Inbound: Cheapest MacBook ever

I was just this morning admiring my MacBook Air — an M2 model I picked up for an absolute song when Best Buy had a sale last year.

It’s a beautiful machine, with fantastic industrial design and a gorgeous space gray finish.

It’s plenty powerful for the work I do, but super-light and portable. I couldn’t be happier with it.

We’ve got a stack of older, half-destroyed MacBooks and even PowerBooks in the basement that I’ve got to get around to recycling one day, and my newest machine is by far the best of the bunch.

In fact, Apple has been killing it with all of its entry-level products lately. The base iPhone 16 is flat-out gorgeous, and the cheapest iPad punches way above its weight.

So, it’s good news that Apple is reportedly preparing its most affordable MacBook ever for release next year. That’s great news for students, parents of students, and penny-pinching Apple addicts like me.

And that’s not the only good news on the horizon for frugal Apple fans. The company’s also reportedly prepping a much more affordable version of its Vision Pro headset, likely called the Vision Air.

Also in today’s newsletter:

If the leaks prove accurate, the iPhone 17 could be the most thrilling upgrade in years. Here are five iPhone 17 upgrades to get you pumped.
If you own a power bank from Anker, here’s how to check whether it’s been recalled.
Marking the 10th anniversary of Apple Music, Cupertino rolled out a handful of enhancements and new features today, including Apple Music Replay All Time, a new playlist of your all-time favorite tracks.
We have two great apps on sale: one of our favorite iPhone scanning apps and the only PDF editor you’ll ever need.
I have mixed feelings about Murderbot, the popular Apple TV+ sci-fi comedy that’s killing it in the streaming ratings. It’s not as bad as I suspected, but it’s not great, either. It’s frustrating, because it has some fun ideas and could be fantastic if the writing were better.
I’m a big fan of the iPod Hi-Fi, one of Apple’s first forays into music hardware. The owner of today’s featured setup argues it is the best speaker Apple ever made — and he might be right. It still sounds great.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

Apple might launch its most affordable MacBook yet next year

Apple could launch a more affordable MacBook early next year with a 13-inch display and an A18 Pro chipset.

www.cultofmac.com/news/apple-may-launch-its-most-affordable-macbook-yet-next-year

5 rumored iPhone 17 upgrades I'm excited about

If all the leaks and rumors turn out true, the iPhone 17 might just be the most exciting iPhone upgrade in years.

www.cultofmac.com/news/5-iphone-17-rumors

Anker recalls six power banks globally over safety concerns

While there’s no reported fire risk, Anker has announced a global voluntary recall of six power banks, citing “an abundance of caution.”

www.cultofmac.com/news/anker-recalls-six-power-banks-globally-over-safety-concerns

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Price drop: Make PDF editing easier on Mac with PDF Expert

PDF Expert will streamline your PDF editing and management. Get a lifetime subscription to this PDF editor for Mac for just $79.99 (42% off).

www.cultofmac.com/deals/pdf-expert-pdf-editor-for-mac

Apple Music's new Replay All Time expands on annual faves list

The new Apple Music Replay All Time feature is like the annual replay list, but it covers your whole history with the music streamer.

www.cultofmac.com/news/apple-music-replay-all-time

Lighter, cheaper Vision Air could rescue Apple’s headset dream

The Vision Air is reportedly on the drawing board. This more affordable version might revive Apple’s flagging AR headset sales.

www.cultofmac.com/news/vision-air-rumors

^{A message from}^{the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Discount code: Get a versatile iPhone scanning app for $24.99 (works with iPad, too)

This powerful scanning app offers loads of features at a low price. Turn your iPhone or iPad into a full-service scanner with iScanner.

www.cultofmac.com/deals/iscanner-scanning-app-iphone-ipad

iPhone 17 Pro camera bar could prompt Apple logo relocation

The most significant design change to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max might force a secondary modification: relocating the Apple logo.

www.cultofmac.com/news/iphone-17-rumors-apple-logo

Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ scores a huge opening weekend

Apple has a No. 1 hit movie with “F1,” starring Brad Pitt in the thrilling world of Formula One racing.

www.cultofmac.com/news/f1-movie

‘Murderbot’ still kills it on the streaming charts

If you’re not watching “Murderbot,” you’re missing a sci-fi action comedy from Apple TV+ that earns high ratings.

www.cultofmac.com/news/murderbot-ratings

Today in Apple history: Apple Music 1 radio station brings 24/7 radio to Apple Music

On June 30, 2015, Apple launched Beats 1, a 24/7 music radio station as part of Apple Music. It's still streaming daily as Apple Music 1.

www.cultofmac.com/apple-history/apple-music-1-launch

Long live Apple's late, great iPod Hi-Fi stereo [Setups]

Sure, HomePod and HomePod mini are amazing, but this man-shed MacBook user insists iPod Hi-Fi is the best speaker Apple ever made.

www.cultofmac.com/setups/ipod-hi-fi

Tweets of the day

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Wallpaper of the day

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One more thing ...

❝

You just don’t want someone else to control a big part of the user experience. People may disagree with me, but I am pretty consistent about that.

— Steve Jobs, 2011.

Today’s poll

What's the most exciting upcoming iPhone 17 feature?

Results from yesterday’s poll: Have you spent an evening watching Apple TV screensavers?

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