Apple's new AirPods Max 2 launch today, and Amazon is one of the only retailers offering any sort of discount on the headphones. You can get the Midnight color option for $529.00 on Amazon, down from $549.00.
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.
Although this is only a $20 discount on the AirPods Max 2, it's the best markdown you'll find online if you're looking to order the new headphones. Free delivery has the AirPods Max 2 arriving around April 6, but they can be delivered as soon as tomorrow with Prime shipping.
In other AirPods discounts on Amazon, you can get the AirPods Pro 3 for the all-time low price of $199.00 right now, down from $249.00. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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Apple's website homepage is doing its part for the company's 50th anniversary celebrations today, showcasing a special animated video that references some of Apple's most memorable products.
The sketch-style animation outlines the original Mac, iMac, iPod, MacBook, AirPods, iPhone 17 Pro, and Vision Pro, as well as the Finder icon, App Store, Apple Music, and more. Beneath the video, the webpage reads:
50 Years of Thinking Different
At 50 years, it's only natural to look back. But Apple has always looked forward, building tools and delivering experiences that enrich people's lives. As we celebrate how far we've come, we're inspired by where we'll go – together.
Separately, Apple CEO Tim Cook has shared on X (Twitter) a video celebrating 50 years of innovation at Apple, featuring many of the same products alluded to in the homepage animation.
50 years of Apple, 50 years of innovation.
Thank you to our teams, our users, and everyone who’s been part of the journey. #Apple50pic.twitter.com/YYkMN24Vzc
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 1, 2026
Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, making the company officially 50 years old today. An Apple Park show headlined by Paul McCartney last night capped weeks of anniversary events that also included performances by Alicia Keys at Apple Grand Central in New York City and Mumford & Sons at Apple Battersea in London.
Paul McCartney performed a concert for Apple employees at Apple Park in Cupertino last night, capping the company's 50th anniversary celebrations with a career-spanning set that included songs from The Beatles, Wings, and his solo career.
Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced McCartney to the crowd, calling him "a songwriter, a pioneer and one of the most influential artists of all time" and adding that he has "been a lifelong fan of his music and so have billions of people all over the planet." The show took place under Apple Park's rainbow arches, which had been transformed into a full concert stage with lighting rigs and large screens on either side.
McCartney's setlist spanned his entire career. Beatles classics including "Help," "Got To Get You Into My Life," "Blackbird," "Lady Madonna," "Something," "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," "From Me To You," "Getting Better," "Let It Be," and "Hey Jude" featured alongside Wings cuts "Coming Up," "Let Me Roll It," "Let 'Em In," "Band On The Run," and solo favorites "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Every Night." The show closed with "Golden Slumbers." McCartney also staged his famous "Live and Let Die" pyrotechnics segment.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman had hinted at McCartney as the headliner days before the show, saying "he's still going strong, was part of the British Invasion and Jobs would've been ecstatic." McCartney's Apple Park appearance was confirmed when images of his soundcheck circulated on social media, showing the 83-year-old artist and his band on the illuminated rainbow stage inside the ring.
The concert came just days after McCartney played two intimate, phone-free shows at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, where the 1,200-seat venue attracted a remarkable cross-section of Hollywood: Attendees included Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Margot Robbie, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Elton John, Jon Hamm, Harrison Ford, Reese Witherspoon, Anthony Kiedis, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McCrae, Laura Dern, Emma Watson, Steve Carell, Dakota Johnson, and more. McCartney's 19th studio album, "The Boys of Dungeon Lane," is set to be released next month.
It’s one thing to have Paul McCartney at work, but it’s another thing to have a display like this at the same time pic.twitter.com/MAF21f2kJ2
— Steven Peterson ️ (@squeakytoy) April 1, 2026
The choice of McCartney carries particular historical resonance. The Beatles founded Apple Corps, their own record label and holding company, in 1968, eight years before Steve Jobs started Apple Computer. Jobs was a lifelong Beatles fan who once said "my model for business is The Beatles," describing them as four people who balanced each other and produced something greater than the sum of their parts.
The shared name was a source of costly legal friction between the two companies for nearly three decades, resolved only in 2007 when Apple Inc. purchased all trademarks related to "Apple" and licensed some of them back to Apple Corps. The Beatles' catalogue didn't arrive on iTunes until 2010, and has been on Apple Music ever since, making McCartney's appearance at Apple Park something of a full-circle moment.
Apple has quietly reduced the price of the Studio Display XDR when configured with the VESA mount adapter, dropping it from $3,299 to $2,899 – a $400 cut. The nano-texture VESA version has also dropped from $3,599 to $3,199.
