Article Hero Image AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site. Apple informed TechCrunch of the product's end of life in a statement today. HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home control all for just $99. We are focusing our efforts on HomePod mini. We are discontinuing the original HomePod, it will continue to be available while supplies last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores, and Apple Authorized Resellers. Apple will provide HomePod customers with software updates and service and support through Apple Care. The company plans to sell remaining HomePod units until stock is depleted, though Apple's online storefront is already sold out of Space Gray models. Support will also continue until the product is declared obsolete. Announced at WWDC 2017, HomePod was Apple's first foray into the smart … [Read more...] about Apple discontinues full-size HomePod, to focus on HomePod mini
Apple Watch SE returns to $259, cellular $309 in today’s Amazon deals
Amazon has issued price cuts on the Apple Watch SE , knocking $20 off the budget-friendly devices and delivering the year's cheapest prices. The $259 Apple Watch SE is available on the 40mm model with GPS functionality in your choice of a Space Gray Aluminum Case or a Silver Aluminum Case . At press time, both color options are in stock and ready to ship with free expedited delivery for Prime members. Also discounted by $20 is the Cellular version , this time with a Gold Aluminum Case with a Pink Sand Sport Band or a Space Gray Aluminum Case with Apple's Charcoal Sport Loop Band . Cellular units are on backorder with expected availability later this month, but you can still secure your spot in line now at the discounted price. There are plenty of additional Apple Watch deals available, including discounts on Series 6 models. It's worth paying a visit to the AppleInsider Apple Watch Price Guide for up-to-date pricing and availability. Additional … [Read more...] about Apple Watch SE returns to $259, cellular $309 in today’s Amazon deals
Ad-supported HBO Max option coming in June
AT&T announced on Friday that it plans to launch a cheaper ad-supported version of HBO Max in June. The telecom giant has only released minimal detail on the plan. It hasn't yet announced pricing or an exact release date for the upcoming cheaper tier. AT&T expects the ad-supported HBO Max tier to combine with global expansion to drive subscriber and revenue growth in 2021. HBO Max will launch in 60 markets outside of the US in 2021. These will include 39 Latin America and the Caribbean territories in late June and 21 European territories in the second half of 2021. The company anticipates ending the year with between 67 and 70 million subscribers. The service had around 61 million subscribers at the end of 2020. The company expects its HBO unit to more than double its revenue in the next five years. "Zach Snyder's Justice League" is one of the high-profile HBO Max exclusives coming in 2021 In response to the pandemic, Warner Bros is … [Read more...] about Ad-supported HBO Max option coming in June
iPhone demand weakness just ‘noise,’ outlook remains strong, analyst says
Investment bank Morgan Stanley calls recent reports of weaker iPhone demand "supply chain noise," and sees the AAPL pullback as a buying opportunity for investors. In a note to investors seen by AppleInsider , analyst Katy Huberty says she agrees with reports of iPhone 12 mini weakness, but adds that the overall demand environment remains positive for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro lineup. For one, she cites reports that Apple is cutting iPhone production to 75 million units in the first half of 2021. Although Huberty admits this has contributed to recent AAPL underperformance, she says the news is "noise rather than anything that impacts the fundamental outlook." A recent Morgan Stanley check indicated that there's between three million and five million units of total iPhone build upside risk for the first half of 2021. That's because the bank's research indicates that build orders for specific iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 models are being revised up, not … [Read more...] about iPhone demand weakness just ‘noise,’ outlook remains strong, analyst says
DaVinci Resolve and Fusion now officially support M1 Macs
Blackmagic Design has updated its popular video-editing apps DaVinci Resolve and DaVinci Fusion, adding native M1 Mac support. Following the public beta that had launched in November, DaVinci Resolve 17.1 is now available to the public in the official update channel. The update brings full native support for the M1-powered variants of the 13-inch MacBook Pro , MacBook Air , and Mac mini . Previously, DaVinci Resolve had only run on M1 Macs using Rosetta 2 translation. Native M1 support allows the software to take full advantage of Apple Silicon's performance. Apple's chip has up to a 3.5x faster CPU, 6x faster GPU, and 15x faster machine learning than Intel Macs. The M1-friendly update carries over the 100 new features and 200 improvements from DaVinci Resolve 17 . That list includes significant updates to the Fairlight audio workstation and color grading toolset with broader user interface upgrades. It also adds: new HDR color correction tools … [Read more...] about DaVinci Resolve and Fusion now officially support M1 Macs