case scenarios (especially if your phone’s battery was starting to age).

I have to admit that the first time I bought a phone without a replaceable battery, I felt a little peeved. It was probably akin to what a music enthusiast feels purchasing a phone with great audio but without an audio jack — you can adjust to the change, but you wish you didn’t have to.

Now, however, there’s a chance that one day, I may be able to adjust back. Back in 2020, there was a proposal by the European Parliament for new laws concerning the regulations of batteries, which included a clause that demanded “Portable batteries incorporated in appliances shall be readily removable and replaceable by the end-user or by independent operators during the lifetime of the appliance.” (Other regulations concerned batteries for various vehicles and industries.) In September 2022, the EU reached a provisional agreement to move forward with those laws. And on June 14th, 2023, the European Parliament approved it, sending out a press release explaining that portable batteries must be designed “in such a way that consumers can themselves easily remove and replace them” (emphasis theirs).

Huh.

A final vote is still upcoming, but considering that this month’s approval was passed with 587 votes in favor, nine against, and 20 abstentions, I would say that this is pretty much a done deal. The part about batteries being replaceable goes into force three and a half years after the final vote.

What this means is that, in a few short years, any phone sold in Europe will have to be designed so that its battery can be replaced by the person who owns it. And that any manufacturer who does business in Europe will have to decide whether they want to create completely different phone models to fit that market — or come up with phones that can be sold in other parts of the world as well. Like the US.

Since this news hit, there has been a lot of discussion about the exact interpretation of the phrase “readily removable and replaceable.” Kevin Purdy makes some good points in his Ars Technica article in which he notes that batteries are actually replaceable now if you have the know-how (and courage) to get through the adhesives holding your phone together and holding your battery into the phone. Of course, it’s a little hard to argue that this would qualify as “readily removable” by the typical user. But what does? Using specialized instruments to get at the battery — so that “replaceable” means putting in a new, semi-permanent battery? Simply unscrewing the back of the phone? Or going back to the way it was and just prying it out with your fingernail?

I have to admit that I’m very curious as to how this will pan out. Odds are, it will probably look different than the replaceable batteries we had 15 years ago. It’s more likely to be about extending the longevity of your device, not getting a few extra hours of use before needing to recharge. Still, I like to daydream about once again being able to shrug and swap a battery in under a minute when my phone is running low on power. I could get used to that again.

]]> https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/21/spike-for-teams-launches-as-a-new-alternative-to-slack-and-microsoft-teams-with-built-in-email-support/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://9to5mac.com/?p=890722

Most people have two main apps they use every day at work: email (powered by Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) and a team chat tool (usually Slack or Microsoft Teams). What if they were combined into a single interface? That is what Spike for Teams aims to accomplish: eliminate the need for keeping these essential services separate. With its launch, the Spike Email app gets a major upgrade with a new Spike for Teams service aimed to unify your internal and external communication.

more…

The post Spike for Teams launches as a new alternative to Slack and Microsoft Teams with built-in email support appeared first on 9to5Mac.

]]> https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/09/apple-previews-new-features-coming-to-music-maps-podcasts-and-much-more/ Fri, 09 Jun 2023 21:10:14 +0000 https://macdailynews.com/?p=263519 Apple’s world-class services are an integral part of many millions of users’ everyday lives, from helping them discover new artists on…

The post Apple previews new features coming to Music, Maps, Podcasts, and much more appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Apple’s world-class services are an integral part of many millions of users’ everyday lives, from helping them discover new artists on Apple Music, to catching up on current events with Apple News and Apple Podcasts, and navigating and exploring the world with Apple Maps. Later this year, users worldwide will be able to discover, enjoy, and accomplish even more on their favorite Apple devices with new features and enhancements arriving with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17.

“Apple’s services enrich millions of users’ lives every day, so we constantly strive to deliver the best experience possible,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “Not only do we want to make services more powerful for users, we also want to make them more fun. And I think the teams have done an incredible job with the lineup of new features we’re delivering this fall, from Collaborative Playlists in Apple Music, to offline maps in Apple Maps, to new experiences in Apple Podcasts.”