Apple has also reworked the purchasing pattern on its website, making the stand choice the first step in the configuration process instead of the glass selection.
When the Studio Display XDR launched last month, both stand options cost the same $3,299. That felt unfair to a lot of people, since the VESA mount adapter is just a flat metal plate that lets you attach the display to a monitor arm or wall mount, whereas the alternative stand is both height- and tilt-adjustable.
VESA mount options are normally priced lower than the fancier stand versions on most displays (including Apple's own Pro Display XDR, for which the VESA option was always cheaper). The price change for the Studio Display XDR is therefore more in line with how these things are typically priced.
The standard Studio Display has not received a similar adjustment – both the tilt-adjustable stand and VESA mount configurations of the non-XDR model remain priced at $1,599 – but the cheaper tilt-adjustable stand is usually considered price-equivalent to the VESA mount.
Apple on Wednesday will issue software updates to devices still running iOS 18 to protect them from an exploit called DarkSword, which can silently take over an iPhone if it visits a website infected with the malicious code.
Devices on iOS 26 are already protected against DarkSword, but in a surprising move for Apple, its latest critical update is designed to specifically protect vulnerable iOS 18 users who have consciously decided not to update to iOS 26, even though their iPhone model supports it. Some users may be hesitant to upgrade to iOS 26 because of the Liquid Glass design overhaul that makes major changes to the iPhone interface.
"Tomorrow we are enabling the availability of an iOS 18 update for more devices so users with auto-update enabled can automatically receive important security protections," an Apple spokesperson told Wired. "We encourage all users with supported devices to update to iOS 26 to receive our most advanced protections."
iPhone users can install the updates by opening up the Settings app, going to General, and selecting the Software Update option. Those with automatic updates turned on will see the new software installed automatically.
It's the second time in the last few weeks that Apple has pushed a critical update to iPhones running out-of-date software. On March 11, Apple issued a patch to protect users from a different iOS hacking toolkit known as Coruna. The patch was for older devices that can't run iOS 26. Apple recommended that everyone else update to the latest OS version that their device supports.
The practice of protecting an older operating system version is known in the cybersecurity industry as "backporting," but it's not something that Apple typically does if a newer, compatible version of iOS has the same protections already baked in.
According to Google, DarkSword has been used by various hacker groups to break into the iPhones of users in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Last week, the exploit kit was posted to open source code repository GitHub, making it even more likely to be used by bad actors.
Ken Pillonel describes the project as a tongue-in-cheek response to reader requests, and says he has no plans to sell it. "It's part hack, part mod, and one of the most cursed things I've ever built," he wrote in the video description, "Be careful what you wish for."
The build involved designing custom PCBs for precise connector placement, 3D printing a flexible TPU case on a Formlabs SLS printer, and fabricating a magnet installation jig on a Prusa printer. The finished case is slim and flexible, with MagSafe alignment and a snap-fit assembly.
Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, meaning the company is officially 50 years old as of today. To honor the occasion, we have reflected on some of Apple's biggest moments of each decade, from the 1970s through to the 2020s.
Apple has an extensive history, so this list is far from comprehensive, but it captures some of the pivotal events over the company's first 50 years.
1970s
While the Apple-1 was released in 1976, it was the Apple II in 1977 that became the company's first successful, mass-market computer.
Unlike the Apple-1, the Apple II came fully assembled in a plastic case with a keyboard, and Apple sold millions of units of the computer over the years. This product gave Apple sustained cash flow, allowing it to become a major company.
1980s
In 1984, Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh, the world's first successful mass-marketed computer with a graphical user interface (GUI).
The original Macintosh popularized the computer mouse, allowing users to control an on-screen pointer. This point-and-click method of computer navigation was still a novel concept to most people at the time, as personal computers in this era typically had text-based command-line interfaces controlled with a keyboard.
Apple said the Macintosh typically took "only a few hours to learn," and it touted what are now basic computer features, such as a desktop with icons, the ability to use multiple programs in windows, drop-down menus, and copy and paste.
Pricing for the original Macintosh started at $2,495, equivalent to nearly $8,000 today. Key specs and features included an 8 MHz processor, 128 KB of RAM, a 400 KB floppy disk drive for storage, and serial ports for connecting a printer and other accessories.
In 1985, Apple released the LaserWriter, one of the first mass-market laser printers.
