Apple's cheap MacBook runs basic Windows 11 apps with great single-core performance — but Parallels struggles where it matters
Starting with the Galaxy S26, AirDrop compatibility is coming to Samsung phones, rolling out through software updates. Samsung’s mobile boss Choi Won-joon just confirmed it publicly at a press briefing in Japan.
AirDrop has always been the ecosystem glue that people actually feel. People stick with iPhones because their friends all tap a button for file sharing. That’s been worth more to Apple than any marketing campaign.
Google cracked this last year with the Pixel 10, letting Quick Share talk directly to AirDrop. After a brief wait, Samsung is ready to roll out AirDrop compatibility to Galaxy phones, starting with the Galaxy S26 series.
Google made this possible in November 2025, but only on Pixels at first. You set an iPhone to AirDrop Everyone mode, and the Galaxy shows up as a share target.
Going the other way, you toggle Quick Share on so Apple devices can see your Samsung phone and beam files over. Your Wi-Fi might drop briefly during the transfer because Samsung prioritizes the peer connection.
One UI 8.5 could bring it to older models that get the update. If the S24 and S23 land AirDrop support, that’s tens of millions more devices bridging the gap.
Apple hasn’t said a word about any of this. So far, the iPhone maker has stayed silent while Google punched through what looks like a loophole in how AirDrop works.
Samsung ran Smart Switch promotions hard during S26 pre-orders, telling iPhone owners they can pull over all their photos and apps wirelessly in one shot. Add AirDrop to that pitch, and the friction drops even lower.
One insider noted, “As gaps in features like file sharing narrow, the pace of switching to Galaxy could accelerate.”
The post Samsung is bringing AirDrop to Galaxy phones soon appeared first on Sammy Fans.

Apple only stated that the MacBook Neo ships with either a 256GB or 512GB SSD, because if the company had mentioned how fast its NAND flash storage is, potential customers might be discouraged from picking it up. According to the latest comparison, the most affordable portable Mac in the company’s lineup doesn’t even cross the PCIe NVMe Gen 3 bandwidth. In the latest Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, Apple’s M5 MacBook Air, the second most affordable portable Mac, has up to 316 percent faster SSD speeds than the MacBook Neo If there was one shocking compromise that we didn’t know about until […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/macbook-neo-ssd-speeds/

Some can't stop panning Apple over a myriad of compromises that it undertook to price the MacBook Neo at a base price of $599. Others can't stop gushing over the fact that Apple just launched a fairly decent, if somewhat spartan, budget MacBook, one that is near-perfect for browsing, social media consumption, and research. In our roundup of the Apple MacBook Neo's first impressions and initial reviews, we've tried to cover all of the bases, bringing you appreciative brownie points as well as merited criticism. Here is everything that is being said about Apple's MacBook Neo CNET's Matt Elliott is […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-macbook-neo-a-roundup-of-first-impressions-and-reviews-from-acerbic-commentary-to-gushing-paean/

Apple had originally intended to launch its new Smart Home Display as a part of last week's product launch marathon. However, in the face of the ongoing delays related to the rollout of the revamped Siri, Apple has been forced to substantially extend the launch timeline of the new device, as per the latest tidbit from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple was not able to launch the Smart Home Display last week, as the revamped Siri is not ready yet to power AI features For the benefit of those who might not be aware yet, Apple intends to launch a revamped […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apples-smart-home-display-reportedly-falls-victim-to-its-siri-woes/

Such is the relentless cadence of Apple's convoluted product launch cycles that the iPhone 17e has not even reached physical stores just yet, and already Apple has started beating the proverbial drums for the iPhone 18e, which is not expected to debut until the spring of 2027. Apple has broken ground on the preparatory work for the iPhone 18e The notable tipster, Fixed Focus Digital, has declared in a new Weibo post (translated below) that Apple has formally commenced development work on the iPhone 18e: "Confirmed. Although 17E has just been released, 18E has already been finalized." Do note that […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-has-already-started-beating-the-drumbeats-for-the-iphone-18e/