Here are some of the most exciting new tools and experiences users can look forward to:

Listen with family and friends using Collaborative Playlists. Apple Music subscribers can collaborate on playlists with family and friends. Users can invite each other to select and edit tracks, and even add emoji reactions to specific songs.

Enjoy an even more immersive Apple Music Sing experience with Continuity Camera. With Apple Music Sing and Continuity Camera, users will be able to see themselves onscreen and apply all-new camera filters as they sing along to the lyrics of their favorite songs.

Discover the artists behind favorite songs with Song Credits in Apple Music. Fans can view comprehensive data about the artists who contributed to their favorite tracks, including their roles and the instruments they played.

Contribute to what’s playing in the car with SharePlay. Apple Music is bringing SharePlay to the car so that everyone can easily choose what’s playing. When users are in a car and listening with Apple Music, other trusted iPhone devices will automatically suggest joining the session. Listeners can control the music from their own devices, even if they don’t have an Apple Music subscription.

Stream the entire catalog of Apple Music radio shows on Apple Podcasts. Subscribers will be able to listen to the entire catalog of award-winning, commercial-free Apple Music radio shows in Apple Podcasts, where they can follow individual shows to automatically download and be notified of new episodes as soon as they’re released.

Browse offline maps with just a tap using Apple Maps. Users can easily select an area on their device and download it with just a tap. While offline, users will be able to access turn-by-turn navigation for driving, walking, transit, and cycling; see their estimated time of arrival; find places in Maps; and more.

See real-time electric vehicle charging availability. Maps users with electric vehicles will be able to see real-time charging station availability filtered by charging network, plug type, and more, and users with compatible vehicles will be able to designate a preferred charging network.

Explore the great outdoors with thousands of park trails. Maps is making it easier than ever to discover thousands of trails in parks across the U.S. with place cards that include detailed information like trail length and type, difficulty, and elevation gain.

Build a workout or meditation routine with Custom Plans in Apple Fitness+. Custom Plans are a new way to receive a custom workout or meditation schedule based on day, duration, workout type, and more.

Queue Fitness+ workouts and meditations with Stacks. Fitness+ is also introducing Stacks, allowing users to select multiple workouts and meditations to do back to back, so they can seamlessly move to their next activity without interruptions. Stacks can be saved to a user’s library to use again in the future.

Dial in a workout or meditation with Audio Focus on Fitness+. With Audio Focus, Fitness+ subscribers can prioritize the volume of the music to stay energized or the trainers’ voices so they can concentrate on their coaching.

Enjoy daily crosswords with Puzzles on Apple News. Apple News+ subscribers will be able to enjoy even more benefits, including Puzzles, which will include a daily crossword and mini-crossword in partnership with The Puzzle Society.

Listen to audio stories from Apple News+ on Apple Podcasts. Apple News+ subscribers will have the ability to listen to professionally narrated audio stories from the world’s leading magazines and newspapers in Apple Podcasts.

An all-new Now Playing experience comes to Apple Podcasts. Listeners will enjoy a refreshed Now Playing design, featuring a sleek, dynamic background that showcases a podcast’s art and provides enhanced controls for managing the queue.

Learn more about the topic of a podcast with episode art. With support for episode art throughout Apple Podcasts, listeners will be able to explore more about an episode. It’s also easier to preview, play, or follow podcasts with a new design for episodes, shows, and channels in Up Next.

Connect subscriptions to top apps on the App Store with Apple Podcasts. Listeners will be able to access new shows and other benefits by connecting eligible subscriptions to top apps on the App Store, including Bloomberg, Calm, The Economist, L’Équipe, Lingokids, The Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and WELT.

Dive deeper into a favorite series on Apple Books. With Apple Books’ new series pages, users can easily see all of the books available in a series, toggle between ebook and audiobook versions, purchase and read the next title in the series based on their reading, discover recommendations for related series, and more.

Set up recurring payments with Apple Cash. Apple Cash users will be able to set up weekly, biweekly, or monthly Apple Cash payments, making it even easier for parents to pay allowances or for users to pay back friends and family for regularly shared expenses, such as rent payments. Users can also choose to automatically top up their Apple Cash balance when it runs low.

