The main selling point of Facebook’s line of Portal devices has always been its video chat capabilities. Plus, it’s the only smart display that works with Messenger and Whatsapp, two of the most popular chat platforms in the world (with added support for platforms like Zoom last year). This year, Facebook is introducing a portable version called the Portal Go, that you can drag around the house to make calls from any room.

That portability combined with a few software updates make the $199 Portal Go an improvement over its predecessor, but it still doesn’t have the same breadth of features as Google’s or Amazon’s smart displays. And, as with all things Facebook, it all comes down to whether you trust the company with your data in the first place.

Hardware

The Portal Go has a softer aesthetic than previous models, with a grey fabric enclosure that’s similar to Google’s Nest Hub. It has rounded corners and almost looks like the display has been stitched onto a pillow (albeit a not very plush one). All of these curves make the Go pleasant to hold or to prop up on your lap, which is important for a device that’s meant to be portable.

Along the top of the Go are the volume controls and a button that disables both the camera and the microphone; The status light will turn red when that happens. If you want to leave the microphone on but not the camera, you can slide a built-in cover over the lens. This way, you can still use voice commands and make calls without worrying that anyone is watching you.

On the front is a 10.1-inch display with the same 1,280 x 800 resolution as previous Portals, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s crisp, colorful and the viewing angles are great. It has the same adaptive lighting features too: Automatic screen brightness, color adjustment and a Night Mode that reduces the amount of blue light in the evening.

Engadget

The main difference between the Portal Go and its predecessors is that it doesn’t need to be plugged in all the time. Thanks to its integrated handle and light weight, it’s easy to tote around with one hand. When it’s time to charge it, the device fits neatly into a proprietary 3-pin charging dock, too.

According to Facebook, the Portal Go will get up to five hours of Messenger calling on a charge, and up to 14 hours of music playback if the screen is off. But I actually managed to get six hours and five minutes of calling out of it before having to stick it back on the charging dock.

One of the benefits of the Go’s portability is that it is now effectively a portable speaker as well. The audio quality is pretty decent too, thanks to its two full-range speakers and subwoofer. The bass was relatively deep considering its size and the highs were clear. It’s not as good as the audio from my Sonos One of course, but it’ll do in a pinch.

Video calls

Engadget

It should go without saying that, like all Portal devices, the Go requires a Facebook account. (How else is it supposed to make Messenger calls?) You can choose to integrate your WhatsApp account too.

Basically, the Go is a smart display that’s meant to be as easy to tote around as a tablet. You can keep it docked in your office for most of the day, for example, but when it comes time to chat with grandma, you can carry it to whichever room the kids are in. I don’t have any kids, but I liked being able to set it up wherever the best lighting was at various times of day for calls.

The Go has a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens coupled with AI-powered tech that will automatically pan and zoom to keep you in frame. Instead of crowding over an iPad, for example, you could just place the Go on a coffee table and get the whole family on the call. You can also double tap on someone’s face to “Spotlight” and keep the focus on them. I was impressed with how well it was able to “follow” me around the room, keeping me in frame as I wandered from my desk to my couch.

This automatic panning and zooming doesn’t just work in Messenger and WhatsApp, but also third-party video applications like Zoom and GoToMeeting. I should say, however, that this face-tracking technology also exists in the Nest Hub Max and the Echo Show 8, and they too have Zoom integration. However, only the Portals have Messenger and WhatsApp.

I was quite pleased with the video quality overall. I did notice occasional latency issues, but it wasn’t that bad. The Portal Go was able to handle different lighting conditions too; The colors were great even in relatively dim lighting. I did notice that calls in WhatsApp were a bit more pixelated than Messenger, but according to Facebook, that could be a bandwidth issue as they’re separate networks.

Facebook has also updated the Watch Together experience so it can be used not just on Portal-to-Portal calls, but also with Messenger contacts on other devices. It was a blast laughing over videos like 5-minute Crafts on calls with my friends. My main criticism is that we could only Watch Together clips that were on Facebook. Portal devices unfortunately lacks support for YouTube, which is a much more diverse source of video content

Like previous Portals, the Go has AR features such as StoryTime, which is an AR storytelling experience, and PlayTime, which is an assortment of AR games. These are fun, but they’re the sort of thing you try once and never again.

