WWDC Is Finally Here, But New Macs Will Have to Wait

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If you follow Apple closely, June is always a great time of year. WWDC always brings an interesting combination of the latest versions of the company’s collection of operating systems, in addition to usually bringing us at least one new device.

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According to several sources, including Jon Prosser, it’s looking like we may not see new hardware introduced at WWDC today. The two most likely Macs to see an update were the long-overdue iMac, and new ARM-based MacBooks.

Apple’s still expected to announce its transition to its own in-house A-series chips, even if it doesn’t launch a Mac powered by those chips. The iMac, in particular, would be a painful miss, unless Apple intends to still roll out an updated design later this summer or fall.

If that’s the case, I suspect that it’ll likely be just a spec-bump of the current design, instead of a complete overhaul. I have no inside information, but that’s the sense I get. If Apple doesn’t use its largest platform to roll it out, it’s probably because it’s not going to be something that the company thinks is worth taking up space during its most-watched keynote.

Watch the keynote live

Speaking of the keynote, you can watch it live today at 1 p.m. EDT/10 a.m. PDT over at www.apple.com/apple-events, on YouTube, or in the TV app on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or AppleTV.

Apple Is Giving College Students a Pair of AirPods When They Buy a Mac or iPad

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Yesterday, Apple’s Education Store was down for a while. That usually means there’s something new coming to the store, and it turns out that’s exactly the case. And, it’s pretty good news if you’re a college student who might be in the market for a new Mac or iPad. When you buy one right now, Apple will give you a free pair of AirPods, or you can upgrade to a pair of AirPods Pro.

Courtesy Apple, Inc.

Courtesy Apple, Inc.

I’ve written on more than one occasion that I think the AirPods, along with the AirPods Pro are the best overall wireless earbuds you can get. It’s not that they’re the best sounding, though they do sound quite good. The reason is simplicity. They just work.

That includes the noise cancellation and transparency modes on the AirPods Pro. Sure, you can get earbuds from Sony with slightly better noise cancellation. Sure, there are higher-end wireless earbuds that offer better sound. But no other earbuds offer the same combination of features, sound, and ease of use.

Courtesy Apple, Inc.

Courtesy Apple, Inc.

College students already save $100 off the starting price of a MacBook Air. Now, you can get that same device + a set of AirPods, which should cost you $1159, for only $899. That’s a pretty sweet deal.