Present an ID to businesses using iPhone and Apple Wallet. Starting this fall, businesses will be able to accept IDs in Apple Wallet — no additional hardware needed. This will streamline their ability to securely check a customer’s age in person for things like alcohol purchases, or to verify a customer’s identity at checkout for car rentals, and more. To seamlessly and securely present their ID in Wallet to an enabled business, users simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the business’s iPhone. Users will be shown what information is being requested and whether the receiving party will be storing the information. Users will then be asked to authenticate and consent by using Face ID or Touch ID.

Share and request locations using Find My with Messages and Maps. Users will be able to share their location — and request someone else’s location — through Find My directly in Messages with the new “Location” option in the Send Menu. From here, users can also easily create a route to someone’s location in Maps.

Share items using AirTag and Find My. Item sharing for AirTag and Find My network accessories will allow device owners to invite up to five other people to a sharing group. Everyone in the group will be able to see the item’s location and will not receive unwanted tracking notifications. Members of the sharing group can also use Find My to get directions to the item and use Precision Finding to help pinpoint a shared AirTag’s location.

MacDailyNews Note: A developer beta of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17 is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. A public beta will be available to users next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available this fall as a free software update. Some features, applications, and services may not be available in all regions or all languages.

TGIF! Interns, please do your duty. TTK! Let’s hoist one or five to the Apple Vision Pro – prost, everyone!

Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!

Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.

The post Apple previews new features coming to Music, Maps, Podcasts, and much more appeared first on MacDailyNews.

]]> https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/09/apple-previews-new-features-coming-to-music-maps-podcasts-and-much-more-2/ Fri, 09 Jun 2023 21:10:14 +0000 https://macdailynews.com/?p=263519 Apple’s world-class services are an integral part of many millions of users’ everyday lives, from helping them discover new artists on…

The post Apple previews new features coming to Music, Maps, Podcasts, and much more appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Apple’s world-class services are an integral part of many millions of users’ everyday lives, from helping them discover new artists on Apple Music, to catching up on current events with Apple News and Apple Podcasts, and navigating and exploring the world with Apple Maps. Later this year, users worldwide will be able to discover, enjoy, and accomplish even more on their favorite Apple devices with new features and enhancements arriving with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17.

“Apple’s services enrich millions of users’ lives every day, so we constantly strive to deliver the best experience possible,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “Not only do we want to make services more powerful for users, we also want to make them more fun. And I think the teams have done an incredible job with the lineup of new features we’re delivering this fall, from Collaborative Playlists in Apple Music, to offline maps in Apple Maps, to new experiences in Apple Podcasts.”

Here are some of the most exciting new tools and experiences users can look forward to:

Listen with family and friends using Collaborative Playlists. Apple Music subscribers can collaborate on playlists with family and friends. Users can invite each other to select and edit tracks, and even add emoji reactions to specific songs.

Enjoy an even more immersive Apple Music Sing experience with Continuity Camera. With Apple Music Sing and Continuity Camera, users will be able to see themselves onscreen and apply all-new camera filters as they sing along to the lyrics of their favorite songs.

Discover the artists behind favorite songs with Song Credits in Apple Music. Fans can view comprehensive data about the artists who contributed to their favorite tracks, including their roles and the instruments they played.

Contribute to what’s playing in the car with SharePlay. Apple Music is bringing SharePlay to the car so that everyone can easily choose what’s playing. When users are in a car and listening with Apple Music, other trusted iPhone devices will automatically suggest joining the session. Listeners can control the music from their own devices, even if they don’t have an Apple Music subscription.

Stream the entire catalog of Apple Music radio shows on Apple Podcasts. Subscribers will be able to listen to the entire catalog of award-winning, commercial-free Apple Music radio shows in Apple Podcasts, where they can follow individual shows to automatically download and be notified of new episodes as soon as they’re released.