Interface

Engadget

The whole Portal family got an update recently with a new, more personalized home screen. There’s a top row of favorite contacts that you can customize, and you’ll also see call notifications here.

Underneath the favorite contacts is an array of cards that lead to different apps, depending on what you have installed. I found the calendar card particularly useful, which not only shows upcoming events with handy links to join Zoom chats where relevant.

The Portal Go can be used by the whole family, but you might not trust everyone to use the device responsibly. That’s why Facebook introduced Household Mode, which restricts what users can do while it is enabled. For example, you can set it so that the Portal can only be used for Messenger calls to grandma and grandpa. You can then disable Household Mode to regain full control of the device.

By default, the Portal Go’s home screen will show stock art, but you can also customize it with a Digital Photo Frame app. When you tap the Apps button on the home screen, you’ll see an array of pre-installed apps like Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Photo Booth, a browser, Facebook Live and Facebook Watch, and more are available for download.

As with previous Portals, the Go supports Alexa and the Facebook Assistant, which you summon by saying “Hey, Portal”. You can ask the Facebook Assistant to make Messenger and WhatsApp calls, play music, check the weather, create timers and launch apps. I also occasionally used it to change the voice options for different AR effects.

Alexa, on the other hand, is more for hearing the latest news or sports scores, building a shopping list and managing your smart home devices, which the Portal assistant can’t do.

Of course, with any Facebook product, privacy and security are obvious concerns, given the company’s terrible reputation. It said the AI-powered panning and zooming are processed locally on the device. Additionally, all WhatsApp calls are end-to-end encrypted by default. Messenger calls however, are not, and you’ll have to specify which contacts or groups you want to enable it with. Even then, encryption is still in the roll-out phase; I don’t currently have it.

Competition

While the Portal Go excels at video calls, it still lags behind the Amazon Echo Show 8 and the Google Nest Hub Max in basically every other department. Facebook doesn’t offer any streaming video options aside from its own, which means no Hulu, Netflix or YouTube. Plus, smart home features are buried in the Portal Go, while they’re front and center on the other devices.

To make matters worse, the Nest Hub Max and the Echo Show 8 have similar smart camera technology to the Portal Go, so that’s not a unique advantage for Facebook. And the $199 Go is even more expensive than the $130 Echo Show 8. (Though the Nest Hub Max is $229.) The Portal Go is the only one that’s battery-powered, however, while the other smart displays are stuck wherever you plug them in.

Conclusion

Engadget

The primary advantages that the Go has over other smart displays is its portability and Messenger and WhatsApp support. But both Google and Amazon make better devices with way more features. On top of that, Facebook’s poor reputation on privacy gives us pause on recommending it. You should only choose the Portal Go if Messenger and WhatsApp are the two video call services you use.

You don't need pro editing software to work with an iPhone 13's Cinematic Mode video on your Mac. AppleInsidernotes Apple has updated iMovie for Mac to enable editing for Cinematic Mode footage. You can change the focus subject, tweak the depth of field effect and even delete focal points on a much larger screen.

There's one main catch: you'll need macOS Monterey for this to work. Given that Monterey won't officially debut until October 25th, you'll likely be waiting about a week before you can give Cinematic Mode editing a try. At least there's an upside for new MacBook Pro buyers — iMovie should see "improved" efficiency and performance on systems using the M1 Pro and M1 Max.

The iMovie update is free for all Mac users. It's safe to presume most iPhone 13 owners will still edit on-device, even if they have a Mac. These files can take a long time to transfer, after ll. However, this should still be useful if you want to eke more from Cinematic Mode without learning your way around Final Cut Pro.

When Artiphon launched its $99 Orba musical instrument, we found it to be an "idiotproof" device that lets creative in your spare time, while offering more depth for those willing to explore. The main thing missing was social and sharing functions, that has now been rectified with the Orbacam iOS app that "expands the Orba instrument into a creative multimedia studio," the company said. 

The idea is that you can use the app to lay down multilayer loops, then create a music video around the track with "musically reactive" visual effects. Those include color augmentation, pixelation, pulsing effects and more. You can add those effects to images or video, with the result being shareable musical "selfies" or videos that sync with whatever loops or music you're playing on Orba. 

