Apple's "Scary Fast" event is in the books, and a new set of Macs have arrived in its wake. The company unveiled three new computers on Monday, including refreshed versions of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro and an updated 24-inch iMac. Each device is mostly a spec bump, but all of them run on one of Apple's new 3nm M3 chips, which the company claims will deliver "dramatically increased" CPU and (especially) GPU performance compared to past Apple silicon. We'll have to put the new hardware through its paces to verify just how true that is, but if you're already sold on Apple's latest, here's where you can pre-order the M3 MacBook Pros and iMac.  

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch)

As noted above, the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros' biggest upgrades come on the inside. Apple is introducing three new M3 chips alongside the notebooks: the standard M3, the M3 Pro and the M3 Max. The 14-inch Pro will be available with all three, with prices starting at $1,599 for the base M3 configuration and rising all the way up to $6,899 for a fully specced-out M3 Max model. The notebook is available to order now at Apple's online store. The company says the M3 and M3 Pro models will begin shipping on November 7, while the M3 Max models will start later in November.

Here's an overview of the configurations available for the new notebook:

• $1,599: M3 chip with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB unified memory (configurable up to 24GB), 512GB SSD (configurable up to 2TB), 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 70W USB-C power adapter

• $1,999: M3 Pro chip with 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 18GB unified memory (configurable up to 36GB), 512GB SSD (configurable up to 4TB), 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 70W USB-C power adapter

• $2,199: M3 Pro chip with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, 18GB unified memory (configurable up to 36GB), 512GB SSD (configurable up to 4TB), 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 96W USB-C power adapter

• $3,199: M3 Max chip with 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 36GB unified memory (configurable up to 96GB), 1TB SSD (configurable up to 8TB), 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 96W USB-C power adapter

• $3,699: M3 Max chip with 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48GB unified memory (configurable up to 128GB), 1TB SSD (configurable up to 8TB), 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 96W USB-C power adapter

The new 14-inch Pro technically starts at a lower price than its predecessor, though that model started with an M2 Pro chip instead of the base M2. Instead, the M3 config replaces the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which we've long considered an awkward middle child in the Mac lineup. To that point, Apple claims the M3-powered Pro is up to 60 percent faster than the 13-inch M1 model in terms of render performance in Final Cut Pro, with larger gains compared to older Intel-based models. (More broadly, Apple is heavily pushing all of its new devices as worthy upgrades for those hanging onto Intel-powered Macs ahead of the holidays.)

Higher-end configs powered by the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips promise similar performance leaps. For example, Apple says a M3 Pro model is up to 40 percent faster than an equivalent M1 Pro config when it comes to filter and function performance in Photoshop. M3 Max systems, meanwhile, now support up to 128GB of unified memory, which Apple says can help it deliver more than twice the speeds of an M1 Max model with certain pro-level software like Maxon Redshift. In general, Apple is positioning M3 systems toward the likes of students and aspiring editors, M3 Pro systems toward coders and creative types and M3 Max systems toward 3D artists, video editors and those with more extreme workflows.

Almost everything else about the notebook is virtually identical to before, with the main differences being a new "space black" color option for the M3 Pro and M3 Max models — which Apple says is particularly resistant to fingerprints — and a higher peak brightness of 600 nits with SDR content (up from 500 nits on the last model). Other than that, you're still looking at a Liquid Retina XDR display, a six-speaker sound system, a 1080p FaceTime camera and a similar port selection. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as we liked the previous MacBook Pro's design, but it means owners of that 10-month-old device shouldn't feel any pressing need to upgrade.

Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch)

Just about all of the details above apply to the new 16-inch MacBook Pro as well, only this notebook won't be available with the base M3 chip. Instead, it'll start at $2,499 for a config with an M3 Pro chip and go up to $7,199 for a fully decked-out M3 Max model. That's the same starting price as the previous generation. Alongside its larger display, the 16-inch Pro is still rated for up to 22 hours of battery life. That matches the 14-inch M3 Pro's rating but comes in a few hours higher than the 18-hour estimate of the 14-inch M3 Pro and M3 Max models.