1990s
By the 1990s, Apple had largely lost its way. That changed when Jobs returned to the company in 1997, as part of Apple's acquisition of NeXT, another computer company founded by Jobs after he was ousted from Apple in the mid-1980s.
Apple did release some unique products in the 1990s, ranging from the Newton personal assistant to the QuickTake digital camera to the Pippin video game console, but Jobs' return was easily the company's pinnacle moment of the decade. He quickly simplified and improved Apple's product lineup, with the turnaround beginning in earnest with the colorful iMac in 1998.
Apple's acquisition of NeXT also gave it NeXTSTEP, the UNIX-based operating system that ultimately became Mac OS X, the successor to classic Mac OS.
2000s
Apple's renaissance continued into the 2000s with the launch of the iPod in 2001. The portable music player was extremely popular and helped turn Apple into a consumer electronics company rather than merely a computer company.
Six years later, Apple combined an iPod with a mobile phone. Enter the iPhone.
Jobs famously introduced the original iPhone as if it were three separate products: a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device. The crowd at Macworld San Francisco erupted with cheerful applause upon realizing that Jobs was referring to a single device.
While the iPod was hugely successful, the iPhone is absolutely massive, and it is now one of the most successful products of any kind ever released. Last year, Apple announced that it had shipped its three billionth iPhone. That is 3,000,000,000.
2010s
Three major Apple products launched throughout the 2010s, including the iPad in 2010, the Apple Watch in 2015, and the AirPods in 2016.
While the iPad was essentially just a large-screened iPhone when it first launched, the device has received significant advancements like trackpad support over the years, and it has since redefined what a personal computer is.
Millions of people wear an Apple Watch, and it has become one of the world's most popular fitness devices. With health and safety features like the ECG app, Crash Detection, Fall Detection, Emergency SOS, and more, the Apple Watch has even saved lives, which is a remarkable feat and something that Apple's CEO Tim Cook is very proud of.
As for AirPods, Apple says they are the world's most popular wireless headphones. Enough said.
2020s
In 2020, the Mac's transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon began, resulting in industry-leading performance-per-watt to this day.
After years of rumors, Apple unveiled its plan to transition the entire Mac lineup from Intel processors to its own custom-designed chips at WWDC in June 2020. Later that year saw the release of the first three Mac models powered by Apple silicon, including a 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini. The transition was completed in 2023 when the Mac Pro—which was recently discontinued—received the M2 Ultra chip.
In 2023, the Apple Vision Pro launched, ushering in the spatial computing era. A year later, the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features arrived. Unfortunately, these hardware and software categories have not entirely panned out yet.
Over the coming years, Apple is expected to push further into wearables, with products such as smart glasses, a pendant, and AirPods with cameras.
Apple today released new firmware for its second-generation AirTag item trackers. The firmware has a 3.0.45 version number, up from 3.0.41, and it is the first firmware update that Apple has provided for the AirTag 2 that launched in January 2026.
AirTag updates are infrequent, and there is no word yet on what's included in the new firmware. Apple has shared release notes in the past, and software updates are usually bug fixes and improvements.
In the past, new AirTag firmware was distributed on a rolling basis over two weeks, but it appears the latest firmware is available for all AirTag 2 users immediately.
You can check your AirTag firmware by opening up the Find My app, going to the Items tab, tapping on an AirTag in the list, and tapping on the AirTag's name to see its firmware version.
There is no way to force an AirTag update, and firmware is installed over the air via a connected iPhone. To get new firmware, make sure your AirTag of your iPhone, and then wait for the firmware to roll out.
OpenAI has updated ChatGPT with support for CarPlay, which means CarPlay users can now ask ChatGPT questions and make requests directly from their vehicle dashboard.
Apple began allowing third-party voice-based conversational apps to interface with CarPlay in iOS 26.4, but apps need to implement the feature and get a special entitlement from Apple.
For the ChatGPT app and other apps that implement CarPlay support, voice has to be the primary method of interaction. Apple says that chatbot apps should not show text or imagery in response to queries.
Apple has a voice control template that apps are required to use. Apps have to display the voice control screen while voice-based services are active, and apps are able to have up to four action buttons. To use ChatGPT with CarPlay, an iPhone running iOS 26.4 or later is required.
CarPlay has supported third-party apps for years, but Apple limits the types of apps that are available to cut down on driver distractions. Apple has a list of allowed app categories, which includes audio apps, communication apps, EV charging apps, and navigation apps.
ChatGPT integration will let users ask questions hands-free, but the chatbot is not able to control vehicle or iPhone functions. There is no wake word, so users will need to open the ChatGPT app to use it.