You can jump between Drum, Bass, Chord and Lead Modes, and the sounds and visual effects are built into the video export, "no audio routing or post-production required." You can also sing or rap into your phone's microphone, shoot video while you play live, or important camera roll videos or photos. 

The company notes that the app makes it possible to marry sound and video, but rather than just "pasting someone else's song on your video... people can create musical videos that are entirely their own." The app is now available as a free download for Orba users.

Raspberry Pi has launched a new product that would make it easier to build robots out of LEGO components. The Build HAT (or Hardware Attached on Top), as it is called, is an add-on device that plugs into the Pi's 40-pin GPIO header. It was specifically designed to make it easy to use Pi hardware to control up to four LEGO Technic motors and sensors from the the toy company's Education Spike kits. Those sets are meant as a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) learning tool for young students. The HAT also works with motors and sensors from the Mindstorms Robot Inventor kit.

In addition to the Build HAT itself, the company has created a Python library that can help students build prototypes using a Raspberry Pi and LEGO components. Plus, Raspberry Pi designed a $15 power supply for the HAT that can also power the motors and sensors attached to it. The Build HAT will set buyers back $25 each, and it works with all 40-pin GPIO Raspberry Pi boards, including the Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi Zero. 

Those who want to make sure that their LEGO components will work with the HAT can also check out Raspberry Pi's handy list of compatible components. Finally, those who need a bit of help to get started can try follow one of Pi's project guides, which include a DIY game controller, a robot buggy that can be controlled via Bluetooth and a robotic face.

Given all the talk of supply chain issues this year, it's no surprise that we're starting to see early Black Friday sales hit the internet before November 1. Best Buy announced last week that it's first early Black Friday event would begin today, and as promised, the company has discounted hundreds of gadgets from headphones to robot vacuums to electric scooters.

Best Buy is also has a "Black Friday Price Guarantee" on these deals, which means that you shouldn't see these gadgets go on sale for less at Best Buy before Black Friday proper comes around. And if they do, you can get the difference reimbursed to you if you're a My Best Buy or Best Buy Totaltech member (the former is free to sign up for, so it's worthwhile to make an account).

We sifted through this first round of early Black Friday deals and picked out the ones that are worth your money. Also, some of the sale prices are being matched on Amazon — we've made note of which those are below so you can decide where you want to shop.

Sony WH-1000XM4

Engadget

Our favorite pair of Sony headphones, the WH-1000XM4, are down to a record low of $248 right now. We gave these cans a score of 94 for their powerful ANC, immersive sound quality and multi-device connectivity.

Sony WF-1000XM3

Billy Steele/Engadget

The Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds are down to $128, or more than $70 off their usual price. We gave these buds a score of 89 for their excellent sound quality, great battery life and comprehensive companion app.

iRobot Roomba i7+

Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

The high-end Roomba i7+ is down to $549, or $250 off its normal price. It earned a score of 87 from us for its solid cleaning performance, handy room mapping and automatic emptying into the included clean base.

Google Nest Mini

Google

Google's second-generation Nest Mini smart speaker is half off, bringing it down to $25. This model has improved Google Assistant performance, better sound, and a charming minimalist design that should fit into any room.

55-inch LG G1 Series OLED evo 4K smart TV

LG

This sale knocks $300 off the 55-inch LG G1 OLED smart TV, bringing it down to $1,700. This is one of LG's newest OLED sets, featuring brighter, punchier images, the α9 Gen4 AI Processor 4K, G-SYNC and FreeSync compatibility and support for Google Assistant and Alexa voice commands.

