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Tag: fast charging

  • Apple quietly releases first firmware update for 16-inch MacBook Pro charger

    Apple quietly releases first firmware update for 16-inch MacBook Pro charger

    Sometimes firmware updates slip in relatively unnoticed and change things a bit more than you’d expect.

    That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

    Apple has released a rare update to the 140-watt power adapter that ships alongside the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

    While it’s unknown as to exactly what the firmware update does, it apparently brings the version number to 1.4.73 and the build number to 10M5237. Apple, which doesn’t document this kind of firmware update with release notes, has yet to say exactly what the update does or what fixes or changes it might offer.

    Per Aaron613 on Twitter/X, this marks the first time Apple has updated the 140-watt charger since it debuted alongside the 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2021.

    Apple ships all 16-inch MacBook Pros with the 140-watt power adapter, which is needed for fast charging along with the supplied USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable. On the newest M3 models, fast charging is also available with Apple’s 240W USB-C Charge Cable so the update may be related to that new functionality.

    There’s currently no way to force the charger to update, and it will eventually update when plugged in and attached to a 16-inch MacBook Pro notebook.

    To check your firmware version, go to the General tab in System Settings, then click About and scroll down to System Report. Then click the Power tab and scroll down to AC Charger Information.

    If you’ve seen this change on your end, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via Macworld and @Aaron613

  • Apple executive drops hints as to Apple Silicon product road map, company’s focus on Apple Watch battery life

    Apple executive drops hints as to Apple Silicon product road map, company’s focus on Apple Watch battery life

    Sometimes it’s the Apple executives that drop the hints as to what’s to come.

    In an interview with India Today, Apple Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing Bob Borchers alluded to the upcoming Apple Silicon Mac Pro and the company’s focus on the Apple Watch’s battery life in a new interview with India Today.

    When asked if Apple will continue to follow its road map to transition all Macs to Apple Silicon, Borchers offered the following comment:

    “We believe strongly that Apple silicon can power and transform experiences from the MacBook Air to all the way up to the Mac Studio. We’ve been very clear from the beginning that our goal is to take our entire product line to Apple Silicon. And that’s something we intend to do.”

    This follows a discussion as to how Apple has motivated the larger computing industry to focus on efficiency over performance. Borchers also seemed to concede that the Apple Watch is a device that would benefit greatly from better battery life. He added that the issue of the Apple Watch’s battery life is an area of ongoing attention at Apple. He also seemed to advocate that one of several answers to this problem is a fast charging technology and that Apple is apparently continuing to explore how it can balance features, such as real-time health and fitness tracking, and battery life on the device.

    Finally, Borchers discussed Apple’s rationale as to why both a high-end Mac mini and Mac Studio have been brought to the market and explained that one delivers a small form factor, while the other offers the flexibility of additional connectivity.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and India Today

  • M2 MacBook Air now available for preorder, shipments could arrive as soon as July 15

    M2 MacBook Air now available for preorder, shipments could arrive as soon as July 15

    It might be time to put in that preorder for the M2 MacBook Air today.

    Apple has announced that preorders for the M2 MacBook Air have begun today, with shipments arriving as soon as July 15.

    When Apple unveiled the next-generation MacBook Air, it didn’t give an exact release date beyond “July.” On Wednesday, however, the company officially announced that preorders will start on Friday. The MacBook Air will then start shipping out to consumers the following Friday, July 15.

    The M2 MacBook Air starts at $1,199 for the base model and tops out at $2,499.

    Compared to the previous MacBook Air, the new model has received a complete overhaul with a new boxier design. The display size has also been bumped up, and it includes a notch for the upgraded 1080p FaceTime HD.

    The MacBook Air is equipped with the M2 chip, which Apple promises will be much speedier than the M1. It’s equipped with a pair of Thunderbolt ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and MagSafe with supported fast charging.

    Apple’s M2 MacBook Pro, which was unveiled at the same time as the M2 MacBook Air, became available for preorder on June 17.

    If you’ve placed a preorder for a M2 MacBook Air, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via AppleInsider

  • Apple announces updated iPhone SE, complete with A13 Bionic processor and $399 starting price

    After much anticipation, Apple on Wednesday announced the iPhone SE 2, the new generation of its consumer-level iPhone.

    The handset, which starts at $399, sports an A13 Bionic processor, 4.7-inch Retina display, and arrives in black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED colors. The second-get iPhone SE also arrives in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities. Customers can preorder their unit on Friday, April 17th, and they’ll begin shipping on Friday, April 24th.

    Like the rumors suggested, the new iPhone SE ditches the iPhone5-like design with flat edges. It now sports the same body as the iPhone 6/7/8 with curved edges. Inside it has the A13 Bionic chip, which is the same chip found in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.

    Apple has also stated that the new handset features improved battery life, and now supports both wireless charging as well as fast-charging, where users can get 50 percent battery life in about 30 minutes. It also has Wi-Fi 6 with Gigabit-class LTE, as well as an eSIM for people who need a dual-SIM phone.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer and Apple.com