Again, the 16-inch Pro is available to order today directly from Apple. M3 Pro models will start shipping next week, while M3 Max shipments will commence later in November. Below is an overview of the configurations on sale. Note that, unlike the 14-inch model, each 16-inch Pro option includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 140W USB-C adapter.

• $2,499: M3 Pro chip with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, 18GB unified memory (configurable up to 36GB), 512GB SSD (configurable up to 4TB)

• $3,499: M3 Max chip with 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 36GB unified memory (configurable up to 96GB), 1TB SSD (configurable up to 8TB)

• $3,999: M3 Max chip with 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48GB unified memory (configurable up to 128GB), 1TB SSD (configurable up to 8TB)

Apple iMac (24-inch)

As with previous iterations, the new 24-inch iMac is aimed at a more casual audience than the MacBook Pro. The all-in-one PC is only available with the base M3 chip, but Apple says that still makes it up to twice as fast as the last-gen model, which arrived in 2021 and runs on an M1 chip. The M3 supports up to 24GB of memory as well, up from the previous max of 16GB. 

The rest of the hardware is largely unchanged. There's still a 4.5K Retina display that can reach up to 500 nits of brightness; four USB-C ports, including two Thunderbolt ports; a 1080p front camera and a similar range of color options (green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver). Wireless support has jumped to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, though.

The 24-inch iMac starts at $1,299 for a config with an eight-core CPU, eight-core GPU, two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports and Apple Magic Keyboard. It's still saddled with a paltry 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD by default, though you can upgrade those up to 24GB and 1TB, respectively.

Starting at $1,499, you can get a model with a 10-core GPU, two extra non-Thunderbolt USB-C ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a Magic Keyboard with a Touch ID reader. That one is configurable with up to 2TB of SSD storage as well. Like the new MacBook Pro, the updated iMac is available to order now and will begin shipping on November 7.

Follow all of the news from Apple’s "Scary Fast" October event right here.

Apple's Scary Fast event was an unexpected but welcome treat for Mac fans this season. And in true Halloween slasher movie fashion, Apple has officially ended the life of one of its most controversial laptops: the 13-inch MacBook Pro. For years, this model was an absolute star with its Pro-level specs and impressive build quality. However, as Apple updated and released newer laptops, the 13-inch MacBook Pro started looking less appealing, especially when Apple’s own chips made their way into the Mac. At this point, Apple's move to discontinue the 13-inch MacBook Pro doesn't come as a surprise.

The laptop hit a rough patch in 2016 with the introduction of the Touch Bar, which came as a part of a major redesign. The new look also included a thinner chassis, changes to the keyboard, a larger trackpad, Touch ID and the removal of all ports except the Thunderbolt ports and a headphone jack. As you may remember, the Touch Bar was a total hit or miss among the masses. Some people loved the innovation and the "magical" Touch Bar while others found it clumsy and not very useful. Apple eventually removed the Touch Bar by introducing the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, but kept it on the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Beck Diefenbach / Reuters

In 2023, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is a good laptop but it’s just not worth the investment anymore. The base model comes with Apple's M2 chip, which has given a nice little boost. It has an 8-core CPU, a 10-core GPU and comes standard with 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage, both of which can be bumped up for an additional cost. For day-to-day tasks and light work, it still performs well enough but well enough just doesn't cut it anymore for a "Pro" laptop. Especially when the new MacBook Air offers so much more and the 14-inch MacBook Pro has a better screen and more ports pro users actually need. Even so, Apple claimed for years that the 13-inch MacBook Pro remains one of its best-selling models. This likely has more to do with its lower price point.

Apple probably kept the model around as a budget-friendly Pro option, starting at $1,299, while the cheapest 14-inch model was $1,999. But with tonight’s introduction of the M3 14-inch MacBook Pro for $1,599, the 13-inch simply no longer makes sense — which would explain Apple's decision to move away from this one.

Follow all of the news from Apple’s "Scary Fast" October event right here.

On Monday at its “Scary Fast” event, Apple announced an updated line of 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros featuring a range of new M3 chips and Space Black chassis.