55-inch Samsung The Frame LED 4K smart TV

Samsung

The 55-inch The Frame smart TV from Samsung is $500 off, knocking it down to $1,000. This is best for those that don't want a black rectangle messing up the vibe of their living room. The Frame supports Art Mode, which lets you display artwork on the TV when you're not using it. It also supports Quantum Dot technology and 4K AI upscaling.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go

Engadget

The Surface Laptop Go is $200 off right now, bringing it down to $700. This model has a 10th-generation Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and a 12.4-inch 1,536 x 1024 resolution touchscreen.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The Surface Laptop 4 is down to $1,150, or $150 off its normal price. This is the latest model of the laptop that earned a score of 87 from us for its speedy performance, excellent battery life and great keyboard.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

David Imel for Engadget

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldable smartphone is on sale for $850, or $150 off its normal price. This is the best and most practical version of a Samsung foldable yet, and we gave it a score of 82 for its impressive screen, attractive build and water resistance design.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

Billy Steele / Engadget

Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro are down to $150 in this sale, which is close to a record low. We gave these buds a score of 85 for their comfortable fit, good sound quality and wireless charging capabilities.

SanDisk microSDXC card for Nintendo Switch (400GB)

SanDisk

Best Buy knocked a whopping $115 off this 400GB microSD card for the Nintendo Switch, bringing it down to $65. It supports read speeds up to 100MB/s and write speeds up to 90MB/s, and 400GB should be plenty for those just starting to build up their game library.

Jabra Elite 75t

Billy Steele / Engadget

The Jabra Elite 75t earbuds are on sale for $80 right now. While these have been replaced by the newer 85ts, these are still great earbuds that earned a score of 87 from us for their solid audio quality, small and comfortable design and long battery life.

Blue Yeti USB mic

Blue

The Blue Yeti USB mic is down to $100 right now, while the more compact Nano is on sale for $80. The standard mic provides professional quality sound for streaming, podcasting and the like, and it includes onboard controls for headphone volume, mute, pattern selection and microphone gain. The Yeti Nano supports 24-bit sound, no-latency headphone output and takes up less space with its smaller design.

Philips Hue White & Color starter pack

Philips

This white and color Philips Hue starter pack is on sale for $140, which is $50 off its normal price. It's a good set to get for yourself or someone you know who's interested in setting up a smart home but don't know where to begin. It includes three bulbs that support multiple colors, a bridge to connect them all and a dimmer switch.

Joby GorillaPod 3K kit

Joby

This Joby GorillaPod kit is half off, knocking the final price down to only $40. This flexible tripod stand is really handy for photographers and videographers, but it's also a great way for anyone to more easily take a selfie or a family photo. It can support smartphones and cameras up to 6.6 pounds and the legs can wrap around a bunch of objects, making it easier for you to get the perfect angle.

Dell G15 gaming laptop

Dell

Dell's already affordable G15 gaming laptop is $270 cheaper in this sale, bringing it down to $900. This model runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 15.6-inch FHD display.

Samsung The Premiere 4K projector

Samsung

Best Buy knocked $1,000 off the Samsung Premiere 4K projector, bringing it down to $2,500. This ultra short throw projector supports 2,200 lumens of brightness, a 2.2 channel sound system along with Bixby, Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls.

Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight bundle

Arlo

A four-pack of Arlo Pro Spotlight cameras is on sale for $400 right now, or $200 off its normal price. This pack doesn't just include the cameras either — you're getting four rechargeable batteries, a charging station, three anti-theft mounts and a security yard sign on top of that. We found these cameras to be relatively easy to set up and we like their reliable alerts and HomeKit support.

Razer Huntsman Elite keyboard

Razer

Razer's Huntsman Elite mechanical keyboard is down to $130, which is $70 off its normal price. In addition to the company's optical switches and RGB lighting, this keyboard has multimedia controls and a multi-function dial that you can program how you'd like.

Segway Ninebot ES2-N electric scooter

Segway

Best Buy slashed $250 off the Ninebot ES2-N electric scooter, bringing it down to $400. This foldable scooter uses 700W of power to reach a max speed of 15.5mph, and its non-pneumatic tires keep you stable even on rough terrain. It also has a built-in headlight for safer riding in the evening and an LED display that shows speed and battery level.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Sony has tweeted that it's testing a beta that will let PS5 players share screenshots and clips via smartphone using the PlayStation app. That will match functionality the Xbox has offered for a while now, though so far, Sony is only testing it in a limited release. 

One you turn it on, the new feature will automatically upload captures to the cloud. You'll then be able to access them on the PlayStation app for 14 days to save on your camera roll, share on social media, or send to PSN friends and parties. It should be less clunky than the current system of direct sharing from the console. 

