Category: Apple Insider

Shoppers looking for a last minute Father’s Day gift can snap up Apple’s newest 2018 iPad with Apple Pencil support for just $299. Apple authorized resellers are also knocking up to $230 off current 13″ MacBook Pros —and time is running out to grab a closeout 15″ MacBook Pro at up to $1,300 off.

2018 iPad with Apple Pencil support for $299

Discounts on Apple devices are heating up just in time for Father’s Day — and B&H is bringing back the popular cash rebate on the 2018 iPad, bringing the price down to $299.00 for the 32GB model in Space Gray. This $30 instant discount on the Wi-Fi tablet is in addition to free shipping to the contiguous U.S. for easy delivery to your doorstep. And unlike other big box retailers, B&H Photo will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside New York and New Jersey (Colorado and Vermont residents, see here), saving many shoppers over $50 compared to buying from the Apple Store.

To snap up the deal, simply use one of the pricing links in this post or in our 2018 iPad Price Guide. This offer is available for a limited time only and is set to end on June 13 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.

32GB iPad deals

• 32GB iPad in Space Gray (Wi-Fi Only) | P/N: MR7F2LL/A
  On sale for $299.00
  ($30 off + no tax outside NY & NJ*)
  *B&H will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside NY & NJ. CO and VT residents, see here.

Add an Apple Pencil

Take advantage of all the 2018 iPad has to offer by tacking on an Apple Pencil for $99.99 at B&H. Use it to take notes, draw, or even mark up emails on compatible iPads.

Tack on AppleCare

You can easily add an AppleCare+ extended protection plan to this iPad for $69 by selecting the AppleCare+ option immediately after you press the “Add to Cart” button on B&H’s website.

13″ MacBook Pros on sale from $1,199

Apple’s current 13-inch MacBook Pro is also on sale leading up to Father’s Day. From the standard model for $1,174.00 with coupon code APINSIDER to a loaded config with an upgraded processor, 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage for $2,399.00 (reg. $2,599) with the same code, Dad is sure to love a new laptop.

In addition to the savings, Apple authorized resellers Adorama and B&H Photo will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside New York and New Jersey (Colorado and Vermont residents, see here), making the deals listed below $200 to $400 cheaper for many shoppers compared to buying from the Apple Store. Shipping is also free to the contiguous U.S., making it easy to send the gift directly to Dad.

Top picks can be found below, while a full list of deals are available in our Mac Price Guides.

13″ MacBook Pro with function keys

13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

• 13″ (3.1GHz 8GB 256GB) in Space Gray | P/N: MPXV2LL/A
  On sale for $1,599.00 | B&H
  ($200 off + no tax outside NY & NJ*)
• 13″ (3.1GHz 8GB 256GB) in Silver | P/N: MPXX2LL/A
  On sale for $1,599.00 | B&H
  ($200 off + no tax outside NY & NJ*)
  
  13″ (3.5GHz 8GB 256GB) in Space Gray | P/N: Z0UM-MPXV24
  On sale for $1,969.00 with coupon code APINSIDER | Adorama
  ($130 off + no tax outside NY & NJ**)
  
  13″ (3.5GHz 16GB 512GB) in Space Gray | P/N: Z0UN-MPXW30
  On sale for $2,269.00 with coupon code APINSIDER | Adorama
  ($230 off + no tax outside NY & NJ**)
  **Price with promo code APINSIDER. Adorama will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside NY & NJ.
  *B&H will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside NY & NJ. CO and VT residents, see here.

Add AppleCare

You can easily tack on an AppleCare+ extended protection plan to these Mid 2017 13-inch MacBook Pros for $269 by selecting the AppleCare option immediately after you press the “Add to Cart” button on the respective reseller’s website.

Last chance for many closeout 15″ MacBook Pro deals

As supplies grow increasingly limited on closeout Late 2016 15-inch MacBook Pros, Apple authorized resellers are knocking $800 to $1,300 off several upgraded models. Pick up a Radeon 460 system with 512GB of storage for just $2,099.00 after an $800 instant rebate. Or opt for a 2.7GHz, Radeon 455 config with 1TB of storage for $2,199.00 with coupon code APINSIDER, a discount of $1,200 off MSRP. These deals also include free shipping to the contiguous U.S. —and both Adorama and B&H will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside New York and New Jersey (Colorado and Vermont residents, see here).