Compared to a similarly specced M2 model, a base M3 14-inch MacBook Pro will now start at $1,599 ($400 less than its predecessor) with prices going up from there for configurations with M3 Pro or M3 Max processors. Meanwhile, a base 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro chip will have the same $2,499 starting price as its M2 Pro-equipped predecessor.

The fresh Space Black color option–which looks more like a matte charcoal gray in person–will be available on both 14- and 16-inch systems with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips and helps hide fingerprints better than the classic silver models. The rest of the laptops’ hardware will remain largely the same including features such as Apple’s 1080p FaceTime cameras and six-speaker sound systems. The one small change is that the Liquid Retina XDR displays on the new M3 MacBook Pros can now display SDR content 20 percent brighter than before with peaks of 600 nits (up from 500 nits on the previous generation).

Apple

That said, thanks to the new M3 chips, these refreshed MBPs should have some very notable boosts in performance. In general use, Apple claims a 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is 60 percent faster than a 13-inch M1 model while still offering up to 22 hours of battery life. And if you move up to a laptop with an M3 Pro chip, you’re looking at 40 percent faster performance than an equivalent M1 Pro MBP. Finally, 14- and 16-inch M3 Max systems will support up to a massive 128GB of unified memory for improved workflows in apps like MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve and others. However, the most stunning figure is that when compared to the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pros (which date back to 2021), Apple is touting 11x faster performance for systems equipped with M3 Max chips.

Another important upgrade on the M3 chips is that they support hardware acceleration for both ray tracing and mesh shading. This could prove to be a massive improvement for gamers or people like animators and 3D modelers, who will be able to take advantage of the M3’s more efficient on-chip processing power in supported apps.

Apple

Pre-orders for all the new M3 MacBook Pro models go live today with M3 and M3 Pro systems shipping as soon as next week on November 7, with M3 Max configs slated to arrive slightly later next month. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro will start at $1,599 ($1,499 for education) or $1,999 for one with an M3 Pro ($1,849 for education) while the 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro will start at $2,499 ($2,299 for education).

Follow all of the news from Apple’s "Scary Fast" October event right here.

Apple had a bit of a Halloween treat for Mac desktop aficionados at its "Scary Fast" event. As expected, the 24-inch iMac is getting more oomph thanks to Apple's new M3 chipset. According to the presentation in tonight's Apple Event, the latest model will be up to twice as fast as the last iMac, which has an M1 chipset. Those making the switch from an Intel-based iMac will find that the new model is up to 2.5 times faster than some of the most popular 27-inch models.

The M3 has an eight-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. The graphics cores support hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray-tracing. The chipset has a 16-core Neural Engine and support for up to 24GB of unified memory too.

Compared with the M1 iMac from 2021, the M3-powered version will deliver up to a 30 percent speed boost in Safari and productivity apps such as Microsoft Excel, Apple says. The company notes that games will run at up to 50 percent improved frame rates too. Creatives will be able to edit and play back up to 12 4K video streams, three times as many as before. Apple also says that processing images in apps such as Adobe Photoshop and tackling video projects in Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro will be up to twice as fast.

Apple

There aren't too many upgrades elsewhere in the latest Mac. Apple is sticking with a 4.5K Retina display, for instance. There are some handy changes on the connectivity front. The latest iMac supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 — the M1 iMac had Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. Still, the M3 iMac might be worth the upgrade for those who have been clinging onto an older model.

Orders for the M3 iMac open today and it will ship on November 7. The base model comes with an eight-core GPU, two Thunderbolt ports, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse. However, it once again has a paltry 256GB of SSD storage and 8GB of unified memory. This variant will run you $1,299 (or $1,249 for education). It's available in green, pink, blue and silver.

If you'd like an M3 iMac that has a 10-core GPU, that starts at $1,499 ($1,399 for education). Other upgrades include two additional USB 3 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. However, the base storage and RAM remain the same at 256GB and 8GB, respectively. This model is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver.

If you're more of a laptop fan, Apple also announced 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chipsets — you can get all the details on those here.

Follow all of the news from Apple’s "Scary Fast" October event right here.