On top of screenshots taken from the Create Menu or Create button shortcuts, you can share gameplay videos under three minutes in length up to 1080p (not 4K). For screenshots and videos to be auto-uploaded, make sure you've linked your PS5 console to the PlayStation app. It also needs to be left in rest mode and have the "Stay Connected to the Internet" setting enabled. For more details, check Sony's (region-locked) article.  

The update is now available in Canada and Japan only, and as with other beta features, "may not make it into the final version or may see significant changes," Sony notes. However, it seems as likely as any new feature to come out of beta, so hopefully it will be released to everyone soon. 

Did Apple just make its Macbook Pros interesting again? As expected, its high-end laptops were the star of its Unleashed event yesterday and are the first machines powered by Apple’s new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. (The company is borrowing iPhone nomenclature, it seems.)

It’s been hard for me to get too excited about the MacBook Pro’s slow, cautious evolution over the last few years. The OLED Touch Bar was a misstep, nixing function keys for a light-up bar with customizable touch panels. There were fewer ports than older models, including the SD card slot. This added another dongle to my bag, alongside a USB-C converter for any devices that hadn’t caught up with the MacBook’s own USB-C ports — which were few and far between. And don’t get me started on the "butterfly" style keyboard that appeared in 2015.

Apple

The 2021 MacBook Pro literally brushes away most of my problems. Yes, there’s an SD card reader, more ports, no more Touch Bar to accidentally hit and close internet tabs, more ports and a blast from the past.

Yep, MagSafe is back. While the term returned on recent iPhones, it’s been years since Apple offered the magnetic cable safety feature on its computers. It’s different from the old connector, and, in worst case scenarios, you can still charge through USB-C.

The screens have been expanded, featuring micro-LED display tech first used on iPad Pro and also marking the first appearance of a notch on MacBooks. Long live the notch!

These machines are for power users — and Apple is seriously talking up the capabilities of its new chips, more on that below. But that’s not what intrigues me. It’s the fact that Apple is walking back some of its pretty major missteps in recent MacBook Pro history and making it more usable in the process, tempting me to buy myself a new MacBook for the first time in a decade.

The 14-inch base model and 16-inch base model are set to start at $1,999 and $2,499 respectively. You can pre-order both today, with machines arriving on October 26th. Expect our reviews of both the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros very soon — I should start saving.

— Mat Smith

All the big Apple news you might have missed 

Apple Music's new $5 plan only works with Siri

Apple HomePod mini: new colors for 2021

Apple updates Final Cut and Logic to take advantage of new M1 Pro and Max chips

Here's everything Apple announced at its fall Mac event

The M1 Pro and M1 Max are Apple's high-end Mac chips

Finally, pro chips for the MacBook Pro.

It's been almost a year since Apple unveiled its first custom chip for Macs, the ARM-based M1. As we saw in our review of the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and colorful iMac, the M1 was a marvel, if not quite the pro-level of power many might have been expecting.

With the M1 Pro and M1 Max, the two chips underpinning the company's new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, it’s making a renewed pitch for power users. Both chips have 5nm 10-core processors, with eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency units. Apple says the chips offer up to 1.7X faster performance than competing eight-core PC chips, which makes them particularly compelling for people doing heavy-duty 3D and video rendering.

Continue reading.

Disney delays all of Marvel’s 2022 films

At least three major movies will all hit Disney+ later as a result.

Disney has shaken up its movie release calendar, with several Marvel Cinematic Universe flicks delayed. The revamped schedule, which Variety reports is due to a production-related snowball effect. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was penciled in for March 25th, but now it's taking Thor: Love and Thunder's old date of May 6th. The next Thor movie will arrive on July 8th, in turn pushing back Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to November 11th.

The schedule shifts mean there will only be three Marvel movies next year instead of the planned four.

Continue reading.

Apple's redesigned AirPods bring Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ for $179

The entry-level AirPods finally get an updated design and new features.

Apple

Alongside all the Mac Stuff, Apple debuted the third-iteration AirPods with an updated design, Spatial Audio, Adaptive EQ and one-touch setup. Apple says the newest AirPods are safe for workouts thanks to IPX4 sweat and water resistance. Hands-free Siri is back, while a skin sensor detects when you're wearing the earbuds, automatically pausing when one is removed. 

