Amazon has dropped the price of the AirPods 4 to $69.00 for Black Friday, from $129.00. This is now a new all-time low price on the earbuds, beating the previous low price on Amazon by about $10.

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.

This is the AirPods 4 model without Active Noise Cancellation, but if you're looking for the device with ANC you can find it on Amazon for $99.99, down from $179.00, another record low price.



You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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There may be a different way to look at what could happen to Apple’s top leadership over the next few years.

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Apple's foldable iPhone could be priced at $2,399, according to an estimate shared by analyst Arthur Liao at Fubon Research. There have been a range of price estimates, from as low as $1,800 to as high as $2,500, and the latest estimate falls on the higher side.


Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said he expects the ‌iPhone‌ Fold to cost between $2,000 and $2,500, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects it to be somewhere around $2,000.

The foldable ‌iPhone‌ will be expensive because of the premium components that Apple plans to use. The display panel and hinge will push pricing toward the upper end of market expectations, Fubon Research suggests.

Demand for the device will depend on the price that Apple sets, but Fubon believes that Apple could sell around 5.4 million units in 2026. Global smartphone demand could fall during the year, and foldables will be the "only spotlight" in the 2026 smartphone market.

The report says that Apple is also working on camera upgrades for 2026, with the first variable aperture lens planned for the iPhone 18 Pro models. It doesn't sound like the ‌iPhone‌ Fold will get the variable aperture lens that Apple is developing, but rumors indicate it will have a dual-lens rear camera setup with Wide and Ultra Wide lenses along with two front cameras.
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Spotify is already planning its next price increase, according to a new report.

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Anthropic today announced the launch of Claude Opus 4.5, which it says is the "best model in the world for coding, agents, and computer use." It's improved over prior models for everyday tasks like deep research, and it is a "step forward in what AI systems can do."


According to feedback Anthropic received from early testers, Claude Opus 4.5 can complete tasks that were impossible for Sonnet 4.5, and that it is able to handle ambiguity and reason about tradeoffs without hand-holding. The Opus 4.5 model offers better vision, reasoning, mathematics skills, and coding than prior versions of Claude.

Along with the Opus update, Anthropic is updating its apps, the Claude Developer Platform, and Claude Code. There are tools for longer-running agents, and options to use Claude in Excel, Chrome, and on the desktop.

In the Claude apps, users will no longer run into limits during a long conversation. Claude is able to automatically summarize earlier context, which means the conversation can keep going endlessly. Claude for Chrome is available to all Max users, and Claude for Excel beta access is now available to all Max, Team, and Enterprise users.

Claude Code is now available in the desktop app, and with Opus 4.5, it is able to build more precise plans and execute them more thoroughly. Claude is able to ask clarifying questions upfront and then build a user-editable plan before executing.

Claude Opus 4.5 is available today across Anthropic's apps and its API. Opus-specific caps have been removed for Claude and Claude Code users with access to Opus 4.5, and for Max and Team Premium members, overall usage limits have increased.
This article, "Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 4.5 With Improved Coding and Agent Capabilities" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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While there is no shortage of vintage, rare, or otherwise classic products for sale on eBay, some are more vintage, rare, or otherwise classic than others. Here are seven gift ideas that may not be the cheapest, but will surely make an Apple fan’s Christmas.

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If you’re a Mac user looking for a solid external display that pairs nicely with your MacBook’s crisp retina display, you’ll know that finding one can be a challenge. Apple offers its Studio Display with a 27″ 5K retina display, but that costs $1599 just for the cheapest version with a basic stand. If you want a more versatile stand, the Studio Display will cost you $1999.

Luckily, a number of 27″ 5K monitors have been launching lately, many of which have been at more affordable price points than Apple’s Studio Display, while offering an incredibly comparable experience. One of them is the ViewSonic VP2788-5K, which I’ll be reviewing here today.

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Apple Invites launched earlier this year as a brand new app for organizing events, and in iOS 26.2 there’s a new systemwide feature coming that makes using the Invites app more convenient.

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OpenAI today added a new shopping research feature to ChatGPT, which is meant to help you find the right products for everything from simple household products to gifts.


You can tell ChatGPT what you're looking for, and shopping research will build a guide to help you make decisions on what to purchase. OpenAI says that it will ask smart clarifying questions, research deeply across the internet, review quality sources, and use context from prior conversations to build a personalized buyer's guide that's up-to-date.