Browse offline maps with just a tap using Apple Maps. Users can easily select an area on their device and download it with just a tap. While offline, users will be able to access turn-by-turn navigation for driving, walking, transit, and cycling; see their estimated time of arrival; find places in Maps; and more.

See real-time electric vehicle charging availability. Maps users with electric vehicles will be able to see real-time charging station availability filtered by charging network, plug type, and more, and users with compatible vehicles will be able to designate a preferred charging network.

Explore the great outdoors with thousands of park trails. Maps is making it easier than ever to discover thousands of trails in parks across the U.S. with place cards that include detailed information like trail length and type, difficulty, and elevation gain.

Build a workout or meditation routine with Custom Plans in Apple Fitness+. Custom Plans are a new way to receive a custom workout or meditation schedule based on day, duration, workout type, and more.

Queue Fitness+ workouts and meditations with Stacks. Fitness+ is also introducing Stacks, allowing users to select multiple workouts and meditations to do back to back, so they can seamlessly move to their next activity without interruptions. Stacks can be saved to a user’s library to use again in the future.

Dial in a workout or meditation with Audio Focus on Fitness+. With Audio Focus, Fitness+ subscribers can prioritize the volume of the music to stay energized or the trainers’ voices so they can concentrate on their coaching.

Enjoy daily crosswords with Puzzles on Apple News. Apple News+ subscribers will be able to enjoy even more benefits, including Puzzles, which will include a daily crossword and mini-crossword in partnership with The Puzzle Society.

Listen to audio stories from Apple News+ on Apple Podcasts. Apple News+ subscribers will have the ability to listen to professionally narrated audio stories from the world’s leading magazines and newspapers in Apple Podcasts.

An all-new Now Playing experience comes to Apple Podcasts. Listeners will enjoy a refreshed Now Playing design, featuring a sleek, dynamic background that showcases a podcast’s art and provides enhanced controls for managing the queue.

Learn more about the topic of a podcast with episode art. With support for episode art throughout Apple Podcasts, listeners will be able to explore more about an episode. It’s also easier to preview, play, or follow podcasts with a new design for episodes, shows, and channels in Up Next.

Connect subscriptions to top apps on the App Store with Apple Podcasts. Listeners will be able to access new shows and other benefits by connecting eligible subscriptions to top apps on the App Store, including Bloomberg, Calm, The Economist, L’Équipe, Lingokids, The Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and WELT.

Dive deeper into a favorite series on Apple Books. With Apple Books’ new series pages, users can easily see all of the books available in a series, toggle between ebook and audiobook versions, purchase and read the next title in the series based on their reading, discover recommendations for related series, and more.

Set up recurring payments with Apple Cash. Apple Cash users will be able to set up weekly, biweekly, or monthly Apple Cash payments, making it even easier for parents to pay allowances or for users to pay back friends and family for regularly shared expenses, such as rent payments. Users can also choose to automatically top up their Apple Cash balance when it runs low.

Present an ID to businesses using iPhone and Apple Wallet. Starting this fall, businesses will be able to accept IDs in Apple Wallet — no additional hardware needed. This will streamline their ability to securely check a customer’s age in person for things like alcohol purchases, or to verify a customer’s identity at checkout for car rentals, and more. To seamlessly and securely present their ID in Wallet to an enabled business, users simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the business’s iPhone. Users will be shown what information is being requested and whether the receiving party will be storing the information. Users will then be asked to authenticate and consent by using Face ID or Touch ID.

Share and request locations using Find My with Messages and Maps. Users will be able to share their location — and request someone else’s location — through Find My directly in Messages with the new “Location” option in the Send Menu. From here, users can also easily create a route to someone’s location in Maps.

Share items using AirTag and Find My. Item sharing for AirTag and Find My network accessories will allow device owners to invite up to five other people to a sharing group. Everyone in the group will be able to see the item’s location and will not receive unwanted tracking notifications. Members of the sharing group can also use Find My to get directions to the item and use Precision Finding to help pinpoint a shared AirTag’s location.

MacDailyNews Note: A developer beta of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17 is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. A public beta will be available to users next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available this fall as a free software update. Some features, applications, and services may not be available in all regions or all languages.