As for battery life, you can expect up to six hours of listening and 30 hours of total usage with the charging case. The third-generation AirPods are up for pre-order today for $179 and will begin shipping on October 26th.

Continue reading.

'Squid Game' documents may show how Netflix rates the success of its content

The show reportedly created $891 million in 'impact value.'

Netflix has always closely guarded the exact streaming metrics that may reveal why programs are considered a success... or cancelled. That black box has cracked open a bit with documents obtained by Bloomberg detailing the company's scores for "impact value" and "efficiency." One example was Squid Game, which generated $891.1 million in impact value on a budget of just $21.4 million. Other figures showed that around 132 million people watched at least two minutes of Squid Game in the first 23 days, beating a record set by Bridgerton.

Continue reading.

Fisher-Price launches a working Chatter telephone for adults

Pick up the phone.

Fisher Price

Fisher-Price has made a special edition of the iconic Chatter telephone for its 60th anniversary — one that's fully functional and can make and receive calls.

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PS5 overtook Switch as the best-selling console in the US last month

A Sony system claims the top spot for the first time since November 2018.

For the first time in nearly three years, the Nintendo Switch wasn’t the best-selling console in the US. In September, that distinction went to Sony’s PlayStation 5 instead. According to NPD’s Mat Piscatella, the PS5 outsold Nintendo’s portable last month both in unit volume and dollar amount, thereby ending the Switch’s impressive 33-month streak as the best-selling console in the US.

Continue reading.

The biggest news stories you might have missed

How to pre-order Apple's new AirPods and MacBook Pros

AMD Radeon RX 6600 review: The opposite of future-proof

Engadget Deals: Sony's impressive WH-1000XM4s fall back to an all-time low of $248

Foxconn unveils three new EV prototypes

Unannounced Beats Fit Pro earbuds leak in iOS 15.1

Sinclair Broadcast Group says it has been hit by a ransomware attack

Sony has teased the launch of a new Alpha camera on October 21st at 10AM ET, and judging from the YouTube metadata, it appears to be the long-awaited full-frame A7 IV mirrorless model, DPReview has reported. And while Sony didn't reveal any information in the tease itself, the YouTube tags seem to have revealed most of the main specs, like a 33-megapixel sensor and 4K 60p video with 10-bit All-I XAVC recording.

In fact, the YouTube tease contained the following comprehensive list of tags, which now appear to have been removed: "ILCE-7M4 , A7M4 , Alpha 7 , Alpha7 , Sony A7 IV , Sony a7 IV , Sony α7 IV , Sony A7 iv , Sony a7 iv , Sony alpha , Sony α , mirrorless , Sony E-mount camera , full frame camera , 4K , Eye AF , Animal Eye AF , AF , Eye AF movies , field camera , pro camera , silent shutter , FTP , 4K60p , Eye AF birds , camera for movies , 10fps , 33MP , BIONZ XR , 10-bit 4:2:2 HLG , All-I XAVC S-I , S-Cinetone , S-log3 , S&Q dial , vari-angle , gimbal , 5GHz Wi-Fi , USB 10Gbps , live streaming , Creative Look , 15+ stops dynamic range."

That list, if accurate, would make the A7 IV a formidable hybrid full-frame camera on par with Canon's R6 (but hopefully without the overheating issues). What's still not known is price and availability, but it looks like everything will be revealed in just two days. 

On Monday, Apple held its second and likely last hardware event of the fall. “Unleashed” saw the company spend about an hour talking about updates to its Mac and Music product lineups. After the by-the-numbers affair that was the iPhone 13 event, Monday’s presentation was a more exciting thing to watch, thanks in large part to the first significant refresh to the MacBook Pro in five years. Here’s everything the company announced at the event.

MacBook Pro

Apple

Unsurprisingly, the redesigned MacBook Pros were the star of the show, and there’s a lot to unpack between the two new 14- and 16-inch models. As expected, both laptops represent a return to form for the MacBook Pro line. Apple has replaced the Touch Bar with a standard set of function keys, as well as added MagSafe, an SD card slot and an HDMI port. New to both computers are 120Hz ProMotion displays. The 14-inch model will run its screen at 3,024 x 1,964, while the 16-inch variant has a 3,456 x 2,234 panel. Each also has an iPhone-style camera notch that is likely to be divisive.