Now that Apple's product launch cadence has seemingly slowed down for the time being after the marathon that was last week, which saw the unveiling of the iPhone 17e, the M4 iPad Air, the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro, the Studio Display and the Studio Display XDR, and the all-important MacBook Neo, attention is predictably turning to Apple's next major product launch volley in the fall of 2026, which would likely entail the iPhone Fold along with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. As such, a new report out of Taiwan has just demonstrated Apple's sunny optimism […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-is-supremely-confident-of-the-iphone-folds-success-orders-a-20-percent-initial-production-target-hike/

Apple didn’t change anything on the outside when comparing the iPhone 17e to the iPhone 16e, but the internals have been upgraded significantly, and that too, while charging the same $599 price. These are some of the advantages highlighted in the latest review roundup, but that doesn’t mean that some outlets aren’t calling the latest release overpriced. In fact, some are recommending buyers to get the iPhone 17 instead, and if you check out our detailed buying guide, we’ve also mentioned that spending $200 extra is the right move to make. CNET’s Abrar Al-Heeti says that the iPhone 17e is a solid […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/iphone-17e-review-roundup/

The M4 iPad Air is one of the more underrated devices that Apple launched in the veritable marathon that was last week, culminating in the 'Apple Experience' event on March 04. Even though the MacBook Neo eventually stole the proverbial show and nearly all of the limelight, the new iPad Air continues to garner a healthy share of attention. And today, we bring you a roundup of first impressions and reviews from a diverse set of tech experts. Here is everything that is being said about the Apple M4 iPad Air Gizmodo's Kyle Barr highlights the new iPad Air's "more […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/the-apple-m4-ipad-air-tech-experts-detail-their-first-impressions-and-reviews/

Qualcomm introduced its third-generation Oryon cores to its Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, bumping up the specifications to an impressive 18-core CPU, resulting in significantly increased single-core and multi-core performance. Unfortunately, these upgrades might give Windows laptops some bragging rights when compared as individual products, but as soon as you put the M5 Pro and M5 Max into the mix, the story changes immediately. In the latest single-core and multi-core benchmark comparison, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme continues to lag behind its direct competition. Disappointingly, the M5 Pro and M5 Max are up to 26 percent faster than the Snapdragon X2 Elite […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/snapdragon-x2-elite-extreme-loses-to-m5-pro-and-m5-max-in-gpu-tests/

A torrent of rumors and speculation that had been churning out for years eventually led to the materialization of the MacBook Neo, making it Apple’s most affordable product from this lineup. The launch allows the company to target an entirely new category, which should make Windows notebook manufacturers quite nervous right about now. With a decent assortment of specifications and a stellar build quality for the price, we expect this machine to be quite a popular pick amongst consumers, and if you want to learn more about it, check out our detailed roundup. Display and Design No expense was spared […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/roundup/apple-macbook-neo-roundup-here-is-everything-you-need-to-know/

A design overhaul of the M6 MacBook Pro is expected either in late 2026 or early 2027, with Apple introducing a display transition from mini-LED to OLED for the first time in the portable Mac’s history. Typically, when the technology giant introduces a newer lineup, it ends up discontinuing the older-generation models, like it has done with the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max versions now that the M5 Pro and M5 Max family is here. However, according to the latest report, Apple isn’t going to phase out its newest SoCs or the MacBook Pro lineup that houses them because its M6 […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/oled-m6-macbook-pro-higher-price-target-m5-pro-and-m5-max-models-will-remain/