To compare the savings to deals on 2017 models, it would cost $500 more for a Mid 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro with 1TB of storage, according to our 2017 15″ MacBook Pro Price Guide. If you’re open to a 2016 model, these are the lowest prices available on a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

Closeout 15″ MacBook Pro deals

• 15″ MacBook Pro (2.7GHz 16GB 512GB Radeon 460) in Space Gray | P/N: Z0SH0004X
  On sale for $2,099.00 * | B&H
  ($800 off + no tax outside NY and NJ)
• 15″ MacBook Pro (2.9GHz 16GB 1TB Radeon 455) in Space Gray | P/N: Z0SH-MLH424
  On sale for $2,199.00 with coupon code APINSIDER | Adorama
  ($1,200 off + no tax outside NY and NJ**) – Hot deal!
• 15″ (2.9GHz 16GB 1TB Radeon 460) in Space Gray | MLH52LL/A
  On sale for $2,499.00
  ($1,000 off + no tax outside NY & NJ*)
• 15″ (2.9GHz 16GB 2TB Radeon 460) in Silver | Z0T60004B
  On sale for $2,999.00
  ($1,300 off + no tax outside NY & NJ*)
  **Price with promo code APINSIDER. Adorama will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside NY & NJ.
  *B&H will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside NY & NJ. CO and VT residents, see here.

Add AppleCare+

You can easily tack on an AppleCare+ extended protection plan to these 15″ MacBook Pros for the discounted rate of $349 at Adorama. Alternatively, B&H is selling AppleCare for the 15″ MacBook Pro for $379, with the option to add the protection plan available in cart.

Additional Apple Deals

AppleInsider and Apple authorized resellers are also running a handful of additional exclusive promotions this month on Apple hardware that will not only deliver the lowest prices on many of the items, but also throw in discounts on AppleCare, software and accessories. These deals are as follows:

See if there is a Mac, iPad, Apple Watch or Certified Used iPhone deal that will save you $100s by checking out prices.appleinsider.com and deals.appleinsider.com.

By Roger Fingas
Thursday, June 07, 2018, 09:21 am PT (12:21 pm ET)

Amazon on Thursday revealed the Fire TV Cube, its latest media streamer, poised to intensify competition with the Apple TV 4K.

The Cube effectively merges the existing Fire TV with an Echo speaker. Users can not only issue typical Alexa voice commands, but control video playback as well as compatible receivers, soundbars, and cable and satellite boxes. Some devices and services support voice-based search and/or channel-changing.

Some example commands range from “Alexa, turn on the TV” or “turn up the volume” to things like “play ‘This is Us’,” “open Netflix,” or “tune to CNN.” A physical remote is included as well.

People with Alexa-compatible security cameras can use the Cube to view live feeds.

On a technical level the Cube is little different from the Fire TV apart from its speaker and microphones, though storage is doubled to 16 gigabytes, and an Ethernet adapter is bundled rather than sold separately.

There are some limitations. Sleep timers won’t work until “later this year,” Amazon says, and there’s no timeline for when Bluetooth sync, multi-room music, and Alexa calling and messaging will be added.

On paper the product is largely on par with the Apple TV 4K, and offers some advantages, primarily the ability to talk to it without a remote or holding down a button. Like the Fire TV though, it continues to support only HDR10 for high dynamic range, whereas the Apple TV 4K offers that and Dolby Vision.

Both the Fire TV and Fire TV Cube offer Dolby Atmos surround sound. Apple has promised Atmos support for months, but will only implement it with this fall’s tvOS 12.

The Cube ships June 21, and can be pre-ordered for $119.99 by the general public, or $89.99 by Prime members.

Feature

By Daniel Eran Dilger
Wednesday, June 06, 2018, 09:15 am PT (12:15 pm ET)

Next week on June 14, rockstar analyst Horace Dediu of Asymco and the Technorati will be presenting “The Goose That Lays The Golden Eggs,” a first of its kind investor summit discussing the fundamentals of Apple as a business and its recurring revenue model.

The Apple Summit is being held in Los Angeles, California at Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. The all-day event will feature Apple, mobility, and the future of technology.

In an Asymco posting, Dediu noted that the Apple Summit “was inspired by a blog post from 2013 foreshadowing how human nature instinctively discounts Apple and yet how that nature is mismatched to how Apple actually works.”

He added, “if you are curious about why Wall Street says ‘Sell’ and Warren Buffet says ‘Buy’ on Apple you might want to spend some time with us.”

Tickets to the all day event are still available, and attendees can sign up online.