Apple is providing employees with a special gift in honor of its 50th anniversary, which takes place on Wednesday, April 1. Employees will receive a commemorative t-shirt, enamel pin, and limited-edition poster, all of which have the scribble-style rainbow Apple logo that Apple has been using for its 50th anniversary artwork.
An Apple Park sign says that products are "crafted by hand" and are available for employees to pick up until April 30.
Apple 50th Anniversary employee gifts!
Each employee gets a 50th T-shirt, limited edition poster and enamel pin! pic.twitter.com/EpvT9no3Yh
— Mr. Macintosh (@ClassicII_MrMac) March 31, 2026
Apple kicked off its 50th anniversary celebrations in March, and has been hosting concerts and Today at Apple events around the world. There was an Alicia Keys concert in New York, a Li Yuchun performance in Chengdu, a Mumford & Sons concert in London, a meetup with professional figure skater Elladj Baldé in Vancouver, a light show with music composed by Bailey Pickles in Sydney, and more.
Apple plans to wrap up its 50th anniversary party with a special finale performance at its Apple Park campus for employees. The musical guest hasn't yet been announced, but rumors suggest that it will be Paul McCartney.
Just ahead of the launch of the AirPods Max 2, Apple has released new firmware for the headphones. The updated firmware is version number 8E251.
The AirPods Max 2 include the H2 chip, an upgrade over the H1. The H2 brings several new features like Live Translation, Adaptive Audio, Loud Sound Reduction, Voice Isolation, and more. The new firmware likely optimizes some of these new features.
Customers who buy the AirPods Max 2 can follow Apple's steps to get the new firmware.
To get the new firmware, make sure your AirPods are in range of your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and are connected via Bluetooth. From there, connect the Apple device to Wi-Fi, then connect the AirPods Max to power with a USB-C cable. Keep the AirPods Max in Bluetooth range of the Apple device, and wait at least 30 minutes for the firmware to update.
From there, reconnect the AirPods to the Apple device, and check the firmware version to see if it's updated. Apple says if the firmware doesn't install, to restart the AirPods Max and try again.
Apple today added the MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) to its "vintage" products list, meaning the device is now only eligible for repairs at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers if parts remain available.
The MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) was the final MacBook Air model released before Apple redesigned the laptop and gave it a Retina display in 2018.
Apple also added all iPad mini 4 and Apple TV HD (32GB) configurations to its "obsolete" products list, meaning those devices are no longer eligible for service whatsoever.
iPad mini 4 launched in 2015, and it was discontinued in 2019.
Apple TV HD was first released in 2015 and discontinued in October 2022, when the third-generation Apple TV 4K launched. However, only Apple TV HD units with 32GB of storage are considered obsolete for now.
A "vintage" device was last distributed by Apple for sale more than five years ago, while for "obsolete" that timeframe rises to seven years.
Apple's first-generation AirTag 4-Pack has dropped to $59.99 this week on Amazon, down from the original price of $99.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Overall, this is an all-time low price on the AirTag 4-pack. This model has been fluctuating in and out of stock on Amazon for the past few days, so be sure to grab it soon if you're interested.
Apple recently debuted the all-new AirTag, featuring longer range for tracking items and a louder speaker. We haven't tracked any notable discounts on the new second generation models as of yet, so anyone who wants to save money should keep looking into the original models.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
The updated version of Siri that Apple plans to release in iOS 27 may be able to handle multiple commands in a single query, reports Bloomberg. With the feature, users would be able to make multi-step requests that Siri would carry out, such as getting directions to a location and then sending those directions to someone in a message.
Siri has long been limited to a single command for most requests, and the personal assistant is not able to parse queries with multiple components. Siri can answer follow-up questions without being activated via wake word, but the requests still need to be separate.
The ability to handle multiple requests will be part of the Apple Intelligence update that Apple has been working on since June 2024. Siri will have more personal context than before, will understand what's on the user's screen, and will be able to do more in and between apps. Siri will be able to access the web to summarize information, a feature that Apple could call World Knowledge Answers, and it may gain image generation capabilities with Image Playground integration.
Apple is also testing an updated version of the keyboard that would integrate AI. The keyboard could suggest grammar fixes and alternative words in addition to fixing typos, but Apple hasn't decided on whether to include it in iOS 27.
Apple plans to turn Siri into a chatbot that can compete with Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. Chatbots have no problem parsing natural language requests with multiple variables and actions that need to be completed. Apple is designing a standalone Siri app for chatbot interactions, but the personal assistant will be deeply integrated into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
The updated version of Siri will be part of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, software updates that Apple plans to preview at WWDC. WWDC 2026 begins on June 8 with a keynote event.