It is built to perform particularly well in detail-heavy categories like electronics, beauty, home and garden, kitchen and appliances, and sports and outdoor. The research feature includes comparisons, constraints, tradeoffs, and more for product selections.

ChatGPT will suggest shopping research automatically when you ask it a shopping-related question, but you can also select "shopping research" from the "+" menu. When a research session has begun, ChatGPT will open a visual interface where you can share feedback to guide the research, providing feedback on what you're interested in.

You'll need to click through to a retailer's site to make a purchase, but eventually, ChatGPT will be able to make automatic purchases through ChatGPT when shopping from merchants that are part of Instant Checkout.

Shopping research is rolling out for logged-in ChatGPT users on Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans, and to simplify holiday shopping, OpenAI is making "nearly unlimited usage" available.
This article, "ChatGPT Adds AI Shopping Research Feature for Holiday Gift Finding" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple’s Wallet app got a strong lineup of new features in iOS 26, including one hidden addition you might have missed: a highly requested new setting to disable promotional notifications.

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I’ve tested a lot of docks over the years, from small compact on-the-go hubs that I use alongside my iPad to the full desktop-class docks that claim to be able to handle everything you throw at them. But the iVANKY FusionDock Max 2 is the first one that actually delivers on that promise. This dock has been purpose-built for Apple Silicon, bringing true Thunderbolt 5 performance with triple display support and 23 professional-grade ports, all wrapped in a sleek and unique design.

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Apple’s decision to go with a single rear camera has been one of the iPhone Air’s most divisive choices. Here’s how it performed in DXOMARK’s tests.

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Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Roborock: Save up to 50% on Roborock’s flagship vacuums during their Black Friday event — but hurry, these deals won’t last long! 

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iOS 26.2 is coming soon, with excellent new features for Reminders, Podcasts, and Apple Music. There are also a couple key CarPlay changes in iOS 26.2, here’s what’s new.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and io Products creator Jony Ive forged a friendship that led to OpenAI's acquisition of io, and subsequently, an AI-based hardware product that both Altman and Ive believe is a reimagination of what it means to use a computer.


The duo recently did an interview with Emerson Collective founder Laurene Powell Jobs, providing insight into what they're working on. There's now an established hardware prototype, and while Altman and Ive didn't explain what it is in plain language, the interview has hints of its design and functionality.

Here are several ways that Altman and Ive described their AI hardware device:

• It breaks the constraints of the "same kind of computer that we've been using for a long time."


• Research started with a question about what it means that the device "is going to be able to know everything you've ever thought about, read, said?"


• It will be a "sort of active participant" that's proactive in "a not annoying way."


• Current devices and apps are like "walking through Times Square in New York" with flashing lights, crowds of people, noises, etc. It "doesn't make our lives peaceful and calm" or let us "focus on other stuff," which is what Ive and Altman wanted to address.


• If you have an AI that you trust to do things for you and filter things out with "incredible contextual awareness of your whole life," then you can go for a vibe that's not walking through Times Square.


• Ive and Altman's device aims to bring some of the spirit of "sitting in the most beautiful cabin by a lake and in the mountains and just sort of enjoying the peace and calm."


• Ive said he prefers solutions that "teeter on appearing almost naive in their simplicity and their feel."


• He also likes "incredibly intelligent, sophisticated products that you want to touch" and use "almost carelessly."


• Ive told Altman that the design is right when you "want to lick it or take a bite out of it," and with the current prototype, Altman got that feeling.


• "The degree to which Jony chipped away at every little thing that this doesn't need to do or that doesn't need to be there is remarkable."


• "There's something about when a design gets like so simple and beautiful. And playful, for lack of a better word." There aren't a lot of products with "humor" in "this area" and there is a desire "not to take ourselves quite so seriously even though these are serious times."


• Altman said that early on, Jony said "we are going to make people smile. We're going to make people feel joy. Whatever the product does, it has to do that." Altman said it's "lovely" to "have some whimsy back."


• The prototypes are "jaw-droppingly good" and "exciting."

Rumors have described the device that io is working on as an AI phone without a screen, a "third core device" after a MacBook and an iPhone that's unobtrusive and able to sit in a pocket or on a desk, an iPod Shuffle-sized device that's neck worn, and a pocket-sized gadget that's screen-free but contextually aware of your life with microphones and cameras. It is not any kind of wearable like glasses, a watch, or earbuds.