Additionally, you can configure both models with Apple’s new, more powerful M1 Pro and Max chips (more on them in a moment). All those new features come at a cost, with the 14-inch base model and 16-inch base model set to start at $1,999 and $2,499 respectively. You can pre-order both computers today, with general availability to follow on October 26th. In the meantime, macOS Monterey will land the day before on October 25th.

M1 Pro and M1 Max

Apple

At the heart of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros are Apple’s new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. Both feature 5nm 10-core processors made up of eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency units. Where they differ from one another is in terms of potential video and memory performance. The M1 Pro comes with up to 16 GPU cores and can support up to 32GB of RAM with 200 GB/s of bandwidth. The M1 Max, meanwhile, tops out at 32 graphics cores and double the RAM and memory bandwidth. In practice, Apple claims the chips are 70 percent faster than its previous M1 SoC and offer up to 1.7 times faster performance than competing CPUs from Intel and AMD. They should also make short work of the company’s updated Final Cut and Logic suites.

AirPods

Apple

Going into Monday’s event, we were confident Apple would update its “basic” AirPods. But other than an AirPods Pro-like design, we weren’t expecting them to get many new features. So what we saw today was a surprise. While you won’t find ANC on the updated AirPods, they do include support for Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking and Adaptive EQ. The latter allows the AirPods to adjust the low and mid-range frequencies of audio in real-time. Other notable specs include IPX4 sweat and water resistance and up to 30 hours total of battery life with help from the included charging case.

You can pre-order the new AirPods starting today for $179. They’ll begin shipping on October 26th. For those who want to save some money, Apple has discounted the second-generation AirPods to $129.

Apple Music Voice Plan

Apple

Alongside the third-generation AirPods, the company announced a discounted Apple Music plan. It will only set you back $5 per month but the catch is you can only control the service through Siri. Apple pitched the plan as the ideal complement for the HomePod mini. Speaking of Apple’s diminutive smart speaker, it will be available in three additional colors — yellow, orange and blue — starting in November.

Follow all of the news from Apple’s Mac event right here.

Apple made much ado of its redesigned MacBook Pro's creative prowess during its "Unleashed" event, and it's updating its flagship media editing software to take full advantage of the improved hardware. The company has released new versions of Final Cut Pro (10.6) and Logic Pro (10.7) that make the most of the M1 Pro and M1 Max, particularly in video processing and machine learning. FCP editors can play up to seven streams of 8K ProRes at once, and export in the format over five times faster — no mean feat for a laptop, as Apple was keen to point out. You can even color-grade 8K HDR footage using only the MacBook Pro's built-in screen.

There's also a new Object Tracker you can use to link animated effects to faces and objects. You can easily edit Cinematic Mode video from the iPhone 13 series, too. Motion now renders visual effects work up to two times faster, and can play two 8K video streams at five times the previous frame rate. Compressor, meanwhile, transcodes HEVC video up to twice as fast, and ProRes up to ten times as quickly. And if you live in Canon's world, you can transcode Cinema RAW Light videos to other formats for the first time. There's even a Watch Folders feature that will automatically encode content when it reaches a given folder — helpful for streamlining a workflow, particularly among teams.

The Logic Pro update, meanwhile, is focused on spatial audio creation — just in time for the new AirPods, of course. New mixers, panners and plugins let you author Dolby Atmos tracks, and the new MacBook Pros can use their added performance to create particularly advanced mixes. The music editing tool now comes bundled with the Producer Packs you saw in GarageBand, too, so you can integrate royalty-free beats and samples from the likes of Boys Noize, Mark Ronson and Trakgirl.

Both updates are free for existing users. Final Cut Pro normally costs $300 for new users, with Motion and Compressor costing $50 each. Logic Pro is priced at $200. The upgrades make the most sense if you're deeply invested in ProRes or intend to publish on Apple Music. Still, it's easy to see the appeal, at least for FCP. You could quickly turn around certain video projects using only your MacBook Pro, even if you're working primarily with 8K footage.

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