In addition to a chipset upgrade, the M5 MacBook Air has received a major boost in SSD performance, mimicking the gains obtained by the M5 MacBook Pro that launched last year. In fact, what’s remarkable about the latest comparison is that Apple’s latest portable Mac is faster than some premium M4 Pro models, not to mention that the machine runs circles around its immediate predecessors, the 13-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air. Let us take a look at these SSD speeds in more detail. Faster SSD speeds will enable the M5 MacBook Air to become more responsive than previous-generation models, making everyday […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/m5-macbook-air-ssd-read-and-write-speeds-impressive-performance-gains/

Apple Silicon is the gift that keeps on giving, entailing not only insane performance boosts for Apple's ever-expanding portfolio of products but also unlocking the kind of granular control that would have been impossible with off-the-shelve chips from Intel and AMD. And now, Apple's A18 Pro has just awarded huge bragging rights to the MacBook Neo, albeit with an equally huge catch. Apple's MacBook Neo gets huge bragging rights with a sizable catch Apple finally unveiled its much-anticipated MacBook Neo earlier this week, bringing a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2,408 x 1,506 resolution and 500 nits brightness, uniform bezels, […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apples-macbook-neo-outperforms-the-13000-28-core-mac-pro-by-3x-but-there-is-a-huge-catch/

The new MacBook Neo will not mark a pivot in Apple's reigning product strategy, with a bucketload of high-end, Ultra-category products still in the pipeline, as per the tidbits gleaned from Mark Gurman's latest Power On newsletter. The MacBook Neo, despite expanding Apple's TAM, will not change the Cupertino giant's fixation on high-end products According to Gurman, a number of stars had to align for Apple to launch the MacBook Neo, including Apple's increasing reliance on its own silicon instead of Intel chips, a wide-ranging overhaul of the macOS to allow it to run on ARM processors, and the A18 […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-doubling-down-on-high-end-ultra-products-even-if-the-macbook-neo-proves-to-be-a-success/

The $599 starting price of the MacBook Neo with its aluminum chassis is something that can only be achieved by production magic, or at the very least, it’s Apple’s decision to employ a newer approach that allows it to save as much raw material as possible to make its latest portable Mac affordable to the masses. If you thought this was impressive, the technology is reportedly moving to an even more cost-effective way to manufacture aluminum, and that is by 3D printing it. The 3D printing process will initially be involved in manufacturing Apple Watch casings, and after that, larger products […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-moving-to-3d-printing-aluminum-after-macbook-neo-manufacturing-process/

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC hit $119 at Amazon, their lowest tracked price and $60 below the $179 list.
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/airpods-4-with-anc-drop-to-119-on-amazon-34-off/

Apple has announced two notebooks that occupy entire entirely different pricing brackets, which is a first for the company, meaning that it can become confusing as you attempt to figure out if you should opt for increased savings and get the MacBook Neo or spend the premium to make the M5 MacBook Air your daily driver. This buying guide will highlight all the differences that you need to know so let us begin. Display The MacBook Neo and the M5 MacBook Air sport a unibody aluminum chassis, offering users a premium exterior regardless of how much they choose to spend. However, when […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/macbook-neo-vs-m5-macbook-air-buying-guide/

With one fell swoop, Apple seems to have opened for itself a market opportunity of at least 50 million units by launching the MacBook Neo even as most sales projection argue for a healthy but modest take-up rate, hampered by the budget device's copious compromises. Apple's MacBook Neo sits within a market opportunity zone that is worth at least 50 million units per year That Apple's latest MacBook Neo was always expected to sell well was never in doubt. After all, TrendForce continues to expect Apple to sell between 4 million and 5 million units of the budget device. Even so, the […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-just-doubled-its-mac-related-tam-with-the-macbook-neo-even-as-split-opinion-persists/

The launch of the 13-inch and 15-inch M5 MacBook Air is excellent news for those wanting a jaw-dropping deal on a portable Mac because Apple’s older-generation M4 MacBook Air has dropped by $300 on Amazon. Of course, it should be mentioned that the extensive price cuts have been observed on a few 15-inch models, but that’s still an attractive deal because we don’t remember the last time that such discounts were introduced. Unfortunately, the stock is slowly dwindling, and if you don’t act fast, you’ll be out of luck and a cheaper M4 MacBook Air. If a chipset upgrade and base […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/select-m4-macbook-air-models-300-off-on-amazon/