TGIF! Interns, please do your duty. TTK! Let’s hoist one or five to the Apple Vision Pro – prost, everyone!

Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!

Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.

The post Apple previews new features coming to Music, Maps, Podcasts, and much more appeared first on MacDailyNews.

]]> https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/06/03/if-apple-wants-its-headset-to-win-it-needs-to-reinvent-the-app/ Sat, 03 Jun 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/3/23745426/apple-headset-vr-ar-reality-apps-developers-wwdc-2023

If Apple’s mixed reality headset is going to succeed, it’s going to be because of the apps. On Monday, Apple will take the stage at its 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference to talk about FaceTime and Apple Books and all the other cool built-in stuff you’ll be able to do with its ski goggles strapped to your face. But if it can’t get third-party developers on board, and those developers don’t figure out how to build life-changingly great stuff for those goggles, the Reality Pro (or whatever it’s called) doesn’t stand a chance.

Apple knows this better than anyone, of course. The iPhone took off when apps like Instagram and Uber showed what you could do with a camera and a GPS in your pocket. The iPad became a creative tool because creative people kept building cool stuff to do on such a huge touchscreen. And developers at places like Nike and Strava did more to make the case for the Apple Watch than Apple’s Walkie Talkie app and weird heartbeat-sending thing ever did. Apple’s product strategy for 15 years has been to make the coolest gadget it can, show it to developers, and ask them what they think.

To make the headset really work, though, Apple’s going to need more than just apps. Because a good headset is more than just a big screen; it’s a new way of interacting with a gadget and with apps. That means that 15 years after the launch of the App Store, when Apple turned the iPhone into the app machine it is now, it’s going to have to reboot the whole idea of what an app is and how it works. And it won’t be easy.

An ocean of icons

By and large, every app is a universe unto itself. The whole structure of the app ecosystem is such that the first step of every process is to open an app. There’s no command line equivalent through which you can execute tasks across the whole system; even things like search work far better in apps than across all of iOS.

Apple has been trying to change this for years. Every year, almost without fail, Apple has a Big New Idea About Apps. At WWDC, in addition to all the changes to Reminders and new locations for URL bars in Safari, Apple nearly always tries to change the way you interact with apps and they interact with each other. Want proof? Here’s an incomplete list of the Big New Ideas About Apps Apple has shown off at WWDC since the iPhone launched:

• 2008 (iPhone OS 2.0): The App Store
• 2009 (iPhone OS 3.0): In-app purchases, push notifications
• 2010 (iOS 4): Multitasking
• 2011 (iOS 5): The notification center
• 2012 (iOS 6): Siri, the share sheet
• 2013 (iOS 7): Lock screen notifications, Spotlight search
• 2014 (iOS 8): Continuity, Handoff, widgets
• 2015 (iOS 9): 3D Touch, Proactive Intelligence
• 2016 (iOS 10): iMessage App Store
• 2018 (iOS 12): Shortcuts
• 2020 (iOS 14): App Clips, homescreen widgets
• 2021 (iOS 15): Focus modes
• 2022 (iOS 16): Lock screen widgets, Live Activities, Dynamic Island

If you squint a little, you can see the larger vision here. Apple imagines an app ecosystem in which data flows freely between devices: you take a picture here, edit it there, share it over there, save it in that place, all with a few drags and drops. It wants to make apps work between and across your devices. You should be able to access your apps and the data inside them from just about anywhere on your device. In Apple’s wildest dreams, apps aren’t each their own universe; they’re like stars in a solar system, each one part of a larger coherent thing.

A few of Apple’s own apps are good examples of how this could work. Wallet pulls all your tickets and boarding passes from other apps into one place, no matter where they came from. Home aggregates your many devices across many ecosystems and lets you run your whole smart home in one place. Files provides a file storage system that is theoretically available to any app anywhere. Live Photos and Live Text are system-level features, not apps you have to open just to accomplish a single task.