There's no word on whether the Siri features will be immediately available when Apple provides the first beta of iOS 27 to developers, or if it will take some time for the updates to roll out. Apple is planning to introduce the smarter version of Siri by September, but that doesn't mean that some features can't be held until an iOS 27 update next spring. As with some of the initial Apple Intelligence features, the new Siri capabilities will likely have a "Preview" label, indicating they are not finished.
In a Telegram post today, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that Apple is among a list of major American companies that the country may target amid its ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel, according to CBS News.
The report said the Telegram post listed 18 companies that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps views as "legitimate targets," including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, IBM, Cisco, Tesla, Boeing, Nvidia, J.P. Morgan, and others.
The post accused the companies of acting as "spies" for the U.S. government, the report said.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple updated the Studio Display earlier this month, four years after the original launched. Here's how it compares to the original model.
The new model keeps the same $1,599 starting price, 27-inch 5K panel, and overall design, but brings a handful of small internal improvements: a newer chip, upgraded Thunderbolt connectivity, Desk View camera support, and improved bass. The display itself, a 60Hz LCD panel with 600 nits of brightness, is unchanged.
Our guide helps you to understand the differences between the two models, and answer the question of which of these two Studio Displays is best for you and whether it's worth upgrading. Here is everything that differs between the 2022 and 2026 Studio Display:
Studio Display (2022)
Studio Display (2026)
A13 Bionic chip
A19 chip
4GB RAM
8GB RAM
64GB internal storage
128GB internal storage
One Thunderbolt 3 port (upstream, 96W host charging)
Two Thunderbolt 5 ports (one upstream with 96W host charging, one downstream for accessories or daisy-chaining)
For existing 2022 Studio Display owners, there is no general-purpose reason to upgrade. The panel is identical, the pass-through charging is the same 96W, and the practical day-to-day experience in front of both screens is the same. The Thunderbolt 5 ports are the only change that meaningfully affect how the display is used, and only if you need high-bandwidth peripherals or daisy-chaining. For everyone else, the update is not worth the cost of replacement.
For new buyers, the picture is a little more nuanced. At the same $1,599 starting price, the 2026 model is the obvious choice; it is simply the better-specified display for the same money and may last longer.
However, the 2022 Studio Display has been discontinued and stock is available at a discount from third-party retailers. Given how little changed between the two generations, the older model at a sufficiently lower price is a good purchase for most buyers, particularly if you have no need for Thunderbolt 5 or Desk View. The display panel itself is identical.
The compatibility constraint is also worth bearing in mind: The 2026 model requires an Apple silicon Mac, while the 2022 model works with Intel machines too. Apple stopped selling Intel Macs in 2023, so this will only affect a narrowing group, but it is a hard limitation if it applies to you.
Google today announced that you can finally change the Google Account email address that you use for Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Photos, Google Drive, and more, but this ability is only rolling out to U.S. accounts for now. The company did not indicate if or when this functionality will be available in other countries.
You can switch to any available @gmail.com address, and your previous address will become an alias, ensuring that you retain ownership of your original email address. You can still sign in and send and receive emails with both addresses.
You can change your Google Account's email address once per year, up to three times total, and Google says all emails and other account data and history are preserved. If you change your mind, you can revert to your old email address.
This new ability will be especially useful for longtime Gmail users who may have chosen a casual email address when they were younger. For example, maybe 13-year-old you signed up for sk8erboi2006@gmail.com, but as an adult you would prefer to have a more professional johnsmith@gmail.com address.
It was already possible to set up other email addresses as aliases in Gmail, but now you can change your account's main email address entirely.
Apple just launched the new line of Studio Displays this month, and Amazon already has a few $100 discounts on select models during its Big Spring Sale. You can get the Standard Glass Studio Display with Tilt-Adjustable Stand for $1,499.00, down from $1,599.00, an all-time low price.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Additionally, we're tracking $100 discounts on a few other 2026 Studio Display models on Amazon this week, including Nano-Texture, VESA Mount, and Tilt- and Height-Adjustable Stand options. Some models are seeing delivery dates slip into late April, but otherwise you'll find April 6 dates for free delivery options.
Additionally, Amazon has the Studio Display XDR (Standard Glass with VESA Mount) on sale at $100 off this week. You can get this model for $3,199.00, down from $3,299.00, another new record low price.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
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.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