WWDC

By Andrew O’Hara
Monday, June 04, 2018, 08:23 am PT (11:23 am ET)

Instead of relying on QR or barcodes at WWDC 2018 this year, Apple is using NFC with Face ID or Touch ID authentication of the pass in the user’s Wallet.

In years past, attendees would all get a physical pass with barcodes, designed to be worn at all times. The past several years those physical badges relied on NFC for entry, but this is the first time that the Wallet pass has used the same technology for access control.

When an attendee goes to redeem their wallet pass for their badge, the pass appears on the lock screen. Following the pop-up, it will then have the user authenticate the pass with Face ID or Touch ID, in the same fashion as a Apple Pay transaction.

Using NFC for passes isn’t entirely new, but it is rare. Apple does allow passes and loyalty information to support NFC, but few have adopted the process.

This also seems similar to using NFC to make your way into a hotel room, a feature rumored to arrive with iOS 12. It has been suggested that Apple will open up NFC access for additional functionality including accessing hotels, offices, and more.

Apple has been slow to evolve its NFC policies since adopting the technology nearly four years ago, but the company has made moves to expand its limited feature set over the past year.

This isn’t Apple’s first adoption of the technology, though. In 2017, Apple released watchOS 4 with GymKit, a platform that enables a two-way sync of data between an Apple Watch and a stationary workout machine. The authentication and pairing process is conducted via NFC.

The launch of iOS 11 brought Core NFC, a framework that lets developers tap into iPhone’s onboard NFC chip to scan NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) data tags. So far, only a few companies have taken advantage of Core NFC, one of the first being glucose reader manufacturer Abbott.

Stay abreast of Apple’s announcements by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, and follow us on YouTube, Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos from the event.

Can’t watch Apple’s livestream of the keynote? AppleInsider has you covered with a live blog covering all the announcements.

Exclusive

By Christine McKee
Saturday, June 02, 2018, 11:20 pm PT (02:20 am ET)

Gearing up for this year’s WWDC festivities, B&H is offering AI readers the lowest prices anywhere on 2017 MacBook Pros and iMac Pros. Prices start at just $1,099 with discounts of up to $450 off, plus free expedited delivery and no tax collected in most states. Only at AppleInsider.

Apple’s 2017 13″ MacBook Pro for $1,099

13″ MacBook Pro (2.3GHz 8GB 128GB) in Space Gray | P/N: MPXQ2LL/A
On sale for $1,099.00
($200 off + no tax outside NY & NJ*)
*To activate the deal, please follow the step-by-step instructions below. B&H will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside NY & NJ. CO and VT residents, see here.

Apple authorized reseller B&H Photo is celebrating WWDC 2018 by offering AI readers an exclusive $200 discount off MSRP on Apple’s current Mid 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro. This model, which is equipped with a 2.3GHz processor, 8GB of 2133 MHz RAM, and a 128GB SSD, is now $1,099.00 when activated using the special instructions below. According to our 13-inch MacBook Pro Price Guide, this deal provides shoppers with the lowest online price available from an Apple authorized reseller by $100 to $200.

The savings don’t stop with the cash discount, though. In addition to the instant rebate, B&H is tacking on free expedited shipping to the contiguous U.S. for fast delivery to your doorstep (typically within one to three business days). B&H also will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside New York and New Jersey (Colorado and Vermont residents, see here), saving many shoppers $300 compared to buying from the Apple Store.

For those who haven’t purchased from an Apple authorized reseller before, these systems are brand-new and factory sealed in retail packaging —the same as you get from Apple. AppleCare can also be added at the time of purchase for $269 by selecting the AppleCare option in your shopping cart.

Instructions: To redeem the discount, simply click through one of the exclusive $1,099.00 MacBook Pro pricing links in this post using AppleInsider’s desktop site and look for the reduced price.

Please note: This deal cannot be activated through the B&H and AppleInsider apps at this time. If you still cannot see the exclusive price using the desktop site, all is not lost! Need help? Send us a note at priceguides@gmail.com and we will do our best to assist.

Add AppleCare
You can easily add on an AppleCare+ extended protection plan to this Mid 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro for $269 by selecting the AppleCare option immediately after you press the “Add to Cart” button on B&H’s website.