But when it comes to the rest of the App Store, what have we actually gotten out of all those big ideas? Shortcuts are hugely useful but far too complicated for most users; Siri is mostly just annoying; App Clips and iMessage apps never really took off; I have yet to see an app that makes actual use of the Dynamic Island; 3D Touch is already long gone. In 15 years, for all intents and purposes, apps have only really fundamentally changed in one way: thanks to push notifications and widgets, they can now send you information without needing you to open the app.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

To some extent, it’s just business. Many developers prefer to keep users inside their app as long as possible to juice ad impressions and increase engagement. And Apple certainly has little incentive to blow up the app model as long as it keeps taking a hefty cut of everyone’s subscription fees. “I think they’ve tried to approach stuff like, ‘Hey, here’s a new platform. We’re not just going to put a grid of apps on it. What’s the next level of that?’” says Ryan Jones, a developer of the popular Flighty app. “And so far the magnetic pull of apps has pulled them back towards a grid of apps.”

Maybe that’s why, when I asked a bunch of developers what they’re looking for at this year’s WWDC, their answers were so straightforward. “Most of my wishlist things are more pragmatic and practical,” said Greg Pierce, who builds apps like Drafts and Tally through his company, Agile Tortoise. He said he tries not to even make a wishlist anymore — better to just wait and see.

Pierce and a few others said they’re most hoping to see improvements in SwiftUI, Apple’s cross-platform development system. “Actually writing cross platform code with it is painful,” Pierce said. “You end up having to branch a lot of logic to work one way on one platform and one on the other, stuff that could be improved.” Marcos Tanaka, who builds apps like Play and MusicHarbor, echoed the sentiment. “It is a fantastic framework that has genuinely improved my experience developing for Apple platforms,” he said. “Still, sometimes I stumble upon some bugs and limitations that get in the way, so SwiftUI improvements are always welcome.”

The iPhone in particular is such a mature platform that it’s almost risky to try new things. There are so many users, with so much history and muscle memory, that developers might be foolish to try and break paradigms. Even the platform itself makes it hard to move forward. “You’re deploying an app that has to be backward-compatible several OS versions,” Pierce said, “so you can’t take advantage of those new features.”

Greater than its parts

So far, the rumors and reporting we’ve heard about WWDC 2023 sound like more iterative improvements, particularly for the iPhone. The Biggest New Idea About Apps might be interactive widgets — what if you could use an app without opening an app? — but in general, it sounds like a year of improvements rather than radical changes.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Except a headset demands radical change. Apple has made clear that it doesn’t want to build a full-on metaverse, but it also shouldn’t just turn the platform into a bunch of siloed apps. An all-encompassing device like this just won’t work if you’re constantly switching between apps every time you need new information. Apple has reportedly spent years on supporting hand tracking, facial expression recognition, iris scanning, and other biometric and real-world tools. You’re telling me we’re going to get something called the “Reality Dial,” but I’m still stuck with a dock full of app icons? That just doesn’t feel right.

The interaction model of the future can’t be pinching the air in front of you to mimic tapping on a touchscreen. I’m definitely not interested in having to download, log in, set up, and figure out a new app every time I want to try something new. Apps are going to need to be more modular, showing you just the parts you need as you walk down the street or start a new FaceTime call. They’ll have to be faster and simpler because nobody wants to tweak settings on their face. App developers have spent decades building software for rectangles of various shapes and sizes. But in a world filled with headsets, there are no more rectangles.

Changing the way developers see their apps will be tricky. But with the AI onslaught coming fast and a headset forcing users to use a new device in wholly new ways, this is the moment for Apple to come up with a better, more integrated, more natural way to access and interact with information on their devices. To borrow a Steve Jobs-ism: if you see a homescreen, they blew it.

]]> https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/05/23/pick-up-windows-11-pro-for-just-39-99/ Tue, 23 May 2023 13:30:23 +0000 https://www.cultofmac.com/?p=817175 The latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, Windows 11 Pro, continues to make life easier for users across the globe. Also available for any Windows 10 devices that match system requirements, this popular platform can currently be purchased at a surprisingly low price for only $39.99 (regularly $199). Windows 11 Pro: Accomplish more at work or […]

(via Cult of Mac – Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

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