Apple has finally debuted its latest chronically hyped up budget offering, dubbed the MacBook Neo, replete with specs that barely qualify for 2016, let alone 2026. Of course, budget offerings almost always cut corners in some way or the other. But how do you justify two USB-C ports with wildly different characteristics and no way of knowing which is which until you actually plug in your peripheral? What about a heavily binned SoC, a hobbled trackpad, and pricing tiers that make an M3 MacBook Air appear like a godsend? Apple seems to have designed the MacBook Neo to specifically cater […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-just-debuted-a-glorified-piece-of-e-junk-and-called-it-macbook-neo/

A company that prides itself on its stringent focus on detail can often make head-scratching blunders that you’d never expect it to. On this occasion, one eagle-eyed individual caught Apple comparing a 15-inch M1 MacBook Air, a product that has never existed in its lineup, to the M5, which currently powers the technology giant’s latest portable Mac. Fortunately, the technology giant rectified the mistake, but not before someone posted it on social media for millions to see. Larger 15-inch MacBook Air models were added to the lineup after the M2’s release To remind you, Apple’s M1, which launched back in […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-accidentally-mentioned-non-existent-15-inch-m1-macbook-air-in-m5-comparison/

Apple’s low-cost iPhone launch strategy lived on with the arrival of the iPhone 16e, with the company making the required efforts to announce the iPhone 17e just a year later. Naturally, to save up on production costs as much as possible and in light of the DRAM shortage, there isn’t expected to be much of a cosmetic difference, but you might be interested in what’s underneath the hood. Here’s everything you need to know about the iPhone 17e’s launch, features, and specifications. Design and display Unfortunately, those looking forward to the Dynamic Island change on the iPhone 17e will be disappointed, […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/roundup/apple-iphone-17e-launch-price-features-specifications-roundup/

Apple’s A18 Pro from 2024 utilizes TSMC’s InFO-POP (Integrated Fan-Out Package on Package) technology, meaning that the DRAM sits on top of the die as part of the silicon. The technology giant re-purposed the same SoC and incorporated it into the MacBook Neo, which is why the latter is limited to 8GB of RAM. For those genuinely interested in upgrading to the $599 portable Mac but are discouraged because of the inadequate memory, the way the A18 Pro has been designed prevents this upgrade. While it was still possible for Apple to introduce more memory, it would be at a […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/macbook-neo-8gb-ram-limitation-is-due-to-the-a18-pro-packaging/

Apple has finally unveiled its much-anticipated MacBook Neo, bringing a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2,408 x 1,506 resolution and 500 nits brightness, uniform bezels, Touch ID, dual-firing speakers that support Spatial Audio, a 1080p front camera, a brightly colored aluminum frame, and color-matching keyboard to the proverbial table. However, to price the MacBook Neo at a very attractive $599, Apple has had to make a lot of compromises along the way, with some that were, frankly speaking, quite unavoidable. The litany of compromises that Apple has had to make to launch the MacBook Neo at a price point […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/here-are-all-of-the-compromises-that-apple-has-had-to-make-to-price-the-macbook-neo-at-599/

Apple didn’t add any kind of MagSafe charging on the MacBook Neo, meaning that the company’s affordable 13-inch notebook only ships with two USB-C ports for topping up the battery and data transfer. Unfortunately, the $599 starting price will bring some compromises, with one of them being that the two ports won’t deliver the same bandwidth. In short, if you want the fastest speeds when moving heaps of files, you’ll have to avoid one of these ports. Fortunately, the MacBook Neo can be charged with both USB-C ports, it’s just one of them that will operate at a slower bandwidth […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/macbook-neo-two-usb-c-ports-different-speeds/