Apple had a bit of a Halloween treat for Mac desktop aficionados at its "Scary Fast" event. As expected, the 24-inch iMac is getting more oomph thanks to Apple's new M3 chipset. The company says the latest model will be up to twice as fast as the last iMac, which has an M1 chipset. Those making the switch from an Intel-based iMac will find that the new model is up to 2.5 times faster than some of the most popular 27-inch models.

The M3 has an eight-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. The graphics cores support hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray-tracing. The chipset has a 16-core Neural Engine and support for up to 24GB of unified memory too.

Compared with the M1 iMac from 2021, the M3-powered version will deliver up to a 30 percent speed boost in Safari and productivity apps such as Microsoft Excel, Apple says. The company notes that games will run at up to 50 percent improved frame rates too. Creatives will be able to edit and play back up to 12 4K video streams, three times as many as before. Apple also says that processing images in apps such as Adobe Photoshop and tackling video projects in Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro will be up to twice as fast.

Apple

There aren't too many upgrades elsewhere in the latest Mac. Apple is sticking with a 4.5K Retina display, for instance. There are some handy changes on the connectivity front. The latest iMac supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 — the M1 iMac had Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. Still, the M3 iMac might be worth the upgrade for those who have been clinging onto an older model.

Orders for the M3 iMac open today and it will ship on November 7. The base model comes with an eight-core GPU, two Thunderbolt ports, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse. However, it once again has a paltry 256GB of SSD storage and 8GB of unified memory. This variant will run you $1,299 (or $1,249 for education). It's available in green, pink, blue and silver.

If you'd like an M3 iMac that has a 10-core GPU, that starts at $1,499 ($1,399 for education). Other upgrades include two additional USB 3 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. However, the base storage and RAM remain the same at 256GB and 8GB, respectively. This model is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver.

Follow all of the news from Apple’s "Scary Fast" October event right here.

There's nothing truly spooky about Apple's new M3 chips — except, perhaps, for how scared they'll make Intel, AMD and Qualcomm. During its "Scary Fast" Halloween Eve product event (at 8PM Eastern Apple, really?) the company officially debuted its new M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. They'll be featured in the revamped MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch, as well as the 24-inch iMac, which never got an M2 refresh.

Apple is mainly positioning the M3 chips as major upgrades over its M1 hardware — if you bought an M2 system, you're probably not itching for a replacement just yet. The M3's GPU is the biggest leap forward, delivering new features like hardware-accelerated raytracing and mesh shading, which will enable more realistic lighting and better geometry handling. Apple claims the M3's GPU is 1.8 times faster than the M2 and 2.5 times faster than the M1 in "Pro apps" — as usual, the company didn't reveal its testing criteria. You can also expect better power efficiency, as the M3's GPU can hit the M1's performance level while using half the power.

Here's how Apple's new hardware breaks down: The plain M3 features an 8-core CPU (made up of four performance cores and four efficiency cores) and a 10-core GPU. Apple claims it's up to 35 percent faster than the M1, and it can also support up to 24GB of unified RAM. The M3 Pro ups the ante with a 12-core CPU (six performance, six efficiency) and an 18-core GPU. It can squeeze in up to 36GB of memory, and Apple says that it's single-threaded performance is up to 30 percent faster than the M1 Pro.

Apple

And then there's the M3 Max, featuring a 16-core CPU (12 performance, four efficiency, a 40-core GPU and support for up to 128GB of RAM. Apple claims it's up to 80 percent faster than the M1 Max. It also sports two ProRes engines to satisfy even the most demanding video professionals.

The M3 chips are also notable for being the first PC chips built on a 3 nanometer process, rather than the M1 and M2's 5nm process. The increased transistor density helps with power efficiency, as well as providing better overall performance. According to Apple, the M3's performance cores are 15 percent faster than the M2's, while the efficiency cores are 30 percent faster. 

Given that Apple just debuted the 3nm A17 Pro for the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro, it's not too surprising that the M3 has been similarly shrunken down. In comparison, AMD debuted its 4nm Ryzen 7040 chip this year, and Intel plans to launch its Core Ultra Meteor Lake laptop chips in December, which is built on the "Intel 4" platform (using a 7nm process). The differences between architectures, some of which rely on newer tech like 3D stacking, makes it difficult to directly compare processing node sizes. But for now, Apple can lord its 3nm figure over the rest of the PC world.