Ive and Altman expect to have a device ready to hit the market in less than two years from now. The full interview with Altman and Ive is worth watching to see the commentary in context.
This article, "Jony Ive and Sam Altman Discuss AI Device That's Playful, Bite Worthy, and as Peaceful as a Cabin By a Lake" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is making cuts and has laid off dozens of people in sales roles, reports Bloomberg. Apple is aiming to simplify the way that it sells products to businesses, schools, and governments.


Affected employees received notice over the past couple of weeks, and positions eliminated include account managers for large businesses, schools, and government agencies, plus staff at Apple's briefing centers for major customers. Employees were reportedly surprised by the layoffs, but they are able to apply for other positions within Apple.

Apple told Bloomberg that it is making changes in its sales team to better connect with customers.

To connect with even more customers, we are making some changes in our sales team that affect a small number of roles. We are continuing to hire and those employees can apply for new roles.

While Apple says it is restructuring some of the sales team, affected employees apparently believe that Apple wants to move more sales to third-party retailers. Pushing sales through retailers allows Apple to save money by cutting salary costs.

Apple is giving employees over a month to find a new role. Those who haven't gotten another position in the company by January 20 will receive a severance package.
This article, "Rare Layoffs at Apple Impact Dozens in Sales Roles" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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MagSafe gear is one of my favorite gift categories because it is useful, affordable, and easy to give to anyone with an iPhone. In 2025, Qi2.2 accessories have made everything faster and easier, with better heat management and faster charging. I have tested a lot of MagSafe gear this year, and these are my favorite Christmas gift ideas to keep your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods charged and ready.

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Apple has confirmed that it recently cut a number of jobs within its sales division. While layoffs are common in the tech industry, Apple treats job cuts as a last resort option.

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As OpenAI pushes forward with its hardware ambitions, its aggressive hiring spree is quickly becoming another retention challenge for Apple. Here’s what’s going on.

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Anthropic has announced its latest AI model with Claude Opus 4.5. The company has also expanded Claude Code availability to the Claude desktop app for the first time.

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It’s the best time of year to score heavy discounts on streaming services, and Black Friday deals have now launched for HBO Max, Disney+, and more. Here are the details.

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Shopping research is already a popular use of AI. Now ChatGPT is adding a new tool that makes finding the right products even easier.

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Apple is making progress on the development of the book-style foldable iPhone expected in 2026, according to a report from Chinese site UDN. The device has reportedly entered the engineering validation stage, and Apple is gearing up for mass production.


Citing supply chain sources, UDN says that Apple has solved "the crease problem" that has plagued most foldable smartphones, and the foldable ‌iPhone‌ will be the first crease-free foldable smartphone on the market. We've heard multiple prior rumors about Apple's intensive work on the hinge and display to minimize creasing, so this isn't the first time the foldable ‌iPhone‌ has been rumored to have a seamless screen.

Apple is using an inner screen designed by Samsung, but the panel structure, lamination method, and material process was designed by Apple. Apple worked with its suppliers to come up with a hinge design that prevents a permanent crease, and the hinge will adopt Liquid Metal components. By using Liquid Metal, Apple was able to design an ‌iPhone‌ that has a durable hinge that still has a slim design.

Apple will allegedly call the device the "‌iPhone‌ Fold," which is the name sites have already adopted when sharing rumors about the product.

There have been rumors suggesting that Apple could delay the foldable iPhone beyond 2026, but if Apple is ready for the engineering validation stage of ‌iPhone‌ development, a September 2026 launch timeline as planned is entirely plausible.
This article, "Crease-Free iPhone Fold on Track for 2026 Launch as Development Advances" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Best Buy today is discounting the previous generation 13-inch M2 MacBook Air (256GB) to $649.00, down from $799.00. This sale is available in Starlight and Midnight, and Best Buy provides free two-day shipping or local pickup if your local Best Buy has stock.

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.

The Silver option displays an even steeper discount, but we haven't seen this model in stock in weeks, so the current $150 discount offered for the other colors is your best bet. This is still a great low price on the M2 MacBook Air, which should be a perfect laptop for anyone looking to accomplish day-to-day tasks like checking email and streaming video.



Mac deals are in abundance for Black Friday 2025, and the newer M4 MacBook Air is one of the best all-around discounts during this year's event. On Amazon, you can get the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air for $749.00 and the 15-inch model for $949.00, but be sure to check our Best Black Friday deals post for even more Apple-related deals.

For everything else, we're keeping track of the season's best deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2025.

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This article, "Get the M2 MacBook Air for Just $649 During Best Buy's Black Friday Sale" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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