The most affordable notebook has been added to Apple’s lineup today, and it is called the MacBook Neo. After years of rumors, the Cupertino firm is coming to chip away at the market share of its competitors with a highly affordable offering that comes in four attractive paint jobs and is fueled by the previous-generation A18 Pro chipset. Here are more details you'll love to check out. The $599 price of the MacBook Neo is expected to undercut the competition The affordable portable Mac sports a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2,408 x 1,506 resolution and 500 nits brightness. […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-official-announces-macbook-neo/

Apple has supercharged its non-Pro tablet lineup by bringing the M4 to the iPad Air, but don’t assume that the chipset will perform similarly to the silicon found in the more expensive iPad Pro. In fact, the differences are quite pronounced, and according to the latest single-core and multi-core benchmark comparison, the M4 iPad Air can lose more than 20 percent performance because Apple decided to equip it with a binned SoC. Unsurprisingly, the M4 iPad Air’s 8-core CPU shows less of a performance difference with the 9-core M4 iPad Pro Before Apple’s newest slates go up for pre-order, Geekbench […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/m4-ipad-air-binned-chipset-causes-20-percent-multi-core-performance-loss-vs-m4-ipad-pro/

The M5 Pro and M5 Max announcement was accompanied by some changes in the way Apple categorizes its CPU cores. With the company introducing the term ‘super’ to the lineup, perhaps it was a hint that its Fusion Architecture allowed it to develop even more capable custom cores without compromising on efficiency. Sadly, this isn’t the case, because the M5’s performance cores have also been renamed to ‘super cores,’ concluding that the M5 Pro and M5 Max won’t be clocked any higher, removing any advantage that we thought was present because we fell victim to Apple’s clever marketing. The super cores […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-renames-m5-performance-cores-to-super-cores/

Planned obsolescence is the game in town, especially in the tech world, and no one appears as savvy at this game as Apple, which has elevated the periodic adjustments of its product portfolio into an art form. Today, Apple has discontinued its 32-inch 6K display, called the Pro Display XDR, and replaced it with a 27-inch 5K one, aptly dubbed the Studio Display XDR. Apple replaces the pricey Pro Display XDR with the cheaper Studio Display XDR, entailing some compromises Apple has officially retired the Pro Display XDR in favor of the new 27-inch Studio Display XDR, which, while a […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-cues-in-nostalgia-by-discontinuing-the-pro-display-xdr-in-favor-of-the-new-studio-display-xdr/

The introduction of the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro lineup was accompanied by a pleasant surprise, as Apple has raised the minimum storage for all M5 and M5 Pro models. With these portable Macs now shipping with a 1TB SSD, buyers who were previously running into low internal memory warnings and had to resort to clever workarounds, such as using cloud storage, can finally breathe a sigh of relief. However, this upgrade isn't free, but the price is less aggressive compared to Apple's previous business practices. The base storage upgrade won't come free for M5 and M5 MacBook Pro models, as Apple […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-raises-macbook-pro-base-storage-to-1tb-for-m5-and-m5-pro-models/

After unveiling a slew of new products over the past few hours, including the iPhone 17e, the M4 iPad Air, the M5 Pro and M5 Max chipsets, the all-new MacBook Pro devices, the M5 MacBook Air, the Studio Display and the Studio Display XDR, Apple is gearing up to reveal its much-anticipated low-cost MacBook tomorrow, when it will also hold a hands-on 'Apple Experience' event simultaneously in various choice locations around the globe. Even so, a brief website glitch has revealed an important tidbit ahead of tomorrow's grand unveiling: the new device will be called MacBook Neo. Apple's upcoming budget MacBook will be called MacBook […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/a-brief-website-glitch-reveals-apples-low-cost-macbook-to-be-called-macbook-neo/