When it comes to other upgrades, Apple says the M3's Neural Engine, which handles AI tasks, is up to 60 percent faster than M1 chips. The M3 also sport a media engine with hardware acceleration for H.264, HEVC, ProRes (both standard and RAW). That engine also finally supports AV1 video decoding, which should make streaming AV1 content more power efficient.

Like most chip makers, it makes sense for Apple to follow up a major release like the M1 with a minor refresh like the M2. The M3 needs to prove itself to be the substantial upgrade over the M1 that Apple claims. And with the addition of ray tracing and better graphics, it may finally make Macs more enticing for developers and gamers alike. (Just in time for major titles like Death Stranding and Resident Evil Village to hit the App Store.)

Follow all of the news from Apple’s "Scary Fast" October event right here.

Sony has revealed when you'll be able to snap up the only two wireless audio devices that will work with its PlayStation Portal handheld any time soon. The $200 Pulse Explore earbuds will hit markets including the US, UK, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on December 6. The $150 Pulse Elite headset will arrive in most markets starting on February 21, Sony says.

Pre-orders for both products, as well as extra PlayStation Link USB adapters, will open on November 9. You can lock in an order for the earbuds, headset or adapter on PlayStation Direct or at other select retailers.

PlayStation Link, you may recall, is Sony's own wireless audio tech. The company claims it will deliver low latency, lossless audio. Sony says it'll be easy to switch between PlayStation Link devices, such as the PlayStation Portal and your PS5 (which can only connect to the Pulse Explore or Pulse Elite with the help of a USB adapter).

Sony Interactive Entertainment

The earbuds and headset both include Bluetooth. Multipoint support means you can connect them to your PS5 or Portal and your phone at the same time, so you can answer a call while playing the likes of Marvel's Spider-Man 2. However, there's no Bluetooth option on the PlayStation Portal, Sony's PS5 remote play handheld that's arriving on November 15. As such, you'll need to either use the device's speakers, plug a wired headset into the 3.5mm jack or connect a Pulse Explore or Pulse Elite.

For the time being, those are the only two devices that will support PlayStation Link. According to IGN, Sony eventually plans to allow third-party makers of audio devices to use the standard in their products. 

Low-latency, lossless wireless audio is certainly nothing to sniff at. However, Sony's decision to refrain from offering Bluetooth support in the Portal and instead nudge consumers toward an expensive headset and earbuds that use its proprietary tech is disappointing, if not surprising.

Amazon’s flagship Fire Max 11 tablet just dropped to a record-low price of $150, representing a savings of $80 from the MSRP of $230. That’s 35 percent off, for you math-heads out there. This deal is for the standard tablet and doesn’t include a stylus, keyboard or any other accessories. Being as this is an Amazon tablet, you also get those ads on the lockscreen, but they are fairly unobtrusive.

This is the most powerful Fire tablet out there, with an 11-inch LCD screen, a slim aluminum frame and Alexa-powered smart home controls. You get a fingerprint sensor in the power button, WiFi 6 support and split-screen/picture-in-picture features. We were impressed by the inherent value of the tablet at its full price, so we are 35 percent more impressed now.

The Fire Max 11 is also light, weighing around a pound, and is designed around multi-tasking, with an octa-core MediaTek processor that is nearly twice as fast as any other Amazon-branded tablet. In other words, this is a far cry from the kinds of affordable, kid-friendly tablets the company typically releases.

There’s a keyboard and stylus available for this device, but you’ll pay extra for the added functionality. There are bundles that include these accessories that are also on sale, ranging from $185 to $275.