$300 to $400 off 2017 15″ MacBook Pros

15″ MacBook Pro Pro (3.1GHz, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Radeon Pro 560) in Space Gray | P/N: Z0UB-MPTR27
On sale for $2,699.00
($300 off + no tax outside NY & NJ*)
15″ MacBook Pro Pro (3.1GHz, 16GB, 1TB SSD, Radeon Pro 560) in Space Gray | P/N: Z0UB-MPTR31
On sale for $2,999.00
($400 off + no tax outside NY & NJ*)
*To activate the deal, please follow the step-by-step instructions below. B&H will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside NY & NJ. CO and VT residents, see here.

AppleInsider partner B&H Photo is also offering readers the lowest prices anywhere on two loaded 15-inch MacBook Pro configurations. Save $300 on the Space Gray system featuring an upgraded 3.1GHz processor, 512GB SSD, and the best graphics card you can get in a Mid 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro. Now $2,699.00 when you activate the discount through this special pricing link using the step-by-step instructions below, this laptop makes a great graduation gift at $300 off.

Prefer more storage? B&H is also taking $400 off MSRP on the 1TB model exclusively for AI readers. Priced at $2,999.00 using the step-by-step instructions below, this premium configuration in Space Gray is also equipped with 4GB Radeon 560 graphics like the 512GB model above.

Both systems also come with free expedited shipping to the contiguous U.S. for fast delivery to your doorstep. B&H also will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside New York and New Jersey (Colorado and Vermont residents, see here), saving many shoppers $540 to $670 on average compared to ordering direct. As noted above, these systems are brand-new and factory sealed. To see how these deals stack up, check out the latest prices in our 15-inch MacBook Pro Price Guide.

Instructions: To redeem the discount, simply click through one of the exclusive 15″ MacBook Pro pricing links in this post using AppleInsider’s desktop site and look for the advertised price.

Please note: This deal cannot be activated through the B&H and AppleInsider apps at this time. If you still cannot see the exclusive price using the desktop site, all is not lost! Need help? Send us a note at priceguides@gmail.com and we will do our best to assist.

Add AppleCare
You can easily tack on an AppleCare+ extended protection plan to these Mid 2017 15-inch MacBook Pros for $379 by selecting the AppleCare option immediately after you press the “Add to Cart” button on B&H’s website.

$450 off Apple’s 10-Core iMac Pro (3.0GHz, 64GB, 1TB, Vega 64)

iMac Pro (3.0GHz, 64GB, 1TB SSD, Vega 64) | P/N: Z0UR-10C11
On sale for $6,749.00
($450 off + no tax outside NY & NJ*)
*To activate the deal, please follow the step-by-step instructions below. B&H will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside NY & NJ. CO and VT residents, see here.

Also discounted this week exclusively for AppleInsider readers is Apple’s high-end 27-inch iMac Pro. This machine is a powerhouse with top-of-the-line Vega 64 graphics, 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. The 3.0GHz Intel Xeon 10-core chip provides substantial processing power for CPU-intensive tasks, such as encoding 4K video — and the Space Gray chassis and accessories look great at home or work.

Now $6,749.00, a discount of $450 off MSRP for AI readers, this iMac Pro qualifies for free expedited shipping to the contiguous U.S. In addition to hundreds off MSRP, B&H also will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside New York and New Jersey (Colorado and Vermont residents, see here), which for a high-end system like this, can equate to over $1,000 in savings for many shoppers compared to buying from the Apple Store. Since B&H is an Apple authorized reseller, you can rest assured this iMac Pro is brand new and factory sealed, just like you would get at the Apple Store.

To redeem the discount, simply follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Instructions: To redeem the discount, click through one of the iMac Pro pricing links in this post using AppleInsider’s desktop site and look for the reduced price.

Please note: This deal cannot be activated through the B&H and AppleInsider apps at this time. If you still cannot see the exclusive price using the desktop site, all is not lost! Need help? Send us a note at priceguides@gmail.com and we will do our best to assist.

Add AppleCare
You can easily tack on an AppleCare extended protection plan to this iMac Pro for $169 by selecting the AppleCare option immediately after you press the “Add to Cart” button on B&H’s website.

AppleInsider is in San Jose all week with the latest news from WWDC 2018. Stay abreast of Apple’s announcements by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, and follow us on Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos from the event.

Additional Apple Deals

AppleInsider and Apple authorized resellers are also running a handful of additional exclusive promotions this month on Apple hardware that will not only deliver the lowest prices on many of the items, but also throw in discounts on AppleCare, software and accessories. These deals are as follows:

See if there is a Mac, iPad, Apple Watch or Certified Used iPhone deal that will save you $100s by checking out prices.appleinsider.com and deals.appleinsider.com.