As expected, Apple has been on a veritable frenzy when it comes to launching new products. On Monday, the Cupertino giant unveiled the iPhone 17e and the M4 iPad Air. Today, we've got the densest volley so far, with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chipsets, the all-new MacBook Pro devices, and the new M5 MacBook Air getting their respective spots on the stage. Even so, Apple has just announced the all-new Studio Display and Studio Display XDR, replete with a 27-inch 5K Retina XDR display that features an advanced mini-LED backlight, up to 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness, […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/behold-apples-all-new-studio-display-and-studio-display-xdr-a-27-inch-5k-retina-xdr-display-up-to-2000-nits-of-peak-hdr-brightness-and-thunderbolt-5/

The long-awaited M5 Pro and M5 Max are finally here, powering Apple’s 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. For the first time, Apple has incorporated a new and improved Fusion Architecture, combining two dies onto a single chipset, bringing a host of improvements to the table. The components forming the multiple dies include the CPU, scalable GPU, Media Engine, unified memory controller, Neural Engine, and Thunderbolt 5. The M5 Pro and M5 Max also utilize TSMC’s latest and greatest 3nm ‘N3P’ architecture, so let us dive into the details immediately. New chip design enables Apple to increase the total number […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-announces-m5-pro-and-m5-max-chipsets/

Apple is steadily building up the hype ahead of its hands-on 'Apple Experience' event on Wednesday, and it is doing so primarily by unveiling a slew of new products in the intervening days. On Monday, we got the iPhone 17e and the M4 iPad Air. And today, it's the turn of the all-new MacBook Air, replete with the M5 chipset, 512GB of base storage, a faster SSD that goes all the way up to 4TB, the N1 wireless networking chip, a Liquid Retina display, and up to 18 hours of battery life. Behold the stunning M5 MacBook Air Apple has […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-unveils-the-all-new-m5-macbook-air-m5-chipset-512gb-of-base-storage-a-faster-ssd-the-n1-wireless-chip-a-liquid-retina-display-and-up-to-18-hours-of-battery-life/

The successor to the iPhone 16e was announced yesterday, with Apple introducing several changes to the iPhone 17e compared to last year’s model while retaining the same design. For $599, there are plenty of things to like about the Cupertino giant’s newest release, but does it offer more value compared to the base iPhone 17, which retails for $799? We have discussed some key differences below, allowing you to make a better decision on whether you should save $200 or spend it. Display and other features The iPhone 17e sticks with the same 6.1-inch notched display as the iPhone 16e, with […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/iphone-17e-vs-iphone-17-spend-200-more-or-save-it/

With the hardware side of Apple's AI strategy reportedly in an equal, if not greater, disarray than the software side, it is hardly a surprise that the Cupertino giant has been forced to rely on Google's servers, along with its very capable Gemini model, to ship the revamped Siri and the AI features that come with it. Against this backdrop, the bespoke Baltra ASIC might be Apple's only viable avenue of escaping Google's ensnaring clutches. Apple's internal disarray is leading to a situation where a large proportion of its AI servers simply sit idle on warehouse shelves The Information is […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apples-baltra-asic-cant-come-soon-enough-as-the-vast-majority-of-its-current-ai-servers-are-reportedly-rotting-on-the-shelves/

On the first day of its ongoing product launch window in the run-up to Wednesday's hands-on 'Apple Experience' event, the Cupertino giant has unveiled its all-new M4 iPad Air along with the iPhone 17e, bringing substantially more unified system memory, the N1 wireless networking chip, and the C1X modem to the proverbial table, all for a starting price of $599. Behold the substantially more powerful M4 iPad Air Upgraded silicon Apple's new M4 iPad Air, both the 11-inch and 13-inch variants, sport the M4 chip that renders the new devices up to 30 percent faster than their M3 chip counterparts. […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-unveils-the-all-new-m4-ipad-air-entailing-up-to-50-percent-more-unified-memory-the-n1-wireless-chip-and-the-c1x-modem-with-a-starting-price-of-599/