Speaking of sales, this is part of a larger early Black Friday event that includes many other Amazon tablets. You can snag the Fire HD 10 for $75, which is half off, or the Fire 7 Kids edition for just $55. The Fire 10 Plus and the Fire 10 Kids Pro tablets are also both on sale for a limited time.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Google's Pixel Tablet is one of the more compelling options for those in the market for an Android tablet, as it's designed to double as a smart display when you aren't holding it. If you've been thinking of picking one up, now looks like a good time to do so: The 11-inch slate is on sale for $399 at multiple retailers, including Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Google's own online store. While there's always a chance we see a better offer on Black Friday, this $100 discount marks a new all-time low. It's also $10 less than the previous low we saw during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale earlier this month. This price applies to the base models with 128GB of storage; if you need more space, the 256GB versions are also $100 off at $499. Google says the offer will run through November 5.

We gave the Pixel Tablet a score of 85 in our review this past June, and we highlight it in our guide to the best tablets. While we don't think it's better purely as a tablet than our top Android pick, the vibrant Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, it's a good ways cheaper, and it's still more than competent for streaming video, playing games and doing most of the other casual things people do with a tablet. Its 2,560 x 1,600 LCD is crisp and punchy, its Tensor G2 chip is fast enough, its 5,000mAh battery should last a full day and the hardware doesn't feel cheap. This is still an Android tablet, so some apps aren't as optimized for this large display as they are on an iPad, but Google at least promises to supply the device with OS and security updates through June 2026 and June 2028, respectively.

That smart display functionality is the Pixel Tablet's big selling point, though. Included with the device is a dock that both charges the device and provides a dedicated speaker — plop the Pixel Tablet on, and the slate becomes something like a detachable Nest Hub Max. You can use it to control and monitor smart home devices, access the Google Assistant, cast video from your phone, display photos, stream music and so on. 

There are still issues: There's no headphone jack, the display is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and we had a few software quirks with the tablet's "Hub Mode" during the review process. Generally speaking, though, the Pixel Tablet is a clever melding of two useful devices. A few other Google devices are also on sale this week, including the unlocked Pixel 7a for $374, the Pixel Buds Pro for $119 and the indoor Nest Cam for $70, among others.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Meta has confirmed it will start offering Facebook and Instagram users in Europe an ad-free subscription option in November. Those in the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland will be able to use both platforms without ads for a monthly fee of €10 ($10.61) if they sign up on the web or €13 ($13.79) if they take out a subscription through iOS and Android apps. The difference is to account for the cut of in-app payments that Apple and Google take.

Meta says that subscribers’ data will not be used for advertising purposes. For the time being, the subscription will cover all linked accounts in a user's Accounts Center. Starting on March 1 next year, users will need to pay an extra €6 on the web and €8 more on iOS and Android for each linked account on which they want to have an ad-free experience.

Users will still have the choice to use Facebook and Instagram for free but with ads in their feeds. Meta says it will "continue to offer people free access to our personalized products and services regardless of income."

The company claims it’s starting to offer the ad-free plan to comply with “evolving European regulations” such as the Digital Markets Act and stricter interpretations of the General Data Protection Regulation. Privacy regulators in the EU have pressured Meta to seek explicit consent from users before showing them targeted ads based on their activity. The company offered to oblige with that request but reportedly suggested to regulators that it should be able to charge users who opt out, likely in an attempt to make up for any shortfall in revenue. It says the Court of Justice of the European Union stipulated in a ruling "that a subscription model, like the one we are announcing, is a valid form of consent for an ads funded service."

Reports over the last couple of months have suggested Meta would start offering ad-free plans in Europe as part of an effort to sate EU regulators, who haven't shied away from penalizing the company. In May, the bloc fined Meta $1.3 billion for moving EU citizens' data to servers in the US. It was previously reported that the ad-free plans could cost as much as $17 per month, but that isn't quite the case.

Meanwhile, as part of its shifting ad strategy in Europe, Meta will temporarily stop showing any ads to users aged under 18 in areas where the ad-free subscription is available, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. This will come into effect on November 6. Earlier this year, Meta placed stricter limits on the data that advertisers can use to show teens targeted ads.

This is the first time that Meta has offered an ad-free subscription option. Confirmation of the plans follows X (formerly Twitter) starting to offer two additional Premium (formerly Twitter Blue) tiers last week. The more expensive one of these allows users to get rid of ads for $16 per month.